Help A N00b Buying An Ls400!

[legend4life]

I'm in upstate NY and looking for an LS400, preferably 95+ that is well maintained, in good condition, and has low miles (close to 130k) for around $4k. Is it possible to find a car like this? Should I keep trying for awhile, or just give in and get a 93-94?

Also how do I know if the car has air suspension? Is it true that there is a $1,000 aftermarket rebuilt shocks replacement kit including all 4 corners of the air suspension? I would like to get the air suspension if possible, and the aftermarket controller so I can dump the car, as well as raise it high for snow, etc

What other options do these models offer?

What are common problems and other questions I should ask about?

Thanks!

Imran

[OmarG]

hey man. I'm not gonna say its impossible to find a clean 95+ for 4k but... those cars usually go for at least 6-8k.... maybe more. Also air suspension is very very rare on the 2nd gen. So finding a clean, well maintained, air suspension equipped model is gonna be tough. You can get a clean 93-94 for a good price. I'm sure. Good luck with the search man.

to answer some of the q's

air suspenion equipped cars have 2(for 1ls) extra switches above the ETC Power switch next to the shifter. 95+ only have one extra switch.

LS400's are pretty amazing but just look out for bad suspension (both air and regular) , power steering goes out on first gens, and the gauge cluster and AC display go bad on the 1st gens too.

[sonyman]

I doubt you're going to find a good 95+ for 4k, unless it has more miles on it than Paris Hilton. Also, unless you have a good deal of spare cash lying around, avoid an air suspension model. The ride may be very nice, but with high mileage and old age they tend to fail and are very expensive to repair. Common problems are leaky PS pumps, a broken egr pipe, leaky oil pans (usually just a weep at the seal), bad front lower ball joints, blacked-out climate control displays, worn carrier and caster arm bushings, and other niggly little problems such as worn trunk lift supports. Mechanically they are practically bulletproof as long as they have been well-maintained. With a budget like yours I would look for a '93 or a '94. 1993 models are 99% identical to 1994 models but may be slightly cheaper since they are 1 year older. Since you are in upstate NY definately look for a model with TRC (identifyable by a switch near the shifter and a throttle body linkage cover labeled "TRC") and invest in a good set of snow tires for the winter. Snow tires alone should carry you through the winter, but traction control is certainly a good thing to have. Models with TRC also have heated seats, although they may or may not work due to their age.

[legend4life]

I doubt you're going to find a good 95+ for 4k, unless it has more miles on it than Paris Hilton. Also, unless you have a good deal of spare cash lying around, avoid an air suspension model. The ride may be very nice, but with high mileage and old age they tend to fail and are very expensive to repair. Common problems are leaky PS pumps, a broken egr pipe, leaky oil pans (usually just a weep at the seal), bad front lower ball joints, blacked-out climate control displays, worn carrier and caster arm bushings, and other niggly little problems such as worn trunk lift supports. Mechanically they are practically bulletproof as long as they have been well-maintained. With a budget like yours I would look for a '93 or a '94. 1993 models are 99% identical to 1994 models but may be slightly cheaper since they are 1 year older. Since you are in upstate NY definately look for a model with TRC (identifyable by a switch near the shifter and a throttle body linkage cover labeled "TRC") and invest in a good set of snow tires for the winter. Snow tires alone should carry you through the winter, but traction control is certainly a good thing to have. Models with TRC also have heated seats, although they may or may not work due to their age.

Thanks for the help guys. I'm sure I can get a 93 for 3k, which would be great for me money wise....but I want a 95+ being the newer generation with all the improvements, less likely to have problems, and I don't want that old of a car or it probably won't be much better than my current one; I'm coming from a 92 Acura Legend LS coupe. Even a 95 at 12 years old is getting up there and I'm sure stuff will break :(.

But I'm on a budget and want a nice car, so I guess I have to compromise. :) 95-96 seem to be the latest years I can get at a cheap price. Upto 5.5k is within reason now I guess if it's a really clean car; I hope it will be worth it because I could really use the money for other things! I have found a 95 with under 60k on it that is supposedly near mint, garaged, and I may be able to get it...checking it out asap.

Not knowing these cars well, any easy/practical way to check if the car has these common problems?

If it has heated seats, does that mean it must have TRC? Thanks again! :)

[sonyman]

If it has heated seats, then yes it will have TRC. Most of these problems are obvious from either a simple test drive or a poke around in the engine bay and beneath. I can go more in-depth later, after work, if you'd like.

[legend4life]

If it has heated seats, then yes it will have TRC. Most of these problems are obvious from either a simple test drive or a poke around in the engine bay and beneath. I can go more in-depth later, after work, if you'd like.

