Howplum

Mine has a grey interior, which the handbook calls Westminster Grey. However, that's not much help because if you need to renovate certain areas it would be best, in my opinion, to get some dye mixed to match the original colour. I am just starting the process of renovating my interior, which has sun damage, water damage, mould marks and cracking, but hopefully all treatable, to a greater or lesser degree. I had some "Touch Up Dye" mixed by this company: http://www.staingard.co.uk/ I sent them a cover from one of the rear head rests and asked them to match it from the underneath, where the sun hasn't got to it, and the match appears to be good. I noticed the dye is actually a Gliptone product. You will need a leather cleaner and some protection cream, so perhaps speak to them on 01244 888658. I have successfully used similar products from Nuera Products Ltd, but they closed at the moment. On the other hand, if your seats are just grubby, then @ColinBarber's suggestion is the one to follow.

Maybe this will help: https://www.clublexus.com/forums/ls-3rd-gen-2001-2006/908239-sunroof-moonroof-opening-by-itself.html

Steve, If all else fails you could try this company: http://www.staingard.co.uk/leather-master.php Tel. 01244 888658 They do a colour matching service, so I sent them the cover from a rear headrest asking them to make some renovation cream/dye to match the underneath. It took 2 or 3 weeks to arrive, but I tried it this afternoon and the rear headrests do look very much better, the dye having got rid of the sun bleaching with one application. The colour match is spot on as well. It cost me £42.70 for 500ml, which hopefully should be more than enough to do all the seats, but they also do 250ml. The label says Scuff Master Leather Touch-up Dye and is actually produced by Gliptone, an American company. I might be a bit late with my suggestion, but I wanted to try it first. I will post pictures in my topic once I'm a bit further forward.

If you follow the instructions then, as @whiteman says, the results should be good. I bought a similar kit, albeit from another supplier, when I restored a Mercedes-Benz 420SEC 3 years ago, and below are the before and after shots. I used the supplied filler paste on the hole in the armrest and the renovation cream was mixed by the supplier to match the correct shade. It's a very rewarding job, but don't rush it. Good luck!

This afternoon I removed the lower front bumper corner trims which had been badly damaged over the past 24 years. The fixings certainly didn't want to give up without a fight, so in the end I had to cut through a couple of them. I don't think their removal makes a significant difference to the look of the car, so on balance I think I'll live without them. New ones are no longer available, and no doubt used ones are likely to be pretty ropey.

At last I have been able to replace the damaged connector for the instrument cluster. The used replacement arrived on Friday so I spent a couple of hours or so fitting two multi-pin connectors: The bits of cardboard were to keep the wires in the correct order, which made life easier. I am now pleased to report that all the warning lights now work, thanks to Steve's expert attention. I successfully repaired the small piece of cladding, but disappointingly the shade is slightly darker, although according to all the sources I found the paint code is UCA31, which is what I ordered. The paint supplier I used has a spectograph, so when circumstances allow I will take a sample trim to them for a better match, although potentially I might end up repainting all the lower cladding. This is exactly how fairly small jobs can escalate, as I'm sure many of you know.

Whilst waiting for my electrical bits and pieces to turn up I thought I would replace the nearside door mirror because the heating element was showing through in the bottom left corner: I had managed to source a good used one on eBay which was even in the correct colour, although I sprayed it anyway because there were quite a few scratches. Having read up the process on the internet it all went according to plan, in that nothing broke and everything looks undisturbed after reassembly. In all it took less than an hour to do the job. I did discover that the internal door frame trim has to come off before the door card can be lifted, but this just unclips, although there are two types of clips. Two of these on the top frame: And two of these on the rear frame: Once the door card is off (not forgetting to disconnect the puddle light!) this is what there is: Removing the mirror is straightforward, which I am finding is quite common on a Lexus, although I discovered after I had struggled to separate the connector that it helpfully slides upwards off the mounting bracket, which makes life easier. I also took the small lower cladding panel off that sits in front of the rear wheel. It had been damaged and I was curious to see how it was attached, other than by the two screws on the return flange. There is clip at the bottom edge and a couple of dabs of sealant/adhesive, although the top edge sits under the stainless steel trim at the top. The stainless steel trim is just held on by a clip which I squeezed slightly with pliers and the trim came away - all very easy. The plastic cladding has quite a deep gouge in it, so I will repair that shortly. It's so much easier doing it off the car.

