MLW

2002 LS430, 80,000 mile service. Using this suction extractor, £28.49 p when I bought it. It does suck well. https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07C21X1D9/ref=pe_3187911_189395841_TE_3p_dp_1 I got 2.1 litres of old gearbox AFT out. I then replaced it with 2.1 litres of new Toyota type-IV via the small dipstick hole. What is interesting is the oil condition after 80,000 miles. On the dipstick it actually says 'not necessary to replace under normal conditions'. Two samples, old and new oil colour. The old was dark reddish in colour but smelt OK, and smelt just of oil! The new is pink/cherry red. I would love to drain it all and the torque converter as on my old Mercedes E class. Oil for life is crazy. It must deteriorate. I'll do it again next service as i have 2.9 litres left. Can't say the gearbox change is any different as it changes in perceptively anyway. Tried it on the power-steering reservoir but could only get about .25 of a litre out. Replaced with Dextron 111. Any other way of easily getting more out?

Did a big 80,000 service today on my 2002 430. As with last year the 10,000 mile air filter was pretty bad (or is it me). Most literature says 30,000 miles for an air filter, yet mine (in Suffolk) seem always to be dirty at the next service. Is it that these Genuine Denso filters do do such a good job that they get dirty, or 8 big cylinders suck in a huge amount of air? My thinking is I spend about £1,800 a year on fuel at at £32 the filter is only 1.72% of the fuel cost. If a new filter gives 1-2% better fuel economy, it pays for itself. Crude numbers but that's the thinking. How often do others replace theirs?

You can check it was replaced in about 3 mins by pulling it out from behind the glove box. On my old Prius, Toyota said it needed replacing at about £47. Are you sure I said. Oh yes, our 'technician' has checked it. Oh, I said, that's odd as I replaced it yesterday with a new Bosch one! (£13). We checked it and I showed him it was pure white. Some apologies, but that is why at a main dealer you are always nervous.

I put in ASDA, Salisbury's, Tesco's, plus other stuff and have done for 40 years. No problems. I put a pot of Red-X fuel cleaner in when it is £2 at ASDA and it is fine.

My LS 430 at 70,000 miles needed a oxygen lambda sensor at £295 supplied and fitted. It also needed petrol, and some new tyres after 44,000 miles of me driving it. My previous Toyota Prius need a headlight bulb and a side light bulb after 70,000 miles. There is a serious point here. Are we 'old', 1995-2005 drivers going through a 'golden' period when stuff was well made and very little plastic used. I fear a new Lexus LS is a shadow of the past.

A spark plug that lasts 60,000 miles or more is amazing to us 'older gentlemen' who changed every 10,000 miles and cleaned and gaped ever 5,000 miles just 30 years ago.

Having done this job, I agree. Only fit iridium plugs. It is such a faff to do, once in 6 years is more than enough. Anyway, iridium plugs give such better performance. If they only give a 2-3% improvement in mpg, that is a lot of fuel in 6 years.

They look a mess. But that is the past. We need to look to the future. I changed mine at 60,000 miles as they should be. ONLY buy Denso iridium plugs. Opie oils do genuine (be careful on Ebay) ones for about £58 for 8. I was so worried about cross threading and torque specs I bought a low torque wrench. Being very thorougher, it took me just under 2 hours to do all 8 plugs. Would have been 15 minutes on a Mercedes W124. This is a difficult but rewarding job you do every 6 years. DO NOT snap off any of the small soft wires.

From whom and how much?

Easy job to do, takes about 7-10 minutes in total.

Gave them a ring. Very good service and high level of cover but 33% higher quote.

A financial organisation looking after customers????? Actually, my new quote is 3.78% more! I am going to call them and say as the car will not have moved for 8 weeks, I want a reduction.

Japanese manufactures seem to use the 'strap down' method which is good if both rods are open and exposed and you can see where they hook in. Here it was about a 4 mm slot, buried way down in a crowded battery tray. Mercedes seem to use a 13 mm clamp bolt at the bottom which is far easier and very solid. Took me over an hour to lock this 430 down.

