wacko

Many thanks for all the replies. Sorry for the long delay in my reply but I have been on holiday in Rhodes 28 degrees, hot sun and cold beer. If only I could have got the Lexus in my luggage it would have been perfect. However it did give me the chance to ride in a number of Mercedes taxis mostly E class but some S class, I have to say I got some odd looks when the drivers caught me checking out their tyres. All the S class tyres were on Michelin Pilot sports and the E class were a three way split between the continetal sport contact 2, the Michelin pilot sport and a Michelin primacy HP. Of the three tyres, the Michelins was the quietest and in my opinion the primacy HP was the smoother of the two. According to Michelins website The HP also lasts 25% longer as well. My back tyres will be fitted with HP’s at the end of the month but I may swap them to the front as that’s were most of the noise seems to be coming from. I will update you on the tyres when I’ve got some miles on them. Mark

On my second LS now a 2005 430. but before that 1998 LS 400 1998 Renault laguna V6 1993 Renault Safrane V6 1989 Renault 25 V6 1983 Renault 30 V6 1979 Renault 30 V6 1978 Renault 20 1979 Toyota Corolla 1977 Ford Escort 1975 Triumph Dolemite Sprint What can I say i use to like Renaults with V6 engines. The Laguna ruined it for me. The most reliable car i had before a Lexus, but the worst to drive and the most boring.

Hi I know the subject of tyres for the LS has been covered a number of times and results are generally similar. LS 400 16" wheels; Dunlop D8Z 225/60/16. The recommended tyre of choice on the LS 400. Unbelievably quite, comfortable and good grip wet or dry. The only tyre fitted to my LS 400 series IV when it had 16" wheels. LS 430 17" wheels; Dunlop SP270 225/55/17. Often listed as the best tyre for the series I LS 430. These were the tyres fitted to my Ls 400 Series IV when I fitted LS 430 alloys to it. They ran a close second to the D8Z but not as comfortable. Possibly due to the smaller, stiffer sidewall of the 55 series tyre. But what about the Series II Ls 430 with 18" wheels? They were fitted as standard with 245/45/18 Bridgestone Turanza ER 33 tyres. But having searched the forums there is not much information or opinions on these tyres. Currently mine is fitted with Dunlop SP9000 which I find extremely noisy especially at motorway speeds. They are due for a change soon and I am looking for some advice on a replacement. The list of likely contenders so far is; Dunlop Sport Maxx Yokohama V550 db Bridgestone ER 33 Michelin Pilot Primacy Continental sport contact 2 Pirelli P6 I do a lot of motorway miles so I am looking for a quite tyre; ultimate grip is not an issue as it’s not driven like a sports car. What tyres do you have fitted to your 18”s? Would you buy them again? Would you recommend them? Unfortunately no garage I know lets you return tyres if you don’t like them. Once they are fitted you are stuck with them until they wear out. All experiences, advice and recommendations welcome. Thanks Mark

Hi Picked the car up from Lexus today. Unable to speak to the technican who did the work on car. The only information was from the job card which said faulty dampers. Massive difference to the car, the back of the car is now nice and firm on the road but still comfy. The difference does make the front feel a bit soft, but that could just be down to the before and after feel of the car. i'll see if it settles down in a couple of days. But it's possible its just me. many thank for the replys to my original post. Mark

Hi A quick update. Both rear suspension struts are faulty and need to be replaced. :tsktsk: It's not a leak of the air bag but some internal fault. Don't have the full details yet, I’ll get that tomorrow when I pick up the car, it may be Saturday depending on parts delivery. The garage say they have never see a fault like this on any air suspension equipped car. It's normally a faulty sensor or at worst a leaking air bag. They also don't understand why the both seamed to failed at the same time. The good news is that the replacement cost will be covered by the warranty :D . That’s fine by me. I've be told that the replacement cost including labour is not just expensive but ludicrously expensive. I also get to drive an IS 250 SE-L around for another day. It's a nice car for throwing around town and playing with the floppy paddle gearbox. But I can’t wait to get the LS back and go for a silent cruise. I'll update this if I get any more information from Lexus. Mark

Hi My 2005 LS 430 has suddenly developed a very soft rear end. This happened over the period of a week. Dropped some friends off at the airport, 2 adults and 2 suitcases, on the trip there it was fine a week later when I picked them up the rear is all over the place. Pushing down on the back of the car three or four times can make the suspension travel 100 to 150mm with very little effort. When released the rear will continue to bounce 2-3 times before stopping. All of the height sensors on the car have been checked by Lexus and they say that they are ok. The ride height is correct front and rear and the car still self levels and will rise to the hi position and return without a problem. On the road the back bounces even more especially on uneven roads and over speed bumps. Sport mode when driving seems to make the ride firmer but the back end still bounces. Changing the suspension to sport mode has no effect on the rear of the car when I bounce it by hand. If it was a normal car I would say that the dampers had gone. So here are the Questions. Do air shocks have hydraulic dampers? I have looked under the car but see no evidence of a leak. How does the damper change from normal to sports mode? Has anyone else had a similar problem? The car has 62000 miles on the clock and I have only owned it since July this year. It’s booked in for a full check over at Lexus; it will take 2 days due to the rear seat and aircon having to be removed. The car was purchased from a Lexus dealer with a RAC inspection and has a 12 month warranty, but as it's shocks they may just say that it's wear and tear. Does anyone have an idea how much to have the struts replaced by Lexus. I know it will be expensive, but how expensive. If the cost of replacement is too dear how difficult is it to replace the struts myself and where would you order the struts from. Any help or advice appreciated. Thanks in advance. Mark

