Chippy 01

Hi Mark Here's a tutorial that no doubt will help you: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XgeIzc9Uga4 Good luck! Pepe That tutorial covers the up and down motor and gear. I know of two LS430's that have no in and out movement any more. Is there a tutorial or similar for the in and out motor and gear, or can someone tell me where the in/out motor and gear is located so I can pass the info onto my buds?

Well, it's been a few days now since he got his RX back and everything is Hunky Dory ........... until this morning! Amongst his mail was a letter from Lexus Ireland informing him of ANOTHER RECALL, this time with reference to the power steering pulley, and how it could become detatched (or something like that, he was reading it to me over the phone, and me being a bit under the weather wasn't really taking it in) Anyone else here hear of this power steering pulley problem?

Thanks for the replies so far. Here's an update. My friend got his RX transported to his local Lexus service shop yesterday. He was phoned today to say that it is indeed the inverter that's gone, but his car is covered by the current inverter recall. (Stroke of luck there) He was informed that a new inverter should be in tomorrow (wednesday), but it will take around 8 hours to get it fitted. Once the inverter is fitted, they will then be able to check out all the other systems, as they won't register with a blown inverter (that's what he was told) Here's hoping other parts/systems weren't compromised when the inverter went south. I'll report back again when I get more info.

My friend has a '05 RX400h. Last night, when driving through town, he heard a 'pop' and the car rolled to a stop. He shut it down, and then tried to restart it. Everything seemed to be OK when he pressed the start button, but when he tried to engage drive 'CHECK VSC' came up on the dash, and the car wouldn't engage forward or reverse. Being a saturday evening, he called the AA who organised a flatbed to take his car home. This morning he went out to the car to check things in the daylight (don't know what he would do if he found anything though) Pressed the unlock button, the car unlocked. He wanted to fold the mirrors in, so he pressed that button and the mirrors folded. He then tried to start the car, but this time the only sign of life on the dashboard was the ''check engine management'' symbol, and nothing else. So basically, the car is dead. He will have to arrange getting the car to Lexus tomorrow, but in the meanwhile I thought I'd post on here to see if anyone might know what the problem might be, or if anyone has heard of this kind of shutdown before, and what sort of repair bill he could possibly be facing.???

My mate's '02 LS430 has developed an annoying problem. A few weeks ago he said that his passenger side dip beam lamp keeps going out. If he turns off the lights and turns them back on again, the lamp will light but will again go out a while later. I did a bit of searching and discovered that this is a fairly common fault associated with HID lamps. To determine whether it is the bulb or the ballast causing the problem, we swapped over the bulbs. The problem has remained on the passenger side. To us that indicated a ballast problem. My mate had to make a call to Lexus Belfast about another matter and decided to make some enquiries about a replacement ballast. At first the guy on the phone did not know if the ballast was seperate from the headlight shell or an all in one unit, so he was asked to check and get back to us. When he did, he said that the ballast was a seperate piece fixed to the bottom of the headlight shell, and a new ballast would cost (and it was a good job my mate was sitting down) £635!!! So, guys and gals, I have some questions. Does that price sound right? It sounds a bit OTT to me. What causes the ballasts to work intermittantly? Are the ballasts repairable? At the risk of sounding 'cheap', is there an alternative ballast available that would fit the LS430 that wouldn't max out his credit limit? Any and all suggestions will be welcome. Thanks in advance.

I just got a call from my buddy. All is well again. He parked his car nose on to his front door, ran an extension lead out under the bonnet and put a battery charger on the battery over night. Now the battery is fully charged again, all the warning lights self extinguish. BTH, you were right on the money.. :D

Hi guys. I'm posting this for my buddy who doesn't have computer access. He has a 2002 LS430 with 180 odd thousand miles on the clock. He was away on holiday (for just one week), and when returned his car would not start. Ignition on, dash lit up as usual, but when he turned the starter, everything went out. OK, flat battery. He managed to get it started via jump leads from another vehicle. He let it sit running for about half an hour to put some charge into the battery, and then shut it off again. A few minutes later he started it again, and then he heard 'bong' - the warning noise. Lit on the dash was the warning triangle and the VSC OFF indicator. Pushing the VSC switch made no difference to either lamp. Looking at the owner's book, it says that if the warning triangle and the VSC OFF lamp are both lit, the car car still be driven but the VSC needs to be looked at, more than likely by a Lexus dealer. Has anyone ever come across this before, and if they have what was the problem? Hope it's not too expensive of a fix.

