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  1. Hello Everyone, I know IACV has been a huge topic on the forum and I have found various pictures in the RX forum and ES forum on the idle air control valve (IACV) or as others call it the idle speed control valve (ISC). However, I have not found a "step by step" posting to date which definitively shows how to clean this thing so that my car stops giving me idling problems. Symptoms I have had included: - low and rough idling that would cause the car engine to start shaking after starting the car - this eventually got worse to the point that when I start my car, it would not idle unless I gave it gas - idling problems for me tended to occur more often after my engine was warm or had been sitting in the sun I hope these series of postings help you fellow LOC members out there. You've certainly helped me in the past so here's my two cents at this common problem. Additionally, the instructions I give are the way in which I have cleaned it myself. As you go about and attempt this, you may find better ways to do so. Please add and refine my instructions/terminology as needed. I am not a professional. I've only changed my oil, air filters, and conducted minor maintenance previously. The bottom line is that if you have the right tools, you should be able to do this. This discovery/ cleaning took me about 2 hours to do cause I ran into problems and there were major steps left out in previous postings that I’ve encountered read. The next time I do this, I believe I can get this done in about an hour or less. Tools Needed: 1) Tightly fitting Philips Screw Driver 2) Carb cleaner that is O2 sensor safe (I've seen CRC. I used Valvoline Carb Cleaner) 3) Locking Grip Pliers (definitely helped me remove the factory tight screws) 4) Small brush for cleaning 5) Towels for cleaning 6) Pliers (help removed brackets holding the hoses) 7) Latex gloves helps with limit the messiness. * I used the same gasket and did not replace it. No problems found. 1) Remove the hose that comes from the engine/motor that connects to the air intake hoses.( Hose is below in red – we’ll refer to this as Hose A) When you pull back the rubber hose covering, you will see that a metal bracket is holding the hose pretty tightly in place. Use the pliers to clasps the two metal pieces together to loosen the bracket and pull the hose loose. You can also do this by hand if it’s easier for you. 2) Upon removing the hose, you will want to remove the two air intake hoses. Loosen the three screws above in green and remove the hose. Below is a picture of the intake hoses removed. 3)After removing the intake hoses, I opened the lid to the air filter and moved this to the side of the car to create more working room. I believe there are two clips on the right holding the lid in place. Just pop the two clips and move the cover to the side. I also took out the air filter and temporarily moved this to the side. 4)After removing the intake hose, the throttle body/IACV/black electric coil is revealed. At this point, I removed the black electric wire from the black coil. Once the electric wire is removed you can remove the black coil from the IACV by removing the two screws. Note, the screws are factory tight so use a tight fitting screw driver to remove the screws. One of my screws was partially stripped from the dealership’s work, so I had to resort to my locking grip pliers which helped out tremendously. After removing the two screws, the black electric piece pops right off. When the black electrical coil is removed from the IACV, it exposes a small pencil sized metal stud. You will also notice a washer that sits on this stud. Don’t lose this washer. Take it and put it aside so it doesn’t fall off when you continue on in the next steps. 5)Additionally, I removed the hose coming out of the IACV. We’ll call this Hose B. This hose can be removed in the same manner by clamping the bracket and pulling the hose out. You will see that the hose is removed below. Below are pictures of before and after. 6)Here is where the fun begins. I initially attempted to remove the four screws attached to the IACV at this point, but found that after an hour, this would be nearly impossible to remove considering the location of the screws were in an extremely tight spot. The only way I would be able to remove the IACV is to remove right throttle body. Not as tough as it sounds. Three screws need to be removed to accomplish this. Again, be careful when removing the screws. Also you will see I removed another electric plug and I also cut a tie wrap. Once you complete these steps, the throttle body/ IACV comes out pretty easily. Note when you remove the throttle body, there will be one LAST hose connected to the IACV. Be careful when you remove this hose as radiator fluid may spill. Some of my fluid spilled out so I just refilled my coolant after I was done. 7)Below is a picture of the bottom view of the IACV. You now can EASILY remove the four screws connecting the IACV to the throttle body . In the picture below, I have already removed one of the screws. Once the four screws are removed the IACV and throttle body separate. Now you can clean both of them with your carb cleaner, brush, towels, cotton swabs etc…. Picture here is before I the cleaning with all the muck inside Pictures after I cleaned the IACV and throttle body This last picture is the post throttle body cleaning 8) Once you are done cleaning, just put back the throttle body/iacv the same way you took it off, and put everything back in reverse order. Ensure the gasket is in place. Also, ensure you put the washer back on the electric coil. Make sure you place hose A & B back and ensure the electric plugs are back in their original position. Once these things are in place, then it's all about putting the air filter/hoses back and you are good to go. If you have lost any coolant, make sure you refill it to a safe level. After completing this cleaning, my car starts up without any problem and idles as if I just purchased the car brand new. Replacing this at a dealership would have costed me $300-400 easily. Let me know if you have any questions. Cheers (Also, I tried to post these as separate replys, but the software combined all my replies into a single reply and did not keep them separated) *Edited the posting to have the pictures follow step by step in sequential order*
    6 points
  2. I was also sold this "invisible" ad on! Only to be told by the dealership "after" that it's not adjustable. So basically it's just a dimly lit thin strip! This should be included. Lexus could and should've done better!
