nc211

I agree with that, 110%. I have waxed all of my cars over the past 8 years in a humid setting "lived in NC", and I only ran into trouble when I didn't claybar the car first, then polish it, then WAX it. If you do this, you shouldn't have nearly as much trouble. Plus, claybaring the car will really make it shine, far more then just a wax job. 10 years later of learning about the claybar technique, I'm still amazed at how much of a difference it makes to car's appearance, and lasting perfomance over time. The thing that really impresses me with a clayed car, is the fact that when it's dirty, it still looks clean.

I think there is some sort of pressure cannister in the area of the filler neck that is probably ready to be replaced. I think, I can't quite recall. Or maybe you're sticking the fuel pump too far down the neck of the filler? You're not trying to "top it off" are you? Because it'll definetely kick-back on you then, every time. I think it's a "toyota" thing in general, as our 4runner will do the same thing if I try to "top" it off.

I wouldn't worry too much about it Lenore, my gutt is telling me that if the past 100 days is any indication of the next 1,360, Obama's arrogance is going to set himself up for the same results Jimmy Carter had, especially if the GOP can produce a canidate that isn't shaking hands with his right, and clutching his oxygen bottle with the left. I'm starting to see a good bit of stuff similiar to the quote below from an article about Obama's decision to allow the prosecution of former Bush legal advisors. This, and the backpeddling of several political figures these days "Pelosi, I'm talking about you and waterboarding", I think the memories of the public will revert back to the messy days of Bill Clinton. Say what you will about Bush "and there is a lot to be said", but you've got to admit, he ran a pretty tight ship in DC. I think over the course of the next few years, we're going realize how tight it was, and some might miss it. "Mr. Obama may think he can soar above all of this, but he'll soon learn otherwise. The Beltway's political energy will focus more on the spectacle of revenge, and less on his agenda. The CIA will have its reputation smeared, and its agents second-guessing themselves. And if there is another terror attack against Americans, Mr. Obama will have set himself up for the argument that his campaign against the Bush policies is partly to blame."

Good Lord, did you read that repair manual for fixing the noise for the 70mph+ issue? I've got the sister version, an 05' 4runner V8, and it too has the clunk and the droaning noises "I actually like it though, sounds muscular", but I didn't pay what you guys paid for the Lexus version, so I'm not quite as sensitive to it. But, man oh man, that second repair for the 75mph fix, looks intense, and if you're out of warranty, way too expensive to mess with. The 55mph fix seems easy enough, just a different mount. But the other one, with all the digging you have to do, no way jose'. If I had a GX out of warranty, and wanted this repair, then I'd simply trade the GX for one that was in warranty, and then fix that one. That repair has got to cost around $2k all-in!

I see your point of view now, and I clearly agree with what you're saying. Labeling those who defend us, as a potential enemy, is b/s.

It depends, as the guys are correct on here. If your mechanic is talking about the lower ball joints, then you're getting hosed and you need a new mechanic, as the attached diagram shows the lower ball joint as #7. I've replaced these myself before on my older LS, it's not hard, and they simply slide into the lower control arm. But, if he's talking about the upper ball joints, then, yes, he's correct, you have to buy the entire control arm assembly, and I am somewhat doubtfull he has ever replaced just the balljoint itself on an upper control arm of a Lexus vehicle "very difficult to do, and parts aren't common to do so". That part is #4 in the diagram. I use parts.com for my stuff, always oem, and they list the upper control arm at $341. The lower ball joint is $55. I don't know your repair skill level, but neither one of these repairs is all that hard to do. The upper control arm is three bolts, the two to the car, and the balljoint to the hub. The lower ball joint is simply unbolting the steering rod from the ball joint, popping out the old, inserting the new, and reattaching the ball joint to the steering arm. In either case, you will need another alignment done. Usually though, and at your miles, it's normal for the lower balljoint to go bad before the upper. The lower takes the brunt of the pothole hits. There is a reason why Toyota allows you to replace the lower one by itself, and not the upper one. That's because the upper one usually doesn't fail before the lower one "at least two lower ones actually". If you're curious, parts.com has the lower control arm (#5 in the diagram) for $113.

