Buy ls 400 year 1994 whit 3 problems

frangijon · October 7

Hello, my name is Fran and I live in a small town in the north of Spain called Gijon. This weekend I went to see a Mercedes S500 from 1999. The same owner had a bunch of cars in a barn. He had died and his son was selling them. The Mercedes was not in the optimal condition that I would like, and it was also very expensive. However, almost before we left, we saw a Lexus parked, an LS 400. There are not many cars of this model in Spain and I don't know much about this brand.

First problem, gearbox, it has a four speed gearbox with Overdrive, one of his sons used the car for a while while his was being repaired, he was fascinated by the driving comfort, he assures me that it is almost as comfortable or as much as a Mercedes, the problem arose when one day he went to get the car, I put the car in forward gear and the car would not move, I went up in revs and it would not go but nevertheless, I put the car in reverse gear and it did move backwards when we started it we checked it, I put the car in reverse gear and it would slide and when I put it in forward gear it tried to start with a small jerk and it did not do anything, it went up in revs. I wanted to ask you if you can find out what problem this gearbox could have

Third problem, when I went to visit the car, I didn't know it had air suspension. When I started it, next to the gear stick, I saw a button with three positions. I put it in first, second and third and I didn't see the suspension move up or down at any time. What I did see was that in the drawer where the instruction manuals are, just below where the CD changer is, there was the fuse cover. My question is, could it be that they removed the fuse for the suspension pump due to some problem it had and that's why the suspension doesn't go up or down? How can I find out where the extension pump is located? Because the car is lower in the back than what I consider the normal height. You can see it in the photos. Thanks

Fourth problem: the instrument panel is really nice, with a very white light, but when accelerating the car the rev counter needle did not move. It is dead. How can this problem be solved? Where can it be sent for repair. Do you know of any place?

Fifth problem: the original Lexus stereo didn't work. When I pressed the round switch, part of the screen would light up, but there were some very strange noises coming out of the speakers. Where can I send this stereo to be repaired?

Thanks for everything. I'll leave you with some photos that I was able to take this Saturday. I'll have to give the seller an answer. The truth is that it's a very unusual car in my country. I had read when I was younger that this car had better quality than Mercedes and BMW. I'd like to rescue this gem to take some rides on the weekends with my wife and enjoy its comfort and the V8 engine, the air suspension and the gearbox. It would be a pleasure for me if you could help me. Next Saturday I'll upload more photos if I buy it. Thanks to everyone.

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steve2006 · October 7

Ola Fran and welcome to the LOC.

The car is a 1995-97 model ( series III) not a 1994.

Looks like a major project, are you planning on doing all the necessary repairs yourself?

Bear in mind that spare parts for this age of LS400 are getting less by the day and expensive if you can find them.

What’s the mileage KMs and how long has it been stood?

Regarding the transmission are the brakes free?
If it has failed cheapest option is a secondhand replacement.

It does appear to have air suspension,albeit unusual, replacement struts, if still available are around €1200.00 each although conversion kits to springs may still be around.

Sticking speedometer and tachometer needles is a common issue due to excess oil on the stop, a wack on the dash above the cluster with a fist normally releases the needle.

You will be very lucky to find anyone repairing the stereo units nowadays and even luckier to find a good working replacement. It’s not just the head unit there is also an amplifier under the seat. Fitting an aftermarket stereo may be the best course to take.

A lot of work and cost just to sort out the problems you know about and a lot more for those you don’t yet like brakes, catalytic converter flanges and suspension components.

I would be looking at a few hundred Euros for the car and a €10,000 repair budget.

At least that is half of the cost of restoring the S500 😀

Malc1 · October 7

Fran hi.
Steve is a great font of knowledge for you 👍

You are aware Fran that Lexus is a subsidiary of Toyota ?
And I note Gijon seems to have a Toyota Main Dealer maybe which might have a local professional perspective for you on this sad car ?

They may even have done servicing on it and know something if it’s history and someone there remember, as it’s such a rare car 🤔

Good luck

Malc

frangijon · October 7

Hello Steve 2006, thanks for your help, the repairs are carried out by me, I am a mechanic, the car stopped 8 months ago although it is started once a month, the mileage is 260,000km (149,000) miles, the car is manufactured in 1994, it was registered in Germany, and then it was imported to Spain in 1999, it has air suspension that I would like to keep, not install springs and shock absorbers.