    4 points
  3. Hi. Some friends of mine suggested that I should post this here for more people to see. Hopefully it'll help people for years to come. You will need: About 50 bucks budget for the balljoint rod and the pipe clamp. Height sensor with bracket. 10mm wrench Washers that fit 10mm/M6 bolts. 10mm/M6 nuts Some smaller (8mm wrench) I own a 2001 LS430. The height sensor control arm's slider has rusted and become damaged over the last 19 or so years. The ball joint rod to the height sensor has also seized too. The height adjustment rod there in the red was seized, and the height slider in the blue was badly corroded and broken off. Rather than buy an entire control arm (green) this is an alterative method to repair it The arm is ~26mm in diameter. Buy yourself one of these pipe clamps in 26mm diameter. Or make one. Shouldn't be expensive. The hole needs to fit a M6/10mm bolt. Grind off the remnants of that slider from the control arm, and slide the pipe clamp over, and put your 10mm/M6 bolt and nut through and secure it in place where the slider used to be. Rather than using the control arm as a slider, we can instead use a sliding ball joint rod such as this one; This is a 220 320 00 32 from Mercedes - a height adjustment rod with a 8mm locking and a 10mm/M6 ball joint bolt. You can pick one up off eBay for cheap. Or find some other M6/10mm adjustable ball joint rod. Look at the diagram and try to imagine it in your head. This is what your bracket and rod/clamps should look like. One day I might snap a picture of what my repair looks like, but I hope you can make out what I mean via the diagram. This repair should be very easy. Maybe some sanding/grinding and surface preperation. The clamp will hold on tight and is easy to replace. The adjustable link rod will last longer and allow for easy adjustment, and less risk of corrosion damage. Hope this helps. This is a fairly easy job and took me less than 2 or so hours to do.
    3 points
  4. Did I mention this?..... I don't like the fact that our governments plan to force us to buy EVs. I wouldn't mind having one, as we already have solar panels and don't pay for electricity, but I think we should be able to choose what we drive (within reason).
    3 points
  5. At the part store they run a load test on the battery that mimics a big draw. If it holds up to a certain voltage it means the battery itself is not weakened yet. As the battery ages it will weaken as in not be able to supply a given amount of cold cranking amps. When its cold the oil thickens some thereby making the engine have to work harder to rotate. Hence the term "cold" cranking amps. I'd say you should investigate why the check engine lamp is lighting up. It could be a sign of what is taking place to cause your car to struggle to crank over. The part store can often "read the code" and determine why the CEL is lighting. My gut tells me your voltage regulator in the alternator is hit and miss. A long time ago that was a little box on the fire wall or fender. These days they are inside of the alternator. It determines how much electricity goes to the engine to keep it running and to the battery to charge it. It only has to be off by a little to keep the engine running but not have extra to charge the battery. Another issue could be a parasitic drain. An out of the ordinary draw on the battery when the car isn't running. In my 04 GS 300 for example the CD changer kept trying to change discs and the seat memory kept activating. Now I could not hear the disc changer nor was the seat memory moving the seat, but they were drawing on the system leading to a weak or dead battery if I didn't drive the car every day. Yet another issue may be short trips don't allow the battery to charge enough. Example; start the car, drive to a store 10 minutes away, finish there, start car and drive 10 minutes to another store. Never giving the engine a good 30-45 minutes to charge the battery back up to the voltage used to start the car can also lead to the hard to crank or dead battery issue. Hope you find it soon and it's a cheap and easy fix.
