MUDGUTS

The correct tyre size for the DHP wheel is 245/50R17 :) When you say right way up for the spare, do you mean the face of the wheel is faceing the boot floor? Andy Yep, it is. It looks like the bolt is too short.

Hi with reference to the wheels, the 17" are dhp wheels not the standard 16" that would explain the spare not fitting properly in the boot, your tyres should be 245/45/17s the extra 20mm width will increase the profile by 9mm, I like michelins as they are fairly quiet last well & give good grip in the wet, I hate pirellis as they dont grip at all in the wet & wear out really fast. Good luck with your car & welcome Mark Thanks Mark. I have fitted a new battery in the alarm fob and now that works 100% For ref. its a 2016 battery, (£4.15 for 2)

Hello, Firstly thanks for the help I have been recieving re this car I have bought and a slight engine problem. Won't rev beyond 4000 RPM Hopefully this will soon be resolved. I have a few questions, I have been through the Owners manual and done quite a bit of searching... 1) The Alarm fob will lock the car and I hear a beep but won't unlock it, is this just a case of a new fob battery? 2) The spare wheel is held in place by a standard screw type device but does not reach the bolt on the boot floor, it's as if it's too short. The spare is a Lexus type and the right way up BTW. 3) At this stage the car has 225 45Z R17 tyres on. This seems a bit of a low profile. The car rides OK but when it comes to time to change them I will be getting something a bit more normal. In the meantime is there a recommendation for a tyre pressure, or should I go which whats in the manual? 4) The car came with a Motorola carphone. There is a box in the boot which looks like it is the main unit for this and from earlier reading I think it takes only the larger type SIM cards. I am tempted to try this but the unit won't switch on, does it switch on somewhere else or should I start checking fuses...Also, is it even worth bothering and is the unit worth anything? Finally I have to say I got this car quite cheap and was slightly forced into it (my previous car expired) I was looking at LS 400s but didn't really want to rush. For the money I paid, I am very happy with it (have wanted one for years).

Thanks Jac. I'll get the car home and give this a try once I know this is the culprit, If it is faulty there is nothing to lose by trying a spot of MAF cleaner.

Thanks Jac, I'll have a look on the web. I had a reply from Toyota and Lexus parts last night with a picture in it which I have saved. I'll try to post this. The part No. on that is: 22250 Here is the Pic with the part No. on it: It looks like the part No. on yours cointains '22204 - 22210' My guess is that I need one that has a range that includes '22250' this must be some kind of operating range...

Thanks Jac, I'll have a look on the web. I had a reply from Toyota and Lexus parts last night with a picture in it which I have saved. I'll try to post this. The part No. on that is: 22250

Thanks P.O.D, I will do that. I'm tempted to try to clean it but might just leave that to the connections.

Yep, I got it very cheap and it was a gamble. It only had about about a month or so MOT left. I got it for £884. So it's cost me an Oxy Sensor, which was generating a fault code (now no codes are generated), a fuel filter (which was filthy) and some labour time for inspecting the CATS. At this stage I'm going to take it away today with a years MOT on and run it for a few days. During that time I will double check all the connections to the MAF sensor and get some pics of it including the part No. If this can be resolved I have got a good car for a reasonable price. My hand was slightly forced as the previous car failed the day I started to look around for a Lexus, I would have liked to look at a few more, but this was one of the better ones as far as condition was concerned. For something similar I was looking at nearer to £2000. One thing I noticed was that the ones I did see didn't have much MOT on them.

I don't know. I'm going to collect it tomorrow and double check the electrical connections to this. I do have one question though: Is the MAF Sensor the whole assembly (the bit the air goes through and the electronics)? or is it in two parts? I see a few on eBay and also there is the posibility of getting one from a vehicle breaker. What I will do though is get it to the Lexus dealer and have the fault 100% confirmed before spending any money on replacement parts. Obviously there is Toyota and Lexus parts on the web to try. Thanks to everyone for their help so far.

The latest is the throttle position sensor has been checked and is OK. The Fuel Filter change has made no difference and it is still holding back at around 4000 RPM. The good news is that it needs a pair of wiper blades and a brake pipe to pass the MOT. The garage are 75% sure it is the mass air flow meter. Any advice with replacing this? Should I take the car to Lexus dealer to have them be 100% sure? I'm going to collect it tomorrow and run it for a week or so (I need it to get to work and back) and then unless things are better, get it into Lexus MK. Other info is that it did just under 2500 miles since its last MOT a year ago, I'm pretty sure it has been sat around for a while in the sales lot. So maybe a good run and a bit of heat could help, is it possible damp is a factor?

