Tinonline

Hi I can find plenty of posts and guides on early LS400 roll bar bush changes but nought on the later cars...except that it is harder? I've a clunck over speed bumps and on hitting the brakes from the front end. Given that the MOT did not even advise on any wear anywhere, I think these may be likely culprits. Car has 73k on clock. Any advice?

To be clear: I am not offering my car for sale and will not accept any offers. (For the attentiont of the website admin.).

Good to hear. I have a slight shimmy and looking at the discs there is little visible wear. With an auto you are going to be on the brake at traffic lights... I'm going to check my front wheel alignment first.

Depends upon the mileage and type of mileage I do really. It is an awesome car no doubt about that.

It was an offer from Rock Auto in the US. Gates Parts. Actually I should have added about £45 quid to that for the drive belt pulley tensioner. Quite a few bits were worn. Labour was nil as I did the job myself. You can check out my roller coaster ride on earlier posts/threads. I spent another £60 on tools but given I've wider benefits from that £'s spent I've not included that in the overall costs.

Hi I'm enjoying reading posts. Post cam belt and everything changed I'm enjoying my LS400. Started first time on my return from hols. Including the car, I've spent roughly £1,185 and it looks like this: £750 car £ 88 battery £245 cambelt/waterpump/tensioners x2/pulley £ 15 antifreeze (offer) £ 2 deionised water (crazy Halfords offer!) £ 39 bonnet struts £ 12 thermostat £ 20 drive belt £ 6 bulbs £ 5 clip Wheels are rough as hell so I'm paused on those. I reckon there is a grands worth of work on pulling a few dents and respraying both bumpers. Mileage is at 72k. (Other jobs: washer float, maybe discs and pads as there is a slight breaking shimmy, check front alignment - tyres look ok but steering wheel is not 100% straight. Gearbox and diff oil change). Worth fixing or sticking on the wheels and body front? If all goes well over the next year I will sell. Please remember only Gold Members can sell on the LOC

Sounds OK to me. But you might want to swop the sensor as a peace of mind action: it's done a few miles and years. As long as you can get to it without having to faff about - should be a quick whip it out and pop the new in as quick as to avoid draining the coolant or having to overly worry about getting air out of the system. Also...might be 20 degrees plus outside but your engine is cold compared to its normal operating temperature.

Looks like a jacking point insert...but it's too clean... or it has a fluted end...underseat heating pipe end clip/fitting? Seat runner end cap?

What a great story! Great car better nick than my year 2000 !

The only thing is you start out at the belt change... ...but then either find there is more...or you really should replace stuff. I've done mine at 72k and whilst the water pump looked ok, it just has to be done whilst you're in there. Would it do another xk miles or x years, maybe/maybe not. My drive belt tensioner had wear, idler pulley very tired and given the components are consumables I opted to replace the cambelt tensioners. That's a few £ at Lexus and would up the bill.

Yes that's the worse I've seen. Beats an old cabin filter from my Alfa 155 came out like a 500 year old body from its place of rest...whole assembly collapsed into light powder. Looks like you've got bees in there!

It's certainly quite naughty...

Yes - early Jaguar XK's used the same box and suffered same. Auto gearboxes used to be the most reliable transmission but seem to have become highly unreliable. Don't mention ZF...they are not fit even to write the word gearbox.

Yes this is an indication that you might have some charge but it's not enough to crank (usually) the engine. My Jag does the same - all needles flick to their extreme and back again. Bit like a death throw! My LS dash lights just look dimmed and nothing happens! They should be able to cope with light mileage etc. If you need to recharge and if it's 3 or more years old it's probs done for.

Should be OK really. I changed my belt recently at 70k miles, Year 2000 car. First belt change the car had had.

