New LS400 purchased - let the fettling begin!

[Spacewagon52]

A labour of love for a cracking car! I wish I had your skills and bravery!

Keep us all posted on your progress.

 

 

[Razor61]

Another job done on the car, used drivers door mirror purchased locally. Took the glass out which looks good and replaced the ‘stuck on’ glass. Pretty easy job really.
The mirror assy is from a 2000 model with the ‘fold in’ function but the glass is the same. If anyone needs a 2000 drivers door mirror assy, without the glass, let me know and it’s a burgundy colour.

[Razor61]

Today's work completed.
Fitted a set of rear lights I bought off Facebook, really good condition. Mine had some cracks in them.
Adjusted the boot lid so the panel gaps are good, this really bugged me every time I looked at the rear end because on the passenger side it looked like the boot lid was too high because the gap was too big. All good now though with pic below. It may look like on one side (passenger) the gap is narrower now but it isn’t, I checked the gaps and they are spot on.
Put all the boot trim back in replacing any dodgy/broken fasteners, nice to have it all back in.
Replaced some missing rubber grommets under the hood at the front and did some cleaning.
if it wasn’t raining I would have replaced the front lower ball joints, front drop links and anti roll bar bushes. Maybe tomorrow for that if the weather is ok.
New antenna has arrived so will fit that tomorrow, two man job though.

I have also bought some other bits from the same guy that I bought the lights off, instrument cluster, drivers air bag, slip ring, indicator stalks and any other bits he has laying around which will arrive next week. I was only after the cluster as a spare so will put the other bits with a growing pile of parts I now have. Once I’ve done everything I’ll make a list of all the bits and post it in case anyone needs something from it all.

[Razor61]

On 2/9/2022 at 6:19 PM, Spacewagon52 said:

A labour of love for a cracking car! I wish I had your skills and bravery!

Keep us all posted on your progress.

 

 

Thanks, lots of labour and a sprinkling of skill and experience I think😁
I like your car by the way👍, assuming you still have the one in your profile picture.

[Spacewagon52]

6 hours ago, Razor61 said:

Thanks, lots of labour and a sprinkling of skill and experience I think😁
I like your car by the way👍, assuming you still have the one in your profile picture.

Yes, just passed the mot - 24 years old in March! Still a lovely drive.

[PRT68]

You sure it's not an optical illusion created by the trim on the top right of the garage.....🤔😁

[cruisermark]

1 hour ago, PRT68 said:

You sure it's not an optical illusion created by the trim on the top right of the garage.....🤔😁

That’s his next job once he’s finished with the Lexus - he’s already got the parts in order !!!

[Razor61]

8 hours ago, PRT68 said:

You sure it's not an optical illusion created by the trim on the top right of the garage.....🤔😁

Ha ha, it’s waiting for my son in-law to sort (that’s part of what he does), new facia all round to neaten it all up. Have a guess when this was arranged…………………..well over 12 months ago and probably 18 months or longer!!
No surprise that I’m being nagged about it, even being mentioned on this forum now🤣……….I’m going to have to do it myself later in the year. Another lesson learned……….don’t bother asking family to do jobs, it will never get done no matter how much you hint and threaten🙄 Of course if it’s the other way round………..

[Razor61]

8 hours ago, cruisermark said:

That’s his next job once he’s finished with the Lexus - he’s already got the parts in order !!!

Yep, Japanese Cypress ordered from Amayama🙃

[Malc]

there really is some of that greenery not quite in order you know, there's at least a dozen " sprigs " out of alignment !

Malc

[Razor61]

1 hour ago, Malc said:

there really is some of that greenery not quite in order you know, there's at least a dozen " sprigs " out of alignment !

Malc

No there isn’t, must be an optical illusion caused by the garage😉

[peniole]

On 2/9/2022 at 11:58 AM, Razor61 said:

I'm waiting for some other bits from UAE, front and rear pad wear sensors and an new antennae.

Wasn't there some big bust a couple of years back on counterfeit toyota parts in the UAE?

https://www.khaleejtimes.com/uae/fake-toyota-parts-worth-dh26m-seized-in-uae

[Razor61]

Got the antenna and it looks genuine to me, still waiting for the pad wear sensors. They were all ordered from Amayama but delivered from UAE not ordered direct from another company in the UAE so I think they should be ok.
The counterfeit parts seemed to be pads and filters.

[Razor61]

VSC Off issue is still present, thought I had a method to stop it happening but it still happens.
This morning I started the car and held my foot on the brake for a while until the VSC Off light went off and kept it on for a while - it takes a few seconds to go off, put it in gear to set off and 'ping' the VSC Off light came on. Sometimes if I switch off and restart again it goes off and stays off, sometimes it stays off and then comes back on after driving a short distance.
So the VSC Off light stayed on while driving to work today, when I had gone 7 or 8 miles and the car was warmed up I stopped - switched off and restarted without holding my foot on the brake for a while. Basically started and set off as you normally do. The VSC Off light went off pretty quick, quicker than first thing in the morning I think, and then stayed off the rest of the way to work.
From what I have read there are a lot of things that can cause the VSC to disable or go off, anything that could affect the vehicle stability, engine sensor issues, abs sensor issues, yaw sensor (expensive for a new one @ £455) and also door sensor issues as well apparently.
Maybe it's temp related in some way.....
The ABS/VSC/TRC ECU is in the cabin so maybe its related to this so will check the connectors to it. I think it's behind the passenger glove boxes so will have a look. Maybe replacing the ECU with a used one will fix it but not sure if it needs coding to the car in some way.
The yaw sensor is in the boot and it stays cold in there so probably not that, as far as heat is concerned.
Engine obviously warms up so maybe a sensor somewhere, maybe the Temp sensor for the EFI............. can't see how but I wouldn't be surprised. That will be replaced soon anyway, picking it up today from Lexus Bolton.
This is 'educated' guesswork of course, I'll get to the bottom of it hopefully. If anyone has any ideas about this though I'd be grateful for any advise or thoughts.

