Titch LS

I've also used Rockauto for parts and generally there are savings to be made when using them, even with shipping, taxes etc. Sometimes though the quality is not there. I ordered two identical engine mounts from them; one was OEM quality,  the other was cheap-looking rubbish.  I sent it back and got a full refund including shipping costs. Good ol' American customer service. Funnily enough, like Shanra, I also got a Denso a/c condenser from them too, at a very reasonable price.

A well-known problem on an older LS. I had this dash light on for a couple of years. The float is knackered. I eventually got fed up with the light being on all the time so one day I got underneath and disconnected it. Access was a bit of a faff, but it was worth it. If I remember it involved the undertray and front wheel arch liner.

Two of my friends each bought older Mercedes. One especially regretted it. Money pits, big time. 

 I deliberately run my Goodyears with lowish 29/30 p.s.i. for a comfortable ride. Plus, the cheap Chinese tyres they replaced had very hard sidewalls and were noisy. This is why I regard my new tyres as 'squishy'. A few extra p.s.i. less makes a substantial difference to the ride. 

After some  'research' I recently put two Goodyear Efficientgrip Performance on the front wheels. They are very quiet, grip really well in the wet but give a very soft 'squiggy' feel through the steering, which I actually like. It makes the car feel more like a big barge. If I wanted a sportier feel I'd run a BMW, (or maybe not)!

I've used Blueprint parts in the past without any problems. I think the quality is there. If it was me ,I'd go with it. I don't think it's a cheap Chinese pattern part. 

I recently had to pull over onto the hard shoulder of the M1 due to a flat rear tyre. Whilst I was there a police patrol turned up in a marked Volvo estate and enquired what was wrong. One of the officers expressed his surprise to see a Lexus on the hard shoulder. After explaining the situation to him he said " I thought it was strange,--- Lexus don't  breakdown."  A ringing endorsement if there ever was one.

It's nestling out of sight, in the 'V', directly underneath the intake manifold. Lovely.  Apparently, it was put there to keep the noise down to a minimum when cranking the engine. Good job it lasts a long time before it ever needs changing. 

Great job. Very well done. Having successfully replaced the cambelt etc,  should the starter motor ever fail, you'll be able to confidently tackle that horrendous job with no problem. I take my hat off to you.

Rudy, I have a mk4 and servicing the parking brake is not as difficult as it first looks. In fact it's quite easy once you get going. I have a service manual CD and by using this I managed to lubricate and re-adjust the parking brake for each of the rear wheels. If you can find a good diagram on line you are halfway there. The trickiest part was initially finding the adjuster, (a semi-hidden  toothed wheel) and then using a long thin screwdriver to tighten/slacken each side. All the parts disassemble and reassemble like a Lexus should. You might need to use an impact screwdriver to get the two screws off that hold the disc to the hub though. Once that is off all is revealed. I'm pretty sure that earlier cars also have the same set up.

Wow! This forum has better solutions to problems (via the helpful membership) than any of the Lexus Dealerships!!

Hugh, I've just done an oil/filter change and put in 5 litres of  5W-30 fully synthetic. It reads 7/8 full on the dipstick. You don't want to overfill it. That will cause too much pressure and could cause a gasket leak, long term.

Barry, if your car is a 2000 model and you are reconnecting the Battery, you will need to read the yellow warning sticker on the back of your handbook. It advises you to leave the ignition in the 'on' position for 6 minutes before attempting to start the engine.

Colin, you could just as well save yourself £37. Shims are used to stop brake squeal. Rear brakes don't wear as quick as front's anyway and it's highly unlikely you will hear anything after replacing the pads without the shims. I've never had any noise problems when changing pads and leaving the shims off. Done this many times on many cars. I just use copper anti-seize grease instead. 

David, it sounds to me very much like a defective front wheel bearing, especially with the droning increasing and decreasing as you turn the wheel slightly which is putting more pressure on one side, hence the noise. It's not an uncommon problem on the LS430. Might be an idea to get it verified.

A '59 Beetle? My dad once had a Left Hand Drive 1959 Beetle that had been imported from Switzerland. As a young lad I used to ride in the small luggage compartment directly behind the back seat. No seat belt law in the '60's! (Not so much traffic either). It was a very reliable car too. Never gave any trouble that I recall.

That wheel really looks the part Steve. Some time back I changed my steering wheel for a half-wood rimmed one on my mk4 LS400. It really does make the cabin a bit classier. I bought mine from a breakers for around £50 (plus delivery) about a year ago. I couldn't believe the price they wanted! Having seen the prices on eBay I snapped it up. Like you, I took precautions regarding the air-bag's potential to 'detonate', so to speak. I didn't need a puller though, I just yanked the old wheel very hard once the nut was off and it broke free of the splines.

My mk4 does the same as MikeyV's. Press once for one flash. Press twice for three.

Depends if it's been abused or not. I once considered an LS400 with 300,000 (motorway) miles but the driver's seat was shot. If it's had regular oil changes and the gearbox is good then you could still find a good runner that's not a money pit.

Wow, that is cheap. Just don't need 20 litres at a time though. I'd probably die from old age before my LS would gobble up 20 litres! lol.

Anyone considering replacing or topping up their gearbox oil should look at this; 'MyTyres' are selling Comma ASW  (Toyota 3309 Type T-IV) on line for £10 per litre, including delivery. This is the cheapest deal I could find. Hope this helps.

Stuart, that looks great. To me, that is what the LS cabin should have looked like from the factory. The wood effect makes it much classier. Now all you need is a the half-wood steering wheel that came as an option on your model. I fitted a nice used one to my mk4 for around £50. Made a big difference.

Stuart, the gearbox will only 'kick down' if you shove your foot down. If you pussyfoot around you won't get anything like the performance the car is capable of. In fact there are two stages of kick-down on an LS400. You have to find a clear road and 'give it some beans'. You will NOT harm the engine in the slightest. It's the most robust V8 out there. 

My money would be on one of the ancilliary pulleys. Either the ancilliary belt tensioner pulley,(reverse threaded if you decide to undo it) or the ancilliary idler pulley, (normal thread). I replaced both on my LS and the same noise you have disappeared. To determine where the noise was coming from, I very carefully placed the end of an extremely long screwdriver near to those bearings and placed my ear on the handle end so as to "hear " any roughness in the bearings. It acts in a similar way to a stethoscope. If you do this just make absolutely sure you keep well away from the turning belt. You do it at your own risk, but it is a very effective way to diagnose a mechanical problem. 

There's no doubt that for overall reliability the LS 400 comes out on top. It has faults but these tend to be less expensive to fix than for the 430 (e.g. gearbox,air-suspension). Having said that, the 430 has an exceptionally nice cabin compared to the 400 and in my view is only marginally behind it for reliability, (if maintained properly). My 400 has the half-wood steering wheel so the cabin doesn't look quite so plasticky as the regular cars. Having to choose between the two cars is a nice dilemma to be in though.