blake918

Did they inspect your u&l control arm bushings?

Congrats on your ES Gumart! :D A two Lexus household is a beautiful thing-treasure it! B) lol It sounds like you found a winner with just the few typical ES problems.

Please delete.

I'd swing by a local AutoZone and have them read the check engine light and post the code on here. 185k is childs play on a LS400; the mechanic probably got scared off by the mileage and the extra troubles it might entail.

My thoughts exactly, Professor! Well done!

Count me in!! :D blake918-Blake

I couldn't agree more...it's excellent!

Here is a list of differences between all of the years: http://www.lexls.com/lsgenerations.html The '00 car isn't worth $4k more, imo.

I think I explained it further up in the thread...but its a long thread lol. Right now the US is pretty much the only country that still allows the blacklisting of ESNs. An ESN is a phone's particular signature, its VIN to use an example. Ever wonder why if you switch from Sprint to Verizon you have to buy new phones? Even when Sprint and Verizon operate on the same frequencies? There is no reason a Sprint phone wont work on Verizon and a Verizon phone won't work on Sprint. Its because each company blacklists the ESNs that are assigned to the other company to force you to purchase phones from them. Thats also why Verizon and Sprint get away with disabling all of these features to force you to use their pay per use services, because you have to buy the phone from them and they can do whatever they want to it. You'll buy it because you have to pay $175 a line to cancel your service. Look around on ebay or on Cell forums, they have info on how to trick Verizon and Sprint into activating each others phones all the time. The GSM carriers like Cingular and T-Mobile aren't really like that because of their background being from countries where this practice is not legal. I don't think you did-it was mentioned umteen times, but never spelled out since you and Josh know a few things about cell phones, so it wasn't necessary; this is just one big GSM v. CDMA post. lol Thanks for the great explanation-a cell vin...perfect! ;) Oh yes, because you haven't had a problem yet. Its a whole nother group of people that "help" you when you have a problem, and they are niether friendly nor helpful. I know people who have actually been cussed out over the phone by Verizon reps. Search the web, some people have these conversations saved for you to listen to or transcripts for you to read. The Verizon hate squad is strong... ← I've had plenty of problems with this laughable LG 6100 phone and VZW service; that's why I dug this thread up. The routine dropped calls and lack of service is truely irritating, and I'll most likely get out of the contract this summer. They replaced my LG 2x. I didn't have to threaten anything though(it was very inconvient though. I think they went to China to get the data cord with the amount of time it took them to transfer my numbers.); I guess they are a little friendlier down here. That's another thing-no more LG products for me. Part of the flip has so much play in it, it feels like I could break it off at any second. I don't plan to keep it long since I don't take very good care of my phones-they tend to fly out of my hands frequently, or my favorite is when I forget I have it in my lap and I get out the car and there goes the phone lol; if I can continue to stomach VZW, I'll probably get that old school V60 they have. B) I couldn't agree more, Steve:

You can expect atleast $95(around here they get $110) per hour for dealer service. The indie shop(JP Importz) that I go to charges about $85 per hour(he works really fast though, so it ends up being cheaper than the dealer.). Parts are very expensive(there are a few online OEM dealers that help lessen this a little.), I'm sure it's nothing you are not used to with the Bimmer though. ;) 315k is quite impressive! B) My '95 LS only has 249,4xx miles(runs/drives better than new!); I'm expecting her to go a long way before any major mechanical problems! :D

With $8k I'd look at either a 95+ LS400 or '97+ ES300. I'd only go with OEM chrome rims. Also, I think $600 could get a nice set on Ebay. I'd have to agree with the others that that $1k would be better saved for the suspension/oil leaks/o2's/etc. problems you'll likely face on an older Lexus. Best of Luck! ;)

