Really Grinds My Gears

[sapper_daddy]

Read this whole thread and plug in your two cents!!

Hey every one, i am curious. We have nice cars and they are really reliable. Let's face it though most of us here are high milage. Let's vent on what is happening to them right now. This isn't a poll and it isn't general discussion. If this thread goes cold and you are new to the forum when you find it feel free to bring it back to life.........now for the million dollar question.....

What is currently something you consider a deficiency (it's not how it is supposed to be) whether it be maintence or a fault, that is really bugging the crap out of you? or what is something that needs to be fixed or that you would like to have fixed? Just a quick listing and may be why it bugs you. I know this is what this forum is all about, getting on here and asking questions, but let's compare issues with them. So think about it and post it up. This is the place to definitly leave your two cents with no hard feelings!

Here is mine.......

I'm close to 200,000 miles and having to change the timing belt and all related stuff doesn't bug me because it has to be done........but i want to change all the rubber bushings, mounts, and then figure out the brakes because there is a shimmy when i go to stop!!!!! IT's gonna be expensive and then it still really doesn't guarantee that something else unrelated is going happen....then to top it off i need to service tranny, diff, flush the power steering and cooling system!!!! oh yeah and weird grinding noise from the starter isn't going to make life any easier

My brain hurts thinking about having to do all that.....

[sv7887]

What is currently something you consider a deficiency (it's not how it is supposed to be) whether it be maintence or a fault, that is really bugging the crap out of you? or what is something that needs to be fixed or that you would like to have fixed? Just a quick listing and may be why it bugs you. I know this is what this forum is all about, getting on here and asking questions, but let's compare issues with them. So think about it and post it up. This is the place to definitly leave your two cents with no hard feelings!

Hey Sapper Daddy,

A great idea...My car is a 1992 Sandstone Beige with 98K on it. My b*itching about my LS is limited to the following"

-Damned Squeak when I start the engine. New Belts installed a few months ago. I'm guessing Tensioners are going bad

-Car Vibrates at 70 MPH..Probably the tires, but the Drivesaft had to be shimmed in 1995 by Lexus factory techs.

-Stupid sister scratched the trunk and door sills. Major PITA and $$$ to get repaired. What is it with Women and cars??

-Dumbass body shop didn't repair/align the RF Fender properly. It's my fault for not taking it to a different body shop. I just don't understand how people can do a half a$$ed job like this..Back in the day I was a Computer Tech, and I made sure the job got done right every time..Even though it was just a computer I took PRIDE in my work being defect free.

-New Tires==> MXV4's didn't wear so hot, maybe time for Turanza's instead.

-Winshield Crack--Really minor, so I probably could have it repaired

-Rear Passenger Side Speaker Cover (Fabric) torn slightly.

I normally cuss all day long about this and the repairs listed below, but part of it is that I'm an Anal SOB..Bt it's all worth it once I turn the key and take it for a drive. The LS stays in the garage for most of the week and I use a 06 Corolla as a daily driver.

Here's what I've had done:

Upper Control Arms

Ball Joints

Instrument Cluster Needles Repaired

New Cupholder

New Center Wood Grain

New Rear View Mirror

Leather Redyed

New PS Pump and Rack

Stabilizer Bar Bushings

Front and Rear Brakes

Fan Clutch

Thermostat

Timing Belt

Water Pump

Rear Shocks

New Belts

Front and Rear Bumper Repainted

All Lower Mouldings Repainted (The plastic stuff below the door)

LCD Climate Control Replaced

That's all I can think of..

-Sam

[sapper_daddy]

yeah that's what i'm talking about.....

good idea adding what you have done to the car, definitly cool

come on now is anyone else going to post up on here? don't be shy people i know you are all going to read this post!!!right?

[nc211]

I wish you could get to the oil filter easier and not have to take off that engine cover every time.

My only gripes are from my own stupid "learning curve" mistakes during the refurbishing phase. I freakin' mulilated my lower ball joints and tie rod ends rubber seals last year when doing the suspension replacements. I'm replacing the ball joints this weekend "the right way" and throwing out these second round of aftermarket brake pads for oem. Other than that, I'm sure I'm facing a new rack in the next 12 months, and maybe a driveshaft adjustment. The wobble has been my only frustration, but I've got it down to maybe 10% at best and have no doubt it'll be fixed for good very very soon. I paid $14,200 for the car back in early 2004. Put probably $3,000 in it, and have absolutly NO regrets about doing it. I've grown addicted to tinkering with it. I spend my weeks waiting for the weekend so I can tinker with it. I love my car, it's my all-time favorite toy!