Yes, it is common, but quite honestly, it is on most any car that is 14 years old. Just one of those things that simply wears out over time. One way to help it though is to clean the power steering solenoid screen and flush the system. This will siginificantly improve the steering effort "one finger steering" and reduce the pressure of the system. Do some searches on here for power steering leaks, solenoid, etc, and you'll find several posts on how to remove and clean that solenoid. It's the little cylinder shaped attachment to the rack by the driver's side front wheel of the rack. It has to wires going into it, with a black rubber cap. It's the opposite of righty-tighty, lefty-loosey when you try to take it off.

With all of that air moving into the car, what happens if you've got the windows up and roof closed? Are you at risk of shattering a window by "pressurizing" the cabin? Kind of like overfilling a balloon? It's not the rattles of the trunk that really bother folks, as much as the "boom booom boooooom" coming from the car next to, rattling your teeth loose. Back in my day, and you Kansas City "Overland Park" folks on here will know what I'm talking about, the "show" was at the KenTacoHut on 119th & Metcalf. You weren't cool, if you weren't "2ligit2quit". You know what, screw it. Jam that sucker man! God, I'm getting old when I'm telling kids to "turn that damn thing down". I already yell at them for driving through the neighborhood too fast. That's what happens when you've had your fair share of bar fights, the clippers get quiet when she's cutting the hair on top of your head, and you get the joke "my 201k." You oughta' send that math equation to AIG, they could use some "bumpin' ya' !Removed!" results.

You know what I'm trying to say, lenore. We can't expect every single soldier who returns to us, to not be truamatized by the effects of war. And, we would be foolish to think that some of those who are traumatized, with no avenue available to help, won't grow angry at that of which they might feel is responsible for that trauma in their lives. That's all I'm saying. Some evidence of that, is the case of the soldier who killed the pregnant lady in Ft. Bragg two years ago, and ran off to Mexico to hide "but got caught and is now back in NC to stand trial". The sheer brutality of that case suggests more than just the killing of someone. Creating a fire pit in your back yard to...well...I'm not going any further with this. Google it if you like.

Dude, I must say, that is one impressive set up. I'm not into the big ole' stereo systems anymore, and when I was a teenager driving around with my dad's house speakers hooked up to my sparks n' static 9,000 watt ($49) amp, in my VW Golf, I thought I was the man. Bumpin' to some Ice Ice Baby. But, you've got me beat, by a mile. I will offer one element of caution though, actually two. 1) no matter how good the car looks, rattles are rattles and I'm willing to bet you're gonna develop a few. And 2) for the sake of humanity, turn it down when you're at a stop light! I was at a light the other day with my son in the back, and some kid pulled up next to us with his system blaring, and scared my son so badly he wouldn't stop crying. We got to the next stop light, he was still next to us, and I rolled down my window to tell him that I was an off-duty cop, grabbed his tag number already, and was going to issue him a citiation for noise pollution if he didn't "turn that G/D Sh*t Down". He, being all of probably 16 years old, driving a new BMW from mom and dad, was too stupid to realize that most cops in Illinois, don't have North Carolina license plates, and turned it down and appologized. Then proceeded to take the next right turn to get away from me. So, please, just be aware of your surrounding when jammin' with that monster system. I don't think I have ever seen a set up actually flex the sheet metal of a car's roof before! That, is, impressive! I said, THAT IS IMPRESSIVE! What, are you deaf? ;)

Going from memory here, but I believe you've got a bad wire to one of your plugs there. If I recall, if you were to remove the black casing to expose the timing belt, you'd also find your dist cap for that side of the engine's spark plugs.

Dang it, I was going to fly to DC this week actually to do three property inspections of three construction deals we've been tied up with for the past couple of years, which are actually pretty close to Steve's office. But, I got diverted to Nashville instead to look at some other properties for a new deal we're chewing on instead. Argh! I would have had the time too to finally meet you guys and hang out. Even do some "rental car nascar". The past two times I've been there, in Jan and Dec, I was with our dept heads, and had no time to break away. Steve, I've seen photos of our deal in N. Bethesda recently "or as you Bethesda folks insist calling it, Rockville, oh so pedestrian" hahahaha! You know the one, where the no-tell-motel used to be by White Flint Mall. She's a looking good! And massive too! I can't reveal the details, but I think you'll like the new retail tenants that will be there. Also, notice the other crane down by the Grosvenor metro stop on Tuckerman? That one's mine too. I'm behind on my inspections of these two sites, and was really aiming to get there this week. But, because we're so damn buried under with other deals, we're having to go with third party inspectors instead.

