cleverdick

hi ppl need some advice

my car has started shaking when i brake so i jacked up the car and checked for play in any bushes and noticed when i hold the wheel and move it side to side it makes a clunk and it looks like the steering rack arms are moving slightly....

also when i brake the handbrake warning light flashes i have checked the fluid and pads and they all seem fine could this be something to do with the shaking as it started at the same time

any help would be appreciated

thanks

Re. warning light: Check brake light bulbs.

It sounds like a common problem with the passenger side coil to distributor lead, it should pass through a rubber gromit under the spark plug cover but it is a pig to fit correctly and consequently gets missed off, the lead is then free to chafe and the result is what you now have.

I have a spare new lead if you need one just PM me your address and I'll pop it in the post FOC.

Hi, might it also be a bit lumpy because at 65k miles it ought to by now have changed plugs etc ! ( 60k life I believe ).

Does it have a service record ?

Malc

pgls400,

Congratulations on your purchase - you are now in very good company, with some extremely knowledgeable people on here. Do not fret!

I'd suggest that if you have a tracking problem, the leads (and probably plugs) will have been changed already for some pattern ones and perhaps without quite the requisite care, so I'd get on to it ASAP. Please do check out the illustrated tutorials on lexls.com which you will find very helpful. And if you can do the work yourself, then do. When replacing plugs and leads, do use genuine leads and Denso iridium plugs as per the original (regardless of what anyone tells you). My car had what I believe were the original plugs when I bought it at just under 100k miles - and they weren't eroded at all. (I changed them anyway as a precaution, but could probably have got away with it). I gave the old ones to a friend who tried them in his Ford Granada - and he was staggered at the improvement in performance!

Let us know what happens...

Hey guys. I am looking for a reliable service centre to get my Lexus Ls400 a major service and possibly cambelt change if it has to be changed. I live in Essex-England and my local dealer had quoted me £1000 for a full service and cambelt change. I think I can get a better deal than this. Any information please.

Try Westfield Motors, Rayleigh.

Out of interest, has anyone on here actually experienced a timing belt breakage on an LS400?

About 3 years ago I had a replacement fitted by Autoglass, and they did a pretty reasonable job. I think the insurance excess was £100 or so. It was the middle of winter, cold and raining, and yet they proposed to come to my house to carry out the work. Realising that they couldn't possibly do a proper job outside in the freezing cold, I opted to go to their premises (about 10 miles away) where they could work on it under cover, in relative comfort and with (theoretically) more comprehensive resources to hand. No drama I was relieved to say. The top-tint was a match as per the original, too, BTW. Perhaps I was just fortunate....

i drove a good 80 mile on motorway which then merged into a dual carriageway and then a roundabout as i slowed for the roundabout the car stalled i got to the other side and it started again instantly what could it be ? ls 400

What model year is your car?

he hasnt scrapped it - hes joking

Luckily I can confirm this is a joke - if you google 'carcubes' you'll find the same pic.

Had us all worried though!

I'm just in the process of deciding whether to take up the scrapage scheme...........It just seems very wrong to do that when it's just had a service and the cambelt done!

Sorry, but I can’t let this one go without saying my piece. I am totally aghast that anyone would even consider sacrificing a 1999 LS400 to the “scrappage scam”.

Allow me to put forward the following points:

1. The “scrappage scam” is exactly that. Its purpose is not to save the planet, but rather to shore up an ailing motor industry that produces disposable vehicles; in turn perpetuating a sham economy. This current economic model, based on interest (a.k.a usury) can only survive through consumption. Fashion, gimmicks, peer pressure, propaganda and scrappage scams are merely catalysts of the process. Too bad that many people don’t see the full picture.

2. Car manufacturing (obviously) consumes vast quantities of energy, causes pollution and depletes the earth’s resources – far more per vehicle than that vehicle will itself do in its entire life. Premature end-of-life disposal can only compound the problem. Therefore, overproduction of cars (or any consumable item for that matter) is diametrically opposed to any concern for the environment – despite what the “energy rating” may say.

3. LS400s can, with proper maintenance (and often do) reach mileages in excess of 500,000. That’s 50 years on average – a lifetime’s motoring in first-class accommodation. Not such a bad investment! I can therefore think of no worse a candidate for unnecessary disposal – indeed, to do so would be (to me) a wasteful, criminal act of vandalism.

4. The £2000 ‘saving’ would be short lived on any lesser make of vehicle. Consider depreciation, diminished reliability, more frequent replacement of parts and ultimately a much shorter life. Add to this the fact that many people buy such vehicles on finance, at great cost, and they’re still in debt when their once trendy new car is now worth nothing, causing trouble and they can’t get spares for it!

