ambermarine

Gorodish Bite the bullet and buy it,The airbag light is a repairable problem and at the end of the day if the rest of the car is sound you will be getting a rare example of the best Mark that the Lexus LS400 came as. Get a AA survey and use the result to convince the present owner he as to accommodate your offer,he his not likely to sell it if it cannot pass a MOT. With regard to DIY fix on the airbag unless you have extensive knowledge of the technology I would not recommend it,they are dangerous things if not handled properly . Find an independent who is clued up on airbags and get it repaired properly.

Whilst browsing the web came across this ,I commented on another thread last week about the 1 ZUFE being used in other applications ,this is the most outlandish yet.

The rocker cover is easy and it would be a new gasket requirement they are not a common problem for leaking and it could be that in the past the rocker cover as been taken off and not replaced properly. The camshaft cover is a different problem in that there should not be any oil in that unit and if there is it will be because the camshaft seal as failed,I would get your mechanic to do a front end inspection and clean off to investigate the leak source as these engines are normally bone dry on the outside. On my Mark 1 the camshaft seals on the rear end of the engine got a bit oil damp towards the 160k time but it did'nt run out so I took no action but your problem is needing attention.

If it is engine oil there are only two sources that can get to your alternator from that part of the engine and that is the rocker box cover and the gasket to the right bank camshaft end cover (front) and to be frank it would need to be a sizeable leak to get into the alternator. There will be a lot of oil running down the front and side of the block which should be dry . Can I ask why you are so sure it is not power steering fluid .

Peter I admire your honesty and hope you get a reasonable return on the project it as cleared a few myths and truths up thats for sure. I think that anyone who as experienced long term use of either the 400 or 430 tend to get converted to that ambience for life and it is a bit difficult to get over them, a bit like a trusted favourite armchair.

Mark I did the very same thing back in 2004 with a Mark1 identical in every way to the car I owned for 16 years. The car I bought had only 70k on it and was a write off due to front end suspension damage caused through high speed impact with a kerb,I bought the car for approx £780 and straight away swapped the bonnet as mine had a dent in it and was the main reason for buying the car in the first place. I swapped the front seats as they were in better condition than mine. I then stripped everything off the car except the engine and drive train including the running gear. I then sold the car on ebay to a guy who was building a kit car for £600 and was using the engine and running gear as a platform. I then sold the audio equipment less speakers on ebay for £110 I sold some of the Ecus for around £50 on the same site. I stored the rest for ten years and apart from the odd bulb and the mudflaps some of the spares went off with the Mark 1 when she was sold ,the rest went to member on here free gratis who had the same model. I have not done the same excercise with my Mark 4 but have bought the spare mirror units and a centre console unit. The spares for the Mark 4 are available on Ebay and are more plentiful than the Mark 1 was when I had it but there are more Mark 4 models about and more are being broken. It is a temptation to buy a donor car and if they can be bought at the right price it is a good idea but don't expect to use the spares they are simply an insurance.

Hi Barry Google Lextreme, It is the go to forum for using the 1UZFE in all kinds of conversions.

With regard to this subject,reading the experiences of other members I on the purchase of my Mark 4 set out a course to buy two replacement mirrors, not just the glass, the whole unit,something I did on my Mark1 ,glass was used eventually. This exercise took a couple of months I put an alert on my ebay account for said mirrors and eventually I bought them both for a total amount of £60,they are not the colour of my car in fact they are different colours but that is not a problem and I can canibalise the parts as needed . In the event they are not yet needed but its nice to have them when a new replacement is around £700

Now its all getting a bit silly,I can see why the restraint I had about buying a 460 was justified,I am all for advancement in technology but do I really need a sensor on the wheel to tell me what psi the tyre is. The answer is no ,because the cost of replacing them and the hassle is just not worth the benefit. The very able manual tyre guage is more than adequate and it also contributes to the safety of the car . When I was in the army many moons ago my trade as a driver Royal Signals carried responsibilities other than just driving the vehicle,there was a standing order known as first parade which entailed a check of wheel nuts ,tyre, lights ,water, oil, petrol ,windscreen wipers/washers fluid levels and that was before you started the vehicle. Now if you are using a tyre pressure guage, you will also because you are there check the state of the tyres or should do. Comfort levels today have taken a lot of the physical and observation elements out of the scenario and to my mind it is not a good thing.

Ron The bottom panel is held on with clips and double sided tape ,there is a tool for removing the panel its available on ebay and being made of plastic it does not mar the paintwork when coming against it in the leverage position. The clips are reusable if you remove the panel properly but are available from Lexus if you need to replace them. There was a thread on this subject a couple of weeks ago showing the layout and parts for the front door and part numbers .

Malc They are quite easy to refurb but you must get your colour code from the wheel refurbiser, if you have that all you need is one aerosol of primer one of paint and one of clearcoat. The trick is to apply the first coat of clearcoat within 4hours of the last coat of paint then two more coats of clearcoat on the same time schedule otherwise the clearcoat will flake within a year.

