nc211

Well, another odd situation. The station was a preset in my stereo. Every time I pressed the preset number to tune into the station, it would do this cutting out of sound. Today, I was seeking up the ban and hit that station...no cutting out. I hit the preset number....it started cutting. So I manually set the radio to the station, resaved it into the presets, and no more problem.... What the heck?

It might work, but oem will work. It's ok in the power steering system, but do you want to risk it in your transmission? Is the cost savings really worth the possibility of transmission problems?

Be safe Josh! My brother in law just headed back as well after a two week break.

Chances are, you're due for a new tranny mount. I'm guessing it's probably the original. The two motor mounts are probably due too. It's not so much the mileage on a mount, but the time. My 01 GS has only 58k miles, but the mounts are compressed to the point of needing replacement. The tranny mount is very easy to do. If you're doing your own fluid changes, you can easily do the mount yourself. www.parts.com is a good spot to buy one, they're called the "rear mount". You only need one. You need two "front mounts" if you want to replace the motor mounts. That's not a diy job for most "me included". Doing the 2 quarter out/in routine is a good thing, and you can't "shock" the system that way. The only way you can shock it, is if you use a highpressure flusher at a point in time where the old fluid is just so bad, the pressure of the machine forces all the gunk through the system too forcefully. Do the drain n' fill at each oil change (5,000k on full synthetic) until you see the old fluid starting to look like new "red". Then, I'd do it every other change. At your car's age...the mounts are probably pretty well compressed, which will create some vibrations and funky "slack" feels in the operations of the car. I'd swing by your local TOYOTA dealerhship and buy a case of Type IV fluid ($50-$60 bucks). Use that until it's gone (should last you a good long time). Don't use anything but oem fluid (or amsoil compliant fluid - lots of guys on here like that stuff too). I wouldn't buy the fluid from the Lexus dealer, unless you want the added retail markup. It's all the same stuff!

In terms of costs: I think it's somewhat irrelevant to try, given the factors associated with tarriffs, strength of currencies, etc... If we wanted to, we could make buying any "import" a lot worse! In terms of outsourcing: Show me a modern day automobile that doesn't contain parts from just about every industrialized nation on earth these days? VW has made cars in Mexico for years. Honda makes cars in Alabama, as does MB. Nissan in Tennessee, Subaru in Indiana, etc.. So, it only makes sense that Ford/GM/Chrystler utilize some of this as well. I'm not sure what BMW and Porsche do, but I'd have to guess something in those cars is probably from Japan, Canada and Mexico too. In terms of quality......it's a new day, a new dawn, and I think we're in for a pretty neat showing from the Motown Trio. I think they're listening, and I think they got the point last year. You've got to build better, or fade off into the history books. I'm excited to see what Chrystler can do with Fiat in it's boardroom now. Granted, they'll probably be maintenace pigs, but will probably be pretty cool to look at! If I had to make a guess, I would not be surprised if the Honda Accord returns to a "cramped - tin can machine" status when compared to a Taurus. I think Ford is going to dominate soon. They've got some fine looking automobiles out, and coming out. In the land of utter excess "Newport Beach, California", guess what the "it" car is becoming? Now, mind you, this is a place of all the toys, the largest and most profitable MB dealership, Lexus, Lambo, Ferarri, etc..... Guess? The Ford Flex! Moms are lining up out there to trade in their MB SUV's for this Flex! My boss bought one for his wife, who in turn has influenced nearly all of her friends to get one. These are millionaires.. He says it's absolutely perfect, and likes to drive it just as much as his AMG S series and his 911 Convertible. Our 2nd in command, you guessed it...getting a Flex as well over the new MB GL. Me personally, I think this new series of Tahoes, Suburbans, and Escalades are the finest looking SUV's on the market, period. I'd LOVE to have one, if I could justify the need. Comparing an RX to a Tahoe, in my opinion, is like comparing an ES to an LS. One is smaller cross-over, the other is a full on SUV on a truck frame. I think the Land Cruiser and LX470 is a better market comparision against the Tahoe and Suburban. Then, look at the cost differences.....

