Haylands

I thought I'd posted the end result to this but apparently not.... I gave the Lexus a good clean up and used it a few times, the first thing that happened was the PRND lights in the dash went, then the TPMS died and wouldn't show the values, as you scrolled through the menu it just wasn't there!!! Then I noticed the voice command had packed up, and finally the trip computer and all of it's functions were blank, the item you were looking at MPG, distance to empty was there but no value...!!! I returned to Lexus for advice, apparently it was failing ECU's, those features are spread across the values from three different ECU's, they believe one was dying and either taking the other two with it or confusing the output from them... the cheapest ECU was around £800 the most expensive over £2,000. They had never tried a second hand one (well, the main dealer never would, would they...?) so didn't know if they would work on any 460, they have to programme the new ones when they fit them and they didn't know if you could programme a second hand one to work with another car (specific programme once only is getting very popular with manufacturers now, one ECU will ONLY ever work with the car it was programmed to) I contacted several of the ECU repair places but they had never seen Lexus LS460 ECU's so had no knowledge of them and could not offer a repair service.. So I cut my losses and sold it through the trade, it was unfair to sell it privately in the condition it was in, I lost a decent chunk of money but hey ho, you win some, you lose some... So, beware, if you are coming from a 430 then I would avoid the 460 for as long as you can, if you do want one, make sure you take one for a good test drive as they do not feel like a 430 or 400, they feel too much like a BMW to me... And having had all three now and taken them apart more than once I can honestly say that the build quality of the 460 is much lower than the 430 and on another planet compared to the over engineered 400... BTW Jeep is still going well, done about 6,000 miles in it, no faults and sailed through it's MOT with no advisories.... (It's still not a Lexus though...!!!) Now where did I see a nice 430....

Maybe we should rename this thread to LEXUS (SAGA) OWNERS CLUB CHAT.......

I know I shouldn't say this but if I were you I'd keep the 430...

Qumar, PM sent.. Lee, there was one local, was the right spec with no sunroof, age and milage OK and the guy was flexible on price... all very easy really....

Jon, it's got power mode which just makes it hold gears and snow mode which makes it pull away in second or something... neither make much difference... Anyway I've bought the replacement, if I bought a saloon it had to be easy to get in and out of, low sill, high door opening, the only other big saloon that fits the bill is the Audi A8 but I don't like them so..... one of the other cars from the past I had fond memories off because of it's laid back chilled out approach to life was a Mk1 Jeep Grand Cherokee.. so, sorry to say I've bought a Yank Tank... and one with a dirty diesesal engine.... It was cheap and local, needed a wheel refurb and new tyres, had those diamond turned wheels and a few years have taken their toll... A quick phone call to Mr Kahn's emporium in Bradford and I got a set of take offs from a later Wrangler, brand new set of wheels with Goodyear Wrangler Tyres dated late 2016 for £250 for four... (BTW Khan has loads of wheels and tyres from all the cars he customises when new, a good source and cheap, don't know how many Lexus he does though, ring and ask for Dave) Stopped at my mates who does the remapping on the way home and he was quiet so it's been chipped to 265bhp and 600nm, it's a 3.0ltr CRD Mercedes engine, goes very well now, real lazy but pulls well... Anyway I love it, easy to get in and out and drives like a big old boat, with not a puppy in sight.... just what I was after.... Not quite the same spec as the Lexus but buttons aren't everything... I'll advertise the Lexus when the weather gets warmer and I can give it a good clean, it's bogging after a weekend away....

Yes it can but not to the same extent as a turbo engine, the direct injection helps and they could up the torque and improve MPG, also they smooth out the power flow, you would notice a small difference and maybe 1 or 2 mpg. If anyone decides to then make sure they are a reputable company or you could end up with a rather large paper weight... Never go back is my motto, cars or women...!!! Thanks to all of you for the comments, I know when I'm not happy with something so I'll cut my losses now....

Thanks, i did look at those and also went to see a mate who does remapping... Although it's a large part of the issue it's just the whole driving experience I'm not liking, I'm rather fussy about it, I hate driving BMW's but millions love them so it's probably me.....

Well after fitting the tyres the car drove very well and we went away at the weekend and did several hundred miles and unfortunately I don't like it...!!! My old 430 was a superb car, easy and relaxing to drive, it just wafted along and if you wanted to get a hurry on it would oblige but most of the time it just settled into it's stride.... The 460 is a totally different animal, it's like driving a puppy on a lead, it just wants to go all the time, little subtlety to it, it's too keen and doesn't seem to settle, the smallest accelerator input and it want's to change down a few cogs and take off like a scalded cat.. I drove like Miss Daisy hoping the adaptations would work it out and tone it down and it did get a bit better but it is certainly not a relaxing drive. It was my good lady who mentioned after a couple of hundred miles... "You don't seem to like this car" even she noticed my frustration with it..... So, I've spent a couple of days evaluating options and although it's a great car and has all the extras I wanted I'm cutting my loses and selling it.... such a shame.... So to those who asked what it was like compared to a 430, that's my answer, I'm sure lots will love it but not me...