Malc I was in the states a few years back when I was looking for the spare set of caps on my Mark 4. I purchased 1 from a site on ebay he claimed in his description it was oem but when it arrived it was a chinese rip off the logo was smaller than the genuine item I contacted the seller and he fessed up straight away and refunded my money and told me to keep the fake. Just a word of warning ,I was in the states, it could be a lot messier if one has them shipped

When I had the wheels refurbed on my Mark 1 the idiots that did the job sent the wheels back with the centre caps unpainted ,they said they baked the wheels in an oven after spraying and obviously could'nt put the plastic centre caps in the oven. I had a hell of a job matching the paint when I refurbed the caps in the same manner as Normski ,as it turned out weather they had baked the wheels or not they lasted less than two years before badly corroding. On my Mark 4 The wheels had just been done when I bought it but the centre cap's lacquer had started to peel so I purchased a full set off ebay refurbed them myself and have just fitted them after 4 years one wheel is starting to bubble but the rest are fine. The previous owner told me he paid £350 at the time and sent them back as he was'nt happy with the first attempt , the company as since gone bust . So it is a lottery as to how things develop over time with the Lexus wheels.

Hi Stuart Go to www.clublexus.com in the search box type in ;first generation power steering Bible. could be your answer there. Nice job by the way.

Peter I have followed this thread with keen interest and I think the members owe you a round of applause for your detailed reports on progress with your refurb of this car. When I was replacing the Mark 1 I looked at the 460 as an option but the main reason I did not pursue the notion was lack of feedback on onward repairs and anomalies,you have now provided that in spades and given a whole insight into the pros and cons of purchasing a second hand example with little history. The engineering is superb but even good engineering will suffer under abuse and to be fair I think your car as had a bit of abuse so renewals may not come as thick and fast on similar example year of registration if the car as been Lexus serviced and the car driven as a Lexus should be. Thanks again.

Shirish The 2nd option refers to the last upgrade of the Lexus Ls400 mark 4 they added a couple of things that were not on the 97 version which had satnav here but not in the states that was introduced on the 2nd option . So as far as your car goes the option depends on manufacture date or in the UK ,registration date.

Peter I note from your excellent updates so far that you have not seen it incumbent to replace any of the arms on the rear of the car. I only broach this subject because the early LS400 s were very poor at the back end on bushings after 120ks I had to replace the trailing arms and upper wishbones when My Mark 1 started vibrating like hell at certain speeds. Now I know the 460 is a totally different set up but from the wear you have had on the front end is the rear likely to have some. I suspect when you put on those new tyres you will get an answer to this query.

Brian I have learnt my lesson from the Mark 1 I had for a long 16 years so I do not apply the foot operated parking brake on my Mark 4 unless it is parked on a slope .It is very easy to drive off from stationary parking for a few hundred yards before realizing the parking brake is on. If you do that a few times it does not take long to wear them out and the lovely people who designed the brakes put adjusters in for idiots like me. So thats why they have to be replaced

Peter Great tutorial and one of the best on here for a long time some great tips with regard to paint applications, enjoy your car .

Mark there are a couple of threads on here with regards the fitting of the handbrake shoes,I think there is a pictorial instruction on Lexusowners us site. You will find these very helpful the job is a bit of a head scratcher to the uninitiated .

Brake manufacturers are asked to put forward their best match to the specification that Lexus wants for a particular vehicle during the design stage they don't go out and build a one off design. They may have already have designed this specification for another car manufacturer and it will be tweaked if there is enough market for it in terms of numbers made. The shoes and pads are again made from materials tried and tested for durability longevity and cost production and the design of these components is complex with regards to materials used the research and development is key to a good product. There are companies that just manufacture the hardware such as rotors and calipers and carriers and they ask pad manufacturers to come up with materials that give those rotors a long life but also give the top braking performance ,so it is not a one party effort getting the right mix of components. There will have been numerous meetings with all parties to achieve the best product simply because reputations depend on it. After market companies are never at those meetings and their claim manufactured to oem specs is not precisely correct as they are simply ripping off the original spec without inside knowledge. I was reliably informed by a Lexus Executive that on consumables Blueprint come within 10% of original spec and they are supposed to be the best but thats not good enough for me ,I always use OEM parts.

Shirish Lexus are doing whats commonly known as covering your *rse with *hithouse paper, The serpentine belt they are referring to as one tensioner but rarely needs replacing it is the main tensioner for the belt and is pulled back so the belt can be removed there are tutorials on several sites on the belt replacement the job takes about twenty minutes ,I have one I purchased in the states two years ago waiting to go on . They cost OEM about £50 from Lexus,The bolts on the undertray do rust and tend to snap off which entails a drill out of the broken bolts and a re-tap for new ones, thats where the cost is. Incidently I had my undertray removed last year for suspension work and that as cable ties fastening it now as the guys who did the job had the snapped bolt issue,I am not fussed as the ties do the job and can't be seen As for the rest, use your own judgement but the thing to remember is ,you are always covered for these anomalies that crop up because they know they will and thats why they warn you.

Michael As Stuart says it is not required the plugs do not deteriorate with age, only use. Recommended change is 60k then thats the time to change them and genuine recommended replacements are not cheap.

Yes Mike That is the dealerships polite way of telling you what Lexus say and the mantra comes from Lexus .Any company regardless as to weather its a car builder or mechanical shovel builder will not touch anything after it as been exposed to a condition it as not tested to destruction during development. This usually refers to consumables that have not been recommended or modifications that are not type approved. The dealership is simply making sure it does not set any precedents outside its remit,after all it is a franchise and Lexus make the rules.

Malc Yes, that is the case you are not claiming for anything so you will waive your rights to anything that would benefit you from that accident . Your question on the TPFT is simply answered you have no cover for your vehicle apart from fire and theft so again accident damage is not covered if its your fault. Claims by third parties are covered subject to conditions set out in the policy such as legality to drive abuse of drugs alcohol etc.