colmcork

I am sorry about this, but just to throw a bit of a spanner in the works here. When on the Toyota Supra forums the guys there always stressed that a full auto gearbox flush should only ever be performed after the gearbox had major surgery carried out on it. This had something to do with a mineral build up inside the gearbox if it was subject to a batch of clean fresh transmission fluid all of a sudden. What they all recommended for the Supra ( and surely the lexus autobox is very similar, if not the same? ) is that the lower sump/pan be drained, approx 1.5 to 2 litres, and the gearbox be topped up by this amount. This procedure was then repeated over the next few thousand miles until you have ended up replacing approx 10 litres or so of transmission oil, or until you are satisfied that the oil is now a consistent cherry red. They also insisted that ONLY Toyota type IV transmission fluid be used. I really hope this doesn't confuse things here. This is the procedure I will follow if and when I need to do a transmission fluid change on my future 400. It seems to have served all of the auto Supra's very well in the past.

Indeed you are right itarumaa, there seems to be very few clean ones around over here. There is one however on carzone with full history and 118k on the clock. Silver is not my first choice in colour but I guess there isn't the selection of cars here to be too fussy. It does have a sunroof though ;) , not that it's needed over here!

Well guys, I took that Ls400 for a spin today. Certainly not what I would have described as the ''cleanest in the country''. Perhaps it is just the silver colour that is difficult to get that nice bright shine up. Also a good wash wouldn't have gone astray, however with only 108 thousand miles on the clock there wasn't as much as a rattle or squeak out of it. And sweet Divine, Comfort!!! I now realise why so many of you are describing it as a magic carpet ride. It is, in my own opinion, streets and streets ahead of the newer Ls430 in terms of outright comfort. Not as many ''toys'' but such a pleasure to ride around in. I just cannot get over it!! Even simply sitting in it while stationary it is extremely comfortable. My mind is now made up as to which model I shall be purchasing. The guy today showing me the car said that it had been parked up for two to three weeks without being started, but it still needed a booster pack to get going, is this normal with these cars?

Crikey, you guys sure do love your 400's ;) . I suppose the last of them had been in production and undergone several changes/improvements for about 10 years or so. Whereas the 430's that I am considering are the very first of them 2001/2002. For me it is not about all the toys/gizmos that I get with the car, it is just simply about sitting back and completely enjoying tha ride. The softer, less road feel that Ambermarine speaks of in the 400 would probably suit me a bit better than the 430. Well off I go to drive a 1999 silver 400 that is supposed to be the ''cleanest in the country''. I'v not heard that one before. Thanks again guys.

Well guys just a quick up-date. The genius that was selling the affore mentioned ls400 has ended up writing it off. Apparently. I got the feeling however that I was asking too many informed questions for his liking. When it came to e-mailing detailed pictures of the car..... well you know the rest... Anyhow, in my travels i have come across a few others, but have also come across 1 or 2 very cheap Ls 430's. In fact i drove one today that had been standing for the past twelve months or so. With the help of a booster pack she silently burst into life, and quickly settled down to a very un-dramatic dead calm idle. Perfect. A little 'restricted' at initial pull off, but on a nice gentle ease in spin she performed just superbly. Aside from the drivers wing mirror not functioning, everything else electrical on the car seemed to operate just fine. A slight concern though, was the engine management light which kicked in after approx 20 min. The dealer/gangster that was selling it, informed me that when run through a diagnostic test a faulty lambda sensor was the cause of this light. However after replacing one of the lambda sensors( apparently there are four in total ), this management light still remained on. Are these a common/ expensive problem on the 430's? Luckily enough, because of our import duties over here, very few of the 430's have the sat nav, height adjustable suspension, or the massaging rear seats. So I am just curious, without these extra toys is there much else that goes wrong with these big ole' girls? I had initially dis-counted them on my quest for Lexus luxury because of problems with some of the above, but maybe I should re-consider? Any and all of your opinions would be greatly received, Thanks guys.

Where abouts in Ireland are you? How do you find it running such a big car over here? Have you had any real issues with your 400 or is there anything you could advise me on when looking at one? I am of the same opinion as yourself, while the 300 is a great car the 400 for some reason appeals to me much more.

Hello there guys I'm new to this forum. I am living in Cork, southern Ireland. My apologies for such a long winded first post. Having recently parted ways with my lovely twin turbo Mkiv supra I see myself returning shortly to lexus ownership. A few years back I had an extremely clean 1998 GS 300, which to this day I regret selling. It was by far the most comfortable car I have owned and never gave me one ounce of trouble. My dilemma now however is this; should I return to another GS 300 or move 'up' to what most people describe as the legendary LS 400? Is there any of you on here who have owned both that could possibly share your thoughts on these two cars? Having thoroughly enjoyed driving the GS will I notice any real improvement in driving an LS? Am I just paying for the extra toys when it comes to the LS? All of your thoughts will be greatly appreciated. As I have a van for work and herself has a diesel mondeo the lexus will strictly be a weekend car at most, therefor fuel costs dont really concern me. I am looking at cars between the years of 1998-2001. All that I am looking for in this current venture of mine is a car which is totally sublime to drive, no need for huge power figures or mind bending acceleration. I want to just sit in, completely relax and just get on with enjoying the drive. I am being drawn to the latest of the ls 400's, the mark four I believe? I have already sourced one, a 1998 with 140,000 miles on the clock, with lexus service history up to approx 115,000 miles. Apparently everything on the car works just as it should and is described as 'stunning condition' although I have yet to verify this for myself. And at £1320 the price seems about right, no? Like I have said guys all of your thoughts on this will be greatly received. Apologies again for such a long post.