Just bought (end of June) a 2005 LS 430. Never thought anything would be as smooth as my LS 400. Still have a smile on my face from the day i picked it up. Previous cars in reverse order. 1998 Ls 400 1998 Renault laguna V6 1993 Renault Safrane V6 1989 Renault 25 V6 1983 Renault 30 V6 1979 Renault 30 V6 1978 Renault 20 1979 Toyota Corolla 1977 Ford Escort 1975 Triumph Dolemite Sprint What can I say i use to like Renaults with V6 engines. The Laguna ruined it for me. The most reliable car i had before a Lexus, but the worst to drive and the most boring.

Hi Thanks for the advice and information. I have checked with lexus and it is just a solid paint no clear coat. I have also use the Autobalm on the car, what i difference, can still see some swirl marks but most of them have been covered up by the autobalm. hopefuly this will improve with more layers over time. Many thanks

Hi If anyone is interested in a list of lexus cars on tv and in movies have look at this site http://www.imcdb.org. This will allow you to search for most makes and models not just lexus and gives you a list of what they featured in.

Hi Had a similar prob on my 98 mark IV, the prob wasn't the door mirror but the window seal on the door. this was letting water through on to the plastic door surround which then run down the trim to exit from the tweeter. the interior trim needs removing to access the seal securing bolts. once these have been removed the seal can be removed. it apears that a non setting mastic was used at the factory. once this was cleaned off and replaced everything was fine. watch the securing clips for the interior trim they break easy.

Hi Guys I have just upgrade from a sliver LS 400 to a black LS 430. never had a problem using a machine polisher on the 400, but I am concerned about using one on the 430. The car is done with a solid paint only no clear coat like the 400. I understand that all black lexus are just solid paint. Please correct me if i'm wrong. Does anyone have a black 430 or other model who can give me advice. What do you use to polish? what pads do you use? machine or by hand? etc Any advice apreciated Thanks in advance

Hi The gas support struts on the bonnet of my LS have gave up the ghost last week, which is almost what i did when i found out the cost of replacement. £98.00 plus VAT each. A quick search on the forums gives the normal solutions, order from Ebay or the good ol USA. however the folowing company SGS Engineering (UK) Limited Unit A6 Cranmer Road Meadows Estate Derby DE21 6JL Can re gas your existing struts if they pass inspection. This inspection is free of charge excluding your postage costs. The cost of re-gas is £38.19 delivered for the pair (£12.50 per strut plus £7.50 postage and VAT) and struts are usually turned around within three working days, mine took four but they were posted on a friday. Payment can be made via credit/debit card and you will only be contacted for payment once the struts have been tested. New struts are also available at a cost of £81.07 for the pair delivered (£30.75 per strut plus £7.50 postage and VAT), and are covered by a two year guarantee and are available on next day delivery. If you try a re-gas and it fails within the warranty period the cost of the re-gas will discounted from new gas struts purchased from SGS Engineering. Having refitted mine to the car they work fine, even keeping the bonnet up in the recent high winds. As an added bonus you do get to keep the original parts on the car. Web Address: www.sgs-engineering.com Telephone: 01332 298 126 Hope this helps anyone in a similar position.

Steve I have the DHP alloys on my 400 but they are fitted with 225/55/17. These are a lot cheaper and are available from a number of different manufactures. The circumference of the standard 16" alloy and tyres is 2125mm, 471 revs/Km The circumference of the DHP alloy with 245/50/17 tyres is 2126.2mm, 470 revs/Km and the circumference of the DHP alloy with 225/60/17 tyres is 2134.1, 469 rev/Km This is a very small change in size for a large saving in price. An additional bonus is that due to the large sidewall on the 55 series tyre they are more comfortable than the 50 series. the Dunlop Sp sport 270 225/55/17 was the standard fit tyre on the series 1 LS430. These will fit the DHP alloy but the DHP alloy is 8" wide and the 430 alloy is 7.5" wide and i don't think they give enought protection to the rims. Hope this helps

Hi 1998 Ls400 MkIV The traction control light (the skidding car light not the VSC light) on the dashboard came on this yesterday and was accompanied by four warning beeps. The same series of beeps you get when the VSC light comes on. I have had the light come on before on wet roads etc but never with beeps. This happened on four ocasions, all on a lefthand turn at low speed with no obvious wheelspin of the rear wheels. the car was fine for the rest of the day and I have had no repeat of the problem today. Before I bite the bullet and take it to the dealer has anyone had similar problems, or might be able to throw some light on the possible cause. Thanks in advance Wacko

I always thought it was, Fix It Again Toni

Many thanks for your replies. Back to Lexus with the paint code but no joy. They say thay can't order the paint without a paint code and the one I have supplied them is not recognised by there computer. They say that the cladding panels come prepainted from the factory anyway and that I could always order one, unfortunatly it's the front bumber that has the stone chips on it. When i asked them how they could order a new panel for my car without a colour code they gave me a bemused look and said "we just order one for the silver paint code and the correct colour will be sent". Enough of my rant, my local bodyshop does regognise the code and can mix me up 200Ml of paint at a very reasonable price. Once again many thanks.

