Do Not Sell My Personal Information Jump to content


eXOBeX

Members
  • Posts

    2,200
  • Joined

  • Last visited

 Content Type 

Profiles

Forums

Events

Store

Gallery

Tutorials

Lexus Owners Club

Gold Membership Discounts

Lexus Owners Club Video

News & Articles

Everything posted by eXOBeX

  1. The nav controller would normally live in the boot, but needs the cabling as well. Non-nav cars didn't have the nav harness, so if you have the cabling there but no nav unit then it's been taken out. Certainly if you have the widescreen nav screen then at least some other stuff has been fitted as it requires a gateway ECU to allow the AVC-LAN and BEAN networks to talk to each other, without this the heater controls don't work. I retrofitted the full widescreen nav system to mine, details at http://www.ult-search.co.uk/gsnav/, you may be in luck with a LandCruiser 100 or Prius nav unit.
  2. Should be a pinned post I reckon. Probably one of the biggest questions regarding hybrids is "what happens when the battery eventually packs in?" and it's good to see that depending on what's actually failed you could be looking at a fix with a double-digit price tag instead of a four-digit one, also worth considering that even a smashed battery pack can be useful as a parts donor if you can find a scrappy who doesn't know its value. beercan's addition regarding scrubbing up the busbar (and also being careful not to overtighten the nuts) is also very useful.
  3. Can you run the battery down to force the engine to kick in? I know the guy who LPG-converted my GS also converted his own RX400h and had a fun job calibrating the gas ECU, which expects you to get the engine up to a certain RPM and hold the pedal there, not much fun when the main ECU decides to shut the engine off. I think he was able to run the battery down, forcing the system to keep the engine on.
  4. Interesting, I'm getting the same symptom now on my 2002 GS. Almost at a stop and you get the buzz and a slight drop in braking pressure (so you've got to put your foot further down). Due for MOT very soon, will be interesting to see if that picks anything up (besides the borderline emissions check - even on LPG - due to one empty cat and one suspect cat).
  5. Very, very new shape. Ouch. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-south-east-wales-30046093
  6. The stuck relay issue is a new one on me. I've had a Meccatune Red Sun HID kit on my GS for years, always in auto mode. Only issue I've ever had was a flickering bulb on one side (replaced the bulb).
  7. I'd have objected to the fiver-a-month request. Can't afford it? Get yourself a Wonga loan, I can't pay for the damage at a fiver a month, why should the scumbag who did it? Mine was keyed on the bonnet not long after I had it. I'm not a violent person but if I'd caught them in the act there'd be broken fingers involved.
  8. I've known this to be due to the yaw sensor being out of calibration (some garage tools can end up clearing more than just the DTC, a local mechanic managed to do it on mine). Search on Google for "gs300 yaw sensor calibrate dlc1", the top result is a PDF that shows how it's done. The instructions Colin posted above are on page 1, the instructions for zero point calibration are on 5 and 6. (absolutely no intention on treading on Colins toes here, it's just that the zero point cal worked for me)
  9. I don't know if the LS is the same but my GS had a big plastic tray in the boot that normally sits above and around the spare wheel. I cut the centre bit out (the oil catcher or whatever it is) and it now sits around the tank (a 75 litre toroidal). Boot floor is about 10mm higher than before and perfectly usable. Mine's a Romano system, installed by Phil Price at the rally school in Mid Wales. Done about 90,000 miles since the conversion.
  10. I've just (today) fitted an XCarLink to my 2002 GS300. It plays MP3s and WMAs from SD card or USB stick, plus has an analogue aux-in so you can connect other audio devices (iPods, bluetooth adaptors, etc) if you wish. The radio (a P3725 in my case as I've fitted the widescreen satnav) sees it as a 15-disc autochanger, the "disc" button on the radio toggles between it and the factory CD autochanger. Here's the one I bought: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/350735480600 If you don't want to splice any wires (there's a plug already occupying the socket on the radio with two wires in it) you'll also want http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/251229137310 You'll need to check the connections on the back of your nav unit if you don't have a P3725 or one listed on the eBay ad, as there are two versions. One is for the big 5+7 pin connector (which mine has), the other is for the small 6+6 pin connector and can be found at http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/350761483285 And to think I only found it because I was looking for a "lexus jack" to replace mine (I knocked my car off the old one and buckled it ) To remove the radio: 1. Pull out vent + clock module at the top (if you can get a good grip on it it'll pull out without needing to be levered out). 2. Remove ashtray module (pull it out by its drawer). 3. Undo the four 10mm bolts, two top and two bottom. Try not to drop them as the centre console doesn't like giving them back. To route the cable from the glovebox, pop out the cover below it (it unclips at the front so just get your fingers in and pull down), drop the cable over the top of the glovebox, fold it back so you have a loop that's about 6 inches in length and poke this through just above where the glovebox assembly is bolted to the centre console, with your fingers waiting in the centre console to grab it when it pokes through. This could take you a few minutes to do, but you'll get there. The plug will have a tendency to jam but it WILL go through with some gentle coaxing from both sides. To refit the cover, locate its pegs in the holes at the back of the footwell and clip it back up into place. For anyone else reading this: I'd expect the P3724 (non-nav) radio to work as well, the two radios are interchangeable.
  11. The LPG ECU has its own map, but I'm not sure whether this can be remapped to boost performance whilst leaving the Lexus ECU untouched. An installer would be able to tell you more.
