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Titch LS

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Everything posted by Titch LS

  1. Titch LS
    I'm sure as Asda don't produce it, and it meets all the specs, it will be absolutely fine in the engine of an LS. Asda buy in huge bulk and pass on the saving. Shell, Mobil, etc., don't.
  2. Titch LS
    I wanted one of those great looking Jags until I compared forums and that made me plum for an LS. Glad I did too. Nothing has actually gone wrong on the LS for the last 5 years and that's on a 16 year old car. Still think Jags are good looking cars though.
  3. Titch LS
    I know of two older C-class Mercs both of which gave trouble with their autoboxes, (plus other expensive things). Lovely build quality, but no long-term reliability.
  4. Titch LS
    Apart from location, Car Insurance is very much related to age and driving experience. Being of late middle age and having many years NCB is what gives the cheapest rates as you are deemed to be a less risk-averse driver. Then of course as you reach old age, up it goes again!
  5. Titch LS
    Looks great, same colour as mine, but mine has the standard (non DHP) wheels. I use Autoglym Super Resin polish; once dry, easiest and shiniest to use ever. Unlike most polishes, it goes on really well in bright sunlight on warm paintwork. Fantastic stuff.
  6. Titch LS
    John, I've had this problem recently too, so I replaced the pollen filter,(easy Job on an LS). One thing I've found though, and this applies to any car; I never use the Recirculation button without the A/C being on, because when it is raining, being in Recirculation mode without A/C switched on will guarantee you a quickly fogged up windscreen. Recirculation mode is only safe when it's not humid outside or it's not raining. In fact I found that the A/C works better with Recirculation switched on. Having only outside air to the vents i.e. Recirculation off, also stops fogging up.
  7. Titch LS
    Ron, A failing battery is the more likely cause (but not the only one). I've had the same lights come up before on my motor whenever voltage is only slightly too low, (even though the car starts fine). New battery cured the problem. Also, check the output of the alternator; should be good though, they seem to last for ever. You should see around 14 volts with the engine running. The VSC and Trac lights should go off after a few miles once enough voltage is restored. I've learned that these cars need their electrical supply to be at its peak at all times.
  8. Titch LS
    There's a 1,000,000 mile LS400 in America. It would take years to manage that in this little country. I believe the mid 1960's Volvo P1800 that holds the world record (3,000,000+ miles) is still going (again, in America). It has had at least 2 engines and 3 gearboxes though. Still, that's some going.
  9. Titch LS
    Gary, the aircon temperature sensor is located just behind the dash near the steering wheel. It looks like a small 1" square grill in the plastic. Not very noticeable.
  10. Titch LS
    The light sensor is the little button-like thing at the base of the windscreen. It is for use when the headlight stalk is turned to "Auto". I believe the sensitivity can be adjusted by the dealership. I've never used the auto setting myself, but now you've brought it up, I might just try it!
  11. Titch LS
    John, my mk4 occasionally does exactly the same flickering that you describe. It has nothing to do with a defective battery but the light sensor Jake 430 was on about. It happens mostly at dusk or when you emerge from a tunnel or pass through a shaded area of road. Perfectly normal.
  12. Titch LS
    Seems a very common occurrence when getting new tyres fitted on our cars. Happened to me recently too. Had to return to the tyre place immediately after fitting, due to the 'chuffing' noise coming from the front wheels.
  13. Titch LS
    I had two Goodyear Efficient Grip Performance tyres fitted recently (different to just plain "Efficient Grip"?) and they came rated at 102W i.e. heavy duty compared to the standard 98W speed rating for our cars. They give a great comfortable ride, they're quiet too and are very grippy in the wet. Best tyre I've had so far.
  14. Titch LS
    Yes, I too find the wood effect steering wheel to be harder on the hands than the original all leather one, but, it looks sooo much classier in my opinion. There's not much wood in the 'standard' cabin of an LS400, unlike in the much nicer 430 cabin. I'm really glad I swapped my steering wheel over.
