First Lexus...

[LanceG]

Hi all

 

Just purchased a 2004 Lexus from eBay with 89k miles on the clock for a bargain however it hasn't been driven since August, has a few issues and needs

 

Haven't been to see it yet but it's got part service history, heated leathers, all electrics work (apparently) but doesn't start due to a dead Battery (time will tell)

 

Previous Mots look like i may need to change suspension components which I'm comfortable with and brake discs maybe... Then I'll scan using my eBay obd reader

 

What in particularl should I be looking for?

 

Will update later wih whether or not I've bought a lemon

 

 

 

 

 

 

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[Herbie]

You've already purchased it without a test drive first?

Hope it works out OK for you.

[scudney]

Congratulations and welcome to the LOC,hopefully you will find the forum educative and informative,hopefully someone on here will be able to answer your questions or concerns 

[JayZuuk]

If you mean specific stuff to the model/s, I'd check the main pinned post for a list of common problems people have encountered, should highlight some specifics for you to check over initially.

 

Part history isn't ideal but you can use that to indicate stuff that really needs checking, no history for belt changes etc, top of your list etc.

Hope it's an easy fix, congrats on the IS.

[LanceG]

You've already purchased it without a test drive first?
Hope it works out OK for you.

Lol yupppp... I got sucked in by the price... Just thinking what's the worse that can happen, cambelt parts are cheapish and looks easy to do.. just pray for me Herbie x

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[LanceG]

If you mean specific stuff to the model/s, I'd check the main pinned post for a list of common problems people have encountered, should highlight some specifics for you to check over initially.
 
Part history isn't ideal but you can use that to indicate stuff that really needs checking, no history for belt changes etc, top of your list etc.
Hope it's an easy fix, congrats on the IS.

I will have a search for that post. Will replace the belt and water pump for piece of mind anyway tho.

I started it, so far I'm happy with the purchase.... Took about 3 minutes to figure out how to move the seat forward because. E L E C T R I C....S E A T S =D and a sunny roof


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[LanceG]

Gonna charge the Battery over night and see what happens.. will keep y'all posted.



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[rich1068]

Excellent stuff. We don't often get first gen IS on here now.

Sounds as if you're handy with the spanners and if it was a bargain then buying unseen doesn't sound like too much of a problem. Rot could possibly be an issue. Check around the front edge of the rear wheel arches where they meet the sills. Bit of a moisture trap there.

Apart from that, keep us posted 

[olliesgrandad]

On 3/4/2019 at 5:28 PM, Herbie said:

You've already purchased it without a test drive first?

Hope it works out OK for you.

Once bought a 1996 E34 BMW 5 series off eBay when drunk for £1200. Ran it for 18 trouble free months. Sold it for £1500. 😊👍

[rich1068]

That's the spirit 

And come on, who else out there has done that one way train ticket thing where so long as the car isn't presented to you in a cardboard box then you're driving the damn thing home? I have. More than once 

[Hazzo]

I've done it a few times with motorcycles and a Honda Accord none of which were lemons, luckily my Lexus was on the doorstep and other than threadbare front tyres and a worried looking salesman as I hit 70mph on the test drive its now running impeccably with new boots on, heres hoping it gives me as much service as the accord.

[Guest]

17 hours ago, rich1068 said:

That's the spirit 

And come on, who else out there has done that one way train ticket thing where so long as the car isn't presented to you in a cardboard box then you're driving the damn thing home? I have. More than once 

I bought a swb toyota  land crusier from preston on eBay without seeing it because they were quite rare and i liked the tonka toy look,after getting there i found the air con and sunroof didn't work and he had failed to mention this,but i drove it back anyway and it was really good to drive.

Sold it a year later for the same money.

 

[rich1068]

When I decided I fancied a 9-3 me and a mate got one way tickets to Peterborough from Sheffield. It was as rough as anything in the flesh but nevertheless we got the seller down to £850 and drove it all the way back up the A1 with the roof down, laughing our tits off pretty much all the way because it was just so stupid. A great day 

And in the end it turned out to be pretty solid. Even though Saab prices are on their arse I'm sure I could sell it for at least that and a bit more.