Yes please, like how to look out for them. :)

[sonyman]

1) A leaky PS pump can be checked for by feeling around the pump for fluid leaking out. The most obvious sign is typically fluid loss, i.e., having to refil the fluid often but you won't have the luxury of time.

2) If the EGR pipe is broken the engine will often sound louder than it should. It may sound like the valves are out of adjustment or the injectors are noisy. This is far from definitive. Running something like Seafoam through the engine is slightly more foolproof, as you should see a small amount of white smoke from behind the engine if the pipe is cracked. Also, smelling exhaust gasses under the hood or in the car may also be a sign of an exhaust leak.

3) Typically when the oil pan leaks it's a small leak that is more cosmetic than a real problem. If the pan is only slightly leaky then the only way to see would be to look at the edges of the pan where in contacts the upper oil pan. If it is leaking, you should see oil around the edges.

4) Bad ball joints may show themselves as a clunk, but look for any strange suspension noises. Go over bumps, dips, and take turns quickly to look for excessive body roll, which could indicate worn anti-roll bar bushings. Also listen for creaking noises when going over speedbumps, which can be a sign of worn upper control arm bushings.

5) A blacked-out climate control LCD is obvious. Nothing more to say here.

6) Worn carrier bushings can create a clunk noise when quickly tapping the throttle from a standstill, or when shifting from Park to Drive, or Park to Reverse. Worn caster arm bushings will create a clunk noise from the front end if you quickly hit the brakes (be firm) when moving at 5-15 mph.

7) If your lift supports are worn then the trunk and/or hood will be difficult to lift and may be reluctant to stay open. When the supports are new, after unlatching the trunk, a small pull on the lid should be enough to get it to go up to the rain position, or about 2/3 of the way up. The hood may not be quite as free-moving, but it should go up with little effort and stay up.

Another item I forgot to mention that is common to '93-'94 models is bad cluster lighting and needles that refuse to move when cold. Check to make sure the needles light up, the backlighting works, and the needles move from the moment you start driving. (The tachometer from the moment the engine starts turning.)

To check whether or not the heated seats work is also faitly straight-forward. Turn on the heat for one seat, and compare the temperature of it with the unheated seat after letting it warm up for about 5 minutes. It should be somewhat warmer. Repeat after allowing the previously heated seat to cool to room temperature.

[legend4life]

I will check for all these problems when I look at the car. From the sounds of it, these problems sound relatively minor, if the car is clean and drivetrain solid, they should not be reason to avoid the car correct?

Would you guys prefer an older car that is mint, or a newer car with higher miles/worse condition, and needing more work?

In talking to some sellers I've noticed several say the timing belt was changed, but not the water pump. Is this normal? I've always though they are done together. How much is the job?

Any other major service that should be done or important questions to ask the seller, besides the normal maintenance/condition questions?

Thank you, this is VERY helpful. You guys have a great forum, and very n00b friendly! :)

[sonyman]

Many of these problems may sound minor, but being a Lexus, all the parts are very expensive and so is the labor, so try to find on that is relatively sound. It's best to do the timing belt and waterpump together, but more likely than not, you won't encounter any issues with the water pump. 1990-1994 LS400's have a non-interference engine, so if anything breaks, or fails, there will be no engine damage. 1995+ is interference, so make absolutely sure the timing belt has been changed if the mileage is above 90k. A timing belt service costs anywhere from $600-$800, and changing the waterpump costs around an extra $200-$300. It's recommended to change the cam and crank seals at the same time since it's only an extra 0.5 hour labor. Make sure that the engine oil, transmission fluid, differential fluid, brake fluid, coolant, and powersteering fluid have all been changed regularly. Make sure the transmission fluid is a cherry-red color, and the coolant is also red. If it is green, change it out although it's not a major issue. Toyota Long Life coolant is red in color.

As for older and mint versus newer needing work, older definately wins. It is expensive to fix just about anything on these cars.

[new2mud]

SONYMAN--your posts on this thread are just about the most informative, concise bits of useful information I have seen. Just fantastic.

[sonyman]

SONYMAN--your posts on this thread are just about the most informative, concise bits of useful information I have seen. Just fantastic.

Thanks for the kind words. :)

One more point of failure on the LS400 that I missed:

The engine and transmission mounts have a tendency to fail. To check the motor mounts, put the car in Drive, and while on the brake, quickly tap the gas. Have someone looking under the hood when you do so. If the engine lifts up, or tries to, the motor mounts are shot. With the transmission mount, it will often create vibrations while driving when it needs replacement.