The computer issues were resolved in late 96 - early 97 models, so you're clear of that monster! Who told you to add an additive? The dealership, or someone else? I would not introduce anything of the sort into your transmission!!!!! When was the last time you had your transmission fluid replaced? Was it with genuine Type 4 Toyota fluid? How about your transmission mount?

In Killer's defense....I too have gone 120mph in Overland Park, KS (I graduated from BVN in the early 90's). And, in all other defenses, God and only God is responsible for the fact that I didn't kill anyone, get hurt, or get caught. Lessons learned along the way, and some didn't get as lucky as I, sadly. Let's just say, hitting 100 mph on 119th heading west under the I-69 overpass, only to be met by a drunk pulling out of Tanner's on the otherside, and not hitting anyone or anything...is an act of God. I skidded from the overpass ALL the way to Switzer road, in a 1987 VW GTI. I had flat spots on all four tires for years after that. And, in my day, before the invasion of shopping centers at the corner of 119th and Metcalf, the side road to the high school was our drag strip. But back then, 151st street was "country", 135th was the outskirts, and stoplights were fewer and far between. Killer....take it easy amigo. Karma gives you only a handful of "passes" before it decides to collect. Trust me, you don't want to know the cost. Statistically speaking, someone in your class won't be around to graduate. There's always one, sadly, very sadly. Don't be that person. By the time I was 19 years old, I watched 3 friends go in the ground in two different states. And how I'm not with them, is honestly beyond me. I still have the newspaper articles in my personal files, to one day show to my son when it comes time for him to start driving. I'm not sure where in your area to buy the parts, but isn't there some kind of online place we know of on here? Something like Tap recycling or something like that? Anyone remember? Maybe PM DCFish, I think he might remember? PS: Guys, is it really any of our business how any of us have a Lexus?

"It's normal" translates into "we can't make enough money off of you to justify the repair". No, it's not normal, but is an easy and common fix. What has happened is the shim kit and fitment kits are not right. Each brake pad on the car has two "add-ons" that go over the back of the pad. There is a thin piece metal sandwiched between the pad and the backing clip-on - rubber covered- back piece. These prevent squeeks and squeals. These are the shims. If you don't hear squeeks and squeals, those are good. The fitment kit are metal like springs that hold the pad in place within the caliper. What a mechanic is supposed to do when changing the pads is to clean off and gently pull these springs out a little to give them a tighter fit to the new pads. What you two are experiencing with your clicks (let me guess, they also click when going in reverse the first time you apply the brakes too, right?), is the pads shifting around in their caliper seats ever-so-slightly. It's not dangerous, just annoying. It is very common with aftermarket pads being put on a Lexus car as well, very common. OR: the mechanic did not properly clean the slider pins the pads move on. On the top of the caliper are these metal looking pins that slide through the calliper and the back of the pads. They're held in place with a locking clip at the end. If they're not regreased, well, it's metal on metal, and will cause a click as well. But, this click will be heard almost all the time, not just when changing direction of movement and the first couple of times applying the brakes. What needs to be done: If you have aftermarket pads....replace them with genuine OEM pads - making sure you have the shim kit that prevents the squeals and such. The fitment kit, if memory serves correct, should be part of the caliper itself, not the pad. Have those cleaned, pulled out about 3mm, and you should have a tight fit. Hearing a Lexus dealer tell a customer "it's normal" just irritates the hell out of me!!! This is basic brake job 101 stuff, and they should know better! But, probably don't want to waste the time doing it right. I'd be on my way back to the dealership and tell them to fix your fitment kit settings!

Trust me on this JC, you'll be back. Once an addict, always an addict. I thought I had broken free from the grip of the L-beast with the Mazda. I thought I was in the clear, and back to throwing the gears, pushing the corners, and jammin' the Skynyrd. But, well....look at me now. What had started as just one V8 Toyota product (LS400), has turned into two! And, when it came time to replace the Mazda, tried as I had....I couldn't ignore the obvious...the GS. And, what I really want now, is a 05' LS430, and a new style IS350....and to replace the 4runner with a GX470. Once you've tasted the fruit....you'll keep coming back to the tree. But, that doesn't mean you can't have some fun living in denial! "We'll leave the light on for ya'".....

You know, you could probably sell these on Ebay for like $100 bucks or so!

