SLORICK

Ditto the reply that said this is SERIOUS. Call an Authorized Lexus Dealer, explain, and they might even send a tow truck to pickup your car. My Oxnard Dealer has Courtesy Cars and Drivers that come to San Luis Obispo (130 miles, 2 Hours) for FREE. Pay for a complete inspection of your new cars steering and whole car. Dont mess with Independent Mechanics for this inspection. New Guy Tip: Go to Lexus.com and Register your VIN as the new owner. It's FREE. Then you can view all the past repairs on your car by Authorized Lexus Dealers.

2 tips: I read on this forum that some guy said "Biggest single thing to keep original ride comfort is 4-Weel Alignment every 30,000 miles." Shocks: I wondered about my 94LS400 shocks at 135K miles, and told my mechanic that in the 1960's and '70's I was used to Sears trying to sell shocks every 20,000 miles. He said Lexus is made better, its the new millenium, and use the bounce test. He pushed down on all four corners of my car, let go, and car settled within one bounce. He said shocks were still good. I drove a car once that broke its shock mounting stud: WOAH,,, that thing bounced like a pogo stick. If a shock is bad, you will KNOW it. Get a Lexus Mechanic to give your new car a complete inspection. Pay for his advice, and pick and choose your repairs. New Guy Tip: Go to Lexus.com and Register your VIN as a new owner. It's Free, and you will be able to view all the past repair work done on your car by authorized Lexus Dealers.

My 1994 LS400 does not have one on the right lip, only the circular L in the middle and L-E-X-U-S on the left lip. However, I have seen some WITH a "L-S-4-0-0" badge on the right lip. What year did they start adding that? I want to retrofit one to my 94, anyone done that? Are they costly? What is a good source? Junkyard? How do I attach? Drill holes? Glue?

Hi JSP, Welcome to the Club. Others may have your answer, but my tip for you is: Go to lexus.com, register your VIN as the new owner. You will then be able to pull up all the repair history for your car done by Lexus Dealers. BUT the MAIN THING is, there is a little box at the bottom of the first page, where you can click, and LEXUS will send you a replacement owners manual FREE, every six months. Get one for your glovebox, then ask for another one six months later to have in your house by your computer. Maybe it talks about your alarm system. You get it from LEXUS in about five days I have read in these posts.

Another Wise Guy, eh? :P Oh No, I ain't repainting the car, then I would be in the middle of those threads about Maaco, or Earl Scheib, or Dealer or $50 DIY marine boat paint, and that would drive me crazy. LOL

Yeah, flipstyle808, , , what Mike said. You know what "TORQUING A BOLT" is, doncha? . . . That's when you get it tighter than hell, then give it a half more turn. :D

Hey Kid, you got any Tailpipe Synchronizers or Muffler Bearings for a 94 LS400? Mine are probably gonna go because the Jiffy Lube guy keeps trying to sell me a fluid flush for them and I keep saying NO, just give me the basic rip-off package, please. (He keeps trying to sell me Nitrogen for my tires too, and I say I want Helium in my tires to reduce unsprung weight, make my car go faster.)

My Voice Recognition is amazing. Some guy cut me off in traffic and I yelled a four letter word: A-hole. Next thing I know, a photo pops up on my NAV from CNN Headline News of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.

Sorry, I am on the West Coast. No Lexus Dealers near me either, so if I need a part, I cruise the parking lots of COSTCO, Home Depot and Wal*Mart after sunset, and find a car like mine. I steal the part, or strip off what I need. Their insurance should cover them. (I never park my car at night anywhere) LOL

Your 96 may not be same as my 94LS400, but doesnt your serpentine belt have a tensioner? My shop manual says use a socket wrench on the tensioner pulley to turn the belt counterclockwise and it will create some slack in the belt... maybe that's what you needed to do.

It's easy, don't need pics. Use socket wrench to turn serpentine belt counterclockwise at tensioner to get some slack. Pull serpentine belt off topside of idler pulley and put it underneath idler pulley, and actually try to tuck it up inbetween engine block and idler pulley. Then close your engine hood. Then, crank engine a few seconds, and belt should flip that idler pulley right off. Dont even need to start the engine. You can tell when the job is done by hearing a big thud, and seeing the dent pushing out on your engine hood. Turn your key off immediately after hearing the thud, or if the engine starts. You just want to crank it a second or two. Easier than using a puller. For the dent on your hood, just whack it back down with a hammer, then spray it with white Rust-Oleum spray paint, or the color that matches your car color.

