Looking For Ls400 Mark 4

[Az1]

Hi all

Ive wanted an ls400 for a few years now and have finally decided to buy one. Over the weekend i drove one and couldnt believe how nice it was to drive. Problem was the body work had scratches all over it so i decided against it.

I have seen a couple on eBay and was wondering if you guys could give me your opinion on them and maybe if you recognise them.

Not sure if the links will work as i'm posting from my phone.

1.

http://pages.ebay.com/link/?nav=item.view&id=300957787532&globalID=EBAY-GB

2.

http://pages.ebay.com/link/?nav=item.view&id=131008424999&globalID=EBAY-GB

[ManicMark]

The one for £3300 looks nice best colour combo in my opinion. No sign of the cambelt being replaced so hagle £500 to £700 of the price to allow for that.

[Bluesman]

Which one did you drive?

[Az1]

Hi guys thanks for that. Yes the one for 3300 does look nice and i did notice there was no mention of a timing belt. I like the fact its low mileage as I plan to keep it for a considerable amount of time.

Bluesman the one i drove was a dark blue one listed on cc cars in dukinfield in Manchester i think he's sold it as i cant see the ad on autrader anymore.

[steve2006]

Strange mileage figures with car 1, dealer says cars has covered 3000 miles a year so on a 15 year old car that's 45,000 but it has 68,000. Wish they would stick to the facts instead of assuming,incorrectly in this case.

Certainly cannot be confirmed from MOT history.

Does look nice though but overpriced maybe.

Car 2 again looks nice, looking at feedback appears to have sold it at a best offer price but been let down so relisted so room for bargaining there.

Makes a change to see 2 examples with decent alloys.

[Az1]

Hi Steve2006.

Yes i noticed from the feedback that was the case. On the black one.

I do like the grey one, mainly for the reason the mileage is so low but then i know mileage isn't really an issue on these. Ive emailed the seller with a few questions but he hasnt as yet got back to me.

A member here (wont say who) has also offered his up for sale so thats another one i'm definately considering.

[Titch LS]

Azeem, both cars could be due for a cambelt change. The belt should be changed every 62,000 miles. This means that the recently serviced black car with 122,000 miles is still due very soon. That could be expensive if not DIY. The ad for the grey car doesn't even mention the cambelt. The black car has Full Service History though and has the nice wooden steering wheel. I'd haggle for the black one, if still available. ALWAYS test drive.

[lpgdlex]

I wouldn't get too hung up on the 62k change interval. Everywhere else in the world for the exact same car it is 100k - only Lexus UK for some reason set it at 62k. I'd be more concerned with time than miles - 100k/10-years seems a safe guide.

[ambermarine]

Lpgdlex

Just a word of caution on that 100k the biggest strain that occurs on a cambelt is the start. As the rest of the world USA and Australasia have long stretches of Highways that these cars were built for they are advising that Uk usage will be more of a strain on the belt as we don't tend to do so long at the wheel before stopping and starting.

I have owned these cars for eighteen years and had a belt fail that had been newly fitted because the water pump failed and that should have been changed at the previous 60k interval.I escaped a wrecked engine because it was the Mark 1 but after the mark II that escape route dissapeared and you face a £6k bill for a new engine, want to gamble?

[lpgdlex]

That's true with the US and Australasia to an extent but not so true in Netherlands, Belgium, Denmark....Cyprus(!) etc. In the case of your car, a Lexus dealer does not normally replace the water pump unless a customer specifically requests it (it is not part of the regular timing belt change service) so a car with full Lexus history and even two timing belt changes will most likely be on original water pump.

It just seems a bit odd to me that if I go into a Lexus dealer 15 miles away the belt needs changing at 62k....but if I travel another 120 miles East and go into a Lexus dealer it is nearly 100k miles.

[Bluesman]

I wouldn't get too hung up on the 62k change interval. Everywhere else in the world for the exact same car it is 100k - only Lexus UK for some reason set it at 62k. I'd be more concerned with time than miles - 100k/10-years seems a safe guide.

Good old UK racking up the charges for its down trodden peoples again.

[PEPE]

Could it be that the 100k figure applies to KILOMETERS, not MILES? Do the math!

[lpgdlex]

I think the km change is 150k so about 93k miles. The service mileage in Continental Europe is 15k km so 10 years @ 15k = 150k. Basically, each territory seems to make it up as they go along.

