1990 Ls 400 Problems

[JAXXXIX]

I paid 6k for my 1990 Ls 400 which had only 77k miles on it. I wanted it because of the mileage. I got the oil changed and also had it inspected. This is everything that the mechanic told me I needed to have repaired. Steering Gear which costs 1,016.75 and the labor would be 323.00. It's not needed but will be needed later in time. Also Two Valve Cover Gaskets which are 30.80 each labor for both is 382.50. Oil Pressure Sender or Switch is 37.05 and labor is 85.00. Axel Shaft Assembly For Left and Right is 119.80 each, and the labor is 212.50. The power steering also needs to be flushed out because it has never been changed. I also heard that if I flush it out it will cause more leaks. The price overall for parts and labor with tax is $2,753.86. Should I sell this car or just get it repaired? I know that if I get it fixed it will run for a very long time. Please help me!

[frodo1028]

I bought a 1992 LS 400 with 146,000 miles on it about 10 months ago. It has not been without is issues but I worked through them and the car is a real pleasure to drive.

I would not replace the "Steering Gear" (I assume you mean the rack down below) unless you are having problems. Mine was leaking slightly from the power steering pump and also from the solenoid on the rack and the steering was starting to make a wining noise. I followed some links on this forum about the power steering leaks and found that there is a tiny filter or screen in the solenoid. Do a search on "Power Steering Solenoid Switch" or "PS Flush" or similar - it's here somewhere......

Anyway, I took my car in and had them flush the power steering system and clean the solenoid screen. The shop I took it to had never heard of the solenoid screen so I forwarded the link on how to clean it from this forum and they did it for $125. This saved me a mess in the garage. It solved both my leaks and it's hasn't made a noise since. This was about 6,000 miles ago. I intend to flush my power steering more offen to prevent a reoccurance. I think that as the screen plugs up, the overall system pressure goes up and the system starts to leak all over. Keep the system clean and it should be fine.

I have been very cautious not to spend too much money on the car so I don't get too upside down on costs. I do as much of the work as I can and when I think the job is too big or too messy, I take it in. This forum has been very helpful on the how-to stuff and this has kept the repair bills low. Ultimately, the decision is yours on whether or not to keep the car. You might also consider taking the car to a different shop and get a second opinion.

Best of luck

Frodo