ajahearn

I recently got P0773 and P1765. The fluid level is good but the fluid is brown. Car has about 160k miles on it. Is it worth having the fluid changed? It was flushed 2.5 years ago but no filter change. Car makes it a little difficult to get out of parking but otherwise appears to shift normally. Thanks in advance.

You can purchase a AC gauge and re-charge kit (<$30) from auto suppliers. I opted for a good gauge and its paid off. Recently they have introduced a new coupling so if you have an older kit you may have to buy yet another piece. I have found that my 02 Nissan and my 04 Toyota both needed at least 1 to 2 cans of CR-134A. Follow the directions and attach the gauge to the low pressure line when the car is running and the AC is on. You simply open the valve and let the contents of the can flow into the system In my 96 the low pressure line is on the driver's side near the fire wall and has a black cap clearly marked L for low. The high pressure line is a different coupling so you cannot inadvertently attach to it - at least that is what I have seen and read. The gauge will tell you if the system is low. I've read various postings and the consensus seems to be that some CR134A will escape any system over time. Obviously if this is happening very quickly then you need to consider getting an expert in to find the leak. Cycling quickly on and off certainly sounds like something is wrong and hopefully its just a matter of low fluid. Hope this helps.

I had this happen on my 96 a few months back. There is an excellent write-up on how to replace the PS pump yourself under http://www.lexls.com/ (that guy is great). I chickened out and had it done by a mechanic I trust. He did not replace the steering rack but it may be that I caught it much earlier than you. Seems unlikely to me that fluid on the rack would cause any problem - fluid on the car paint I can understand but not the mechanical parts.

Its been awhile since I dealt with a power antenna but I recall that the way they work is there is a flexible plastic wire running thru the mast. One side of the wire has teeth that engage a gear inside the circular motor housing. The motor stops when a sensor on the motor detects a high tension on the wire - fully retracted. Over time the teeth on the plastic wire wear away so the motor will just keep spinning. A timer on the motor stops the motor after a certain amount of time regardless of tension. This guy has a tutorial on rebuilding the antenna motor. http://www.lexls.com/tutorials/audio/powerantenna.html

I recently purchased a used 96 LS 400 that had very low mileage (45k). Aside from the condition of the car, low mileage, the other item that attracted me to the car was the service history. The previous owner did not have all the paperwork but did have the maintenance manual properly filled out. I know Lexus is a reliable brand but it gave me piece of mind to buy a car that had a documented service history. The car was bought and regularly serviced at the same dealership. All the 5K services were done over the 14 years of the car. So to the point of my topic, I had assumed that being regularly serviced that all the items that would need replacement, either by mileage or by AGE, would have been done as required by the service manual. Specifically, I had assumed that the timing belt, wire set, etc., which are very expensive service items, were already replaced. However a colleague suggested I verify they had been replaced. I tried the Lexus owner's website to see if there was information there but they only show items like 15K service and some OTHER items. So I called the dealership to find out. I spoke to one of the service managers who looked thru the history. They told me that none of these items had been replaced. I was a bit shocked. I asked them if it was correct that these items should have been replaced as the car was in the dealership no less than 9 times after the car had reached 9 years old. They agreed but said that they were certain that they had not been replaced. So now I'm looking to have to pay $1.5k-2k to get this work done or risk them failing and totaling the car. Is this something I should take up with the dealership? Wasn't it reasonable of me to expect them to provide "superior" service? The biggest problem for me is that the dealership is far away so its not practical for me to take the car to them anyways. My wife thinks I should forget it but I'm a bit annoyed at this extra cost.

Just a head's up. I logged on to mylexus.com to check the vehicle history of my car to see if the timing belt was replaced. Unfortunately some of the entries simply say OTHER. However, I noticed that the 30k, 35k, and 40k service were done starting in 2005. At that point the belt would have been 9 years old, 12 years for the 40k service. The service was done at the dealership where the car was purchased and regularly serviced. So I called them to find out if the timing belt was replaced. The service manager looked thru the service orders and told me that it did not appear that the belt was replaced. They said the belt is normally replaced at 60k miles. I pointed out that her service plan calls for the belt to be replaced at 6 years but she was quite clear that it was not replaced at any of these 3 mileage services. I realize there aren't many low mileage LS 400's on this site but word-to-the-wise, do not rely on Lexus to follow their own service plan. Hope this helps.

Thanks for the replies. It does seem prudent to have the work done. I'm going to go with the following: - timing belt - tensioner - drive belts - water pump (+coolant) - spark plugs - wire set Transmission fluid, bushings, brakes, etc were all done recently. If I'm missing something then please let me know.

I have a 96 with 50k miles and still the original belt. Until about a year ago the car was only rarely driven and garaged in SoCal. Now it is driven quite frequently and stays outside in NorCal. I was assuming I could wait till the 90k or so before having to spend the $$$ on timing/water/plugs/etc. Does anyone have specific data on timing belt failure due to age? And more importantly is the 96 engine a interference engine where the belt failure will lead to piston/valve collisions? Thanks.

I would go for the $3800 (Canby) one as he has all the receipts - properly serviced cars are better. You might be able to get him to come down a little. Hope this helps.

I don't think this is correct. I just spoke with the Mikado guy who did my radio repair. He claims that there is a code but he told me to find the code he would have to tear the radio apart. He confirmed that if the car battery is dead for an extended period of time that the radio would no longer work. I'm still puzzled as to why the OM does not have any reference to the security code.

I recently picked up a 96 LS400 with the pioneer radio. Imprinted on the cassette door are the words "Theft Deterrent Design". I have read a few postings that talk about having to enter a security code into the radio when the power is shut off. However, they also say that the OM has information about this feature. I cannot find anything in the OM about entering any code. The OM does talk about the security feature with arming the door locks, etc. but makes no mention of the radio. Unfortunately I cannot ask the previous owner but I'm almost certain that I have the OM that was delivered with the car. Another data point is that I recently had the radio LCD replaced (Mikado) and they never asked for any kind of code. So is there any code to worry about? I ask because I'm planning on replacing the headlight bulbs and the SM suggests disconnecting the battery. I can probably replace without disconnecting but I would like to follow the guidelines. Thanks in advance.

Thanks for the advice. I appreciate it. I'll post what happens. I recently picked up a 96 with 43k miles - similar condition although there was some very minor damage due to a garage wall scrape and the radio LCD was not working properly. I paid 5k. KBB said it was about $6k but trolling craigslist all the similar cars were going for more than $8k. Don't forget to check the radio LCD - costs about $200 to get it fixed.

Sorry about the confusion. The sticker I found with the service history of the car shows a "Lexus" car phone installation. It is probably an aftermarket installation. As for the bluetooth, I realize that technology was not standardized til after 1996. I was just wondering if the radio allowed for one of the inputs to "seize" control of the amplification section. I would like to replace the car phone with some kind of bluetooth aftermarket receiver that would play thru the radio rather than having to replace the whole radio. But it seems likely that the car is too old for this kind of application.

I recently purchased a 96 LS 400 that has the Lexus car radio installed, along with the steering wheel controls. I was hoping someone might have information about this setup? I'd like to know if it works in conjunction with the Pioneer radio and if possible to convert this over to some form of blue tooth setup. Thanks in advance.

Another possible cause, a loose wiring harness between the radio and the CD player might cause your symptoms. I think random disconnects and unresponsive buttons would likely be seen in this case.