MLW

My 2002 LS430 has done 25k fault free miles since I bought it. Just did 1,400 miles in Scotland. The gearbox is a 5 speed and is slilky smooth. Can't hear or feel gear changes. The power is amazing although we never use it as we waft everywhere in near total silence. The air suspension is like silk. It uses no oil and does 31 mpg, although that is mostly 'easy' dual carriageway and motorway milage. For a V8 it is remarkably economical on a run. Stop-start driving is not its real forte. Has all 4 brake pads redone. All the pads were about £55 on Europarts, and took 1 1/2 hours to fit at my local place. Easiest pads to fit in any car the young lad said. One bolt, up caliper, pads in. Shell oil and a Mann oil filter are about £25 all in at Euro car Parts. An oil change is easy, but the undercover plate is a pain as in most new cars. Starts on the button every time. The inside is pure luxury, and very spacious. Mine is my favourite colour silver and cream inside. The only problem is the £1,800 Mark Levingson radio (premier pack), which I think is nothing special, but in Suffolk the signal is sometimes weak. The CD is good. It has about 10 airbags and must be incredibly asfe in a crash. When I bought mine it had a new battery and Lexus fitted new cam belt. A full belt, water pump and pulleys is about £600 ever 90,000 miles. Best car I ever had. Plan to keep it for ages.

Go to Euro Car Parts

For me, it is easy. There are two ways to buy a car. 1. Go to a main dealer and pay well over the odds, but....get a top rated deal and all the extras. 2). Go private and do your homework etc and remember you are buying 50% is the car, 50% the buyer. Is the seller 'normal'. That means all the paperwork is top notch etc. Here it just smells a bit odd to me. Buying at a Lexus dealer should not be an iffy purchase. I suspect you might get a great deal, but remember, the reason you are on here asking for advice is because 30% of you is uncomfortable. 'Car fever' is a terrible condition. Happened to me once on a Vauxhall Cavalier! Everything was wrong ..... but I really really really wanted it. Bought it and it was wrong. Luckily I got my money back. Since then, every private car I have bought was the first one I looked at, because the seller, is as important as the car. If they smell right .... all is likely to be correct.

Anyone used this to good effect?

In summer, I run mine on just water to 'clear out the gunge'. Try the old pin jiggle in the hole trick.

Perfectly correct. Mine had 'gone off' as I had the setting in the middle as it 'looked better'. Switch to the left and it all works perfectly.

I fear mine will need replacing soonish. My insurance company says cost is £140 at 'their' supplier, and £140 at my choice.!! Why not choose Lexus? Given the headlight/washer box is stuck to it, I wondered if only Lexus could do it properly, but do they sub-contract? Any experience here?

Why not stick to glass. Every owner wants simple clear glass, but every manufacturer says no!

60k is an awfully lot of miles. Old plugs in the 'old' days were 12k at best. If it ain't broke' theory has some merit, but when my brother changed his Ford Focus plugs at my house (I had the correct socket) and they were really bad, Huge gap etc. I told him he needs to break-down more often. He needs his car and does not have sympathetic ear for it. My old neighbour had a car that rarely started. As I pushed it down the hill again, I would ask how old are the plugs? No idea! Look, 60k ever 6 years for about £70-80 is not bad given you have the best plugs in the world. Think of what a 2% gain in petrol means in money. The key to running an old car is to over-service it.

Mine will need doing at 60,000 miles. Denso original from ECP. Probably about £88. Not bad for 6 years.

Probably a master cylinder internal leak. Brakes never leak/need topping up unless there is a problem.

Dear MLW https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Silver-PDC-Ultrasonic-Reverse-Parking-Sensor-For-Toyota-Lexus-LS430-89341-50011/152700574433?hash=item238da9dae1:g:j9UAAOSwydpZevaQ How easy to fit?

Go with 5w-30. At £20-25 a can at Euro Car Parts for Shell Helix, why struggle? 90% of engine wear is in the first 10 seconds. Here a thin oil is great. My 430 came with SL as the standard oil recommended. We are now on SN. Oil has improved immeasurably in the last 15 years. The interesting thing is my Lexus uses absolutely no oil between services..... a good sign. If engine wear worries you so much, compromise with a 7,500 mile oil change. A happy medium.

2002 LS 430 Just got back from holiday. A thousand miles, 32 mpg, faultless as ever, bar..... In the last few weeks the front bumper parking sensor has started to bleep when going along. It is getting worse. Close inspection shows a tiny tiny crack in it. Options..... Pack it with car wax and hope that 'seals it'. Replace it. A lot of trouble. Does the bumper have to come off. How much is a sensor? Help appreciated.

Any of the good stuff is OK. It is the spec, not the brand that is crucial. Asda/Tesco's are both top brands, but I have recently gone with Shell helix fully synthetic at Euro Car parts. Often about £20 for 5 litres. How cheap can it get? I would change at 5,000 if you must...... or 10,000 for normal motoring.

That is probably fair advice. The air con check will do 3 things. 1. Suck out all the old stuff, coolant and lubricating oil. 2. Hold a vacuum, i.e. suck it hard. This is crucial. If there is a leak, it will show. No point in putting new stuff in if it will leak away over 4-5 days. 3. Refill with the exact quantity of refrigerant and lubricating oil for that model. That is why you should use the air-con for 20 mins each week so that the lubricating oil can lubricate the seals as it circulates. Then cold air. Halfords say no cold = no pay. They should check the temperature at the beginning......and at the end. If it cannot hold a vacuum, then more corrective work is needed.

You will always get a 'slight' pull to the left. In France.......it is a pull to the right......camber.

True, but the print outs are what stop Halfords skulduggery!

Something odd here. £40-50 is the normal price. F1 did my wife's recently and my daughters car for about £40. 2 years ago Halfords did it for £50.

I used these for my LS 430. £47 for a set of 4. Perfect fit. Do get the rubber heal protector for a few pounds more. It really does work. https://www.carmats-uk.com/

The Hunter alignment system is I think American. A friend of mine use to work at Kwikfit. When I suggested a wheel alignment he said not here, go to XXX, they have a Hunter machine. Funny enough Kwikfit now have them. https://www.kwik-fit.com/other-products/wheel-alignment They are terrific. They do a printout with all the angles in red and green. Green is within spec, red is out. After they have corrected it you get a second paper read out showing it has been done properly. None of that old 'should be OK' stuff. You can see for yourself. Afterwards the car tracks like a bullet. It will tend to drift to the left because of the camber, but drive on the right, and it will drift to the right. The cost at my local F1 auto centre is about £40. They often have a voucher for discount. https://www.f1autocentres.co.uk/wheel-alignment/vouchers £113 is a rip off. Go to F1 or Halfords. My centre had run out of printing paper (really) but they photographed it and sent it to me, before I authorised the work. The check is free, adjustment is about £40.

Is there a retaining screw on the discs, and is it easy to get out (i.e. not corroded)?

I thought you could just open the boot, or car physically with the physical metal key extended. The alarm goes off etc, but when you put the key in the lock, the computer talks to the key and 'knows it is you' so switches off.

These are completely ridiculous ......but wonderful. How much?

The Bilt Hamber Clay bar is the one to get. You can divide the blue bar into 4, then soften it in warm water. Work it out into a bear mat sized piece. The beauty is it uses just water as a lubricate. What comes off is amazing. Then any really good polish will do. Polish is slightly abrasive so it will pull even more marks off, then the final Autoglym wax. Never thought clay barring was such a big deal, till I did one. Was truly shocked at the difference. If you rub your fingers over a clean car, and you feel little nicks and full stops......clay bar it.