    3 points
  6. I just purchased a NX200T. During the test drive I did not realize the headrest was a little too far forward. It is sharply angled toward the driver at the top. I am on the shorter side at 5' 6 1/2" tall and have good posture. When I sit in the driver seat with good posture my head is pushed forward about 1/2". I have to lean the seat back so I am slouching to avoid neck discomfort. I asked my dealer, service center and the U.S. corporate office for advice. There was nothing they could do. Very disappointing. The worst part is that the headrest is available outside the US with adjustable forward and aft movement at 4 intervals. I asked a few after market car parts dealers for advice. I was told it is a common problem. I was given many solutions (get another brand car's headrest, cushions, heat the metal and bend the rods, padding, etc.). Some ideas were unsafe and of course illegal I thought. For now I put some 2" cushioning in the seat to bring the rest of the seat inline with the headrest. It is better but not quite there and makes my A/C venting fairly useless, & is a little dorky. After just having paid about 50K for the fully loaded car I want a professional solution to improve the headrest. So far I have not solved it. I am curious if anyone else has had this issue and solved it? Any advice is appreciated. I am 95% happy with the car/SUV and am looking for that last 5% of comfort/fit.
    3 points
  7. No reason to upgrade, Those stock wheels are Classic on the SC 😉
    3 points
  8. But you love the Covid virus? 🙄
    3 points
  9. I just installed the rr racing supercharger. It’s the only way to go bud
    3 points
  10. That one is my son's new puppy. Her brother came home with me Chocolate lab mom, stranger in the night dad Yesterday they played all afternoon.
    3 points
  11. Purchase has been made!...I could not turn down the deal I got & the actual ES...2020 ES 350 'premium' with only 11k miles in Nebula Grey Pearl (windows are already tinted)....over 2 years of full factory warranty remaining; 1 owner, full service history & Lexus CPO. Our 'premium package' in Canada is equipped quite differently than our friends south of the border....with more features / standard equipment. Originally I wanted the UL package....but in these parts, they are very rare (I reached out to 17 Lexus dealers in a 400 mile radius of me...the UL units that are available are 5 to 6 k more & only about 20% are actually at Lexus dealers...the premium pkg checks 95% of the boxes I was looking for....as the expression goes 'don't look a gift horse in the mouth'. I literally have a 6 minute drive to work... I pick the car up this Saturday.
    3 points
  12. I like it when I'm trimming a rose bush, grab one to place in a jar and while heading indoors the Mrs arrives from work so I hand her the rose. Or when I come from work and the dog greets me at the door, tail all wagging-like. And the parrot says "welcome home"…… Or when a nice breeze blows just as the grass cut chore is over and the Mrs brings out a tall glass of ice cold spring water. Or when a new baseball cap fits my noggin just right without adjusting it. Or I step on the bathroom scale expecting to have gained weight but the scale shows I actually lost a little. Or when my son and I went to do the first start after an engine swap, expecting a hard to start issue but ole bessy fires right up. Or when the lawnmover starts first pull……again. Or helping out old people. Or thanking a soldier/veteran. Or tipping the person at the toll booth. Yes I stop and pay in cash so I can do that. Or when the voicemail on your phone was not a robo-call and instead was a friend telling you "hello, here's my new phone number" Or when you sneeze and a perfect stranger says "bless you". Life is short. But smiling makes you live longer. Trouble with being dead is it lasts so long.
    3 points
  13. The cost of dental work, especially deep cleaning by laser and periodontal surgery, but also including implants.
    3 points
  14. That's the view when I pull into the driveway after work. Unseen in the photo is the dog wagging his tail "it's that guy, he's back, yay!!"
    3 points
  15. Update: I think I have got it after all the work, time, and money spent. I started checking again I found an unbelievable vacuum leak around lower intake manifold. replace gasket today runs great thanks for all of the support. something that simple fix. when the engine was swap the starter was replaced. The gasket moved or something apparently cause a vacuum leak. I had no idea a vacuum leak could cause random misfires. I was sure it was an ignition problem.
