94 Ls400 Help And Suggestions Please

[jdanger]

Hey everyone, I have a 94 LS400 with about 123,000 on it and need some advice. I have decided we are gonna hang onto this car so want to keep it running good.

Just recently the passenger side door lock stopped working. As in the only way it will move is if you flip it by hand. I am not very mechanically inclined but am trying to learn. Any thoughts?

Second: The manual I have with the car says the belt was done at 60,000. Should I do it again now? What should I expect to pay for that kind of job. Were in a tough spot because I have been out of work after surgery for almost two months now, about to go back but money is so tight we just can't afford much. Can the belt wait or should we not risk it? I have opinions from two people very good with cars...ones said don't worry, the other says do it.

Third: I was used to my 02 Impala and notice the Lexus body sways a lot more. I'm used to it but is there a way to reduce that?

Its our car but really its my wife's and she loves it so I want to keep it nice for her.

Thanks in advance everyone!

[ko90ls]

Hey everyone, I have a 94 LS400 with about 123,000 on it and need some advice. I have decided we are gonna hang onto this car so want to keep it running good.

Second: The manual I have with the car says the belt was done at 60,000. Should I do it again now? What should I expect to pay for that kind of job. Were in a tough spot because I have been out of work after surgery for almost two months now, about to go back but money is so tight we just can't afford much. Can the belt wait or should we not risk it? I have opinions from two people very good with cars...ones said don't worry, the other says do it.

Third: I was used to my 02 Impala and notice the Lexus body sways a lot more. I'm used to it but is there a way to reduce that?

The Timing bet has been known to go further than 123K so you could wait if you wanted. The worse that could happen is that the belt will break leaving you or your wife stranded. no engine damage will be done. Look in the sticky about common problems for my price list, i did lots of research and found some very low prices on parts. most people buy the parts and have a mechanic do the hard work. also look at the tutorial here in the workshop or on www.lexls.com and see if you can handle it. Me, i'm 21 and just got the crank bolt off with the help of a ebay tool. here is the link: http://cgi.ebay.com/Toyota-Lexus-Harmonic-...7QQcmdZViewItem

used some PB B'laster and a torque wrench+breaker bar; torque wrench to keep the tool from moving and the breaker bar to bust the bolt!!! positioned myself against the passenger side of the car and pulled until... Success!

and the body roll can be minimized by replacing the sway bar bushings. $30+ the time it takes. check Lexls.com for this procedure also, but it is really simple. only other way is to replace the UCA/LCA bushings which can be a monster.

[jdanger]

Hey everyone, I have a 94 LS400 with about 123,000 on it and need some advice. I have decided we are gonna hang onto this car so want to keep it running good.

Second: The manual I have with the car says the belt was done at 60,000. Should I do it again now? What should I expect to pay for that kind of job. Were in a tough spot because I have been out of work after surgery for almost two months now, about to go back but money is so tight we just can't afford much. Can the belt wait or should we not risk it? I have opinions from two people very good with cars...ones said don't worry, the other says do it.

Third: I was used to my 02 Impala and notice the Lexus body sways a lot more. I'm used to it but is there a way to reduce that?

The Timing bet has been known to go further than 123K so you could wait if you wanted. The worse that could happen is that the belt will break leaving you or your wife stranded. no engine damage will be done. Look in the sticky about common problems for my price list, i did lots of research and found some very low prices on parts. most people buy the parts and have a mechanic do the hard work. also look at the tutorial here in the workshop or on www.lexls.com and see if you can handle it. Me, i'm 21 and just got the crank bolt off with the help of a ebay tool. here is the link: http://cgi.ebay.com/Toyota-Lexus-Harmonic-...7QQcmdZViewItem

used some PB B'laster and a torque wrench+breaker bar; torque wrench to keep the tool from moving and the breaker bar to bust the bolt!!! positioned myself against the passenger side of the car and pulled until... Success!

and the body roll can be minimized by replacing the sway bar bushings. $30+ the time it takes. check Lexls.com for this procedure also, but it is really simple. only other way is to replace the UCA/LCA bushings which can be a monster.

Sweet. I'll look into doing it myself otherwise my mechanic gave me a $400 quote parts and labor. I was worried if it went we would have even bigger issues. A couple people said we would. Thanks for the advice!

[JLP93LS]

Hey everyone, I have a 94 LS400 with about 123,000 on it and need some advice.

Second: The manual I have with the car says the belt was done at 60,000.

If I understand you correctly, the current belt has only 63,000 miles on it. The recommended interval is 90,000 and many have gone well beyond that without incident. Of course, the age of the belt could also be a concern, depending on when it was last replaced.

My 93 has 211,000 miles and the belt was last replaced at 90,000 in 2000. Since the car is 14 years old with a market value of ~ $4000, I plan to drive it until the belt breaks, then replace it. That is the beauty of a non-interference engine. I am rarely more than 100 miles from home and have AAA+, so I get a free tow for 100 miles or less.

[jdanger]

Hey everyone, I have a 94 LS400 with about 123,000 on it and need some advice.

Second: The manual I have with the car says the belt was done at 60,000.

If I understand you correctly, the current belt has only 63,000 miles on it. The recommended interval is 90,000 and many have gone well beyond that without incident. Of course, the age of the belt could also be a concern, depending on when it was last replaced.

My 93 has 211,000 miles and the belt was last replaced at 90,000 in 2000. Since the car is 14 years old with a market value of ~ $4000, I plan to drive it until the belt breaks, then replace it. That is the beauty of a non-interference engine. I am rarely more than 100 miles from home and have AAA+, so I get a free tow for 100 miles or less.

Yeah only 63,000 miles on it, guess I was under the impression it was a 60,000 mile belt...but knowing now its a non-interference engine makes me feel better.