Scribe

I've been with RH Specialist Insurance (via ERS) for several years. They cover my LS400 and my 1999 Honda Accord V6 Coupe for a very reasonable cost, though there are restrictions on the policy. It's me only to drive, maximum of 3,000 miles per year for each car, and this year they told me the Lexus isn't covered if I leave it on the driveway overnight instead of putting it in the garage. This is no problem for me, but it might not be convenient for some of you. This doesn't mean they wouldn't still provide cover, but they might charge more. Fortunately I've only had to make one claim - for a windscreen on the Honda - and they've been fine to deal with.

Oli, you've doubtless realised by now that you may have to travel a long way to find one, or the right one. I went all the way to North Lincolnshire (from Brighton) to look at mine, and then had to go all the way back there to collect it. No regrets, of course.

I agree. Most of my problems have been battery-related - it's a car that was designed to be used, and mine isn't very often. I also have a 14-year-old Peugeot that's only done 33,000 miles, so it's in very good condition, but it failed an MOT on two tyres that were completely cracked/perished on the inside (not visible from outside) through lack of use. So something to be aware of if you're lucky enough to have a 'garage classic'.

If you're tall you might be more comfortable in an LS430, which has more cabin space. The LS400 is a bit cramped in the front for people with long legs.

I've run an LS400 for the last 13 years but don't have experience of an LS430. They scare me, to be honest, because there's much more to go wrong with them - and they seem expensive things to fix. But they're all old cars now, and I'd prefer a well-maintained 430 to a so-so 400. Condition is everything with old cars, I'd say.

Not sure if this is related, Phil, but when I get stuck in traffic in warm/hot weather for a long period I get a creaking from the front suspension afterwards. It never happens in normal driving, i.e. when I can keep moving except for a few minutes at traffic lights etc. It seems to be heat-related, as if the bushes have dried out. The following day, or even later the same day, when everything has cooled down, the creaking has gone.

Not directly related to Nick's post, but thanks to the driver of the S-reg Mk.4 (same colour as mine) who flashed me in Tesco car park in Lewes a few weeks ago - just in case it's a reader of this forum.

Thanks Steve. I have an MOT coming up so will get the garage to do a few other jobs (including new bonnet struts recently bought).

Heater comes up to temperature but then doesn't maintain it. Also, the air conditioning doesn't seem to do much even after being re-gassed. Could this be something to do with the interior thermostat? Engine temperature is fine.

Paul, I hope I never have to go through all this, but if I did, how would I know I had a faulty ECU or capacitor issue? Malc mentioned revs dropping and the engine cutting out, and this happens to me after the battery's been reconnected/charged from completely flat, but after a minute or two it sorts itself out and idles normally. Is this the ECU resetting itself?

Thanks, will investigate - I need new ones.

Exactly. You end up putting dirt/moisture back onto the paint. But if you have a leak of some kind, there's no alternative to a cover. Bungees essential though! I usually buy a set from Aldi when they have them in the middle aisle.

My unlock button is a bit iffy - I often have to keep pressing it hard - while the unlock one is always fine. Maybe need a new remote, or can one button be adjusted/repaired? For a while I used a combination of remote and key locking/unlocking but that eventually confused the electrics, or so it seemed, because one day it set the alarm off. A quick disconnect of the battery re-set everything.

Would be interested in having more details, if you're willing to share them, e.g. what's the car's mileage and when was the cambelt last changed (date and mileage)? My (indy) mechanic says that whenever he's changed a belt on an LS400 the old one has never shown any signs of wear - not that that's a reason to put off the replacement. Mine's due next year, I think, after 10 years but only about 25,000 miles. Phil's (ambermarine) suggestion sounds sensible, given that you'd have to source a decent engine - and how would you know it's okay? I gather most of them find their way straight into other cars. I met someone the other day who put one in a Toyota Hi-Lux pickup.

Daniel, on balance I don't regret buying a cover for my small car, but it seems like they cause the most hassle at the time when you most need them, i.e. wet weather. Still useful to protect the car from dust, seagull poo (especially round here) etc.

I bought one like this (for a smaller car): https://www.amazon.co.uk/Dripex-Waterproof-Weather-Protection-Automobiles/dp/B07JRG7X6H/ref=sr_1_6?crid=3L7CZYSFCUUCL&keywords=car+cover+waterproof&qid=1677070310&sprefix=car+cover%2Caps%2C290&sr=8-6 It's generally okay and seems pretty much waterproof. But you can forget about the clips attached to the bottom - even if you can be bothered to crawl underneath to clip one part to the other, they won't secure the cover in a strong wind. In my experience, the only thing that works is a collection of elasticated straps with hooks on the end, but they'll pierce the fabric if you're not careful. The other thing that hadn't occurred to me beforehand is: what do you do with a large, wet car cover when you take it off? The water immediately transfers to the paintwork of the car, and then you have to try to dry the cover somewhere - not easy when it's so big and heavy. Less of a problem in the summer, as long as you have an outdoor drying area. But mostly you end up putting a wet, dirty cover back on the car.

Brief update: I've had no more problems with the car, and despite not being used during December it started up fine after a few weeks of cold weather. I checked the battery first, and it appeared to have retained full charge since the previous journey. So it feels like it's fixed, and that the problem was the earthing. But I've got used to checking the charge before using the car. A good sign is that when I go in the garage I can see the red security light flashing on the dashboard - which means there's still some juice. I have a motorway trip coming up, which will give the battery a good charge-up.