Yeah, I know EXACTLY where you should take it. It's not in Chapel Hill or Carrboro though, it's in Cary. It's called "Phil's Toy Store", they specialize in nothing but Lexus/Toyota cars, and do great work! Google them for their phone and address. I used them a few times myself for my LS back in the day when I lived there :cries:

Most Lexus owners (or any car really) that is of age like my LS was when I sold it, are the type to understand that forums like this exist for thier benefit to keep their old(er) car running in top form, without getting treated like a drunk prom date by the dealership. I was just curious if the current owner might have encounter a problem that might have sent him searching the web for info on, which as you should know, is how many of us ended up on here to begin with. Granted, my LS was in top notch form when I sold it, with a very impressive list of repairs and renovations (specifically all and every suspension component and mount the car had). But, it's still now 14 years old. So I was curious if he/she were on here yet???? I get the felling that you're not really a fan of Lexus. I mean, you've posted threads about how the car bores you, you're not very happy with how it handles, it's no "miata", etc.....

I'm curious if the current owner of my old LS400 has found this site yet or not. Did you buy a black/tan 1995 LS400 in the fall of 2007 with approx 130k miles from a dealership in Cary for around $7,500? Are you the third owner? If so, I'd like to hear from you!

godfather, i here a thump when i start the car as well. when it ignites, it sounds like a kick from inside. could that be the throttle cable too? Nope, that's not the throttle cable, that's your driver's side motor mount, guaranteed. It's a low sounding, thump/kick right when the engine engages isn't it. Your mounts are simply worn out. You have three of them that probably all need to be replaced. Two for the engine that are circular "like a bagel", and the transmission mount "also referred to as the rear engine mount" I suggest you buy them online from a place like www.parts.com or any of the others. The transmission mount "rear mount" is around $30-$50" bucks, and you can do it yourself, as it's quite easy "do a search for the proceedures". I would then take the two motor mounts down to your local shop and ask them to install them for you for a $100 bucks. Unless you're quite handy, I wouldn't attempt the motor mounts yourself, as the driver's side is a real pain to get at. Once you do this, I promise you you'll notice an amazing difference to the car in general, specifically to your original question. The lurching won't go away completely, as it's just part of a 14 year old car now, but the new mounts will tighten everything up, and will also make a quiet car, even quieter by a mile! I had the exact same thing on my 95, and the mounts fixed it. The throttle cable adjustment can be felt the most when shifting gears with the a/c on. After the car has warmed up, put on the a/c and go for a gentle drive around the neighborhood. Do you feel the car kick when shifting to 2nd and 3rd gear? If so, then it's an easy fix with a single turn of the little hex bolt tensioner on the throttle cable at the point on the engine where the cable meets the flywheel. Just back it off a single turn, and go for a drive. The guys are correct, if it's just a bit too tight, then it tricks the transmission computer into thinking you're asking for a more powerful shifting pattern, then you really are.

So, then what do propose to the "kids" that have no other element of supporting themselves other than "here son, take this M16 and walk down that street. If anyone doesn't respond to your orders to come out with their hands up, kill them". Because I can assure you, that is exactly what was happening in the heat of the Iraq war, especially in Falluja. So, what do you tell that "kid" at 20 years of age now, at 22 years of age, no college, no career options, and hollow echos of war running around in their dreams at night? It doesn't take much imagination to see what that path can lead to for that young soldier. Don't believe me? Go spend a week down in Fayetteville, NC, "Fort Bragg", or Jacksonville Beach, NC "Camp Lejune" or any of the outlining cities of any army base in this country. You don't decompress some of these fine soldiers before saying "thanks for your service, good luck with your life", you're asking for a trouble. We train them to kill, now you have to train them to interact and ease back into the population base.

