CanadaCraig Posted March 27, 2004 Share Posted March 27, 2004 Hi Guys!! :) I have to admit - I'm not very impressed with my '93 LS. Sure - I still love how it LOOKS - but I'm not very impressed with how it drives. Just got it back after being at the dealer's for 2 whole weeks. They replaced the front wheel bearings - balanced the drive shaft [in an attempt to get rid of a vibration] and replaced some of the bushings. Why it took two weeks - who knows. At least I didn't have to pay for the RX300 I used as a courtesy car. After all of that [and everything else I've done to the car] it still drives exactly the same. Even more money down the old LS drain. I'm getting tired of this. Instead of feeling lucky to have such a car - I starting to feel as though I'm stuck with it. And I am - I suppose - because I wouldn't get nearly what I've already put into it - IF I traded it in. This is not what I expected to feel. I wanted to own an LS - especially a '93 [or '94] for quite some time. I thought that I was very fortunate to find one in such great shape with very low miles. [about 50,000 miles - last October - when I bought it] Is it horrible? No. It just rates a 2 out of 10 on my 'enjoyable to drive' scale. [and I'm being kind] It's humilated by newer 6 and even 4 cylinder cars and it handles like an old Lincoln Town Car. [and I know - I've driven several Lincolns in my life] I also find it frustrating that I can't really DO anything to make it better. [or to at least attempt to make it better] Firmer springs and shocks? Forget it. Unless I want my LS to be 1" lower to the ground and ride like a truck - I'm stuck. Do I keep trying to make it better? Do I buy new spring and shocks [or whatever] to see if THAT will help build my confidence in the car? And do I buy OEM 'stuff'? OR am I 'looking' at 'this' the wrong way? Maybe I had [and have] expectations [based on everything I've read over the years] that no LS can live up to. Maybe all LS's have wind noise and/or whistling driver's mirrors. Maybe every LS handles like boat and that's just how they're made. Perhaps every LS vibrates - and I'll just have to accept that. Or do I?! If you think I'm looking at this all wrong - a few encouraging [and constructive] words would be appreciated. Thanks, Craig!! :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jbarhorst2 Posted March 27, 2004 Share Posted March 27, 2004 Have you driven another similar LS to compare?? That may be a good start. Does your vibration only happen at certain speeds, or is it there all the time? Does the vibration change with vehicle speed? Have you considered a bad tire?? My father bought a new Chevy pickup and there was a vibration that was just horrible. They could not even get rid of it by balancing the tires. It turned out to be bad tires from the factory, but there was a problem in many of them. It took him going through 17 tires (a little over 4 sets) before they got a group of tires that were all good. Where do you feel the vibration? The steering wheel, the seat, the floor, etc. If you rotate your tires, does the vibration change position or feel? Does the vibration go away around a sweeping curve in the road? How about through that same curve in the other direction? Don't get discouraged yet. You just may need a little more time to figure out what issue you have. Tom Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jzz30 Posted March 27, 2004 Share Posted March 27, 2004 did you change the motor mounts and the tranny mount? well if that doesnt all work out you can always buy another or a new one Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VBdenny Posted March 27, 2004 Share Posted March 27, 2004 Craig, That is disappointing. I feel that something is way wrong with you car that everyone is missing. Did you run a carfax on the title to see if it was wrecked or salvaged? No that it helps usually as most people who trade in flood cars and stuff are suspicious to start. I know a girl at work who along with her husband, buys flood cars. After cleaning and changing the oil ther put them on the road with clean titles. The car (an Altima) LOOKS great but she is always having problems, brakes, transmission, and especially electrical. PLUS cold weather totally screws up cars. Your LS should rip. Just last evening I was running our 90 down the GSP at a loafing 90mph It handles perfectly, has absolutely no vibrations and it has 135,000 mles. Maybe you just have a lemon. I admit I have never heard of a yellow Lexus, but anything is possible, Best of luck with it. Denny Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
