New LS400 purchased - let the fettling begin!

[Malc]

3 hours ago, Razor61 said:

What colour/finish did you go for?

they asked and i simply said ...... go for what's best .......... and they clearly did .....  and to match the centre caps ..  the ridiculous upfront choice was enormous and confusing I felt

a couple of years back, pre covid when I asked them about all this they told me the finish would probably last 15 years or so if i didn't damage them 

I'll let you know if they told me a fib 

Methinks the Mk3 centre caps were a brilliant piece of design engineering at the time, to simply have solid colour plastic right through 

Malc

[Razor61]

Wheels on the car now, went for a drive and the magic carpet ride is back. Before it was near magic carpet ride but not quite. Pics of wheels on the car below. Gap to wheel arch is more than it should be, I had just lowered off the jack and car not driven so it hadn’t settled to how it should be.
 

[cruisermark]

Looking beautiful

A perfect LS400 inside out!

[Razor61]

55 minutes ago, cruisermark said:

Looking beautiful

A perfect LS400 inside out!

Cheers, brand new tyres of course which makes a difference as well.
The balance weights on one of the front wheels are catching the caliper slightly so I need to get them rebalanced with either thinner balance weights or weights put in a different place on the inner rim. There isn't much room between the rim and caliper on the 16 inch wheels............

[cruisermark]

20 hours ago, Razor61 said:

Cheers, brand new tyres of course which makes a difference as well.
The balance weights on one of the front wheels are catching the caliper slightly so I need to get them rebalanced with either thinner balance weights or weights put in a different place on the inner rim. There isn't much room between the rim and caliper on the 16 inch wheels............

Yes - I had that once on my mark 4 many years ago.

[Supafly]

Brilliant updates!  Thanks for keeping us with you on this journey 🙂

I also noticed the change in comfort when I swapped over to the DHP wheels I have now.

These LS400's do handle very well when pushed.  They have high levels of grip but it needs a different driving style with the soft suspension.

[Razor61]

2 hours ago, Supafly said:

Brilliant updates!  Thanks for keeping us with you on this journey 🙂

I also noticed the change in comfort when I swapped over to the DHP wheels I have now.

These LS400's do handle very well when pushed.  They have high levels of grip but it needs a different driving style with the soft suspension.

Your welcome, I still have some more stuff to do. Just when I think I've sorted everything out, something else pops up.

Temp gauge has gone faulty - tried Amayama and could order it but then came back with a refund as they are no longer available.
I have a spare cluster which I tested a while back so I'll probably swop the gauge over or change the whole cluster out - not decided on the best way forward yet.
Rev and speedo needles stick sometimes so may sort out the whole lot on the existing cluster using the spare one for parts, with some help from a member on here - all being well😉

Fuel leak has re appeared during the hot weather - new fuel sender ordered with new gasket and will be fitted along with all the other tank gaskets this time.

Brake wear sensor light pops up now and again - must be the rear one cos I replaced the front - had a quick look when I fitted the new wheels but couldn't see it - I was looking at the top of the pads and I've discovered it's on the bottom of the pads so will look at that at the weekend or just wait until I fit new rear discs/pads/fitting kit/shoes etc.

[Malc]

1 hour ago, Razor61 said:

Brake wear sensor light pops up now and again -

sure it's not a stop light bulb  ?

Malc

[Razor61]

18 hours ago, Malc said:

sure it's not a stop light bulb  ?

Malc

I think a stop light out can cause the handbrake (parking brake) light to come on.
Mine is the brake wear warning light along with the text warning on the computer display, it's a 98 MK4 so has the 'computer' display on the dash.

[Razor61]

Small update on road noise after fitting the refurb wheels and Falken Ziex ZE310 Ecorun tyres. They have a noise rating of 67db, which is the lowest I could find. There is an ‘extra load’ XL version which is 69db, but it’s way too loud man🤣
They are very very quiet tyres, can’t hear road noise in the cabin much or even at all and a lot better than the DHP wheel/Goodyear tyre combination I had on before. I will be travelling to Middlesbrough on Tuesday, 220 mile round trip, so will get a better idea on changing road surfaces on dual carriageway/motorway where you notice it more. Quite remarkable just how much quieter they are and wondered ‘how do they do it’. I found the sentence below in the description of the tyre on the Black Circles website, can’t remember seeing it before anywhere.

The Ziex ZE310 Ecorun interior is lined with an innovative polyurethane foam layer to reduce drive-by noise by up to 10 decibels.