This Saturday I will try hitting the dashboard to revive the needle.

thanks steve

frangijon · October 7

Hello Maic1

This Saturday I will try hitting the dashboard to revive the needle.

frangijon · October 7

I would like to ask you a question, on Saturday I am going to check the car more thoroughly, I will look at the fuse for the suspension compressor to see if it is working and can someone tell me where it is located so I can take a look to see if the current is reaching there?

I would also like to ask if with the car started, if I pressed the button to lower the suspension, it would have to go down, if on the contrary I press to raise it to the top, it would also have to go up. I would like to check this to see if the air suspension works. I would not like to buy a car to put shock absorbers and springs on it. I think it is like buying a V8 and opening the hood and finding a V6 engine. Thank you very much.

Malc1 · October 7

And at this age and mileage the cambelt and waterpump should have been changed too ............. it is an interference engine !

Malc

GEN · October 7

Hi Fran,

I had a 1998 Ls400 and it was a wonderful car: very comfortable, very reliable in the 11 years I had it and when I had to let it go (about 5 years ago now) it was because Lexus could no longer source the solenoids for the transmission so eventually it just stopped working but just about everything else on it was working. I'm not a mechanic but from your description this car will need a lot of work and you will be fortunate if you can do the work which will save you a lot of money. But the parts will mostly be either very expensive and/or unavailable. If you are minded to undertake the project and are successful you'll find these cars very rewarding. They are luxury Toyotas.

On 10/3/2024 at 10:43 AM, donkmeister said:

The-Acre · October 8

16 hours ago, frangijon said:

I would like to ask you a question, on Saturday I am going to check the car more thoroughly, I will look at the fuse for the suspension compressor to see if it is working and can someone tell me where it is located so I can take a look to see if the current is reaching there?

I would also like to ask if with the car started, if I pressed the button to lower the suspension, it would have to go down, if on the contrary I press to raise it to the top, it would also have to go up. I would like to check this to see if the air suspension works. I would not like to buy a car to put shock absorbers and springs on it. I think it is like buying a V8 and opening the hood and finding a V6 engine. Thank you very much.

I disagree with that. I've had LS's with air suspension and LS's without, and I believe the very best and smoothest ride was the LS400 without air. Even if the air system did hold air, on a car of that age it'll be on borrowed time. The fuse for the suspension on the LS430 is in the engine bay on the passenger side (right hand drive) along with various other fuses and is marked inside the cover, perhaps the 400 is the same?

The compressor that pumps the suspension is under the wheel arch cover on the opposite side.

Razor61 · October 8

18 hours ago, frangijon said:

I will look at the fuse for the suspension compressor to see if it is working and can someone tell me where it is located so I can take a look to see if the current is reaching there?

According the manual it's in the engine bay.

frangijon · October 8

23 hours ago, Malc1 said:

Y a esta edad y kilometraje también se debería haber cambiado la correa de distribución y la bomba de agua... ¡es un motor de interferencia!

Malc

Hi, if I end up buying it, it's the first thing I'm going to do, I don't want to damage the engine. Thanks

frangijon · October 8

Hello manufacturing data

27/03/1995

ambermarine · October 8

The car is a Lexus and in this regard is bulletproof both the engine and transmission ,being in Spain there should not be much corrosion so for a few hundred euros you have a project.

The trans fluid maybe low and the suspension is fixable and there is a library of advice both on the UK and USA Lexus owners sites .

All the known historical faults are on record so are their fixes you will not be dissapointed with the car when you start work on it because you will soon see the quality in these cars.

GEN · October 8

"The car is a Lexus and in this regard is bulletproof both the engine and transmission..."? Engine maybe but the transmission is, by description, already problematic and I personally have experienced a transmission failure on a newer car (1998 model) and Lexus couldn't fix it ...

Malc1 · October 8

Fingers xd ……. maybe a drain down of the transmission for a start ………. Purge, refill and doing that a couple of times might just “ free-up”. something strategic …….. if not then it’s very little lost in the attempt to save a fortune ……. fingers xd 🤔

Malc

donkmeister · October 8

Fran, if you buy the LS400 I would love it if you can keep us updated on the work you are doing to it.

