Razor61

33 minutes ago, Cotswold Pete said:

It is a lovely looking car in a fantastic colour

I'll second that👌

That sounds suspiciously like the ignition switch issue which can affect the MK4 LS400.

Is it the one in this video? If it is, the part number is shown in the video.

https://youtu.be/ywmd4jF-NBo

1 hour ago, ambermarine said:

First of all it is not a 400  so there are issues with the 430 that there never was on the 400 ,that being said this is a remarkabley mint condition car with genuine service history and looked after on every front .If you wanted to buy luxury to this level today price in £120k and you don't know what the future is in terms of problems especially with all the gizmos you don't use.I think it worth the asking price because if you want a car to see you out this will do it.

Couldn't agree more, potential air suspension issues in the future which can be solved with a standard setup - radiator issue - plus a lot more electronics to potentially go wrong.
I've always liked the LS430 in Gold and this one caught my eye. Bit of a whim to be honest but it's sold subject to viewing etc now so takes the decision making away for me, unless the sale falls through. The car is 30 mins away from me which was another reason it peaked my interest.
 

Hi, there is a nice 2004 LS430 for sale on Autotrader - link below - I'm interested in peoples thoughts on the car if possible please?
I know it's not exactly a bargain price but most of the time you get what you pay for.

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202302134213044

2 hours ago, cruisermark said:

my 430 makes a sound when started - maybe i should get it looked at

Easy enough to release the aux belt and spin the pulley. I took mine off and spun it as in the video.
I believe Idler No 2 is the same on the LS430 - 16604-50030 - about £100 from LPD or the bearing itself can be pressed out and a new bearing pressed in - SKF6301 I believe but can’t be 100%.

 

Small job done this morning, aux belt and aux belt idler No 2 replaced. Tensioner pulley checked and is ok with no bearing noise.
I bought a new tensioner assy and idler No 2 a couple of months ago from Amayama, bearings can become noisy and annoying so bought them while available. Plan was to fit them at some point this year.
For the last couple of months I’ve heard a ‘chirp’ when starting the car in the morning, only when first started. Also, after all the work that has been done on the car I’ve always though there was a bearing ‘noise’ coming from somewhere. Since I heard the classic ‘chirp’ noise I decided it’s time to fit the new aux belt, idler No 2 and if needed the tensioner pulley/tensioner assembly if needed.
Aux belt off, idler No 2 removed and checked, pretty noisy when the idler is spun. See video below.Looks like it was idler No 2 causing the noise.
 

New gear assemblies with the motor are available from Amayama I believe at around £300 plus postage etc. 2 part numbers depending on year of manufacture. I think these part numbers are correct. There is a Lexus breaker as well
 

https://lexusbreakers.co.uk/
 

or

23 hours ago, steve2006 said:

While in the boot check the spare wheel well for water ingress which could be causing damp issues with the electronics, the boot seal being the usual culprit.

Couldn't agree more and check the side areas in the boot under the side flaps. The inner arches can rot through at the bottom so water gets in and if really bad it can continue all the way up the inner arch.
 

59 minutes ago, Malc1 said:

Paul  ..... I'm thinking Merseyside isn't too far from you  .  there's a job coming on maybe  ?   give it a go  ?

......... and Michael .  do you have any answers to my points above perhaps  ?

 

Malc

I’d have a go if it was my car and the condition of the car made it worthwhile. I’m not an ‘experienced pro’ in the mechanic sense but I’d back myself to get the engine out and fit a replacement. I’d also back myself to rebuild a 1uz engine if needed, rebuilt other engines in the past. Granted not as complicated or as big as the 1uz but the same principles apply and I have the workshop manual, experienced engineers/mechanics to call upon if needed.
 

What a shame, sorry to hear about it.
I have no experience of replacing the engine in a LS400 or having one replaced and I don’t think there will be many people that do have experience to be honest.
Having said that, if I was in your situation I would have a go at removing the engine myself. Initially not a great deal to lose removing the engine, a few quid for an engine hoist, time, effort and probably a lot of frustration etc. Then decide what to do. Purchase a used engine, check it over and if it’s ok then fit it to the car or rebuild the existing engine if possible. I do most of the work on my LS400 myself so easy for me to say and I’ve removed engines and rebuilt them in the past so I wouldn’t be fazed by giving it a go.
Most garages won’t want to get involved, it’s a big car to be sat in the workshop taking up space, big lump of an engine to remove and something they have no experience of rebuilding or even looking at. And there is the cost for a garage to do the job.
 

13 hours ago, shanra said:

I had an alignment done at Wheels In Motion (not trading now) and I see it was done to a modified specification (not that I asked for it) and although that was only 2000 miles ago I think that was when the wear started. I cannot find the standard geometry specs anywhere and I have looked all over. Does anyone know the geometry settings?

This is from the manual



And noticed this as well

 

4 hours ago, shanra said:

How are yours Paul?

They seem ok to me, nice and quiet and that’s what I wanted.

Update on the broken exhaust shield clamp, yes I could just leave it off or use a large jubilee clamp but I decided to buy the genuine OEM clamp.
Cost for 1 x clamp approx. £25 plus the bolt at probably £2 and there are 4 of them. If one clamp has rusted and broke then the other are likely or could follow.
So I ordered 4 x clamps and 4 x bolts from Amayama for £37 delivered with no duty or tax to pay on that amount. £10 more for the extra 3 x clamps and 3 x bolts.

1 hour ago, Mr Vlad said:

How long have you had the is250?

