larryp

Welcome and congrats on your purchase No cabin filter in the 91. Always drive mine in PWR mode so i can't help with the normal question. The bump sounds like control arm bushings but i'll leave that for our resident suspension experts. We have several that personally know every bushing in the suspension and what symptons each exhibit when bad (valuable experience gained from serious trial and error diagnosis!).

AC Compressor will not operate with low pressure so flashing light could mean no refrigerant or it could mean bad compressor. I would try again to locate the leak and pay particular attention to the compressor and its connections. It's possible the leak could be in the expansion valve or the evaporator core which are inside the cabin behind the passenger side dash. If so, you might see dye in the water dripping from the tube underneath the car on the passenger side. Does the compressor come on when you recharge it? Are you recharging with R-12 or have you converted to R-134a?

I agree. You've been taken for a ride. Don't know how he could know it was the expansion valve unless he took the dash apart to inspect. Probably the valve was Ok and the leak was the evaporator core all along. Did he recharge with enough refrigerant?

VSC is Vehicle Skid Control which will activate in an emergency braking situation Sport - should stiffen the shocks for a firmer ride Power - will delay tranmission shift to a higher rpm under normal acceleration. Height - not sure but i think it will raise and lower the vehicle slightly. Owner's manual should explain it's operation. It's been a while since i drove a UL so i'm foggy on the "height" operation.

It's been a couple of years, but i bought mine from TechChoice Parts 972-723-0112. Also bought other AC parts from acpartsnow.com. Hope that helps.

it's been a couple of years since i did it, but i'm sure i didn't remove the bumper. As best i can remember i just removed the undercover (the cover under the engine that you remove to do oil changes) and was able to access the bottom of the tank. Sorry but i don't have a repair manual PDF that shows the tank. Maybe someone else can chime in. You may have the same issue i had - the washer pump was the source of the leak and not the tank itself.

Probably the pump but could also be the air control valve on the pump. It is designed to give a "boost" to the steering at low rpms. However, when mine went bad (starts sucking PS fluid into the intake and exhaust billows thick white smoke), i just pugged it and ran without it and had no problems with steering at low idle.

I replaced the washer fluid pump at the bottom of the tank, but didn't remove the tank. I would think it'd be pretty straightforward.

If there's no chance of freezing temps, water is OK - however, 100% water is not as effective at cooling the engine as the 50/50 mix of antifreeze and water - but it'll do in a pinch. Without any info on your leak, i'd guess it's the water pump. You should see a puddle toward the front of the engine. There is a "weep" hole behind the crankshaft pulley where it can drip out.

Yep. 0 is TDC Cyl 1. It's the valves (camshaft) that determine whether it's TDC on the compression or the exhaust stroke. Anyway, that's my story and i'm sticking to it ;)

You didn't say what year the LS is - but i doubt it's gas. I've run nothing but regular in my 91 for 4 years and it never pings. Sounds more like something is loose in the engine compartment. Might try having some one rev it up while you look and listen.

Correct me if i'm wrong, but without a timing belt you will probably hear "whoosh's" on every stroke cause the valves won't be opening and closing. It would seem to me the crankshaft doesn't know the difference between a compression stroke and an exhaust stroke - it's job is just to move them pistons up and down. Therefore you should be able to just reposition the crank mark to 0 degrees and be good to go. Just my thoughts.

I agree. You won't be sorry. Buy it quick!

Haven't replaced sending unit but did replace fuel pump which is a part of the same unit that goes in the tank. Fairly simple - just remove rear seat to get to access panel and remove to get to pump / sending unit. Just be real careful - lots of fuel vapors. Good idea to get tank near "E" if you can before you work on it.

Sounds about right for a dealer. DIY and save about $1000. Did my TB, water pump, and idler pulleys (no seals) for about $360. I'd replace the water pump and idler pulleys if i were you. You've probably got original parts in there now. My water pump started leaking at 210K. Don't want to have to put her "under the knife" again anytime soon! If you don't feel comfortable doing it yourself, i'd try to find a reputable independant repair shop and probably save a couple of hundred dollars.

It's a mechanical part - they wear out over time even without a PS leak. Usually the brushes are the first thing to fail.

False warning lights are one sign of a bad alternator.

If it's not in line of sight, i'd have it repaired quickly to prevent it expanding further. Murphy's law says as soon as you replace it, another rock will find your windshield. I know you want it pristine, but you may be buying a lot of windshields with the way rocks seem to jump off the road - and they are especially attracted to "virgin" windshields. ;)

Hard to say for sure without having both tested, but my guess would be the alternator since it died while running and since you are able to jump it off. You could take the battery out, have it tested and if it's good, charge it fully and you may be able to get the car home running on the battery only if it's not too far (or have it towed ;) ).

I believe there is a metal washer that goes beneath the plug. Might want to go OEM if you need to replace cause its probably a soft metal to help it mold to the space between plug head and housing. You could try RTV sealant in the meantime.

Yes it's between engine and transmission. Drop transmission, remove flywheel, and remove and install oil seal. Disclaimer: haven't actually done this to mine, but you shouldn't need anything else to do the job except for a strong back. Be safe handling the transmission - awkward and heavy.

In order to be CPO tires has to have certain amount of tread, and i assume they pass on that category. You may be able to push for new rears based upon age (6yrs old) of tire, but they could fight you on that if they consider them to be safe and within spec. I'd argue that you should at least have matching tires all the way around. Ask for service history and compare against maintenance schedule in manual. Not sure of interval but i'd think it should have had a coolant flush under normal service schedule. Don't think you'll get a fuel filter or transmission flush cause you haven't reached that service interval yet. Same for drive belt unless it shows signs of wear and premature failure. This is something that should have been part of your 125 point inspection. Alignment you should get since you experienced the car pulling to the right. Same goes for speakers - they should all work. Don't know about the key, but you'd think since you paid extra to get CPO they'd at least give you a full set of keys. Good luck and BTW, welcome to the club

Was the oil changed since the last service? :o 30K overdue on the timing belt is one thing but that would equate to about six oil changes if not done. Again, if you can find out how much oil is being added between 5k oil changes that should tell you a lot - or check condition of oil currently in car. If it's burning any oil, personally i'd pass. At 216K, mine used almost no oil between 5k oil changes.

At 130k the LS should just be hitting its prime so i'd be worried about it being in such bad condition at those miles. Probably means it wasn't well cared for and long term prognosis may not be good. Does it burn any oil between 5k oil changes? If no and you can get it for free and do most of the work yourself, then it might make sense to buy. If repair costs go much over what you listed you'll be approaching the market value of the car. And as NC said, suspension parts can get expensive when they start to go bad. If it was me, i'd find a Gen2 LS to fix up (i like the body changes on next gen). Can't say for sure, but i think most everything would be interchangeable between a 90 and an 93. Good luck with your decision.

Timing belt usually comes with a decal that is meant to be placed in engine compartment to record mileage at time of change. Check around the strut tower. You can see some of the timing belt if you remove distributor cover. SHould have been replaced around 90K so you'd be good for another 100+k. No way to know about the water pump without receipt unless services were done at dealership - in that case you can ask any Lexus dealer to pull the service history. Replaced my water pump at 210K cause it was leaking. It's a pretty simple part so unless the impellers break, a leak around the front of the engine would probably be the first indication it was going bad. PS. I bought my 91 with about the same miles - been a great car.