Bumpy Ride

[id1]

Hi.. I am a new member. Two days ago I bought a 1995 LS400 with 106k miles. I love the car and am begining to explore it. I have few issues which I hope some one will throw light on.

1. Whenever I pass over a samll joint/ridge on the road, the car makes bumping sound: I suspected shocks/suspension might be the issue. When parked I pressed hard on the trunk and the car easily moved up and down; same is with the front end when I pressed down on the hood. Can any of our experienced members advice me what to do. Is there a way I can avoid going to Lexus dealer?

2. I noticed only one cooling fan in front of radiator.. is this normal for Lexus? It is on the left side and the right side space is empty. The tmp gauge needle hovers slightly above the half way mark. I have a 96 Accord and I believe it has 2 fans, one on either side of the radiator.

3. I need to replace the 2 rear tyres... any suggestions on what is a good brand.

4. The previous owner gave me only 2 keys - the metal one and the vallet(sub) key and only one remote(lexus brand). Any help on how I can obtain a main key and a 2nd remote.

I know I am asking too many questions... but, I hope members will understand that I am pretty much excited. I have been dreaming of owning one since 1997, when I first rode in a friend's LS400, and finally I got into one.

I appreciate any help.

ID

[Steve]

hi

congrats on the buy!

Answer to 2 of your questions.

1. If everytime ou go over a sharp bump or pothole and it makes a thudding noise then i would suspect the shocks need replacing... i had similar problem with mine.... while you have these replaced get the anti roll bars bushes replaced too.. makes a difference! and is relitively easy to fit. The bushes are cheap too.

2. The fan may be a hydraulic fan which is powered by the sterring fluid and runs all the time. The fan should be ample for hwat you need as it is permanently on and speeds up as you drive. (if hydraulic)

[id1]

Thanks, Steve. I have this 'HIGH'/'LOW' power switch next to the shifter... does that mean I have 'air struts'? I heard they are expensive. Any idea how much I should be prepared to spend for the struts replacement? Do I need to change all 4?

So, It is not that some one took out one of the 2 fans? That puts my mind to rest.

[SKperformance]

when the car was originally sold it should have come with

2 master keys opens all locks and has an alarm transmitter button

1 valet key small plastic head

and one wallet key with credit card case

to replace the key i think you need to get a new one from the dealer which comes with 2 keys precut

and a new ecu chip to be installed for the new key code

about 400 for the set

you can buy more from the dealer of just the small plastic head and no transmitter cheap though

it would be cheaper to do that and install an aftermarket alram

as the stock one does not have a shock sensor

[id1]

Thanks folks. I appreciate your help.

[NewLS400Owner]

In response to "Bumpy Ride".

I just purchased a 96 LS400 and also experience a THUMP when coming down from a speed bump (at 5 mph or so) or when hitting a small pothole. I went in to the local Les Schwab tire store and they did a surprisingly thourough evaluation, gratis. They found that the bushings were gone from the left and right roll bars (rods). If I remember correctly, they called them "roll bars".

The bars were approx. 1 ft. in length, connected diagonally from the front frame back and sideways out toward the wheel link assembly. The missing bushings were at the front end of the rods.

I also experienced a wallowing sensation when driving at over 50 mph. An instability in the tracking. I replaced the tires (T-speed rated Firestones!&@*#) with Toyo Proxes TSTs V-rated, as specified by Lexus). What a difference a tire can Make!!!!! Straight-on tracking, pulling eliminated. Riding on the Firestones was like riding on baloons. I think the stiffer sidewall of v- and z- rated tires keeps the heavier car tracking correctly.

[VMF]

i have a 96 ls 400, and this fan situations is completely normal, if you didnt notice there are 2 fans on the inner side of the radiator, so it makes total 3 of them, the temperature is also normal, just as mine, and i recently flushed the cooling system and filled it with toyota cooling fluid, as to shocks, you can get cheap original OEM toyota shocks by out of state dealer using site www.parts.com i speicifically recommend the texas one, (cheapest) and then go to your regular mechanic and replace them. as to tires, it all depends on what kind of ride you want, if you ride fast then get yourself V rated tires, they are lil harder then H rated, but speed is worht it, and the difference is very small, i converted to V rated tired 2 days ago and i'm enjoying it, my kickin in the steering wheel dissapeared. as to the brand, i got cooper tyres because i was not ready to spend 800$ + install on michelin tires. for tires go to www.tirerack.com and choose the one you like

Enjoy!