Hi Does anyone know the paint codes for the lower panels on a 1998 LS400. They are dark grey in colour, I can find the main code for the body (silver 199) but no number listed for the lower panel. I have searched the forum and the US site but no help there. I did find a lexus colour chart on the web but it was for US cars and none of the paint codes matched the UK codes. Thanks in advance

Hi It time to replace the tyre on my MkIV LS. Due to tyre rotating I find myself in the wonderful position of needing four new tyres instead of just two. Obtaining the japanese version of the Dunlop D8z tyre is becoming a problem and I have been looking for a replacement. Having sen good reviews for the Yokohama Avs Db V550 I would be interested to know if anyone has fitted these to an LS. I have seen a post regarding them fitted to an IS which highlighted a tramlining problem, but this may be isolated to the Is model. All feed back welcomed.

Hi, My 98 LS is feeling very floaty at the front on the motorway. I have had the car checked at the Lexus dealer and have been told that as there are no leaks they are OK. The car has done 75000 miles, so even allowing for Lexus build quality there must be some wear in the shocks by now. Now the question. Should I go with standard shocks from the Lexus dealer or fit aftermarket shocks from the likes of bilstein, Monroe or KYB. I know that the standard shock are manufactured by KYB but I believe that the aftermarket GR2 shocks are much firmer than standard. Has anyone tried non standard shocks or should I just remortgage the house for the main dealer ones? thanks in advance

Hi Barney Sorry for the delay but I cant upload a picture, keep getting an error message. PC problem at my end I think. Best I can do is a link to the same year as mine with the same wheels on autotrader. Hope this helps. http://atsearch.autotrader.co.uk/www/CARS_...rgeId=519045181

Hi Jim Have you considered a different size of tyre on the DHP wheel? I am running a standard 98 LS400 with DHP wheels fitted with 225/55/17 tyres. This keeps the overall circumference the same but give a much better ride compared with the 245/50/17 that were fitted when I bought the car. This size is available from a wide range of tyre manufactures. Dunlop, bridgestone, yokohama, goodyear Etc and is a lot less expensive. Wacko

Hi Chris Thanks for the reply. I have always used the Dunlop D8z on the 16" wheels but they are becoming harder to find locally, and they dont appear to come in the size i want to fit to the new wheels. If you are aware of a supplier of D8z tyre in 225/55/17 please let me know. I apreciate that this issue has been raised a number of times, and I have looked at many of the forum posts before I posted this one. The general opinion was that the D8z is the tyre to go for on standard wheels but it less conclusive when larger wheels are fitted. What I am looking for is a point in the right direction before i part with a fairly large sum of money for five new tyres.

Hi guys Having bought a nice set of 17"LS400 DHP alloys off ebay to fit to my 1998 LS, I am left with the question of which tyres to fit to the new wheels? My existing 16" wheels are fitted with Dunlop 225/60/16 D8z tyres. the new wheels all need new tyres but were fitted with 245/50/17 Pirelli P-Zero Asimmetrico tyres. I am not keen on going to such a low profile tyre on the LS so I was considering a 225/55/17 tyre which gives almost the same circumference as the existing 225/60/16 tyre. And is fitted to some LS430 models I believe. Tyres on the shortlist include, in no order of preference. Yokohama AVS dB Bridgestone Turanza ER300 Pirelli P6 Michelin Pilot PRIMACY Dunlop SP SPORT 01 If anyone has fitted one of these tyres to an LS or could recommend a different make or model I would welcome your comments. Regards

Hi - I'm now on my second set of Vredesteins, great in all weathers and wear well. I got 30k on the first set and am now up to about 12k on the second set with no appreciable wear. That being said - I'm old, so my days of ear'oling around are long gone, but they do last.... - and occasionally I do corner a little faster than maybe I should! Never had a problem Dave Hi Dave Which model of verdestein are you using?

Hi guys Having bought a nice set of 17"LS400 DHP alloys off ebay to fit to my 1998 LS, I am left with the question of which tyres to fit to the new wheels? My existing 16" wheels are fitted with Dunlop 225/60/16 D8z tyres. the new wheels all need new tyres but were fitted with 245/50/17 Pirelli P-Zero Asimmetrico tyres. I am not keen on going to such a low profile tyre on the LS so I was considering a 225/55/17 tyre which gives almost the same circumference as the existing 225/60/16 tyre. Tyres on the shortlist include, in no order of preference. Yokohama AVS dB Bridgestone Turanza ER300 Pirelli P6 Michelin Pilot PRIMACY Dunlop SP SPORT 01 If anyone has fitted one of these tyres to an LS or could recommend a different make or model I would welcome your comments. Regards