Remember my comment about running the "corner office" from the "oval office" was a bad idea, and could backfire? Well, here is a sign that it's beginning to do just that. This is a few snippets from an article I read today about a couple banks fighting to actually RETURN their TARP bailout money to the government. Mr. Obama's lack of experience is beginning to show cracks in his armor a bit. If he's not careful, he's going to tick off the kind of folks that make a one termer, two. The bank allowed to return funds, Shore Bancshares of Easton, Md. will repay its $25 million taxpayer loan Thursday, bank CEO Moorhead Vermilye told CNSNews.com. Shore wanted to return the money because it felt persecuted by Congress and the administration, said Vermilye. “Number two, they [Treasury] changed the rules after the game had started and made the rules retroactive,” said Vernilye. “The basic feeling was that Congress might change these rules anytime they felt like changing them.” TCF Financial, based in Wayzata, Minn., also thinks that Congress has changed the rules and would like to return taxpayers’ money as soon as possible. However, according to TCF spokesman Jason Korstange, the Treasury Department has not approved the return yet, nor have they told TCF why they are taking so long. “They came to all the banks,” said Korstange. “They did come to us and suggested that it would be a good idea, that if you didn’t take it you would be looked on as a bank that couldn’t get it, that you were too bad to get it. “It made sense to do it at that time. We thought we were being good citizens. We didn’t need the money,” Korstange added. Korstange said that when the government decided it could tell banks how to do business, it had gone too far. “Because of that perception, and the general acceptance of it, now the Congress in its wisdom has decided how to run banks, and given us a whole list of things that you can and cannot do if you’ve got the TARP money,” he said. “The rule was that they would have 30 days, and it’s now 45 days. We got to the 30 days, and we were asking, ‘Hey, we want to pay it back,’ and they just said they needed more time. They don’t even abide by their own rules,” said Korstange.

I can somewhat see where she is coming from though regarding the returning soldiers from Iraq & Afghanistan, especially in light of the poor job the VA does to "de traumatize" these ladies and gentlemen. I mean, honestly, can we really expect each and every soldier who returns home to not have some sense of disgruntlement about the horror's they just went through? Especially in light of all the negative comments allowed to be aired by folks of power and access to the media trucks regarding the war(s) itself? I think the proper thing for Ms. Napolitano to do is make sure the VA has MORE than enough funding to provide the proper level of care to these fine soldiers when they return, to help with the post traumatic stress. If we just pull them off the streets of Baghdad and put them right back on Main Street, USA, with no assistance first for them to release that tension, then there really is no way of telling how they'll fell towards the government that sent them there in the first place. Especially those who had to face the "stop loss" protocol that kept them there far longer than they originally intended to be there. Putting an FBI spook at their door will do nothing but make them feel even more alienated towards their home field. These guys and gals have been trained to kill anything that appears to be threatening to them. If we don't detrain them first, those instincts will remain in the forefront of their everyday thinkings, and justly so. Only good leadership and results can appear from a leader willing to see both sides, and work with all parties to create a real and lasting solution. The fact that she referred to her "personal connection" to the OKC bombings, lends to the thinking that her inability to be objective is possibly real. Another Ashcroft "remember that guy from early W' days, the Attorney General?" Say what you will about Bush, but if this adminstration is set to get as far away from all of the policies put into place during his 8 years, well, they're going to reverse some of the good one's that quite frankly have helped to keep this country, and others, safe. Perfect example, the release of the memos today that outlined some of the techniques used to get information from captured terrorists. Who in the general population really needs to read that stuff? Why? What good did that do for us? Now, those who aim to kill us, can simply walk down to their local wifi cafe, log in, and read what they might face if caught, and train to prepare to defeat the technique. It just doesn't make sense to me. Hey, it's war ladies and gentlemen. If pouring a bucket of water over the head of someone who would rather me be dead to begin with, to get information on a pending plan to blow up 13 international 747's over the Atlantic ocean to save a 3,000 lives is what it takes, then so be it. In my opinion, if an enemy of this country and it's allies are strong enough to pick up a gun and shot at us, but are too cowardly to kill themselves when they're clearly going to lose the gunfight, has no rights. You gave up those rights when you picked up that gun and pulled that trigger for the sole reason of just killing someone who doesn't see the world EXACTLY the same way you do, and refuse to think otherwise.

You're talking about the brunette hairlipped girl in the audience? I saw that too. I read an article about this lady today, her life story is just perfect for this outcome. She had a difficult birth which deprived her of oxygen that damaged her learning and development ability. Was picked on by her peers, dropped out of school at 17, lives in the same home she was born in "even sleeps in the same room", took care of her elderly mother until she passed away in late 2007, does charity work for the local church, was her mom's dying wish for her to try out for the show, and this performance was her first time singing since her mother's passing. I wish nothing but the greatest of the greatest for this lady for the rest of her life. She's earned it. This world needs some "feel good" moments, and this is certainly one of the rare few. If I knew her address, I'd send her $50 today for a simple "thanks for sharing" with us. I hope the same folks who made the Anthony Hopkins movie "The Fastest Indian" make a movie about this lady too.