My LS400 is now 20 years old and is still as smooth as silk. I can still get most service items as genuine parts (with due credit to Toyota) and it has never – repeat – never broken down in all of the five years I’ve owned it. Despite the fact that its book value might only be a few hundred quid, it’s worth far more to me than £2k off a cheap lump of plastic that I’ll hate driving and will bankrupt me in the long term (whether I keep it or not).

Anyhow, I shall now step down from my soapbox and brace myself for the onslaught!

1. Yes

2. No

If it does turn out to be beyond economic repair (unlikely), why don't you consider buying another Mk1 and keeping the duff one for spare parts? Some Mk1 parts are becoming scarce now and can also be expensive (although generally it's only the consumables that need routine replacement - which you can get without too much trouble).

Statistically, VWs are NOT more reliable than Toyotas.

I'm not too far from you either, although it appears you already have kind offers of help. You could also try calling Westfield Motors at Rayleigh (Chris or Ian) - not sure if they'd want to travel quite that far up but might be worth asking. They're ex-Toyota guys and really do know their stuff with these cars.

132k miles is nothing on an LS400. It should still be running like new. However, I'd suggest not to run the car until you get the noise identified, just to avoid risking any unnecessary damage.

Mine is also a Mk1, BTW. Plus I have the genuine service manual.

Keep us posted....

1. 1. The way the tilt function of the sunroof works - in that the lined panel doesn't go with it. Therefore your (bald) head is exposed to the sun whether you like it or not. (Mk2 Granada sunroof was better.)
   
2. 2. Passenger-side vanity mirror doesn't illuminate. I suspect this is because they took to an extreme the ruling that it's illegal to show a white light to the rear of the vehicle.
   
3. 3. There's a lot of dismantling to do just to change a rear light bulb. (German-market versions are easier, according to the book. Makes you wonder why they couldn't all be made easy.)
   
4. 4. Omission of high-level stop light on UK versions.
   
5. 5. The lack of footrest for your RIGHT foot (that you might want with the cruise control on).
   
6. 6. You get a visual indication that the rear fog lights are on but not the front.
   
7. 7. Heater control buttons too small and hard to identify without looking.
   
8. 8. Door lock levers say 'lock' instead of 'locked' when they're locked.
   
9. 9. Seat-recline mechanism is under-engineered
   10. FM radio has US-standard de-emphasis, making it sound dull and muffled on the UK broadcast system.
   

All this applies to the 1st gen model, some of these issues may well have been sorted for later versions.

Anyone in agreement/disagreement?

If you're losing coolant then it could be something as simple as the pressure cap or header tank. I had to replace the tank on mine (mk1) because it had failed at the seam. If there's scale on the outside of the tank then it's a fair bet.

As for the climate panel LCD, this is perfectly viable to replace yourself provided that (1) you are skilled at soldering and dismantling [electronic] items, and (2) you have access to a proper solder/desolder station. If not then don't even try, give it to Chris V. as they say. I bought one of Jim Walker's LCDs from Cheaptoyotaparts for £100 about 3 years ago and it's fine. The only thing is, the characters are vertical instead of leaning forward as per the originals, which, due to an optical illusion, makes them appear backward-slanting when you look at this and the audio display at the same time!

Exhaust noise could be the EGR pipe, but could equally be something much simpler.

Enjoy!

Sorry to hijack this thread, but this problem is one of the things that puts me off buying a Mk3. I cannot believe that by now, Toyota don't know what the cause is. They must know, and it's about time they issued a recall. However, the question is: How old does a particular model have to be before they won't admit liability or issue a recall, and on what basis? As a pessimist, I reckon if you were take it to the main dealer, they'd just keep guessing (or pretending not to know) and changing things at your expense - until you've paid more than the car's actually worth! Either that, or they wouldn't want to know you on the grounds that you've DARED to sully the premises with a vehicle that's more than 2 years old.

Might be worth pursuing them just in case. Their 'denying of all knowledge' with this type of problem is the sort of shoddy treatment you would expect from Ford (been there!), but hopefully not Lexus.

This needs to got to the bottom of, for everyone's sake. Collective lobbying from LOC might do the trick. Perhaps a class-action lawsuit!

Congratulations on your purchase. All I would say is that you'd be well advised to change (or get changed) the fuel filter, as well as the usual service items. I saw from one of the pics that the 'empty' light was on - this is sadly typical of a car sold by a dealer - you go there to test drive it and the fuel tank's empty - with the risk that all the c**p has been stirred up and clogged the system. Seen this many a time! However, these are exceptionally well-engineered cars which can tolerate a certain amount of neglect, but that's not an excuse, of course.