Yes, Stuart, I shall leave the filter well alone now.

Re. the damaged connector, apparently Lexus still do the housing, so I have ordered one of those. I am struggling to remove the teminals from the existing connector housing using my homemade tool, which is a modified jewellers screwdriver. One option is to carefully cut them out with a small hacksaw and insert them into the new housing. Although Lexus can supply the repair terminals, as they call them, they are already fitted with a short lead and are around £6 each! However, I have found these on eBay: https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/F-050-electrical-electronic-terminal-Sumitomo-Toyota-replacement-repair-wiring/293508817095?hash=item44567d20c7:g:6AgAAOSwGz9ar-w4 Although I found a used replacement connector on eBay, which might involve splicing 19 wires, I might get some of the above terminals because some of the terminals will not be usable, so I can cut the relevant wires off the damaged connector, crimp on the new terminals and fit then into the new housing. This is starting to get an expensive lesson, but hey ho, you're never too old to learn!

Hi Stuart, They were for the differential, although they might be the same, I don't know. I got them from Lexus Parts Direct and they are both listed on their website. They weren't any more expensive than those on eBay, although there is a delivery charge. Oddly, the drain plug is cheaper, even though it includes a magnet! https://www.lexuspartsdirect.co.uk/parts/lexus-ls/lexus-ls-phase-ii-1995-2000/lexus-ls-2-brakes-transmission/lexus-phase-2-rear-differential-drain-plug/ https://www.lexuspartsdirect.co.uk/parts/lexus-ls/lexus-ls-phase-ii-1995-2000/lexus-ls-2-brakes-transmission/lexus-phase-2-rear-differential-fill-plug/ I must say I find Daniel Walker at Lexus Part Direct, who are based in Swindon, extremely helpful. His email address is daniel.walker@fish-bros.co.uk.

I searched using "Toyota terminal removal". Try that.

I have managed to track down the technical document created by Toyota entitled "Terminal and Connector Repair - Terminal Replacement": https://www.toyota-tech.eu/wire_harness_rm/RM06H0E.pdf I will add a How to Guide, once I've tried it out. Interestingly, Toyota recommend a simple crimped connection for wire repairs, which should then be wrapped in silicon tape, to prevent moisture ingress. I am now awaiting the replacement connector from the eBay seller.

Thanks Steve.

Yes, I will be replacing the multiple connector before reinstalling the instrument cluster. However, there isn't a lot of room to park a hot air gun without the possibility of accidentally melting something! My favourite option is to swap the terminals over, which appears possible, once I've acquired the knack.

Yes Phil, I have. My son swears by them and I am sure they are very good, but I am a bit wary about parking a very hot air gun inside the instrument binnacle without potentially causing collateral damage to something less easy to fix, such as a wiring loom or the dashboard.

Thanks Steve, that looks promising, and simple enough to make. Could I trouble you for a picture of the next page please, which hopefully shows how to use it? Howard

Well, I'm struggling to find an appropriate terminal removal tool. Most terminals seem to have barbs which are pushed flat by the tool, but due to the unique Lexus/Toyota design it is difficult to see how the tab can be bent over to enable removal. I have ordered a couple of the multiple connectors I mentioned, but have done some research on crimped connections, for which there seems to an argument in favour of them over soldering: "Why Crimping Outperforms Soldering for Cable Connections For cable connections, crimping typically outperforms soldering for a few key reasons. First and foremost, cable connections last longer when they are crimped because they are protected from the intrusion of moisture, dirt and debris. Crimping tools are designed to create an air-tight seal between the cable and the connector. Therefore, moisture, dirt and debris won’t be able to reach the crimped cable. Soldering, unfortunately, doesn’t offer this same level of protection. Crimping offers stronger, more reliable connections than soldering. Soldering uses heated metal to join the cable to the connector. Over time, this filler metal will degrade, which may cause the connection to fail." I had always been under the impression they were a no no, but I noticed the existing terminal connections are crimped, not soldered. Maybe....?

I could, but the replacement connector is used, so already the terminals and wires fitted. I have made a note of the various wires, and taken pictures, especially as two of them are the same colour!

Thanks Fred. I had thought of that idea, but wasn't quite sure how to do it. I have loosened one of the terminals in the connector and I see they are 2mm square with a small tab on one of the corner edge which engages with a small lip in the hole it fits into. I suppose the trick is knowing which is the correct tool. Obviously your suggestion is more elegant, less risky and, with the right tool, easier. I'm off to do some research.

