cleverdick

what sould the idle speed be on a mk3 ls400 as i have only had mine about a month but when is cold it idles about 1700-2000 when its warm its ok it goes down to about 500 but i have never had a car that idles so fast i know its a big engine but it still seems fast

matt

Have you checked the TPS?

Hooray! Someone saying something about the lousy quality of MP3 sound. Here I've been spending thousands on ever-better hi-fi, over the years, squeezing more detail out of records/CDs. Then ipod comes along with ....COMPRESSION!! Oh great!. What about QUALITY! SA-CD? DVD-A? :D

Stick with CDs! B)

And don't even get me started on DAB!

I have a Pioneer car stereo in my K-Reg Lexus LS400

However I want something more modern that will allow MP3 and USB. Also if it would connect to the existing Lexus CD Changer would be good.

This is a double Dinn unit i think.

Anyway what can I put in to have the above functionality I am after. Also would be good to connect up my satnav pda to have music come through also.

I have heard about 1 din and needing surrounds but this can be overcome cant it?

I want to be able to utilise all the speakers in the car (6 or 7) i think including the mounted sub in back window (all original) and have a better output than the existing pionee which i think i 180watt.

Any ideas or car audio models be fully appreciated

Thanks

Hi,

My advice (for what it's worth) would be to SERIOUSLY consider retaining the factory Pioneer system. Changing it for something after-market would only serve to devalue the car. The original equipment is hard to beat, quite frankly, and I think you'd be disappointed with anything else. Not to mention the aesthetic damage! If you really feel the need to hook up an iPod or somesuch, why not seek a competent engineer/specialist to install an auxiliary line input on a mini-jack socket? Bear in mind though that the factory-fitted system is more than capable of revealing the audible shortcomings of MPEG layer III coding (a.k.a. MP3) when compared to proper, full bit-rate CD.

Whereabouts in the South-East do you live?

I had this job done (new PS pump and alternator recon) at Westfield Motors in Rayleigh, Essex, an independent Toyota/Lexus specialist.

If you could somehow get the car there they might be able to offer a solution. Perhaps give them a call (ask for Ian - very helpful).

You may have some success by heating the bolt, possibly with an Antex Pipemaster or suchlike.

Good luck...

VW Pheaton!! What a great car with that W12 Engine Straight out of a Bentley Continental Flying Spur!!!

Get in!!!!!

Or how 'bout a Maybach 62? A mere snip at £300k! ;)

gents,

thanks for your assistance. I tried a drop of wd (before reading the 2nd reply!) and to no prevail. The lock simply will not move anti-clockwise. I think the door card will have to come off so i can see the mechanism. Has anyone removed a door card? Daft question,but i have removed them on several other vehicles and there always seems to be a bolt hidden somewhere that you can't see...

T

www.lexls.com has a photo tutorial on removing the door card, in that case to fit larger speakers.

I had to remove mine the other week to fix a rattle (which turned out to be the door mirror - doh!) but it wasn't too difficult. Getting it back on was a little more tricky.

Slightly OT, I was surprised at how 'conventional' the door was inside. Once the speaker enclosure had been removed and the membrane carefully peeled back to reveal the door cavity, I was half expecting to see a door liner made of titanium honeycomb or something, given the hype and mystique that surrounds these cars. There wasn't even a bituminous sheet stuck to the inside of the door! How they manage to make them so quiet and never ceases to amaze me.

If you don't mind LHD, what about a '90s Ford Crown Victoria, Mercury Grand Marquis or Lincoln Town Car? All share the same platform, and parts and expertise are plentiful.

Hired a '95 Crown Vic in the States and it never missed a beat in 1500 miles. Very smooth and quiet. Driving my LS400 reminds me of it.

Thanks mate but it works perfectly until the rear screen is on and the interference is the same on all channels. the radio is self tuning to local stations.

It appears also that the heater is not working on one bar and it appears that the radio aerial is part of the rear window.

Any relation between the heater malfunction and interference perhaps?

Some lesser cars use the rear window heater as an aerial, but not the LS400, where the external antenna even trims its length automatically to the frequency tuned to!

Not sure then. But you may at least be able to repair the heater with some conductive paint, available from car accessory shops.

Not speed related just crackly.

UHF 94.5 radio 4 and 98.0 R1

Any help?

According to this website, in your area, BBC R4 is on 93.3MHz and R1 is on 98.5MHz. I'm not saying you won't pick up transmissions outside the intended service area on the frequencies you mention, but they'll be weak and therefore prone to interference.

http://www.quns.cam.ac.uk/Queens/CompFacil/radiotv/

This is wierd, any ideas?

When the rear screen heater is on the radio suffers severe interference.

Is the heater damaged?

Is there a supressor or something somewhere?

What sort of interference spcifically? Engine speed related? What waveband are you listening on?

