Tron20

Thank heaven you weren't gonna ruin the looks of a gs300 with a tacky emblem, imo it'd look awful, especially a mk1 model, I was thinking of selling mine when i first discovered the post thinking you'd done it :o edit : - the filter doesn't seem to like the word "go d" any reason?

Yeah, I'm curious now as to what type of bulbs are in the GS300 MK1 dash, I always thought they were really expensive to replace as they were electroluminescent tubes or something like that....

I wonder if my local dealer would be willing to sell me a couple...

Norkep where did you get the lexus gs300 genuine workshop manual from? I could do with one of those, although i'll get most things done at toyota/lexus garages

Yes Ryo the black key will the gold lexus L that opens all the doors/boot etc is a master key, a grey key with the gold lexus writing on it is a valet key and doesn't open the boot or the boot release keylock, just allows you to unlock the door and start the car, oh i didn't mention before the valet key doesn't open the glovebox lock either.

Colin, on the radiator coolant topic, are lexus supposed to change the coolant as part of a dealer service? I think I have toyota red coolant, but should it be changed every so often, or doesn't it matter? Ian, the key's will not be cheap, they have an immobiliser chip inside them, and you need the master key to get a new on cut as well as the key number, which is usually supplied on a metal keyring. Are you sure you have a balck master key, there should be two black master keys and a grey valet key, plus 2 keyfobs for the alarm and central locking. The valet key only unlocks the doors, and turns the ignition barrel to start the car, you can't open the bootlid with it, or unlock the boot release lever with it

Sorry if its kind of like thread stealing, but Tony I've got a slight problem on my GS, the inside edge on the front tyres is wearing thin, I'm guessing this is geometry settings of the front suspension, the backs seem to have even wear, but not long had the car. Can you recommend anywhere in the Derby/Nottingham area that can do the full four wheel alignment, without off centring my steering, and actually getting the settings near as spot on, as i don't want to have to keep spending money as i did before. Everywhere i've been in the past has offset my steering wheel so its not straight whilst the car is traveling straight, and it hasn't actually reduced the tyre wear, in fact most of the place i've been didn't look like they knew what they were doing.

Thanks eMJay, the alloys on mine are in suprisingly good condition, i've had to replace on of the rears hence it looks brand new lol, but they all suffer from corrosion over time, my dad had several sets on his old gs300, but the alloys are worth the expense, they suit the car.

Get a picture of it, and i'll try to explain the best i can, but it sounds like thats the original aerial unit without the top nut on, and its very likely that because its been snapped someones pulled out the plastic cord with teeth on so the top part of the aerial isn't dangling. There should still be a ring round the top of the rubber trim/seal which its chrome and has four notches in it, ala like this.... Hopefully you can see the lower thick rubber seal, the chrome ring with notches in it, then an inner seal round the mast, then the mast chrom piece that sits at the top of the aerial. Hopefully this helps

Nice one Ian, sounds like a cracker, get some pics up :D The aerial, you're better off paying for a new mast from lexus, the standard aerial is well up to the job and it should be easy to replace. I'm assuming its a UK car with an automatic aerial on it, theres a nut on the top, chrome i believe, find a tool to fit it, and unscrew it like a bottle top, if the aerial is broken the mast should come out easily. The next bit requires two people, turn the radio and get an assistant to turn it off whilst you get the new mast and insert the beaded plastic into the tube in the aerial until you can push it no further, i think the teeth should face the front of the car, get your assistant to turn the radio off, either on the radio or the ignition, then push down on the plastic and it should start feeding in, be quick to align the metal part of the mast up with the hole, and make sure you push it down far enough to get the chrome ring back on, then tighten up turn the radio on watch the aerial go up, it should go all the way down when you turn the radio off. This can take a couple of attempts to get right, and usually if the bottom of the mast is in the hole, and theres still a link of so extended the next time the aerial goes up to its full extent and back down it should go all the way. Hope this helps if you do decide to keep the original electric aerial, i think its got noise supressors on the bottom aswell, quite a good standard aerial to match the awwesome stock stereo

I agree with norkep, you'll have to post some pictures for us to see it, and norkep, who's saying he went to sleep last night :D

Didn't mean to put you off them, they aren't all likely to crack, you just have to be careful going over speed bumps, I've not had any problems with my other rear one, and i think the one that had a hairline crack in it wasn't manufactured properly, and had been like that since before i bought the car

You've read my mind, I shall have to order some of these clear side repeaters, have thought about getting some for a while, but wasn't sure if they would fit. The look a bit bright white coloured, i might smoke the clears when i buy some to make them a little darker Nice car eMjay, saw it in the other post, looks very similar to mine I've recently put a front emblem back on the grill, its been missing off the car since it was 18 months old

I've seen better than that Bazza, I've seen a ford dealer put a battery in parallel with the one on the car, then remove the wires from the one on the car, and charge it as it was disconnected

Actually you would've thought with the numbers of lexus gs300 and 430 mk2's driving round that this part wouldn't be that expensive, but one of my brothers mates in a gs300 sport mk2 had to pay £2.4k at his local lexus dealer for one. Its the same with all the parts though, they are all expensive. Don't suppose they use the same brake cylinder in other toyota's? could someone look it up, just for future reference?

