nc211

Have you tried a new PCV valve? You can buy one for like $5 bucks, VERY easy to replace. If it's clogged up, it'll mess with the engine much like you're saying. It's located right above the 1st spark plug to the left of where you pour in new oil into the engine. You can see it in Blake's picture, right on top of that first spark plug. Simply slip the rubber cover off of it, and gently slide it out. Shake it a bit, if you don't hear a rattle in there similiar to the rattle of a can of spray paint, then it's clogged up. I'd also suggest looking for the IACV on a parts website, to see if you can actually buy one. If you can, then you can bet the car has one, and might offer you a diagram of where it is located. I like www.parts.com for this sort of thing. Might have to dig a bit. PCV = Pressure Control Valve. PS: I'd check this part first, before spending the bigger bucks on 02 sensors and such. What I've learned the hardway with the LS series, is that the easiest and cheapest fix, is usually the problem to begin with. VERY frustrating indeed!

grondie, you're a Merkur fan I see! I think you're the only person I know to have not one, but two XR4Ti's! Personally, I love those cars! I think they're very cool! On the Windows 7: I bought the home premium FULL (not the upgrade) disc today at lunch. Will be installing it on my home desktop (currently on the bootleg XP) this weekend. It's going onto a machine that had a new motherboard/processor/ram installed exactly one year ago (I rebuilt it from 2001). I have no idea if I have a 32 bit or 64 bit system, probably 32 bit. I do have a "dual core" processor, if that means anything to anyone? It's an Intel widget. I think I've got 3 gigs of ddr ram in there too, can't remember. All I know is that it should be a lot faster than it is right now, so I'm thinking this Windows 7 might be the ticket to clean it up. With our new hard drive camcorder (3rd one in as many years, thanks to me frying the 1st one in Sydney, buying another in Sydney, only to learn what PAL and NTSC mean after getting home), and all the pictures of our son growing up, being on the bootleg XP platform just doesn't give me the warm and fuzzies anymore. Yes, I have an external hard drive I plug in and copy everything onto, that lives in our safety box at the bank. So, we'll see how this goes. I'll post up my results later. I guess NC-Hammer became too legit to quit afterall, eh' DC!?!? Kyle: I looked at your link to buy the software. I don't know what "for System Builders" means, in comparison to the full retail version?

Wow, the prices have fallen quite a bit recently, quiet a bit! I checked the site I usually hit too (parts.com), and they're down to $358, from approx $480 the last time I checked! Hmmm.... I think the problem with my bushings has to due with the winter weather conditions the car has lived in, not the 60k miles on the clock. The slipping on the snow and ice, then hitting the pavement, really puts a ton of immediate stress on the bushings. I noticed this today in a shopping center parking lot, even with the traction control system on. Add the sliding forward when trying to turn, then having the front wheels hit the dry pavement and instantly grabing, jerks the car pretty hard too. At the end of the day, as sad and frustrated as I am with this (and it's not all that bad right now, but it's coming), the car is a smooth, quiet, comfortable, reliable, and fast car. It is very nice, which makes it hard for me to accept the fact that something needs my attention to continue making it perfect. Really and truly, about the only vehicle I can think of that can handle these roads up here, is an SUV in general, an over-engineered SUV, like the 4runner. I'm probably just going to keep the GS and wait for the day when we get that green light to get out of here, then either invest in the parts to fix/reset it for several more years, or trade it in for that LS430. No worries about the message! How's your Dad doing? I hope nothing too serious?

I'm using it as I type this, on my father in law's new HP TouchSmart (touch screen) computer. I love it, I'm buying it this week when we return to Chitcago! I LOVE the computer too! Touch screen technology is fantastic! Love the "all-in-one" set-up too. Only one wire for the machine, the power cord. Everything else is wireless. I'm a fan, for sure. 7 is very nice, and will be a nice upgrade from my XP. Connected my new HD camcorder to this machine with no software, and pulled down the videos straight to the machine. My computer at home requires the Cannon software that came with the camera to do this, in several steps. I'm sold on Windows 7.