[SW03ES]

Oh and also, no the EXT PWR/SNOW switch does not mean you have the air suspension. This controls the shift points of the transmission. If you have two buttons next to the shifter, one that says HIGH/NORMAL etc then you do indeed have the system.

[jgraves]

We just discovered that one of the air suspension bags (OEM) on our 1996 LS400 has gone bad. The part alone to fix it is $1150 and that does not include the labor. I did some researching on the web and found out that we can replace all four air suspension bags with hydraulic struts. I looked in the newest edition of Consumer Reports and the suspension is rated terribly on most Lexus LS400 which I would guess is related to the air suspension. If you end up replacing all four at the dealer you might as well just buy a new car. Anyway, my question is should I go ahead and replace them with the hydraulic sturts and end the air suspension problems forever?!

[id1]

Thanks, folks... your responses are of real help. I do have 2 switches next to the shifter - 1 for suspension(high/low) and the other for extra power as desc in the manual. I have to get the bushes and tires checked out.

[SW03ES]

The air suspension is HORRIBLE to maintain and replace. Thats why people always tell you to stay away from air suspension models if you're going to keep them for the long term. The standard suspension rides great, and is MUCH more reliable.

[jgraves]

Thanks for that information on the air suspension but could anyone out there tell me if it's okay to convert from air to regular suspension on an LS400?

[SW03ES]

Yeah sure, in fact thats what most mechanics reccomend on any vehicle with an air suspension when it fails.

[id1]

The question above interests me too... any one out there with some info. On the 'roll bar' bushings, I called my local dealer who says he only heard of 'strut bars' and that the bushings each cost $60. Any suggestion on a cheaper source?? Thanks in anticipation.

On the tires, we don't have Schwab centers out here in NE. I checked with our local Townfair tire dealer, and he says Toyo makes Proxes TPTs, not TST... is TPT the one referred to? He is quoting $120 per tire. I suppose it is OK.

[SKperformance]

what ever tire you have on the front get them in the back

unless your are ready to get 4 new tires

changing brands will change ride characteristics and could cause a loss of control due to the loss or gain in grip from the new and old tires

just a thought

[SW03ES]

I reccomend these tires, from everything I've read, these are great, and they're affordable too.

Continental ContiExtremeContact

[W6RU]

Hi to all from this new Lexus owner. Just bought it, 1997 LS-400 w/ 52 K miles, over this last weekend. What a GREAT machine ! I feel very fortunate as this car is like new inside and out but I think I notice a little of the "thud" problem when I hit a sudden drop in the pavement. I have a comment regarding tires. I have tried a lot of tires on my SUV's and pickups over the years and have found evertime that the Michelin's have provided the nicest ride. Even though they are partially French owned, I have to give them credit here. The only thing this car needed was tires and a new battery. It had Bridgestones on it and they were loud. I immediately went to my tire dealer and put a set of Michelin Energy MXV4 Plus V rated tires on it .... what a difference. Curious if anyone else has used these tires and their comments.

Thanks,

Terry

[SRK]

I have owned three sets of MXV-4's and they must be about the quiestest tire out there. But they achieve that by compromising dry and wet traction, and I found the tires a bit spongy. Considering how well the LS rides in the first place, I wanted tires that had better dynamic performance, like the Bridgestone RE730 or 750. But for sure the Bridgestones have a distinct whine on the highway, which I am slightly disappointed with. They handle great though, and look very good too.

[SW03ES]

The Michelin's are good tires, I have them on my ES, but there are smoother and quieter tires out there. The Contis I mentioned are supposed to be both smoother and quieter. Plus, almost all Michelin tires are rediculously expensive.

You have to be careful when buying tires for the LS especially because the ride is actually very dependent on the tires. Just adjust the air pressure higher or lower a couple of pounds, it makes a huge difference in the ride. The ride of the LS is easily spoiled by the wrong tires.