Ls 430 or 460 or 600 next ?

[SlowV6]

That is the one and only LS4*0 that has been advertised near me ever! It is about 3 miles away. Should I go and have a look and abandon my 430 plans I wonder...

(reckon the near side front door has been replaced - alignment a bit off and colour match with front wing not quite right)

[graham8370]

MOT history looks OK apart from the 4 years early 2006 to  late 2009. 639 miles in the 4 years. What was the car doing then?

[graham8370]

Just wondering, perhaps there is a legitimate reason.

[SlowV6]

42 minutes ago, Greer said:

Oh well, in that case better not buy or even look at it, although I certainly dont see those things, f/door maybe 1/4 inch out of alignment, not so surprising for a 21 years old car..cropped & lightened

Nearside... look at the LHS photo of the car from the rear three quarters.

but I get your point.

have asked about timing belt evidence.

[Malc]

whatever, it doesn't look at all expensive if you wanted a good Ls400 and it transpires to be

If I was just 3 miles away I would go visit it for sure, drool over it and do a deal ...........  and maybe have a pair of Ls400s 

........................ and all for the price of a couple of air shocks too

Malc

[SlowV6]

I am mulling. Project go live today so working until post midnight. Follow on tasks tomorrow and then I can think about it at weekend.

Remind me what the LS400 checklist is in no particular order (is there a buyers guide somewhere):

Timing belt/water pump

bonnet struts

leaky boot (guess check damp carpet)

rust?

air con working.

should the stereo be awesome?

[Malc]

2 hours ago, SlowV6 said:

Remind me what the LS400 checklist is

there isn't one at all

these Ls400s are fairly bullet proof

cambelt,pulleys,waterpump at 100k miles / 10 years

sometimes the displays fade and I don't know if this one has a satnav that probably can't be updated, the Mk4 was the only Ls400 to have this amazingly modern technology

I have a TomTom but might be superceded by waze on my phone sometime soon 

Bullet proof, good for a million miles at least and I've never experienced water in the boot nor rust nor weak bonnet struts since about 15 years ago on my Mk1

A car to maybe last you a lifetime ..............  my Mk3s 24th birthday on the 26th, next week,  and she's just about to turn 225k miles

Go see it and marvel

Malc

[SlowV6]

I might well do at the weekend!

No need to ask @Malcwhat your favourite car is! Which sort of brings us neatly back on thread. Just what LS ARE you going to get next...

[aviator888]

On 10/16/2019 at 7:04 PM, Nick W858 said:

I almost bought a 600h a few months ago, lively drive but the advisory bits from the last service were eye watering. I absolutely adored my LS400 and with 16 years of ownership I think that shows how much I wanted to hang on to her and whilst it is a very different class of vehicle I am massively surprised with the IS300h I picked at very short notice because I needed a car after the LS went bang, Honestly I don't miss the old girl and on reflection i should have changed it years ago. Driving something modern and tight has its downsides in terms of it costs a bit more but it has many upsides too and the refinement is staggering in the IS - yes I am pootling around a bit more than I did in the LS but it's a very impressive vehicle and is giving me far less sleepless nights than a 600 would. I think if I was you I would stick with what you have now if it is all working and running well until the time comes when you absolutely have to change it.

IS300h 😀 fake leather .. cheap nasty interior similar to CT.. overpriced and underpowered slug is impressive indeed.. 

I would consider LS460. It's a buyers market at the moment and they are very good value for money. Compared to LS600, it will have similar mpg, performance and toys if you can find one with RSR package. No worries about ageing hybrid system, lower purchase price.. 

LS430 may be little bit better built, but it has it's own problems and they are getting bit old now. Also very difficult to find good one at the right price. 

[graham8370]

Don't think the 460's had RSR,  but happy to be corrected.

VED for 460  £570;  £290 for 600h

[aviator888]

My apologies.. You are correct Graham no rsr on 460.. 

£280 saving on road tax aswell.. but the LS460 is still worth a look. I almost bought 460 few weeks ago.. It's not an easy car to sell these days and i managed to knock quite a bit off asking price. In the end i still went for GS450h 😎 

 

[Malc]

11 hours ago, SlowV6 said:

Just what LS ARE you going to get next...

not sure and of that I am certain   ......  there's no rush however, still got at least half a million miles in the dear old lady.

so thinking about the Inverter issue at £24,000 .....  is this just the Battery pack do you think guys ?.......  which I do understand from prior posts elsewhere can probably be " fixed " in piecemeal bits when failing ......  as in the Prius

I say this coz in my office in Delhi we have an Inverter too, which is simply a permanently charged up Battery pack to kick in when the occasional power cut hits. It feeds all electric needs for the office for about 4 hrs in addition to the computers having their own integrated 4hr back-up too

Your thoughts ?

