MarkLS400

It sounds like the problem is the door lock actuator. At least that is exactly what my car did when the actuator failed. Please review the factory service book before proceeding. The removal and replacement requires carefully removing the door trim (check reference to find placement of fasteners first or else you may damage the trim), some door hardware and the door handle. There are 3 or 4 (it's been a while since I did the job) nuts holding the actuator in place. These are very difficult to access b/c you have to place your hand inside the door cavity, which you can only do through the sevice openings. The door handle must be removed so you can access one of the actuator nuts. There's a wiring harness connector that's a little tricky to disconnect. There is also the door lock connecting rod which has to be disconnected/reconnected. Once the new actuator is in place just reverse the steps and take your time. I found that the hardest part was replacing the nuts; they were very hard to line up on the bolts. This could be do the size of my hands in the small confined area. Here's a tip. Before you remove the door handle you should place tape, like electrical tape, all around the door handle area on the door proper to avoid scratching the door finish. When you are re-installing the handle the handle moves around quite a bit and could easily scratch the paint. Re: cost, the rear unit replacement came with the car I bought. I have searched for a new front one but it seems that only the dealer has this item. Expect to pay about $100 or more. Mark

:) I had a similar issue in my 92 LS. In my case the metal antenna mast was broken and stuck inside the antenna housing tube. I purchased a new metal mast and plastic gear set from an eBay seller for about $20. I had to remove the antenna housing/motor unit and extract the broken mast and gear. The new mast and gear slid right in and attached perfectly. Even the tip of the mast looks OEM . Removing the antenna unit/motor is some what of a chore, but once out the rest of the job was rather easy. I made the mistake of attempting to disassemble the antenna motor from the mast housing , but this isn't necessary. Just remove the mast housing part if you have to extract the broken plastic gear. The new gear simply slides in and will only fit in one direction so try rotating it until it "catches". The new mast instructions indicated that the tip could be removed and replaced with an original gold plated one. I used the new chrome one b/c it matched my old one perfectly. IMPORTANT: place electrical tape or similar around the antenna mast nut on the body. This will reduce the chance of scratching the paint.

Hello, My 92 LS 400 door lock actuator stopped working on the driver's side front door. I replaced a rear unit a while back (not easy, difficult to access) but after contacting Lexus for part info. it appears that the front units are different, and about double in price (~$200). The factory repair book is vague on this repair too. Does anyone have experience in replacing this front lock actuator or fixing a broken unit? This part is the unit that locks/unlocks the door lock when the push button is pressed, or the remote button is pressed. Thanks. Mark

Hello, My '92 LS 400 with 78K has the original chrome plated 15 inch wheels. The plating is worn in places so I will be replacing them. The OEM 15 inch wheels seem rather small by today's standards so I am interested in 17 inch wheels for replacements. Does anyone have information on how to select larger wheels and tires so there will not be wheel well clearance problems? Do larger wheels adversely affect handling? What about errors with the speedometer if larger wheels are used? Has anyone purchased a wheel/tire set on-line? Thanks for your help. Mark Stephen UPDATE: I purchased new 16 inch OEM 2003 LS430 chrome plated wheels, with gold center caps. Paid $675 off eBay. I added Kumho 225 60R 16 W Speed tires from Tire Rack. Overall I am very pleased with the improved appearance and performance.

Hello fellow Lexus owners, I am searching for information to remove the factory 1992 LS 400 radio for servicing. I purchased a CD "service manual" on eBay and although it contains mechanical information, it lacks data on servicing the entertainment system, climate control panel, etc. I puchased a Lexus service manual book by Chilton, but with similar content. I need to access the back of the radio to connect an RF modulator so I can get DVD audio to the radio system. I cannot locate the antenna connection from either side of the console. I inspected the radio front panel but cannot find any access to fasteners or indents for removal of the panel. The plastic seems fragile so I don't want to start prying without knowing exacting what I should be doing. If anyone can help me with this question I would be most grateful. Thanks in advance for your assistance. Mark Stephen Clovis CA

Hi Doug, :) The problem still exists but I have found a partial solution which I will explain below. But first I contacted the alarm shop. The guys there agreed to check it out for me but they had a rather unfriendly attitude (they were super-busy installing car audio stuff all day long), and did not give any plausible reason for the malfunction. My gut reaction was that they really were unfamiliar with this installation error and I did not feel comfortable allowing them to trouble shoot the problem, not to mention wasting another day dropping off my car and getting a ride from/to. So the problem continues, however I managed to find a partial solution. This may seem odd, but it works. When I exit the car I hit the door lock/alarm arm button (on aftermarket remote). Then within a few seconds I disarm the car, then quickly re-arm/lock. Then the system works fine and I can open the doors remotely upon return, without any conflict with the OEM system. I cannot imagine how this works, but it does seem to outsmart the OEM security system. In summary, now I must hit the remote 3x's vs. just once to lock/arm. It is an inconvenience but I can live with it for now. Because I am so busy with my work it is a major hassle to go to a shop during the week. Maybe in the future I will have a new system installed at a better qualified shop. I am in the process of installing a DVD system with 3 screens. If anyone wants to hear the story please email me for a report. Thanks to all of you for your comments on this problem. It's nice to have such a great group of folks to talk about the wonderful Lexus LS. Mark Clovis CA

Problem: OEM autolock security defeats aftermarket keyless entry/alarm system I am a new member and searching for information on how to disable the OEM autolocking feature on LS400 '92. I just had a shop install an aftermarket keyless entry alarm system, with trunk open, etc. It works great until the Lexus OEM autolock/security takes over after about 1 minute or so. Then I am unable to open the locks unless I use the OEM key transmitter or actual key Lexus key. The reason I switched to aftermarket is that I only have one OEM transmitter key and it was less expensive to install a complete system vs. buying another key. Additionally, the factory transmitter has a very short range and is limited to lock/unlock. The new system has more features and the signal processes much faster as well. So if I can prevent the built-in door lock/security feature from operating I should be ok. I have tried selecting the OEM remote toggle switch on the dash. Selecting "off" cancelled the OEM transmitter, but the problem persists. I contacted the shop and they are unsure how to remedy the problem. Certainly someone out there has installed an aftermarket keyless entry alarm on a Lexus. If anyone has a suggestion please let me know. Thanks. Mark Stephen