runsgrateasanut

What looks like a bent back plate is in fact the design to scoop in air. What has broken away is the lower rear of the plate which I've drilled and wired as a temporary fix. Not ideal but necessary until I can buy a replacement plate.

Found one on a US site for $21 came to £36 when shipping calculated but then said Don't Ship - doh! Toyo its Euros 35 plus the rest I imagine. Will bend back and see fragility. Too damn cold, biting wind today, so Jacks etc. out of car but will have to wait a bit longer. Anyone seen these. If they were Gold or Black and guaranteed not to melt then I'd buy a set. https://www.ebay.com/itm/ABS-3D-Red-4PCS-Car-Universal-Disc-Brake-Caliper-Covers-Front-Rear/263669503795?fits=Model%3ALS400|Make%3ALexus&hash=item3d63ed5733:g:jRIAAOSw4jFa8UPb#shpCntId

You did well to spot it. Arn't they painted black? Feel sure mine is? Always useful to have one of those telescopic magnets even if they do tend to make all other tools in the bag, magnetised. Blutack on a stick end is also a useful device to recover from the Engine tray when things fall down.

Its causing vibration against that lower ball joint which is annoying, so I'll take off the wheel and bend it back - when the inclination takes me! It will be worth investing in a replacement part as I think there is a tear which shows a sign of fatigue, but it will be low on my list of priorities. That was some strong weed that snagged it. Sure we've all attempted to pull out a weed only to find it defeated us.

Thanks Simon, my first thought was that it was designed to scoop Air onto the Disc, though images of the part (probably only now obtainable from Japan) suggest it is flat with a slight scoop. I was cratching my head to think however could thisehave happened, and then I remembered two years ago when we turned up at our French Cottage at 3.am I pulled up onto long grass and a few weeds, and after unloading I moved the Car further forward and heard this almighty click sound. Worried the life out of me but next day I couldn't see any damage and the Car has driven fine, ever since. Surprised neither the MOT inspection nor my mechanic hasn't drawn my attention or commented on it. Hopefully it will bend back into position.

Anyone had this problem with the LS400? I can hear this annoying clicking noise when driving and having looked at the front D/S wheel I think I've spotted a tear in the brake air scoop or whatever its called. Has shown up another possible problem with the balljoint and thats what its vibrating against. Guessing its a big job having to take everything off the hub to replace. Couldn't find replacement part listed on Rock Auto unless I'm not naming it correctly, and unsure if this is the style of back plate? http://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.clublexus.com-vbulletin/2000x2000/80-img_7007_d62a90e4bea342550418b14eec5fa4a395529885.jpg

You can see the reaction by the Grafiti on the Wall.

I put Brisk Spark plugs in my Car in readiness for the changeover to LPG but as a Hail Storm in France turned the Car into a Golf Ball I won't be converting, as you know. They've worked very well in my LS400 never missed a beat, but not tested with LPG or a LS430 so.............?.

Of course the old “won’t run over 2,500 revs” is in the list of ECU problems associated with the LS400 ECU Capacitor death. Do LS430 owners have the same Caps problems as the LS400? Water in the injectors just baffles me. LPG is turned into gas from a liquid at the Vaporiser, how could it possibly get into the Engine two cylinders which are (?) at opposite ends to each other, but not all 8 cylinders? Valve wear maybe? When were the Spark plugs last changed? Might be worth your removing the two culprits and seeing the “burn” colour after getting the Car up to temperature. You may be financially right in your thinking its for someone else to enjoy the sleuthing.

There is a thread on here where the guy with a ls400 has a problem with his Radio after someone incorrectly reversed the battery polarity. Blew a fuse . Not sure if he has sorted it as asked recently, but no update. The running issues could be attributed to a couple of things. Not to denigrate your LPG person, but if he didn’t change your Vaporiser for a brand new one then I wonder if he actually serviced it. What are called heavy ends build up and affect performance. A filter change is just too much trouble and its cheaper to replace the whole Vaporiser when you consider the work element to cleaning which may tear the diaphragm. Cost under £100 but beware not getting an Air bubble in the head when putting back heater hoses etc., If you’ve not had the Throttle body off and cleaned it, then a build up of crud could be sticking the throttle body? These are my thoughts and may not be applicable to your Car or solving the problems. I would say that I’ve met less than competent LPG people in the past and so asking to replace with new, allows you to visually inspect that work has been done.

Not revving past 2,500 is the most significant factor. Replacement ECU not cheap even s/hand. Can't understand the LPG water in the system, or sticking valves theory. Sounds like Bunkum. How long ago did you last have the LPG system, which I assume is Sequential, serviced? This is most important. Does it rev passed 2.5K on Petrol but not on LPG? The ICE and Climate control are they working since re-set?

