larryp

It is located on the driver's side of the engine. It has 2 tubes going in the top and one coming out the bottom. There is a line that runs from the top of the engine to the charcoal cannister. The manual shows a procedure for testing that involves blowing compressed air through the cannister to check for blockage. An independant Lexus mechanic diagnosed mine so i haven't done the procedure myself. If the symptoms sound similar to what i described, i would strongly suggest you inspect the gas tank for "bulges".

You may have a bad vapor cannister. Pressure got so high in mine that it pushed the wall of the gas tank out and caused a leak. Some hissing is normal, but if it feels like the cap is going to "blow off" when you unscrew it, then you probably have the same problem i had. In the 91 there is no check for loose gas cap as there is in newer LS's - leaving the cap off will not set the check engine light in the 91. You can try leaving the cap not fully sealed (don't let it click when turning) until you can have it checked out. Might also want to remove the cover in the trunk and look at the gas tank to see if it has "bumped out" anywhere. Mine looked like someone had taken a hammer and hit it from the inside of the tank.

There's also a sight glass on top of the receiver drier that is much easier to see than the one on the condensor. You have to remove the right headlight to see it though.

I believe the problem would probably be in the ignition switch. I had to remove a couple of pins from the ignition key cylinder when the key wouldn't turn. Now i can remove the key while the car is running. Maybe someone with a "fully functioning" ignition switch can test - i don't recall ever trying to remove the key with it in drive, but it makes sense that this wouldn't be allowed. Not sure what triggers the safety, but it's probably electrical and may be related to the neutral start safety switch. Sorry that's probably not much help.

Many times a lease car means company vehicle, so maintenance is expensed to the company and therefore more likely to have a great service record. In addition, lease cars are inspected at lease end for any damage, and believe me they will take a close look to find anything wrong. Lease turn-ins, especially Lexus, would be a good buy - but as Steve said, the most important aspect to consider is the maintenance record and the intervals it was performed.

Mine's a 91 so i probably can't help you much on specifics on a 97. My 91 has a button on the dash that disables the remote that i hit occasionally (and then wonder why it won't unlock :whistles: ). The door lock motor should be near the back of the door (near the lock itself). Not too hard to get to once you get the panel off. You didn't say if the other locks were operating when you use the remote.

Personally i'd leave it alone, however if you want it restored the best option would be to have it powder coated to prevent the paint from flaking off as bugs and road chips can be pretty harsh on the paint. Second best option would be to sand it and paint with a good quality paint (Rustoleum, etc).

Each dealership makes the decision about which cars to make CPO. The decision is based upon what repairs would be required to make it qualify, whether they have met their CPO sales quota, the miles on the vehicle, etc. The cost to certify runs anywhere from $1k - $2k depending upon what is needed to bring it up to spec. Once the vehicle is certified it is Lexus that gets stuck with the bill if a warranty repair is later needed. With 68K miles they probably figured it wouldn't help that much on resale because of the limited miles left before the CPO warranty expires, or there may be expensive repairs needed to make it "Certifiable".

Have you had the alternator tested? and have you checked the fuses for the locking system? Some roughness is normal after disconnecting the battery as the computer readjusts it settings but that should go away pretty quickly.

38K is pretty low miles, whereas 65K is about normal for an 01. That's a difference of about 2-3 years worth of driving depending on your annual miles. The UL package has a lot of extras: perforated leather which allows for air cooled seats; reclining massaging rear seats; rear seat passenger controls for radio; rear sunshades; and a few more bells and whistles. The heart of the vehicle, the drivetrain, is no different between the two cars. MSRP for the UL package was around $70K, for non-UL about $65K. The miles are the most determining factor IMHO. If you carry passengers in the rear a lot you may want to opt for the UL. If not, and you can afford, I'd pick the lower miles. However, if you don't like the color of the non-UL car you might want to keep looking. No sense spending that kind of money if you're not happy with the color. BTW, what are the colors? Good luck on your decision.