:winky:

"To them, adverse publicity will be the lesser evil."

What I meant was: adverse publicity will be the greater evil!

(But I'm sure you knew that...)

I suggest you kick up a massive stink about it - get the local press involved etc. etc. Make the point that you'll get your £x,000 worth of annual shopping elsewhere. Most likely they'll pay up as a "one-off goodwill gesture". To them, adverse publicity will be the lesser evil.

Keep us posted...

I've just had my factory subwoofer refurbished - the foam rubber outer suspension had perished with age (as they all do), and substituting with a non-OEM driver would have been too much hassle due to the offset mouting lugs which are an integral part of the bsaket. (Yes, I know it can be done, but.....)

So, for the meagre(ish) sum of £72 including return post, I have a bass unit which is every bit as good (or better) than new - now with a fabric surround!

You'll find the contact details on the Web.

:D

Although my car is a 1990 model, I did have a problem whereby the alarm would occasionally sound when turning the key to unlock the vehicle. I must admit I cheated, in that I put a link in the driver's side door connector to prevent the alarm arming when locked. (I have an approved immobiliser so it's no big deal, and nobody would want my car anyway due to its cosmetic condition!)

But I never did find the alarm horn - can anyone enlighten me? Is it in the bulkhead?

I have actually been to Churt - to buy a coloured toilet from an enormous greenhouse. We stopped at a nearby pub that had dragons on the fence, beyond which were some very strange objects! And no, I'm not on drugs, neither was it a bizarre dream. It was all true!

According to a lot of people on here, generic auto fluid isn't really good enough and you should source the proper Toyota ATF.

Delete the word 'really' and replace 'should' with 'must'! ;-)

As for Lexus Stockport, that ought to be enough to lose them their franchise. (I suspect that last year they were a Vauxhall dealer, and next year they'll be a Honda dealer. All under the same name. So of course they'll know everything!)

Oh dear, I'm in trouble now...!

R

Hi David and welcome!

For the past 5 years or so I've owned a 1990 LS400 and that too continues to amaze me. Not so much with its opulence - my previous car was a 1983 Granada Ghia X which IMO was, with its Chatsworth velour trim, more impressive to look at and perhaps a little more comfortable. However, unlike the Granada, the LS ultimately delivers what it promises, with absolute smoothness, quietness and dogged reliability. (It doesn't rattle or creak either.) I daresay the 1997 version is even better! One problem which plagued me on the Granada was that of warping brake discs. After considerable research, I found that the solution was to have them machined whilst on the hub, and the only workshop suitably equipped in the area was that of a Rolls Royce engineer who (unbelievably) happened to live in my street! I remember him saying that this was a common fault on RRs, and no laughing matter given the price of new discs.

Of course, all that sort of thing is history with the LS400. My only advice would be to absolutely insist on genuine Toyota parts where possible (including fluids), or failing that, ADL Blueprint.

Enjoy!

R.P.

Very sorry to hear your tale of woe.

I wouldn't be too confident in them using any CCTV footage to prove their liability - it will probably (and quite conveniently) "not have been working at that time". Remember, CCTV is not there for your benefit or mine, but rather to spy on us in the likely event that we're terrorists.

Hopefully there will at least have been witnesses who can back you up.

Good luck, and let us know the result.

Can you put up a pic so we know exactly what we're looking at?

The Battery (genuine Toyota) is only a few months old. The problem I'm sure is more to do with the switch block in the door(s) which tell the alarm ECU whether the door has been unlocked with the key or from the inside when it's still keylocked. Either dodgy switch contacts or something with the mechanical linkage that actually operates the switches. I'm coming round to the fact that there is no easy fix and I'll just have to take the door panels off and work round the car. (Great - I can hardly wait!) It would just be nice to disconnect the alarm hooter (assuming that on this model year it is separate) but I guess I could just pull the fuse...

Thanks for reply anyway...

;)

Hi all,

On my 1990 gen 1, about 50% of the time, whenever I unlock the car (I only ever use the key) the [original] alarm goes off. So far I've always been able to cancel it by relocking and unlocking the car. Sometimes it just gives one toot. But either way it's a little embarrasing, and I've no doubt that one of these days it's going to leave me stranded.

I have the 1991 Lexus repair manual (2 volumes) which does have some useful information but does not show a truth table with the status of all the door switches etc. in any given mode. It also shows a separate alarm horn in the engine bay just in front of the bulkhead, which I thought of disconnecting until I can get this sorted properly (and to avoid upsetting the neighbours when I'm working on it). However, my car does not seem to have this - presumably using one of two main horns for the alarm. Anyone else on here had this specific problem? Any advice gratefully received.