Malc

[cruisermark]

HI Mel

Did you have an LS430 previously? - if yes how does the GS450H compare?

10 hours ago, aviator888 said:

My apologies.. You are correct Graham no rsr on 460.. 

£280 saving on road tax aswell.. but the LS460 is still worth a look. I almost bought 460 few weeks ago.. It's not an easy car to sell these days and i managed to knock quite a bit off asking price. In the end i still went for GS450h 😎 

 

 

[Stupot]

16 hours ago, SlowV6 said:

should the stereo be awesome?

Yes... and they are, very awesome.

Don't worry about bonnet struts... I bought these... they may be cheap, but still working great a year later... you just have to hacksaw the old ball nut out of the old pair... (that will make sense to you when you try fitting them)

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2x-Bonnet-Hood-Gas-Liftgate-Struts-Support-For-Lexus-LS400-Sedan-1998-2000-/153422153381?hash=item23b8ac46a5

[Malc]

OMG just reading the TPMS forum posts  

£90 a time when the TPMS batteries conk out and looks like cattle grids can set that in motion too

Ls430s have TPMS seemingly, 460 and 600s too I guess along with all cars 2014 +

a good reason not to stray too far from a simple Ls400 .......  especially when touring Scotland 

Malc

[messi]

I'm not sure why they charge £90 just to put a Battery into a tpms. It's only a watch Battery that you can pick up in Halford for about £2, unless lexus batteries are made out of gold

[Malc]

it's not to just replace the batteries it's to replace the sensors .......  changing the batteries is extremely challenging they say and maybe the tyre places just won't make that effort to just replace the batteries

Malc

[messi]

What they do is remove the sensor from the wheel, it just pulls out, once out, slide one bit upwards and there's the Battery,  replace the Battery and slide it back down and put the sensor back in the wheel. Obviously garages will tell you they can't do it etc just to make some money. 

[Tulpen]

1 hour ago, messi said:

What they do is remove the sensor from the wheel, it just pulls out, once out, slide one bit upwards and there's the battery,  replace the battery and slide it back down and put the sensor back in the wheel. Obviously garages will tell you they can't do it etc just to make some money. 

For what it's worth, apart from the valve damaged by the Scottish tyre fitter, the TPMS sensors on my machine are the originals. They've lasted 12 years, so far.

[Britprius]

2 hours ago, messi said:

What they do is remove the sensor from the wheel, it just pulls out, once out, slide one bit upwards and there's the battery,  replace the battery and slide it back down and put the sensor back in the wheel. Obviously garages will tell you they can't do it etc just to make some money. 

Not quite as easy as that. The Battery is potted in a compound inside the plastic case. It is also soldered into the printed circuit by tags welded to the Battery. The batteries are the size of a watch, but can be bought for as little as 50 pence each "non tagged". With reasonable care the batteries can be replaced, and is worthwhile doing in my opinion.
By far the most simple way of doing this is to have the valve/monitor removed, and replaced with a standard rubber valve by your local friendly tyre depot leaving you free to fit a new Battery at your leisure. Once this is done the valve/monitor can be refitted.

John.

[Malc]

19 minutes ago, Britprius said:

and replaced with a standard rubber valve by your local friendly tyre depot leaving you free to fit a new battery at your leisure. Once this is done the valve/monitor can be refitted.

can this be achieved with the Ls600 too ?

Malc

[Britprius]

10 minutes ago, Malc said:

can this be achieved with the Ls600 too ?

Malc

I do not see why not. I cannot the LS600 being any different to the Lexus cars with TPMS.

John.

[Nick W858]

I agree the TPMS is a downside of a newer car I was really hoping my IS didn't have it but then the warning light came on - on mine it doesn't even tell you which tyre has set the alert off nor what the pressure reading is - now I have finally found the reset button which is tucked away, I just check the tyres the old fashioned way on a regular basis as I did on the LS and ignore the TPMS - I'd quite happily not have it at all.

[Malc]

2 hours ago, Nick W858 said:

and ignore the TPMS - I'd quite happily not have it at all.

very sensible but would it be an MOT failure with the warning light on ?

Malc

[Malc]

and also, does anybody actually KNOW if the Ls600 Battery pack / the Inverter is it ?, can be repaired piecemeal like I have read on here that the Prius can ?

Thanks

I'm just trying to get some sensible feel for buying an older, incredibly inexpensive ( to my mind ) Ls600

Malc