Oh yeah, I forgot, you've got an IS....sorry, I just figured the tilt and telescoping was automatic!

Funny thing about getting older, if you play your cards right......you make more money, which affords you certain amenities in life, like a enough square footage in your home to not trigger a zoning violation for the amount of candles on your birthday cake! ;) The term "birthday" isn't exactly accurate after a certain age. You're not really celebrating your achievements of date beyond the fact that you're still here on earth, but instead, you're celebrating the fact that you're that much closer to retirement and the ability to return to your early 20's, but with money!

Hahaha! That's sweet! You even put a tow hook on it on the left side!

I agree. I think the real problem was missed from the beginning. However, at 15 years of age, 165k miles, and in that kind of extreme dry heat out there where you live....it is very possible that you have two leaks indeed, and when your lower pan seal was fixed, it put all the pressure on the remaining leak in the rear seal, causing it to leak even more. The only time I've ever "heard" of buildup within the engine actually acting as a seal, is when someone puts in full synthetic at a very late time in the engine's life - causing the crud to be removed and the leak to start. I've never seen this, but have read about it. But at the end of the day, and I mean this with all do respect, you've got a used, 15 year old car with 165k miles on it. They're probably the most expensive Toyota built vehicle to fix, and you can probably expect a few more hits to the wallet with it. I would suggest downloading all the Pdf. files on the car from https://techinfo.toyota.com/techInfoPortal/...o.toyota.com%2F to protect yourself with knowledge of every nut/bolt/clip/update on the car. Not saying you got hosed by the mechanic, because I simply don't know if you had one or two leaks. But I will tell you this FACT..... The word "Lexus" is premium, and there are far more stories on here of folks getting the run-around by mechanics (dealerships especially included) over their Lexus repairs, then many other car makers, in my experience. I had to hammer down on my dealership over my former LS a few times. But, once you download these Pdf files, and take a printed copy of what you suspect is the problem with you to a mechanic, they'll know you're paying attention to every bolt on the car, and you're not one to be messed with. Not saying all mechanics are bad, because they're not. But everyone knows a Lexus only has a couple of real repairs needed throughout the life of the car "one of which is the rear seal"....yet we've all read stories of odd repair suggestions on here from "professionals" that didn't make sense, and resulted in big bucks wasted.

I know in the LS, the gas tank is behind the rear seat, not sure about the GS though. Might want to look under the car first to make sure the tank isn't anywhere around the back of the back seat before cutting around....

There is one station here that seems to cut out every 3 seconds for a split second. The signal is very strong, and the stereo grabs weaker stations and doesn't do this. I called the station to tell them, and they were unaware of it. I checked the station on other radios in my house and the 4runner, and they don't cut out. I've got the Mark Levison unit. The station use to not do this, but started about a month ago. I note the "st" indicating stereo reception goes blank too when this happens. As quickly as it cuts out, it comes back. Glitch at the station, or glitch in the stereo? Could be part of that messaging system the stereo has "reads the artists and song playing at the time, along with the station's id letterings". Thanks!

Something like this, should probably trip the CEL light on the dash, indicating a code that will tell you exactly what is wrong, but you've got to have a reader to get it. Post up what happens, I'm curious! And, watchout for those muffler bearings....they're expensive at the dealership!

Thanks Amigos! Not a lot of wild times this year (36), just cleaned out the garage, painted the white trim on the front porch, and watched my son wander about wearing his cape and my sun glasses. It was good, relaxing, and peaceful. I decided to wish for a wild and hectic year, instead of my normal peaceful w/ no life changing events for the year. Seeing as how for the past 4 years all I've asked for is a peaceful and calm year, and having just the opposite happen, I figured I'd do a little role-reversal. So, we'll see what happens!

We looked at several G35's a few years ago while on the hunt for the Mazda. Although I liked the looks, I wasn't very impressed with the drive, ride, or overall feel of the interior. Just something rubbed me wrong. We must have looked at 5 or 6 of them, very handsome looking cars! But, something was "off". I could never put my finger on it either. Looked at a couple awd models again this year when looking to replace the Mazda, and still felt the same way.