The LS430 uses exactly the same belt and tensioner as the Mk LS400 but Lexus UK seem to think that it is good for 100k/10-years!

[ambermarine]

Lpgdlex

I cannot see what point there is to your rant ,you are not obliged to buy a Lexus or to comply with the reccomendations that the dealerships make they are guidelines after the warranty period so unless your car is within that warranty period do what you like because only you will suffer the consequences should the warnings come true.

[Bluesman]

Lpgdlex

I cannot see what point there is to your rant ,you are not obliged to buy a Lexus or to comply with the reccomendations that the dealerships make they are guidelines after the warranty period so unless your car is within that warranty period do what you like because only you will suffer the consequences should the warnings come true.

I think the point is, the cars are all made in the same place with the same components so all the service intervals should be the same the world over. Its known as a level playing field.

[lpgdlex]

Lpgdlex

I cannot see what point there is to your rant ,you are not obliged to buy a Lexus or to comply with the reccomendations that the dealerships make they are guidelines after the warranty period so unless your car is within that warranty period do what you like because only you will suffer the consequences should the warnings come true.

It wasn't a rant. It was a point of debate. Lexus UK say 62k. Lexus Europe say 92k. Lexus everywhere else says 100k. Same car, same engine, made at same time in same factory using same parts. Basically same engine in LS430 using exact same belt, tensioner etc. Lexus UK says 100k. Any regular car maintenance is a cost/benefit debate. Otherwise change the cambelt and oil every 500 miles.

If this is supposedly a forum about Lexus cars, is not debating that cost/benefit a relevant topic of discussion?

[ambermarine]

The debating of cambelt change intervals is a matter of history with regards to the LS range as it as been around nearly 25 years as I pointed out to you a couple of posts ago, it is a matter for the individual to decide the best course of action in view of the advice given .We cannot change the view of Lexus or its dealers, so to accuse them of making it up as they go along is not helpful for our relationship with them as a forum.Confrontation leads to bad feelings and less than helpful advice on future issues that may arise, it might also be detrimental to future growth of membership for this forum if it is seen as a slagging off site.

[ambermarine]

Bluesman

No that is not the point as I have already pointed out the cars are made in one place with all the same components but they are not driven in the same environments so it is not a level playing field.

[Bluesman]

Bluesman

No that is not the point as I have already pointed out the cars are made in one place with all the same components but they are not driven in the same environments so it is not a level playing field.

I cant see where they are driven having anything to do with it. I cannot see them coming up with special service intervals just because of where the car will live. The types of weather experienced in the States can go from hot baking desert conditions to sub zero up in Alaska and parts of Canada, but they only have one service criteria for the States/Canada. The service criteria as far as I can see is set out with how much they think they can get away with.

I was on your side. The level playing field referred too as you say all the cars are made with all the same components so therefore as all things start equal they must carry this on throughout the servicing schedule by having all the servicing intervals being the same all over the world.

[ambermarine]

Bluesman I have already alluded to the fact that constant short driving contributes to heavy loading on the cambelt this is what I meant by the regional aspect by definition the agregate amount of long journey time will be greater the bigger the country and the distance driven if the roads have been designed for cruising as in the states and Australasia even Gemany and France have 1200k stretches of motorways so with the emphasis on more strartups per mile driven the liklehood is more risk to the integrity of the cambelt .I have now explained my position three times and rest my case.

[lpgdlex]

I think Toyota GB back in 1989 were determined to set a 100% reliable reputation for the car and decided on very conservative servicing schedules. That isn't necessarily a bad thing.

I wasn't aware any forum has a "relationship" with Toyota - it is a discussion place and the relationship is people pay money and they give a service!

Fast forward to 2013 and the last of the LS400's are worth 3k just about tops the question comes whether to follow that very conservative schedule set by Toyota GB or follow the slighly less conservative one set elsewhere in the world. That, of course, is a personal choice based on the information available and how much you want to spend.

Personally, if looking at a used Mk IV with about 100k I'd be concerned whether it has had a change but not desperately worried about it needing an imminent second one unless the change was done very early in the car's life and the belt is well over 10 years old. That is just my personal view.

I'm sorry I don't buy the different driving styles line. I'm not convinced drivers in Rhode Island or Netherlands have dramatically different journey patterns to the UK and there are always exceptions to the case anyway which a schedule has to cover. That doesn't explain why a LS430 is 100k either as it has the same cambelt arrangement. I just think Toyota GB played double or triple safe back in 1989 and the schedule stuck.