Beejay55

From experience, I can say that this is a heavy car, and without VSC, cornering can be exciting - when you don 't want it to be. Be careful.

Do check that all tyre pressures are as they should be.

I got a NI Plate for £25. I thought it was too good to be true, but thought I am gambling £25, not £200+ To be sure I called them and asked why they were priced so low. The explanation was they get them in bulk from NI, and sell them just to cover their costs and it attracts people to their web site. I ordered one, and a few days later received a call from them. They apologised and said their was a typo, and the last digit of the plate I had chosen was a '5' and not a '6', did I still want to proceed? I said yes. The process took a little longer than I had hoped and after ten days or so I contacted them. From that point onwards I got regular emails giving me updates, and too be fair the delay did appear to be at the DVLA. If you Google the company they have had CCJs against them, and a bit of a mixed reputation. I went with them as the amount I was gambling was small. The paperwork came through after about two to three weeks from the DVLA , and all was fine. The company I used was was www.R4V.co.uk and they appear to currently have NI registrations from £29 I am not giving them an endorsement, but it worked for me. I would suggest you call them first and make sure they have what you need, and talk about the turnaround time. Good luck.

I also run my LS430 on LPG. The work was carried out for the previous owner by a company in South Wales. I quickly noticed that when the LPG tank was down to about 50%, and with brisk acceleration, the system would switch over to petrol - despite there still being plenty of LPG in the tank. At a LPG service the mechanic told me that the problem was that the LPG tank had been fitted back to front. The feeder pipe was at the front of the tank, ie facing the engine. With 50% LPG in the tank, and brisk acceleration, the LPG was being thrown to the back of the tank (ie towards the rear of the car - away from the feeder pipe), the pressure to the forward facing feeder pipe would drop, and the ECU switch over to petrol. I have decided to live with this, as it is a minor inconvenience. I note that you have the LPG filler under the filler cap. I believe that it is now illegal to fit it this way in the UK.

For 99p, it would be surprising if any electronics for compression/decompression was included. In any case, why would it be needed? The MP3 cassette adapter replaces the tape with another head which creates a magnetic field equal to that which the tape might output. The two heads get very close/touch and the audio signal from the cassette emulator is induced into the cassette deck head. Cheaper adapters, will output a signal in mono, rather than stereo. More expensive adapters may contain pre-emphasis electronics and equalisation as well as memory card or USB functions, but not compression/decompression. If you are interested have a read of: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cassette_tape_adaptor

Are you sure about that, or is it To Be Confirmed?

Halfords stores in Stratford-upon-Avon, Manchester and Croydon are showing it as in stock.

In which case you have wasted 99p. In previous cars I have used this solution with success. It also has you using your music in the next day or two while you take your time choosing the right solution for you, or wait until Maplins goes bankrupt and you get a more sophisticated solution, at a good price.

I agree with ColinBarber, a cassette adapter is probably the way to go. Old-school (ie reliable), good-value (cheap, 99p see below), no electronics to fail on you, no moving parts to fail on you. Just 'plug and play'. Regarding BigBoomer's comment about the noise of the capstans turning. He clearly does not play his music load enough to drown out the small noise. This is the cheapest on eBay: https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Car-Cassette-Tape-Adapter-Converter-for-MP3-CellPhone-iPod-Touch-Nano-CD-MD-UK/162927531742?hash=item25ef3cd6de:g:zPQAAOSwu4BVl0q0

Welcome to a friendly and helpful community. There will always be someone here to offer advice which will save you time, money or skinned knuckles - or all three! You have bought yourself a very nice car, but I hardly need to tell you that. I bet you are still at that stage where you find reasons to go for long drives, and enjoy both the ability to waft along in near-silent comfort, or to show a clean pair of heels to a 'youf' who thinks that his hatchback with a drainpipe for an exhaust is a match for your LS. Have fun and I think that you can say that you have 'invested' in a nice car, rather than purchased one.

I bought a private number plate from the DVLA a couple of years ago, for the LS. I paid about £200, I seem to recall. When I bought a Mercedes SL earlier this year I got a Northern Ireland number plate for £27, plus the usual transfer/allocation fee. I must have been lucky, as I subsequently learned that the company I bought it from had a reputation of taking money, but not providing the goods. I was fortunate. I notice that their NI registration numbers are now £20 +£4 VAT. The company is called RV4 Number Plates I would urge caution if you are thinking of buying from them.

Whatever floats your boat.

Looks very much like mine. I also have LPG fitted. Not an original thought, it has been said many times on this forum, but the LS430 is growing old with grace, and still looks good for its age. A bit like Michelle Pfeiffer I expect a flurry of opinions on that last statement.

Having run LPG cars for 15+ years I can confirm that there is no need to buy something other than the manufacturer-recommended viscosity. You will notice that you are able to increase the period between changing the oil.

Good news Alex! Let's hope that is all it was, just some damp electronics, and a period of bring off the road.

