Razor61

I prefer the looks of the MK3 94-97, I've had one and now have a 1998 MK4 which I've used for the daily commute for work (20 mile round trip) and longer trips for work to other locations in the UK for the last 3 years. At the time I was looking, I couldn't find a decent/good MK3 so settled for the MK4 I have now, nothing wrong with MK4 and it's probably the 'better' car but I just like the looks and the interior of the MK3 without the satnav and screen etc. MK3 94-97 cars are becoming scarce though, especially good ones, but there are a fair amount of MK4's available. There is a Gold MK3 for sale on eBay for £6,990, if you are considering that car (or anyone else is) then contact me first😉

Yep, I neglected the rear brake maintenance and didn't check the rears when I bought it. Unusual for me but you could see the discs and pads were new and that probably lulled me into a false sense of security, I know better and there is more to just changing discs and pads for brake maintenance. Some other stuff on this. The aftermarket disc centres were all rusty, not paint/coating on them, so didn't look nice at all. The Lexus OEM discs are better quality and have a nice black coating on the centres which looks nice, how long that lasts who knows but I'd guess it will last a long time. Anti-squeal shims/plates were missing along with the 2 x anti-squeal springs on each side. After everything was back together with all the correct stuff, no noise with the pads moving about when slowly reversing off the drive. Sounds a minor thing but it was annoying. I bought a 'fitting kit' from Amayama which consists of the pad clips and Anti-squeal springs along with other stuff a long time ago ready for the job. I lost or mislaid one of the pad clips so used a 'used' one off the car, thought about ordering another fitting kit along with the slider pins and other stuff from Amayama but didn't in the end. Just out interest I looked on LPD, current Amayama price for the fitting kit - 04948-30050 - is £24.43 plus shipping, still not exactly cheap for 8 clips and 4 springs. Price for the same thing in the UK from LPD website...............................£188.69, I know UK prices are higher but nearly 8 x times the price? Surely it must be a mistake, the front pad fitting kit is 'only' £44.48 from LPD.

Not done much work on the LS400 for a while but needed to spend a few hours on the rear brakes at the weekend and is a lesson to me to 'not put off planned work', don't be a hypocrite and practice what I preach 😄 To set the 'scene': When I purchased the car, 3 years in December and how time flies, new discs and pads had been fitted all round. Not Lexus/Toyota OE though. I purchased new discs/pads/fitting kit/anti squeal shims/pad sensors for both front and rear, the original shims were missing. I replaced the front discs/pads/shims/pad sensor etc. a few months later but figured I'd leave the rears for a while but didn't get round to doing them, first mistake! The rear pad sensor had been cut and shorted out, I have a new sensor so decided I'd replace it when I did the discs and pads, second mistake!! What happened: While driving on Friday late afternoon I heard a 'something catching' sound on the rear when turning left at a junction, sounded like the drivers rear, then it disappeared when driving straight. I suspected a brake dust plate catching a disc, when coming to a stop at my destination it sounded like a brake pad was 'metal on metal' but not really loud. Drove back home and couldn't really replicate the issue. Saturday morning took the front wheels off and checked for anything catching rubbing, all ok. Took the passenger rear wheel off to do the same, discs good, pads ok really, getting low but had decent even wear. Rears are sliding calipers so checked the slider pins, both pins were seized which is a common problem if not checked and greased regularly. I hadn't done this so is the third mistake!!! Wasn't in the mood to replace the discs and pads so removed the caliper carrier and, after quite a bit of work, freed up the slider pins. One was really seized and took ages to free up, but anyway....... everything cleaned up, greased, reassembled, fitted back to the car with the existing pads as they were and the calipers sliding as they should. At this point, note to myself to purchase new slider pins and seals etc (maybe new caliper carriers) and replaced the discs and pads as soon as possible along with the new pad wear sensor but they will be fine until I do it all. Removed the drivers rear wheel to have a look and check, one slider pin was seized but the other was ok. Outer pad looked ok but the inner pad was worn wafer thin and was metal on metal on the lower corner. Of course I've found the cause of the noise noticed the day before. Although not in the mood for doing it, I had no choice but to fit the new discs/pads/shims etc. A few hours later new disc/pads/shims fitted and grease applied in the correct areas, parking brake shoes adjusted as best I could, wheels back on and wheel nuts torqued up. All good and chuffed with myself, walked back in the garage and saw the new pad wear sensor lying on the bench 😠 not happy but that can wait until I get all the new slider pins and seals. A lesson learned, and the rear caliper sliders will be checked on a regular basis and greased which is something IS250 owners know all about. Braking is a lot better now, I can feel the rear braking and it brakes level rather than the front dipping down. I have said in previous topics that owners don't notice gradual degradation in suspension and brake type stuff and it's not until someone else drives the car that they notice, this is a prime example (slightly different but same principle) and has happened to me when I didn't think it would ☺️and I'm suitably embarrassed. I still have the slider pins and dust seals etc to order and fit along with new parking brake shoes, which I have already, but after that it's back to trouble free motoring for a while.