Things you might like to know...de-brief from the Cam Belt, pulleys, drive belt pulleys change: A couple of forums have this as a 9/10 and a not for the faint hearted. Well, if you are a regular DIY mechanic it’s a 4-5 peaking storm force when things are not what they seem! It is about confidence and persistence when the annoyances appear becuase it's an OK project. Once you have done it - you could slash the hours/effort off it. 1) You don’t have to remove the radiator or loosen the aircon compressor You might want to tape a thin layer cardboard across the rad to add protection when you get past removing the fan components. Rad in situ does make undoing and going the fan bolts more fiddly. 2) The big stuff is really quite straight forward - even the timing. If the cam snap rolls, use the old belt to put it back to where you want it. If it springs backwards when you are moving it back, best use a socket and ratchet to ever so slowly, little as possible nudge it clockwise. Slow as you can and it won’t snap roll. If you have the tool - great or not - so what. Slowly and it won’t roll or spin a bit. 3) Don’t take the plugs out, engine turns just fine. 4) I missed a wide pair of pliers for those bloomin rad hose clips. Horrible and getting the hoses disconnected. (See what I mean it’s the silly stuff again). 5) The electrical connectors were awful - took far too long and a pta (See silly stuff). Poor design. 6) Crank bolt if CORRECTLY torqued and not previously removed and replaced by a bloody gun, will be one of the easiest tasks on the planet. If it’s over torqued by a gun, you may need a gun to get it off. Or the starter method. I used the allen key in the flywheel and this, apart from my own idiocy on refitting, was the best way. Don’t use anything small...big as poss and you will be fine. My small allen key took a trip around the flywheel before luckily popping down to where I could retrieve it. 7) I read across the pond “yeh simple with a set of spanners” on removing the fan pulley bracket. There are fibs, fibs and well our friends across the pond. Should be simple but it is not. You have little clearance for the top 14mm bolt. Putting it back...tighten up beyond loose, nice and firm...grease up the 14mm’s a little and do those last. I used a small 1/4 drive ratchet and socket. A spanner is doable but use a cloth to protect your hands. That bolt has more turns that a comedian. 8) The electrical connector bracket attached to the fan bracket/ac pump is such a poor idea it beggars belief. Secured by x2 Phillips head small electrical bolts - they are well torqued and stuck and very difficult to get at. Best replaced by small hex headed nuts and not at such a torque. If you strip the toughest one to get at either don’t use the bracket next time around but secure the wiring differently (carefully of course and as or more securely) or cut the head with a hacksaw to accept a flat blade to give you greater leverage. Unbelievable. My 1/4 ratchet to the rescue with screwdriver blades inserted into a 1/4 socket. 9) You think you have researched, oh yes from all over the place. You think you are following the steps. You find yourself deluded/mistaken/over interpreting a single source say over the instructions. Or you lose your confidence. Or both. Hint: Fit the cambelt without the drop-down tensioner to the pulley fitted. I saw photos with it there...don’t pull the pin they said. Well the belt won’t fit with it in position. When the belt is on, that’s when you fit the tensioner and torque it’s bolts up evenly, sharing the turns. That belt will be so tight you’ll pull that pin expecting something to happen? The pin nearly falls out! Nil resistance! Sure obvious, I know. The Gates kit came with instructions...that bit I relied too little on them. 10) Thanks to posts from Lexus comrades, I had plenty of help and encouragement. Hammer and block of wood removes stuck inlet and water pump. That was great advice and gave the confidence to use apply considered and appropriate force. 11) It’s all the silly stuff that causes so much grief. 12) Don’t expect all the fan bracket bolts to fit flush...there’s one that does not! That’s the one that has to secure the plastic cover: left - centre...if you don’t have the cover in hand or to mind. 13) I was always advised that a thin bead of sealant is adequate for mating services. One of the best tutorials shown, has it slapped on like salad cream. When you are using a gasket anyway this does worry me. You want to preserve the olerances/clearances but most of all we don’t want sealant debris in our system. You can brush it flat with your finger (gloved) and remove the excess where you can. Thin bead is enough. 14) Personal preference: on new rubber seals I use silicone grease. Good for the rubber, seats the joint and sub aqua divers swear by it. 15) I know nothing. Different folk will find different challenges. If you are experienced, this will be a walk in the park. That’s how I would feel should I tackle the same project again. 16) OEM or not to OEM is your choice. There's plenty of reasonable to good quality after market to suit all budgets. That what it comes down to: budgets...with a bit of preference. These are sadly, service items...no good having a timeless part when all around it will be dead or failing in a few miles or years. When Lexi are classics and worth loads, that’s the time to fit OEM. 17) Definately refill the coolant via the hex nut at top front of the engine, it's slow and keep going until you fill the main bottle to a good level. Topping up thereafter is minimal and the level won't dive down and suck more air in! Pink is the new red: good quality OATS fluid is fine. It’s not helpful listening to single accounts of “this part from x failing after x and that part from y.” You would need the full comparative stats to even be able to assess the value/difference/reliability. There are poor batches, one off failures...or manufacture-wide failures, as we are all too aware of. I could not have done this without this Forum and the US Lexus forum where there are great and skilful enthusiasts, helping people like me do what we should probably not be doing...but doing it well and safely I am certain. The encouragement and following makes a big difference. Tools: my best friends were torque wrenches. My good old 1/2 drive socket set, 1/4 drive and assorted oddments that helped me problem solve. Bagging up bits and labelling is useful and does not take much time. Still what bolt goes where can be annoying especially at the final stages of putting it all back together. I’d do a faster job next time around!

Looks OK in the pics... Stuart - not too bad a price for a fully MOT'd motor? My 70k miler is more tatty than that on the outside...previous owner drove it like a tank...suspect there are demolished walls and bollards length and breadth of the Thames Valley...

Postscipt I did my Reading Swansea/return journey yesterday. Brian, aka Titch-LS and Ambermarine had warned me about filling the coolant through the hex plug at the front of the engine - so taking the advice I did this. I couldn't fill the system full this way as the level/fluid backed up to the reservoir tank. So when it got to over the minimum line in the resevoir tank I called it a day and refitted the hex plug. The heating worked straight away. I topped the level up to the max mark via the reservoir tank. I test drove the car a few local miles, it took a while to warm up through this process. The level dropped to between the min and max. But I let it cool right down to cold before rechecking and topping up. Again it dropped again following another run. The same amount. Left overnight to cool. The following morning - day of the journey, I topped up to the max. On arriving at destination I did a quick check - all ok. I'm sure the idle is crisper, engine is quiet and very smooth. On the return I stretched the engine a little more...nice! Checked the fluid level this morning - bang on.