99lsguy Posted March 27, 2004 Share Posted March 27, 2004 Craig, I echo Denny's comments, sorry you don't like the car... How did the 98 or 99 LS you drove (when the valves/ t-belt were being changed?? I agree with test driving a similar LS for comparison!! Your tires are new, so they should make for a quiet ride, and there should be no vibrations Try some silicone spray on the rubber door seals to see if they'll connect tighter. I get a little road noise from my tires, but they're old and worn out (4/32") so I expect new ones to really quiet things down.. I came back from Lake Ozark yesterday (about a 150 mile trip). Just cruised all the way. Looked at my tach one time and saw it around 3200 rpm - I thought, oh no my Overdrive's not working!! It was; I was just going 95 mph and "gliding" along. 99 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
93LSOwner Posted March 27, 2004 Share Posted March 27, 2004 I just saw the pictures of your Black Jade. Man, its one of the best looking Gen. 1 I have ever seen. I'm sorry to hear about the vibration. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
monarch Posted March 27, 2004 Share Posted March 27, 2004 Doesn't take many miles of abuse and neglect to ruin any car. No telling what kind of abuse your car went through that really is the source of all those problems. Used car buyers tend to be obsessed with price and could care less about the service history of the car or the driving style of the former owner. They figure if they can save $5,000 on the price that even if the car needs some extra work, it'll cost only a few thousand dollars and therefore they will me money ahead. What they really find out is that almost no amount of money can fix the damage and deterioration that a neglectful and abusive driver can do to a car. So paying an average or above average price for a carefully maintained and driven car is well worth the money. Even if the car is older. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SW03ES Posted March 27, 2004 Share Posted March 27, 2004 I agree with Monarch. 50,000 miles or not, the car is 11 years old. You just cannot expect an 11 year old car to operate exactly as new. Also you wind up putting yourself in a worse position by nitpicking at the car, noticing all the little things, every jostle, every creak and letting them get to you. You also can't expect an 11 year old car to be as high performing as a new one. Technology changes. While the LS was a fast sedan back in 93, today its really not at all. The first gen LS' perfomance is similar to my ES', high 7s to 60. Nowadays the LS does 0-60 in 5.9 seconds! Few cars anymore take almost 8 seconds to get to 60mph. I do agree with everyone else though that the LS SHOULD effortlessly travel at any speed. You should look down at the speedo and be utterly shocked at times like 99 was. Why yours doesn't do this may just be a factor or previous use as Monarch said. Hitting curbs, potholes, parking barriers all degrade the stregnth of the wheel and suspension components and effect the ride. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1990LS400 Posted March 27, 2004 Share Posted March 27, 2004 Craig, I agree with 99. Try to find one or two other 93 or 94 LS's to drive and compare them with yours. Don't expect your 93 to be like a 90-92 or a 95-up. When I sold my 90 LS after driving it to about 185K miles, there was no difference in the way it drove or handled from when it was brand new. There certainly should not be any vibrations - a competent repair shop should be able to identify and fix the cause. Wind noise from compressed door seals is possible. I had my driver door adjusted several times to reduce wind noise. The outside mirrors were redesigned early on to reduce wind noise - but I thought that 93 was the first year the redesigned ones were used. The LS is certainly not a sports car although I found my 90 to be very balanced at the limits. If having a high performance, flat cornering, sport sedan is your biggest priority, I think you would be a whole happier with another sort of car, say a BMW 540. You won't get the reliability of a Lexus but the 5-series is infinitely more fun to drive. Jim Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