My 2001 GS430 costs me less than $700 a year to insure, full coverage, $250 deductible, USAA. It went UP a few bucks from my former 07' Mazda 3 GT. Three reasons: Location (In sh*tcago now, not North Carolina), the cost of repairs on a Lexus vs Mazda (Ford), and a 300 hp 4.3 V8 vs. a 165 hp 2.3 I4. Even though the Mazda begged to be driven aggresively and was FAR more of a true sports car than the Lexus. The Mazda had 8 airbags (but poor crash test results), the Lexus...well, i'm not sure actually, but excellent crash test results. V8 engines stop being a major contributor to your insurance premiums around 30 years of age. The difference between my rates and Xarnette (dang man, did you get into a little Budweiser 500 action?), is justification in my mind to spend that $500 on a lawyer to knock that speeding ticket down to a glorified parking ticket and off of your record ;)

Congrats on the new ride JC! I really can't say anything bad about Nissan, as I've enjoyed two of their cars in the past (92' Sentra SE-R & 01' Maxima SE loaded). The SE-R will always be one of my all-time favorite cars. In my opinion, Nissan makes one of the greatest v6 engines on the planet. My folks have a 04' Quest minivan and love it. Some minor things here and there, related to Nissan's financial troubles starting in 02' through 05' (cheaped out on some parts). But, nothing major. I remember when I decided to replace my Maxima with my former LS400. The Maxima was on a lease, and the value had fallen through the floor (they came out with the 3.5 engine in 02', right after I got my 01'). The residual purchase price was too high for my tastes, they wouldn't negotiate, so I turned it in and got the LS. I remember sitting in the driveway looking at both cars, wondering if I was making a mistake by getting rid of the Maxima. I loved it. It was a hoot to drive, and would scream like a bat out of hell (with 220 hp, can't imagine 265). The only thing I would caution you over with yours, is go find an empty parking lot and learn it's limits. Don't push it until you do. Nissan's handle great, but you get no warning when you're about to go over the line, and no real chance of recovery when you do. They're front wheel drive with heavy tails, when they go, you're along for the ride. I almost learned that the hard way in mine (got very lucky nobody was around). And watchout for the torque steer, goose it too hard while turning, and it can be so severe that it takes both hands to keep the car going in the direction you want it to go. That's front wheel drive with over 200hp for ya', but Nissan's are known to suffer from it pretty badly. They don't ride like a Toyota, but nothing really does. Toyotas have a very unique ride, as does Nissan. It's all in the personal prefference. I made the mistake of replacing my oem tires when they wore out for cheapo Khumos about 7,000 before turning it back in. If you like a quiet smooth ride, don't skim on the tires. Not nearly as much sound insulation in the Nissan brand as there is in the Toyota, so tires are more important. Have fun with it man! It's a beauty! And stick around here, you've got a lot of knowledge now to pass along to the newbies! We won't revoke your front door key (they didn't revoke mine for the 2 years I was Lexusless)

Would your rates go up? Yes, it's a V8 vs a V6. By how much? Who knows, it depends on your age, driving record, and other factors (those being the biggest two). I'm 36, spotless record my entire life (thanks to a couple of lawyers along the way ;) ), and my insurance for a new Porsche 911 turbo would probably be less than a 17 year old with points on his/her record driving a honda civic. It's all about your "history".

trailershowroom, please tell me you're test driving a Ferrari in a Bert's Tee Shirt!!!! Awesome!!!

After the problem has been solved, the light should reset itself after a little bit. If you've checked all your tires on the rims and found they to be properly inflated and think the light is in error....don't forget the spare! 4runner's do this too, and drives a lot of folks nuts "me included", until we realize the spare tire has a tpms in it too!

I don't know about that higher standard stuff. I do think the LS probably requires a little more initial attention due to it's size and the rear-wheel drive nature of the car. My GS would actually be an ES, if my wife had liked the way the model years we were looking at enough to generate a response beyond the "it's ok". Now, also consider she'll only go to a car lot on sundays so she doesn't have to deal with a salesman, and doesn't have to get out of our car to look at them. And, our last car (Mazda 3) was selected (after MONTHS of a frustrating search) because the salesman (I forced her to go with me on a Saturday), said the magic words of "and this is where you can plug in your ipod".......fast forward 1/100th of a second later, and i heard "I love it, I want it". So...you be the judge on that one.