Razor61

Took some pics of the door check assembly. Looks like the door check assembly isn’t ’handed’, the same assembly fits RH and LH. There is a plastic cover over the bracket on the body side, didn’t notice this was missing until I looked at the passenger side. Another bit ‘missing’ which I will purchase of course.
 

Drivers side after new assy and new pin

Passenger side

47 minutes ago, cruisermark said:

So the trans fluid setup is exactly the same as the LS430 - but the LS400 never suffered from the problem the LS430 does.

Correct, why the LS400 didn’t suffer the same issue is open for debate. I have never owned a LS430 so can’t comment on why LS430’s suffered from it. Maybe it’s down to the make/type of radiator or where the connections to the radiator are located.

 Oil and filter - done

Fit new drivers door check assembly - done with new pin. Door card and speaker removed to do the job. Plastic at the body end was broken, pin was cut down so someone has been there before. The inner core is metal so door wouldn’t fly away.

Washer level sensor started working again so left that for another time, truth is I forgot to do it when the wheel was off to check the suspension😀

Check all front suspension - done. Can’t find anything loose or worn.

The biggy and most important...........................check if the transmission fluid cooler is built into the radiator or is separate and take pictures - done. Trans fluid cooler is built into the radiator. Pic below, sorry about the rusty bits with paint coming off. This will be rectified as soon as possible.
 

Jobs planned for over the Easter weekend:

Fit new washer level sensor - purchased from Amayama - maybe the sensor is sticking or something but it's getting a new one.
Fit new drivers door check assembly - purchased from Amayama - the arm is split on the body side where it fastens with the pin.
Oil and filter change
Check all front suspension and make sure all is tight and nothing slightly loose - car has developed some suspension noise over speed bumps.
And then the biggy and most important...........................check if the transmission fluid cooler is built into the radiator or is separate and take pictures🙂

58 minutes ago, steve2006 said:

Volunteer required to get under their LS400 with camera phone or endoscope

As said earlier, I’ll be checking at the weekend when doing an oil change and will take some pictures as well for evidence either way😄
I thought the exact same thing a few years ago - there is a trans oil cooler listed so it’s separate - then Phil (Ambermarine) clarified that it’s built into the radiator. Can’t remember now but I’m pretty sure I checked on the car anyway.

I was always under the impression the LS400 does have a combined radiator and trans oil cooler like the LS430, not seen a separate trans oil cooler on my current 98 or the 95 I had. Will check at the weekend for sure though when doing the oil change. I think the illustration may be for an option of one or it’s fitted for different markets.

I would use Amayama in Japan for the original correct condenser, use your VIN number to identify the correct one.

Genuine Japanese Car Part Imports - Amayama

55 minutes ago, steve2006 said:

I remember ( just) having very similar symptoms on my old 1994 Celsior which went away after replacing the LBJs which had play in the ball joints.

It may be worth checking these with a pry bar for excessive play.

Good shout, not difficult to replace either and ‘relatively’ inexpensive at £95 each from LPD.

Let’s assume new brake discs and pads are correctly fitted. I would fit genuine Lexus OE stuff, make sure the anti squeal plates and spacers are present.
What does that leave? That leaves the brake calipers, a sticking piston or 2 and warping the discs over time. That would be my guess.

Maybe they have disintegrated like mine, I would never have thought about them to be honest. It was the plastic bits coming off when washing that prompted me.

A few months ago while washing the car I noticed bits of plastic coming off around the windscreen area. After investigating I found that the plastic guide things for the wipers had disintegrated. Technical term for the parts is ‘step, linear wiper’.
Anyhow, I got new ones and fitted them today, wiper arms need to be removed and the plastic cowls because they are screwed in underneath the cowls. Bit of a faff removing the wiper arms, a story for another time, but got them off and the cowls. Cowls washed and treated to make them look like new, new ‘step, linear wiper’ things fitted, all reassembled.
Has anyone else had the same thing happen?

The broken bits on the car
 

after fitting new ones

4 hours ago, Scribe said:

Do you suggest I leave it on 'trickle' most of the time, just to keep it topped up, and disconnect when I use the car?

Can’t say for sure cos I don’t know what charger you have but I’d say you are right, keep it on trickle when not in use and disconnect when you use the car.

59 minutes ago, Scribe said:

I guess it does no harm to disconnect the battery if the car isn't going to be used for a few weeks?

I'd advise against that, the ECU will lose it's 'learned' settings and other memory settings on the car, i.e. radio stations, steering wheel and seat settings.
Battery maintainer/trickle charger is the way to go, you can use the 'tails', connect them permanently to the Battery terminals and plug/unplug the charger as needed.
I use an Optimate 4, there are others of course, and have used it for many years without any issue and you can get Solar powered ones as well.

