K9crew

Wes,

That's definitely repairable but if you rebuild the caliper you'll need to make sure that the cylinder walls are in good shape and not scored by dirt. Rebuilt calipers from Thepartsbin are quite reasonable at $80.00 each. If you plan on painting them at least the "new" ones should be nice and clean. The savings in time alone could make it worth buying them. If you decide to rebuild your calipers, compressed air works great for removing the pistons ... remove the bleeder screw and blow air in the port, the pistons will pop right out.

Good luck with whatever you decide to do.

:)

Wes,

What is the problem with the calipers? Can they be rebuilt with a kit from Lexus or the aftermarket? It might be a lot cheaper than buying new ones.

If you do decide to buy new ones check out www.thepartsbin.com. They have calipers for our cars. Here's a link worth looking at ...

Lexus brake calipers

:)

The power steering pump failures on the LS is more than likely a design fault of some sort. I am sure no amount of "special" ATF's will prevent it.

I'm hoping that poor PS fluid maintenance is the culprit ... either using the wrong fluid or never changing/flushing the fluid since those are two things that I can do something about. As I mentioned before, I use Mobil1 sythetic ATF in the PS system since it meets the Dexron II/III standard and I use Toyota Type 4 ATF in the transmission.

:)

VMF,

I apologize to the members here and particularly to Wes who started this topic. There's enough pertinent information in these posts and in the owner's manual for Wes to make up his own mind as to the "real" function of the ECT switch. I won't add anything more.

Aloha

:)

Where to begin? I'd like to apologize in advance to the members of this board for this post. I enjoy reading 99% of the posts here and particularly enjoy exchanging ideas or information with the likes of 99, VMF, VBdenny, AWJ and many more. I learn something every time I visit this board and I hope that I've managed to help others with some of my posts. However ... today is not one of those days.

gaknut,

How about a quote from you and then one from the '99 LS owner's manual.

I was simply trying to tell you the REAL reason Lexus added the ECT switch but if you think it's for performance then.....How about dual ECT switches.....Yea!

Page 163 of the '99 LS400 manual ...

"For more powerful acceleration and sporty driving, use the 'Power' position. In the 'Power' position, the "ECT PWR" light in the instrument cluster is on and the transmission is shifted up at higher vehicle speeds and shifted down more responsively than in the 'Normal' position."

It is intended to be used when the engine may be placed under extreme stresses such as pulling a trailer or climbing a steep incline which can cause damage to engine pistons if excessive

I've read through the "Towing" section in my '99 LS manual and there's absolutely no mention of the ECT switch ... there is mention of turning off the OD!!

You stated "most" and by that insulted probably "most" of the members of this forum who happen to be over 50 and yes, there are a few..

Your statement was prejudicial and a direct slam to most people over 50, some of whom may actually be a little more informed than yourself, though I'm certain you may find that difficult to accept.

Once again your inability to read posts correctly is painfully obvious. How many Lexus owners in this country are members of this forum? I doubt even 0.0001%. In addition, how many members of this forum have bought NEW cars? Any member here that is over 50 and has bought a new Lexus is by definition an exception to the "norm". They're individuals that either know quite a bit about their car and want to share that knowledge or they want to learn something about their car.

some of whom may actually be a little more informed than yourself, though I'm certain you may find that difficult to accept.

I have no illusions about my abilities, I know who I am, I know what I'm capable of, and I know how little I know. I reveal my ignorance on a daily basis to my boss who happens to have an MS and PhD in Mechanical Engineering from MIT. But let me give you some personal background since you've enlightened us with a description of your profession. I'm 39 years old and have been working on cars and trucks for more than 20 years. I have a BS and an MS in Mechanical Engineering. I currently work at the University of Hawaii as a Mechanical Engineer specializing in corrosion. I will be speaking at the Army Corrosion Summit in Florida in February presenting the results of a two-year Metal Matrix Composite research project for the US Army. I worked in the construction industry from '84 to '96 as a welder and diver both in the UK and the US. I have passed numerous coded welding tests and hold a 5G pipe welding certification underwritten by Lloyds of London. I'm also a certified offshore hardhat diver and have worked on many projects in the US (mostly in Hawaii). I spent much of the early '90's at the bottom of Pearl Harbor! So what does all this mean ... maybe not a whole lot but I take pride in what I do, what I've achieved and what I write. I don't consider my posts to be "absurd and laughable".