  12. I like the comment about one of his previous ones. 650,000 miles and still going strong!
  13. Quentin Willson loves his LSes, and it shows. http://www.mirror.co.uk/authors/quentin-wilson/quentin-willson-reviews-new-lexus-1217093
  14. The LPG system uses a separate ECU. Connections to the petrol injectors are diverted through the LPG ECU, which also connects to the LPG injectors. As far as the petrol ECU is concerned it's running on petrol and running the petrol injectors. The LPG ECU takes the petrol injector timing and provides an equivalent LPG injector timing (with its own map) instead, whilst the petrol injectors do nothing. If the job's too much for the LPG system (running at high load and high RPM for example) the system can seamlessly switch back to petrol, or (with newer ECUs and newer firmware) run on both simultaneously (topping up the LPG intake with a dash of petrol). When the load eases off it switches back to LPG, again seamlessly. To aid fault diagnosis the individual LPG injectors can be switched off using the ECU programming software, so the engine can run for example with 5 cylinders on LPG and 1 on petrol.
  15. Well I can certainly vouch for Phil's workmanship and after-sales service. All of his rally cars (look on Google for Phil Price Rally School) run on LPG, plus he's converted his own RX400h so he knows exactly what to look out for. Having taken his RX for a spin my next car could well be a 400h (I've had two Corollas, then two Carinas, then two GS300s so I ought to keep the pattern and get something else next time :) ). There's plenty of life in the GS yet though, and with the extra mods (satnav conversion, on-board video with GPS overlay) I'm in no rush to part with it. Whether its replacement gets converted will depend on my mileage. The conversion on the GS has more than paid for itself, but my annual mileage has now dropped from around 20K to around 7K, so I'd have to re-examine the figures. If LPG turns out to be worthwhile then Phil will definitely be getting a return customer :)
  16. I don't know where the 40% figure comes from. I get 240-260 miles on a 60 litre tank of LPG. I certainly won't get 500-540 miles out of a 75 litre tank of petrol!
  17. Hi Phil, I am very impressed that it worked for someone as I am really wanting to convert my RX400h to LPG. Are you able to share how much it cost you to get the job done right and if possible recommend the garage? Many Thanks Phil does LPG conversions himself, he converted my GS300 back in 2005 (90,000 miles ago). I took his gas-converted RX400h for a spin earlier today, what a cracking machine. I expected a hybrid to be a real pain to convert, but apparently apart from initially calibrating the gas ECU following installation (keeping the engine running long enough is the tricky bit) it's much the same as converting a normal petrol engine. The 75 litre tank is in the spare wheel well.
  18. I fitted a set of Lexus sensors to my GS a few years ago (the LPA400 kit). What I'd expect you to find is a small black box under the carpet over the rear passenger-side suspension strut, or thereabouts. From there a bundle of cables go through the vent in the lower corner of the boot (if fitted as per instructions, they may go out through a rubber grommet instead). These are the cables from the sensors themselves, one cable each. You'll also find a two-wire cable going to the buzzer (I think it mounts somewhere by the passenger-side C-pillar, I put mine under the eye-level brake light pod). Finally, two more wires. One goes to the wire that feeds the reversing lights, the other goes to ground, either to a nearby bolt or to the lighting harness again. A switch can optionally be fitted to the supply wire, in case you have a towbar and don't want it whining about your caravan or trailer. This would be fitted through the carpet in the vicinity of the light cluster. I can't remember if it has its own fuse as it'll be protected by the reversing light fuse anyway. When you put the car into reverse you should get a short beep as the box powers up. If not, check the power, ground and buzzer wires for damage. I hope this info helps you nail the problem. Good luck!
  19. I've had the VSC/VSC OFF/check engine lights in the past, a misfire triggered it (cold engine, steep gradient, just switched to LPG, didn't like it). Mine didn't go into "limp mode" like yours seemed to, though. It may have been just a one-off, as your ECUs seem happy enough to have cleared the fault lights on their own.
  20. I bought an LPA400 set off eBay and fitted them myself. Instructions for fitting sensors are on the Lexus Techdocs website, so I think they're dealer-fit. Or in my case, DIY :-) The instructions may refer to cutting a rubber grommet off the sensor harness and pushing the cable through the side vent. However, there's a flat area close to the wheel arch that looks pretty much meant for drilling, so a 20mm holesaw can result in a neater job (using the grommet on the harness) than the dealers would do! Search for everything GS300/GS430 related on the page, the installation instructions are near the bottom. http://www.lexus-tech.eu/Aim.aspx?menuitem=2
  21. Yep! That's stage one done (although I've still got to make a bracket for mounting the nav computer). Just two or three bits short for the next job now there's a screen in the car. And no it's not a carputer or DVD...
  22. Not as bad as it looks, once you get your head around the official wiring diagrams for the car. Actually it's the second time I've fitted it. First time round I couldn't get the aircon to work (no gateway ECU) so left it with the old radio but the cables still in place. Then the car got pranged and was threatened with being written off so I chopped the plugs off and left the cables behind. Then the car got fixed after all but the cables I'd chopped the plugs off were now too short! Finally got hold of a gateway ECU (from the States) a few weeks back and got cracking. Done in a weekend.
  23. I've finally got round to finishing a project to install a widescreen OEM navigation system in my non-nav GS300. Parts, pinouts and photos are at www.ult-search.co.uk/gsnav/. Enjoy!
×
×
  • Create New...