Thanks, I'll ask them to check this.

Hi, the oxy sensor has been replaced and now the car has no fault codes stored, however it is still holding back. The garage have replaced the fuel filter which was pretty dirty: A lot of brown fuel came out. They will drive it later so see if this has changed anything.

Hi It as the symptoms of one of the oxygen sensors failing on the left or right bank these determine via information given by them to the Engine ECU how much fuel to give the engine for the right mixture under driving conditions demanded by the throttle. If say the oxygen sensor is giving a signal of unburnt fuel when there is'nt any unburnt fuel then the fuel supply will be restricted when it gets to a certain preset rev range in the computer.The Oxygen sensor fails gradually allowing the engine to function but giving a timely warning to get the fault rectified .If you continue to run the car until it as completly failed the engine will not start or if it does it will run awfully and you will get a engine warning light. There are sites in the USA that supply oxygen sensors relativly cheaply and they are not difficult to fit.The immediate task is to determine which of the oxygen sensors is failing. There are two one to each side if you are unable to test them for electrical resistance as per the workshop manual instructions ,then a quick solution would be to replace them both, at a rough estimate of say $100 dollars its a lot cheaper than Lexus. Thanks for the suggestions guys, the lastest is that both CATs are in good shape and the garage found one fault code indicating a faulty oxy sensor, but no indication of which one... Hopefully the guys will be able to narrow this down. Hi According to the LS400 workshop Manual ;troubleshooting diagnostic codes . code 21 Main oxygen sensor signal on left bank. code 27 sub-oxygen sensor left bank code 28 main oxygen sensor right bank code 29 sub oxygen sensor right bank.hope this helps. Thanks very much for this ambermarine. I have passed this on. I think one of the lambda sensors was looking much worse (from the outside) than the others, also I think it was one on the left bank. This is all coming together...

I'm not sure how they did it but they got to the stage where they did find a fault code which indicated faulty Oxy sensor but not which one. ...Flash codes? I think the number was 21

Hi It as the symptoms of one of the oxygen sensors failing on the left or right bank these determine via information given by them to the Engine ECU how much fuel to give the engine for the right mixture under driving conditions demanded by the throttle. If say the oxygen sensor is giving a signal of unburnt fuel when there is'nt any unburnt fuel then the fuel supply will be restricted when it gets to a certain preset rev range in the computer.The Oxygen sensor fails gradually allowing the engine to function but giving a timely warning to get the fault rectified .If you continue to run the car until it as completly failed the engine will not start or if it does it will run awfully and you will get a engine warning light. There are sites in the USA that supply oxygen sensors relativly cheaply and they are not difficult to fit.The immediate task is to determine which of the oxygen sensors is failing. There are two one to each side if you are unable to test them for electrical resistance as per the workshop manual instructions ,then a quick solution would be to replace them both, at a rough estimate of say $100 dollars its a lot cheaper than Lexus. Thanks for the suggestions guys, the lastest is that both CATs are in good shape and the garage found one fault code indicating a faulty oxy sensor, but no indication of which one... Hopefully the guys will be able to narrow this down.

Hello. I have a 1995 ls400 and mine was the same...After numerous enquiries I was told that they have some form of rev limiter on them, so they cant be over reved...Try it whilst under driving conditions, I think you will find its ok and will rev far beyond the 4000..Anyway mine ok now so its worth a try.....Hope it works for you ...Cheers Roy. Thanks Roy, it will drift up to a reasonable speed but there is no way its performance is normal: When you floor the throttle, the GB shifts down and the car won't accelerate, it won't go past 4000 RPM, if you lift off it will change up and the slowly accelerate. Weird...

...Well this is the problem, the garage doesn't have a facility to run a diagnostic check on a Lexus. I have asked them to look into the CATs as the recovery guy was very sure this was the problem. I don't really want to have to take it to a main dealer. There is going to be a point where I have to bite the bullet and do that. I am located in Northampton, is there a recomendation for a reasonably local solution with the diagnostics. I have been told that the Toyota dealer will not touch a Lexus. I have confidence in the local garage it is with now but the lack of a diagnostic check is slightly frustrating.