The GS300 is still available here in Ireland. If you can locate a dealer here that will sell one to you for export,(you'll have to buy new)then you won't have to pay the extortianate Irish taxes, but you will have to pay something similar when importing it into the UK. It'll take a bit of searching and haggling, but I've heard of it being done before with a Toyota. Happy hunting.

I've used cruise control on many different marques of vehicles, but the one on my Lexus is driving me crazy. It's the only one that I know that has to be re-set manually after it drops below 25mph. Example:- sitting on cruise at 60mph. Traffic slows, and of course the act of braking will switch the cruise off. Providing the speed does not drop below 25mph, once the road opens up again, hitting the re-set will automatically take the car back to the pre-set speed. BUT.......if the speed drops below 25mph, the re-set will not take the car back to the pre-set speed. It has to be set again manually. Every other cruise control unit I have used, (Honda, Mercedes, etc); even if the vehicle comes to a stop, once the speed has once again risen above the lower cut-off limit, the re-set will take the car back to it's last pre-set speed. Is there any way of getting the Lexus cruise control to re-set as I think that it should? Phil.

Funny how this comes up now. Most of my driving is, alas, city driving. Stop, go, stop, go. A real bitch on the brakes. I just got my GS back from having it's 40,000 mile service, complete with new pads and discs up front. I probably got robbed on the price, being in with Mr Lexus' finest wrenchers. €120 each per disc and €75 for the pads. Just over €300, or 200 of Her Majesty's Pounds. Was that good or bad?? Ireland is known for it's inflated pricing on some stuff. Phil.

Oh yeah, while we're on the subject of brakes, has anybody changed the brake fluid on a GS? I get the impression that you need some Special to Type equipment to get air out of the system.. is this true, or can it be done with the kind of gear you can buy at Halfords? First off, check your discs as well as the pads, and remember that the fronts are taking the brunt of the braking. If in any doubt, change them. As far as my experience goes with other older cars and bikes I have had in the past, changing the fluid is a fairly straightforward procedure. Although a little time consuming. Remember that two sets of eyes are better than one, so if possible get a friend to help. I would recommend getting an EZI-BLEED kit of some description, though. These can be found at any good Motor Factors. The tube to the catchment jar will have a one way valve of some sort, and it really helps no end. The way that I was taught, was to start at the caliper nearest the reservoir, and work your way to the farthest. Attach the bleed kit tube to the bleed nipple, open the bleed nipple a little, and pump the brakes. Pump slowly. If you go too hard, you might blow the tube off of the nipple. Keep topping up the fluid in the reservoir as the fluid is pumped out into the jar. When the fluid changes from the dirty old stuff to the nice clean stuff, close the nipple, take off the tube, clean the area, and move to the next wheel. This can be done on your own, but it involves a lot of getting in and out of the car. With two people, one can stay in the car while the other checks the condition of the exiting fluid, and keeps the reservoir topped up. Without the EZI-BLEED kit, it is a two man job. The nipple has to be closed again after every depression of the pedal to prevent air getting into the system on the return stroke, and then re-opened for the next stroke. Open-pump down-close-release-open-pump down-close-release-etc-etc-etc I hope this is of some help. Others with more experience will no doubt chime in if I have missed something or got it wrong. Phil.