I don't think the car has run this good since it was new....it just purrrss and accelerates effortlessly. smoother at 112k miles than a nissan maxima at 12k miles.

This weekend's chores:

1) replace lower ball joints

2) replace brake pads with oem "new shims and fitment kits too"

3) seafoam the intake and replace spark plugs "thanks Blake! YOU DA' MAN!!"

4) seafoam the tranny then mityvac it out, replace with new oem fluid.

5) scrape screen in bottom of power steering canister to loosen up dirt on screen, then mityvac the dirt out, seafoam the system, flush it, and replace the fluids.

Things that'll probably happen in the next few months:

1) Possible new rack "got a tiny leak on passenger's side"

2) Possible new driveshaft flex-couplings

3) Tighten up the driver's door panel...little loose from 11 years of slaming door. Already have a bag of new clips from dealership.

4) Possible new windshield...mine looks like it was sandblasted and get's tough to see at sunset "all those tiny pits light up!"

Other than that, just take care of whatever comes up I guess.

[Leadfoot]

my biggest gripe is how these cars turn normal people into obsessive compusive types. The slightest vibration and I am here searching the forum for the worst case scenario. I can honestly say that the car is the best I have ever owned, but when I am driving I am listening so intently for problems that I kind of miss the point. I wish it didn't make me so damn fussy!!!

[nc211]

my biggest gripe is how these cars turn normal people into obsessive compusive types. The slightest vibration and I am here searching the forum for the worst case scenario. I can honestly say that the car is the best I have ever owned, but when I am driving I am listening so intently for problems that I kind of miss the point. I wish it didn't make me so damn fussy!!!

HAHAHA DITTO DITTO DITTO!!!!!!

It's like reading one of those self-diagnosis medical books. You get a bug bite, and you instantly think it's cancer and you're not going to make through the rest of the week.

[sapper_daddy]

my biggest gripe is how these cars turn normal people into obsessive compusive types. The slightest vibration and I am here searching the forum for the worst case scenario. I can honestly say that the car is the best I have ever owned, but when I am driving I am listening so intently for problems that I kind of miss the point. I wish it didn't make me so damn fussy!!!

yeah that was something mentioned earlier.....this place is so cool but it makes you find the smallest things wrong with your car. I gotta admit this forum should come with the warning sticker:

"you WILL save thousands from good research and cross referencing other source, but you will become anal about your car and will constantly covered in grease while you micro manage the exponetial forces that compell you to drive such a cool car"

[Leadfoot]

I wake up soaked in sweat from nightmares about engine check lights appearing!

[nc211]

I can tell you one thing though, if I ever do sell this car and the buyer needs to know how it was maintained, I'm going to tell him to come to this website and do a search on NC211. Then I'll charge him/her an extra $500 bucks and we'll all have a drink while trying to diagnoise that funny sound in my "new" LS430.

[sapper_daddy]

HAHA LMAO yeah you definitly have some sort of a claim to fame on here!!

this is cool though let's keep this thread going for a bit and one more thing if you see someone talking about doing a procedure and you think you can hook them up with a better way go ahead quote it out and put your 2 cents in here that way we can keep other threads from getting too convoluted and off track, kind of like the ultimate side bar or the best ADD thread at least

[Shadow]

Yes, noise and vibration drive me nut.

I have been trying to get my 91 as smooth and my wife's 90 and after two sets of tires, one set of wheel, and some renew suspension and mine is still not as smooth. The wife hardly notice the difference but I certainly can.

And then there was a rattle noise right in front of me (the driver seat) that comes a goes. I removed the instrument panel and padded all wirings, joints, and mating surfaces the best I could and the still no joy. Fortunately, for my sanity the noise went away recently on its own, otherwise, a steering column tear down is on order.

And then there are those Lexus forums which I won't say anything about...

[blake918]

What grinds my gears with the design of the car: the worst excuse of cup holders I've come across, no head or legroom, the climate control computer bases its actions too heavily on the outside temp, finicky heater, and some simple maintinance things are overly complicated (like changing the oil), etc.

[SRK]

Well the front brakes are too small on the 92 LS, and yep I replaced the PS pump last summer and rebrushed the alternator (whole job took a careful and slow 4 hours), oil changes take longer because of the lower engine cover, and a few minor things like the powder coating coming off the stock wheels. I repainted the wheels with a Mercedes silver (hah hah) in acrylic urethane, and they look great, way better than stock.