four door Posted March 27, 2004 Share Posted March 27, 2004 Craig as some of the others have recommened that the tires could very well be the sourse of the poor quality handling/ride. Some years back I bought a set of tires, not cheap tires either, and all four were out of round. An LS400 with such low milage, even considering its age, should ride very close to new. Hopefully it's something simple with the tires but it might be worthwhile to have a bodyshop check the car to see if their is damage to the undercarriage. As someone said elderly drivers are notorious for going over curbs, center stips etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jschunke Posted March 28, 2004 Share Posted March 28, 2004 The '93 is no rocket (nor is it a slug) so if your looking for fast accelleration you'll be dissapointed. The LS was also designed with a somewhat floaty ride, but it should out maneuver a Lincoln TownCar any day. So either you just don't care for the float feel or your losing a ball joint, or your tires stink. As for the vibration, it appears that your not alone - including me. Tracking down the vibration may cost you especailly when you start buying tires, balancing wheels and such. My used 93 had a bent rear axle and a whacked out rear differential. The wind noise should be easy to fix, it's probably just a compacted door seal. Either the car doesn't fit your taste in which case dump it (I'm sure many folks on this board wouldl be thrilled to get a 93 with only 50k) or give it a chance. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VBdenny Posted March 28, 2004 Share Posted March 28, 2004 Hey 99, Sounds like a nice trip to the Land of the Ozarks. We use to go over there when we lived in Tulsa, beautiful place. But that was before they made Lexus so we had to take my 79 sedan de ville. You mentioned your tires. I have always found that tires worn in about 20,000 are quieter and handle better than new tires. When I bought this Lexus, it had brand new Aquatred III tires. They were very nosiy, they vibrated at speed, and felt squirmy. Now that they have 20 grand on them, the drive beautifully. The car is quiet with absolutly no vibration at any speed. They went from tires I hated, to tires that are very acceptable. I noticed when they use street tires for racing that they always "shave" them down. I'm sure this is why. The grooves in the tread only help you in rain, slicks are the best on dry pavement. Yeah, I hope Craig can get his probles resolved. Getting a 50K special like that is everyones dream. The problem is when the dream turns out to be a nightmare. Monach's words ran true. I jsut bought a 99 Toyota Corolla for $6900 US. The car has 10,600 miles, was garage kept, serviced at the dealer and I got all the paperwork. I drove it around today and it is fun. Nice shifting 5-speed on a high winding little 1.8L engine. The tires are crappy. P175- 65SR14 Michelin XW4. That needs and upgrade, anyone have a good suggestion? Maybe 215 50HR16 ?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pachocco1 Posted March 28, 2004 Share Posted March 28, 2004 As someone said elderly drivers are notorious for going over curbs, center stips etc. That is a great point. I think all my troubles stem from the prior owner. She must have been a curb popping old fat lady. She never drove fast enough to notice any of the high-speed problems that I have dealt with. In all, I rather enjoy the challenge to keep up with the car. I still spend far less than a new car payment a month with much to spare to boot. In all, the savings from all my DIY work are staggering. All I can suggest is to find a friend who is passionate about cars. Make it a point to share conversation about your problems. You never know what you will find out. These cars are almost a hobby. It is almost a restoration project for me. Hang in there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VMF Posted March 28, 2004 Share Posted March 28, 2004 check the tire balance b4 doiubng any other costly repairs. this was my case with the vibratin fightin. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
99lsguy Posted March 28, 2004 Share Posted March 28, 2004 Hey 99,Sounds like a nice trip to the Land of the Ozarks. We use to go over there when we lived in Tulsa, beautiful place. But that was before they made Lexus so we had to take my 79 sedan de ville. You mentioned your tires. I have always found that tires worn in about 20,000 are quieter and handle better than new tires. When I bought this Lexus, it had brand new Aquatred III tires. They were very nosiy, they vibrated at speed, and felt squirmy. Now that they have 20 grand on them, the drive beautifully. The car is quiet with absolutly no vibration at any speed. They went from tires I hated, to tires that are very acceptable. I noticed when they use street tires for racing that they always "shave" them down. I'm sure this is why. The grooves in the tread only help you in rain, slicks are the best on dry pavement. Denny, We had a blast playing a little golf - warm weather around 70 both days We had the LS packed and one of the guys wanted to drive......He loved it :D Couldn't believe it was getting 25+ mpg all loaded down and cruising @ 75+! He has a 03 Acura RL and swears it only gets 18 mpg at best! I just want new tires....