New To Lexus, Buyers Guide To Ls400?

[Jacques Wood]

Hi all,

I'm in the market for an LS400. I'm 23, 6ft 8 and need a big car. I've always been attracted to the LS, and I was hoping to probe you guys for a buyers guide to an LS400.

To clarify, I'm a freshly graduated student on a tight budget, I'm a competent mechanic and have the space to work on a car.

With this in mind, I'm keeping a close eye on the sub £1000 LS400's as a potential buy, and would like to know what in particular are the weak areas of these early LS400's? Are there any workshop manuals floating around? do I need special tools to work on the car? if so, where do I buy them, or how do I make them?

Basic questions that I would greatly appreciate answers to are:

What are the minor/major service intervals? and when do the timing belts need changing?

What are common areas of MOT failures?

What are key areas of the car to maintain/look after?

When test driving, how should a car ride? (are the gearboxes slow to react, and there any clunks/bangs I should listen for/ignore? etc)

Has anyone seen benefits from LPG conversions in terms of costs recuperation with LPG prices on the rise?

Any answers would be greatly appreciated, and hopefully I'll be a fully fledged LOC member soon.

Kind regards,

Jacques Wood

• Quote
  
• MultiQuote
  
• Edit
  

[lexusdaduk]

have you checked out the insurance cost for this car, i am sure you have, but a 23 year old with a 4.Lit it could be eye watering, i am sure the guys on here will steer you in the right direction.

Regards mark.

[ambermarine]

Hi

Good to see another young intelligent edept person who realizes that there is another world out there.

Every question you have posed in your introduction can be answered on this site by accessing the different topics through the search facility.

Good luck with the insurance but there will also be a topic on that .

PS My late Lexus Mark 1 was being built when you were in the womb,it is still running today.

[steve2006]

Hello and welcome to the LOC.

Have a read of the link below which shows the differences between the model years.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lexus_LS

When I get a little more time I'll post up some buying information for you.

[willskoda]

They don't fail MOT's

[Bluesman]

Hello and welcome to the best kept secret in motoring, The Lexus LS400.

I will post details on LPG conversions and running during tomorrow.

Mike

[Jacques Wood]

Hi guys,

Thank you for the welcome. I'm keen on getting my hands on an LS, but it would be useful to know if there's any workshop manuals out there that can help me. As I say, I'll be in the market for a sub £1000 car that needs TLC, my insurance will be around the £1200 mark, so the cheaper the car the better. The insurance is eyewatering, yes, but I'm not going to let anyone tell me what I can and can't have, my first 6 years of driving have been spent in a 1.4 Honda Civic, with custom seat rails to fit my frame, and the insurance for that is still £700 because the seat rails count as a modification. I'm a full IAM car and motorcycle member, I'm still the youngest person in the UK to pass my car IAM observed test, (17 years 93 days) I've never had an accident, never had points, but because of my age I must pay extortionate premiums. That's my rant over.

With a cheap car, tends to come high mileage. I'm not looking to drive an LS hard, but if parts like gearboxes and the such give up the ghost around a particular mileage, it would be valuable knowledge to know. All the work and servicing will be done by myself to keep the costs down.

Does anyone work on their own cars?

Kind Regards,

Jacques

P.S.

Thank you Bluesman, LPG is a must for me to keep my running costs down.

Ambermarine, It's great to hear that cars are still looked after and treated properly. Hopefully I'll be able to afford the running costs and keep an LS going for many years to come.

[Bluesman]

but if parts like gearboxes and the such give up the ghost around a particular mileage

How very dare you. They don't they are bullet proof.

We think we are hard done by if a bulb needs replacing, but we do have counseling facilities should that happen.

LPG as promised.

I have run on LPG for the past 16+ years and had all my cars converted and never had a lubrication system fitted on any of them.

If it runs on Unleaded then LPG will not do any damage to your engine. LPG also has far fewer contaminates to hurt your engine over petrol.

You will not regret it just be sure you can trust 100% the people who are going to do the conversion. If you have any doubts about them stop and go somewhere else.

If your buying a car already converted BE VERY CAREFUL and check first that there is no smell of gas inside or outside the car, if you do smell gas don't take any excuses just walk away and quickly as you are looking at a bomb.

Next make sure that they have the LPG certificate for the car if not walk away.

After that look at the conversion and satisfy yourself that it looks like a professional installation.

Finally check with your insurance company that they will accept your car being converted if not you will have to find one that will, its getting rarer that they wont accept you but always best to ask first.

Profess in South Wales have done my last two conversion at £1400 which has now dropped to £1200 inc VAT and the bonus of using them is they will do it in a day and lend you a car for the day. I have never seen anyone post anywhere they have had a problem after using them. Both our cars haven't missed a beat.

Before that I used a company called Duelfuel in Woking Surrey they always wanted a week and wanted nearly £3K to convert the Lexus which is why I started looking round for a better deal. £1200 and Car loan for the day, its a no brainer.

Good luck with whatever you decide.

Mike

[munday]

Well a quick few things I've picked up on over the last couple of months being on a few ls forums:

Power steering pumps often leak and cause the alternator to fail - quite an in depth job

Starter motors tend to give up the ghost - also a fairly in depth job

Listen for any clonks on road test from suspension - Parts from lexus are £££ and non-genuine parts can often be very poor quality.

Gearbox is not what I would call slow, but should respond well to driver inputs.

Early (-95ish) ECU capacitors can leak and cause all sorts of very strange problems (lots of info on clublexus) If you are a good solderer(?) you can replace these yourself

'Common' problems on an LS are not common when compared to any other car, they are simply the most likely bits to give you grief.

[Malc]

Only heard of power steering leaks causing grief with alternators on Mk1 and Mk2 models.

£1000 might buy a good Mk3.

But it's those goddam rear light bulbs that need looking at every 17 years

Malc

[lexusdaduk]

Hi glad you have checked out the insurance, going from a Honda to a Lexus will put a smile on your face, as for running costs very good compared with other less enjoyable drive's, it may be worth having a chat with your local Lexus dealer to see if any decent part ex have turned up or if they know of any going to auction.

good luck with your search

Mark

[Setanta]

I would recommend contacing Lexus Sheffield. For some reason, they appear to get their hands on decent looking LS400's and retail them at a fair price (usually on Autotrader). May be worth a shot.

[Keith Bowler]

They don't fail MOT's

Quite true, mine passed today with no advisories - not really a suprise as it has only failed once on tyres and has had one advisory for a cracked windscreen in its 12 year life.

[Bluesman]

My 98 LS 400 has had no advisories for the past 3 MOT and the one before that was a tyre one.

You do realise that once you have driven one of these cars during your drive she will bite your adoring button and you will be hooked for life. She wont let you go away, those that have, have come back quickly or are now being treated inside high security top secret facillities. You have been warned!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Mike Sleep well.