Hi, Looking for some advice with a 1997 LS400. Everything works as it should, no warning lights, no problems below 4000 RPM. If you floor the throttle whilst either in N or D the car won't rev beyond 4000. The emissions have been checked and are perfect. Also the recovery guy was certain it was the left CAT. I'm looking for ideas. Thanks in advance.

Hi, Looking for some advice with a 1997 LS400. Everything works as it should, no warning lights, no problems below 4000 RPM. If you floor the throttle whilst either in N or D the car won't rev beyond 4000. The emissions have been checked and are perfect. Also the recovery guy was certain it was the left CAT. I'm looking for ideas. Thanks in advance.

Hi,only just come across this post,I have lived in Northampton for the last 16 years and have had my cars serviced by an independent garage called Heeley Alden Ltd (I currently have an Is 200 sports my 2nd one) never had cause to complain although not cheap - 01604 632640. Thanks scudney, I will look them up.

In the absence of a specialist, where do members take their cars? Is there a Toyota specialist in the Midlands?

Hi, Is there ANYONE in the Northampton area. I'm keen to get my first Lexus this year but can't do it without knowing there is a good independent nearby. Thanks in advance

The only things I can suggest are: (1) To do all the other bolts on this component up as tight as possible - then try to undo the most difficult one, this could give you the break you need, if there is tension on it. (2) I would guess that PS fluid probably goes a bit sticky after a while and any heat from the engine over time will not help, I'm not sure that WD 40 or similar is the best thing to use, it may be the first thing that you think of but something more like easy-start or a really strong ethanol type cleaner may sneak in and break down the PS fluid that could be holding it in. (3) One other thing to consider is tightening it up (or trying to) to get a bit of movement, putting a long rod like an extension bar on it and tapping, heat, etc. (4) I have never tried this but was advised that on slippy nuts, etc. you can apply a bit of valve grinding paste to help the socket grip, rather than slip if it is oily. Good luck.

I hope I'm not upsetting anyone with this post, as I don't yet own an LS... This is my first post on LOC (been reading for a while) and although I don't yet own a Lexus, I intend to and have done so for a long, long time. I just can't justify it yet but it will happen. I first saw the LS 400 reviewed on Top Gear when it came out. I don't know what year this was. The guy reviewing it was (I think) William Woollard. Some things stick in my head about the LS 400, things I have collected as the years go by and the day (when I will own one) moves nearer. The only thing I can remember about the first LS 400 review I saw was that the guy driving it said it was the quietest car he had ever driven. That sentence alone says it all and was enough to get me hooked. I love hi fi and own a respectable British made (Danish speakers) system that cost more than my now rapidly depreciating Mondeo is worth by many times. Mark Levinson designs the sound system in some of the LS 400’s. I know my hi fi so I know what that means. The Google entry about the company says this: Manufacturers of the best-sounding, longest-lasting, easiest-to-use audio/video products in the world. ...So now I can find a car that was reviewed by a Top Gear presenter (who had doubtlessly driven quite a few cars in his time) who says it is the quietest and with a top quality sound system in it. Add to this the respected Quentin Wilson who I saw on TV once, explaining that after 80,000 miles or so his LS 400 showed no wear, he went on to explain that the suspension, steering seat etc. didn't seem to have worn and felt like new... So now we have the quietest car in the world and with a top quality sound system in it, that doesn't seem to wear. Add to this the fact that 'Lexus have won 1st place Gold Award in Customer Satisfaction in the JD Power and Associates 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004 and 2005 UK Customer Satisfaction Study' and you have the car that every smart thinking driver should own or aspire to owning. I include myself in the above. Just out of interest my route to an LS (as yet uncompleted) is: Ford Escort 1.6 Ghia Triumph Acclaim 1.3 HLS Skoda Estelle 105S Ford Escort 1.3 Popular Ford Mondeo 2.0 SI I know I'm two years at most from buying my first LS and it will probably be a five to seven year old model. Given that I've wanted one since about 1997 and never given up wanting one, I know it will happen. I just need the 'disposable income', 'insurance premium / age / no claims bonus' lines to meet at the point that I can justify ditching the Mondeo (which has been a good car BTW). Just out of interest has anyone got any figures on running costs of an LS? (not including tax / insurance / fuel). I keep records for my Mondeo and know that on average I can run it for £30-40 per 1000 miles, this is maintenance only.