ambermarine

Hi Nigel It would be interesting to know the mileage ,I had some issues with my first LS that were speed and direction influenced. I thought at first it was the prop shaft then the gearbox and the diff which all turned out fine . This was around 150k and it got gradually worse ,I took it to a local garage and put it on a rolling road and locked the front wheels we then identified the vibration /rumbling as being caused by the trailing arm bushes at the back, front and rear fixings badly worn. I advise pinning the location down then look for worn bushings in the suspension.

The disc in the LS400 up to 2000 is a CD ,it was only when the Ls430 was introduced the disc became a DVD. The updates for the LS400 were phased out in the early part of the century and were very limited due to the space on the CD.

Security code on the Mark 4 is optional but if it as been applied then disconnecting the battery will cause a re-insert requirement when reconnected. If you inadvertently disconnect without having the code there is a dance with the switches routine that reverts the code back to factory setting, so you can start from scratch. It is in the forum archives .

Simon You will fare better if you use an impact wrench a Dewalt 18v will do the job but make sure you use hardened bits or the keyway will round. If you overfill there is a pressure relief valve in the diff housing so excess fluid will leech out.

When I bought my first Mark 1 LS in 96 a guy in the pub called it a Barge I was a little bit miffed and went away thinking I should find a summary name for his new BMW I eventually thought this one up. So I asked him what BMW stood for he gave me the correct answer and I pointed out it actually meant" Box made for #ankers. He never spoke to me again.

With regard to bits of metal flying off and entering the A/C system just to reassure those of you that fear this could happen, it can't. The A/C compressor is driven via a magnetic clutch off the crankshaft via the serpentine belt. The compressor as a built in pressure switch that electronically disengages the clutch if the pressure drops for any reason, be it leaks or seizure due to lack of pag oil etc. The seizure is the main fault on all A/C compressors due to lack of oil and the Magnetic clutch is mainly there as a safeguard against further damage to the system. On the mark 1 Lexus LS400 the compressor would go on and off during operation depending on the loading but on later models a new compressor was introduced with balanced pressure features that enabled constant operation.

First of all lets get this gearbox lubrication sorted out. The gearbox does not have oil in it as transmission fluid ,it is best sourced from Lexus as it is formulated for their gearboxes but can be used in all Toyota auto gearboxes. Taking out the 2 litres of fluid from the transmission drain pan will not remove much of the contents of the transmission and associated cooling system . The correct way is two remove it via the filler tube with a pump, you will need about 12 litres of fluid to clear the whole system. I have a 12volt marine engine oil removal pump I used to market that originated in the states but is no longer produced there are similar models in the marinas. Take out two litres and put in two litres run the car round the block and repeat the process until the fluid is cherry red and smells new.

Hi Nige The suspension issue can be resolved only by replacement of the unit that is leaking as they are sealed units and not repairable. The boot release could be several fault lines .The battery in your fob is weak the signal transmitter or receiver could be faulty ,or the release solenoid is sticking in the catch . Take a look at the solenoid release on the catch first and go through the other fault lines until you find it. If you feel you would like to dispense with the ongoing issues that occur with the air suspension you could convert to coil over springs. Nice example by the way.

Yes Phil If you look through my archive I was the the guy who posted that fix way back then . I also fixed the LCD readout on the AC/ Temp/time display on my Mark 1 but the latter took 14 hours and numerous emails trans Atlantic to a guy in San Fransisco who had sourced a manufacturer and programmed the LCD and sold them initially for the US market. He supplied me with the LCD and a RHD convertor as the original LCD was for LHD models. It was a challenging task and done because Lexus did not have the part and I am particular in having the original status quo,looking back and bearing in mind the vehicle no longer exists one might ask , was it worth the effort, my response, of course," In pursuit of perfection".

Phil I take on board your views on mechs and techs ,but the issue is not with the ability to repair a part it is weather it as economically viable to do so,bearing in mind that a lot of components are manufactured as non repairable these components are virtually destroyed getting into them. Electrical components are now sealed for life when made and a lot of the mechanical components are similar. The ability to enter these units and reassemble would take a lot of time and not be perfect as some ingenuity would be required in reassembly and that in itself annuls the integrity of the part. Dealerships have set criteria and time boundaries for repairing cars and disrupting through flow by having vehicles stood about waiting to be fixed is not viable to a service environment. JIT( just in time) supply chain was invented by the Japanese to cut down the cost of keeping massive inventories during manufacture it also applies in the service and repair sector ie; not having parts or vehicles stood around doing nothing.