    3 points
  16. Hi all, I believe I have posted here before a long time ago with my old LS430 LEX, I now have a 2007 LS460L with 110K on it now. I have owned it for a few years now, since 65K miles, and recently I started having acceleration/hesitation problems. I did alot of research, and didn't find very many good answers. I did have the transmission and engine ECU update flashed, with some improvement, but after that didn't solve the problem, I was convinced it was the cylinder head replacement deal, which was way out of my budget with 5 kids....and I thought it was ridiculous that a flagship sedan would need that kind of serious motor work with just 100K on it. Anyway, my mechanic suggested BG 44K fuel system cleaner, NOT available at places like autozone. He sells it for $28 per can, but I found on Ebay for $16.75 and up with free ship. First and foremost, I ALWAYS used quality, premium gas (Shell V-Power or QT), and Techron additive from time to time, so I was super unconvinced about his recommendation. I had even listed my LS for sale, again, convinced that the motor had cylinder issues after reading blogs about LS460 acceleration issues. Also, for the record, I have NO affiliation with BG or anything like that. THIS STUFF WORKS! It truly fixed my hesitation problems, completely. I am no longer selling the car, and am happy again, as it accelerates like it is supposed to. Feel free to read many other peoples reviews on this stuff, its amazing and really seems to work. After i drove it to wrok (25 miles one way) I thought i felt a difference, by the drive home, I KNEW I felt the difference, after the full tank, i was truly smiling. I have ordered 4 more cans for my other vehicles and boat, and suggested it to my friend with a ISF, my brother with an SC430, and my buddy with a Vette. I guess these LS460 cars are just picky after a while and maybe the injectors get gummed up? I don't pretend to be a mechanic, again this was suggested by my Lexus mechanic, After alot of depressing research with no real answer, just wanted to share my experience with any other LS460 owners, as it is a beautiful car, and I was disappointed in what I was thinking the problems I had. It was the best $17 I have recently spent, and if you are having similar weak/lack of acceleration or hesitation issues, i would say TRY IT for less than $20. I believe you can go to BG's site and find a local dealer, again, not autozone or O'Reilly or anything like that, says professional use only lol. Also, need a funnel, comes in a coke can basically. Just my 2 cents, hoping to help out any other LS460 owners out there depressed about their car, it seems most people just said they'd trade it in and buy a new one, but I'm not that rich :)
    3 points
  17. The Lexus brand cell phone that was a dealer installed option lowered the HVAC fan speed and muted the audio system while a call was in progress. I even connected an aftermarket Nokia CARK-91 phone system I installed in my second (2000) LS400 to mute the audio system but I didn't bother to connect it to lower the HVAC fan speed. Even when a Lexus phone system was never installed, corrosion of the factory installed cell phone harness in the trunk can cause HVAC and audio system issues.
    3 points
  18. 20 years ago I swapped a domain name for a Lexus. The love affair started and I am now on my 10th Lexus
    3 points
  19. My Lexus is my weekend car. My daily is my 2009 Mazda 3i.
    3 points
  20. Here are a couple of tips I have picked up regarding maximizing fuel efficiency 1. Replace the spark plugs if you have not already, I prefer NGK Iridium plugs 2. Look for Cooper CS5 Grand Touring/Ultimate Touring tires, they are excellent for these cars 3. Use OVERDRIVE on the highway or at speeds in excess of 60 MPH (most say 40-50 MPH, but in my car I have observed minimal difference at those speeds). Note that you can use Overdrive at all speeds and it will keep the RPM's down but from what I have learned at slower speeds this translates to negligible fuel economy gains. 4. Set your ECT mode to NORMAL and not PWR 5. Keep the RPM's as low as possible aka don't floor it 6. Make sure your wheels are balanced and aligned properly and that your tires are also correctly inflated. 7. Mythbusters proved this, KEEP YOUR CAR CLEAN, it does SLIGHTLY affect gas mileage for the positive. 8. Turn off your A/C system if you want, it does affect gas mileage slightly, but its also a comfort, not really necessary unless you want to maximize fuel economy. 9. In reference to replacing the spark plugs, you may also want to consider replacing the ignition coil, distributor cap & rotor, and plug wires if they have not been replaced in quite some time as they can lose spark and cause poor performance, this would be within a general tune-up. 10. Replace the fuel filter, this is commonly missed on every car, and they get NASTY, unclean fuel = bad performance. Also consider getting a professional fuel service done on your car, this can help too, especially if it has not been done in some time.
    3 points
  21. Folks, and Forum Admin, Please make a separate section on the Forum for 2016 RX models. THese have had major changes since 2015. The engine has been tweaked, there are scores of safety improvements and the look is way different. I am sure the issues will be different as well. So please rename the 2010-Present section to say 2010-2015 and keep it separate from 2016 onwards. Thanks.