I agree, it is tiny. It's almost a 4 door 2+2, instead of a 4 door sedan. But, if that's the segment you're looking in, I think the IS would certainly be a contender. Although, my buddy in Tampa had one, and nearly filed suit against Toyota "he's a lawyer" over that throttle lag, which nearly cost him his butt one day in heavy traffic. I'm not exactly sure how it all went, but it ended with Toyota buying the car from him. He's never owned another Toyota made product since. At the end of the day, knowing me, i'll probably just bite the bullett and fix the suspension bushings of the GS and drive it for several more years.

Yeah, I'm a conflicted dude when it comes to cars! I'm also itchy to take advantage of this economic mess a bit, much in the same manner as you did with the Jag. But, I decided that the only sedan I'd be willing to replace my current sedan with, is the LS430. However, this doesn't exclude one other set of wheels I like too, one of which is ranked by some as "the most dependable vehicle ever built"..... the Land Cruiser! I can't help but to notice some (not a lot, as folks tend to keep them forever) 2000-2003 models with about 80k miles for sale right in my strike zone. If they're anything like our 4runner, which has 80k and performs like it just rolled off the showroom floor, I'd have no problem with a Land Cruiser too. They both have that wonderful 4.7 V8 engine, that has become my favorite engine I've ever owned. There are only two Lexus vehicles I think I would buy now, the IS and LS. Granted, they're all wonderful cars and worthy of every award they've received. But given the fact that I'm now on my second Lexus vehicle, and yet again facing the softening suspension bushing problems, my taste for the "premium" of Lexus over Toyota is beginning to sour a little. The car service I use to go from OHare to the house when the weather is bad, use Hybrid Camry's. I rode in two of them last week, both with over 200k miles, both rode smoother then my GS. Granted, as SWO points out, my GS is approaching 9 years of age. But I'm a little tired of having to buy the entire cow, when all I need is a little milk, aka.... the entire control arm at $480 each (with internet discount pricing), instead of a $40 bushing like so many other car makers offer. So, since I'm probably never going to let myself take the depreciation hit of a new car again, my desire to maintain the Lexus-famous premium smooth and quiet ride characteristic has begun to fade. This is the reason why, if I had to replace the 4runner, I'd have a harder time going up to the GX470 vs another 4runner, because of the rear air suspension component of the GX, that the 4runner doesn't have, and in my opinion, doesn't need at all. I guess what I'm saying, is that I'm wondering if the "T" gives me more than what I need for less, and the added elements for the "L" are more than I'm willing to mess with? Therefore, the only two cars I see in the Lexus line up that can't be replicated in any fashion by Toyota, is the IS and LS. I don't care for the new GS design at all. It's never really appealed to me from the start. So, it's the GS430, unless a Land Cruiser comes along that I fall in love with and want to try. Gas mileage sucks for me anyway, no matter what you put in my driveway. Give me a 4 banger, and I'll run it at higher rpm's anyway.

Well, I looked at a 330ix yesterday. I really like it. But, thanks to Lexus RUINING me with it's quietness, I just can't get over the rumble of the BMW engine. Plus, there just doesn't seem to be enough shoulder room in the 3 series. I don't mind small and nimble, but I was practically rubbing elbows with the salesman. I'm only 5 10' 180 (heading to 200 thanks to Chitcago pizza - ok, i'll give 'em that, they've got some great pizza up here!) So, I've decided to just drive the GS like I stole it, and wait for what I know I really want....another LS. When I'm ready to take on a 06' LS430 with less than 40k miles, I'll pull the trigger. I want the last model year of that design, and I want it under 40k miles. Don't want all the bells and whistles either. Just heated seats and the ML stereo. Couldn't care less about the folks in the back seat, and certainly don't want to mess with air suspension! Besides, if we end up back in DC, I'll have to get a SWO's dream car, so I can bug him about it! Assuming when we purchase our home, the commission doesn't result in his new LS460..... but we've worked that deal out already privately! Like the BMW's, still got a twinkle in my eye for one, but don't think as my daily driver...