The antenna failed, but it failed in the max up position. Drivers seat leather is a bit worn.

Big deal no way.

Every time I drive the car, I realize what an achievement the LS was in the early nineties. Like many have said on this board, other folks can't believe how old the car is from way it rides and runs. Every time I dismantle something for service or repair, and that's not too frequently, I am amazed at the design and build quality. Like, why do the ignition wire looms look good? They are under the plastic covers, which look good, and in the life of the car, maybe four mechanics will ever see them. But they look good, designed that way.

Stuff breaks, that's the law of toyland. But when it breaks infrequently, and when the machine itself runs so well all of the time with only minor "dropouts", I don't mind a bit.

I give thanks every day that I am not driving a Cavalier.

[Threadcutter]

All:

What grinds my gears with the design of the car: the worst excuse of cup holders I've come across

I was REALLY, really, going to try and stay out of this one because if you step out of the trees & look at the forest, the view is pretty darned good. Meaning; all things considered, I love this car.

BUT!............WHAT IN THE "HIGH-ELL" IS UP WITH THOSE !Removed! CUPHOLDERS!!!!!!!!

I drive a minimum of 250 miles a day & all I ask is that my bottle of Squirt goes all the way into the holder.........But Noooo!!!.........Some idjet either makes the pop bottle one eigth of an inch too big or the cup holder one eigth of an inch too small. Sometimes stupidity makes me want to cry.............Who reminds these people not to stop breathing anyway?

[SW03ES]

-Damned Squeak when I start the engine. New Belts installed a few months ago. I'm guessing Tensioners are going bad

Thats probably the issue I agree.

-Car Vibrates at 70 MPH..Probably the tires, but the Drivesaft had to be shimmed in 1995 by Lexus factory techs.

When was the last time you had the wheels balanced and who did it? My guess is the wheels are balanced improperly. The MXV4s are very round tires and generally don't have any irregularities in their shape that would cause a vibration. Lexus, especially the LS, though are really hard to balance properly and have it come out right the first time. I'd take it to a shop that has a HUnter Road Force balancing machine and let them balance it and see what happens.

What grinds my gears with the design of the car: the worst excuse of cup holders I've come across,

They are bad I agree, luckily Lexus vastly improved them with later designs. Cans of soda are about all they're good for.

[blake918]

What grinds my gears with the design of the car: the worst excuse of cup holders I've come across,

They are bad I agree, luckily Lexus vastly improved them with later designs. Cans of soda are about all they're good for.

That's no improvement, mine can hold 12oz cans too and most 1/2 liter bottles. They actually hold what they can quite well; I just wish they were larger! I want it to hold those half gallon cups from Burger King and such! LOL Have you ever seen the cup holders in a V-Dub Touraeg? It comes out of the top of the upper console and can hold anthing your local 711 can dish out. I love the Germans, everything is big-big cupholders, big interiors, big price tags, and big problems--big repair costs! haha

[SW03ES]

No i mean yours are good for cans of soda. The newer ones will hold just about anything.

LOL about the Germans.

[blake918]

No i mean yours are good for cans of soda. The newer ones will hold just about anything.

LOL about the Germans.

Ohhh, I was gonna say, I sure hope the new ones aren't as bad as mine!

[sv7887]

What grinds my gears with the design of the car: the worst excuse of cup holders I've come across,

They are bad I agree, luckily Lexus vastly improved them with later designs. Cans of soda are about all they're good for.

That's no improvement, mine can hold 12oz cans too and most 1/2 liter bottles. They actually hold what they can quite well; I just wish they were larger! I want it to hold those half gallon cups from Burger King and such! LOL Have you ever seen the cup holders in a V-Dub Touraeg? It comes out of the top of the upper console and can hold anthing your local 711 can dish out. I love the Germans, everything is big-big cupholders, big interiors, big price tags, and big problems--big repair costs! haha

I don't know about German cupholders...The Cupholders in our new S430 look like something out of a cartoon. Do you guys remember those Looney Tunes cartoons with the Rube Goldberg contraptions? That's what it looks like!!! The ones in the LS430 are way better.

Oh yeah another thing to complain about: My sister broke my cupholder (Notice a common theme here?) and it cost $150 to fix!!! And the color didn't match either!!

SWO3ES,

Thanks for your comments about my vibration problem. The tires don't have much thread on them, and I had them balanced at Sears a few months ago. I have no idea what machine they used, so I'll have to find a shop that has the Hunter Machine.

