larryp

You'll obvoiusly know more once you see it in person. The timing belt should have been changed at 90K and is a major service expense so i'd make sure that had been done or negotiate the price down if it hasn't. Assuming everything checks out, it sounds like a good price. I paid $5500 for my 91 with 118K back in 2002 (was working at a dealership at the time) . One of the last entries on the service record shows inspection of rear main seal. Was it replaced? Check underneath the car for oil coating the underside of the engine and transmission. Shouldn't be any signs of a leak. Good luck.

How many miles does it have now? Has 90K service been done (timing belt)? There's a 3yr 20K mile gap in service (96 - 99). What is overall condition of car?

Linux is right - could be anything, but you need to find out before damage is done. Did you have A/C button on? Bad compressor makes a similar sound that fluctuates with engine RPM.

Guess i was thinking mine was a senior citizen. 91LS w/ 177,840 miles. Shoot, based upon the posts my girl's only middle aged and still in her prime. Might even spring for some new wheels to replace those dinky 15s!

Same body - not any longer. Different wheels and exterior color available only on Coach. May also have different wood grain on the interior. There may be other options included in the package that other members will address.

Possible causes: Short in EGR gas temp sensor circuit Short in VSV circuit for EGR EGR hose disconnected or valve stuck ECU You could take your chances and replace the EGR valve but that may not solve and then you'd still need to have it diagnosed. Good luck

Where were these articles on "octain" published? Weekly reader?

Use 87 all the time for the past 2 1/2 years. Car runs fine.

I'd use JB weld. I've used it alot and that sounds like a good aplication for it. I once used it to glue the side mirror mounts on my son's mustang after someone broke it off ,and it's still holding.

I have a 91 and mine are glued also. The passenger side came loose and i tried contact cement but it didn't hold. :cries: The is some bend in the wood and the pressure pulled the trim up on one side. Mine is going to take some pretty strong glue to hold it down on both ends.

I had to replace the alternator on my 91 LS at 135,000. I would take the car to your local parts store (autozone, advance, etc.) and have the battery and charging system tested - for free :D . I had thought my problem was the battery but wasn't so lucky. Replaced alternator and it ran fine. Replaced battery 2 years later. LOL

I'm glad you have it fix. What washer? Have pictures? JPI ← No pictures. It's a copper washer on the high pressure fitting on the bottom of the fuel tank.

If it was me (i have a 91 w/ 175k so i still have miles to go) i'd get out and upgrade to the next body style (95&up). As good as they are other things will likely fail so your maintenance level (expense) will continue. It's all a matter of personal preference and whether you want to pay now (replace the car) or pay later (continued maintenance expense). Good luck.

Its a long shot but i had a rattle in my 91 that i chased for months. It was coming from the driver side and only rattled when i got to around 45mhp. Sounded for sure like it was coming from inside the dash. Took the dash apart, rode around with a stethoscope trying to locate the sound but couldn't. Had just about given up when one day i noticed inside the front driver side wheel well that one of the bolts that holds the wheel well protector had come loose. Pushed it back in and the sound stopped. Probably not your problem, but it's easy to check.

I got her back and she runs fine. The excess pressure is being caused by a clogged carbon cannister. The mechanic said he could replace it for about $300 or i could just leave the gas cap partially open to allow the excess gas vapor to escape. The gas cap vent is a one-way vent. It will draw air into the tank when the pressure in the tank is lower than atmospheric pressure, but it doesn't vent out (which is why he suggested leaving the cap partially open). I asked about this triggering the check engine light and he said the older models don't monitor this (mine is a 91). Well in the end i'm happy to have it back to normal, but it turned out to be a $220 washer. ($100 for a fuel pump i didn't need, and $120 to have it diagnosed and get the washer replaced. If i had paid more attention while lying on my back disconnecting fuel lines i might have seen the washer drop on the ground. :chairshot: Hopefully someone, somewhere will benefit from my trials and tribulations. Thanks to everyone that responded.

Well I gave up out of frustration and took the car to a local repair shop that specializes in Lexus repairs. The mechanic called this morning and gave me good news. :D When i put the tank back in, i evidently failed to reinstall the washer on the high pressure fuel line. The result was that most of the fuel was being pumped back into the tank. Now he is looking at why there is so much pressure in the tank. Recently (before removing the tank) i noticed that a lot of pressure was being released when the cap was removed which is probably the root cause for the leak in the tank. The tank appeared as though it had been hit from the inside and was pushed out which created a hairline crack that leaked very slowly. Something is not allowing excess pressure to be released. And by the way, there was a post on the forum that said that the hissing sound when removing the cap was actually air rushing INTO the tank. I don't believe this is correct. While inspecting the gas cap i noticed a relief valve inside the cap that is spring loaded to allow air IN when the pressure gets too low inside the tank. So my question is what relieves excess pressure that builds up inside the tank? I'll keep you posted. By the way, repair cost so far $112. I was having nightmares thinking i might have to replace the ECU.

There may have been small amount of water in tank (< 1/4 cup). Tank was removed and flushed with water so there was no fuel in tank when welding B) .

No black smoke at start up. Put in new fuel pump and no difference. I know it's got to be fuel related since that's the only thing that was messed with and it ran perfectly before. Have gone through about a full tank of gas. Getting pretty frustrated. What's best way to check injectors or unclog?

New to forum but was impressed with amount of knowledge being shared. Have a serious problem with my 91 LS. Started with a very small leak in fuel tank. Rather than buy a new tank I removed it and had it welded. Engine used to run perfectly and start on first click. Now it takes 6-8 seconds to start when cold, runs rough until warm and even then it will start bucking under constant throttle. Runs good at full throttle. Think i might have damaged fuel pump during repair. Here's the steps i went thru on the repair. DIsconnected fuel pump and fuel guage connections at tank. Removed tank (was almost empty). Flushed tank with water (left fuel pump in tank for all repairs ) Had tank welded. Replaced tank and reconnected fuel pump and fuel guage connections. Added fuel from fuel can (may have been old) Took forever to start and then ran rough immediately. Filled tank with premium - no improvement after a couple of days Replaced fuel filter (i was somewhat prepared after reading posts but it is an ugly job) Only slight improvement after filter replacement. Have used 3/4 of a tank of gas and still having same problems. I suspect i damaged fuel pump somehow during repair. it's also possible there was water left in tank but i would think that would have worked itself out by now (also added a can of gas line water remover to tank). As i said engine ran perfect prior to repair. Started immediately in all kinds of weather. Sure could use some guidance before i spend the buck to replace the fuel pump. Thanks