brendangeorge

31,000 miles seems too good to be true for a 2002 - at the price it could be a real bargin. It has 6 stamps in the servce book why? - it should have one each year. My book says intermediate every year ot 10K, full every year of 20K. I stuck to it rigorously from brand new.

I am tempted to trade up my 205K miler :)

Bren

Beam deflectors are a bit of a pain to remove took me ages to get the glue off last time I used them - if you use tape you will be able to stop the beams from shining left and blinding people coming in the opposite direction but you will not be able to move the beams to the right.

I've used both and had no trouble with the natives.

Good luck

Bren

Hi

Is your compressor OK and been used before? You could use some crock clips on your batter to test it. If it is tight or siezed it will probably draw too much current on start up (and blow the fuse) so if it does not run straight away when you test it on a Battery disconnect it immediately. Also fuses do blow occasionally - did you replace the fuse and give it another try?

My air pump draws 10 amps so I doubt you need more than 15. Don't put an over rated fuse in under any circumstances. Your air pump will have a duty cycle rating - it will be with the instructions and will be something like run for 10 mins then let it stand for 10 mins to cool off. If you don't let it cool you may cause it to sieze which will probably cause your blown fuse. They usually have a 10 min duty cycle so they can be made small and not have cooing fans etc.

Bren

Even if the parts are made in the same factory and are equivalent you bought a genueine Toyota part and that is what you should receive. If the part you have is the same as the original it should be cheaper so ask for a discount.

Bren

Hi folks,

Still trying to get my car to 100% and it seems there is a bit more to do now.

Twice before today i have had a deep "Thrumming" type vibration at approx 40 mph. It reminded me of a rear wheel out of balance--badly.

But its not there all the time, most of the time the car is fine.

Anyway, i have just got back from having the car computer tracked and all the wheels balanced just in case it was that, and its still there. If anything now they have re-balanced the wheels its a bit worse. I will need a couple of rear tyres soon anyway so am hoping it is one of them badly out, but i cant really see how it can be if the balancing was done properly.

I have had a similar type vibration before on another car, and that was a rear tyre that needed balancing.. So any ideas please on what it could be. Its definately something rotational, either wheel out of true, maybe a drive shaft U/J or brake discs warped, or a tyre.

Any advice would be gratfully received.

Thanks folks

Keith

Hi if you have a duff wheel bearing it may only be noisy when you load it. To test when driving in a straight line move the wheel left you will load the left rear bearing and if it is worn it will whine - when you straighten up it will quieten down as it unloads - same test for the other side.

Bren

Yeah it's not 2.5 hours.

Hi Sam

2.5 hours does sound a little short doesn't it - so I just dug out the invoice from my local indi and it was 3.5 hours at £50 for to fit cambelt and tensioner - the water pump is 10 mins extra. I needed a new rad and 1/2 an hour was added for that - I let them get away with that. The cam belt kit and tensioner was £175. that was at 200K

My local garage uses an online system that gives them all the job timings and proceedures.

Here is a link to how to do the job and this guy in the US says 8 hours for a Lexus dealer and 12 hours for an indi.

http://www.shastaanesthesia.com/Lexus/Page1.html

Bren

The cam belt change on a 430 is 2.5 hours work (or so) the parts (third party £130) the water pump adds 10 mins of labor and £30 in parts I think. The job times are standard and from my local indi who charges £45 per hour. I had a problem with a corroded rad which bumped up the price a lot.

Not suggesting the water pump is changed would make me question the competence of the garage - just my opinion mind. An indi should be capable of the job you just need to make sure. My local are great.

Bren

The LS400 ('99) had a full service and new spark plugs yesterday at JEM who are a large Japanese vehicle garage

in North London. It is still running rough. They say it is either ignition coil(s) or fuel injectors.If it is coils where is the best place

to source them at a reasonable price ? And is it likely to be more tha one coil ? Is there an easy way to test them ?