Poll: Are the original side pinsripes placed below or above the side body crease? I bought 94 LS400 at 30K miles. Used Car dealer said car had hood replaced and repainted? Crash? My pinstripes are just BELOW the side body crease, where the sheet metal descends vertically or curves up to meet the door windows or horizontal top of hood and trunk. Two lines, larger and smaller, fading from car washes, appears to have been hand painted. Reading posts, I learn they are decals and read post about removing them with oven cleaner. One member asked if I saw small "LS", but I don't and don't know where to look for that, or if it indicates original decal vs. hand painting. So, other day, I follow identical car into shopping center and park next to it. I notice it has silver badges and I have gold. I say "You have a very handsome car" and they smile noticing mine. When I come out of store to get in my car, I notice their car paint is very nice, like it has been repainted, THEN I notice their pinstripes are just ABOVE the side crease line. I look at mine, noticing they are just BELOW the side crease line, think mine are better, but now I wonder if mine are original. ANYONE a "Pinstripe Expert" on this forum?

Ah Ha.!!! If it LOOKS like a skunk, and SMELLS like a skunk, , , It probably IS a skunk. :o

How Bad Is It? . . . It's So Bad, that: . . . whenever I see or hear the phrase "BREAKING NEWS" on TV, I expect to see another piece on a Toyota vehicle. Get It? Breaking = Brake-ing ???

Prolly a bored monitor playing with the regulars. . . Noticed the typo in the original posters "Location"...is the missing "G" accidental or "on purpose"? Surprised that SillyMe hadn't taken a Test Drive to see for himself.

Hey Cowboyzfan, Your 2000 ES300 maybe different from my 94 LS400, but I was reading thru this site and the word REAR MAIN SEAL jumped out at me, and this guy removes the TRANSMISSION to replace the engine rear main seal. Maybe you want to do head gaskets, etc. but if engine is coming out is transmission too? This guy replaces trans seals front and rear and mount rubber while he is at it. http://www.lexls.com/tutorials/transmission/removal.html DETAIL ENGINE COMPARTMENT: Now is the perfect time to get to those hard to reach spots. Buff the interior wheel wells and firewall. Wax the exhaust pipes. Polish the Power Steering Rack Assembly and Armour-All the hoses. If you wax the bottom engine cover before you put it back on your car might go faster too.

Yeah, I am nuts. If Prius guy had gun, he should shoot the engine himself. GMan, Most !Removed! have been born AFTER WWII, and besides, Lexus HQ is in Torrance California, and their designers and engineers. Factory is in Japan. Probably a "disgruntled engineer" that inserted an "Easter Egg" or "surprise" in the software. Victim? Most just get in and drive, like my wife, without reading ANYTHING. WHAT IF Judges threw the book at some, and said "It's YOUR responsibility to know how to operate YOUR motor vehicle". WHAT IF Judges threw the book at parents, and said "Childrens crimes are YOUR fault until they are 21". There would be a whole lot less craziness going on.!!!

Where have you been? You werent stuck in one of those runaway Prius, were you? You werent stuck in a Lexus Dealer waiting room for one of the RECALLS, were you? Automatic Doorlocks trap you inside? Mobsters throw you in the trunk, and couldn't find the trunk release? ( I HATE when that happens)

Hey SillyMe, or anyone else, Type your year and model number into GOOGLE (2006 LS430) and scan down the results you get. Add any word to narrow your search: I recommend the word "wiki" first, then the wikipedia article will tell you lots about the Lexus brand. I recommend the word "reviews" next, and you should get results from edmonds, consumer reports, etc. Finally, use keywords for any aspect of your question, ("problems", "air shocks", "detailing" etc.) and you should get a variety of answers quickly.

Anything Rubber. Transmission Seals? Vacuum Hoses? 10 Years Old, 200,000 miles, Hmmmm You should have Lexus Shop Manuals, Paper from Dealer or Online Download about $400? Shop Manual will show you procedure for removal and rebuild...if it saves you one wrong or missed step, its worth it. Also, my shop manual shows exploded parts diagram of various things, and little symbol, like a black diamond, shows one time use parts that need to be replaced each time, like cotter pins, etc. and will show you the rubber parts involved like seals, gaskets, etc. Before you do teardown, maybe take car to mechanic for inspection of suspension parts and brakes? At 10Years/200Kmiles, I read about control arm bushings, sway bar bushings going out. Dont know about your 2000 ES300, but my 94 LS400 has notorious problem with ps pump leaking onto altenator below and ruining it, so while engine is out, I would put rebuilt ps pump on mine and homemade shield on altenator to deflect future ps leaks. Find out more about YOUR car by typing your year, space, model number into GOOGLE, and see what you get. add the word "problems" or whatever else you want to know, like "air shocks" or "tires" and see what you get in GOOGLE.

