ambermarine

With regard to the full service history I have already posted the reasons probable for the ommision and to be honest at the sale price its really not an issue. The car was probably the chauffeur driven chief execs car and the video showing is one of the Mcalpine's at a steam rally as the family are large contributors to such undertakings ,Sir William Mcalpine died in March this year. If I were in the market for a 600 I would probably have bought it myself but it is a car that one needs to sit in the back of and I cannot for the life in me get the wife to wear a chauffeurs hat.

I found the best way to get at the oil filter on the driveway is remove the wheel then two bolts that are on the flap.

The bolts that fasten on the shield tend to corrode and seize up, they then snap leaving the thread trapped in the bracket which unless drilled out makes it difficult to refasten . The last time my shield came off for the front wheel allingment to be given attention it came back with cable ties fastening two of the now broken front bolts.

The cost of replacing the head unit complete from Lexus is £5000 +vat , I got one on Ebay as soon as I bought my 98 model as I saw this a major component due to its multi roll in the scheme of the electronics. It would be better to source a replacement unit from a breaker and you are about right on your estimate,the messing about trying to sort out the alternative scenarios you describe are onerous and likely to be a nightmare in execution. The code for the radio is likely to be an issue if you acquire a breaker replacement but there is a switch dance that reverts the unit back to factory settings.

It is just the way of things,the car looks mostly recycled already and the don't last forever, it may have been written off by insurance or Mot something we have no control over, makes the preventative measures I recently took on my Mark 4 all that more important.

The Mark 4 is twenty years old in November and I have just done a clean and refurb of the wheels as a birthday treat,see pics The wheel wells were scrubbed clean and sprayed with new underseal and the suspension hardware arms were coated with protective corrosion resistor, the static beams and fixings coated with a slight film of sprayed underseal ,this prevents atmospheric corrosion.The rest of the under floor is rust free as it was like new factory finish. I did the underside with Dinitrol 6 years ago when I bought the car and it was a good move as the area around the diff and above is still corrosion free.

Service schedule says 30k but I ran my Mark 1 to 150k before changing it ,if it is pink and does'nt smell burnt leave it alone.

It is a crucial part as it will be an MOT fail if not functioning properly.

I used to do business with the company who owned the car and they had their own plant workshops I suspect the servicing was done in house and I have no doubt to the highest standard.

I don,t know who as the highest but I think I have the lowest 39k

The rear subframe for the Mark 4 is expensive from Lexus and cannot be obtained from aftermarket suppliers,your best option is a breaker such as Paul Frost who specializes in used Lexus parts. Your Mechanic needs to give you a price for fitting before you set about getting a replacement subframe because its not a small job and my guess is you will need a few other replacement bushes and control arms by the time he as taken the subframe off the car.

Check the upper control arms especially the ball joint ,way to check is jack car weight off the front wheel and place a tyre lever or bar at the bottom outside edge and push upwards at the same time clasp the ball joint ,if it is suspect you will feel it moving about.

I am more interested in how he got his lawn that good.

You are correct in your description of working parts and sequence ,I can only suggest the pump for the washers is faulty or the nozzles are blocked.

Had a situation with my Mark 1 that vibration started at 60 but below that none ,turned out to be the trailing arm bushes and in the end we changed them all on the rear arms and the problem was solved. They were actually shot and had been that way for some time.

The comparison too todays examples is a bit unfair as thirty years is a long time in development ,and the perspective of todays buyers is not of value as most of them were not on the planet when this car was introduced. The driving position for me is the real bonus as compared with the sit up to attention of the suv and similar models today,as for acceleration ,watch out for those speed cameras, perhaps the LS as saved me from getting a few points over the years it is not a boy racer projectile but a get there in style machine. The emphasis is on pedigree and that is why they are still very much sought after today.

The Auxillary belt is easily the easiest to change and also the easiest to check if it is not fraying and the rubber is not cracking on the grooved teeth then it is probably good it will probably have been changed already if the car as done over 100k . The transmission fluid is service recommended for change at 32k on the 400s but my view is if it is pink and does'nt smell burnt it is good.my first 400 had 150k on it before I changed the fluid and it ran fine. Use only genuine Lexus pads on the brakes as they are matched in thermo dynamics to the discs if they are still original. Also use only Lexus Denso or NGK plugs there are copies and they are unlikely to perform as required. When you come into the Lexus realm there are certain things you don't mess with on parts replacements.

The mast for the Lexus ariel can be bought on ebay but how good they are is debatable as for the pads the only ones I will fit are Lexus but are in actual fact branded Toyota and cannot be bought from a Toyota outlet. The discs can be bought from a host of disc manufacturers Brembo amongst others but Lexus brakes are made by Shuminito and cannot be bought anywhere other than from Lexus.

The rev change is normal and is actuated by the valve on the pump which acts on the vacuum created in the plenum on the engine . The purpose is to stop strain being put on the pump when the car is stationary and the steering wheel is turned.

Having checked out the model on resale there is a lot of stock out there and some better examples mileage wise than the one you have cited also the terms the Lexus dealer as given you are not what I would expect from Lexus sounds like this is a part X they have got stuck with and want rid . Have a look on "Trovit" there are at least a dozen good examples.

Crying shame and after all your dedication to the cause ,I would source out a new project and buy that one from your insurers and keep it for spares.

Hi John It sounds like you have put a lot of money and time into your car and the idea of giving up on it will probably never enter your head ,my view is with so much invested it is worth going into a a Lexus dealership and getting it checked on their equipment whatever it is can only be a minor problem as the engine runs normally most of the time.

Hi Use a air or battery powered impact wrench with extension.

It is of no surprise to me that the LS is the best luxury sedan ever built, that was the directive of the President of Toyota in 1983 when the Lexus plan was launched and I do not agree it is the 430, that had too many flaws and was developed on a rushed schedule to replace the 400 before development of the 460 could start. The mark 4 was the ultimate never to be bettered overall by any Lexus since in terms of build quality and development it is those qualities that still turns heads to this day twenty years on.

Ronald I think the 11 wire mirror pulls in when the car is parked and this was fitted to the last of the mark 4s in 2000. If your car is a 97 Mark 4 it will be the 9 wire mirror.