Way too much money for a salvage title and those miles :(

Welcome Phillip! Congratulations on your new ride. All that work in 2 weeks. Any chance you could swing by my house for a little of that routine maintenance. Heck, for my car you could probably come just every couple of months! ;)

I had similar problem. Since i use the remote almost all the time, the lock cylinder became difficult to turn and eventually froze up. Fortunately i was able to use the remote to get in (low battery in remote). I ended up taking the lock cylinder out and removing some of the pins that were stuck. Also did the same thing with the ignition switch when it became difficult to turn. With it being a 91 w/ 185k i'm not too concerned with the lessened security by having fewer pins in the cylinder - and the repair was cheap (DIY free).

I was going to say the same thing about the ones on the gold car, but wanted to keep my response positive. B) To each his own opinion.

Me too. :) The wheels on the black LS look a lot better IMHO.

That is horrible! :chairshot: I guess to each his own, but do ya think that might have anything to do with why there have been no bids on the car? :whistles:

Wasted away again in Margaritaville! How nice! We'll be with you in spirit

Well every walmart is different. Mine has been crossed off my list for services. Had them do a tire rotation and they broke one of the wheel studs. Mechanic's reply was "well i just torqued it to spec". Good news was it's a cheap fix - spent $3 on a new stud from the dealer.

Quite a coincidence. You might want to see if some sort of temp repair was made (a "bandaid") to hold it long enough to get it sold. Kind of like banana oil in the engine. Not familiar w/ air suspension, but if the seller was aware it was about to go, it might give you some leverage.

Agree w/ wwest. Replace the Receiver/Drier and replace all the o-rings you can easily get to (which means all except evaporator core). Advance Auto Parts has an o-ring kit for $8. If you lose the charge after this, then consider the condensor unless they can show you where the condensor is leaking. Check out acpartsnow.com for great pricing on the receiver/dryer. That's where i got mine. Good luck.

On the firewall on the passenger side below the cruise control mechanism you will see a silver pipe entering the firewall with a cap screwed on the port. This is the low pressure recharge port. (There is a 2nd port below this one that is also low side, but you won't need to mess with it. It's also harder to get to.) Hope that helps.

I'm sure you'll get various opinions, but i'd say no. Typical ext warranty is $1500 - $2500 depending on what you get. Dealer profit is about 50%. Most only cover manufacturing defects so the opportunity to get your $1500 back on a Lexus is slim IMHO. You're buying an insurance policy with a big mark-up that i don't think you'll be able to collect on. But that's just me. :whistles:

Ouch, that's gonna hurt - evap core is a lot more expensive than an o-ring (DUH!). I believe there's only one o-ring involved with the evap core - maybe you'll get lucky.

Can't really help you w/ the codes for a 95 but sounds like you "got issues" and may need to seek professional guidance :( . On a 1st gen LS 90 - 93 the codes refer to: 14,15,16 Failure in ignition timing circuit 21 Main oxygen sensor circuit 24 Air temp sensor circuit The thing they all have in common is the ECU :cries: Again, these codes may not be applicable to a 95. Maybe someone with a 95-97 can respond.

Paul, Don't think you can smell freon. Mine leaked out after changing the compressor and converting to R134a. I tried the dye "thing" but couldn't locate the leak so i replaced all the o-rings including the evaporator core. I think the one that actually caused the leak was on the compressor high side port (which i should have been able to see from the dye - but didn't). I would suggest you replace the all the o-rings except the evaporator core and recharge. Also check condition of schrader valve on both low side recharge ports and the high side port on the receiver drier. The rest of the o-rings are relatively easy to replace. The evaporator core was a BEAR. :cries: If it still leaks then you can tackle the evaporator core. Mine's a 91 w/ 182k and the evaporator was in great shape so i basically spent half a day for nothing. hope that helps.