    3 points
  22. I can answer that. Those zany Brits particularly like "mark" designations: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mark_(designation Maybe it is a longing for Jaguar sedan series names. In the UK, the model year ranges of the LS400 are referenced thusly: Series 1, Mark 1 = 1990-1992 Series 1, Mark 2 = 1993-1994 Series 2, Mark 3 = 1995-1997 Series 2, Mark 4 = 1998-2000
    3 points
  23. Replaced the Y pipe. Almost one month and no more problems.
    3 points
  24. okay guys, I am going to give you a very constructive advice on how to fix this problem.first remove the cluster and if you do not know how go to lexls.com and follow the instructions.then remove the face cover .first grap the tach needle gently and pull untill you hear a pop,again be gentle and do not ge scared.once you hear the pop move the needle clockwise untill it pops again then gently release it.now move the needle slowly counterclock till you sit it over the zero an on the dot and make sure that it sits right on the zero.to check your work move it gently say to the mark 3 then let go it should snap right back to zero,once you have accomplished this ,you are rock & roll baby.the same thing goes for speedometer.back light is not working change cap 212,after making sure your cathodes are okay meaning the bulbs.if not you can get them at a very good price from plano lexus,they are awsome as far as price goes.gas guage slow change cap 142.while you are at it change any bad or weak bulbs ,be the warning ones or the indicator ones such as shifter position.by the way guys the cluster lexus has on the first gen is the 1992,because the psb are so robust,where the 1993 and 1994 are made a little bit on the cheapy side.this job should take about an hour if you how to handle things.good luck and let me know. please make a donation to lexls.com,this guy is great.may god bless his soul.
    3 points
  25. I have not seen this posted here so I'm going to try. Like many, my odometer quit around 160k. Taking it apart I found the spindle gear cracked and in pieces, but the drive gear on the motor was fine. I replaced the spindle gear with a 10 tooth nylon gear I bought off ebay for less than ten dollars and it's still working after a 100 miles. It's important to use a 10 tooth gear, as my first attempt was a 12 tooth gear and that did not work. The hardest part was getting the dash out. Those electrical connectors are tough. If you attempt it be sure to disconnect the battery before starting for at least a few minutes or you run the risk of fouling up your air bag light. Another Couple of tips - In order to get the spindle out you will have to remove a very small e clip (see photo). Be careful, if you push to hard it could go flying and is very hard to find on the floor 😞 . You will also have to ream out the center hole of the gear to get it to fit over the spindle. The spindle is 2mm diameter and even though the gear I bought said it had a 2mm hole it would not fit. I used a 5/64 drill to ream it just slightly and it was a tap fit to get it to the splined shaft area in the middle. I realize the new gear is not a screw type gear like the original gear but it is only 5mm wide so it appears to be working without binding.
    2 points
  26. Not a fan of vertigo either. Drunk without the alcohol. But.... no hangover so there is that. And whoever invented covid 19.... I don't like that person.
    2 points
  27. I figured it out! Apparently the car was reading the old sensors (some still had battery life) which were downstairs in the basement on the opposite end of the house. I had no idea they could transmit that far. I disposed of the old sensors and the problem is gone.
    2 points
  28. Very nice! Is that a metal cup? You should also be able to find T-shirts with the Lexus logo. I have a Mazda one. There's a custom t-shirt store nearby. They can apply any kind of image to a shirt or shirts of your choice. I had them make a couple that are super-soft 100% cotton.
    2 points
  29. The ls400 is a great car, I daily a 1997. That being said, the cars are getting pretty old at this point and are going to need some regular work that would be needed for any car that’s 20+ years old. If you can’t do the work yourself it’s probably not worth driving a car this old. If I didn’t do all my own work on my LS I would probably be close to 8k in the hole at this point between timing belt, water pump, trans and motor mounts, rack, little things, etc. I’ve spent about 1k on the car total for parts.
    2 points
  30. No manual release, Maybe this will help
    2 points
  31. For Myself it was upgrading from a 1996 Toyota Camry to a 1998 GS 300...Loved the car so much I bought a LS460. I drove the GS for 21 years as a daily driver, The car was sold locally and is still on the road today, Got To Love Lexus ! What is your Story ?
    2 points
  32. New lenses will always look better than a polishing job. However, you may want to research what is required to replace yours. Some swap efforts are not very easy. I used a Meguiar's headlight lens polishing kit. To me it had the right "ingredients".