I remembered another issue: Why is it so hard to change tailights on this car? I took me an hour to get at them. I must say, thought I was really impressed with the number of seals and high quality components for the tailights.

Great thread people!

Sam

[sapper_daddy]

hey 7887 there was thread on here a day or two ago with nc211 describing how to find a hunter machine....do a littel bowsing on here!

i'm going to have to experiment with trying to adapt my 94 cupholders to fit more size drinks.....i love the dodge cupholders that rachet into place to hold a drink, i'll have look into this

SRKhey how did you do that acrylic paint job....I powder coated some rims before! How has the finish held up and do you have a pic?

[SRK]

No pics of the wheels yet. I dismount the tires and clean the wheels carefully with wax remover solvent to ensure no Amor-all on them. I then wet sand with 320 grit, and then 600 grit. I use PPG DP-40 epoxy primer on any bare metal spots. The paint I use is Sikkens Autocryl which is an acrylic urethane used to refinish cars. Four medium coats and its done. I was able to remove the Lexus symbol from the middle of the hubcaps as well, and so they were painted at the same time to match the wheels.

The silver is similar to any bright silver paint used on most cars. It makes the wheels look like those found on the later cars, like my GS. The original colour used on the LS 15 inch wheels had a whitish non-metallic look. Mine had a bit of rash, and strangely, one was a different colour from the other three.

The painting has to be done with an automotive spray gun, under controlled conditions, like a spray booth. The stuff is very toxic. I have been painting cars for years, its just that I only do one or two a year.

[sapper_daddy]

No pics of the wheels yet. I dismount the tires and clean the wheels carefully with wax remover solvent to ensure no Amor-all on them. I then wet sand with 320 grit, and then 600 grit. I use PPG DP-40 epoxy primer on any bare metal spots. The paint I use is Sikkens Autocryl which is an acrylic urethane used to refinish cars. Four medium coats and its done. I was able to remove the Lexus symbol from the middle of the hubcaps as well, and so they were painted at the same time to match the wheels.

The silver is similar to any bright silver paint used on most cars. It makes the wheels look like those found on the later cars, like my GS. The original colour used on the LS 15 inch wheels had a whitish non-metallic look. Mine had a bit of rash, and strangely, one was a different colour from the other three.

The painting has to be done with an automotive spray gun, under controlled conditions, like a spray booth. The stuff is very toxic. I have been painting cars for years, its just that I only do one or two a year.

cool stuff.....i had sand blasted mine down to do the powder coating and then used compressed air to clean then acetone and next would pre heat the metal spray then bake and i like it but that is only really worth it on steel rims....i know sikkens has some good stuff and epoky primer is da bomb!!! but how long were you having to wet sand for? i know your fingers must not have prints on them!!

[SRK]

Probably took about 20 minutes a wheel to prep them. It is just a matter of removing the shine on the surface and producing a flat surface that has no "orange peel" effect. I only painted the outside of course. Shooting the paint was a challenge in order to get all the little spokes evenly without causing runs, but I have painted lots of wheels - including some Ferrari ones that had to be perfect - so they turned out.

I will try to get some photos soon.

[sapper_daddy]

srk : yeah man that'd be great if you get the chance to post up some pics!

alright i definitly agree with most of the peeves about this car.....to me the biggest peeve is the car's biggest thing going for it, the ride

the ride is what makes the car so great but when the smallest vibration shows it kills the confidence in the car and between the drive shaft coupling, finiky braking system and the suspension's complexity (even non air systems) it's hard to pin point the fault of the system and then sometimes the bushing or relaited parts can be a pain especially with the difficulty of getting to them(motor mounts)

i guess i am preaching to the choir.....

and i definitly agree about the ergonomics of the car, just so damn small....nuff said

not really much to say but if anyone has suggestions on some of the problems people say they have with their cars, go ahead and post up links to other threads or bits of advice in response, could turn out to be a long thread, maybe, but then there are records that will never be broken......i think i figured it out (the wobble problem)

[RFeldes]

Hey Sapper, great thread and not to cut it, but thanks for the offer of help, but I have been fortunate enough to have a crew, 4 Mexican Americans..kick !Removed!..can't say enough about them..God Bless America where we all work and get it done. Pumped and lost my train of thought.. We're okay, my friend, can we help you? I do a Bad !Removed! BBQ and come this summer look forward to you and Blake "Chilling and Grilling" Of course All LOC are invited and guns are checked at the door.:chairshot: LOL sorry and my apologies for interrupting a great thread, I know "anal" He, He... carry on....