Tulpen

I'll have a look in my Owner's Manual tomorrow. We are in the middle of the storm at the moment and I'm not going outside...…..

Now, there's a first...……...the rest of us all think 'Lexus grrreat!' 😀

Back in the late '60s, I was serving with the military in Germany. We had access to duty free cars and the cheapest, brand new, on-the-road cars were the Simca 1000 and the Hillman Imp. Both cost just under £500. There was a big 'Buy British' push from the government at the time, and a lot of people went for the Imp. They soon regretted it...….as John says, a spare water pump was a must. I bought neither; back then £500 was way out of my reach 🙂 Sorry for the thread drift.

That's the first time I've seen an LS430 and a Hillman Imp featured in the same post 😀

I think you'll find that the clips at either end of the bumper are adjustable. There is a little screw thread which allows you to pull the bumper into a really flush fit. You may have to go to Toyota/Lexus to get those. I had to get my front bumper re-sprayed after hitting a deer and the shop that did it told me they had to get new clips from Toyota because they were the adjustable kind.

The filter on my 400 was accessed through the glove box. It is important to have one fitted, otherwise all sorts of crud can enter the heating/cooling system. I used to remove mine once a year and blow it through with an air line.

Having to change a steering rack at only 90k seems rather strange. Has there been some damage previously?

I live in Holland and do most of my stuff via a VPN. A couple of years ago, Brussels passed a law which restricts what a lot of foreign websites can show. I was researching a future holiday in the States and had quite a few access requests denied. Solution was simple...….make the internet think I'm in the States, via VPN.

I'm always a bit disappointed when I read negative comments on ANY of the LS incarnations. The LS is a superb car - period! If someone buys one which has had a hard life, the problems are the previous owners, not the car. One of the best bits of advice we read is to get a car with a good service history and then check the previous MOTs. If a car is dirt cheap, there is a reason. I've never even sat in a 430, having gone straight from the 400 to the 460, but I have no doubt it is, as you say, a superb car.

Try selecting the 'Audio' button, then adjusting the speaker bias. If you put everything to the front speakers that should check out the ones in the doors.

The FM aerial is embedded in the rear window.

I had the reception problem but on AM. The earth for the aerial is on the steering rack. An auto electrician fixed it in no time. I have the Mark Levinson system on mine and have had absolutely no problems. However, I don't turn the volume up to a level that makes my ears bleed. Maybe a previous owner had a liking for pain. 😀

Are there tyre pressures showing on the display page. I had the same problem...…..turned out that the tyre mechanic had thrown the original valve away and replaced it with a normal valve.

There aren't an awful lot of 460s in the UK. To get an idea of possible problems, you might like to have a look at the US forum. Common things are: wind noise at front doors (there is a fix) and, in common with the 430 and 600, an oil cooler/water radiator glitch. The oil cooler is in the water radiator and there can be leaks from one to the other. I had mine changed at 12 years/100,000 miles. Obviously, a good service history is a must and check the MOT history - any advisories might give you a clue to the rattle when accelerating. The LS is a magnificent beast - but can be very expensive to fix. Most of us don't have any problems...…..providing you get a good one to start with.

The 400 is one of the most meticulously engineered vehicles on earth. Why would you want to mess with it?

I had mine changed at 100,000 miles/12 years. The technician who did it said that there were signs of 'distress' in the area of the oil cooler connection. I really think that it is a case of 'a stitch in time saves thousands'. Here in Europe, Lexus say that their automatic gearboxes never need to be drained, flushed or filled under normal use. It appears to have been a selling point to compete with Mercedes and BMW, who say the same thing (in Europe). Having done an engineering apprenticeship many years ago, I think that is total rubbish. I had my gearbox drained, flushed and refilled last week at an automatic transmission specialist (it requires specialist equipment). I can really feel the difference.

These are all the headlight problem threads from the US forum: https://www.clublexus.com/forums/search.php?do=showgcs&query=headlight issues

But, back in 1989 when the LS first arrived it was looked upon as being , absolutely, the very latest (and complicated) technology. Having said that, I do think that modern cars have a plethora of electronics - just because it's possible. Last time I had my car serviced they gave me an ES as a loan car. Nearly all the ancillary bits and pieces were selected via, either, 16 buttons on the steering boss or by a scratch pad on the centre console. Bloody awful...…..and I found the reason why it had Lane Keeping and Distance Keeping - to keep you safe while you're trying to select a radio station!

You, probably, know this; but there is a 'fix' for the wind noise problem: https://www.clublexus.com/forums/ls-4th-gen-2007-2017/506217-instructions-for-the-jmcraney-wind-noise-fix.html

Just to add to my previous post...…. I called in to my local Lexus dealer/service centre and asked them to explain what the E5/E10 change will mean for Lexus models. They agreed with my earlier post and added a couple of other models that will need to use E5. They are: Lexus IS250 2.5 litre V6 (code 4gr-fse) built between Aug 2005 and Sep 2007 Lexus GS300 3.0 litre V6 (code 3gr-fse) built between Jan 2005 and Sep 2007 They also said that, while E5 is recommended for these models, there might be a time when you need to fill up and there is none available locally. It won't be a problem if you put some E10 in - as long as you top up with E5 as soon as possible. Again, this only applies to models made for the European market. I asked about imports and they said they would try and find out - but not to hold my breath. Unlike in the UK, where you can import RHD from Japan relatively easily, there is no real market for that in mainland Europe.

You should get a lot of advice on this. I'll tell you my experience. You are correct in thinking that the oil cooler is located inside the water radiator. I had the radiator/oil cooler changed by Lexus on it's last service. Many guys on here have done it themselves (I'm getting a bit long in the tooth) and it is, probably, best to get the actual Lexus radiator. Refilling the automatic gearbox, properly, is NOT an easy task. On the US forum, they recommend going to an automatic transmission specialist. There is a lot of info on t'internet - especially on this and the US forum.

Hi Sonya, I own a 2007 LS 460 with 100,000 miles on it. They are great cars and mine has been virtually trouble-free. BUT!!!!!!! The LS is a top-of-the-range luxury car, spares are expensive if you have to get them. You need to try and get a service history and check previous MOT's. There is a lot of great info on this forum, I suggest you take some time to read through the various threads. We are always willing to help in any way we can.

According to this site: https://www.consumerreports.org/cars-who-owns-which-car-brands/ Toyota Motor Corp 'has a stake' in both Subaru and Suzuki - whatever that means in detail.

I must have read a different thread to you. There are many 600/460/430/Celsior owners on this forum and, apart from one 460 owner, I haven't read anywhere that it is not a good idea to buy one of these models. Malc opened the thread to get some opinions on moving to a newer LS. He was given honest answers from those of us with experience of those models. None of us said 'Don't buy one'.

Totally agree with you, Phil. My point was that it isn't just the 600 that can cost a lot...…..they ALL can. I've been following your 'shocks' thread and hope it all works out. And, I'm sure you'll agree, when it comes to choosing between spending the money on your shocks or buying a used hatchback - the shocks win every time. 😊