I guess my Verizon experience is different. I actually found the instore and "800" service people friendly and helpful; however, I do think it was classless of the sales associates to ask for $10 per phone to transfer our phone numbers from our old phones to the new ones. They should have done it for free since we bought 3 phones and 3 different lines of service. My problem is with their cellular service. Frankly, it sucks; so many dropped calls are just unacceptable. Sprint's cellular service was um-teen times better, but their customer service was laughable. The main thing I hated about Sprint was that I had 2 phones to choose from since I didn't have the visions(I don't care for all of that business. I like phones that just make calls. I have a laptop and digi cam for internet and picture taking.). That's interesting to hear bad reviews of Alltel. Their coverage map looks quite impressive. What's funny aobut them is they still assign a certain number of night and weekend minutes. I think a "good" cell service is subjective to your location, but I seem to hear nothing but good things about Cingular. :whistles: Steve, what's a black listed ESN??

I switched to Verizon in early Janurary, and I can't help wonder how in the hell how this company is still in business. All they do is brag that they have the fewest dropped calls, but I can't remember any dropped calls when I was with Sprint. I have atleast one dropped call a day with VZW. They have replaced my LG(I forgot what number it is. 6100 maybe?) twice thinking it is the culprit, but that has done no good at all and wasted 2 hours of my time. I can't wait to cancel the contract with these people over the summer(when I'm not under the unemployed tax bracket). I knew we should have gone with Cingular; I could save a bundle with their free roaming part. In my first bill, I was charged $20 in roaming fees. :o And what makes it even better, is this stupid phone indicates roaming by flashing a triangle the size of a pin head on the top of the display...yeah I might notice this. My old Nokia clearly marked "ROAMING" on the display banner, and if a call came in that was roaming, it had a different ring(came from the factory this way), so that you know not to answer. I go to school in a one horse town, but New Orleans is not a one horse town, and I still get dropped calls there. If I'm at home, I have to go outside the house to talk. My neighborhood's powerlines are underground fiber optics, so maybe that's causing problems?? This is a real !Removed! when it's raining. Oh yeah, forget about text messaging if you are not in the "VZW" network which is tough to find in LA. Anyone else have problems with VZW??

I'd go with the Garmin. I have a Garmin iQue 3600 for the cars, and I don't know how I got around with out it before-this puppy really saved my &#33;Removed&#33; 10x when I go to Dallas. :D Cars is the most important part of the the Garmin; I can use it in any of our 6 cars or friends'/familys' cars. B) You should take a look at the 3600; it's cheap and excellent machine. On the Garmin, the car kit is an absolute must(I think I had to pay about $80 or $100 for this, but it's well worth it.)-uses the car's power, loud speaker, and the "bean-bag" mount to hold the gps on the dash. Additional memory is also a must. I was only able to fit the New Orleans area on the std internal memory(Kenner, Metarie, Westbank, chalmette, some of Hammond, LaPlace, I think that's all?). The only bad I can find is the mapping software. It has never sent me in the wrong direction, ever. My complaint is some of the POI's are inaccurate(this happened twice). Maybe it's just time for an update? <_< Other than that, the voice directons are superb, has several POIs, nice display, and a Palm Pilot(that I never use).

Congrats Steve!!! :D How long are going to keep her(I know how much you want a 430!)?

NC, does your car make any noises, sounds, etc. when you hit a bump, or you are crusing down the hwy? How are your tires wearing? I'm guessing you found my strut rod fiasco post if you knew about Army's house? Forgive me for the cliche, but LS400s must be seen as investments. You will probably spend a substancial sum$$ tracking down and fixing the suspension problem, but you are going to have a helluva sweet riding car that you will be able to pass on to someone 25 years from now. My '95 will have close to 250k(I'm at 248.6k now, but I've got a big road trip this weekend.) miles on it by Tuesday, and I'd give it an A+ (in its current condition) rating if the head and legroom departments were a little more spacious. They are just excellent cars. With only 94k miles, you've got a long road ahead of you. B)

