steve2006

There was a branded make of tyre some years ago which was renowned for going oval shaped, it felt like you were driving the clown car at the circus. Thanks for the update, good to hear it was just the tyres causing the problem. With it being a Bank Holiday I’m going to look at the tracking problem on my shopping trolley later 😀

I thought the earlier models had single pot front brakes but I only have twin pot showing up.

Hello and welcome to the LOC. Exhaust blow is normally the cat to Y pipe flanges (the only parts not made from stainless steel). The alloy wheels are another common fault with corrosion, if you have them refurbed and powder coated they should last years. The five speed transmission on your model helps with fuel consumption and 280 bhp 😀

First thing is to check the transmission fluid level, colour and smell. Not familiar with the IS transmission but normal procedure to check fluid level is..... To check the level start the engine, move the gear selector slowly into every position twice then return to park position. With the engine still running remove the transmission dipstick, wipe it clean, reinsert and remove then check the fluid level at the “Cold” mark. Colour should be a dark cherry red and when smelt there should be no burnt smell, I understand the correct fluid is Toyota Type IV. Worst scenario is a faulty transmission or torque converter.

Having looked at the car in the link from the opening post I did notice the following from looking at the pictures. The picture of the engine bay shows rust on all the bolts along the front slam panel which given the age of the car and the salt used on UK roads may be normal but then you begin to think a little more .....what about the underside if these are on top. The pictures below are the shot from the advertisement, the other is mine at another 7 years older. Japan is kind to cars and given the choice I would buy JDM models everytime.

My 1994 JDM Celsior was already converted to MPH when I purchased it, done professionally the electronic gubbins was installed behind the dash and a simple MPH sticker was attached behind the cluster cover. On 2 occasions at the same MOT station I use every years the mileage on the certificate has been recorded as KMs and not miles.

I guess you could try it for what it costs but it wouldn’t provide a long term fix. IIRC the main reason for HG failure was due to the gasket moving between the block and cylinder head.

Strange how there was a shift from chains to belts due to chains stretching and now they are back doing exactly the same even with improvements in materials and technology.

Do you think this one will work for myself Malc 😀

Given the HG is a known problem with this engine the chances are it will be the gasket. Lexus extended the warranty some years ago due to the many problems with the diesel engines used, many vehicles ended up with virtually a new engine!

Your’s will be fine Phil with the car living a cosseted life in Japan with nice smooth roads and no salt, just try and avoid the potholes! I had to replace my nearside front UCA due to a pothole impact and both front LBJs. Fortunately never had a problem on the back.

Same here, it had already been done professionally with a nice discrete switch on the dash and a relay mounted in the boot, also converted speedo and delimited. Those bumper mounted ones look awful, usually on JDM MPVs, I always think “import”

I did that with my Celsior, travelled from home to Blackpool on the train one way, bought the car and drove back home. That was 13 years ago and still going strong

Great result 😀

Ask your local MOT tester to sniff the air in the coolant reservoir with the emissions probe, if it detects exhaust gases this would confirm head gasket issues. You could also have a cylinder pressure test performed where high pressure air in then look for bubbles in the reservoir.

There are quite a few differences on JDM models, my Celsior has bulbs in both indicator sections whereas the UK version only has a bulb in the front facing sections. UK version only has 1 rear light per side...JDM has 3 each side, although the centre one on mine has been converted to rear light/fog light to meet UK requirements.

A common problem with the suspension pump is that the rubber mounts wear allowing metal to metal contact which results in increased noise in the cabin.

As previously mentioned these wheels will not clear the larger 4 pot brake calipers on the later models, good price though.

IIRC the air suspension pump is located inside the front offside wheel arch so this could be the cause of the noise, providing the suspension is maintains height it is perfectly normal, the pump kicks in on start up to equalise the system pressure. If the set up is the same as my old Celsior if you move the height control switch to high the pump should kick in making the same noise. Another possible cause is a vacuum leak on the brake servo located behind the dash. To test this turn off the engine then pump the brake pedal until it becomes hard. Keeping your foot on the pedal start the engine, the pedal should fall slightly under your foot if all OK.

Hello and welcome to the LOC. In a word no..due to the extra load on the engine for the AC the increase in engine idle speed is normal or the engine could stall. Why do you want to stop this feature as it only affects the idle speed, if you are driving it makes little difference anyway, I leave my AC on all the time. With a 4 litre engine it makes little difference to fuel economy anyway.

Just checking fluid levels on the barge and noticed 2 hooks near the rear of the inner wings and matching brackets on the bonnet. These are all fixed in position so I wondered what are they and do. Only explanation I can offer is once the bonnet is closed and the hooks and bracket engage they are there to prevent the bonnet moving back towards the windscreen in the event of a frontal impact. Very clever design.

The picture showing the motor wires just wrapped around the terminals and not soldered immediately raised concerns about build quality! Motor looks cheap and nasty plus what happens once the butterfly valve gets choked with carbon. Plus it’s not simply plug and play..looks like cutting the OEM system to install and some stainless steel welding on the flange supplied. Also bear in mind you need 2 kits which at the price may attract HMRC interest.

The engine temperature on testing is normally recorded on the paper work.

Looks like that part number is specific for the 95-97 LS400, you could ask on the LOC Facebook page.

There is a breather pipe from the tank to the filler pipe which vents air from the tank when filling up which may be blocked. Either that or there’s a blockage in the filler pipe. Have you tried pushing a piece of plastic tube down the filler to see if there is an obstruction?