For info part number on this one is PMV-C210 Code to programme it in is 1CE76F1 just so you know which numbers are which....

Martin, mine is a Southern Irish car so the sensors may be different, mine are 433mhz (USA ones are different) but the numbers may be different, I read the part number from mine and found some that were the same... Apparently any generic 433mhz sensor should work but I haven't tried, there are even some available now that have a standard rubber valve as well.... Most tyre shops have a tool to code in new ones, they may not be able to read the ones you already have coded in though to work out the five that need coding in... Lexus certainly can read what you have and code in the correct ones, I imagine 1/2 hour labour to do it, they won't mind where you got the sensors from... I'm going to code mine in but haven't got round to doing it yet.... It's too cold and I've got a cold so I'm on strike for a while....!!!

They (tyre shop/Lexus) can read the numbers that are programmed, you need the number from the old sensor and then put in five codes with the new one in place... they don't go in any order, there are five receivers in the car and they will work with any of the programmed sensors, that is so you can rotate your tyres without issue... Steve, price has fallen... I was quoted £380 for five fitted and coded by Lexus, I managed to buy 5 genuine toyota sensors from ebay for £90 the lot so there are some cheaper options around now....

Very nice, and you're right, everyone likes pictures..........

Looks superb, love the real wood centre console...

Super news Keith, sounds like a nice car, bet you had a great drive home...

I'm a firm believer that if they don't do much then I'll give aftermarket a try, the suspension arms I've just replaced are a case in point, they are not OEM but they are made by a company that produces other OEM parts so hopefully the standards are across the board... As has been mentioned, these struts go a long way towards the ride and handling of a car capable of 0-60mph in 5.5 secs and a derestricted top speed of 178mph, both of which I plan to use... I wasn't that up on if/how/where and when air struts work, or don't work... After some heavy reading it transpires that there is a massive amount of R&D done to tune an air strut, beyond just the basic load, compression, rebound etc the shock (although the Americans are right here, we should call them a damper as that is what they do) has to be fine tuned to the rate or the airbag and vice versa, size, weight of material, pressure loads, the list goes on.... My issue with the aftermarket ones is not "would they last" but more "will they work the same at 178mph" the answer is one massive question mark.... There is also the financial side, would you spend £7.50 to try to save paying £25.00... NO, so why do it for £750 and £2,500 So I know I said to Paul "Very unlikely to happen..!!!" But, after considering everything I can't contemplate fitting the aftermarket ones. Four new GENUINE air struts will be ordered from Lexus this afternoon...

Loads of room...!!! had it brushing both door handles several times....I carried a chainsaw for when it didn't fit..!! Took it everywhere for three years and only got a few small dents... loads breaking on eBay and panels are cheap so wasn't too worried....

Here you go, did a video and uploaded it for you... Lexus LS460 failed Left N/S (RHD) rear shock absorber (damper) This is standard running on air suspension. Right side bounced 5 times then released, car rises then settles, Left side bounced 5 times, was easier to bounce, and when released it went up, down, back up and settled. You must do this with the engine running, in Park and parking brake set. It's basically pretty easy to tell, if you're fillings fall out when you go over a pothole and your glovebox rattles about 10 times then they are probably failing, to be honest i was 99% sure they were gone, but it's a big expense and I don't have a lot of experience with air suspension on cars, and haven't actually driven another 460... If anyone wants to come and have a drive before it's fixed then let me know, perhaps we can have an LS meet at mine....

Paul, Very unlikely to happen..!!! Dale, Lexus Hull. David, yep some parts are silly.... Malc, Yes as I said, supply only, fronts are pretty quick but rears mean back seat, parcel shelf etc out... David, Genuine Range Rover air struts are £250 each, but I bet they have made a few million more... I don't think it's a bad price but if there is a cheaper way to get the same thing....

Yeah, D2 are a well know make but they will make the ride hard, they are more designed to run the car very low for the VIP look they try to get, subsequently the bags are very hard rubber so they will run low okish... Also the shock adjustment is on the top of the struts but it is a manual adjustment and not compatible with the shock adjusting motors on the standard struts, and I don't fancy taking the back seat out every time I want to adjust them...!!! There is also the coil over route to remove the air suspension but I don't want to do that either, I like the way air suspension rides...

Airbags are fine and hold air no problem, it is the shock absorber that runs down the center of the airbag that has failed, there is no external leak visible so I imagine the internal workings have failed and the oil has been pushed passed the piston. You can't repair or replace just the shock unfortunately...

