Buying A Used Ls 400

[TNLX]

My Son and I went to look at a used LS 400 on a lot today.It had 129K on it.

He said the power steering pump had been replaced and it would get tight when you turned it at low speed.(Didn't seem to be a problem if the speed was up).

Any ideas as to the problem?

Also airbag light came on and CD changer was jammed.Any reflections,observations appreciatted.

[akewlguy]

What year was the LS?

Also could you take out CDs? My 93LS at times has issues with the cd player.. then other times it works fine.

My LS is not tight at slow speeds? Is it low of PS fluid?

[TNLX]

What year was the LS?

Also could you take out CDs? My 93LS at times has issues with the cd player.. then other times it works fine.

My LS is not tight at slow speeds? Is it low of PS fluid?

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[TNLX]

What year was the LS?

Also could you take out CDs? My 93LS at times has issues with the cd player.. then other times it works fine.

My LS is not tight at slow speeds? Is it low of PS fluid?

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[prix]

if you are seriously interested in purchasing this car, i would take it to a lexus trained mechanic for an inspection. either a dealer (around $100 for a 27 point inspection) or an indie mechanic who is factory trained in lexus. does the car have air suspension? if so, i would have the tires taken off and the condition of the rubber on the struts checked for vertical grooves (signs of leaks). the condition of the struts would make a huge diff in how much you should be willing to pay for that car.

if one part of the power steering system is leaking (hoses, rack n pinion or pump), everything i've read says it's wise to replace every component in it. speaking from experience, i agree with that. so get that issue checked out by a pro! if it came to it, you could always use rebuilt parts on a redo of the PS system, but even that is pricey.

the last two cd changers i have had? problems with them both. the latest one is currently 'stuck' and i can't get it to work. not at all uncommon, and of course is not impt. to the main thing that would concern you (whether the car needs any major repairs).

not meaning to scare you, but do be cautious and base any decision on hard facts.

=TNLX,Oct 30 2005, 12:19 PM]

What year was the LS?

Also could you take out CDs? My 93LS at times has issues with the cd player.. then other times it works fine.

My LS is not tight at slow speeds? Is it low of PS fluid?

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[prix]

run a car fax report.

that said, i would recommend buying a car like this with a certified preowned warranty. that means from a dealer who has gone over everything on it and will cover any upcoming repairs on their dime for a certain period of time. wasn't sure where you saw the car. a used car lot might not be the way to go.

if you are seriously interested in purchasing this car, i would take it to a lexus trained mechanic for an inspection. either a dealer (around $100 for a 27 point inspection) or an indie mechanic who is factory trained in lexus. does the car have air suspension? if so, i would have the tires taken off and the condition of the rubber on the struts checked for vertical grooves (signs of leaks). the condition of the struts would make a huge diff in how much you should be willing to pay for that car.

if one part of the power steering system is leaking (hoses, rack n pinion or pump), everything i've read says it's wise to replace every component in it. speaking from experience, i agree with that. so get that issue checked out by a pro! if it came to it, you could always use rebuilt parts on a redo of the PS system, but even that is pricey.

the last two cd changers i have had? problems with them both. the latest one is currently 'stuck' and i can't get it to work. not at all uncommon, and of course is not impt. to the main thing that would concern you (whether the car needs any major repairs).

not meaning to scare you, but do be cautious and base any decision on hard facts.

=TNLX,Oct 30 2005, 12:19 PM]

What year was the LS?

Also could you take out CDs? My 93LS at times has issues with the cd player.. then other times it works fine.

My LS is not tight at slow speeds? Is it low of PS fluid?

←

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[branshew]

run a car fax report.

that said, i would recommend buying a car like this with a certified preowned warranty. that means from a dealer who has gone over everything on it and will cover any upcoming repairs on their dime for a certain period of time. wasn't sure where you saw the car. a used car lot might not be the way to go.

You have to buy from the Lexus dealership to get a CPO warranty and they will only certify up to 100K miles. I think that there are some age restrictions as well. After that you're on your own.

With 129K and the age it will be hard to find any type of warranty. Look for service records as well.

[RFeldes]

Low idle PS issues are usually attributed to the screen on the undercarriage below the driver's seat. Have it pulled and cleaned. There is a thread on this site for the air bag light. Do a search. As far as the CD player, the early models are finicky and don't like home made cd's or copies for some reason.

[sv7887]

TNLX,

I have a '92 Ls that had a similar problem. Initially I replaced the P/S Pump, but the problem was a leaking Power Steering Rack..I have to warn you as reliable as these cars are, they are subject to the same aging issues that affect any machine. Repairs can get very expensive on this car, so I highly encourage you to spend some money having the car inspected by a Lexus dealer before you buy it.

If you go to www.lexls.com, you'll find a guide to dealing with the airbag light. It is a fantastic website authored by a '91 LS owner. Below is a link on how to remove the CD changer and send it out for repair. You'll often find that the dealer will simply want to replace any part rather than repair. I guess we live in a throw-away society, but I always try to find someone to repair things.

http://www.carstereohelp.com/stereoremoval...anger%20Removal

Hope this helps,

Sam

My  Son and I went to look at a used LS 400 on a lot today.It had 129K on it.

He said the power steering pump had been replaced and it would get tight when you turned it at low speed.(Didn't seem to be a problem if the speed was up).

Any ideas as to the problem?

Also airbag light came on and CD changer was jammed.Any reflections,observations appreciatted.

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[TNLX]

Wow,Some great advice and links! THANKS TO ALL!

It looked like the dash had been apart at one point which is what probably activated the airbag light.The pump was replaced with a non OEM one.Screen or bleeding MIGHT take care of it.Casette player sounds like business as usual.

I was wanting to go down and make an offer today(10/31).I love to show up the last day of the month at car dealers and offer cash.They will drop the price radically to get it off of the books.

It still isn't a deal if you have some problems with them though.

My Son used his Volvo for dear hunting and I wanted to up grade his car after a year of bliss with a 97 LS 400.

TNLX

[nc211]

get the vin, and call your local lexus dealership. ask if they'll run the vin number for you to show maintence history. On the 97, you'll want to make sure the timing belt & water pump has been changed. It's usually part of the 90k miles service, and it's a big one! If it was done, they'll know it.

Stay away from air suspension if money is an issue. Dash might have suffered from the flickering light syndrome that is usually associated with the 89-94 "series 1" models. However I find it strange that this is the case on your 97. The dash matched by the air bag light makes me think accident occurred, that triggered the air bag. Run carfax. Do you have access to carfax?

[dcfish]

Wow,Some great advice and links! THANKS TO ALL!

It looked like the dash had been apart at one point which is what probably activated the airbag light.The pump was replaced with a non OEM one.Screen or bleeding MIGHT take care of it.Casette player sounds like business as usual.

I was wanting to go down and make an offer today(10/31).I love to show up the last day of the month at car dealers and offer cash.They will drop the price radically to get it off of the books.

It still isn't a deal if you have some problems with them though.

My Son used his Volvo for dear hunting and I wanted to up grade his car after a year of bliss with a 97 LS 400.

TNLX

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If the instrument cluster was removed without disconnecting the neg. battery terminal when reinstalled it would set the airbag light on. If you search there is a topic on the reset.