(thinking about the ContiPremier Contacts) you know how you get in the mood Our roads in Missouri are absolutely Terrible -potholes, old concrete surfaces, mixed asphalt surfaces; and the bridges are worse!!!! Believe me, the LS handles them as good a possible, much better than the Mazda 626 I had.... The Corolla - onlly 10K miles on a 5 year old ??????That's like brand new :D You'll be able to park that baby anywhere!! Craig, As others have said - check the tires first! I think I remember someone "wedging" a 1x or 2x4 between the differential case and underside of the car - and this SIGNIFICANTLY reduce the vibrations.....Just a thought! I know that's a temporary fix but its super CHEAP Maybe give it a try? 99 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pachocco1 Posted March 28, 2004 Share Posted March 28, 2004 Craig, I completely understand your position. I have have traveled much of the same path as yourself. About the drive shaft balancing, was it sent out to any kind of special shop? Done in-house? What kind of balancing did they do? The reason why i ask is because I had the same issue with vibration not too long ago. It was (eventually) correctly diagnosed as a driveshaft out of balance. A remanufactured shaft was installed. The car still had the same problem. My mechanic was not pleased. He insisted on a brand new one and low and behold...it worked. After careful examination of the two shafts side by side revealed the discrepency. The remanu. shaft had one weight tack welded on one shaft (there are two) much like tires, static balancing is out is out of the question for these cars. A look at the new oem shaft revealed several weights of various sizes up and down both shafts. That difference, in my opinion, is really the brunt of it. The rest looked the same. I would investigate the shaft balancing done on your prior service. There is even high speed balancing for drive shafts. Go figure. Follow up on that, as it will cost you nothing but a bit of time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CanadaCraig Posted March 29, 2004 Author Share Posted March 29, 2004 Hi Guys!! :) Thank you very much for all of the thoughtful responses. I appreciate it. I'll try my best to respond to each of your questions. " Have you driven another similar LS to compare?? That may be a good start" Yes. I've driving a year 2000 LS. The fact that I DIDN'T notice anything wrong [with it] leads me to believe that everything was OK. [if you know what I mean] "Does your vibration only happen at certain speeds, or is it there all the time? Does the vibration change with vehicle speed?" It's constant from about 30 mph on up. It doesn't seem to get worse the faster I go. In fact - it seems more obvious NOW than when I brought it in to be fixed. But who knows. Maybe I'm just imagining that. "Have you considered a bad tire?? Yes. But I just put on brand new Turanza LS-V's a couple of months ago. Doesn't seem to be the tires. The dealer rebalanced them - just in case. [so I've been told] But I'll keep that in mind - especially considering what your father went through - jbarhorst2. "Where do you feel the vibration? The steering wheel, the seat, the floor, etc." Oddly enough - only through the gas pedal and the gear shifter. " did you change the motor mounts and the tranny mount?" The transmission mount WAS just changed. Motor mounts haven't been touched - as far as I know. "Did you run a carfax on the title to see if it was wrecked or salvaged?" In BC - 'we' have to declare all sorts of things on a vehicle. Of course - I'm sure some get around that - but the car was bought new at the dealership I bought it from and the lady traded it in on a new 2004 LS430. Should be OK. No 'declarations' on car. "Your LS should rip. Just last evening I was running our 90 down the GSP at a loafing 90mph It handles perfectly, has absolutely no vibrations...." That's what I want!! Maybe it needs new coil springs and struts. [but more on that later] "Maybe you just have a lemon." Gee... I hope not. I don't think so - really. But who knows. What's that thing about making lemonade?! [does that work with cars?!] "I came back from Lake Ozark yesterday (about a 150 mile trip). Just cruised all the way. Looked at my tach one time and saw it around 3200 rpm - I thought, oh no my Overdrive's not working!! It was; I was just going 95 mph and "gliding" along." I envy that. Maybe someday soon I'll be able to say the same thing. [although I'm sure I want to go all the way to Lake Ozark!!] " I just saw the pictures of your Black Jade. Man, its one of the best