I notice that it is taking a lot longer to reach running temerature in the morning - any clue here ?

Any suggestions gratefully received. Incidently nothing is showing up on the dash. They plugged in an analysis thingy and

all that came up was a faulty (?) oxygen sensor.

Hi

If their OBD reader indicated a fault you should have the engine management light on the dashboard on. The fault could be cleared by disconnecting the Battery or with a reader but if intermittent will come back - if permanent will not clear for long. If you had the car serviced and plugs changed I am a little surprised that they could not give you a better diagnosis than it could be coils or injectors. Don't fall in to the coils trap my LPG installer did and it cost (his insurance) a packet - when there was an air leak in the plenum (as suggested by Sam) which caused the car to go into limp home mode (miss some of the cylinders) because it was running too lean. If one of the oxygen sensors is faulty you should see the management light come on - check it comes on when you turn the ignition on because the light could be faulty :).

You may see a faulty Lambda sensor because of something else - you need a mechanic and test kit not just test kit.

I have a 430 but the engine etc is basically the same as the 400 and had a very small (pin hole) in the exhaust that kept indicating a faulty lambda sensor - a welder fixed that. You need somebody, who has the correct kit - my OBDII reader cost £10 - my garage uses one that cast £2K - and who knows what they are doing. Swapping bits will not work if as Sam suggests you have an air leak.

You mentioned it gets better when warm - my air leak got worse when warm but that may not mean anything.

Good luck

Bren

Ok so the video upload hasnt seemed to work however you can search on youtube "lexus train horn" and shes first in results.

I love the train horn - I'm not sure about the exhaust (it's a bit loud and farty) and I'll bet the neighbours just love you. A great video - I'm still smiling :).

Hehe glad the horn is liked :P computer speakers really do them no justice... They can be heard for miles and the ground literraly shakes if you stand near the car! As for the exhaust, aftermarket pipes arnt everyones taste and i understand that, however again speakers dont help show the lovely V8 rumble when its not being booted right up the revs! I wouldnt say its tinny at all, even up in the revs, as its only a cat-back system. All fun and games anyhow :D

A lot of us who drive a Lexus spend our lives complaining about road noise so we would be rude about the exhausts - the horn made me crap myself when I heard it on the PC so live it must be something else :)

You car looks immaculate- better than my 204K miles motorway pounder.

Bren

Ok so the video upload hasnt seemed to work however you can search on youtube "lexus train horn" and shes first in results.

I love the train horn - I'm not sure about the exhaust (it's a bit loud and farty) and I'll bet the neighbours just love you. A great video - I'm still smiling :).

Hi

Will 5w/30 castrol Edge oil be okay for my 2000 ls400 and is it 6 litres i need?

Thanks

Hi Messi 5w/30 synthetic or semi-synthetic is the stuff - I use synthetic. Don't mix them.

For the quantity this may help but becareful of America measurements (check your manual) because they have 14fl oz quarts not 20 like us so their pints etc are 20% smaller than ours - Metric wins eh.

http://us.lexusownersclub.com/forums/topic/62163-engine-oil-capacity/

There are quite a few post on this forum as well if you have a quick search.

Bren

Just been kicking around the web for info on tyres, as I need two new fronts, replacing some ContiPremierContacts (one with puncture, one can be used as new spare).

In previous LS400 I had Nexen, and it tramlined like crazy (some parts of the M5 are obviously very soft)

So I read a report on Tyre Reviews where a LS400 owner says asymmetric tyres tend to tramline on a 400.

First I have ever heard, and looking at my Contis they do not appear to symmetric, and it drives fine even on the M5

I am thinking of Uniroyal Rain Expert or Dunlop Sports, and they appear to asymmetric patterns.

So I am a bit confused. I do not do a lot of Motorway driving, but found the tramling on previous a very disconcerting experience on my trips up North.