Lexus have confirmed that three out of four of the shocks are "past their best" they have just done an RX with 80,000 on it that had all four and they did another 460 a while ago with around 100,000 miles so I guess mine at 9 years old and 116,000 is about right... Little point having just the three done so a quote from Lexus for supply only of 4 new shocks retail is, Front struts £584.17 each Rear struts £620.56 each VAT £481.89 Total £2891.35 I would get a bit of discount so the price would be around £2,500.00 That's for 4 struts that lasted 9 years and 100,000 miles.... OR I can source a set of 4 air struts from Guangzhou Jovoll Auto Parts Technology Co, via Alibaba for £766 delivered in 4-6 days Jovoll specialise in air suspension parts and make over 10,000 aftermarket parts a year, they are ISO 9001 registered which means little in reality but at least they are trying, they employ over 100 people and have been around for over 10 years. I can buy the struts via Paypal so have total buyer protection should they not arrive or are not as described. So... decisions decisions... Go with a known quality (which, let's face it is not brilliant, my Range Rover air struts lasted longer...!!!) Or for a 1/4 of the price try the aftermarket ones and hope they are up to the job and last at least three years which then makes them cheaper than originals... Also remember if I buy the Lexus ones it's pretty close to half the price I paid for the whole car...!!! Or I suppose the middle option of front struts from Arnott (Known good quality) and rears from Jovoll (Arnott don't make rears yet) which would work out around £1,500 I think I know what I'm going to do but please feel free to comment and call me names for being a t**t or similar...!!!!!

Mark, Believe me I have looked into refurbishing the struts that are on there but they are welded closed... too big a job for a DIY refurb and no one this side of the pond does it... Brian, I've got new sensors all round now, as they are now a compulsory item on new cars then Kwikfit and the like will learn... Phil, I don't think it's been abused, it's never been loved, just used.... it will never match the quality of the 400 and I didn't expect it to, I did think long and hard about getting a late 430 but I've had one of them and I prefer the look of the 460, I've read, and been told they start to have suspension issues around 100,000 so was expecting issues, the two bottom arms were just preventative maintenance it was only the top arms that failed and even the 400 suffers with that... Scribe, Yep, I think you're right... built to a cost now, not a specification... Barry, I had it four wheel aligned and it is now back within tolerance, Years ago I took my 430 to Wheels in Motion as I was down that way and they did do a good job but you have to remember there is NO adjustment on the front for camber or castor, the arms and strut fixing are fixed, there is nothing to adjust except the tracking on the 430 and 460, the rears have some camber adjustment but that's it... I think most of the issues with alignment is that the operator doesn't understand the system or appreciate the need to correct and centre the rack, Wheels in Motion do understand it and do it correctly.. Mine has been done correctly as I helped do it...!!! Chris, It was just a throwaway comment... enough said... what I have is not an alignment issue.. Jon, As you say, it's down to the operator.... Lets see what the guys at Lexus reckon tomorrow, I need another set of eyes to look at it before throwing money at the issue....

In fact the LS is more exclusive than Aston Martins, there are 5,542 registered...!!!

I think it's down to economy of scale, last year there were 5,300 Lexus LS's registered in the UK of them only 764 were LS460's There are 13,408 Audi A8's registered and well over twice that in BMW 7 series.... Exclusivity has it's price....

Well, the new tyres turned up three days early so had them fitted today, found one issue, they had taped the TPMS valves inside the tyres on the wheel rim, they had been sawn off the wheels, I guess when they were refurbished.... They hadn't stayed put for long and all were loose inside the tyres.... Anyway I had preempted that and had a new set of five ready to fit.. the tyre place fitted the tyres and the new valves very carefully and I was very pleased with the amount of care shown as you know what some tyre fitters are like... The old tyres had numerous repairs and one had a nail in it, they all had a massive amount of balance weights on them... They weren't able to code in the new valves though and recommended a local Jap car specialist who got into the system OK and coded the four new ones in but it also asked for the spare wheel's number which we didn't have as it hasn't been refurbed and is still in place. He tried to exit the coding after 4 were entered and the display immediately changed from "0" to "checking" and has stayed saying "checking" ever since.... weird.... At least the warning light is out... I'll have a play when I sort out the diagnostics I've bought for it.. Anyway, off for a test drive and it is a million times better than it was, the intermittent, sometimes violent wheel wobble has gone totally but it still isn't right... the velvet smooth ride is there on a velvet smooth road, but hit a pothole, or worse, a ridge across the road that both wheels hit at the same time, and the car shimmys, again it is much better with the new front arms than it was but it should be better... I am coming to the conclusion that the front struts are worn, the suspension is not hard but the damping seems to be suffering.... Due to the high price of two front struts I have booked the car in with Lexus Hull for a diagnostic check on Wednesday morning to substantiate my fears... Haven't been in the dealer since I had the 430, about 10 years, but was still recognised by two of the guys working there.. The service manager reckons that the struts start to fail around the 100,000 mile mark and I'm just over that... I am being fussy with this, the guy at the independants took it for a drive and reconned it was alright...!!! If it's mine though, it has to be right... If it is the struts the best price I have seen so far is £1179.00 for a pair of Arnott Industries ones, delivered from Rock auto in the States. Interestingly Euro Car Spares are now Arnott Industries importer to this country but they want £1540.00 for a pair.... They were rather annoyed when I mentioned Rock Auto's price as the guy said that they pay more than that for them...!!! If anyone knows anyone else selling struts please let me know I was too scared to ask Lexus for a price... I do have to say it is a gorgeous car now, really does drive nice.... if you miss the potholes...!!!! If it does need struts it goes from a "f***ing" cheap car to "just" a cheap car, but at least everything will be fully sorted for many miles to come....