looking Gen. 1 I have ever seen. I'm sorry to hear about the vibration. " Thank you!! It really does look great!! [except at night - where the paint looks like the bottom of a 20 year old stainless steel frying pan - but more on that AFTER I get the suspension/vibration problem fixed] "What they really find out is that almost no amount of money can fix the damage and deterioration that a neglectful and abusive driver can do to a car." That's very true. And even though I don't think the 'old lady' who owned my car intentionally abused it - the car DID just 'sit there' for months on end - hooked up to a battery charger - while she warmed her bones somewhere in one of the Southern U.S. States. That COULD be part of the problem - but more on THAT - later in this message. "You just cannot expect an 11 year old car to operate exactly as new. Also you wind up putting yourself in a worse position by nitpicking at the car, noticing all the little things, every jostle, every creak and letting them get to you." That's also very true. Trouble is - once you start - it's almost impossible to go back to the 'just ignore it' stage. "The LS is certainly not a sports car although I found my 90 to be very balanced at the limits" And that's what I want MY LS to be. [balanced at the limits - that is] I shouldn't be aware of the car while driving on the highway - if you know what I mean. But I am - and it's annoying. When I was driving the RX300 courtesy 'car' - I wasn't aware of 'it' while on the highway. It did nothing to bring attention to itself. It was very nice - in fact. "My used 93 had a bent rear axle and a whacked out rear differential." Hopefully - now that my dealer 'balanced' the driveshaft - they would have noticed something like that. Then again - who knows!! "I still spend far less than a new car payment a month with much to spare to boot" An important thing to remember. Even if I end up spending another $3000 on my car - it's still less than JUST the taxes would be on buying a half-way decent new car. [like an Accord or something] "About the drive shaft balancing, was it sent out to any kind of special shop? Done in-house? What kind of balancing did they do?" I'm not sure. I'll probably find out tomorrow - Monday. The dealer asked me to 'try it out over the weekend' to see if there's been any improvement'. Didn't go into details as to HOW or WHO did WHAT. Mostly likely - 'in-house' - but I'm just guessing. The guy I deal with is in Toronto for an GX470 'meeting'. I'll tell my 'Lexus Guy' what you said - pachocco1 - when I see him. Maybe my car will needs a 'new one'. --------- Here's a question for all of you to ponder!! :) CAN struts appear to be OK - and handle OK [when pushed] but still be worn?! I ask - because my LS seems to handle quite well [relatively speaking] when PUSHED. But feels very insecure when merely driving down the freeway. Also - when I brake hard - the car dips [as expected] and bounces up and down then stops. [as a good strut/shock should] But when I brake lightly - the front end of the car makes anywhere from 4 to 6 small 'ups and downs' before stopping. [are you following this?] The reason I ask is because my car just SAT there - every year - for months on end - and I was wondering if THAT could be the reason WHY my car feels so insecure on the freeway. I'm thinking of getting new OEM struts and coil springs. Would that be silly?! Thanks again!! Craig!! :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
99lsguy Posted March 29, 2004 Share Posted March 29, 2004 Craig, I first must say that I always admire your posts because your are "very thorough"!! The light braking condition.....is it kind of a "pulse"? This would indicate warped rotors or bad brake caliper! Dealer can check this... Also, perhaps the ball joints or tie rod bushings are worn? 99 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blake918 Posted March 29, 2004 Share Posted March 29, 2004 But when I brake lightly - the front end of the car makes anywhere from 4 to 6 small 'ups and downs' before stopping. [are you following this?] Yikes! 6-8 times??? My car only gives me one very controlled and firm 'up and down' motion when I Slam on the brakes. This might be something to look into, but since your vibrations only come through the shifter and gas pedal, it would lead one to believe that you would have a bad motor mount or something. Does the car idle smoothly? Start the car and grab ahold the steering wheel; you shouldn't feel anything. My machine has 5x(225k) your mileage, and I have trouble telling if the car is on or not. Look in the paper to find a 93-94 to drive as the 00 is quite a different animal. Just pretend that you're going to buy it as I'm doubtful that many sellers would let someone just go and drive their car for comparison! I agree your thoroughness is quite impressive! ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SW03ES Posted March 29, 2004 Share Posted March 29, 2004 It sounds like a bad motor mount to me, really does. As for the up and down, have the front struts ever been replaced? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
