Tinonline

I’m not a slave to OEM but I do prefer it. OEM brakes are the dog’s b’s and are fit and forget (notwithstanding servicing clean) for miles. I’ve just fitted Blue Print filters, Fuchs oil for this years’ budget service and I’m delighted with the results. I sprayed the MAF with MAF cleaner and the works are smoother and quieter than ever. I didn’t expect it at all. OEM may be made by various manufacturers but parts are made to manufacturer specification. Jarrid do Merc brakes and Gates do Merc pulleys and aux belts…but to Merc spec. I have OEM brakes all round. 👍

Hi. I doubt there’d be such an erratic rise in the case of a thermostat. The gauge shows over cool or worse case too high. That leaves the sender unit itself (cheaper fix and test) or the gauge.

Yep let’s stay on topic. This forum sticks to topic if you want to make another point feel free to start a new one.

Interesting to see at top of the market just before a recession, owners bailing on their 400’s, obviously trade included. I’ve also seen on the face of it, good examples been shovelled at very low money. Like all cars…they can look great but underneath or inside are really poor. Mine is part shed part excellent but well sorted as they say. Just serviced it. Sub 100k interior fab. At a cross roads really… as it might be time for another owner to press on with it. My son’s Merc is for sale and I’ve a very good family offer having tended it into a well sorted, low mileage motor. I was told not to sell the year 2000 400 by an indie Lexus specialist a few years ago. So wheels, bumpers, dings separate from a top classic…that’s all, but probs a couple of £k. and yes a few bits at £500 tops. But not mechanical: trim side. So if you want to shift your mettle do it now . I’ve been here before. Prices will remain high/the same but there won’t be buyers. A big correction will follow. But for the 400? It’s undervalued already. The trade don’t get it and can’t shift it. It’s the classic car market that will embrace the value and the marque, but not yet.

Oh and you have OEM parts. Good. If not cleaned by garage take out pads clean discs and pads with brake cleaner, rid callipers of soot, re grease, put back. See that no stones, grit, stuff rubbing. 👍 If it’s abs one side will grab and kind of skid on slow stop or kick in at end of your braking as vehicle comes to a halt. Sensors are a tight fit so if they won’t wiggle out, very gentle all around especially at bolt locations with a thin blade/screwdriver prise mm by mm. Then they should start to let go.

Well there’s the perfect advice above! Its a pull out. You’ll see a rust build up around the area so block hole and as carefully as poss sandpaper or file away but gently does it. Then get to the rings. My issue was new wheel bearing and clean ring one side and on untouched side a lot of grease on the toothed ring. So removed the grease, cleaned up and this process equalised the condition of both rings. End of issue that was locking one wheel on coming to a halt from low speed.👍🧐😁

It’s a good start…do clean the gear wheels of the abs with ear buds you’ll need quite a few and on removing the sensor which may take gentle wiggling and persuasion…you’ll see the teeth through the hole… You mentioned your brakes were inspected…were they cleaned too? With the wheels off the ground might be worth checking there’s no play in the wheel bearings.

Also a symptom of a MAF unit failure. Some cars will run with the MAF disconnected…it’s a good way of fault testing as the car won’t stall and it seems to be a bit of a safety/get home.

Agreed … if there’s no stone or dust guard or suspension related issue it might a simple job of removing front wheels and abs sensors: cleaning and cleaning the gear rings in situ. A sensor might be faulty so replacing both would be one method but OE is a bit steep on the wallet. Plenty of good alternates. I believe the abs would tend to grab though and it’s usually on one side… Do you have OE brakes? Plenty of non OE pads will make a noise…

Absolutely. Install my wife anywhere in the car.

Doesn’t sound right but this is ringing a bell. I needed a Mercedes part for son’s motor so rang local Merc dealer/outlet: out of stock, lines of flags dealer…they didn’t have it in stock and couldn’t get from Germany. Bought it at a discounted rate from Mercedes of Newcastle. Buckets of bllcks and depends upon the group franchise owning the Merc or for that matter the Lexus partnership. As with Lexus Parts online in Swindon vs other franchises.