Re. the damaged connector, it looks as though I have been lucky enough to find someone breaking a 1996 model and he has agreed to remove the connector from the loom, with plenty of wire still attached. Although the connector has a locking clip underneath, it's clear that even with that slackened off the metal terminals are not designed to be removed. I think I have two possible ways of attaching the replacement connector. The first is to use heat shrink butt connectors on each of the 19 wires, but I feel the problem with that is using a large hot air gun in a restricted space, the close proximity of the wires to each other and working so close to the dashboard. The last thing I want to do is damage the dashboard! The second, which I favour, is a couple of mini multiple connectors, such as these: https://www.autoelectricsupplies.co.uk/product/41/category/7 They don't take up much room and a soldering iron is easier to manage in a restricted space than a hot air gun. The safest option, with no heat risks, is to use individual crimp butt connectors, but I'm not sure how reliable they would be, long term. It's not a job I want to repeat, or to try and trace faults later down the line.

Thanks Stuart, The problem is not getting the gland nut undone but getting the pipe out of the filter. Presumably something to do with dissimilar metals. I'm not sure what's on the end of the pipe, so have visions of having to replace the entire pipe if things go horribly wrong, hence my caution. I was going to replace it on the basis of time, not mileage, which is only 79,000, but at the moment I'll put the job on the B list for the time being.

Yesterday I thought I would change the fuel filter, which I had hoped would be straightforward, but unfortunately it was not. I was able to undo and disconnect the banjo union on the inlet side, but although I could undo the gland nut on the outlet side the steel pipe would not budge, so presumably was corroded into position. I had read that quite a bit of fuel will leak out, and I ended up with about 1 litre. For fear of causing a major problem by using too much force, I adopted the mantra "if it ain't broke don't fix it" and put everything back together again. Of course the sealing washers on the banjo union didn't like being disturbed, so I discovered there was a leak when the pump was turned on. I therefore had to undo the banjo union and replace the seals, although this time I ended up with about 7 litres of fuel! Eventually I did the job with petrol still coming out - very messy. The next job, whilst I was under the car, was to replace the fill and drain plugs in the differential, which was straightfoward. Whilst I was doing all that my instrument cluster arrived, which I was looking forward to reinstalling. To my horror I discovered that the grey multipin connector had fallen down and was crushed by the steering column. Sods law dictates that it was the largect connector with around 20 wires. "Oh dear" I thought, although that's not what came out my mouth! Clearly it's not usable, so my first thought is to try and get one from a breaker, although presumably it must be from a 1996 model, in case the wiring is different in previous and later models. Any helpful ideas would be appreciated though.

There's no harm in asking the question, but after 24 years.........................? There's nothing showing on the DVLA's website, but that only refers to safety recalls.

Hi Malc, The front doors are fine, but both rear doors have a couple of very small rusty areas under the trim, and it looks like one of the trim clips has detached itself from the trim. Having watched a YouTube video on how to remove the trim it looks fairly straightforward, although a bit long winded. It hasn't got worse over the last few years, so I'm not overly concerned, but it is something I will tackle later. Howard

This is the first Japanese car I have worked on and, by and large, it has been pretty straightforward. Obviously any car over 20 years old is going to have issues, but this particular one, despite the lack of proactive care and maintenance, and having lived outside for 24 years, does seem to have survived quite well. For example, the rubbers and aluminium trim are still good, whereas on the equivalent aged Mercedes the anodised aluminium trim will be starting to go cloudy. There is no rust in the doors, and there only appears to be superficial rust underneath (suspension components excepted), whilst a Mercedes will most likely have rusty front wings, jacking points and inner rear wheel arches. The plastic interior trim seems more robust than Mercedes, and is pretty straightforward to dismantle, and so far nothing has broken, which has not always been the case on my previous projects. However, a particular bugbear of mine is the use of steel brake pipes. I have done about six Mercedes of various ages, and have had to replace the rear pipes because the connection to the flexible hose has corroded into one unit. At least the connections on the Lexus were not that bad, and the hoses were still servicable after 24 years, although I replaced them anyway. I still ended up replacing the rear pipes because one had rusted through. Overall, if I had to choose, I would prefer to work on a Lexus. However, the lack of parts support from Toyota for what, for them, is a landmark model can be a bit frustating. On the other hand, due to the effort they put into designing and building the car, it could be argued that less parts might be needed.