Your brake fluid is getting low, but for a very good reason. Word of warning here, DO NOT top it up. Check the condition of your pads and discs first. The level is designed to drop with brake wear. New stoppers all round, and a full reservoir is the starting point. As they wear the fluid level will drop accordingly. When your light starts to appear, then is the time to definately get them looked at. When your fluid is cold, (as with most liquids), it shrinks slightly. (Quick tip- Get your petrol first thing in the morning. The cold overnight weather means you get more juice for less dosh) When you pump your brake pedal, a little more fluid is pumped to the calipers thus lowering your reservoir level. Result light on. Release brakes, the fluid is drawn back, turning the light off. Do this a few times and the fluid warms up under pressure, and expands a little. Result no light. If you top the fluid up, and at a later stage you find out that you need new pads or discs, resetting the calipers will cause the reservoir to overflow. Not a nice thing to clean up afterwards. (Don't ask me how I know this) Check your handbook. The indicator light is most likely called a Brake Wear Warning Light, not a Low Fluid Warning Light. NOTE:- The same light will also come on permanently after the first push of the pedal, if one of your brake lights have failed. Phil.

Is it a 'badge' thing, I wonder? I only ask this because it took about 7 years of my trouble-free motoring and service to make my boss look away from 25 years of driving Mercedes. His last one was the 600 SEL laviathon. Nothing but regular, annoying problems to be fixed. (at Merc's infamous rates) He eventually saw sense. Proud owner of 2002 LS430 now. Told loads of people he will NEVER go back. Reliability over badge/image, anyday of the week. He will most likely c**p his pants when he sees the Ls600h next year. But that will be another story. Phil

Now one of my friends has / had the hots for an XK8 pull up at the Jag place in Brentwood , I thought they were going to ask us to leave. Big mistake he's got the cash to walk next door and buy an Aston Martin. He's still decideing what to buy now. Point him towards Mr Lexus. No contest with regards to the others he has a hankering for. (my opinion, only) Firstly, reliability. With Lexus it's almost a given. With Ford holding the cards for Jag and Aston, you would think they would have that put to bed by now. Second, image. OK, Aston has the looks to die for, and the Jag looks sleek. Lexus does have an image failing, but it is only a matter of time. Look at the new IS and GS. Beautiful lookers. But saying that, which would you have on a cold, rainy night? Something that will get you there in comfort, but annonimously, or try to arrive stylishly with a whisp of uncertainty of getting there. Advise your buddy to don the leathers, ride down to the dealers, and pick the one that gives you the best reception. That will speak buckets!!! Hey, I just remembered. I bought my first Lexus when I showed up at the showroom on an old GPZ750!! The dealer couldn't have been nicer. AND has looked after me royally ever since. (As I said, my opinion only) Would be interesting to see what your mate actually gets at the end of the day Phil.

I know exactly what you mean. My buddy and I also enjoy a bit of motorcycling, and on the last bank holiday (one week later here than in UK), we did a small tour of Antrim. Giant's Causeway, Carrick-a-Rede Rope Bridge, Joey Dunlop Memorial Garden, etc,; and on the way back home we stopped in at Lexus Belfast. We know the Service Manager, so we decided to stop in, have a much needed jimmy, quick cup of tea, shoot the breeze about up and coming launches, and basically @**@-talk for a while. :D Well, he very kindly offered us a run out in the new GS450H. VERY impressive!! I am hooked; apart from the price at the moment. I was looking at upgrading my MK2 for the MK3 in the next year or two, but now, I think I shall wait the extra couple of years for a nice 450H to approach my wallet's capacity, and upgrade then. I seriously think that the Hybrid is the way to go. :winky: Mind you, can you picture this. Two bikers pull up outside a Lexus dealer. Park up two cruisers. Go inside. Drink tea. Have chat. Take test drive in FULL LEATHERS. AND get treated very well by EVERYONE there, not just the guy we know. WELL DONE AND THANK YOU, LEXUS. (I can't see that happening at Mercedes, can you??) Phil.

My brother-in-law recently purchased a 2001 LS430 in the UK, and brought it back here to Ireland. :D The Sat-Nav disc in his car is one of the first ones, and does not cover this little island. I know an upgrade that includes cover about 90% of Ireland was put out about 2004, because my boss got one for his 2002 LS. Word has it over here, that a new disc is to be released in and around September. And that this new disc will cover all the missing spots the previous discs had. Has anyone else heard of this new/next upgrade, and possible release date? He doesn't really want to invest in the current disc, if a new one is due out in a few months. Thanks all, Phil.