Thats a Money pit - new tryres all round, new Discs and pads possibly, and setting up, possible head gasket leakage owing to time not on the road and condensation in sump, exhaust probably shot, servicing, with cambelt etc. But maybe I'm wrong. Was it the car seen some time ago being a Barn find? The mismatch wood effect is poor but it can look reasonably OK and beats the plastic fantastic imo. Well pleased with my Steering wheel if slightly off colour and awaiting second set to complete the circle. Feels so much easier than just the Leather, which is nice enough.

Clicked on this thread just in case it gave me the answer to a rattle that has developed and I can hear with the front window down. No vibration to car at speed or other symptoms. Skipped to latest answer so may have already been found? My Mechanic checked for loose Heat Shields and any suspension issues whilst on the Ramp doing an oil change. Nothing seen. Yesterday I think I discovered what it is. Too blowy to do a repair. Found drivers side (which it seems to be coming from) Air cowl on front bumper for flow to Brakes? loose, the top rivet has perhaps corroded away. Guessing with wind and vibration this is the cause. Passenger side firm. Will sometime this week try to fix and report back if new fixing solves the poblem.

Thought I'd glance at the thread Brian. Got a shock at one thread. Is this an issue in the UK for Cars? I did get a sticky cup holder in an MR2 2nd series I owned and thought it must have been something to do with spillage. I found that wiped with pure Isoproponol it cleaned it and seemed dry to the touch. For how long I couldn't say as I didn't keep the Car. That was the same year Car as my LS. Are other models affected by age and what is the date range? https://www.clublexus.com/forums/ls-4th-gen-2007-2017/903879-melting-interior-alternatives.html

Where are you with your project?

Is the Japanese equivalent of the MOT more stringent than UK? Surprised that your Car doesn't have double glazing as standard. Assume soft closure doors? On my 96 W140 Merc the doors double glazing was fine but the Windscreen and the Rear Window had delaminated at the bottom, badly. I do see one Ls430 on the bay with a delaminated side window which is the first I've ever seen. Is this common or did you see the same on "School Bus" (Reg) ? Why better underbody, I'd have thought that Garages are not as common as in UK ?

Pity he felt he had to drop the totally unnesessary "f" word into the review - otherwise quite enjoyable

Did anyone see Tony Robinsons Travel around the World last night where he visited Mercedes Benz and had first hand explanation of the way the Germans think about their Car industry whilst he was driving their latest and most expensive (?)model car? Confirms what the Thread starter indicates.

Only if last nights Euromillions came up for me! Then again as yet to check, I'll give you some numbers 14, 9, 37, 40, 41, 26 (don't do the UK lott so not sure if thats enough numbers?) Buy me a nice Lexus if you win - without responsibility or liability otherwise!

I wonder if the production of Batteries is as green as the production (and long life???) of Fluorescent bulbs is to argon bulbs? Many years go I visited a company in Darley Dale which recycled Batteries. Looking into that huge Metal Tunnel almost the width of the underground, and probably fifty foot long, a tube with jet flames and chains attached with heavy lumps of iron thrashing about as the Tunnel rotated breaking down used Batteries, I could only imagine it was what Hell looked like. Was it a green process? I very much doubt it. Is the manufacture of batteries environmentally friendly? This was in the day of Chloride Batteries which went bust confirming my prediction at the time.

This? http://www.xcarlink.co.uk/product.php?productid=367&cat=29&page=1

Personally, I'd just replace that fuse and check the others for continuity before going to the trouble you are considering. Nightmare I imagine. Tidying and quality soldering etc. Maybe not?

All a bit messy

When was the first Aux socket added to a Lexus ICE? Rather late possibly?

I have one of those little FM transmitters but it has a stalk. Only problem with the SD Card is that you can’t select the tracks, I find, or perhaps I’m not using it properly. Will try the Bluetooth sometime to my phone. Sadly, my Sony Walkman MP3 player which will play through it, has a screen that has almost died and I’m unable to see the tracks to select. Trying to find the start sequence is difficult, though its set to “random play” if it can be found. Annoying. The six CD player is still a useful alternative. Music wise apart from rap which I never play I enjoy all kinds of pop music from The Everly Brothers to Ozzie Osbourne but for eight hour journeys I most enjoy “The very best of the Platters”. We have a couple of Film theme songs CD’s which are good, to “A Good Year” and “Beaute Volee” - RIP Albert Finney who had a great cameo part in the first of those. Just at the moment I can’t get the song “The Writings on the Wall” out of my head. Sometimes a song will just keep coming up in my head day and night which is a bit disturbing. Eventually it will go, so I mustn’t play that Bond theme when the CD arrives – not for at least a month! There, laid bare my taste in music !