    2 points
  33. I am having a difficult time wrapping my head around any All Electric cars. I get the feeling we are being duped into the belief that electricity is a cleaner and cheaper source of energy. I do of course get the concept but I also must look at the entire picture of where and how electricity is produced, transported and stored which brings us to the actual cost. IMO solar is a wonderful source but not yet up to the full time task where geographical and weather conditions come into play. Wind is also wonderful however when we consider all the costs to build from scratch, erect and maintain windmills it becomes just as costly or more costly than the fossil fuels required to build them. I am no expert here but I have read numerous accounts stating that windmills so far cannot produce enough energy to cover the return of investment over their lifetime. Both sources have their advantages and disadvantages, cleaner in some ways but often more costly when we look at the total picture of initial cost Vs return. An All Electric vehicle will not work here where I live with the high cost of electricity from the power company to my home. Replacing batteries in such vehicles is another daunting thought when they have reached their life expectancy. I think we seem to forget that all manufactured goods, no matter what, cars, computers, gadgets and just about everything else all begin in the ground and must be mined, transported, milled and smelted and this all takes fossil fuels and electricity at every step. Folks here are highly against windmills, solar farms, pipelines, electric transmission lines, cellular towers, and nuclear power generation plants. The complain about the rivers being dammed for Hydro power generation and in the very same breath they complain about high costs of energy, lack of cell service and internet connectivity for all their gadgets. I get the feeling those who are narrow minded expect all this stuff to simply fall from the sky. I have a continual and ongoing debate with a buddy who is an absolute climate activist, the type who thinks cows should be eliminated and all energy should be from renewable sources while he does drive a Prius he also wants milk in his coffee, Leather seats in his cars and SUVs and steak on his table. All electric vehicles are for sure coming along but they are a long way from refined enough to have one parked and plugged up in my driveway. I believe about 75% of all electricity is produced by fossil fuels at present and we have a long way to go for us to rely on other sources before we leave the oil, coal and gas in the ground.
    2 points
  34. problem solved after 3 weeks of on and off diagnostic. it was the crank sensor that failed and this was very difficult problem to diagnose because the crank sensor did work " to a degree ". previous owner sold me this car for 1200 with only 89k miles because 4 or 5 shops that she took this ES300 to couldn't figure out the problem including 2 Lexus dealerships and 1 of them even suggested a new/rebuild motor because they thought somehow, the compression loss after engine warm up while running. I've been turning wrench as a master tech since 2001 and never encountered this problem before. not sure as to unique problem, only for Toyota or not but it was hard problem for sure. if you want details of how and what way the sensor failed or any questions about leading up to my findings, let me know.
    2 points
  35. That's a great idea! If they are made of polyethylene or polypropylene, you can pour some acetone or cleaning alcohol in one if doing touchup cleaning. I use small cups to clean out glass eye droppers that I use to add dyes to my castings. These type of plastics are very chemical resistant so they can be helpful in may ways.
    2 points
  36. I get to drive my Lexus past my neighbors house while fixes his beamer (again).
    2 points
  37. We recently purchased a new 2017, Lexus RX350 and love it. Selling our original, one owner, 1994, LS400, with 88,000 miles. This superior designed and built, Generation 1 Lexus has been faithful to us as we have been faithful to it. We loved it and still love it. Its new owner will be blessed with full maintenance documentation and records from DAY ONE and any responses to any questions regarding its history will leave our hands with full disclosure of only "the truth". We would not hesitate to keep it and insure it with Hagerty Insurance as a "modern classic", BUT we do not have the room. If it should not sell to the right appreciative and discriminating buyer of this superior condition Lexus, we may have to make room! It is in truly excellent condition and will serve its new owner well. An ad is posted with www.ClassicCars.com. Go to the ad directly from Classic Car's front page by entering "979779" in the "cc-" prompt where indicated. Please do not hesitate to contact me with any further questions at woodman486@kc.rr.com.
    2 points
  38. Many vehicles with keyless entry / push button start can be entered by thieves using a cheap amplifier that can be purchased on the Internet. If you park your vehicle near your fob (e.g. in your driveway), one of these amplifiers can be used to amplify the fobs signal - even when the fob is in your pocket - to open the vehicle door. I recently read about thieves in the city where I live capturing/recording signals from fobs as owners exit their vehicles in shopping centers and then opening vehicle doors with the recorded signals after the owners had disappeared from sight. I don't know if car manufacturers are doing anything about this problem. Google "Faraday Cage" for information on how to protect a key fob so its signal can not be captured by thieves.
