Jobs list, some questions.

[Matt1986]

Hi all, getting used to my new ls400 after a few days now. I've been drawing up a list of things that need doing. 

Needs an oil service at least, possibly plugs and filters etc. 

Although the transmission operate's perfectly, the oil is looking past its best so want to do a full flush ( pipe off radiator method) 

Paint chips and small amount of bubbling paint on the top of the door needs addressing. What's best?

alloys desperately need restoring!

Squealing brake when pulling up at lights or in light braking. Annoying but not the end of the world! Known fix?

The electric aerial doesn't operate and so I have no radio. Ithe makes no sound when the radio is turned on. Checked obvious fuses. Any suggestions?

Oh and the obligitory wet boot...

All help and advice on these issues would be greatly appreciated! 

[lockeyboy]

this should sort the boot leak, my mk4 also has this, the boot stinks. I'll be doing the same thing at some point.

There is guy called dan Merrin in derby/Notts who does wheel refurbs, more expensive than local shops, but he guarantees them for three years not one.  

[Tinonline]

Lovely...some work to do...

Servicing is a quick win. I got a genuine oil filter on line for a good price from. Lexus dealer Birmingham Lexus fab service. Oil from Opie fully synthetic Shell Helix as used by my local Lex dealer.

i think my plugs also came from Opie and on offer, they're quite a few £'s. I opted for  Denso the OE.

Air filter and cabin I got blueprint but I note some great prices on line for genuine.

Im still yet to touch the gearbox...I'll stick to OE here. If you've a high miler I'd go for new filter too.

Worth checking throttle cable play.

Brakes: wheels off to inspect and clean, reapply grease on pads if all well. I'm sticking with OE again here as the pads are ceramic and heat fade is minimal and they are soft and smooth. Lots of non OE fitted but ok. They can squeak but when bedded in they're fine.

Now I'll beg others to comment on the well known issue of leaky boots.

Bet my wheels are worse than yours! 🙄

[shanra]

Getting a genuine oil filter is really worth it as I remember seeing the Toyota V8 filter being taken apart and compared to others and it was top quality with lots of wadding in there, some of the other supposed top brands were really poorly put together. Those Lexus alloys are awful and the pitting will still be there after coating unless they fill the pits but apparently that will lift earlier. As mentioned a good look at the brakes and how much of the disc are the pads connecting with and do they have all the shims in place? The aerial may not be connected, you should be able to pick one up from a breakers I picked mine up for just over 30 pounds but I recently saw one for under twenty pounds!

[floggit]

When i had my Ls with obligatory leaky boot i sourced a new seal from this company>

http://www.sealsdirect.co.uk/

 

[ambermarine]

The transmission fluid change is a lot simpler if you use a pump from the dipstick tube 2 litres in 2 litres out and a trip round the block in between to mix new with old.

This is important as the fluid as seal protection additives and a flush of the system could be a shock  to the seals and cause leaks.

You will use about 12 litres doing it this way.

As for the filter my view is that unless you have had some work done in the gearbox and it is working properly there is no need to change the filter,after all this is basically a sealed system and there will be no ingress of foreign matter.

[shanra]

4 hours ago, ambermarine said:

The transmission fluid change is a lot simpler if you use a pump from the dipstick tube 2 litres in 2 litres out and a trip round the block in between to mix new with old.

This is important as the fluid as seal protection additives and a flush of the system could be a shock  to the seals and cause leaks.

You will use about 12 litres doing it this way.

As for the filter my view is that unless you have had some work done in the gearbox and it is working properly there is no need to change the filter,after all this is basically a sealed system and there will be no ingress of foreign matter.

http://www.carsdirect.com/car-repair/5-signs-you-have-a-faulty-transmission-filter

I'd read this and then say it doesn't need replacing, it filters contaminants and cannot clean itself so why would you not replace any filter? The filter is cleaning what's in the gearbox as it wears so it will get dirty it cannot do anything else. I don't understand what seals the new fluid is going to effect? I'd take a look on the Soarer World forum and see what they say about transmission fluid changes and filter replacement.

[ambermarine]

John

I have owned Lexus LS400s for 22 years and a wealth of advice and experience as crossed my path in that time .

I have no problem with your thesis that the filter is there to catch debris and sludge but it is designed to do that, because it is doing it does not mean it is not efficient .

It would only become useless if one tipped some builders rubble down the dipstick tube.

It is a well known fact that a full flush can cause leaks in seals that have been conditioned by the fluid that as been in the car from new  there are forums on the web that advise against it for that reason,they advise the gradual change which I have used and found it successful.

I am not involving myself in a debate on this subject simply offering my advice .

[Matt1986]

Thanks for all the input everyone. I don't want to mess anything up as it's working great at the moment. I'll probably go for the gradual change but I don't like the idea of leaving old fuild in there. 

[Matt1986]

8 hours ago, ambermarine said:

The transmission fluid change is a lot simpler if you use a pump from the dipstick tube 2 litres in 2 litres out and a trip round the block in between to mix new with old.

This is important as the fluid as seal protection additives and a flush of the system could be a shock  to the seals and cause leaks.

You will use about 12 litres doing it this way.

As for the filter my view is that unless you have had some work done in the gearbox and it is working properly there is no need to change the filter,after all this is basically a sealed system and there will be no ingress of foreign matter.

Do you refill using the dipstick tube as well?

[wildpolish]

Looks like a standard list on ls400.

Mine was pretty much the same.

Good luck. :-)

[ambermarine]

Matt

Yes ,in answer to your question.

[Cotswold Pete]

Had two LS with leaky boot.

I just got the old seal off, cleaned up the metal edge, (used rust stop on one where corrosion was starting so set in).

I then clean out the seal (using a blunted screwdriver) and then used bog-standard silicon seal (B*Q stylee) and re-seated the original seal.

Took about an hour(ish) and saved a few bob.  Never had any leaky boot syndrome since.

Maybe in 10 or so years time I will regret doing this if the silicon fails and is a real monkey to clean up the seal, but modern sealants are better than what would have been used originally so should last fair bit longer.

[ChrisM]

I think that is false economy. The reason my MKIV leaked because the rubber had compressed over the 17 years it had been installed, allowing water that collects in the channel to seep into the boot and trickle down behind the boot lining material.

Buying a new seal and fitting it solved my problem without messing with sealants.

Popping out one of the grommets in the floor to allow the water out also helped.

 

[Newbie1]

I bought a third party boot seal off eBay and it works a treat. Perfect size and a nice tight fit. About £25 from memory.

I'll just weigh in on the transmission fluid change. Be cautious. I had a full flush on an A340E transmission in the past, with the correct Type IV fluid, and the shift actually became worse. I did not hold onto the car long enough to know what the lasting damage was. Subsequently, for changes to other A340 boxes, I have simply drained and refilled when doing the engine oil every six months or so and gradually replaced the fluid that way. Old automatic transmissions don't like sudden changes of any sort.

Squealing brake could be third party disc/pads or shim kit not replaced or past its best. Pretty common on some of the LS400s I drove. Buy Toyota parts and have quiet brakes.

Fuel filter can be a bugger to get off if the pipes are rusted.