[LanceG]

I'm loving all the positive stories about buying cars without seeing them, I am still interested in horror stories though haha

Update:
Took out the Battery and charged it, put it back in the car and it started first time last night whoop whoop.

Sounds metally when moving but I put that down to rust on breaks from sitting for so long

I have a gurgling sound behind the dash but I've read that could be air in the system?

Gonna scan it later today, hopefully I'll have no errors and need to book it in for an MOT next Sat or Sun

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[Hazzo]

I'd be sorting the gurgling before driving anywhere in it, thats air in the coolant system which shouldn't be there and can lead to overheating and depending how low the levels are in the system might not register when it overheats, I had the same happen on a 94 toyota and managed to blow the cylinder head, theres no scanner going to point to that problem.

[rich1068]

Or alternatively, in the spirit of buying cars unseen, hammer it round the M25 a couple of times and then come back here and tell us it ran like a Swiss watch 

[LanceG]

I'd be sorting the gurgling before driving anywhere in it, thats air in the coolant system which shouldn't be there and can lead to overheating and depending how low the levels are in the system might not register when it overheats, I had the same happen on a 94 toyota and managed to blow the cylinder head, theres no scanner going to point to that problem.

You bet.

I'll have to pop the hood when I get home to have a look [emoji102] fingers crossed it's just low on coolant...

Who's making bets against that??

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[LanceG]

Or alternatively, in the spirit of buying cars unseen, hammer it round the M25 a couple of times and then come back here and tell us it ran like a Swiss watch 

Let me get it MOT'd first(and taxxed), then I'll run a quarter of the M25 and let y'all know if it ran like a Swiss watch? Does that imply it runs smoothly unlike a watch that tick tocks?

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[Hazzo]

Disregard the expansion container and look in the radiator neck and because of the gurgling in the heater matrix you may need to burp the system to fill it properly, you could have a tiny pinhole in the rad or a hose, run the car in the dark and use a torch once its up to temperature to look for a fine spray.

[LanceG]

Failed :'(



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[BachelorDays]

You were already expecting brakes and suspension work. So no surprises there. Doesn't look bad either (given you knew there were issues here).

I'm glad you didn't get any exhaust issues or leaks around the engine block. From what you said about the drive doesn't sound like it has drive issues. So all in all a decent outcome.

Like the others, I'm a bit concerned about the gurgling sound as well. Hope it's not a leak inside like in the evaporator.

[rich1068]

Bit of a result I reckon. Gurgling aside, brakes and shocks. Easy. And cheap(ish).

[LanceG]

Saturday Changed front disc and pads and cleaned up wit a wire bush and copper greased everything.

With the calliper on the left side (Seized side noted on MOT), one of the rubber springgy bit's doesn't really pop back effectively, so I'm pretty sure I need a new one of those, as it isn't being pushed back out

picked up today 2 second hand rear springs found on eBay, but only managed to replace the drivers rear strut, disc and pads cut my hand, curse a lot and get wet... 

Will try and do the passenger side eventually so it can be retested for Saturday 

Need a bloody garage!!!

[LanceG]

perfect guide for rear brakes

 

 

[Hazzo]

On 3/17/2019 at 6:50 PM, LanceG said:

Saturday Changed front disc and pads and cleaned up wit a wire bush and copper greased everything.

With the calliper on the left side (Seized side noted on MOT), one of the rubber springgy bit's doesn't really pop back effectively, so I'm pretty sure I need a new one of those, as it isn't being pushed back out

picked up today 2 second hand rear springs found on ebay, but only managed to replace the drivers rear strut, disc and pads cut my hand, curse a lot and get wet... 

Will try and do the passenger side eventually so it can be retested for Saturday 

Need a bloody garage!!!

I've got one but prefer to do stuff outside when its a bit warmer as its easier to see and more room for crawling around, just take your time, I've not had the brakes apart on mine but I've found any brake which has seized on other cars/bikes is usually the piston dust seals being pushed out of their groove and rolling up the sides of the piston, I've no schematic to look at as I've been blocked from the online manual I found lol.