I'm certain you have probably heard the statement that most male Rottweiler handlers are merely compensating for their lack of manhood!

Get my point?

No I haven't heard that statement but now you're starting to *BLEEP* me off. If you'd like I can send you an mpeg of my beautiful 30-year-old Korean wife giving me a BJ and let you decide. Better yet, let your wife decide!! As for my Rottweilers, handling them is my wife's job and she has a total lack of manhood so I guess you're right about something!!!

As one of those Lexus owner/buyers who is over 50 and doesn't know how anything works, please let me offer my uninformed opinion.

gaknut,

You should read posts more carefully. I said MOST Lexus buyers not ALL ... but if you wish to describe yourself that way I certainly won't argue with you!!

Yeah, if I had a dollar for every Lexus that I've seen pulling a trailer ...!!

My previous post stands as is!!

When I installed a new serpentine belt on my SC I didn't have to move anything out of the way. I just took the tension off the idler pully with a breaker bar and socket, removed the old belt and installed the new one. It took about 3 minutes!!

:)

cjl,

Do you have a stock intake or an aftermarket one? Did a Lexus dealership install the new timing belt and perform the tune-up?

Did this problem start after the timing belt swap, after the tune-up, after the new battery etc?

:)

Can you run your car in ETC or will it be hurtful to keep it on?

When do you run in over drive and when do you not?

Wes,

3rd gear in your car (4th in my LS) is a 1:1 gear ratio. In other words, one revolution of the transmission input shaft results in one revolution of the drive shaft. If you turn on the OD (button pushed in and no light on dash) the final drive ratio drops to somewhere around 0.7:1 (0.7 rotations of the transmission input shaft to 1 rotation of the drive shaft). What does this mean .... it's simply a way to gain better fuel mileage by lowering rpm for a given road speed. So you could leave the OD off for the life of the car but you would reduce your fuel economy and increase the wear on your engine by some incremental amount since it would be running at a higher average rpm.

The ECT switch has one funtion and one funtion only ... when turned on it changes (raises) the shift points for your transmission. If you read the specs on your car you will notice that the peak hp and torque values are somewhere in the 4k to 5k rpm range. Under "normal" driving conditions your transmission will shift into the next gear way before the engine gets to 4k rpm so you're not going to generate peak hp and torque numbers driving like that but you will save fuel. Let's say you want to pass another vehicle on a two lane road ... you'd most likely want to get around the other car/truck ASAP. You could manually put the transmission in 2nd gear, hold it there until you approach red line (or peak hp rpm) then shift to 3rd, hold it there to red line etc. Most Lexus buyers that buy new cars are 50+ with no idea of how anything works let alone the desire to exceed the posted speed limit. The ECT switch was meant for them to make the whole experience idiot proof. In a nutshell ... the ECT switch allows you to get more performance out of your car because the transmission shift points allow the engine to rev to values approaching peak hp and torque numbers.

I hope I haven't confused the issue.

:)

I just bought 18" x 8" rims for my LS and I'll probably get Bridgestone Potenza S-03 tires in 245/45/18.

:)

Best to do what the factory advises and not try to re-invent what they know better.

Hmmm ... even after numerous PS pump failures (a known, well-established Lexus problem) Toyota still knows better. :( I'd rather use a fluid recommended by a company that specializes in developing fluids. Maybe Toyota likes clear PS fluid so that you can't see the pump leaking!! By the way, Toyota DOESN'T tell you to use a Toyota fluid ... they tell you to use Dexron II/III so ANY fluid that meets the DII/III standard is ACCEPTABLE!!