I've just noticed a couple of imported series 1s on eBay (cloth seats and wider tail lights, but still RHD). They both have Lexus badges, however I thought that Japanese-market versions were sold as Toyota Celsiors. Can somebody enlighten me?

Thanks,

R

I'm waiting on a price for filter to come from Sewell Lexus in USA, some other bits too, I'll need to get gasket sorted....thanks for the reminder.

I got the filter and gasket as a set from Jaggraveyard (also in the US). Can't remember how much, but it was quite reasonable. Not OEM though.

cleverdick, and those that have done a transmission flush....

I have had the car for 4 months, it is at 125k miles and I am planning an ATF fluid change, with flush of the box.

I'm just nervous about draining too much and getting an air lock.

When you run the motor, how fast does the old old get pumped out at.

1litre in 5 seconds or does it take more like 30 seconds.

Also, what did the old oil look like, currently my oil is red with a tint of sootyness in it, the box shifts ok, but not 100% smooth from 1-2 in Auto mode, but especially I get a big jump when N to D when cold (idling about 1200 rpm)?

AND, my current level seems VERY high. There is about 5cm difference between Low marker and High marker on the dipstick and the oil level is another 2.5cm higher than the High mark, could this be problematic at all?

Thanks for advice and comments in advance, YES, I will use Toyota Type T-IV oil.

Hi Simon,

I don't think you'll have anything to worry about, providing you allow yourself time and space. I agree it does seem a daunting task but it's really not that bad if you're used to doing general maintenance on cars. Just be sure to follow the lexls tutorial. It's pretty good.

I didn't have any trouble with airlocks or such. As for the rate at which the fluid gets pumped out, I can't remember specifically, probably about 10S per litre. I used a 5l polypropylene container with 1l divisions drawn across it in permanent marker. That way it was easy to gauge how much had been pumped out and therefore needed to be put in. They say that if you overfill an autobox you may have trouble with the fluid foaming up. There may of course be a safety vent valve on the 'box, but in truth I don't know. Bear in mind though that TX fluid is HIGHLY flammable, so you don't want it running onto the exhaust or cats if it can be avoided! Getting the level spot on might take some time.

It's good to see that you intend to use T-IV, but have you got the gasket and filter too?

Best of luck,

Rich

I just got a Japanese imported Celsior (LS400), I have a few minor issues with it:

1) when i back off the accelerator i feel a very slight vibration shudder or so (it feels like the exhaust brake feeling on a truck but not to the extent).

2) The fender pole on the front bumper sometimes works and sometime not.

apart from these issue everything seems to be fine, I haven't done a service or anything yet, I'm planning to service it next week.

Any ideas would be appreciated specially the on the shudder problem, I'm thinking it might need a transmission service.

←

1) Could be a symptom of transmission fluid having been added at some point with incorrect frictional properties. These cars must only have Toyota T-IV in their transmissions. A FULL fluid replacement (and filter change) may certainly help, but will not be cheap. A sensible precaution to take though, especially if you're unsure of the car's history. Beware - even Toyota service centres sometimes use cheap fluid, so a main dealer service history is no guarantee that it's been done right. See lexls.com for details.

2) Please excuse my ignorance, but what's a fender pole?

There really would be no need to do this - the LS400 is plenty quick enough already! :) Believe me.

If, however, you definitely need V8, manual, RWD then perhaps a Mustang might suit your needs better.

:D

I think it's to do with the range of operating temperatures, with Dexron III being more tolerant in this respect. It might be best to look on one of the GM forums in the US for the definitive answer.

Just in case you were wondering however, fluids pertaining to GM Dexron or Ford Mercon specification are NOT compatible with the LS400 transmission, regardless of what anyone tells you. Including the Toyota or Lexus dealer. You MUST only use Toyota Type IV , even if the parts guy looks at you like you've got two heads or claims he's never heard of it.

It's OK to use Dexron in the PAS pump.

You need to lift the subwoofer mounting frame off the parcel shelf. Probably the best way to do this without damaging or scratching the plastic is to use a substantial pair of grips/pliers and squeeze the clips from underneath whilst pushing up at the same time. (You'll have to pull some of the trunk lining out of the way to access them.) Once you've done that, the sub should pop right out.

:P

Dear All,

I'm compiling an online order from CPC (whilst at work  ) to include a spare high-beam bulb (series 1 LS400).  Of course, the handbook is at home, not here.  My question is: What is the difference between H1 and H1A bulbs?  From what I can see they look the same.  Could somebody take a quick peek in their handbook for me and let me know what's actually specified?

Sorry for the dumb-***** question, BTW! ;)

←

I never put the stars in!

Dear All,

I'm compiling an online order from CPC (whilst at work ) to include a spare high-beam bulb (series 1 LS400). Of course, the handbook is at home, not here. My question is: What is the difference between H1 and H1A bulbs? From what I can see they look the same. Could somebody take a quick peek in their handbook for me and let me know what's actually specified?