Gearhead, in Glen Ellyn. http://www.gearhead-autorepair.com/ Don't be fooled by the european specialty, they work on Lexus too. Ask for either Dan or Brian. Tell them the guy with the silver GS430 sent you. They'll know... Their rates are in the $100/hr range, but they're very honest! If it doesn't need to be repaired, they're not going to recommend it be repaired to just earn a buck. I know, as they gave my 01 GS430 a "review" recently when it was in the shop for a pair of new motor mounts that I bought myself (www.parts.com). While most shops would have found "something" wrong on a 9 year old car, they said "you've got some softening in the suspension, but nothing that needs immediate attention". First time that's ever happened to me! I asked this same question on a local chat board here. Hands down, it was Gearhead from the locals, hands down.

My guess is that you're not registered as the "primary" driver, or your deductible has been increasing? 7 infractions in 4 years, 6 of which were your fault, and no increase in your rate? If I recall, you're under 25 years of age too aren't you? Either you're not getting the full story, or you better send one heck of a Christmas card to your insurance company! Actually, scratch that idea, don't do anything that might draw attention to yourself. Because if your rates honestly haven't moved with this kind of score card, then you'd best keep hiding in the cracks! ;)

Thinking about getting my wife a pair of Bose 15 noise cancelling head phones, to help counteract the 18 month old ruler of the house. Anybody have any experience with them?

I think your dad is the one you should worry about stroking out if you get into another accident, not your insurance lady! Even though these clearly aren't your fault, after a while the insurance company says "a claim is a claim". This type of accident is the worst! It's like a papercut. I remember when I bought my Maxima, my 1st new car purchase on my own, 10 days later, a scenario just like yours happened to me. It sucked, and ended up costing north of $3,000 to fix. Had to replace the rear bumper and all the underpingings associated with it. Lady in front of me juiced it to merge into traffic, then slammed on the brakes. You know the rest.....

Enjoy the winter up here? Last I heard, you were heading to Arizona!!! No arguments on the winter tires, they're probabably in my future, unless the GS becomes an AWD instead. And certainly no arguments on me in W Michigan! I'd probably get arrested for public intoxication with assault charges on Frosty the Snowman, that fat *BLEEP*!!

Alright my friend.... 2 1/2 years later ... we're even!

Rain? Rain? Try driving a GS430 with Corvette tires in the snow! That'll make you wish for a Humvee! We've got about an inch of snow on the ground here today (expecting about a foot out where I live, ), I decided I'd try the GS on my way to work, see if that "snow" button was worth a damn. 130 yards from my driveway, my first intersection.....the SOB should have had skis instead of tires on it. Right through the intersection I went, at 5 mph. No ice, just snow. Turned around, back to the house, for the 4runner I went. The GS is "parked". 'n Chitcago!! :chairshot: :chairshot:

Wierd and goofy stuff like this in your model year series, sometimes are directly related to the "black wire" in the trunk. There is a black wire that runs along one of the hinges of the trunk. Over time, it can either break, or the insulation gets shaved off, causing a funky short in the system. Search for "trunk wire" on here to find several other threads about it, how to find it, how to fix it "it's easy". Other possiblity is the transmission fluid itself. Might be due for a fresh dose of genuine Toyota type iv fluid.

A little late to the conversation here, but my 01 GS430 makes a pump noise every now and then too, especially when I apply the brakes for the first time. Sounds like the booster running. I just replaced the pads and rotors with oem, which pushed the caliper pistons back into the calipers "the old pads were toast". Thought this might help, but it didn't. Car stops on a dime though. My 05 4runner makes a similiar noise too. It too stops on a dime. I don't think it's a problem beyond an annoyance.

This is pretty much my line of thinking. I just feel like I cannot pass up this deal. I may be looking at it sometime next week, and I'll try to bring it to a mechanic (or have a mobile come out and see it) and get the diagnosis. Buy it or I will B) Talked to some guys at a Lexus dealership the other day.. just getting their opinion on this whole situation in terms of maintenance estimates, and things to expect. Their eyes lit up like a Christmas tree when I told them what year it was and the mileage. They said "if you don't get it... tell us, because we'd be interested." Do yourself a favor, keep it a far away from a Lexus dealership as possible. The thing you're going to face with the car, is the suspension bushings. They're all soft rubber, and are more effected by age then mileage. You'll probably be replacing the motor mounts (2), the transmisison mount (1) and a control arm or two within the first year or so of ownership. THIS is going to be the main area of cost for the car. The dealership knows this, and will ring your clock on it. There is a reason why they're called Stealerships. www.parts.com get to know it along with an indi mechanic, and save yourself thousands of dollars!!

