1991LS400 Posted August 7, 2004 Share Posted August 7, 2004 Hey guys, Got three problems, not big, but would like to get them fixed: 1) Brake pedal feels a little "spongy" and while idle it just gets a little "spongier." It still stops fine but I know it's not firm enough. It worries me because one day what if it just doesn't stop because the pedal drops to the floor? What causes this problem with the pedal feeling all "spongy"? Now, I remember my mechanic sucking the old dirty brake fluid out and refilling it with good clear fluid and I had all brake pads replaced. Hmm... 2) Ok, so Texas gets very hot, especially in Houston but my A/C works better than MOST other vehicles out on the roads today. Of course, Lexus is the best. However, whenever I first turn on the air conditioner (especially during the hot mid-day) the air conditioner blows warm air. But check this out. One of the vents in the middle console blows almost cold air instantly. Every other vent in the car, which would be 5 not including the good one, blow warm air. And I'm talking about even once the A/C really kicks in that one vent is always the coldest. The other vents are probably a good 10 degrees warmer than the cold one. How can one vent always blow the right temperature and the rest don't? Keep in mind, the 91 LS 400's cannot be compared in majority to anything above 93-94. So I don't have an A/C filter like those 93's or 95's, i.e. 3) How would I know I need to replace my control arms? What signs would I see or hear? Sometimes when making a certain kind of turn or something I hear a real light pop coming from the right side of my vehicle. I have no clue if that "pop" is coming from the wheel infrastructure. Also, when driving on the highway at speeds 50+MPH I swear I hear the rotations of my wheels and it's not the norm and if I hit 55+MPH my steering wheel starts shaking like crazy. Is it a wheel balance? I hope so. And it's not the mounts because I have 2 new motor mounts and a new transmission mount. Any advice and suggestions would be much appreciated. Thanks all, Brian 91 LS 400 245K and still rollin' like a champ... REPAIRS DONE THUS FAR: - New hood latch *Lexus supplied* - New transmission mount *Lexus supplied* - New motor mounts (2) *Lexus supplied* - New rack & pinion *rebuilt* - New transmission cooler line *rebuilt* - New power steering hose *rebuilt* - New power steering pressure sensor *Lexus supplied* - New oil and filter change at 240K *AutoCheck supplied* - New Rain-X windshield wiper blades *Mister CarWash supplied* - New battery (Bosch) *AutoCheck supplied* - New rubber air hose connector for intake *Lexus supplied* - New Cool Blue Headlight Bulbs *Wal-Mart supplied* - New NGK spark plugs, ignition wires, distributor caps and rotors *Lexus supplied* - New hood lifts *rebuilt* - New brake pads (front and rear) *Lexus supplied* - New air filter *aftermarket supplied* - New brake fluid (drain/refill) *AutoCheck supplied* Charges came to: $2400 (including labor) Much more to come... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chips229 Posted August 8, 2004 Share Posted August 8, 2004 Hi Brian... BRAKES The question about your brakes...Heres a tip my father told me....try this Do this overnight..... With the engine running so that the brake servo helps you press the brake pedal down hard....find a stick or something to keep the brake pedal down..press the brake pedal down so its under pressure and use the stick to hold the pedal there under pressure....turn your engine off and lock the car up and leave it like that overnight... When you come out and have a look at the car in the morning you should find the sticks on the floor and no longer against the brake pedal..... This should remove any air in the brake system and hopefully firm your brake pedal up.... Also check to see if you are loosing any brake fluid from the brake master cylinder the rubber seals might need replacing.. AIRCON Id say your aircon is low on gas....i had the same problem with my car....if you shut all the vents and open and shut one at a time you will find you get cold air from any of the vents,but as soon as you open all the vents like you say theres different temp air coming from them,thats because theres not enough aircon gas in the system to maintain a cold temp to all vents... Make sure if you get the aircon checked out they put a dye in the system so they can find the leak quickly or if you loose the gas again they can find the leak... The dye is invisible to the naked eye so dont worry your car wont be covered in it I had the same aircon problems as you,now the leaks have been fixed and regassed its working spot on with cold air coming from all vents open at the same time... SHAKING STEERING WHEEL Id first get all the cars wheels balanced...if its then no better check for seized brake caliper pistons causing the pads to rub on the rotors. Hope some of this has been of help Brian.....let us know how you get on mate ;) Chips. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UCF3 Posted August 8, 2004 Share Posted August 8, 2004 Hey guys,Got three problems, not big, but would like to get them fixed: 1) Brake pedal feels a little "spongy" and while idle it just gets a little "spongier." It still stops fine but I know it's not firm enough. It worries me because one day what if it just doesn't stop because the pedal drops to the floor? What causes this problem with the pedal feeling all "spongy"? Now, I remember my mechanic sucking the old dirty brake fluid out and refilling it with good clear fluid and I had all brake pads replaced. Hmm... 2) Ok, so Texas gets very hot, especially in Houston but my A/C works better than MOST other vehicles out on the roads today. Of course, Lexus is the best. However, whenever I first turn on the air conditioner (especially during the hot mid-day) the air conditioner blows warm air. But check this out. One of the vents in the middle console blows almost cold air instantly. Every other vent in the car, which would be 5 not including the good one, blow warm air. And I'm talking about even once the A/C really kicks in that one vent is always the coldest. The other vents are probably a good 10 degrees warmer than the cold one. How can one vent always blow the right temperature and the rest don't? Keep in mind, the 91 LS 400's cannot be compared in majority to anything above 93-94. So I don't have an A/C filter like those 93's or 95's, i.e. 3) How would I know I need to replace my control arms? What signs would I see or hear? Sometimes when making a certain kind of turn or something I hear a real light pop coming from the right side of my vehicle. I have no clue if that "pop" is coming from the wheel infrastructure. Also, when driving on the highway at speeds 50+MPH I swear I hear the rotations of my wheels and it's not the norm and if I hit 55+MPH my steering wheel starts shaking like crazy. Is it a wheel balance? I hope so. And it's not the mounts because I have 2 new motor mounts and a new transmission mount. Any advice and suggestions would be much appreciated. Thanks all, Brian 91 LS 400 245K and still rollin' like a champ... REPAIRS DONE THUS FAR: - New hood latch *Lexus supplied* - New transmission mount *Lexus supplied* - New motor mounts (2) *Lexus supplied* - New rack & pinion *rebuilt* - New transmission cooler line *rebuilt* - New power steering hose *rebuilt* - New power steering pressure sensor *Lexus supplied* - New oil and filter change at 240K *AutoCheck supplied* - New Rain-X windshield wiper blades *Mister CarWash supplied* - New battery (Bosch) *AutoCheck supplied* - New rubber air hose connector for intake *Lexus supplied* - New Cool Blue Headlight Bulbs *Wal-Mart supplied* - New NGK spark plugs, ignition wires, distributor caps and rotors *Lexus supplied* - New hood lifts *rebuilt* - New brake pads (front and rear) *Lexus supplied* - New air filter *aftermarket supplied* - New brake fluid (drain/refill) *AutoCheck supplied* Charges came to: $2400 (including labor) Much more to come... You brakes sound like they're okay. You could check the colour of the brake fluid. If it's dark, change it. In most cases, the sponginess is due to tiny little bubbles in system(something you have no control over). As your brake fluid ages, the bubbles evacuate from the system. I have access to professional grade brake machines, and they're still not perfect. Your AC problem sounds like mine; I think it might be due to the age of the AC compressor and some cold air leaks along the vent ducts. Also, our engines have some miles on it, so it doesn't perform as well as it used to. Control arm: Without actually listening to the poping noises can't really tell. My SC is experiencing a loud continuous clicking noise when I make right left turns. After lifting the car up, my mechanic buddies and I discovered my right side wheel was not centered anymore. My mechanic buddy spotted a loose spindle. Chances are you may have a bad strut. The Rotor spinning noise is likely to happen due to that. have you looked underneath the car yet for the popping noise? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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