    2 points
  39. Lexus is holding out until all of these cars die. I was also told it was a primer defect from a local body shop.
    2 points
  40. shame that nobody answers a lot of these questions on here. From what I have researched and talking to Lexus certified mechanics, it appears that the eco mode has the best effect when used during stop and go traffic. The primary changes made by the system is to change the throttle profile by essentially slowing down acceleration, shifting sooner (lower rpms), and scaling back devices that cause high energy drain from the motor (IE: air conditioner compressor and internal fan speed for climate control). Because of these functions, the effect of "eco mode" would be minimal when at highway speeds or maintaining a fairly constant speed. Normal mode is quite efficient and the unique ability of this motor to switch between the traditional Atkinson cycle and the Otto cycle will yield fairly good gas mileage even with the turbo. From my experience and what I have read online most owners that track their mpg manually notice less than a 1-2 mpg gain on long trips when this mode is enabled while highway driving.
    2 points
  41. I have a 2008 LS-460 with 72K miles and it starting making a popping noise in the front right when braking at slow speed. Dealer said the control arms are bad and need to be replaced. Dealer estimate $over$ $9,200.00. I searched around and found the parts on Rock Auto--$538 for all eight control arms. I gave my son and his buddy-(who has access to a lift) $1,000.00 to replace all eight pieces---took them about 4 hours. It is amazing how much smoother and better handling the car is now. And saved $7,700.00 Now all I need to do is get a 4 wheel alignment and I am good to go.
    2 points
  42. If you don't find a reasonable solution directly from VaisTech for Bluetooth integration, I would recommend getting the VaisTech SL3U and then a stand alone Bluetooth adapter. I used Arion/Eagletech Bluetooth dongle which I specifially bought b'c it allows me to change track forward and reverse, change volume, and even make and take phone calls from a dongle without having to even touch my phone. I did, however, do a full media conversation... here's my build. http://www.clublexus.com/forums/sc430-2nd-gen-2001-2010/691835-dvdnav-media-integration-naviks.html
    2 points
  43. two bulbs replaced. you remove the wheel-house fender(you dont have to completely remove it, just unscrew the bottom portion of liner and pull it back to reveal a plastic cap/cup. and you dont have to to remove the tires; i raised the front end until ties were off the ground and turned the wheels to the left for the left bulb (if you turn the wheel to the right it will block one of the screws holding the liner) once you pull back the liner you will see a grey plastic cap which you turn CCW and pull out(its held with a rubber seal. The bulb is behind this cap. pull the connector off the bulb. the bulb is held in place with two spring clips; squeeze the clips to release the bulb. sorry i dont have pictures. note: Removing the wheels does give you a clear sight path to see the bulb rather than working blindly. hope this helps someone.
    2 points
  44. I might give salt or other chemicals from the road but the peeling is also happening on the roof of my truck. I'm 6' and have to step up on the side rails to see it. I just happened to look out of my house window and discovered that the roof was also peeling. If you look on the internet it's not just Lexus it also a lot of Toyota customers complaining about peeling paint. I just feel like if you spend over $50,000 on a vehicle you shouldn't have these problems.
    2 points
  45. Sounds like you are losing fuel pressure. Try turning the key on for about 5 seconds then off without going to the start position. Do this a couple of times, then see if it starts right up. When you first turn the key on, the fuel pump starts running. If the system is not keeping pressure when it's off, it will take a bit of time to build that pressure up. If you go to start immediately, it might not run. You can prove if this is what is happening by turning the key on and off a couple of times to let the pump build pressure. The pump will not keep running for more than a few seconds if it does not detect a start. That's why you have to cycle the key a couple of times to build pressure.
    2 points
  46. Thmsabear, yes the universal u-joints do work. I replaced both on our 2002 RX300 about 1 1/2 years ago. Stopped the vibration. We have put about 15K miles on them since the repair. I purchased the u-joints from a company out of Rockford, IL. In our case, the vibration started after the timing belt and water pump was changed. The engine had to be raised to reach some of the bolts. This caused the problem with the u-joint. Don't waste your money on a new driveshaft. Lexus will tell you that you can't replace the u-joints, that they are staked-in. "Not True" Go to: rockforddriveline.com There is a You Tube video about staked in u-joints. Do a search for: "Staked-in u-joint replacement" posted by bootsnthejeep. Hope this helps, Bill
    2 points
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