First off, you've got to remove the caliper from the disc. If the pads are still in the caliper, you won't even feel a budge, no matter what you hit it with. Secondly, see those little screw holes "one is next to the rubber gasket"? You've got another one on the opposite side of the rotor. Call your lexus dealer, ask for service, and ask them what the size is for those bolt holes. They're very common and you get them from any hardware store around. What you have to do is put these two bolts into those bolt holes and turn them until they pop the rotor off of the hub. Judging by the amount of rust on the rotor "and make no mistake, that's a lot of rust", you're going to want to spray some lubricant in those holes before doing this. Put the bolts in the holes and start turning. You'll know when they come loose. An additional suggestion. If your rotor look like this, then I can imagine the hub is rusty too, along with the inside of your tire rim. Take some steel wool and clean up the hub and the wheel too to ensure a smooth, flat, vibration free, mounting of the new rotor and wheel!

Can you show me any other vehicle on the planet that you can buy for $4,000 with only 18,000 original miles? No matter if you spend $5,000 on the car, you're still under $10k. $10,000 for a car with 18,000 miles. Honestly man, this has got to be the biggest no-brainer out there. BUY IT!!

That may not be too far off into the distance amigo. It's my goal actually. I might be asking a few favors for some information on price point pockets around town to look at housing. My experience is commercial, with some understanding of residential through analysis conditions for areas such as Silver Spring, Herdon, Bethesda. I don't know much about Maryland, and PG county "other than it's a booger to get development rights down there in certain pockets"..... Can you imagine me living in your town? Man, I'd for sure have to go buy an Infiniti to harass you with!!

We've got just a dusting of snow here today. Just on a dusting, in my GS, i'd rather be in a subaru. Oh this is going to be a sh*ty winter :chairshot: :cries:

amcdonal, based upon your analogy of rwd/awd, you're saying the Lexus LS is not a proper luxury sedan, because their top and most expensive model, the Hybrid (at $110k), is AWD. :whistles:

Billy, Getting Lexus to touch the ecu on their dime is a tough tough call to make. Honestly, I think I'm the only one I've seen on here that had any success at this when I bought my 95' w/81k miles from a Lexus dealership in 2004. I had a 90-day "window warranty" that covered the drivetrain. I had the "off throttle shock" problem which was caused by the ecu cutting the fuel too quickly to the engine, causing a kickback in the system. I practically had to get a lawyer involved to get them (the dealership) to honor that warranty and eat the $2,600 repair bill for a new ecu. It was not a fun experience. But before going this route, I have to ask if you've cleaned out the throttle body first? I'm always amazed at how much "crud" gets built-up along the outer ring of the butterfly opening of the throttle body. I just did my GS430 a couple weeks ago, that just now turned 60k miles, and it was nasty nasty nasty (I guess lots of sitting at stop lights over it's 9 years of life). New plugs and a cleaned butterfly, she purrsss now.. Might be something to try before tackeling the more expensive ecu route?