If the transmission fluid meets the cherry red, not burnt criteria leave it alone.The diff oil is good for at least 150k .

Unbelievable ,How can the trader ask that money for that example and keep a straight face . It is a good candidate for how not to treat a LS400 and next stop is the breakers yard ,the rear wing damage is not repairable or at least not economically and its left hand drive status as probably excluded it from British roads on its safety factor. If this is the kind of money the public are prepared to pay for this example what is mine worth?

I reported on this subject after my last visit to Florida in the spring,I bought a serpentine belt at a Lexus Dealership in Fort Myers but had to say it was for a American sourced model. The stores manager told me Lexus dealerships are not allowed to sell parts for foreign sourced cars. So it is unlikely they will ship to the UK.

John There is a tutorial on the forum on fixing this problem I wrote it about three or four years ago, check out my inputs.

The reason I suggested an independent engineer and not Lexus is the first line of defence the garage as "Lexus would say that would'nt they. A motor engineer would not have to take the engine to bits to identify the fundamentals of fault analysis especially if the engine did run, although very rough ,which helps to analyze specific faults. It sounds like you have some chance of getting the original 700 quid back and hopefully they have not damaged anything apart from the relay. On the subject of the relay ,it is unlikely a fault on a relay would cause the engine to run rough relays are simply protection gates and after initial surge usually fall dormant. I hope you get the matter resolved without stressing to much, after all the car is still in one piece and can be put right.

Without sounding smug I have always advocated Lexus dealerships to do complex jobs as they will put it right without any hassle should they get it wrong. In this case you have fell into a right cowboy outfit who sound like they have no idea what they are doing and if you take it back will end up with more damage or worse, no engine. The way to go is to appoint a motor engineer to assess what as been done to the engine ,take his report to the garage and point out the issues and then get a price from Lexus to put the car right . Go back to the garage with this price and agree it as to be paid by them or you will just end up chasing scotch mist.

I noticed a key that is sought after, is on ebay

Martin This could be a faulty abs sensor in the hub of one of the front wheels , it will pulsate on one side but the car will not lose its line of trajectory in the same way this does not happen when the car skids on one wheel due to ice or aquaplaning which is what abs is designed to do. The best way to find out is to disconnect the sensors by degree on both sides and then run the car on the road and apply normal brake testing. If the pulsating is not present you have a fault in the abs system. Alternatively you could disable the abs system by putting the car in snow mode which may work towards confirming it is the abs that is faulty

Can't sell it on here as I am not a gold member.

Hi Is this what you are looking for?

My parking sensor on the Mark 4 sits in the passenger seat and is deployed when a tight parking space is encountered, very reliable and works under all conditions .She does'nt dare fail as she would not be able to stand the verbals if I scratched the Lexus

Malcolm The rev counter works electronically from an impulse generated in the engine it is converted to the mechanical readout (needle) within the combination meter and the pyhsics although simple are very difficult to get into let alone fix. Even replacing the combination meter is quite onerous and as you say it is not that important on a automatic transmission.

Mark, There were several silver variations for that series 2 1997 model. The colour code is universal and when identified as a match is easy to order. There are paint companies who can identify the colour from a chip of the paint. Ask your seller to get a chip of paint off the door inside the rubber seal where the sealant as been applied between panel joints and send that off to a paint company that can identify it. Use the subject of an order for scratch touch up, then you have a touch up paint for the car.

Colin The pin comes out and the rubber boot pulls off the body of the caliper be careful you don't tear the boot as they are designed to create a vacuum within the cylinder that moves the pad away from the disc, there is also a rubber o ring on the end of the pin which should be on to create the seal for the vacuum, it sometimes get left in the caliper tube when pulling the pin out. It is a primitive way of releasing the pad from the disc and will become ineffective when gunged up and rusted. The system was changed on the later calipers on Mark 4s

I did all the servicing on my Mark 1 which I had for 16 years did'nt make one jot of difference in the service records as the vehicle was scrapped the year after I sold it .The Mark 4 I have now has three Lexus dealership stamps in the service record one for pre-delivery and one free 500 mile and one for annual service whilst they owned it.The previous owner to me had it serviced at an independent but he only put 9k on it in 13 years .I have serviced it twice in four years and have put 16k on it so there are three entries in the service record for Lexus two for me and thats it on a eighteen year old car with 33k on it . Service bills at a minimum and car as good as new, simples.