acf Posted March 30, 2004 Share Posted March 30, 2004 You guys rock! I'm glad I would have a great place to come to for advice God forbid I had such problems. Good luck, Craig, I'm sure it'll work out. My '97 is the first car I've spent a good amount of money on that is anywhere close to its age. There's always that fear when your "baby" is out of warranty. :o Have faith in the Lexus name and reputation, it'll work out for ya. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
90LS400Lexus Posted March 31, 2004 Share Posted March 31, 2004 Hi Guys!! :)I have to admit - I'm not very impressed with my '93 LS. Sure - I still love how it LOOKS - but I'm not very impressed with how it drives. Just got it back after being at the dealer's for 2 whole weeks. They replaced the front wheel bearings - balanced the drive shaft [in an attempt to get rid of a vibration] and replaced some of the bushings. Why it took two weeks - who knows. At least I didn't have to pay for the RX300 I used as a courtesy car. After all of that [and everything else I've done to the car] it still drives exactly the same. Even more money down the old LS drain. I'm getting tired of this. Instead of feeling lucky to have such a car - I starting to feel as though I'm stuck with it. And I am - I suppose - because I wouldn't get nearly what I've already put into it - IF I traded it in. This is not what I expected to feel. I wanted to own an LS - especially a '93 [or '94] for quite some time. I thought that I was very fortunate to find one in such great shape with very low miles. [about 50,000 miles - last October - when I bought it] Is it horrible? No. It just rates a 2 out of 10 on my 'enjoyable to drive' scale. [and I'm being kind] It's humilated by newer 6 and even 4 cylinder cars and it handles like an old Lincoln Town Car. [and I know - I've driven several Lincolns in my life] I also find it frustrating that I can't really DO anything to make it better. [or to at least attempt to make it better] Firmer springs and shocks? Forget it. Unless I want my LS to be 1" lower to the ground and ride like a truck - I'm stuck. Do I keep trying to make it better? Do I buy new spring and shocks [or whatever] to see if THAT will help build my confidence in the car? And do I buy OEM 'stuff'? OR am I 'looking' at 'this' the wrong way? Maybe I had [and have] expectations [based on everything I've read over the years] that no LS can live up to. Maybe all LS's have wind noise and/or whistling driver's mirrors. Maybe every LS handles like boat and that's just how they're made. Perhaps every LS vibrates - and I'll just have to accept that. Or do I?! If you think I'm looking at this all wrong - a few encouraging [and constructive] words would be appreciated. Thanks, Craig!! :) I know exactly what you mean. I have a 90 LS400, with 228K, that has also has a vibration that is driving me crazy. It has new tires and supposedly a new alignment. It also has new OEM rear struts. Like your car- my vibration starts at 30mph on the dot and it vibrates the entire car. It does not feel any worse at any particlular spot on the car. It is just a steady, constant vobration. At times it is not as bad, or as the speed changes it is not as bad. It seems to be the worst right at 55MPH, or between 55-60MPH. I have not taken it anywhere to have it checked. I have been waiting for more replies on this site to see what it could be. I have heard everything from new tires, struts, alignment, mounts, driveshaft, differential, bearings, etc. it seems to have become noticable when I had the rear struts replaced, with OEM (Toyota) ones. Perhaps they did something wrong? I know that they did not re-align, because this repair shop does not have that capability. It was aligned about 6000 miles ago. Perhaps it needs it again? I just do not see how a bad alignment can cause this rumbling type (without the rumble) type vibration. I do not want to spend $1000s more on this car, as I paid $4000 for it in November when it had 224K. I know it is a 14 year old car, but I expect it to be smooth since it is a Lexus and I paid $4000 for it. I could have paid $4000 for a nice, low mile full-size American car, that would be as smooth as silk- at least smoother than this $39K (When new) car. Now do not get me wrong- this car has a powerful engine that idles as smooth as silk, as well as a super smooth shifting transmission. As with most LS400s- the engine is so quiet and smooth at idle, that I have to look at the tachometer at times to see if it is still running. The ride quality is also smooth. It seems to be a common problem on these cars. I will keep driving my car. Hopefully it will get much worse, and hopefully make it easier to find the problem(s). Good luck!