[Razor61]

Had the wheels re balanced today at Lexus Bolton, I will only trust them to do it without damaging the wheels, and it was a bit of a challenge. The 16” rims are designed for knock on weights on the outer rim rather than stick on because of the clearance between the rim and caliper.
Anyway, they managed to get the fronts done by rotating the tyre on the rim to get it done ok without having to knock weights on the outer rim. They went to all that effort because the wheels had been refurbished, knocking weights on the outside would crack the paint etc. and wouldn’t look good. They did a good job for me, as always, and I appreciate the effort, time and skill. They really care about the old LS400’s and do their best to help owners whether it’s advice or doing a job at a discounted labour price if possible. I suspect not all Lexus dealers have the same skills or attitude. Mind you, I do live in the same town as the service manager and I work 5 mins away from the dealership😉

[cruisermark]

5 hours ago, Razor61 said:

Had the wheels re balanced today at Lexus Bolton, I will only trust them to do it without damaging the wheels, and it was a bit of a challenge. The 16” rims are designed for knock on weights on the outer rim rather than stick on because of the clearance between the rim and caliper.
Anyway, they managed to get the fronts done by rotating the tyre on the rim to get it done ok without having to knock weights on the outer rim. They went to all that effort because the wheels had been refurbished, knocking weights on the outside would crack the paint etc. and wouldn’t look good. They did a good job for me, as always, and I appreciate the effort, time and skill. They really care about the old LS400’s and do their best to help owners whether it’s advice or doing a job at a discounted labour price if possible. I suspect not all Lexus dealers have the same skills or attitude. Mind you, I do live in the same town as the service manager and I work 5 mins away from the dealership😉

sounds good - has the suspension settled?

[Razor61]

10 hours ago, cruisermark said:

sounds good - has the suspension settled?

Yep, all good. I still have the rear shocks and top mounts to do. I would like to do the rear UCA’s as well, I bought a 100 litre compressor with air tools a few weeks ago so I may be able to remove the drive shaft with the air hammer without the bearing coming out with it.

[Razor61]

Temp gauge fixed now, swopped out the main board from my existing cluster to the spare cluster plus a bulb that had blown for ‘D’ indicator on the spare cluster.
All good and temp gauge reads ok, as you can appreciate having a working temp gauge is important.
Looked at just swopping out the temp gauge itself but decided against it when I started to strip the clusters.
Mileage is correct and all working ok cos I swopped the main board and glad I took Phil’s (ambermarine) advice and bought a spare cluster. Thanks Phil👍
The spare cluster I bought a while ago had 234k on it.

[ambermarine]

Paul

Would you like to explain in more detail for the members  how you retained the mileage by retaining the main board on your old cluster. I am sure this issue will arise for others on the forum and not just pertaining to the 400.

[Razor61]

52 minutes ago, ambermarine said:

Paul

Would you like to explain in more detail for the members  how you retained the mileage by retaining the main board on your old cluster. I am sure this issue will arise for others on the forum and not just pertaining to the 400.

Phil,

I literally just swopped the main circuit board from my original cluster to the spare cluster, that's it. Lots of screws, ribbon cables, and some connectors. I always take photos or document what goes where etc. I also make sure the same screws go back in the same place because they screw into plastic and you don't want to mash the plastic by cutting another thread with a different screw.
The microchip which stores the mileage is on the cluster main board, the microchip can be swopped over which will then keep the correct mileage and is another option.
In my case the problem was with the temp gauge itself so swopping the main circuit board was the easiest option.

[Razor61]

Yesterday I fitted the new fuel sender assy, it comes with a new gasket and screws to fix a fuel smell/leak issue.
A said previously I replaced the gasket which cured the visible leak but during the hot weather there was a fuel smell in the car and in the boot when left standing, especially when the sun is out.
When I originally noticed the fuel leak there was a very strong smell of fuel and it was visibly leaking from the gasket so I tightened the screws. I didn’t realise the screws should only be tightened to 3.5nm. Me tightening the screws bent the metal plate on the assembly which I straightened as best I could and fitted a new gasket. This was back in Jan/Feb so was during the cold weather and I thought I’d fixed it. I always thought I got a slight whiff of fuel but put it down to paranoia.
Fast forward to the mini heat wave we had and the fuel smell came back, nowhere near as bad as before but was very noticeable. It went away very quickly after starting and driving off.