[ambermarine]

Hi Paul

I do sympathise with you on this issue I have a similar scenario on another machine at the moment and its driving me nuts as well as draining my piggy bank ,I am wondering whether the JDM wheels and tyres you have fitted are causing this issue I have found an american site which comprehensively covers the vsc issue in the Lexus range and the number likely suspects is surprising. www.cashcarsbuyer.com/vsc-light/

[Razor61]

1 hour ago, ambermarine said:

Hi Paul

I do sympathise with you on this issue I have a similar scenario on another machine at the moment and its driving me nuts as well as draining my piggy bank ,I am wondering whether the JDM wheels and tyres you have fitted are causing this issue I have found an american site which comprehensively covers the vsc issue in the Lexus range and the number likely suspects is surprising. www.cashcarsbuyer.com/vsc-light/

Hi Phil,
How's things and how is your nice LS400?

Good shout and I did think about the wheels and tyres but they are genuine DHP wheels that were fitted on DHP cars. My car isn't a DHP car though and the tyres are not the exact size but the circumference is very very close. The only way to rule it out is to put a set of 16 inch wheels on, I do have a set of scruffy MK3 alloys. I might inflate them and see if they have any punctures, if they don't then fit them and take the car for a run.
I could get it on the diag machine at Lexus for £120 but that has been done at Lexus Newcastle, they said the fault was 'open circuit Yaw sensor' or something to that effect. The fact that it can be ok leads me to believe it's a connection issue rather than the Yaw sensor faulty. I'll check the connections to the VSC ECU first I think, you never know...........disconnecting, bit of a clean and connecting again may do the trick or I might find something amiss.

[Malc]

55 minutes ago, Razor61 said:

you never know...........disconnecting, bit of a clean and connecting again may do the trick or I might find something amiss

wish you well ...  self healing does miraculously occasionally occur with my Mk3 ...................  fingers xd for you 

 

Malc

[Razor61]

Work done today.

Replaced ECT sensor - temp sensor for fuel injection system - a doddle and took 30 mins max.
I did notice that the rubber gasket - intake to throttle body assy - was not installed correctly - it was a bit mangled - it's all good now though. I suspect some air was being drawn in before.
The stuff below took some time, disconnecting Battery between removing and installing used stuff.

Removed existing SatNav assy - fitted used undamaged assy - worked fine so I have a spare
Fitted damaged in transit used SatNav assy - worked ok apart from the drivers temp lcd which was damaged in transit.
Removed existing instrument cluster - fitted used cluster - tested and its ok apart from the transmission 'D' bulb not working so I have a spare. re fitted existing instrument cluster.
Adjusted drivers door using the Toyota/Lexus 'special' tool - door is now aligned - it had dropped a bit - it needs 2 people really to adjust it but managed it with a trolley jack.
Took pictures of the spare parts I've accumulated and will post a list if anyone needs anything.

Jobs for tomorrow..........wash the car and nothing else😉

[Tinonline]

Still looks like a big project…👍🤭🧐

[Razor61]

9 hours ago, Tinonline said:

Still looks like a big project…👍🤭🧐

Not really, I’m sorting the niggly stuff. The car drives and performs great, a few niggling suspension noises going over speed bumps but nothing drastic and the VSC thing to sort.
Preventative maintenance and general tinkering to get things 100% is what I’m doing now, it’s a hobby and keeps me out of the pub😜

[Malc]

18 hours ago, Razor61 said:

Fitted damaged in transit used SatNav assy - worked ok apart from the drivers temp lcd which was damaged in transit.

you couldn't possibly have used amazon coz we all know at least one tree is chopped down to produce the cardboard wrapping for even a single packet of cat food to be wrapped and delivered 

Malc

[Razor61]

Went for a 20 mile drive just to see if the ECT sensor has made any difference, seems better on fuel but will know better when I drive to Middlesbrough and back tomorrow. Before On startup I could smell un burnt fuel from the exhaust quite strongly, now it’s doesn’t smell as strong but that could all be in my head. Idle is different though, I didn’t notice anything wrong before at all but it now idles rock solid on 800 rpm. At some point I’ll drive a short distance, stop, turn off and restart to see if the ‘flooding’ issue is fixed which I experienced a while back.

[ambermarine]

Hi Paul

Sorry to rain on your parade but the correct idle speed for the vvt-i engine in the mark 4 is 650 rpm at normal running temperature so at 800 rpm it is out quite a lot .

[Razor61]

57 minutes ago, ambermarine said:

Hi Paul

Sorry to rain on your parade but the correct idle speed for the vvt-i engine in the mark 4 is 650 rpm at normal running temperature so at 800 rpm it is out quite a lot .

There is a + - for idle speed, I’ll check in the manual. The Battery had been off, on, off, on, I don’t know how many times yesterday so it will take a bit of time to settle down. I’ll check tomorrow though but anyway the point was ‘it’s different’, maybe it’s higher than 650 but I’d rather 800 than 0😀

[Razor61]

So the idle speed is fine on 625 rpm. I must have had the car in Park which raises the idle speed, I wasn’t looking at the rpm really but rather how steady it was. In neutral idle is spot on.
Trip to Middlesbrough yielded 35-37 mpg at a constant 70 on dual carriageway and 32-33 mpg on the A59 across country.
I’ve been averaging 20 mpg going to work and back, 50% town and 50% A road. I’ll see if that improves after the ECT change, my gut says it probably won’t but you never know.