Some Thoughts: 1. Saw NBC video of San Diego Prius Runaway and driver comments. Seems like a sissy crying like a schoolgirl. 911 Lady tried to help him. Against law now to use cell phone in CA, will he be charged? Never tried to turn off engine. Stood on brakes, emergency brake, cop in front slowed him at 50mph. Driver was going 94 he said. Another Prius crashes into a Stone Wall this morning. 2. Somewhere in Toyota, whistleblower knows story. Engineer overriden by Mgr decision. Quality Control different. Software problem? New Owner, Boss, Dept Head, SOMETHING WENT WRONG and now is the payback. Just like Challenger explosion. 3. Runaways like High Speed Chases are a Public Threat. Cops should stop car immediately. Shoot out tires. Shotgun into engine. PIT maneuver and killing one prius and driver better than many others. 4. Protect Yourself. I'm gonna put gun in glove box. Any car rearends me or speeds past, I say its a runaway. I will be hero to protect others, and shoot out their tires, shoot the engine or fuel tank. Better him than me or us. Hmmm, my .22 or .38 wont do the job, better get the .357 Magnum. Stock up on ammo, too. Don't mind me, folks,,,,just thinking outloud here. I love message boards.

1990LS400, you da man. Woo-Hoo. I wanna post like you when I grow up. Nice thumbnail. So, it WAS in the Owners Manual afterall, eh? Anyone want to post the Shop Manual steps to replace front and rear air shocks? I paid hundreds ($200 or $400?) for paper Shop Manuals for both my 94 LS400 and wifes 02 LS430. I see you can get online download of Shop Manual for $400? Well worth it to guide you for DIY...if it saves you ONE WRONG STEP...but I find it shows me process and why Lexus Dealer is charging so much...(I didnt know Timing Belt was so involved a procedure) AND, it convinces me to back away and let an "expert" do the work when danger is involved. Changing engine or cabin air filters and lightbulbs are one thing, but if something goes wrong with brakes, suspension, causes a wreck, damage to cars or people, wife can blame and sue dealer instead of me. I would never live it down and gotta live with the wife for the rest of my life.

Hey bwoods, I think the switch in the trunk on the left side is behind the emergency kit, take it out and look. The Arnott website has simple instructions to replace the FRONT shock. Lexus might have more steps, sooo Go to GOOGLE and type in "96 LS400 Air Shocks" and scan through what comes up. lextreme.com/ascon.htm has tutorial on replacing both front and rear shocks for a 90 LS400. WOW, replacing the rear is a BIG JOB. Remove the rear seats, etc. Remember, in 1995, they redesigned the body to make it bigger and added $30K to the price, so only engine is the same. Instructions for YOUR 96 probably different. Point is, learn more about the job. I would not DIY, but trust a mechanic who KNOWS what he is doing to a Lexus. I would not DIY for dentist or surgery either, but I sure would ask dentist or surgeon if he has done any of these operations before. Arnott idea of replacing air shocks with REGULAR shocks seemed good idea, unless you need to keep air suspension. Other 2 air shocks are going to go bad, and the compressor from running overtime to refill leaky shocks. Maybe you could return your air shocks to Arnott for credit on their 4 regular shock replacement kit. Dont mind me, just thinking outloud . . .

I agree; go up the chain of command, complaining to the owner of the original body shop, the lexus used car dept., then the owner of the local Lexus New Car Dealer that the Used Car Dept is attached to. Then the Lexus Area Corporate Rep and maybe Lexus Corporation Itself. Your State Attorney General & Better Business Bureau. They may realize it's better to satisfy you than suffer bad publicity. Also, go to the Lexus Collision & Repair, get their estimate to fix, and maybe even pay them to fix it correctly instead of doing it yourself. You can then ask for reimbursement before you sue them in small claims court. Again, they may realize you mean business...State Lemon Law? Can they be forced to buy your used car back from you?

Gotta do your homework: Gotta See/Drive It. See Records. Good Sign if Owners Manuals are stamped by Dealers at Service Intervals and ask dealer for printout of service history. (Register your own VIN at Lexus.com to see your own history of dealer service) THEN, look ahead for two years at maintenance schedule. Has timing belt been done, is it scheduled to be done in next two years? That's how you can forcast BIG costs. BUT, Cars are just like Women. ...sigh... you see one you fall in love with, then you just GOTTA have it. You will pay any price, if it makes you happy. Few cars(women) come along in life that are just "the right one". Advice: Buy (marry) a dependable, reliable car/woman. One that you wont be ashamed of, then, you can still admire the trophy cars/women, look at them, admire their beauty and sleekness, BUT you dont have to pay for their high maintenance and upkeep. Real !Removed! when they break down. I take the wife to dances, then play the gentleman and ask the Trophy Wives for a dance (Test Drive). I hold them tight, smell their perfume, fantacize, but I dont have to take them home, park them in my garage, pay the insurance or upkeep. See? Women, Cars, Airplanes & Steam Locomotives are all alike. Pretty to Look At, but to REALLY appreciate them, you gotta Start 'Em Up,,,get their motors running. Know What I Mean?