I know some will talk about Falken, etc, I just want a tyre that is quite, grippy and reasonable price for a Mk4.

I rarely go above 70, as I am mainly A Road man and so need to deal with the rubbish surface of your average Cotswold run.

I need to do something in the next week ahead of MOT, so any comments welcome.

NOTE: The Nexens were absolutely terrible and no doubt contributed to the side swipe skid that saw the old one off the scrapper.

Heres a link for Falkens at £83 a corner + £3 P&P I have never had a problem tramligning unless of course its a really bad road surface Mike

Never had a problem in a 400 or 430 - you need to keep an eye on your tyre pressures and alignment if you have steering probs. It is also a good idea to check your suspension. Problems are often masked at low speed.

Be safe

Bren

My faulty rear bearing was years (8 to 10) ago - the car was just out of warranty I believe - and at a Lexus dealer it was £300ish to fix. I'd expect it to be a lot cheaper now or am I being daft?

Bren

Is it accident damaged (total loss)? The reason I ask is that a 430 being broken for any other reason just seems WRONG. Especially when my car is quite a few years older.

On eBay they state the car cannot be put back on the road => write off I believe.

Bren

If anyone's interested they are breaking an LS430 on ebayhttp://www.ebay.co.u...d=151003146370

Mike

Thanks Mike you are a diamond - I need a new drivers seat and other interior trim for a tidy up and this looks in good nick.

Bren

Nice art-work! shame about the subject matter-I always preferred Quenton Wilson, bit more intelligent than hobby Clarkson, plus he is known as a big Lexus fan-I believe he's owned a couple of LS400's in the past.

Would you want to see Quenton bound and gagged in the boot of your car? Most people who had JC in that position would be looking for a cliff or a deep quarry full of cold, dark water :)

http://www.ebay.co.u...=item3ccf50aae2

Enjoy Mike

Hi Nige

You may have a wheel bearing going. When you turn as you load up the bearings you will find they will whine and then stop as you steer the other way. I had one rear left one go (it takes the load on roundabouts etc). To check as you drive down the road steer to the right (just a little) and that will load the left rear - steer left for the right side. It will only take a little flick - mine started with a little buzz and steadily became louder - as you know the slightest noise is audible in our fantastic cars.

204 K miles no back end or gear box problems.

Good luck

Bren

Hi Bren,

A quick update.

Tried what you said about steering to the left and the right, and you were spot on!

Turning left the noise reduced significantly!

And turning to the right it came back!

It's in the dealer tomorrow, and I'll update you on their findings and the solution.

Thank you

Nige

Good news about the diagnosis Nige - it is not an expensive fix - I have only ever had the one go.

Cheers

Bren

Hi Sam

I have had my done at a Leus dealer and an independent. I will try and find the invoice however I remember it is just under 3 hours labour for the job plus 10 mins extra for the water pump. The rad needs to come out when you do the job so if your car has a lot of miles (like mine 2004K) that may result in a new Rad being needed (like mine) because of corroded fittings. Also it took forever to get the air locks out of the colling system.

Good luck.

Bren

Hi Nige

You may have a wheel bearing going. When you turn as you load up the bearings you will find they will whine and then stop as you steer the other way. I had one rear left one go (it takes the load on roundabouts etc). To check as you drive down the road steer to the right (just a little) and that will load the left rear - steer left for the right side. It will only take a little flick - mine started with a little buzz and steadily became louder - as you know the slightest noise is audible in our fantastic cars.

204 K miles no back end or gear box problems.

Good luck

Bren

Hi guys

If I were to import a car from Ireland to the UK, would I have to put a british plate on it, if its got irish mot would i have to get a british mot and if its got tax would i have to get british tax????

Also I may have couple of grand to spend on an Late Ls400 soon, so if anyone wants to sell me a late one 99-2000 do let me know.

The DVLA.org will tell you what to do - I would check before you buy, especially insurance etc. If you are a UK resident you have to register the car here as soon as you import it. If you are a visitor you can use a foreign registered car here for 6 months in any 12 provided it is legal in the country it is registered in.