Be wary of the 18" x 10" wide optional wheels, they take 275/35 ZR18 tyres, which aren't cheap, and if they crack on the inside edge you're looking at £341 + vat to change the alloy for a new one, and around £260 for a pirelli p-zero rosso in that size, I know i've just had to do it. The sport alloys seem to suffer from corrosion, and aggressive driving over speed bumps, or kerbs is gonna result in buckling the inside edge of the alloy, another weak point Just to clarify: - The 18" sport wheels standard are 8.5" wide, they take 245/40 ZR18 tyres The 18" optional concave ones are 10" wide and can only be fitted to the rear axle, these take 275/35 ZR18 tyres Hope some of that wasn't repeated and helpful

MK1's are the best looking GS's imo, probably gonna be slated for it, I wouldn't part with my 1997 GS300 Sport, even if you paid me, come to think of it if I won the lottery, or inherited a massive amount of money (very doubtful) I'd still keep it, 58K miles, FLSH, and me the proud owner, looked in mint condition, but has cost me a bit, not been looked after as well as first thought, but you can't fault it. Hope you enjoy yours, bet you're still up now thinking about it, in which case make yourself a nice hot drink and think about it some more :D

My father recieved an invite from lexus nottingham, I haven't, but then again, I've only bought parts off them so far, might still go with my dad. For those of you who haven't noticed the one at lexus nottingham its in the window round the back of the showroom, where the sc430 was when it first came out, its in gold and up close has put me off them...

I've just spoken to lexus, and fetched some new pads part number 04465-30320 which are the front pads. They were £46.68 inc vat, they are exactly the same ones as fitted to my car at present, made by NBK PN532H-FF. I thought rather than buy aftermarket pads which may not fit correctly, and may not wear correctly I'd just buy the lexus/toyota pads and fit them myself. Beware on fitting them I refit my old ones after i looked at them yesterday and now i have a clunking noise on turning and braking at slow speeds. so rather than it being the wrong pads, it could be damaged shims or badly fitted pads

emJay you understand the problem i'm having, my pads do look very similar to the DP21006's(greenstuff) but those ones don't seem to have the spring pin holes in the top of the pads if that makes sense, looks like i'll have to ring lexus nottingham and get a price for oem pads, the ones on the car atm aren't lexus/toyota pads, some japanese company instead. I just thought i'd try greenstuff as they have reduced brake dust, which i noticed on a previous car, still left brake dust on your alloys just not as much, but if they are gonna get roasting hot and warp my standard front discs I'm not gonna bother with them. To the bat phone

Yeah I'd read that theres was the opinion that the ebc caused the standard discs to warp. I might just stick with lexus oem pads, just couldn't get hold of the service guys tonight, so gonna have to try tomorrow, still if anyone knows how much the front pads are for a MK1 gs300 sport, and their part number, not sure I trust our local parts guy after he ordered three emblems for the sport grill before the correct one turned up Thanks again Paul

Hello, I've already tried searching, but could do with an answer asap. My lexus gs300 pads are almost at their limit, the wear indicator isn't touching the discs yet, but they've stopped wearing evenly and had a gap at the bottom away from the disc, with what looked like black oil/grease between the pad and the disc surface, plus seem to have left a deposit of pad on the disc surface. Anyway... I've tried a local motor factors for ebc pads, and they list two both DP2874's and DP21006's yet the dimensions seem very off compared to my pads, and the later don't have the little holes in the top for the springs to fit. So does anyone know what ebc pads fit and their code? Or does anyone know the standard part number for Lexus OEM pads for a GS300 sport, although they are the same as a standard gs300 aren't they? Also how much they cost, just would rather change the pads now as the brakes don't seem to have the stopping power they did, and seem to be disintegrating. Thanks Paul

Dongill did you find out what the problems were in the end? Colin, I've noticed that the brake discs aren't actually held onto the hubs, so can theorectically turn between the lug nuts, could this be the clunking noise? If so does it just mean the wheels need retorquing onto the hubs? I've also heard the brake pad shims go, and once replaced it stops the noise (so a lexus mechanics has fobbed us off with)

I always heard that towing an auto with the gearbox in neutral without the engine running, stopped the oil from being pumped between the transmission and an oil cooler, thus the oil would heat up in the gear box. For this reason when towing an automatic it should ideally have the back wheels off the ground, or it should be on a flatbed tow truck. Thats all i'm gonna ask for if my car ever breaks down, rather it was on the back of a flatbed. Although my Prelude actually caught the ground on teh bottom of the bumper coming off a flatbed...hmm

LoL, just dawned on me what a clever design this engine was, amazing how much labour charge they could add on by desiging it so you have to remove the throttle body. I may consider sticking a twinturbo 3.0 supra engine in mine, i gather its easy to change the spark plugs on those, lol