2 hours ago, Scribe said:

The battery has gone flat a few times, but when it was last checked it still had 93% efficiency.  Happy to try a new one, but I don't understand how something so simple could present so many weird symptoms.  And I'm running out of patience

In my experience, for what it’s worth, start with a new Battery and take it from there. Problem may be gone after a new Battery but, as said earlier, keep the Battery on trickle charge when not in use for a while.
I had a Saab 900 Turbo with starting/battery issues, charged it and car started then issue reoccurred. Local mechanic said some sort of drain on the Battery and killing it and would take some investigation. Took the car to an auto electrician, he checked ‘things’ and said Battery is knackered, didn’t take him long either. Fitted new Battery and problem gone. Ever since then, any signs of bad/lazy starting or flat Battery in a morning……..new Battery fitted and all ok again.

1 hour ago, Scribe said:

Last week, electrics were non-existent after leaving the car unused for two weeks.  No interior lights, no red security light, nothing.  Connected the battery charger to the battery and there was nothing - as if the battery was dead.  I wondered if it (Yuasa, three years old) had given up.  The next day, when I tried again, the battery charger lit up as if there was now a connection, but the battery seemed not to take any charge. 

The following day, when my mechanic came to pick up the car to fix the exhaust, there was power but not enough for the starter motor.  He put his battery pack on and the car immediately fired up.  He was going to replace the battery but the car was fine all day, and started a few times perfectly normally.  I used the car two days later and it drove beautifully without missing a beat.  Everything worked.  But this morning, after another four days, there are no interior lights, nothing from the ignition, no lights.  It's as good as dead again, except that the red security light is flashing normally.

I assume that if the battery's faulty, the power wouldn't go but come back again.  Ditto with a blown fuse.  So could it be a connection issue?

 

Sounds like you need a new Battery. Part# 28800-YZZZL £130 from LPD website - £150 from local Lexus dealer but they may match the LPD price.
 

You can download from here:

Toyota-Tech.eu

3 hours ago, steve2006 said:

Never mind the battery cover do they have the Lexus torch still in the tool kit, still in the wrapping and fully functional?

Damn it, something else that’s missing from my car……..the Lexus torch still in the wrapping and working. Working Lexus torch I have but not in the wrapping so will need to rectify that as soon as possible🤣

1 hour ago, steve2006 said:

OK on a more serious note remember to ensure you order the correct terminal layout when ordering a replacement battery 

Good point, this is the result if you don’t. This LS400 is for sale on eBay.
 

There is one LS400 for sale on eBay with the ‘all important Battery insulator’ still on the car🤣
The only other LS400 I’ve seen with the Battery insulator still on the car was the Gold LS400 I went to see in St Anne’s a few weeks ago to advise the owner about the condition and what it was worth. Just some info on that car which I can share, it had most of the common issues apart from the steering pump, it was dry with no leaks, but the Gold paint wasn’t faded. Few scrapes and rust spots on the Gold paintwork but not ‘patchwork quilt’ like some I’ve seen.

44 minutes ago, Malc1 said:

don’t ever recall a battery frame nor jacket in all my Ls400 days 

They all had them from new as far as I know and it probably got thrown or lost over the years. That’s why they are as rare as rocking horse poo.

3 minutes ago, steve2006 said:

That part is not allowed on this forum, please remove 😀

It’s on the Audi Sport forum now😀

12 minutes ago, steve2006 said:

Also nice to see the battery terminal covers are still fitted which often disappear

Thanks, they weren’t there when I bought the car and the correct positive connector thing wasn’t either, positive lead was fixed to the Battery terminal with as screw into the terminal on the Battery. I bought all the bits from Amayama when buying other parts.

positive batter terminal that was missing

I remembered where I’ve seen it before, I had an Audi A4 a few years ago and it’s a VAG part. Looked at the thing more and there is a VAG part number under one of the flaps so definitely not a Lexus/Toyota part. I didn’t expect any identifying marks but there is.
 

As mentioned in a previous topic, I managed to find a Battery insulator/cover. Cleaned up and fitted it today, pics below. I also got with it an insulator blanket thing which isn’t for a LS400 as far as I can see but I may be wrong. I sort of recognise it from somewhere, picture of it below and maybe someone can recognises it and what car it’s off.

LS400 Battery insulator fitted.
 

The Battery blanket
 

There are some LS400 mk3 spares for sale on Facebook which may be of interest to someone. Link is below.
I had a look at the shell and what left in the car and the cluster, radio and ac control is still there. The bits listed on Facebook plus other bits I think.
Located in Bolton.

https://www.facebook.com/share/DQjdfAsK8JXaML31/?mibextid=79PoIi