I removed the boot lining to get at the fuel tank and sniffed round the fuel gauge assembly, definite fuel smell round it but no visible leaking from the gasket. Sniffed round the other gaskets for the vent and filler, no fuel smell. Took the back seat out to check the seal on the fuel pump assembly but there is a plate/cover and is sealed so didn’t remove it, at least I know how to remove it now for replacing the rear shocks and I found 2 x mashed and broken seat cushion locks at the front of the seat cushion along the way. New ones purchased ready to replace them.
So my though was that the fuel smell is coming from the sender gauge assembly somewhere, because I had bent the mounting plate maybe it was that (didn’t think so) or was leaking out through the assembly itself somehow. So ordered a new sender gauge assembly.
Fitted it yesterday morning and looked at the original assy to try and figure out where it was leaking. I know the car had been stood for quite a few years in the past and the fuel tank needed to be replaced. The inside of the assy was corroded and didn’t look great. The tank level signal needs to get out through the assembly and is done via  2 x connectors with thick rubber washers and I presume are crimped somehow. I figured this is the only other place it could leaking from. So I held the mounting plate, wiggled the connector on the outside of the assy and looked at the connections inside. I wasn’t surprised that they moved very easily and this could be where the the fuel smell was coming from.
I went for a short drive to fill with fuel, when I removed the fuel filler cap and I could hear a rush of air which is normal. In all the time I have had the car this has never happened, ‘I’m on to a winner’ I thought. Back home, washed and polished the car and this morning there isn’t a smell of fuel in the car or in the boot. Yesterday afternoon was warm and sunny, before there would have been a fuel smell this morning when I got in there but this morning……….nothing.
I’m not counting my chickens just yet but what I’ve found fits in with the symptoms.
Below is a pic of the old sender assy and a video to illustrate the movement on the connectors.

 

 

[Malc]

Thus sayeth the words of the Sage of Lancashire 

Heaven alone knows how we mere mortals with such limited knowledge of these cars would ever manage without your wealth and depth of knowledge 

If you could bottle your wisdom Paul you'd be as wealthy as the Sage of Omaha .............  maybe by the time you're 93 ( is it ) you'll be catching him up eh !

Thank you for your skills set and learning curve Paul . Well done

Malc

[Razor61]

1 hour ago, Malc said:

Thus sayeth the words of the Sage of Lancashire 

Heaven alone knows how we mere mortals with such limited knowledge of these cars would ever manage without your wealth and depth of knowledge 

If you could bottle your wisdom Paul you'd be as wealthy as the Sage of Omaha .............  maybe by the time you're 93 ( is it ) you'll be catching him up eh !

Thank you for your skills set and learning curve Paul . Well done

Malc

Thanks Malc, I do my best.
Not in the Warren Buffet league yet, at least not financially😉, I had to ‘google’ who the Sage of Omaha is……….
I’m not doing anything special in my view, being logical with fault finding, thinking about the symptoms - how and when they happen, how the issue area works or should work (using the workshop manual and searching the internet if needed), then a process of elimination if needed. Knowledge comes with experience of course, I’ve always been interested in ‘how things work’ and willing to have a go at doing stuff on cars, but I know my limits. Whether it’s limited skill/experience or don’t have the tool/s to do the job.

I would love to setup working part time doing jobs on LS400’s and classic cars for other people. Maybe it will happen next year if I go to 3 days a week in my current job as part of a phased retirement plan.

[ambermarine]

2 hours ago, Razor61 said:

Yesterday I fitted the new fuel sender assy, it comes with a new gasket and screws to fix a fuel smell/leak issue.
A said previously I replaced the gasket which cured the visible leak but during the hot weather there was a fuel smell in the car and in the boot when left standing, especially when the sun is out.
When I originally noticed the fuel leak there was a very strong smell of fuel and it was visibly leaking from the gasket so I tightened the screws. I didn’t realise the screws should only be tightened to 3.5nm. Me tightening the screws bent the metal plate on the assembly which I straightened as best I could and fitted a new gasket. This was back in Jan/Feb so was during the cold weather and I thought I’d fixed it. I always thought I got a slight whiff of fuel but put it down to paranoia.
Fast forward to the mini heat wave we had and the fuel smell came back, nowhere near as bad as before but was very noticeable. It went away very quickly after starting and driving off.