The link just takes you to Charlie's Facebook profile, you can search for Charlie Yates in Facebook and the correct Charlie Yates is below. Or look at/join the Facebook Group 'UK Lexus LS400 430 460 600 Group' or 'Lexus LS/Celsior owners UK' and you will find his posts in one of them about breaking a LS400.

Yep, a 98 LS400

Buying stuff from Facebook is a risk because of scammers etc. but the guy below, Charlie Yates, on Facebook is 100% genuine. https://www.facebook.com/charlie.yates.792 I know he is genuine because he is near to where I live, Warrington, and I picked up some LS400 bits from him last Saturday. Steering rack, windscreen lh/rh trims and an AC pipe that connects to the drier with the pressure switch while I was there. This is the AC pipe/assembly, bought it because I repaired the sight glass on my car cos of a small leak so I now have a replacement if it ever leaks again, hasn't done so far since the repair 18 months - 2 years ago. Great guy, genuine, owns an LS400 himself, and has LS400 parts from breaking a 98 LS400 for parts for his car so worth contacting if you need anything.

That's about right in my experience and I've bought a lot of stuff from Amayama, but as Steve says it depends on availability and how long it takes for them to get the stuff to their warehouse. As far as I know - they don't stock the parts themselves, some stuff they may have in stock but in general they don't. The part you are after - 45504-59025 I think - is £42.29 plus £22.36 shipping cost so £65 in total and I don't think you will incur any duty/import/admin costs. I normally buy other smaller bits at the same time, small trim pieces, clips, fixings etc that are missing or damaged or you will probably need in the future. The best value bits to order at the same time from Amayama is stuff like in the examples below: 4945-50012 - SHIM KIT, ANTI SQUEAL, FRONT - £12.96 compared to UK LPD price of £75.85 - rears are similar 47773-50030 - RETAINER, PAD WEAR INDICATOR - front - just a little clip...... - £1.00 compared to UK LPD price of ................ £14.00 You have to stop yourself getting carried away but being sensible and spending a few more quid on smaller bits won't increase the carriage by much, and maybe not at all depending on what you buy.

Yep, you are right there is a separate pump for the headlight cleaner. Maybe it’s just the fuse for the windscreen washer pump.

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So when the button is pressed the wipers ‘wipe’ but the pump doesn’t run, is that correct?

Yep, I know. I worked on Raikes Lane Ind Estate for many years in the past for Mastercare. Regarding the spare set of wheels I have, tyres are removed, I thought you may want to get the set refurbished, swop them over and keep yours as spares or flog them. I was thinking of getting them refurbished, see how good they turn out and then flog them for the cost of the refurb.

Glad you mentioned Wheel Gods in Bolton, didn't know they existed. I have always sent alloys to Lepsons in Gillingham and means packaging and shipping. I'll give Wheel Gods a go, I work in Bolton, I have a spare set of alloys the same as yours that really do need sorting out so will take them in. Not sure they can be salvaged though. I have no plans for the spare set I have, got them when I had a 95 LS400, so if you want/need/would like them, then ping me a message.

iirc Ribblesdale Auto Electrics quoted £150 for a rebuild on my alternator. New one from Amayama ............................. £932.80 + shipping and import duty/taxes so I guess around £1200 maybe.

You can try the company below, it's local to me and I had my alternator tested by them - not rebuilt/refurbished but having visited the company I would take my alternator there for a rebuild without hesitation. You can send your alternator to them, they will sort it out and send it back, visit the website or give them a call. Ribblesdale Auto Electrics Phone: 01772 796047 Website: https://www.ribblesdale.co.uk/

And maybe the battery insulator/cover missing as well, we all know how important that is😄 On the subject of the headlight washers not working, iirc they only work if the lights are on but I may be wrong.