Hahaha!! Good point Smooth, good point! Nothing that lasts 9 years up here is going to look good, including me! Ok, I'll consider the "curve" and give my GS a B. It just doesn't excite me like I thought it would. That's a very good point about another 4runner. Clearly the best car to have up here is an SUV. The further from the pavement, the better. I've thought about a 01-02 Sequoia with about 70k miles, and might give them a look. I have no fear with a Toyota V8 engine, at all, especially their 4.7. But, that nagging sense of curiousity still exists about a BMW. I've never driven one that I didn't love. And my wife feels the same way. We just feel that now is a good time to "play" with the second car, since not much is going to be demanded from it. I don't budget beyond $13k for it either. I shoot for asking prices in the $17k's, toss them the keys and a check for $13k all-in, and go about my day. Basically swapping the "potential" of my trade for the "potential" of their offering. Since I don't believe in "equity" of a depreciating asset, my focus is only on the $13k. Drive it for a year or so, balance is down to about $11k, and do it again. Payment stays the same throughout. RX, believe me amigo, if we could, we'd be out of here faster than a !Removed! in a hurricane! But the economic "channels" are still blocked for such a move. Things are starting to wiggle loose a bit, but still got a long way to go. Honestly, I think it's either going to be DC or Atl for us. The level I play at now in the commercial real estate world, just isn't supported in RDU anymore. My average investment size is around $100MM, and I'm spoiled by it. We (the company) were there in the first place only as an "accomodation" to the most senior guy in the department. They went to him in 1995 (running the fields at the time from California) and said "we've got to return to the East Coast. The office is yours if you want it, where ever you want it." That became Chapel Hill, and he retired there with no plans to leave. No doubt Chitcago has taken, and is taking, it's toll on me a bit. But, sometimes you've just got to do what you've got to do. I know this is leading to a comfortable place for not only my wife and I to stand on for the rest of our lives, but more importantly, a foundation for our kid(s) to stand upon too when it comes time for them to start on their paths as providers too. That's my top priority, from here to the day my ticket get punched by the big guy. ;) By the way, how's the market treating you these days? You "up" like its pace? I know you read all the financial stuff too. I'm reading some pretty scary articles these days about this whole up-swing possibly being a "bubble" fueled by the continuation of the low fed rate. Some pretty negative tones out there right now about this...

I think the 4runner has held up so much better is because it's built for off road ruff n' tuff that make the normal potholes and such seem like childs play. Ever seen some of the photos on one of the 4runner forums that some of these guys do with their 4runners, truly amazing! I'm disappointed with my GS for a few reasons. Granted, you're right that it is approaching 9 years of age, and has lived it's whole life in Chitcago. I can understand a ball joint prematurely wearing out up here, or a mount or two, or even a control arm or two. But, just about all of them? Maybe so, but dang if that doesn't bring back some frustrating memories of my former LS. I'm not saying the GS is a bad car, but after 8 months and only 3,000 miles (just hit 3k today), I can say that I really don't care for it. Had I gone from my LS to the GS, might be a different story. But after about 2 years of zoom zoom fun with the Mazda, I'm missing the "fun" aspect of getting behind the wheel. I find my GS, with the big V8, to be lumbersome, not peppy and zippy, and honestly, just flat out boring. Plus, the steering set up is horrible, a fact that SK (or SRK, I get them mixed up) can attest to as well. Overall, I give my GS a grade of "C". Which when faced with the real possiblity of either having to spend another weekend busting loose rusty bolts to replace a control arm, or fork over a grand plu$ for someone else to do it, my little inner voice shouts "for what?" The car was maintained by a dealership. It's been driven a whopping 6,600 miles a year, average. And I'm facing suspension repairs already? I can understand your ES Steve, at 130k miles, those repairs are normal. I think the problem with the GS430 is that the V8 is too heavy on the front, and produces too much power which puts too much stress on the bushings. That car will rocket when asked. I remember driving a GS300, an 02 I think, that felt much nimbler and balanced. Plus, when you're only driving a car about 450 miles a month, and payments are less than a fun weekend at Bernies, you kind of get the "itch" to trying something different. I certainly won't discount this fact with me. Although my gripes are valid, I certainly won't argue against the theory that I'm trying to talk myself into it too! And I'm doing a pretty darn good job of it too! Sorry if I'm uppity lately. The stress level in my life jumped 3 fold with this move to Chicago, and my patience level has fallen 3 fold as well. I'm trying to calm down a bit, but someday I get a little sharp! Some things that I use to enjoy, now just annoy the hell out of me. Like garage time with the shop TV on football as I replace a heavy duty part on the car. My frame of mind these days is "if it doesn't work, then get it out of my way and give me something that does." I'm trying to fix this thinking and get back to my old ways, but not having much luck.