As for the transmission, Toyota DOES say to use Toyota Type IV fluid and since transmissions are WAY more complex/expensive than PS pumps do what they say unless your PhD thesis was titled "Rebuilding the A650E transmission".

:)

99,

Yep, if you bought a new car and drained the trans pan every 5k miles, then by the sixth drain/refill at 30K miles the ATF would consist of 25% new, 18% old (30K original ATF) and 57% consisting of some horroble combination of 5K, 10K, 15K, 20K and 25K mile ATF fluid. THE MIND BOGGLES!! :) To much thinking for a Friday night!!

:)

99,

It's 8:03pm HST!! :)

The hose to disconnect is the one that goes from the PS cooler to the bottom of the reservoir ... it's something like 1/2" OD and 1/4" ID.

When you crank the engine you only do it for a split second ... just enough to bump the starter so that the flywheel turns but not enough to start the engine. You can try it before you pull off any hoses and you'll see how easy it is. I was going to suggest disconnecting the coils to prevent the engine from starting but realized that we have coil-on-plug systems ... :D

As for my LS ... my wife has been driving it all week since I have the rear lights out of the SC for "service and modification". I couldn't survive without three vehicles!! I did just buy some rims for it though ... 18" x 8"!!! :D I'm still waiting for the new door to come in so that the body shop can fix it.

While we're on the subject of adding fluid to the transmission, if you change 2 QTS every time you drain the transmission pan you'll end up with the following amounts of OLD oil in your transmission ...

1st change = 75%

2nd change = 56%

3rd change = 42%

4th change = 32%

5th change = 24%

6th change = 18%

7th change = 13%

I don't like those numbers!!

:)

99,

I changed the PS fluid on my SC a few months ago and put in Mobil1 Synthetic ATF. Like you I was surprised to find a clear fluid in the reservoir that looked like brake fluid. It didn't smell like brake fluid so I assumed that it was a proprietary ATF formula. Anyway, the way I did it was I disconnected the return hose (coming from the PS cooler) at the bottom of the reservoir and ran the hose into a suitable container. I plugged the inlet of the PS reservoir once it had drained. I then filled up the PS reservoir and cranked the engine for about a second (don't start the engine!!) The container had about a 1/3 of a quart of dirty looking fluid in it and the PS reservoir still had some fluid in it. I added more clean ATF to the PS reservoir and repeated the process two more times. After three cycles the fluid coming out of the PS cooler was bright red. I reconnected the hose from the cooler, added more fluid to the PS reservoir, ran the engine, checked the level and was done. The advantage of using this method is that you change ALL of the fluid that's in the reservoir, steering rack, cooler and lines. I used a similar method to flush my transmission as well but that requires two people. The result is worth it though.

:)

Wes,

You can call John at 1-888-428-7278 to order Powerstop rotors. They have a web page as well ... www.powerstoprotors.com ... I forget what kind of warranty they have. You can expect the rotors to last as long or longer than the OEM rotors without any warping but like everything in life it depends on how you use them. If you go to a race track every weekend they won't last as long but for "normal" street driving they'll look good and perform well for years.

I can't find the free brake pads deal on Stillen's web page but I saw it last night. Their server has been acting up so I'm sure if you call them they'll be aware of the promotion.

:)

It could be control arm bushings or sway bar bushings/links etc. My '99 "knocks" in the front when I drive over speed bumps ... even if I go slowly! I have 60k miles on the OEM suspension and these LS cars are heavy so bushing wear is to be expected.

:)

Wes,

I just checked out the Stillen link that you provided ... those rotors look like they're cadmium coated. The price is very similar to what I paid for my Powerstop rotors. Are you going to purchase STILLEN Metal Matrix Brake Pads as well?

:)

P.S. I just noticed that Stillen is offering FREE brake pads with the purchase of their sport rotors!! :D

k9, i like the bulging sidewalls, it helps me keep from scraping my rims while paralling.

