Cotswold Pete

Hugh, I had the same problem about a year ago, did the same as you, and not had a problem since. Just put it down to a temporary gremlin, one of the ECU's maybe foxing the display - who knows? I wonder if my choice of music was the problem, but I do not listen to Bob Dylan!

and look how cheap it is to fill up But having worked in USA and lived the cheap life, still prefer our crazy European way of doing things, and our taxes that go with it. Mind you try living in Denmark - makes living here seem like a bargain

Had same thing happen on current and previous LS. Came down to a battery starting to die. Last battery failure on current car was about 3 weeks from problems with alarm to being dead. Had same problem on Omega many years ago, and from alarm being a pain to battery totally dead was less than 10 days, so if your mate is going to be on a trip, a battery check - which are usually free - seems like a good bet to me.

I'm guessing you mean "used" not "sued" otherwise I'll ask no further questions but avoid them :) Well I did mean USE. That's what happens when your on the forum when you should be working

I've used ATS for AC re-charge - fair price fair job. Must say that also used them for Brakes, but think they were somewhat over the top on price for that, so next time will used local dealer. Have sued both Stroud and Cirencester branch, both okay, so assume ones in Powys should be fine for AC

On the console by the cassette slot, there is a TA button. Press this twice, so that you get back to having no traffic reports interrupt. If you press it once it will silence the radio and then ONLY play traffic reports

Chris, Actually bought this one from a trader near Taunton, even though it seems to have spent a chunk of it's life up north. On the way home again tonigt, I was thinking what a darned lovely drive it gives and now the missus wants to get the lounge done (totally new floor, full re plaster etc etc, so that'll be a few bob going out this year) so any thoughts of another Lexus on hold. The only thing I actually hanker after is a good set of walking boots (old ones on last legs) and then a week driving around Wales in the LS, and doing some nice long day walks. But fear it will be hammer and screwdriver in hand and a whole bunch of Effing and Jeffing when the wall paper looks wonky!!

Nick, sounds like your in heaven, as anyone owning an LS. Only today I was thinking would I get another Lexus and just use the 400 as part time car, but on the way home I could see no reason to do so, also governed by lack of parking where I live to park a spare motor. Still I might pop off to a dealer in next 12 months and see whether anything else Lexus would take my fancy especially as just made last payment on the mortgage and so maybe some spare cash later on. Oops, just remembered I have a wife, so maybe not!!

I saw it and thought it was a unique DHP option!!!

BGSD - as Julie Walters uttered in the film Personal Service - Big Car, Small D*ck. I like to think I have a small car (compared to a Humvee)

Gordon Bennet, Glad to see you're okay, but the whiplash will give you a fair bit of havoc, looking at the damage to the car. So make sure you get a report from the doctor ASAP - and I assume the other idiots insurance will cough up. My wife get rear ended at 10mph, and though she was okay, until 2 days later the pain really started. As you say a big car like the LS is a life saver. best of luck getting it sorted and looking for a new LS

Ruud, I also understand what you are saying, I have been in Mercs that seem to be quieter, even a Honda CRV seemed to be not too bad on stretches of road where the LS seems a little noisy. Having had two LS's I have found tyres make a difference, the Falkens are good, but the road surface seems to be the biggest factor. Though the LS handles well for such a large car, I assume t his has effect on transmission into the cabin space. Try driving the A9 from Dunblane to Perth, in some places I suspect even if the LS was wearing silk slippers it would sound like you were driving into Hades. The oddest thing I have found (and have no idea is this is just me being barking), but at night the same road can sound quieter than it does in the day. All this makes me wonder if the 460 being nearly two decades further on design is a better car for road noise.

Brendan, as you say being so quiet, any noise out of the ordinary is picked up. I put all my house keys on the car key set the other day. Lasted a day, the tinkling of all those keys drove me mad after the drive to work. Never had that problem in any other car - it's just too darned serene this blinking LS!!

I would put my money on it being the USA parts base that keeps our LS's going when Lexus give up. Seems like so many over there, that afte-market would be going strong for a long time. Electronics should not be an issue so long as it is not a specialist Integrated Circuit that goes pop. Still not looking forward to the days when it just become a bit of a faff to look after these wonderful cars.

Brian, did not know that, thanks for the advice

According to my service booklet, the plugs should be replaced at 63K intervals (this is MK4) My mechanic reckons this is a guide, and can be well over 100K before the need replacing. I have also heard that the car benefits from HT leads being replaced at 180K. A previous car I owned at 150K benefitted from HT lead replacement , so with my next service at 170K I will probably aim to get plugs and leads replaced.