Two resources you may wish to consult before making your final decision:

Charm.li - this is a US-based "right to repair" website that includes a lot of workshop manuals, including the LS400. These are very useful when understanding how to overhaul, service or replace the many components of an LS!

Amayama.com - this is a Japan-based exporter of car parts. Surprisingly, I can see that most of the air suspension components are still available for Series III LS400s on there. It might be worth having a browse to see the sort of costs you are in for.

I hope you will make a decision that you are (ultimately) pleased with!

frangijon · October 8

Hello gentlemen, thank you very much for your advice and your welcome, do not doubt that this very Saturday I will upload photos and write in the chronicle of the experience checking the Lexus whether the purchase is positive, or if you buy it negative I will also upload all the photos. The idea I have is to check it in the same place where it is and if everything goes as I hope to hire a crane and take it down to my private garage. The first thing I would do would be to check the level of the gearbox oil, I would buy a new filter and a gasket for the crankcase cover and the area will go several times to see what is happening. If the oil change is not positive, remove it from the gearbox and I will open it myself. I am a mechanic although I do not dedicate myself to it, at home there is a small transport company and I have been dedicated to it for 30 years between driving, weekly, sharing my time with the family and my other hobbies which are cars in mechanics. I am going to put some photos of the restoration of my Citroen XM.

Here in Spain it doesn't rain much, it's not like in your country, but in the north it's rainy green, this car spent its whole life in a communal garage, without seeing the sun, only going out for rides and trips, then the first owner sold it to the second who did very few kilometers and this second owner died last year, it was also kept in a garage until three months ago when I chose to take it out of the garage. That's why it is as you see it in the photos.

Thank you very much for the advice on buying parts. In Japan. I will look into it very quickly. Frank

frangijon · October 8

I bought the Citroen XM for €200 with a cylinder head problem... I will never buy another Citroen, I like the suspension very much, but Citroen doesn't have spare parts, and Citroen is not quality, regards

donkmeister · October 9

I do love a hydropneumatic Citroen. Citroen SM is one of my lottery win cars, but I'd be happy with a CX as a more attainable car.

BigBoomer · October 9

The XM is a lovely car to drive (my Dad had an XM Activa), but as you say terrible build quality and reliability.

You will love working on the Lexus as everything is quality and mostly well designed and thought out.
However, the problems with Lexuses is the high prices for parts and sometimes availability of those parts.

Hopefully you can find the problem with the transmission, but if not there are used transmissions that could be swapped in.

ambermarine · October 9

10 hours ago, frangijon said:

Hello gentlemen, thank you very much for your advice and your welcome, do not doubt that this very Saturday I will upload photos and write in the chronicle of the experience checking the Lexus whether the purchase is positive, or if you buy it negative I will also upload all the photos. The idea I have is to check it in the same place where it is and if everything goes as I hope to hire a crane and take it down to my private garage. The first thing I would do would be to check the level of the gearbox oil, I would buy a new filter and a gasket for the crankcase cover and the area will go several times to see what is happening. If the oil change is not positive, remove it from the gearbox and I will open it myself. I am a mechanic although I do not dedicate myself to it, at home there is a small transport company and I have been dedicated to it for 30 years between driving, weekly, sharing my time with the family and my other hobbies which are cars in mechanics. I am going to put some photos of the restoration of my Citroen XM.

Here in Spain it doesn't rain much, it's not like in your country, but in the north it's rainy green, this car spent its whole life in a communal garage, without seeing the sun, only going out for rides and trips, then the first owner sold it to the second who did very few kilometers and this second owner died last year, it was also kept in a garage until three months ago when I chose to take it out of the garage. That's why it is as you see it in the photos.

Thank you very much for the advice on buying parts. In Japan. I will look into it very quickly. Frank

There is another site which as more to offer than the rest and that is "Yoshiparts.com".

Looking at the job you did on the citreon you will have no problems working on the Lexus.

steve2006 · October 10

I also once bought a 1991 XM for £80.00, it cost me another £200.00 at a local Citroen independent ( Woodlinkin Citroen) to get it on the road with new spheres and an MOT.

Ran it for nearly a year and got £400.00 part ex on a Rover 820.

frangijon · October 10

Hello, there are fewer days left. On Friday at 5pm I will call the seller to see the car on Saturday or Sunday. I will keep you informed. The group, “Kit Macho” is ready to check out the Lexus.