While I was away recently, my brother-in-law upgraded to a very nice '01 LS430 Trouble is, there was no spare. It came with a nice set of alloys and low profiles, but I do not think he wants to go to the expense of trying to match them. Would anyone out there have and old original wheel thats not needed and would be good enough to use as a spare? He lives here in Dublin, and I am sure getting a wheel sent here would be no problem. If anyone can help, just post here or e-mail me and I will pass the info along. For some strange reason he can't seem to find one over here. Many thanks. Phil.

I saw this today :o http://srs.targetpoint.com/external.htm?ur...0eye%20out#exit Any one up for a different type of bling :D Phil.

If you click on that link, and scroll down to the bottom left picture, and click on it, you will see the new Australian Lexus Logo. :D :D

My brother-in-law is on the look out for chrome cill plates for his 1990 LS400. I have them as standard on my 2000 GS, and when he saw them he was wondering if the same kind of stuff can be got for his. The plates are visible when you open the doors. On top of the cills. Can anyone out there help??? Thanks. Phil.

I'm sure that he will be DElighted to hear that. But if you look at the kits on offer, you will see that it is shiny stuff. Shiny, plastic, wood effect, self adhesive pieces. Phil.

Well, jjf946, I thought I was onto something a few days ago. One company answered my e-mail :mat: I had to take a few pics of the offending areas, and send them off, and here is his reply:- ""Our problem is this: we do not make the pieces for the lower console around the shifter. Here in the states, there is not one model that does not have factory wood there. The same applies for the ashtrays on the door panels. These also are always made in wood."" A bummer, or what? But no matter, I will carry on trying, and maybe I will find something suitable. :) Phil.

Yep, tried all them, and a few more besides. If you take a look at the sample pic on the first site, that is the colour; but if you look at the 'shadow sheet' you will see that it is all there but the centre consul area and the door window switch areas. And those are the most important areas that need doing. I actually e-mailed a few other companies I found, but as of yet have had no replies. Still trying. Phil.

What the man said is true, Andy. I actually did it to my '95 MK1 about two years ago. Her indoors wanted to get the bin out past my car, so I started her up, moved about ten feet and shut her down again. Next morning, wouldn't start. I flattened the battery trying, so I left it on charge and went to work. Phoned Lexus in the meantime about the no-start (omitting my little move) and they told me to try again when I got home. I did that, but still no go. Phoned again, and within one hour the car was picked up and taken in. Next day about lunchtime I got a call saying that all was now OK. I was told when I picked it up that the probable cause of my problem was a start up and a quick shut down which chokes the system. I blamed her indoors and drove away. Ever since then, if I need to move a short distance, I leave it running for about a minute. Never had that problem again. Phil.

After the fiasco of the past week or so, (see thread He Wants His Merc Back), the boss's car is now running as it should. Thank you Lexus in Belfast. But now he wants some inner bling. B) Around the window control switches on the doors, and on the front centre consol/ashtray area, is a brushed aluminium effect. In his (and my) opinion, that really takes away from the look. So he asked about dash kits. I got one for my '00 GS and my brother-in-law's '90 LS from bdtrims.co.uk and for a self adhesive kit, it doesn't look too bad at all. I do believe that Colin very kindly put some pictures I had in one of the galleries a while back. (Computer crash since then and all records lost). But I digress. Now the boss would like one for his '02 430, but with the pieces that would cover all that nasty aluminium. And thereby lies the bogey. All the kit companies that I have seen on the 'net, of which 99.9% seem to be Stateside, none of them seem to cover the aluminium areas. Does anyone out there have any additional ideas? I even went to Lexus to see if they would do a swop over, but was told that they do not do that. If anyone wants to kill an hour or so and have a stab at this, the car is '02, with navigation, premium pack,(luxury pack in US), and what little wood trim is in it is a yellowy/orangey colour; I think that's called Golden Bird's Eye Maple; by all means do, and let me know if you have any luck. I didn't. Thanks. Phil.