Well, the garage had the car all last Friday. What they found: 1) Although the battery's 20 months old and has been completely flattened a few times, it's in good shape and charges to 92%. No internal faults. 2) Alternator working as it should 3) Starter motor working as it should 4) They had an amp meter on the car all day and did find a drain, which was at 0.10 for the first three hours. This then dropped to 0.02, which they say is the normal rate, given that the various 'open' circuits on the car (security system, clock etc.) always use a small amount of juice. The problem with the big drain, which completely flattened the battery in three days, would be locating it, because it isn't constant and didn't happen at the garage. While it's happening you could presumably check by taking out fuses or measuring the current across them (?), but if there's no drain there's no way of knowing where it has happened, and might happen again. Since Friday I've been connecting the battery charger every day to check the charge, and it hasn't gone below full, so no top-up needed yet. I last used the car two days ago. This suggests that the drain has stayed at 0.02, i.e. normal. I eventually found an auto electrician reasonably close to home but they said they won't touch such an old car because they can't get a wiring diagram for it (my garage wondered why they would need this anyway when checking for a drain). The nearest Lexus main dealer is now a fair way away, and I'm wondering what even they can do if the drain is intermittent. Meanwhile my garage has replaced the battery terminals with genuine Toyota ones, to make disconnecting the battery easier - I'm probably going to do this over the winter anyway when I'm not using the car much. Otherwise, all I can do is keep checking the battery. If the drain was still there it would have half-flattened the battery by now, so I'm wondering if the garage touching the electrics has stopped the problem, at least for a while. Malc, didn't you say you had a mysterious electrical problem that did the same?

George, what you've said makes sense, and I'm going to get a new battery in case the old one is damaged. If the current one is faulty I can get it replaced under warranty. Herbie, you're right about my skillset (lack of), and I do sometimes worry that my usual garage is too busy to look at things properly. That was one reason for trying the new place, another was that one of the mechanics was Toyota/Lexus trained with the owner of my regular garage (who's looked after the car for the last 12 years). But the reason you're critical of them may be because I haven't explained the situation fully. To be fair to them, all I asked them to do last time was look at the terminal connections, which I thought was the problem. They did this while I waited, and it was basically a test to see if the connection would fail again, which it hasn't. I thought the problem was sorted, and had no idea the battery was going to drain again. The car has gone back there today, and this time they asked to have it all day so they can check the battery and wiring, probably change the terminals permanently, look for drains etc. Surely it's fair to give them a chance to do this, which they didn't have last time? I certainly wouldn't go back to a garage that cocked things up, but that's not what happened. I have no reason to think they can't trace a drain and fix it, given time, or at least no reason to think a different garage that I've never been to before will do any better. Apart from anything else, I work full-time and don't have the time to drive around trying new garages, especially out of area. But hopefully I'll know more later today. BTW I checked the battery yesterday evening and the charge had gone down to around 85% within 24 hours. I hadn't started the engine. I put it back on charge for a couple of hours, then the charger showed 100%. This morning it turned over normally and fired straight up, the VSC light went off after a few seconds, and all seemed normal - though we know it isn't!

What you're suggesting is that the connection and draining problems are linked, not separate, which wouldn't surprise me. I suspect there aren't many coincidences when it comes to car electrics.

I meant I connect the charger to the battery terminals before plugging it in. The ignition is off throughout the charging process.

I put the charger on at 8.00 yesterday morning, and seven hours later it showed 100%. This seems about right for a large battery on normal (not trickle or jump-start) charge. As soon as I switched the charger on I heard the CD autochanger whirring - this is the first sign under the bonnet that power has been reconnected. And when I opened a door the courtesy light came on. Before that, there was nothing. As the charge increased, more and more things started to work - the light round the ignition switch, the flashing security light etc. The reason I don't think the battery's faulty is that (1) it's only about 2 years old, (2) my usual mechanic said it takes charge from the alternator as it should when the engine's running, and (3) it does charge up. From my experience, the engine should turn over before the battery's fully charged - say 70% - but when the charger shows 100% it cranks very briskly, so I'm assuming the battery does charge fully. Last time the car died, it was within three days of being used normally (not very short journeys). And it wasn't a case of the battery being flat and getting clicks from the starter - there wasn't even an ignition light. My garage said the battery must be completely drained, which in three days could only happen because of a parasitic drain. I feel like I'm writing a book here, but maybe it'll help someone if they have the same experience. I should know more tomorrow.

It's as if there are two problems - poor connection and battery drain. The first seemed to be fixed, the second obviously isn't. I'm wondering if they're linked or whether it's a coincidence.

There may be no substitute for knowledge and expertise in a given field, but you have to be able to access it. And I imagine most garages will claim to be competent in car electronics - that's why it's so difficult to find one who's actually a specialist. Meanwhile I thought I was doing the right thing by going to a Lexus specialist, but maybe I shouldn't bother. As you say, it's just a car.

The problem has been: when all power was likely to cut out without warning, leaving the car without lights, indicators, electric windows etc., I refused to drive it further than necessary. It's nerve-wracking, driving as slowly as possible in case there's the dreaded 'beep' and everything dies on you. What happens if there's nowhere to pull over safely? My normal Lexus mechanic is 7 miles away, the one I've been using recently half that distance, and I'm always relieved when I make it there. There are garages nearer than that but they're not Lexus specialists. Herbie, you kindly listed some auto-electricians for me, but some of them turn out to be 'normal' mechanics who don't actually specialise in electrics. None of them answers the phone. One of them is about 35 miles away, and I don't feel comfortable driving the car up the motorway that distance. So no, the places I'm going to aren't specialist auto electricians - because I'm having the problem Malc had.