Yep I’m delaying the inevitable…let’s see how long it lasts…

This wfh has meant the LS400 has collected Sahara dust and Berkshire’s spiders’ webs. Just as well I checked things out before an hours journey to see my youngest performing in Richard III at a top drama school…top means costs. Flickering of dash instruments and little else. Lunch break: rapid removal and fast charge for 3 hours. Refit: return journey of a good 2+hours so well charged up. Amazing play btw directed by a duo of top directors. A week and more: car whipped into life…I’ll slow charge it overnight in a few weeks time. Battery is over 5 years old. So Prudence…where does she come in? With every price and tax heading upwards, well north. I’m adopting a hold pattern…which most airlines can’t even do at the moment…if ever. My friends here, know I work to stay OEM. This year is hold. I do little mileage but it’s well driven and enjoyed. Drama school is not the same as Uni so grants are from pockets… My Alfa in Spain…a fab wreck 155 Sport needs work plus a service (I do service) so: This year I’m servicing the Lexus with Fuchs fully synthetic oil, blueprint oil and air filter plus cabin. But for £80 I also get the Alfa oil, cabin, air filters. One supplier and no postage. I’d say good quality if not excellent…but we can’t tell can we? I can’t ship a cat converter to Spain but have to shell out over €300 in country as UK ones are not type compliant with Europe…didn’t take long did it? I will have to go through the Spanish parts chain…fitting and labour are nothing…parts prices are painful. It’s the old car syndrome. Cost and return and even though I can run to OEM there are times to be measured. Already, I see the distributors shoving up and over playing prices. Upward costs they scream…exactly, we say, and agree, but we don’t and won’t pay. 🧐😁 What do you say?

Hang on…if the metal blade is intact you can buy the plastic housing and fit the existing metal blade can’t you?

It’s worth replacing the fitting kits but they are generally very hard wearing and if looking stressed or worn definitely. They usually take a lot of mileage…and I’d always defer to steve2006. 😁

A fair point raised. Running any car is expensive…is it worth running a 400 using a garage? At 90k miles a lot of makes are probably not in as good a place as a Lexus. I’m glad I’m a home mechanic…sometimes. I reckon I pay from £100 to £400 per annum. I’m at 98k. Low use. I am proactive as much as possible. Prices to date are reasonable for the majority of OE parts but it does require shopping around and sometimes importing. Quality OE suspension parts are a challenge. I’m in the club that would like licensed parts suppliers manufacturing to OEM standard. Yes we will pay more. There’s a lot of rubbish and counterfeit. Big name suppliers are also guilty of divesting their top brands to cheap manufacturers or selling out. We find out eventually but not before paying for it. We are entering the phase of classic car ownership. Yes, even the Lexus requires a rebuild of some scale.

I think it’s greenwash. Diesel is still appalling, I know every little helps but…classic and older cars are not pressing new steel and plastics with less mileage. There are bigger fish but they’re not easy enough and there is vested interest. Just use Premium…

Oh no that doesn’t sound like a thumping fix. If it doesn’t read correctly sounds like posting it to a specialist will sort that out. My speedo is mainly ok now and seems to have stopped sticking. Bound to happen again but it’s better for sure. hope yours self heals. 👍🤞

Hi and welcome Check the car will run on E10 fuel or having said that most cars shouldn’t 👍🧐🤪 I don’t use E10! Are you able to do any maintenance yourself?

Yup unless you are doing stellar mileage…I’d stick to E5 highest octane. No way am I running the new E10. I’m all for progress and new tech…E10 does not qualify for me.

Hi that’s a familiar thing…I spend fretting moments wondering if it’s the camber of the road or the steering wheel is ever so slightly off. This has nothing to do with fixing the other side. The garage needs to make the adjustment ensuring the steering wheel is absolutely bang on centre point during and after the adjustment. They rely on the steering wheel clamp and that’s just lazy. I’ve had to take my car back a couple of times on this issue. On one of the occasions the steering wheel was well off.

There’s a Merc indy I was chatting too a while ago: they gave up with non OE as the quality wasn’t up to it and too many customers complained. Textar will deliver a very different product to an OE application than to a discount warehouse distributor. Someone pays and reputation doesn’t seem to be much of a consideration…

Off the cuff…probs nothing serious…there are solenoids for adjusting to air con demands and an idle valve. Might be one of these. Any codes thrown? Usual basics apply ensuring no vacuum leaks, good air filter, clean MAF and throttle body (usually ok to 100k miles without touching). MAF failures usually cause stalling and disconnecting the unit runs ok… What mileage are you at?

Yes…agree. Amayama have gone up in my estimations as I’ve bought OE items for silly money e.g. bonnet catch £26 all in, instead of £50 and gearbox mount £36 all in instead of £60 to £70, all OE, bagged and part numbered etc etc. Maybe they’re worth a look if you can wait a week or so for delivery?

Absolutely…they use the same manufacturers around the World and specify their own requirements. Car brands make very few of their own parts. If you go to Lexus Parts Direct in Swindon for example, (I have no associations other than a satisfied customer) you expect OE parts. Over the years I’ve had such grief with pad quality including the Textar bad years where they were just below average and noisy I now buy OE at the best price I can. Replacement cheap as chips Lexus pads won’t have ceramic content, won’t perform as well or last as long. That suits many motorists fair enough, I prefer to fit and forget for as long as possible. 😁