  15. Titch LS
    John, I don't think the LS430 wood/leather steering wheel will fit an LS400. I believe the connections are different. About a year ago I replaced the regular all-leather steering wheel on my mk4 for a wood/leather one taken off a recently scrapped mk4. It was in nice condition too and only cost me around £50 plus p+p. A real bargain I thought. Swapping it over is relatively easy, so long as care is taken with the airbag i.e. disconnect the battery for at least 10 mins for the capacitors to de activate. You don't need a puller either, just a good hard yank will do once the central nut is undone.
  16. Titch LS
    When the Americans were running their "Cash for clunkers" scheme, the car scrappers were killing car engines by pouring in some horrible concoction until the engine finally died. It was noted at the time that it took ages for this treatment to see off an LS400 engine. Other makes "died" very quickly. Just goes to show how well designed and engineered this V8 really is.
  17. Titch LS
    I once owned the earlier front wheel drive Legend (2001). Great build quality and very reliable but not quite up to Lexus refinement standards. It was an obvious copy of an LS, even the cabin was of very similar design. One thing I do remember; the heated seats worked really well; they scorched your bum in the winter; much better than the LS! The only problem I had with it was a duff ABS wheel sensor. I exchanged it for my present mk4. As for the red Fsport, I think it looks fantastic.
  18. Titch LS
    I've always thought that Top Gear has had a huge influence on the British car buying public. Most German cars got rave reviews on the show but quality Japanese cars hardly got a mention. Every week it was BMW this or Audi that or Mercedes something else. I got fed up with it in the end. I've just come back from visiting Colorado and there you could hardly see anyone driving a German car. They were nearly all Japanese, American and Korean motors. Quite refreshing for me; it just shows how marketing works in different cultures.
  19. Titch LS
    This seems to be a common theme at Lexus dealerships. I saw an absolutely immaculate condition, low mileage, original mk1 on show at Lexus Hatfield a few years ago. I was told they would only sell it "for the right money" -- a euphemism for way, way, over book price no doubt. But it was a special car.
  20. Titch LS
    Shanra, My compressor is fine, I just had a punctured condenser that I had to replace,(plus receiver/dryer). I read somewhere that there is a built in safety over-ride on the compressor clutch to stop any disintegration taking place, (should it fail) and thereby stop those nasty bits of metal entering the system.
  21. Titch LS
    I remember now, when I replaced my condenser (Rockauto), I also replaced the receiver/dryer (recommended), which was also from Rockauto but was very cheap. It sits in front of the condenser; very easy to see and get at. One problem though, the bolts holding it, I was told, "always break". Sure enough, like Shanra reported, they broke. Something to do with a chemical reaction between steel and aluminium. Had to take it to Japex in the end, who sorted it for me.
  22. Titch LS
    I'd be surprised if both the compressor and condenser are leaking at the same time. Extremely unlikely I would say. It would be one or the other. The condenser is the more likely candidate as they are prone to puncturing by stones etc., but a genuine Denso can be got from Rockauto at a very reasonable cost. I know as I ordered one from them a while back. The compressors tend to be bulletproof. Hope you get it sorted ok.
  23. Titch LS
    Simon, the oil itself (new or old), is smelly stuff. Not sure what's in it but it's formulated to withstand extreme pressures. I believe the correct grade is GL5, using any good brand.There is a tutorial for this job somewhere. My car is still running fine since doing the Diff oil change.
  24. Titch LS
    I changed the diff oil on my mk4 after it had done 100k miles or so. It's stinky stuff! Also, the hex nuts can be very tight, so make sure the Allen key is a really good fit before you start wrenching on it; you don't want to 'round' the nut. Always top one first. Make sure the car is completely level when you do it or you could under fill it. Use the right grade of oil. It comes in squeezy bottles which have a long plastic tube for the filler hole.
  25. Titch LS
    I don't hold with the latest 'lifetime fill' concept on modern cars. Manufacturers want to replace your gearbox when it fails. The sooner the better as far as they are concerned, preferably, just as the warranty runs out. It's a big con. No ATF can be that efficient that it never needs replacing or replenishing at some point. My neighbour never changed the ATF on her Beemer X5 and guess what? Yep, catastrophic gearbox failure. Cost her a fortune.
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