MLW

Anyone know where it is and how easy is it to clean with some carburettor cleaner?

Happened to me today. I have been charging my 430 every 10 days or so. It has not moved for 6 weeks. I needed something from the car and the blippers did nothing. Opened the car on the key and the lock will not turn. The car is absolutely dead. No light, not even a glimmer from the internal light. New battery tomorrow as the old one is just over 4 years old and a fairly cheap Numax premier put in by the previous owner. Like many other s on here, it drains down in 14+ days but it fine in normal use. Could it be the immobiliser (with no power) has gone into its previous mode of 'I am off so you cannot steal me'. Why is a dead/weak battery promoting this unusual condition?

Has anyone ever replaced a PCV positive crankcase ventilation valve on a LS 430. Americans seem obsessed with this service item but in 50 years I have never done one. It seems cheap and logical to replace it. Although some carb cleaner could also sort it out. Are 430s so clean it is not a problem?

You can use the oil selector of other oil producers to find which oil they recommend for your car and you can compare and choose the best oil. I have done this many times and out of 10 companies i usually get 12 different answers!

This is interesting. My 2002 owners manual states for the LS 430 5w-30 SAE SJ standard. This was the leading standard then. My local ASDA has 5w-30 at SN standard, much better. It is ACEA C3 which I have always used (as with Shell Helix) as it is low sulphur. Recently as part of a service package I bought LEXUS genuine motor oil which is 5w-30 SL ACEA C5 standard. Lexus and Toyota never state the ACEA apart from 'low sulphur'. SN is the best, but is C3 to be preferred? This seems to be the GM standard.

I am also surprised by paper elements. It may be an environmental issue. After all, X million old oil filters are a lot of waste and given the oil, paper, metal combination, must be a nightmare to recycle. One good thing about the old filters, was that you could see 1). the brand 2). that it had actually been done at a garage 3). it is idiot proof, no 'O' ring seal to ***** up. Try doing that with a canister paper one. All the more reason to do your own.

As a bits car, maybe. You would need to store them, sell them post them, then get rid of the remaining skeleton. Work out what you might make, plus a labour charge of Xhours work. Is it worth it? Some cars like a classic Mini might be recoverable, but not a big Lexus. The key to buying here is, is to buy the best you can afford, not a scuffy one and 'hope to do it up'. That is a money pit.

Is 4.2 amps with the battery disconnected? How high can you charge connected and not fry the ECU and other electrics?

I've just bought a 'vacuum sucker machine' to suck as much out of the 2002 LS430 as I can, via the dipstick, and replace it with the same volume that comes out. It is true that Toyota oil in the UK is a rip off but the gearbox costs £4,000ish if is goes wrong! Lexus direct do 5 litres for £51.68p. Crazy price as Dexron 111 is about £22, but I would never not use Toyota or (Honda oil) for their gearboxes they seem so very specific. https://www.lexuspartsdirect.co.uk/parts/lexus-gs/lexus-gs-phase-i-1993-1997/lexus-gs-engine-service-kits/lexus-5-litre-type-iv-automatic-transmission-fluid/

I have taken electric window switches apart (on SAABs) and they often have burnt/pitted contacts, like old ignition points. I bit of fine wet and dry and once shinny, they work again. If the switch can be opened up, be careful, as springs and bits often fly off. The satisfaction of cleaning the contacts and having it all work smoothly again is amazing.

Method 3 seems logical. Pump new stuff in and let the old stuff never go back into the reservoir. Is it really 7 litres? It seems an awful lot of fluid. Will this be appropriate for 80,000 mile 2002 LS430?

Batteries use to last for ages. My old Mercedes had a real top up battery that lasted for nearly 10 years. I wish they still did them, as for those of us that know how to top up, and charge an old battery found they lasted far longer than gel ones. Given this lockdown I charged my LS430 for 48 hours on my AA 1 amp trickle charger. They do go down on this cars. I think it will be a 7-8 day regular ob, given the lockdown.

Be careful about OEM mats as they can be sourced from the USA and are for left hand drive. Do check.

Garage charged .7 of an hours labour, but it is so much easier up in the air. Also had an MOT (passed with no advisories and a brake fluid change at Formula 1 Autocentre. They do a good job at my local place, includes a 'free winter check up'. The magnet had some stuff attached, but not a lot really. Old oil was also pretty good. Went for Euro Car Parts own SAE90 hypoid API GL5, which is the Lexus spec. £10.18p for 2 litres. It took about 1.4 litres, so plenty left over. I had an old Mercedes E class that was supposedly prone to diff wear. Use to change the oil ever 30,000 miles and at 146,000 miles when I sold it, the diff was silky smooth and silent.

On my wife's Mercedes the independent garage tried wire etc, but found an air line over the petrol drain tube (which was blocked) worked a treat as the high air pressure shot out the crud.

Each?

Well said. 48 years ago on an A40 I removed the drain plug then tried the fill plug!!! Experience.....its a wonderful thing.

Make sure when you put the new discs on, the contact area/rims are spotless clean. A bit of corrosion here can cause them to not seat squarely and hence run out of true. Wire brush and clean up is essential.

The word 'tired' comes to mind. How much is a new one?

Ooh, just spotted that. My fault in mis-reading it as includes V8s. Just rang Lexus parts direct to check. It is actually Swindon Lexus that are running direct parts on the web as a side line. Lexus UK are a bit sniffy about selling spares etc this way. I suspect the like the 'exclusive' dealer contact, and no price discounts. More power to Swindon Lexus I say. In the USA genuine Lexus parts can be bought anywhere and their monopoly is much less. Anyway, the parts man (who was very helpful) looked it up and said SEA hypoid 90 is the correct diff oil, so that is what I will use. Cheaper too from Euro Car Parts. Thanks for the views and opinions chaps. So useful.

Mine was set off when I reconnected the battery. I just 'unlocked' the car on the key blipper and it went off and went back to normal. The key tells the computer it is you, and all is OK.

Actually Lexus synthetic diff oil is 75w-90. https://www.lexuspartsdirect.co.uk/parts/lexus-ls/lexus-ls-phase-v-2018-present/lexus-ls-5-engine-service-kits/lexus-genuine-75w90-gear-oil-1l/

LS430, 2002, 80,000 miles and I am having the diff oil changed. The manual says SAE90 hypoid API GL5. I can only get this in mineral oil as it seems a bit 'old fashioned'. I know thinner oils are now commonly used. Manual says 85-90w in cold climates. I would like to use this as it is easy to get fully synthetic which I assume is better. 1. Is it OK to use 85-90, instead of 90? 2). Any problems using synthetic, e.g. oil seals?

Its a genuine Lexus 5 litre sealed can.

No its all genuine Toyota stuff, all of it.