Third time lucky and the 3rd new shock absorber is ok, back to a smooth ride without 'knackered' shock absorber sounds. I have to say though, I'm not convinced the new OE shocks that have been fitted all round will last as long as the originals. The originals were knackered/past their best/wallowing like a boat after 25 years and 100,000 miles but didn't make any noises and no signs of leaking that I could see. To be expected and is normal that the shocks were done after 25 years and 100,000, I guess they would have been the same and probably not got any worse after another 150,000 miles so 250,000 in total but they would still be knackered/past their best/wallowing like a boat.

There are 3 listed but only 2 for a 2006 LS430. If the top of the radiator has '5024' as the 'MARK' (and probably Denso number 422132-3836 on it) then there is only one option which is 16400-50241 ( 'MARK' 5024 Type B ). That's my opinion anyway and I think the 'MARK' on the top of the old radiator is the key, assuming the correct one is fitted to the car in the first place.

I think that is a Denso part number not a Lexus/Toyota part number. From looking on https://lexus-europe.epc-data.com/ there are 2 x types for your car - Type A and Type B I'd guess it's either 16400-50241 Type B or 16400-50231 Type A From looking at the diagram the difference seems to be the type of transmission cooler built into the radiator, tubular or type with fins. If you check on Lexus Parts Direct the radiator listed is 16400-50241 Type B with the fin type trans cooler and this fits in with pictures I've seen for a UK radiator with the trans cooler exposed. I'd work on 16400-50241 ( 'MARK' 5024 Type B ), being the correct Lexus part number. The Denso radiator from Rock Auto has OEM part number 16400-50231 which is a Type A, I can't say if this would be ok or not but other people may be able to tell you if it is ok to use. I hope all that helps.

I had a look at the second knackered new shock earlier, jacked up the front right and removed the wheel. Toyota part number is 48510-50111 which is a puzzle and it says on it ‘JL 18’ which is maybe the date code - July 2018

That is my suspicion/gut instinct, there should be a date stamp on the shock so will have a look. The front right shock definitely feels like the gas has gone and oil has leaked out as well. If this is true, what about the other 3 x new Lexus shocks on the car? The rears seem ok and cured the bouncy ride but was that because they are also 'old stock' and not working as they should. I may jack up each corner and check for the date stamps on all the shocks when get home. If this cannot be solved by Lexus, and it may not be solvable due to 'brand new, newly made' shocks not available anymore, I'll get all my money back for the fronts and rears if possible then try the Gabriel Ultra Ready Mount stuff or another make.

Cheers, Lexus Bolton supplied and fitted the new front shocks. I'd had enough doing work on the car at the time and they did me a good deal on fitting them. I may have had a fight on my hands if I had bought the front shocks and fitted them myself.