Bren

Hi LD2

I have done 204K in 11 years- a lot of them on LPG - mixed driving with a lot of long distance at high speed in the early years - the last two years a lot of short running and my oil never ever looks other than brand new even at change time - just like Mike's.

It is hard to imagine that a Lexus dealer would put the wrong oil in your car because they would be using the same Synthetic 5W30 oil in most of their petrol engines (and probably Diesels as well). Had the head gasket blown? What needs to be fixed because at official dealer rates a head job will be £5K so good luck with getting them to sort it out at their expense.

Bren

On one of my LS400s the coolant level in the reservoir perpetually dropped to an inch below the marker BUT it didn't ever seem to drop further, and when topped up again just dropped to that level again BUT stayed there. Odd I know but you just might not have a problem that's worth worrying about, just maybe keep a beady eye on it.

Malc

Hi Malc

I have the same thing happen on my 430 and a pal does on his 400. If you fill the reserve tank up and then start the engine from cold the water pump pushes water in to the tank and this will run out of the overflow. This means the level in the reseve tank will drop below the low mark when the thermostat opens and stays there. I talked to an old Lexus mechanic about this and he said it is normal (by old I mean has worked on them from day 1) - it seems feasible to me.

Bren

Since I bought the car over a year ago, I noticed it there was a very very slight coolant leak, as the level was dipping (over the course of months not weeks), but just topped up with a little water and didn't worry any more.

I got an LPG installation done about 2 months ago, and since then, the leak has accelerated quite a bit and i've had to top up with pre mixed red coolant.

Obviously, this needed further investigation. My suspicion was that it was the waterpump (original pump, at 97k miles, not done with TB at 70k)

I brought it to Toyota, and got a pressure test done, and it held pressure fine. He also said it's not the head gaskets so not to worry about that. He said there was a very tiny leak at the waterpump, but in his experience that was normal enough, and felt they all do that. He filled the coolant to the high line, and told me to come back in a weeks time to reassess.

So today, three days later, the coolant level has dropped by and inch & 1/2 on the reservoir.

I'm trying to figure this one out.

It seems that having the LPG installation (which has been perfect, running great and getting almost same MPG as petrol), has accelerated the leak quite a bit. I don't exactly know how the LPG system runs, but could it be taking coolant?

Any thoughts on this one folks? It's a bit perplexing, and with LPG running hotter than petrol, the cooling system needs to be tip top.

Hi Mark

No leak is normal so you need to get it fixed asap - I had one caused by a missing hose clip (after some work). If you have a water pump leak then you need to change it. The LPG evaporater needs warm water so it is "T'ed" into the water system and will not use water unless it is leaking. The gear box has an oil cooler and is a source of a possible leak - very nasty. All that said if you have had it checked at a Lexus dealer and they said it is OK except for the pump then it needs changing - it is 2.5 + hours work at a dealer because the RAD has to come out. This can be a problem if the car is old - When I had my 200K cam belt change the rad came out but could not go back in because of corrosion and had to be replaced. I could not find a third party product and the Leuxs gen part was £300. I suspect the dealer does not want to strip it down and possible give you bad news. The cam belt is due at 100K on a 430 but you say yours was done at 74K ? also you have only 94K on the clock so your Rad should be in good shape - mine had probs at 200K.

Good luck but fix that leak.

Bren

Dont get me wrong its a nice car, but i cant get used to the road noise.

Maybe you could borrow an old Transit van for a few weeks, then you'd realise how quite yours is. I know someone who could lend you one, it just needs the duct tape replacing on the front wing and its ready to go!

If I ever start to moan about my 430 I adopt your proposed tactic - i.e. go for a ride in some other sh*te box on wheels (not a 400 though :)) I had 3 X 400s and have never regreted the change to the 430

Bren