Had it for just over 2 years, bought remotely from Lexus Wolverhampton with 3 years warranty.

1 hour ago, Mr Vlad said:

Must admit Paul your post made me giggle a bit. Yes it's a phenomenon how sound travels. How long have you had the is250? How do you find Lexus Bolton to use? I use Stockport and both are equidistant to me just about. 

Glad it made you giggle😄
I think the noise was getting into the cabin via the transmission tunnel and maybe then through the heating ducts under the seat......who knows.

I find Lexus Bolton excellent, I used them 2003 to 2007 for a company IS200. When I got my first 95 LS400 3 or so years ago I used them again and still do for my current LS400 and the IS250.
There are a couple of mechanics/technicians that know the LS400 and know their 'stuff' on them and is very important for me.

9 hours ago, normski2 said:

This has occurred before with a few folk on the forum.

I did find this post and the noise in the video is the exact noise. Noise is a lot louder in the video though and in my case was there at higher speeds as well but noise goes when accelerating. Loose exhaust was mentioned but discounted and I can understand why as it sounds like inside the cabin not outside or exhaust, when sat in the car. Even outside you can’t hear much with the car on the ground, maybe because the exhaust is tucked in the transmission tunnel. If the car was on a ramp and you were stood directly underneath it would be obvious I guess.

https://www.lexusownersclub.co.uk/forum/topic/136384-lexus-is250-rattle-under-steering-wheeldashpedals-when-driving-slow-video/

A couple of weeks ago my wife mentioned a vibration/rattling noise in the cabin while driving her 2010 IS250.
I drove the car and there was indeed an annoying noise coming from behind the dash on the drivers side, or so it seemed. Noise was more evident when cruising/overrun and in hindsight was a clue. Spent a bit time trying to figured out what was causing the noise, aircon off/on, trying fan speeds, audio on/off and lots of other tests. Nothing found so because the car is under extended warranty I booked it in for Tuesday at Lexus Bolton. Although it’s under warranty there is a diagnostic charge and if it’s a part that’s faulty the diag charge isn’t charged. Agreement with Lexus was that I try and figure out what was causing the issue and it’s not a problem removing the drivers dash trim to try and diagnose it.
So today I spent some time looking at the issue ‘properly’.
Went to the car armed with spanner’s etc to start removing the lower dash trim and start looking, before I began I started the engine and from outside stuck my head in the drivers footwell and revved the engine. Noise wasn’t from the behind the dash but from underneath the drivers seat.
Checked under the seat, checked seat bolts and for anything that could be vibrating. Couldn’t find anything.
I then did a Google search for the noise under the seat, I found a post for a GS250 about a metal plate under the car with loose bolts, directly under the seat causing a very similar noise.
Armed with this info I had my wife sit in the drivers seat and rev the engine up and down while I looked underneath and pressed/held various bits. When I reached under and held the heat shield on the exhaust the noise stopped. Repeated a few times to make sure, next step was to get the car on the ramps and have a good look.
Car on the ramps, looked underneath and found an exhaust heat shield clamp broken. Took it off and started the engine, repeated revving and no annoying noise.
I would have sworn the noise was coming from inside the cabin and underneath the drivers seat, I could hear something outside underneath but nowhere near as loud as inside the cabin at all. Just shows how car noises can deceive and the cause can be outside but the noise is heard inside.
 

On 1/24/2023 at 11:08 AM, Malc1 said:

i just suffer from the age old " cuts out " syndrome that was ECU driven from new

Malc, did you replace the temp sensor for the EFI? part number 89422-20010

There is this place that may repair your ecu

https://allcarelectronics.co.uk/

Found it, after turning the garage upside down I remembered I’d stored it in a nice dry place in the house. I also have the new correct capacitors, the ECU is in pristine condition though and had only done 65k. I also have lots of other bits for the mk3, some brand new like distributor caps and ht leads and lots of used bits.
 

Having said that, I’d better double check it’s still there in the garage. Pretty sure it is though along with a mk1/2 ECU and a mk4 ECU as well.

I have a 89661-50310 ECU from a 95 LS400, all working with no leaking capacitors or track damage. I swopped it for a 50351 ECU I bought off eBay mainly to see if it worked, which it did, and so I had a spare ECU. The car was written off a couple of years ago with the 50351 ECU in it and I now have a 98 LS400, I was looking for another mk3 but struggled to find a good one hence the 98 I have. See the post below about swopping the ECU etc. I may be persuaded to part with it😉, pm me and we can probably sort something out. And, I’m not that far away either in Darwen.

https://www.lexusownersclub.co.uk/forum/topic/122005-ls400-ecu-compatibility-information/

13 hours ago, NemesisUK said:

My neighbour's Peugeot froze solid in the cold snap just before Christmas, obviously depends on the levels of moisture

Yes and the condition of the handbrake mechanism, they can stop working properly due to lack of use as well.
I had an Audi A4 and the handbrake froze solid during a -5 cold snap because the cables had let in moisture/water. The handbrake cable sheathing ends/seals were knackered on the end which allowed the moisture/water in. If the cables had been in good condition I don’t think they would have frozen solid.

7 minutes ago, Las Palmas said:

Good advice in the video

It is, the parking pawl bit I knew about and most of the rest but the bit about ‘do not put in neutral when waiting at traffic lights’ I didn’t know about and the reasons why not to do it. I did do that exact thing, thinking it would reduce the strain on the transmission, I won’t do it in future though.