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gillette LS400 Posted April 1, 2004 Share Posted April 1, 2004 I also had vibrations problems with my 91 LS from 70-80 MPH. It has a little over 200k on it, yes. I just want to give everyone a good heads up about dealing with the vibration. I bought it about two 1/2 years ago with 80K miles. It began having trouble about a year after I got it. First, I was sure it was the suspension. BUT, I have replaced every suspension piece on the car with FACTORY Lexus parts. I went from every front end bushing, bearings, springs, struts, upper control arms, lower control arms, and every piece that attaches to the suspension. Total parts about $8000 Next, I thought maybe the transmission or engine mounts. Replaced all of those with FACTORY Lexus mounts. Total parts about $600 Then, I thought well driveshaft, differential, or maybe axles. Replaced all of those with Factory Lexus parts. Total parts about $3400 Then I thought about the wheels/tires. Got a set of Helo 17" Satin Chrome wheels, with Goodyear Eagle F1 Tires. Total price $2500 Finally, after more of these antics, I wound up with rebuilt engine that was bored over, head glassbeaded to flow 80% more air with a three angle valve job, Rod Millen Intake, Rebuilt tranny with Rod Millen Valve Body, computer reprogramming, New AC compressor, evaporator, condensor, expansion valve, drier, PS pump, rack and pinion, alternator, and then full dualed out exhaust with race cats, 3" pipes, 2 Forza Flow mufflers, middle cat removed, and resonator 3A Racing tips (pencil style that resemble the originals but are slightly larger) Oh yeah, and nitrous. Total price $Don't Ask. When I got done with it all, the vibration was gone. Just a craptastic spark plug and a faulty distributor cap that only missed when it was at a certain RPM and was moving and a slightly cracked flywheel. FYI check the cheap stuff first, but man do I love my car now. I also put a really nice stereo system in it Pioneer P720 Premier H/U Pioneer 150x2 Watt RMS amplifiers (2) MB Quart Components w/ crossovers, tweeters, and midrange (4) (8 speakers total) Rockford 800.2 Punch Power Amplifier MX Autotek 1222 subs (2) 1 farad capacitor XM Radio Navigation Unit I would recommend buying a car with vibration troubles, it worked out for me. I never would have spent the money to make my car so damn enjoyable and now I don't think I will ever get rid of it unless it gets stolen or totaled. (Seriously) BTW, none of my problems can be attributed to Lexus. The car functioned as a drag strip racer, road racer, tow truck (I towed 2 different Ford trucks, twice each about 50 miles), mudding vehicle, a car that would fly (and I mean that in the aviation sense) over the crests of any hills or large bumps in the road (Dukes of Hazzard style, no joke), and most importantly, my daily driver to work. Now I am being dead serious about how poorly I treated my car (I have video). But nothing honestly ever broke. It never once didn't start or wouldn't drive. I replaced everything only preventatively and had no other reason for fixing everything. The only thing that broke from all of my abuse was the flywheel. My garage is filled with the old parts that are still good. So I refuse to believe anyone who says that their Lexus has something seriously wrong with it. If there is any problem with a Lexus, it is the person or place that services it. I did almost all my own work. Also, just so no one leaves this post crying about some poor LS400 getting ragged out, I no longer tear it up and it is in near mint condition. So I know first hand that you can repair ragged on vehicles. I honestly do not think the way people treat these cars matters much at all. They just seem to go forever. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
acf Posted April 1, 2004 Share Posted April 1, 2004 WOW. All I got... ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tansupplyman Posted April 1, 2004 Share Posted April 1, 2004 The only problem with it being stolen or totaled is that you will get only about $3800.--$4200. for it, if that !!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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