Buying Advice Needed

[keyousia]

Hi,

I am thinking of buying a 1991 Lexus 250. I tested the car today and found some problems.

1st, the "Check" light and the "ABS" light are always on and the owner said they have been like this for severals years. Are these serious problems? How much does it cost to fix them?

2nd, when it stopped, I can feel vibration of the engine, however, driving seems pretty smooth, engine and transmission have very low noise.

Can someone give me suggestion about the problems and what's the reasonable price I should pay for this car.

BTW, it has 140000 miles and leather seat.

Thanks a lot for your opinion.

[Toysrme]

They could be. Check them. Open the diagnostic port and bridge E1 and TE1, count the CEL flashes.

I would get a '92+ The cost isn't much more.

[keyousia]

They could be. Check them. Open the diagnostic port and bridge E1 and TE1, count the CEL flashes.

can you give more details? I am really an entre level driver.

I would get a '92+ The cost isn't much more.

←

is 91 has some serious problems or just because it is too old?

thanks

[ArmyofOne]

Hi,

     I am thinking of buying a 1991 Lexus 250. I tested the car today and found some problems.

   

    1st,  the "Check" light and the "ABS" light are always on and the owner said they have been like this for severals years. Are these serious problems? How much does it cost to fix them?

    2nd, when it stopped, I can feel vibration of the engine, however, driving seems pretty smooth,  engine and transmission have very low noise.

     Can someone give me suggestion about the problems and what's the reasonable price I should pay for this car.

BTW, it has 140000 miles and leather seat.

       Thanks a lot for your opinion.

←

If they have been taken care of they are excellent cars. Mine went a buch of miles before a truck stopped in the middle of an intersection because he missed his turn.

a few things to watch for on these cars:

Camshaft and Crankshaft seals, they leak when they get old.

Valve cover gaskets, common problem, easy to fix.

Exhaust manifold- They have a pocket in the exhaust manifold behind the motor, water collects there and rusts the pipe. be warned, the repair is costly, removing the motor is the reasiest way to get at this manifold.

STRUTS! these cars are WAYYYYYY too heravy for the struts they sit on. they wear out quickly. anything over 100K they need changed 9x out fo ten. the sticker on your door says around 4300 lbs is how much the curb weight is, and its not far off.

headgaskets are another problme, but only if you constantly push the engine harder than normal.

i would pay between $2,000 and $3,000 if its in pristine condition. LOOK FOR OIL LEAKS!!! i cant stress this enough. mine leaked from ever external gasket it had, and it cost well over $2,000 to repair. the front and rear main seals, valvew covers, camshaft and crankshaft seals, oil pump seals and hydraulic tensioners are common sites of leaks. if this car shows ANY signes of drippage, DO NOT BUY IT.

the only other thing i can tell you is the transmissions in these cars are inheretly noisy at low speeds, they make a high pitched whirring noise, its normal.

as for the CEL, i can tell you its more than likely the O2 sensors which are a piece of cake to change.

and the ABS light, you should have that checked before driving the car very far, it may simply be a malfunctioning sensor. check the ABS system on some gravel or a wet road, if its working its probably justa sensor (you should feel some pulsation in the pedal). if its not working, it is the module, thats the only thing in this particuolar system that will cause the whole system to fail. each sensor is wired separately to each wheel, which means only that wheel will malfunction if a sensor is bad. However, both a bad sensor and a bad module will trigger the light. OH, and if its a bad ABS module, dont buy it, thats a $600 dollar part.

[keyousia]

Hi,

     I am thinking of buying a 1991 Lexus 250. I tested the car today and found some problems.

   

    1st,  the "Check" light and the "ABS" light are always on and the owner said they have been like this for severals years. Are these serious problems? How much does it cost to fix them?

    2nd, when it stopped, I can feel vibration of the engine, however, driving seems pretty smooth,  engine and transmission have very low noise.

     Can someone give me suggestion about the problems and what's the reasonable price I should pay for this car.

BTW, it has 140000 miles and leather seat.

       Thanks a lot for your opinion.

←

If they have been taken care of they are excellent cars. Mine went a buch of miles before a truck stopped in the middle of an intersection because he missed his turn.

a few things to watch for on these cars:

Camshaft and Crankshaft seals, they leak when they get old.

Valve cover gaskets, common problem, easy to fix.

Exhaust manifold- They have a pocket in the exhaust manifold behind the motor, water collects there and rusts the pipe. be warned, the repair is costly, removing the motor is the reasiest way to get at this manifold.

STRUTS! these cars are WAYYYYYY too heravy for the struts they sit on. they wear out quickly. anything over 100K they need changed 9x out fo ten. the sticker on your door says around 4300 lbs is how much the curb weight is, and its not far off.

headgaskets are another problme, but only if you constantly push the engine harder than normal.

i would pay between $2,000 and $3,000 if its in pristine condition. LOOK FOR OIL LEAKS!!! i cant stress this enough. mine leaked from ever external gasket it had, and it cost well over $2,000 to repair. the front and rear main seals, valvew covers, camshaft and crankshaft seals, oil pump seals and hydraulic tensioners are common sites of leaks. if this car shows ANY signes of drippage, DO NOT BUY IT.

the only other thing i can tell you is the transmissions in these cars are inheretly noisy at low speeds, they make a high pitched whirring noise, its normal.

as for the CEL, i can tell you its more than likely the O2 sensors which are a piece of cake to change.

and the ABS light, you should have that checked before driving the car very far, it may simply be a malfunctioning sensor. check the ABS system on some gravel or a wet road, if its working its probably justa sensor (you should feel some pulsation in the pedal). if its not working, it is the module, thats the only thing in this particuolar system that will cause the whole system to fail. each sensor is wired separately to each wheel, which means only that wheel will malfunction if a sensor is bad. However, both a bad sensor and a bad module will trigger the light. OH, and if its a bad ABS module, dont buy it, thats a $600 dollar part.

←

Million thanks for your reply. Really helps alot.

I will try to learn to be a good car owner!