Sorry for the dumb-***** question, BTW! ;)

Interesting...

But it seems to me that the concept is flawed, since the onus is on the vehicle manufacturer to 'own up' and issue the recall. Perhaps this is why there are more recalls issued in the US for any given model, since the makers are afraid of huge lawsuits there. I'm sure somebody will step in and correct me if necessary!

At the risk of digressing, I had a fruitless exchange of correspondence with the Ford Motor Company a few years ago in connection with this subject. My previous car, A 1983 Mk2 Granada Ghia X, had a 'timebomb' planted in it in the form of a hidden and undocumented (even in the Dealer's workshop manual) filter INSIDE the fuel tank. Over time, this filter gets clogged and eventually caves in and blocks the pipe, resulting in a stall. This happened to me on the M25 when overtaking an HGV! I know that Sierras were affected by this design, too. I wrote to Ford, asking them which models were affected by this design and from what years. I also suggested that they issue a recall, since there were many such vehicles still on the road and that this was arguably a safety matter. (Poor maintenance could not be blamed, since this 'secret' filter was not listed as a service item.) I also asked how many years does a car have to be out of production before the manufacturer WON'T issue a recall, in other words, what is the cut-off period after which their obligation ceases. Of course, they failed to address any of my questions head-on and I am still none the wiser. If a safety issue now came to light affecting early LS400s, could Toyota legitimately claim that the car is past its intended lifespan? I have never seen, in writing, what the intended life of any vehicle actually is, and for how long it will be supported by the manufacturer. Perhaps this is something that prospective buyers should ask the delaer at the time of purchase!

Well, thanks for your reassuring replies. Further evidence of just how remarkable these cars are. The reason I queried it was that all my previous vehicles (Fords) have showed some variation in temperature according to driving conditions. I thought that because this one doesn't it was too good to be true, but obviously not!

:winky:

The temperature gauge in my 1990 LS never goes above exactly half way. I'm therefore wondering if somebody 'fixed' it in a previous life to disguise a fault. I recently had to replace the coolant tank (which had split at the top as they generally do), and it occurred to me that even throughout the hot weather with a leaky cooling system, the tempertaure gauge remained remarkably stable.

Am I worrying unnecessarily? It seems pretty miraculous for the gauge to rise up and hit the mark precisely every time, regardless of the outside temperature.

You have my sympathy - I went through this with my Mk2 Granada. I lost count of the money I spent on it, but I did improve matters with a remanufactured (and precision balanced) prop from Burgess of Bradford, a pair of new driveshafts and umpteen guibo (doughnut) joints. I also spent ages getting the driveline as straight as possible with a special laser jig that I made, and by packing out the centre bearing support and gearbox mounts I was able to reduce the stress on the doughnut which meant that it lasted six months instead of three. It just went on and on, and in the end I got so fed up with it I sold the car and vowed never to buy another Ford. What attracted me to the LS was that the brochure specifically mentioned the perfectly straight driveline by design. You'd be surprised how many garages, (even transmission 'specialists') have no concept of propshaft alignment, runout or balance. Have you visually inspected the rubber propshaft doughnuts? A split or damaged one of these may well be the cause of your problem and should not be too expensive to fix. It may be helpful too to view the car underneath with it running on a hoist (with safety in mind, of course). Check also that the driveshafts aren't bowed. If all else fails, consider having the wheels balanced ON the car.

Hi!

I also have a 1990 LS - and you're already one step ahead of me because my car is not in immaculate condition! ;)

You may need to clean the throttle body, as shown on www.lexls.com. I'm not saying that it will definitely solve your problem, but it's likely that it won't ever have been done - at least off the car and properly. The job isn't as bad as it looks, and you don't have to drain the coolant as the TB is the highest point in the cooling circuit. The only trouble I had was in removing a hose - I cut through it in the end and replaced it with new during reassembly. You can make a TB gasket from gasket paper - about £1 a sheet from your local motor factors. There are three very small vacuum holes in the body which could easily get blocked I suspect, and you'll be surprised at just how carbonised it all is on the inside. Allow about half a day, and if possible do when the shops are open in case you need to go get some hose or something.

Good luck...

Just stick with the large insurance companies. You may find though that after the first year they hike the premium up and hope you won't notice, but can normally get it back to a reasonable level after a bit of haggling. (You normally have to threaten to change insurers before they will do this.) I'm currently with Direct Line who gave a very competitive quote, the only trouble I had [with them] was determining exactly what they meant by an 'approved' immobilizer. For some reason they didn't consider the factory system to be good enough! It was only after some badgering that they explained that it had to be Thatcham cat. 2 or above.

Whatever you do, AVOID the backstreet insurance boys - the premiums might be cheap, but I've witnessed on more than one occasion their practice of taking the money and not buying the insurance on your behalf. Their reluctance to issue a certificate (as opposed to just a cover note) until all installments are paid is always a giveaway. Be warned!