I removed the boot lining to get at the fuel tank and sniffed round the fuel gauge assembly, definite fuel smell round it but no visible leaking from the gasket. Sniffed round the other gaskets for the vent and filler, no fuel smell. Took the back seat out to check the seal on the fuel pump assembly but there is a plate/cover and is sealed so didn’t remove it, at least I know how to remove it now for replacing the rear shocks and I found 2 x mashed and broken seat cushion locks at the front of the seat cushion along the way. New ones purchased ready to replace them.
So my though was that the fuel smell is coming from the sender gauge assembly somewhere, because I had bent the mounting plate maybe it was that (didn’t think so) or was leaking out through the assembly itself somehow. So ordered a new sender gauge assembly.
Fitted it yesterday morning and looked at the original assy to try and figure out where it was leaking. I know the car had been stood for quite a few years in the past and the fuel tank needed to be replaced. The inside of the assy was corroded and didn’t look great. The tank level signal needs to get out through the assembly and is done via  2 x connectors with thick rubber washers and I presume are crimped somehow. I figured this is the only other place it could leaking from. So I held the mounting plate, wiggled the connector on the outside of the assy and looked at the connections inside. I wasn’t surprised that they moved very easily and this could be where the the fuel smell was coming from.
I went for a short drive to fill with fuel, when I removed the fuel filler cap and I could hear a rush of air which is normal. In all the time I have had the car this has never happened, ‘I’m on to a winner’ I thought. Back home, washed and polished the car and this morning there isn’t a smell of fuel in the car or in the boot. Yesterday afternoon was warm and sunny, before there would have been a fuel smell this morning when I got in there but this morning……….nothing.
I’m not counting my chickens just yet but what I’ve found fits in with the symptoms.
Below is a pic of the old sender assy and a video to illustrate the movement on the connectors.

 

DA76C498-C7CD-4461-AA18-784BBBB414F1.MOV 21.23 MB · 0 downloads

 

 

Rush of air is the clue that is the natural expansion of the gases that emit from the petrol and occurs as the tank empties and more space is created as you say normal and if it was not occuring previous to this you definitley had a air leak.

[Razor61]

2 hours ago, ambermarine said:

Rush of air is the clue that is the natural expansion of the gases that emit from the petrol and occurs as the tank empties and more space is created as you say normal and if it was not occuring previous to this you definitley had a air leak.

Absolutely correct Phil and a more technical description than I offered👍
No smell of fuel this morning, as described earlier, today has been sunny and didn’t touch the car all day.
Opened the boot 10 mins ago, no smell of fuel then opened the drivers door……..I was a bit apprehensive to be honest and didn’t want to smell fuel.
Glad to say I didn’t smell any fuel at all, just the smell of a 1998 LS400 and that’s it.
I’m still not counting any chickens, time will tell if it’s fixed or not over the next few weeks.

 

[Razor61]

The car passed the first MOT in my ownership at Lexus Bolton yesterday without any advisories. I would have been very annoyed if there were advisories after all the work I've done on the car....................
I knew the headlight aiming was too low and Lexus Bolton adjusted this for the MOT. I assume this was caused by replacing the suspension arms and needing to disconnect the height sensors. Rather than disconnect the sensor arm from the suspension bracket on the front, I had to disconnect it from the sensor itself after marking the position. This was due to the nut being seized on the suspension arm and I needed to get it into the garage to work on it.
 

[Spacewagon52]

2 hours ago, Razor61 said:

The car passed the first MOT in my ownership at Lexus Bolton yesterday without any advisories. I would have been very annoyed if there were advisories after all the work I've done on the car....................
I knew the headlight aiming was too low and Lexus Bolton adjusted this for the MOT. I assume this was caused by replacing the suspension arms and needing to disconnect the height sensors. Rather than disconnect the sensor arm from the suspension bracket on the front, I had to disconnect it from the sensor itself after marking the position. This was due to the nut being seized on the suspension arm and I needed to get it into the garage to work on it.
 

You should be very proud of the work you have done Paul! Congratulations, she looks a gem!

[Razor61]

28 minutes ago, Spacewagon52 said:

You should be very proud of the work you have done Paul! Congratulations, she looks a gem!

Thanks David, it's much appreciated👍🏻

I'm getting to the end of all the work. I still have the rear shocks/mounts/UCA's to fit but I can't motivate myself to do them yet, mainly because I need to remove the drive shafts to get to the UCA ball joint nut. Manual says to remove the complete hub to replace the rear UCA's but removing the drive shaft gives access to the nut, whether I can then split the ball joint is another matter though.
If anyone has a crafty method of replacing the rear UCA's with removing the drive shaft or complete hub then please let me know😉

[Spacewagon52]

55 minutes ago, Razor61 said:

Thanks David, it's much appreciated👍🏻

I'm getting to the end of all the work. I still have the rear shocks/mounts/UCA's to fit but I can't motivate myself to do them yet, mainly because I need to remove the drive shafts to get to the UCA ball joint nut. Manual says to remove the complete hub to replace the rear UCA's but removing the drive shaft gives access to the nut, whether I can then split the ball joint is another matter though.
If anyone has a crafty method of replacing the rear UCA's with removing the drive shaft or complete hub then please let me know😉

Have a rest for a few days - take her out for a spin, then you will get back your mojo!