The parts were Suspension arm (1 of) Cam Adjuster (1 of) Cam (1 of) Rear Coil Spring (1 of) Rear Upper arm (2 of) Tie rod front (2 of) Adjuster (2 of) Cost of that lot £1016 + VAT (so £1220) The rest of the £2K was labour, wheel alignment (£78 inc VAT), and MOT fee (£35) So labour was a shade over £600 inc VAT. (charge £66 per hour inclusive of the VAT) I know I could have got parts cheaper from Japan, but that would have meant me being without a car for over two weeks, and as it is my daily run about, not much choice. It was someone else on this forum that recommended Gas & Go. They are genuinely nice guys, and one drives a 430, and one drives a 200 of some type. As they are right next to the station at Swindon easy to catch a train home after I drop it off for it's service. I keep records of all the costs of all my previous cars, and I knew that at around 150K to 180K miles this kind of cost was going to be coming along, but so glad I have invested the money in the car, and today driving back to Swindon Outlet village so that the missus can really empty to bank account!!!

Malc, Coming up to 153,000 miles. I drive it every day. I only paid £2300 for this one 3 years ago, so in reality I think I am quids in compared to other cars I have had. I still tell everyone this is the cheapest car I have ever run, and it's not even LPG. Must say that when I was in garage and having good look underneath it was in amazing nick (apart from that darned bolt).

I think replace rather than diagnose has been with us for a while in the motor trade and not just with upmarket dealerships. I assume all this fitting the leather and the element together is supposed to either make it better at warming the old backside, or cheaper to manufacture. Went in some BMW 6 series a few years back, and nearly had a toasted ar*e after one minute. I think we are all getting soft, who ever heard of a Rover P80 with heated seats!!

Well this years MOT has been a bit of an expensive saga. Had a service just before MOT and they reckoned that it would fail on rear upper arms, and front tie rods. Well it did not fail on that, but on a broken rear coil spring (no wonder it felt so awful these past few weeks). So we went for having it all done, and then when the full alignment was being done, a bolt on a rear lower suspension arm went. So all in all been with the car for a week (seems to be delays on getting parts). So now just a shade over £2K lighter on the old bank balance. BUT - the old girl drives like a dream, so hopefully a decade or more of motoring without too much to worry about (fingers crossed) The chaps at Gas & Go in Swindon did a good job - as ever. Now just need to save up a bit and get the vandalised paintwork sorted, but that will have to wait another couple of months.

Zero side wall visibility seems to be the thing. The ride in the LS400 is soft but having developed oval wheels in previous low profile wheel - potholes in the dark - I prefer as well stiffened sidewall - even if it make the LS a bit old fashioned looking and slightly edgy when cornering at speed. Agree with Kenan that compared to just about any German car, the Lexus is a heck of a lot softer, just takes a while to get used to the handling - took me about 3 weeks with my first LS.

Not withstanding the radiation issue, I always thought that Japan has really punishing MOT standards, so cars that would get through a UK MOT would not stand a cat in hells chance in Japan. I assume to keep the motor industry alive the Japanese need locals to buy new cars every few years, so they need to ship out lots of second hand cars. Maybe a Gieger counter would be a good thing to buy off e-bay before going to an import merchant. Mind you some of the cars with that seller look just plain (well) Japanese!!

I would not go with diesel. Reason one is particulate matter from diesels is a lung killer, and as pointed out the filters are a real pain. What seems to happen is that a DPF when it gets clogged with up with gunk, then it uses diesel to overwash, and dumps diesel into the sump. Diesel is hygroscopic and sulphurous, so in the sump this creates a gentle sulphuric acid which eats the engine (and destroys turbos), so you then have to have your sump oil replaced (so removing a DPF is generally a good thing). The cost of maintaining a modern diesel is the hidden cost that most people are not made aware of, so my conclusion is avoid diesel no matter how darned quite it can be made. And one day the government will admit (what has been known for 20 years) that diesel is likely to cause as much damage to our lungs as cigarettes do (and they sat on that one for a few decades to protect the tabacco industry). The odd cigar/cigarette is okay, apply the same rule to oil burners.

Agree that the full wood console looks - not quite right - and even in many a classic UK marque too much wood looks a bit tasteless. A mate has the full wooded version of an LS, and it looks like a badly designed drinks cabinet!!! Wood is for boats and log burners IMHO

Andy, Where did you get the work done for £180. I have to get some work done and live near Stroud, so be interested to know.