This is a long story, bear with it as it will make sense in the end. As many may already know I rebuilt the front and rear suspension on my 98 LS400 a 18 months - 2 years ago, fitted KYB shocks not Lexus OE 'made by KYB' shocks and the rears caused a weird bouncy ride. Replaced the rear KYB shocks with Lexus OE 'made by KYB' shocks and this solved weird bouncy ride so I decided to replace the front KYB shocks with Lexus OE 'made by KYB' shocks so they all matched, original smooth softer ride restored. However, after driving the car I noticed a noise from the front right which was not there before Lexus fitted the new OE 'made by KYB' shocks. Sort of a suspension bush noise but I couldn't figure it out. It was more apparent going over speed bumps, where I live I can't go anywhere without going over at least 6, and I drove the car for a while to make sure I wasn't hearing things. I also checked all the suspension work I did and couldn't find anything wrong. I needed to have the alignment/tracking checked because I replaced the steering rack boots and had to remove the outer tie rods so I booked it into Lexus for the tracking and for them to check 'the noise' on the front right. The Lexus mechanic and I went for a drive somewhere with speed bumps so I could illustrate the noise and left the car for them to check. At this point the noise was there over speed bumps, was more very annoying rather than 'there is something very wrong' and I couldn't replicate the noise by bouncing the front of the car as far as I remember. Lexus checked all the suspension, all arms, bushes, top mount etc. which are pretty new and everything is tight as nut. Outcome was that it could be the new Lexus OE shock absorber as everything else is tickety boo and the noise wasn't there before. New front Lexus OE shock absorber ordered under warranty, this was a few months ago and the shock was on back order. Fast forward to Thursday last week, car went in for the replacement Lexus OE shock absorber and tracking. This is where it gets 'interesting'. Call from Lexus to say the new replacement Lexus OE shock absorber hasn't solved the issue, it wasn't the same mechanic who was shown the issue last time but a different mechanic that did the job. It didn't cost me anything but we, Lexus/myself, are back to square one. Could be the steering rack I'm told, couldn't see how but nothing surprises me any especially on an old car. Picked up the car and drove home, the 'noise' was a lot worse and I could hear it a heck of a lot more and this time it did sound like 'there is something very wrong'. I needed to get to the bottom of this so plan made to have a look on Saturday, maybe one of the new shock top mounts is causing the issue or a bushing or something. Saturday: Early sat morning, I bounced the right front of the car to see if I could hear anything. I couldn't hear anything a few months ago but the noise is a lot worse now. And guess what.................I could clearly hear 'the noise' and it didn't take much bouncing to hear it either. At least I can replicate the noise without driving the car so it gives me a chance to find it. Car on the Rhino ramps and I'm going to spend as much time as needed to get to the bottom of this issue. I then thought about the new top mount, it's been off the car for the new shock but dismissed this as it was on the car with the KYB shocks and it didn't make any noise at all plus they were brand new Lexus OE mounts. Next I checked all the suspension, top mount and bushes again, sprayed some WD on each bush and top mount then bounced the front of the car after each 'spray' to see if I could pin it down. Absolutely no change whatsoever so I got under the car and pushed the suspension up and down while listening. I could make the noise 'happen' while doing this. The more I did this and the more I listened I was pretty sure the noise was from the shock absorber but we are on the second new shock absorber, surely it can't be that!! So how do I prove it one way or the other? It's a strut so I can't just remove the shock and bounce the car. This is what I did, I removed the top nut from the shock absorber and this 'disconnects' the shock from the top mount - bounced the car as before and there was no noise. Put the top nut back on, tightened and bounced the car - noise came back Repeated this a few times just to be 100% sure and I noticed once the shock had been pushed down it didn't come back up. Another clue that the shock is faulty like there is no gas and/or fluid. There was fluid around the top of the shock which I wiped off thinking it was the WD I had liberally sprayed around and on the top mount. Maybe this was the fluid that had leaked out. This morning I called into Lexus and showed the Service guy what I'd found, bounce the front - noise there - remove top mount nut - bounce - noise disappears - put the top nut back on - tightened and bounced the car - noise came back. One of the mechanics came out and I showed him 'the noise', straightaway he said shock is knackered. Question now is, what to do about this - keep replacing the shock with a new one until a 'good' one is found? Lexus are unsure on what to do about it at the moment, not their fault at all that new parts supplied are faulty. I'm on holiday next week in Scotland/Borders and will be taking the IS250 so I've arranged to drop off the LS400 on Friday and leave it with them all next week to 'confirm' my findings 100% and decide what to do. I suspect the front passenger side shock is going the same way. Is there a shelf life on shocks and the gas/fluid leaks out over time or the 2 x new shocks from a faulty batch? 2 x new Lexus OE shock absorbers faulty and one worse than the other? Who knows and I'll keep this post updated with the outcome.

No comment🤣

That is indeed rare Malc, every LS400 I have looked at over the years has had water ingress in some form or another. i.e. boot seal, sunroof drain pipes not located correctly, antennae drain missing or draining into the boot, holes in the rear inner wings to name a few. Some worse than others, 'swimming pools' in the boot (wheel well or the pockets at the side) to 'tell tale signs' that water has been present at some point like the spare wheel in a mess with corrosion and white crud on the inside of the wheel. Maybe not puddles of water but condensation and dampness means there is moisture present somewhere or has been.

Car is always at a slight angle on the drive, sloping to the rear so water doesn’t pool. Maybe the capillary action of the water working its way down to the problem area happens or is accelerated when the car is moving, motion and air movement maybe. I vaguely remember reading it somewhere and the more the car is driven in all weather then the higher the chance of the ‘classic’ leak. I’ve soaked the boot and around the seal with lots of water and nothing seems to happen until the car has been driven.