UPDATE. New Yuasa battery from Halfords now in. I went for the biggest 5 year battery I could get. £98 minus 10% from a Shell Go+ voucher that gives 10% off till the end of October, which Halfords accepted. So £88.20p. https://www.halfords.com/motoring/batteries/car-batteries/yuasa-hsb030-silver-12v-car-battery-5-year-guarantee-257748.html I asked Lexus by email for a price but nothing forthcoming. These batteries are tricky to fit as the two clamps keep slipping down or popping out. Plus this battery has the positive and negative at the back near the windscreen, not at the front. Bit of a squeeze re-positioning the positive clamp. The negative is easier. Instantly all went back to normal. Ignition lock was simple and easy to disengage, as usual. No forcing it all. All the lights on the dash lit up, and the steering wheel moved out and down as normal. Interior light very bright. Lots of pumps and motors whirling but then all bog standard normal. It reconfirms my experience that modern cars must have a good strong 12 volts. Anything less and it all goes iffy. I charged the new 75 ah battery and it took about 15-12 amps till my trickle charger said full. The old battery read 5.5 volts, so that is well knackered, which in a way was reassuring. It was never really a 'strong' battery, or maybe this car is so demanding. I will charge it and see how long it takes to discharge off the car. I have switched off the smart system which I don't like anyway.

I thought that, but as a car gets older, it must pass more gunge back into the inlet manifold. I think I'll clean it as see how bad it is. I am always jealous of American companies like Rock Auto. Genuine parts so cheap. Its a pity import duties make it all so expensive.

How much was a new one. Is it a Lexus only part? Is the inside basically a ball bearing that blocks a hole one way, and allows gases to flow the other way?

That is very true. On my old Prius when the 12v battery was failing, the dash lights were all over the show. The alarm went of by itself. The wipers went wacky. New battery = all went back to normal. FIAT Pandas can even have the electric steering rack go crazy. Modern cars are very iffy on a failing battery.

Anyone know where it is and how easy is it to clean with some carburettor cleaner?

Happened to me today. I have been charging my 430 every 10 days or so. It has not moved for 6 weeks. I needed something from the car and the blippers did nothing. Opened the car on the key and the lock will not turn. The car is absolutely dead. No light, not even a glimmer from the internal light. New battery tomorrow as the old one is just over 4 years old and a fairly cheap Numax premier put in by the previous owner. Like many other s on here, it drains down in 14+ days but it fine in normal use. Could it be the immobiliser (with no power) has gone into its previous mode of 'I am off so you cannot steal me'. Why is a dead/weak battery promoting this unusual condition?

Has anyone ever replaced a PCV positive crankcase ventilation valve on a LS 430. Americans seem obsessed with this service item but in 50 years I have never done one. It seems cheap and logical to replace it. Although some carb cleaner could also sort it out. Are 430s so clean it is not a problem?

You can use the oil selector of other oil producers to find which oil they recommend for your car and you can compare and choose the best oil. I have done this many times and out of 10 companies i usually get 12 different answers!

This is interesting. My 2002 owners manual states for the LS 430 5w-30 SAE SJ standard. This was the leading standard then. My local ASDA has 5w-30 at SN standard, much better. It is ACEA C3 which I have always used (as with Shell Helix) as it is low sulphur. Recently as part of a service package I bought LEXUS genuine motor oil which is 5w-30 SL ACEA C5 standard. Lexus and Toyota never state the ACEA apart from 'low sulphur'. SN is the best, but is C3 to be preferred? This seems to be the GM standard.

I am also surprised by paper elements. It may be an environmental issue. After all, X million old oil filters are a lot of waste and given the oil, paper, metal combination, must be a nightmare to recycle. One good thing about the old filters, was that you could see 1). the brand 2). that it had actually been done at a garage 3). it is idiot proof, no 'O' ring seal to ***** up. Try doing that with a canister paper one. All the more reason to do your own.

As a bits car, maybe. You would need to store them, sell them post them, then get rid of the remaining skeleton. Work out what you might make, plus a labour charge of Xhours work. Is it worth it? Some cars like a classic Mini might be recoverable, but not a big Lexus. The key to buying here is, is to buy the best you can afford, not a scuffy one and 'hope to do it up'. That is a money pit.

Is 4.2 amps with the battery disconnected? How high can you charge connected and not fry the ECU and other electrics?