Titch Yep, post 03 it's the ZF meccano set, really rubbish. Nothing like as good as a Lexus box. Earlier Ford ones have a few issues but are cheaper to fix. Jags are very quick but I tell you what, with faster gearchanges they would be barnstorming. Kick-down and wait for the rocket...way too slow. If you drive them in the peak torque band, the "R"s particularly, they are too fast on anything but a clear motorway. I'm interested in comparing the power curve of my S with the LS as the LS really has strong pull in mid to top range and both my son and I feel the S is slightly asthmatic, dropping off whilst it's fractionally quicker off the mark.

Hi Brian My fave forum is jaguarforum.com where I've been for a few years with my S & XKR which I got shot off. Later S types have the amazing 4.2 engine but you have a high potential for broken 6 speed ZF gearboxes...also fitted to 2003 on XK's and BMWs and Range Rovers. S Type Common faults: suspension bushes, links, gearboxes (it's very common, not just a rumour...), coil on plugs. Pre 03 gearboxes are Ford so smaller issues: plastic change gate unit (now replaced by metal) breaks up, auto gearshift cable jams up, slow changes - needs a couple of new solenoids. All have expensive gearbox oil change requirements - not an easy job as the oil has to be heated through the process. Aircon pipe...only Jag sourced and an absolute *** to fit - leaks like a tea bag. 4ltr engines leak oil from cam gaskets into plugs holes. Majority of parts well priced and available. I'd like a late XKR or S Type R to replace wife's S. I've noticed some the latest Lexus sporting models looking a little Jag like!

Hi Well a big thanks to you all for your interest and support plus advice! Bluesman, The Acre and Titch-LS, Mikael - thanks for your latest posts, much appreciated. Suppose I'd better think about tackling something else! Best wishes Simon

Hi Rich Thanks - this is a 2000 year so as far as I understand it's all electronic as Brain states. When you take the covers off you are greeted by very little apart from the cam wheels. My car has done quite a few years of low mileage and stop and start...as mentioned the drive pulleys had bearing wear and although the cam pulleys were in better shape they were ready for replacement in the very near future. There is nothing designed or fitted for life here that's for sure. My S type has chains...water pump is a 30 minute job and that's been replaced. (Quality item bought on sale for a £45 snip). Nothing else engine wise, mileage is the same. Simon

Finished! Took ages to fill via the plug - it didn't fill up but backed up into the reservoinr tank so as soon as it had hit the minimum mark I put the plug and torqued it up. Running it got the heating working ok and the level dropped so I filled it up, running it without the reservoir cap on. Took it for a drive and everything seems very good. The level has dropped again a bit but I'll recheck it when cold. I detected some noise from left of the engine - alternator/steering pump bearings maybe? You might hear it in the clip. Car runs pretty smoothly though when fully warmed up. Checked for leaks, all seems good. You wanted the viedeo...here's two. First one is the genuine first time start! https://www.dropbox.com/s/1gad0ytveazs1rm/IMG_0640.MOV?dl=0 https://www.dropbox.com/s/3wgy76yacnjbdrk/IMG_0642.MOV?dl=0

The drive tensioner pulley and idler pulley arrived today. Both are Gates items from RockAuto so I set about getting those on and juggling the black cover with it and the l/h cam wheel cover. Next time the inlet will go on at the latter stages as it makes it a fiddle all around. The missing bolt/empty hole was plugged with a push fit clip. I ended up replacing a single hose clip. On the larger hoses I used a thin film of clear sealant. I was ready to go but my battery (new) gave out again. I'd given it 6 hours slow charge...this time it can stay on overnight. Any more problems and it can go back to the supplier! I set the alarm and with the boot and door open from time to time plus me checking a few things with the ignition on doesn't help. Just coolant now and fixing the lower engine tray and engine cover and a few bits. I didn't dare attempt a fire-up without everything connected - I'd prefer to get some coolant in too, not that the flat battery gave me any options. Tomorrow!

OK I'll video it...! Got the right hand cam cover on and this was fine - needed to fiddle to get the original and optimal routing of the cable that runs from bottom of the block up to the top. I bought a new sliding clip to replace the one I 'assisted' off. The wiring on the soft bracket on the edge of the fan bracket is a bit on the tight side but is not going anywhere. The inlet was ok going on. The kit came with a gasket for it, so I used some sealant, again used silicone grease for the new O ring (in the kit) and added some sealant around the inlet pipe end - went in very smoothly. I might use some new clips for the hoses as I'm not sure how good they will be having been loosened. Might as well change them at this stage. I'm a few days from getting the drive pulleys and have got as far as I can for the time being.