That's why I did it. I bought the water pump at irontoad.com for $90 which is a Lexus part. I wouldn't recommend generic parts; 8+ hours of your time is not worth a $100 gamble. Lexus parts are expensive because they last(and they can get it because of the Lexus demographic too). I used oem parts, and I paid about $300 for the 2 idlers, belt, tensioner, and pump. There are a few other things to do "while you're in there" like cam and crank seals, ignition componets, etc. As far as the time it takes, JP Importz said his best record for the timing belt change was about 3 hours. Jason is a beast of a Lexus mechanic though! It took us about 8 hours to change the belt and water pump on my '95 when we did it in August of '04. The job is nothing terribly complicated; it's just very time consuming.

With only 35k miles, that seems like a reasonable price, but I wouldn't go any higher. $25k for a car that will easily go 250k is a small price to pay! ;) The ride is excellent. It's very comfortable but not floaty. I've done some "accident avoidance" of my own at 75mph(damnable cell phone), and the tires didn't even chirp. The car was completely stable. True, your neighbors 540i will outhandle it 7 ways to Sunday, but I don't find the ride as isolating as its reputation holds, and above all, it kept its composure when I had to dodge some cars on the interstate. Maint. costs are very high. Part prices are high, and labor is very expensive. It seems like nothing is really a quick job on this car since everything is under a bolted covering; even to get to the oil filter, you have to unbolt a covering with like 20 screws on it(ughh). On the filpside, you won't be doing that much maint. on it, so I suppose it's a moot point in the big picture.

I'm a repeat Lexus customer. I got a '94 ES300 first and a year later the '95 LS400. The LS400 has 248.6k miles(ES doesn't even have 130k), and it is simply a fantastic car. I've never driven anything that can compare with the quality and engineering of the LS series. The reliability is unparalleled. However, I must say that I am a little upset with the comfort of the LS, but I am very tall-6'4. Those bad feelings with my LS were furthered after logging 700 miles in a friends '01 Taurus this weekend. The comfort was simply amazing-the seats, the head and legroom, etc; even after 5hrs at the wheel, the seats were painfree which can't be said for the LS(as other tall 400 drivers have also noted), and it was novel to me to not have my hir brush the ceiling, and I could stretch out my legs. Let me get my shield ready to dodge the rocks comming at me, but I'd really consider selling my LS for a Taurus if I hadn't invested north of $3k in repairs this year. I hear the driver comfort in the 430 is supposed to be much, much better though, so I'll probably just hold out for one of these in 4-5 years.

Hehe...300k in the next few years! I can't wait! A maintinance guru like you saying he's getting lazy with maintinance is what a normal person can achieve at their best. lol

Update: I called to get the price for the ticket which is $140. :o While I was home, I went and saw my tint guy, and he said he would strip and retint for $50. B) I'm going to have it corrected and hope for some mercy from the judge! lol

That's correct! Worst case you are looking at an hour total job to remove and disassemble the motor to get any pieces of the mast out.

I'd love to come out to Dallas, but I'm good friends with my guy in New Orleans-kinda obligated. If I can't get ahold of him though, I'm there. ;)

Did you check the VSVs?? That's exactly what happened on my car-the dealer changed the egr valve, and two days later the cel came back.

If the end is the only broken part, then, you prbably won't have to remove the motor to get any broken mast pieces out. All you need is a towel, pair of pliers, new mast, and an assistant. Unscrew the nut that surronds the mast with the towel and pliers. Then, have someone turn on the am radio so that the mast comes all the way out. Grease the new mast's plastic tail, insert it as far as it can go(I can't remember if the teeth go to the front or the rear.), turn off the radio, and in she goes. Retighten the nut, and you are set! If I remember correctly from when I did this, it took a little finagling to get the nut from the old mast to the new one. I got my mast from the dealer for a little under $50. I think they can be had on ebay for about $20. Note to self: only hand washes for the Lexus!