ambermarine

John It seems to be a recurring problem on the Mark 4, I have had two instances of this phenomenom and both times exactly the symptoms you had.My car as only done 26k and it first occured for me at 23k. I have investigated the scenario and it seems the ignition switch on the Mark 4 it not integrated into the ignition barrel as it is on earlier models .The switch is screwed onto the end of the barrel and the ignition wiring is plugged into it .Somewhere there is a design fault which causes the switching to disengage and hence the blackout scenario. I have also discovered that this switch is made by an outside supplier and is fitted to a lot of Totota and Lexus models were it as also caused this problem. This particular switch is also supplied to other manufacturers of motor vehicles. I toyed with the idea of replacing it but as my car as done very few miles it is not wear so the problem could re-occur even after fitting a new switch. This last weekend I have completed a 750 mile round trip to England through various driving modes Motorway/rural /town and city and had no instance of the problem .I now know what it is and a tiny touch of the key and it resolves itself so I think I will leave it alone unless it gets worse.

Make sure there is nothing under the seat between the bottom of the seat subframe and the floor,it is unlikely to be what you are suggesting unless a previous owner as damaged the sprung area of the seat. Lexus do exhaustive testing of all components for noise related friction on parts .Thats why lots of components are wrapped in foam and compressed fabric. Stuart The seat is removed by unfastening four floor bolts two at the rear have carpet covered plastic shrouds which clip on,they require a fair degree of force ,knock them away from the seat with a pry bar inserted in the top edge .The front bolts are covered by the seat and are exposed when the seat is adjusted into the back position to its full extreme. You may have to remove the seat via the back door as the steering wheel gets in the way for front door removal. I switched over the seats from a Mark 1 to My Mark 1 which was in better nick than mine but I dismantled the whole interior of that car so I cannot be sure on the removal procedure. don't forget to unplug the seat memory controls before taking it out.

I would agree with that analagy to a degree as there are so many good examples about in Japan the other problem with the Celsiors is the control switches are Japanese language and it does 'nt look right somehow.The other aspect is the discontinuation of spare parts.The rear subframe on the Mark 1 was unavailable as far back as 2008 so other parts will now have fallen in to that category. If someone wants a good example to use occasionally for High days and such, then getting a good example at a reasonable price is what I did but to spend that kind of money is non viable.

Takman I would have a word with your Local Lexus dealership workshop guys ,they are usually very helpful try and catch one in the service parking area you may also make a very good contact for future queries .

Hi Do the spring loaded clamps require any kind of lubrication on thier captive parts or does the slide require lubrication such as silicone spray. If the unit is struggling with the load and everything looks good mechanically it could be lubrication ,try spraying the whole lot with silicone spray lubricant ,it can't do any harm.

Malc There is a given period between starting to give noise and becoming a MOT failure or an advisory,on my Mark 1 that noise appeared around 110k and we changed both sides at around 150k and even then they were not Mot failures. With regard to wear I would think that as a steering joint subject to mutiple angle forces on one joint the wear would be more prevelant on an urban vehicle (continous cornering) than a motorway cruiser. In that respect the cars usage will play a big part, my Mark1 was a urban (London) used car for its first 50K , I used it for a mixture of both for the next 150k.

James Sometimes it might look like an expensive option but when these worshops that don't have the correct analysis equipment look at these cars it becomes a guessing game and can prove a lot more expensive in the long run.

Jonathan Nice to see you back in the fold, tidy looking, as been already said but it looks cared for. Good luck with the issues .

The wheel bearings are non adjustable,causes of clonking are well documented the main one on the front is the upper control arm bush that connects to the hub .The standard mileage for these is about 100k before they start to give trouble . Test procedure; Jack up the front wheel off the ground and wedge a bar from the ground against the tyre at the bottom ,lever up and cup the bush in your hand if it is moving about you will feel it knocking. Do not replace with items sold on ebay they are useless and will last about as long as it takes to fit. Experience as shown that only genuine oem units work.

Sitting here in front of the screen watching these scenes some of which are very funny but others are and must have been terrifying when they actually happened.I'll bet insurance is expensive in Russia.

I don't think there is an electrical motorised unit on the lexus Ls400 that has not got some kind of relay ,thats why it as a virtually perfect electrical system and very few blown bulbs,I never had a bulb go in 190k miles on my 22 year old Mark 1. The blue box on the antenna next to the connection plug as all the circuitry for the motor and antenna hieght control for frequency change etc,so I would imagine there is some kind of relay in there. I am not sure as to weather there is a relay in the fuse boxes dedicated to the antenna. The antenna always goes up and down a moment after the ignition is turned on or off which signals the operation of a relay. Just a note to this; The relay that is connected to the antenna array is not for the antenna it is the rear fog light Relay.The reason I know this is when my Mark 1 unit failed I replaced it with an aftermarket unit until an oem replacement came up on ebay. I disconnected the wires to that relay thinking they were for the antenna I was taking out and three years later my car failed its MOT because the rear fog lights were not working ,enough said, don't use them anymore.

DaleV I think I saw that on my research and there is one that as a battery connection with the dropper for 5V built in to the wire.I suppose it is possible to wire into the dome light which would illiminate any windscreen perimiter run of cable.

When the rubbers on my Mark 1 went bad after 10 years I purchased new rubbers from the Lexus parts dept. At that time the clip came off the end and it was a case of feeding in the new rubber and replacing the clip, they cost about a tenner then. I don't know if it the same set up on my Mark 4 because the ones that are on are OK.

