Titch LS

I had that near-to-stalling and very low revs on my Mk4 some time back. That was Battery related too if I recall.  Must be a Lexus rebooting/resetting thing. After a while dash lights went off and all settled down to normal.

That newspaper article sums up exactly my sentiments about this country. We might be much better off in some ways but standards in all walks of life have fallen drastically. Even when driving on the motorway network you have to keep an eye out for potholes the size of oil wells. I clouted one yesterday on the M25, it moved the steering wheel out of my hand. The roads have gone to pot. German and Dutch roads are a pleasure to drive on. If they can do it, why can't we?

Stuart, I think most of us oldies felt the harsh sting of the slipper at school, but what is a Snitcher?  Intrigued.

John, it's a pity you're not close to Japex Automotive in Hertfordshire. They would sort you out guaranteed, if you could get your car there. They would not charge anywhere near as much as a Lexus dealership would either. A trip too far, or not?

Yes, only American market LS400's have an OBD2 socket that actually works with a code reader. Here in the U.K., the OBD2  socket only works on the LS430 model onwards.  All  LS400's here  are OBD1 compliant even though they have the OBD2 port/socket. Hope this helps.

John, your car can show you basic error codes, (but not by using a generic code reader). The code(s) will show up as a series of blinking dash lights when the diagnostic port on top of the engine (a small black rectangular box with flip up lid) is shorted with a paper clip using E1 and TE1 terminals. An alternative diagnostic port with the same terminals is found low down under the steering wheel column/ dash area. It's all fairly straight forward if you follow the online LS400 tutorial. A retrieved code will point you in the right direction for your problem. You can  google that code and it will come up with the likely fault area.

John and Venator, I agree, it could be the Crankshaft Position Sensor or even a dodgy Air Idle Control Valve but a code reader won't be of any use as a Mk4 is OBD1 compliant not OBD2 as on LS 400's for the American market. Googling 'LS400 E1 and TE1 diagnosics' will help bring up a tutorial on how to retrieve the more basic OBD1 codes for the 1999 LS.  (It's not difficult , you only need a paperclip). This, I would suggest would be the first step toward solving this problem. 

  I know what you mean as regards the 400.  When mine is eventually recycled to become a dozen or so washing machines, I'll be in a quandary choosing which car to replace it with. To me, my mk4 represents the pinnacle of driving pleasure. I guess I'd have to go for a late 430 to come anywhere near close.  Mercs, Beemers and Audi's are definitely out.

Mike, yes I am running LPG. I'm travelling a few miles further now in order to fill up at my nearest Shell station. Have to admit that every Shell station is always cheaper than any  BP station that I used to fill up at.

BP policy dictates it's only a matter of time.

Steve, as far as I can tell the general consensus seems to be that older Toyota/Lexus autoboxes should not be filled with the newer Toyota WS fluid if already using Toyota type IV. The viscosity and friction modifiers are quite different apparently. 

Mark , the fluid in your gearbox should always be Toyota Type IV or equivalent,( i.e. Mobil 3309/Comma 3309) whether towing or not. Extra cooling is what might be needed in your case. A radiator with a slightly larger oil cooler is available but might be hard to track down.

It's hard to estimate how good a used car will be from an advert. I had a similar experience when I was looking out for a descent LS400.   I once went to view an "immaculate" example only to come away very disappointed. You can't always trust what you read. Unfortunately, human nature being what it is, not everyone is up front when it comes to describing their cars. 

Talking of radiators, Lexus still provide a plastic threaded drain plug on these too, --- saves having to undo and take off the bottom hose if you need to drain the radiator for any reason. Haven't seen that on any of my previous cars for the last 30 years. It's little things like that which make me appreciate owning an LS.

Phil, If I owned a 430 over 10 years old I would replace the radiator just for peace of mind. They are not expensive as far as Lexus parts go, and are very easy to fit. I would also make absolutely sure I had only Toyota Red/Pink coolant in it. Just my two pence worth.

MJG, British petrol does now contain ethanol (E85)  just like America and Australia, but as our government is more sneaky than theirs it has allowed the oil companies not to disclose this fact. Basically, the public have been hoodwinked. This is because Ethanol is not the wonder fuel you think it is. It is much more corrosive than petrol (ie it's a powerful oxidant) and its long term use can cause car components to fail prematurely. Only newer cars are built to take this into consideration.

Oh well, seems like you all are happy with the situation regarding BP, I'm not. Let's just leave it at that shall we?

Mike, I do see your point, but my main gripe is that for me, on long motorway journeys I'm going to be inconvenienced because I will no longer be able to pull into a (admittedly expensive) BP Service Area and fill up, but have to waste time and fuel hunting around for the nearest LPG pump miles away from my home area. Even if I do have sat nav to help me, I'm still being inconvenienced,. 

Not alarmist at all. No one is saying that LPG is going to become completely unobtainable, just that BP's pulling out of the British market will make life more inconvenient in the coming days for people making long journeys throughout the country, particularly on motorways. Two BP petrol stations near me have already stopped supply LPG which has made life a bit more inconvenient. Obviously if you fill up at a local (non-BP) supplier and potter around your local area you won't be bothered about whatever BP decides to do.

I checked the MOT history on-line. The mileage checks out but there are some advisories; One of the Upper Control Arm bushings is worn slightly, the front discs need replacing and both front wheel bearings are noisy. Apart from that it seems a well looked after example. Just bear in mind that it will need a bit of money spent on it to bring it up to scratch.

Stuart, those blocks you are referring to are made of polystyrene and are there to house the jack handle, locking nut and the metal chock (that I didn't realise was there until today). It  acts primarily as the 'well' for the spare tyre. Given the weight of the car, Polystyrene wouldn't last 5 minutes as a chock for the wheels I'm pretty sure of that.

When I was putting the locking wheel nut back in its place in the boot, on the left hand side, I noticed next to it a black oblong metal plate held in place by a velcro strap. Curious, I took it out and found that it folded together to make a wheel chock for use when you have to jack up the car and stop any unwanted rolling from either the front or back wheels. Wow! It's taken me 4 years to find that! Seems like those Lexus designers thought of everything.

Brian, as regards LPG, both the LS400 and 430 seem good candidates for a conversion as I've definitely read somewhere (ages ago) that both cars have hardened valve seats unlike some more modern Japanese engines. I have LPG on my Mk4 LS and I have been extremely pleased with it. Not a hint of trouble in 40 thousand miles.

That's got to be one of the best colours for an LS. Great cabin in the 430. Enjoy.

Andy, I'm surprised that your steering didn't pull to one side because of that sticking brake caliper.