Alex I have been Googling a bit more. Do your brake lights come on when you apply the brakes? If not, it could well be the fuse. I believe that fuse is in the fuse box inside the cabin, although I am sure that someone will be along to correct me if I am wrong. If the fuse is blown, then there will be no current flowing through the circuit. The cruise control needs to monitor that circuit to see if you apply the brakes, so as to disengage the cruise control. Could this have been the cause of the cruise control fault code in your picture? When you tested the cruise control, did you try to lightly brake and see if the cruise control disengaged? Just a thought. If by some chance I am right, that is a fault you can sort out yourself for pennies Brendan

This appears to be the part, at £66.88. http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/GENUINE-VACUUM-SWITCHING-VALVE-SOLENOID-FOR-TOYOTA-AMAZON-LEXUS-SC430-2586050121-/302354353311?hash=item4665b94c9f:i:302354353311 It also looks like all you need to do is unbolt the manifold, leaving everything connected, and lift up, and out of the way. Saving hours of labour time. I am very far from being an expert, and would urge you to make sure your mechanic checks anything I have posted. Just trying to point you in the right direction. Hopefully. Good Luck.

Your mechanic might find posts 5 and 8 in the following thread to be of use. It shows where the VSV is located and provides the UK part number for it. Looking at your screenshot, fault P1651 seems to have been a 'History' fault, is 'Currently' a fault and is also 'Pending'. Good luck https://www.clublexus.com/forums/gs-2nd-gen-1998-2005/775794-p1651-fault-vsv-vacuum-switching-valve.html

Hope this helps, a little. VSV = Vacuum Switching Valve You could start by turning of the VSC light, and see what happens. The following is taken from an American forum: The problem is solved by putting a jumper on 2 pins in the OBD-II connector under the dash. I think a lot of owners have this problem especially after being scanned for code. Some scanners are not built the same-- that seems to be the explanation. Anyhow, here it is, with a little bit of modification as it suits the SC430. 1. Turn off ignition. 2. Look for the OBD-II connector under the dash, it has a black plastic cover which can be pulled out. 3. Using a 4-inch wire, insert ends on two pins (holes) of the OBD-II connector. Which ones? The connector has two rows of holes with pins inside. The connector's shape is basically rectangle but there's a little wedge shape to it. Like this: ______ /---------\ /-----------\ (see picture below) I will call the narrower side of the connector the top row, and the wider side to be the lower row. Jump the following pins: a) on the top row, counting from the left, where the first pin is 1, insert on pin number 3 b) on the bottom row, counting from the left, insert on pin number 5. 4. Turn ON the ignition, do not start. 5. VSC and Check Engine lights turn ON. That's normal. 6. Wait for the VSC light to rapidly flash. 7. Turn OFF ignition. 8. Pull jumper wire out, cover the OBD-II connector. 9. Turn ignition ON, don't start, wait about 15 seconds to make sure everything has initialized. 10. Start car. Test drive. You've just saved yourself couple of thousand dollars.

Anthony I think this is the chap, he is also on eBay - Click Here 8 Coventry Grove Chadderton Lancashire OL9 0AX 07590072646 paulnfrost@hotmail.co.uk

Within a 30 mile radius of where I live there is only one BP station selling LPG. Before retiring I used to get my LPG from a large builder's merchants, who also sold LPG for heating. It was used by most of the taxi drivers (using LPG) in the area, and they sold it for 43p a litre. The moral of the story: if you see a taxi with an LPG filling port, ask him where he gets his LPG. It is bound to be the cheapest place in your area.

As well as this forum, I also subscribe to the Pistonheads forum. I noticed that many makes of car are covered, but there is not a separate forum for Lexus. When I raised this on Pistonheads I was in formed that Lexus was lumped together with other 'Jap' brands. It would be useful to have a single point on Pistonheads where all Lexus posts were gathered in one spot. If you think that Lexus is worth some recognition on Pistonheads as a major brand of quality, perhaps you could find time to post there, and add some support to my request? The link is to be found if you click here. This forum remains the premiere forum for Lexus cars in the UK, but Lexus cars are distinctly under-represented on Pistonheads, and it would be good to raise brand awareness amongst the Pistonheads community. Thank you.

I have used Avon ZV7 tyres for some time. Excellent all-round tyre, especially in the wet. £90 incl fitting, disposal of old tyre etc

Denis - I think it is obvious that members are being cautious what they put in to writing, on a public forum. I am sure you can make your own mind up

On another Lexus forum, it was suggested the following will work for the LS 430: 1. Begin with the key out of the ignition. 2. OPEN and UNLOCK the DRIVER'S side door. CLOSE all other doors including the trunk. 3. Within 5 seconds INSERT the key into the ignition and PULL it out TWICE. 4. CLOSE then OPEN the DRIVER's side door TWICE. 5. Insert key INTO the ignition then REMOVE it. 6. CLOSE then OPEN the DRIVER's side door TWICE. 7. Insert the key INTO the ignition and LEAVE it in ignition. 8. CLOSE the DRIVER's side door. 9. Switch the ignition to ON then OFF. 10. REMOVE the key from ignition. 11. The door locks will now cycle to confirm the vehicle has successfully entered programming mode. 12. PUSH and HOLD the LOCK and UNLOCK button for 1.5 seconds on the first remote being programmed. As soon as you let go PUSH the LOCK button and HOLD it for 2 seconds. 13. The door locks will cycle to confirm successful programming of the remote. If you have any additional remotes to program repeat step 12 if you have no additional remotes proceed to step 14. 14. OPEN the DRIVER'S side door. Programming is now complete. I will give it a go tomorrow. , ,