BlackSC4,

:D Me too ... my wife has a habit of "scraping the white walls"!!

I test fitted another tire of the same size without this rim guard and it did look a little fat, these that I put on though look outstanding. They really look like the correct sized tires that were suppose to be on this car!

MJ,

I agree completely ... I love the look of wide tires. I plan on buying some 17" or 18" x 8" rims with the same size tire that you have. I agree with Sadistic about the tire pressure ... 32 psi is more than enough air.

:)

Wes,

If you have the money you'd be hard pressed to find a better upgrade than this ...

http://www.stainlesssteelbrakes.com/

Stillen's web server must be down so I couldn't tell you if the rotors are cadmium coated or not. Typically the gold/bronze looking rotors are cad coated and the silver looking ones are zinc coated.

:)

Are these all the same? Does one work better?

Wes,

You can buy OEM (solid), cross-drilled, slotted or cross-drilled AND slotted rotors ... four different styles. Personally I've only bought cross-drilled rotors but others swear by slotted rotors. The holes allow gasses generated during braking to escape resulting in a more positive contact between the pads and the rotor. The holes also reduce unsprung weight and help in the dissipation of heat. The circumference of the holes on cross-drilled rotors are radiused to reduce stress, but from what I've seen the slots on slotted rotors have sharp inner and outer corners. The corner at the surface of the rotor acts as a cutting tool removing a thin layer of glazed brake pad material. This may improve braking but the pads will have a shorter life.

I currently have cross-drilled rotors and 911 pads on my Jeep. I installed the same cross-drilled rotors on my '95 Tbird SC and on my '99 Cobra. Not one set has warped or cracked and in every case I noticed a significant improvement in braking with a HUGE reduction in brake fade. Combine good rotors and pads with braided stainless steel brake hoses and you'll feel like you're driving a racecar!!

:)

P.S. I forgot to mention ... the powerstop rotors and 911 pads are QUIET ... no squeaks or squeals ... just effective, reliable, vibration-free stopping every time!! By the way, at $125 per rotor I wouldn't call them cheap. I guess you do get what you pay for!! ;)

How's the handling? A few years ago I did a similar thing to my '98 SVT Contour and the handling was terrible compared to the tires that came with the car. The tires looked great but the sidewalls were bulging too much which adversely affected cornering and steering response ... I put the original tires back on after a week and sold the new ones to a friend with a Mustang GT!

:)

You don't want to use PS fluid. You MUST use a Dexron II/III rated fluid. I use Mobil1 Synthetic ATF ... works like a charm!! The PS pumps on these cars are notorious for two reasons ... leaking seals and blocked filter screens ... but I have to wonder how many failed pumps are a result of lack of maintenance or using the wrong type of fluid. This is pure speculation on my part!

:)

Martin,

If I were in your position I'd install an electric fan as well ... I've never been a fan (no pun intended) of the viscous clutch arrangement. There are numerous options available from places like Summit Racing and you'll pay a lot less than $500. You could possibly free up a few horsepower as well!!

http://store.summitracing.com/section.asp?d=5&s=93

Be Cool and Perma-Cool make good products.

P.S. Welcome to the club ... it's always good to see a fellow "Limey" on the board!

:)

Nice, clean looking rims ... what size tires are you going to put on them? What made you decide to buy 18" vs. 17"?

I'm sure many of us here would love to see a picture of the rims on your car.

:)

UCF3,

I set the oven to 200F and "roasted" the light assembly for about 5 minutes. I had to repeat the process three or four times. I don't plan on reusing the factory sealer ... I plan on using silicone to reassemble the light. I'm going to drill some small holes in the underside as well (AWJ's suggestion). I agree that the diffusers installed in the clear part of the lense give a better look. I'm still trying to decide whether or not I want to keep the outer reflector in the lower part of the lense. I think it looks better without it so I'll most likely remove it.

:)