PEPE

Hi Rodt, I bought my LS 400 in March 2012 with 222,000 miles on the clock. I've never experienced the problems you mention. However, my able independent mechanic used to break up LS 400s for a living so he knows them inside and out. If you PM me I could give you his details as he seems to be able to solve a lot of problems using second-hand parts. Take care of your classic! Pepe

I think a meet for LS owners would be fantastic. Please count with my full support.

Good recommendation, Acre. I went to Grove Garage myself and met Leigh--very friendly and impressive. Cambridge Mews is a tight fit indeed and driving my pristine LS 400 in there fills me with horror. How they manage to get big LS 400s in those premises is beyond me.

Thank you, Vasilis, for organising this very congenial gathering and for following up with the pics. Thanks also to Ganesh for even more pics this time with my stately LS400 in view. I'll never forget my first visit to Bluewater, especially when having reached the middle level I still had no idea where you were! Best wishes, Pepe

Tomorrow will be PERFECT. I've been monitoring two web sites for DARTFORD and the forecast is white clouds with sunny intervals.

Very interesting tutorial indeed. The minute I read this I rushed out to check the plastic cover in my 1996 Mk 3 LS400. My cover, unlike Eff's LS430, doesn't have any ventilation slats; it is just plain solid. This would lead me to believe that my car has no such temperature sensor there. I decided, therefore, to leave well alone. I notice that Eff's previous car was an LS400. Could Eff or Steve enlighten me please? Many thanks, Pepe

Threatening weather? On which planet are you, Vasilis? My BBC and MetOffice forecsts show dry weather for tomorrow. Just keep polishing. In anticipation to this Great Gathering I've put together the following: KentIS300 Vasilis (33) IS300 Sport Cross Kent Youngiceman87 Martin (26) IS200 Sport Kent wendle Chris (52) GS450h f sport Kent LexIS200Sport Ganesh IS200Sport Bucks Pegs Paul IS300le Essex SherbertMelon + 1 Jon Altezza 1G-FE Sussex DJW/IS-F Daniel IS-F Hampshire PEPE Pepe (72) LS 400 Sussex Bluesbreaker Iain LS 400 Bucks Kendall Lee (28) IS200S Essex ​Looking forward to meeting you all, Pepe

Yes, I had mine done last Tuesday. The procedure is exactly as Steve described it. Cost: £59.99 including VAT.

Well done, Mark. Everything you did is worth every penny. I treat my LS 400 in the same fashion. Mileage? 227,200 and counting.

Hi Martin, I had exactly the same experience and had to be rescued by the AA who diagnosed catastrophic battery failure. This had never happened to me before. The AA started the car with a booster pack and followed me to a nearby garage where I bought a replacement battery. Problem solved! I had always thought that batteries always gave up the ghost GRADUALLY. As you can see, this is not always the case. I hope your problem is as simple as this. Pepe

Should I worry? I'm 72 1/2!

Yes, terrific job. Thanks for sharing.

You seem to be the expert, Vasilis. Your diagram is very helpful. I've never been to Bluewater, let alone the cinema car park. If you think the GREEN CIRCLE on the middle level is the best location, then I'll keep driving as far away from the entrance as possible, which is where your blue line ends. Would I be correct in thinking that you selected this location because at 6 pm on a Saturday it would be rather empty? Just remember, an LS 400 is wide, and I'm not a boy racer! Thanks for enlightening me. I'll try not to have to use your mobile number.

Are wishbones the same as suspension arms? If so, then my two rear top suspension arms were £172.35 each on 04.05.2012.

Another size L for my please--any colour.

The first time I ever rode in an LS 400 was in that back seat. That was long ago in the early 1990s. At that time my job entailed a lot of long haul flights and sometimes I could not fly from Gatwick, my 'local' airport, and had no choice but to go to Heathrow. My employer would then send a chauffeur-driven luxury saloon car to my house to take me to far-away Heathrow. Usually these were Mercedes or Jaguars, but all of a sudden LS 400s started to appear instead. I had already heard about these fine cars by reputation. Several of the cars I rode in already had 500,000 miles on the odometer but their professional drivers were totally confident and always commented on the reliability of these cars. This explains why I was totally unconcerned when I bought my own LS 400 with 220,000 miles on the clock a little over a year ago. Hitherto my car had been well maintained by two pilots, one of them a former RAF officer, and this shows. Even today the car continues to drive beautifully and gives me a great deal of pleasure. My initial impressions from the back seat were not forgotten.

Thank you all for showing some flexibility in the light of my time constraints. I'll definitely be there by 6 pm Saturday 29th in my very WIDE but immaculate LS 400 (hint . . .hint . . .)

Thank you, Vasilis, for giving me a break. I can do ANY TIME as long as I LEAVE by 7 pm.

Sorry Vasilis, 7 pm is too late for me. I'll have to withdraw.

Would I be correct in thinking that this problem applies to the LS 400 Mk 4 only? As far as I am aware my Mk 3 has no such mechanism.

When I type in the reply box using my Chrome browser I get an automatic spell check. A worf spelt incorrectly shows up with a wavy underline prompting one to check the spelling. No worries here!

Well done Steve!

Just to confirm: I can only do Saturday 29th ANY TIME.

Yes, I could also make it to Bluewater.

Yes indeed. What products did you use?