Daz72 That is more like it, no hard wiring and can be removed in a minute ,all I have to do now is phone upgrade as my mobile runs on steam.

I to coincidentally have been recently mulling the idea over after seeing one advertised in the Sunday Times driving supplement. I did a couple of hours internet research yesterday and came up with the following . I wanted a small camera that was inobtrusive and preferrably sat behind the rear view mirror. There are cameras that do not have a built in screen and they would be the one that sits up behind the mirror approx 3 inches long by an inch diameter cyndrical in shape . The problem with these type of cameras they do not run long on their internal battery which means they have to be hard wired down to the cigarette lighter ,some of the products are supplied with a dedicated battery connection. The idea of taping wires along the windscreen edge and under and accross the dashboard is not to my liking. The one I mentioned in the opening paragraph as a screen and will run for upto 4 hrs on its internal battery but it is cumbersome and looks like a radar detector stuck to the screen, again not something I want in the Lexus. Prices varied from sources on ebay to dedicated outlets on the internet from £14 to £300 but even at that cost the battery issue prevailed . So until they come up with a small unit with a long life battery I will give it a miss for now.

Bit dissapointing at first glance ,the wheels are scabby the drivers seat is filthy the gearstick garnish looks dull I think the low mileage might be an attraction but I'll bet all the issues on the Mark 1 will be prelevant, if not now very soon.

Great news Mike and well done sounds like the, "get it repaired" theory is correct and great news for all us members just a shame that you had to prove it. This outcome as very important implications for the LS400 forum and should be pinned.

The pics that Norman as posted are not uncommon in Florida and I have seen rust buckets that have been brought from upstate New York and the like that are held together with Duct tape. The police do not seem to bother unless the character driving the car looks as unsavoury as the car then its a pullover and not the woollen type. Incidently the yellow sticker in the top right hand corner of the licence plate is the "Tag" this as to be renewed annualy or on change of ownership. It is basically a record update is not a tax as such but there is a fee for renewal.

There is no Mot as such, in some states there is an annual roadworthiness test .Not sure about LA as city but there is non in Florida. The driving licence is not a problem as a visitor but if you stay for a longer period, say on a work permit for two or three years you have to take their driving test. The issue for you is that to register your vehicle they have to have a USA address and thats why unless you own a property it will be difficult to register the vehicle other than by Proxy which is messy.

Malc The protocol for owning a car in the States as a foriegner is pretty straight forward.You may have to get someone you know or an attorney to do the attendance for tagging (registration) if you cannot give a permanent address or be there, as the plate takes a couple of weeks to come through and driving around on the temporary plate is a bit of a no no for all sorts of reasons. Different states have anomolies on registration but the basics are federal so driving around the states is not a problem. On the subject of a cheap LS400 ,thats unlikely unless its a duffer . The LS400 retains good and a lot higher residual resale prices over there and commands upto 80% more than UK prices. The Mark 4 That I bought back in 2012 with 18k on the clock would have fetched $15000 (£10000) no problem My friends over there still can't understand why I am not in jail for stealing it,they just can't understand why they are so cheap here and also at an higher specification. A lot of the things we take for granted like leather upholstery Sat Nav premium stereo are upgrades over there and cost extra at first purchase.

I don't care if it sells or not it gives me a warm glow inside, my 98 26k on clock is as mint and that price is twice as much as I paid for mine ,as the same colour scheme and originally came from Lexus Cheltenham but it was'nt Listers. In 98 it was "Bill Allen".As Nach says it is unusual for Lexus to sell cars over 6 years old in their showrooms

Looks like the nearside front or rear of the four sunroof drains are blocked,there is a drain on each corner.The sunroof is not and never was designed to be water tight so a metal pan sits under it to catch any water ingress, this is then drained by plastic pipes. If the car is normally parked on a level plain one of the drains is sufficient to allow escape of water from the sunroof pan. The fact your car was parked in a position that allowed access to only two of the drains on the nearside means one of them or even both are blocked by muck and detritus The water as oveflowed the pan and run down the interior of the ceiling panel then down the interior of the side panels into the footwell. Remedy; Feed a thin wire through the plastic pipe that exits in the boot side compartment. That will clear the back. The front is a little bit harder to get at because the pipe exits through the crumple zone the front wing sits on and the exit is hidden up inside the wing, the entrance to the top of the pipe is really tight in at the front corner of the sunroof .

Hi Mike Do not let them bully you, it easy for them to preside over your pride and joy .Now is the time to test the notion that you can make them repair the car if you are blameless. I can tell you that fixed by Lexus you are looking at about £4-5k ,I had a new bumper fitted on my Mark 1 15 years ago and that cost £2k then. Get the gloves on and prepare to start fighting . Good Luck

Malc They are already classics ,but for that Numpty Gordon Brown they would be officially classics at 25 years of age . He pre 1972d everything when he was chancellor to get the road fund tax back that was until then automatically free on 25 year old cars. If we look at the condition of most of the still around Mark 1 series they have nothing like the renovations required on post 80s and 90s classic cars of other manufacturers which once again is another testament to how good these cars are.

It is a good article thanks for the heads up Steve. It is amazing that in our lifetimes we have had the privelige of owning one of these cars and they have satisfied our every need to the extent I have no desire after eighteen years owning a mark 1 and mark 4 to change to something else.That is perfection.