BlueQ

Ah that's interesting. So even without turning the steering wheel, just by applying sideways pressure to it could cause the circuit to break and the light to come on. Never thought to try that. Also the wiring under the seat too could be a problem I guess. All things to consider and, yes, good reason to get a big discount hopefully!!

Hi guys I've seen a 1995 LS400 MK3 with 226,000 miles priced at £1295. I test drove it today at an independent dealership. The car has two problems: power steering leak, for which I've received good help and advice in another thread. The other problem is... The airbag warning light comes on sometimes. The dealer says it only happens when the steering wheel is turned most of the way to full lock e.g. when parking. It resets when the engine is restarted. However the light did come on during the test drive and yet I didn't turn the wheel to lock, I just made normal turns at traffic lights and roundabouts. Having searched the forum, the LS400 doesn't seem to have a known problem with the airbag warning light. Very few posts about it really. Most of the posts suggest the problem occured after a modification to the dash cluster or other tinkering with the car. Other people seem to find that the light is then on constantly. So perhaps the car I am considering buying has a very unusual fault? Any help, advice, experience with this problem appreciated! Thanks muchly! Mark

Wow thanks, guys! I'm going to view the car today! Really appreciate the heads up on that!

Hi all I want to buy an LS400. I have found a 1995 LS400 MK3 with 226,000 miles and FSH. I am going to view the car in 3 days' time. I have been made aware of several faults e.g. heated seats are not heating etc. But there is one fault that I am confused by: The seller told me on the phone today that there is a power steering fluid leak. I have been through the forum and have found lots of information on this problem, but apparently this particular car is leaking fluid from near the radiator. I am told there is a metal pipe going across near the radiator, which the seller reckons is to cool the fluid. The metal pipe connects to rubber hoses. It would seem that fluid is being lost from the junction between the hose and the pipe -- well that's according to the seller. I haven't seen the car yet. So I was wondering if this makes sense to anyone. And if what I have been told is true, is it likely to cause any problems if it really is leaking from this location? I have no idea how tricky it would be to fix this problem. Of course, the seller could be mistaken... BTW I'm kind of new to the forum. Well, I have been a member since 2004, when I was considering buying an LS400. However I bought a 1997 BMW 328i convertible instead!! Kept that car for 4 years. Then bought a 1998 Ford Scorpio 2.9 Cosworth Ultima, which I've had for the last two years. Now I'm selling it and I'm going to buy a cheap, old LS400. Cheers for any insight anyone can offer! Mark

It's good to hear that Maneesh wasn't injured in his recent crash. I made some postings here about 12 - 18 months ago when I was deciding whether to buy an LS400 or a convertible. I went with a 1997 BMW 328i Convertible. I have now decided to sell it and will almost certainly buy an LS400, so I'm back! My current car doesn't provide as much secondary safety as a Lexus LS400. The Euro NCAP testing results of the 1997 3-series BMW aren't too good at all. But the American IIHS testing results of the 1995-2000 LS400 are excellent. Plus the LS400 is heavier. So we know that if an LS400 and BMW 3-series crashed head-on, we'd rather be in the LS400 of course. But what about primary safety? I am used to my car, which has traction control and automatic stability control. I believe these were only fitted to the LS400 from Series IV (1998), but I didn't want to buy one that new. As far as I can see, traction control was a option on the ones sold in the USA before 1998, but wasn't an option on the ones sold in the UK. Although I have seen a few early LS400s advertised in the UK's Autotrader as having traction control, which confuses me -- can anyone please advise? Had Maneesh's car had traction control and ASC, his car would probably have imperceptably kept itself right on track, perhaps without Maneesh even realizing what would have happened had his car not had those safety features. Had Maneesh's car hit a tree and come to a sudden halt, he could easily have been killed or horribly injured. This is why I'm somewhat hesitant about buying an LS400 without traction or ASC. My last car was a Vauxhall Omega, which I owned for two years. Other than when moving off quickly in slippery conditions, the traction control only operated once in all the time I had the car. I was driving down the M6 south over the Thelwall Viaduct with the cruise set to 40 MPH (road works). I saw the traction control light flash for several seconds (indicating it had momentarily operated). I had not felt the car skid in any way, but had just about heard something from the wheels. Now had I not had traction control, what would have happened? I have no idea -- perhaps nothing much. Or perhaps I could have spun out and crashed... who knows. What's worse, I was actually driving to view an Audi convertible at the time, which didn't have traction control! Now I am again considering a car without traction control and ASC and I read Maneesh's story, which makes me think twice. I have seen many reviews of the LS400. Quite a few of them say that the car needs traction control. Some say that as the car is rear-wheel drive, you should only really buy one with traction control. But surely Lexus wouldn't have sold the LS400 without traction control if it was dangerous... would they? Am I worrying about nothing? Should I just buy one without worrying about the lack of these safety features or what? Any personal experiences, thoughts, opinions etc. to help me decide will be appreciated. Mark