95 ls400

Here is an update on my car: I have a '95 LS that now has ~54k. I had the off throttle shock issue between ~45-50mph, and the stalling issue after about an hour at freeway speed. It was originally a CA car and had a -231 ECU. I purchased a salvage -224 ECU last year, but just got around to getting it installed this week. Here are my observations: 1) The -224 ECU fixed both the off throttle shock issue and the stalling issue. 2) The ECU seems to give the car better throttle response and seems to allow the car to upshift on acceleration more readily. 3) Gas mileage seems unaffected so far. I didn't get around to fixing it until this week because it is just now getting cold enough in Chicago that the A/C is off for long periods of time. In the summer, having the A/C engaged masked the stalling issue, because the A/C forces my car to idle above stall. But I wish I would have swapped the ECU sooner, because the car feels much more responsive with the updated 49-state ECU. Arlington Lexus in Palatine charged me $180 (1.5 hours) to install the new ECU. It took under an hour, but I let it slide. I hope this information helps.

I have a '95 with the California ECM -231. It has the stalling problem that the rest of you have. It has not been a problem all summer because the A/C has been on most of the time, but it just stalled again yesterday coming off the freeway in 50 degree weather. I can't take a chance that my wife will be driving when this happens, so I just found a 49 state -224 ECM on car-part.com and it is being shipped to me for $200.00, which I think is a pretty good deal if it works. I will install it this weekend and let you all know how it goes. I expect success, judging from the other posts. Thanks everyone for your information.

I can't answer any questions on oil, but as for tires, I bought a set of Kumho Ecstas for my '95. They absoulutely kick !Removed! in the snow and rain compared to the Potenzas or Eagles that I had before this, they track well, and they are quiet. Also, they are relatively inexpensive. They are a little less sporty tire, but then the LS is a little less sporty of a car. As for problem areas, check out the forums. Check out any information on the front end maint. and the engine dies/jerking thread for '95/'96s (you may want to replace your ECM). Overall, the best used cars on the road for the money, in my opinion. I have been driving my wife's Passat all week, and I just jumped in my '95 LS to park it in the garage tonight. "Damn", I said to myself, "this is a nice car!"

That's a sweet deal indeed. I paid $14.5k for a '95 w/31k miles on it a couple of months ago. It was ready to go with new tires, but still... Tell us more. Color, options, etc... and congratulations.

I paid $14,500 for my '95 a couple of months ago, but it only had 31k miles on it and it is a mint southern California car. I'd think you could pick up a good one with average miles for around $10-12.

They rebuilt my CD changer a couple of years ago for $175 (in my previous '95 LS400 w/the Pioneer system).

Just a little update: I took mine on a ~3 hour trip this weekend. I noticed that if I turned the A/C control on and off, it seemed to "reset" the idle. In other words, I didn't have to keep the A/C on in order to hold idle. Turning the A/C on and off seemed to have the same effect as turning the car on and off, and offers a temporary fix for this annoying problem. Has anyone else noticed this?

I called the Florida guy. They want $325 to reprogram my existing ECU. Since I'm not really driving it on long trips right now, and since I'm the only driver, I'm holding off for now. I'd really like to find a used one. If anyone has any leads on where to find one, that would be great. If I don't find anything after a month or so, I will probably send my ECU off to FLA for a vacation. However, I'm not really excited about being without a car for a couple of days, nor am I looking forward to spending $325 to upgrade an old part.

800-257-3395

Thanks Bob! I'll give that place in Florida a call.

I have the same problem with my '95. It is a California car originally. It has 32k on it and now resides in Chicago. I bought it wholesale, so I don't think I have any recourse with Lexus. Here are a couple of questions I have: 1) Has anyone run a 49 state ECU in a California car for an extended period of time (I know its been tried for a couple of days without issue)? Does anyone have an educated guess as to whether it will cause any long term problems? 2) Does anyone have detailed instructions on the R&I of the glove box and ECU? I'm not the handiest guy, so maybe I shouldn't attempt it, but any instructions would be great. 3) Does anyone have a good way to search wrecking yards besides www.car-part.com ? I have not been able to find a 49 state ECU with the new part number. By the way, the reason that I want to replace the current Cali ECU with a 49 state ECU: I had a '95 LS before this one that had 150K on the clock. It had the same stall issue with 2 differences: 1) It only stalled below ~25 degrees f. 2) The engine seemed to have better throttle response than my new one. My impression is that the difference in throttle response is a tuning/ECU issue as opposed to any maintanence issue. I'd like to get an updated/reflashed 49 state ECU for my present car. Any wisdom on this is appreciated. Thanks for starting this thread in the first place!

I just put a new set of Kumho Ecsta 716s on my '95 LS. They did a great job in 12" of snow this weekend (Chicago). They also seem to be very quiet. These tires got a great review at tirerack.com, and I paid $59/tire (totalled about $350 mounted, balanced, and waranteed).