You guys seen this lady that stunned the British version of America's Got Talent? The lady that sung the Les Miserables song? If not, go to Youtube and search "Susan Boyle" and watch any of the available clips. If it doesn't make you smile and damn near put a tear in your eye of joy, then you need to check your pulse. God Bless this lady! Her only dream is to sing for the Queen. I love stories like this, especially these days when we live in a world of nothing but bad news being crammed down our throats 24/7 from every angle. Check it out, you'll love it! I hope they make a movie about her, it's got blockbuster written all over it. I'd pay to see it. YouTube.com, search "susan boyle".

Billy Mayes crap is such a scam, I don't know why the FCC doesn't go after him. All the profit is in the "shipping and handling", not the "all of this for just $19.95, with a money-back guarantee". Yeah, they'll give you your $19.95 back, but not the $59.95 in shipping and "handling". I have a DVR at home, which anyone who has one knows you can pause and rewind live TV. That commercial came on several weeks ago and I paused and watched it again, several time. I SWEAR, when they show that little marker going over the scratch and it appears to look like new, it's actually the reverse effect. You have to watch for "editing" cuts, which is when the camera angle changes, or the view changes. You see Billy standing there scratching the surface of the car, and then you see a close-up shot of the pen going over the scratch to make it look like new again. THERE is the editing cut, and if you look closely at the pressure points of the fingers of the hand using the pen in that shot, you can tell it's being shown in reverse order. They're not "fixing" the scratch, they're "making" the scratch with the pen, and then showing it in reverse. It's such a scam!

I think this is correct. The 4runner is capable of towing 7,000 lbs dead weight, as were I'm doubting the GS's mechanicals are set up to do that. You're right about the power falling off at higher speeds versus the GS. I was coming into the office this morning, flipped on the pwr switch at about 30 mph and stomped on it. First time I've really asked the car for full power before, and it took off like a rocket. I was at 85mph in a blink of the eye and still climbing at a faster and faster rate. The 4runner will launch you to 60 in the 6-7 second range, but once you get around 70, it starts to slow down "although still quite powerful". The 4runner has it's true power pull in the 2,700-3,700 rpm range, and then falls off. The GS I noticed today, really puts you in your seat once you clear about 4,300 rpm and up. I do know when cruising at highway speed in the 4runner and I stomp on it to pass, it seems like a lot more "activity" is required from the engine. But in the GS, it just drops a gear or two and screams off into the sunset. I do know this, if my son were 16 years old, he wouldn't be allowed to drive either one of them. I'm 35, and the temptation to "enjoy" both V8's is too strong to ignore sometimes, so I can't imagine what a teenager would do! I'm waiting for the weather to break around here, get some time to myself, find a back road somewhere in the country, and blow out the "old !Removed!" crud from the previous owner of the GS.

A 2002 Accord V6 could easily take on a '90-'94 LS.Keep in mind the current Accord V6 has 271 horsepower and 254 lb-ft of torque and weighs at least 200-300 pounds less than the LS. Yeah but the LS430 has 320 lb-ft of torque and it's rear wheel drive so the weight transfer will help it off the line. It's probably the transmission; to be fair at anything less than full throttle the LS430 can take a while to decide to downshift. Then watch out! Next time manually select 1st and then bury it. Although if the accord has a manual you may be out of luck....C/D says it's faster than the LS430 but not by much. I don't understand this torque argument though, probably for obvious reasons associated with the poster of heresaid reply, me. But, my 05 4runner with the 4.7 V8 generates 270 HP at 5,400 rpm / 320 lbs of torque at 3,400 rpm. My 01 GS430 generates 300 HP at 5,600 rpm / 325 lbs of torque at the same 3,400 rpm. The GS is clearly more powerful across the board. However, the 4runner will throw you from the driver's seat to the rear glass window in a heartbeat with a full throttle start, yet the GS won't. The 4runner is super "jumpy", as where the GS feels "sluggish" in comparision. The 4runner definetly feels a lot faster than the GS. It must be in the gear ratios??

There is the core reason for CL's actions against you, cduluk. They're protecting their cashflow stream from the vendors, and therefore are being somewhat controlled by the vendors. However, try as they may, no vendor can compete with the desire for knowledge, as was found out with the cdrom part discovery. This is also why you don't see NC211 being active over there. I can't recall the last time I posted on that site "or visited for that matter". I discovered LOC, and haven't looked back. Even so i have a member calling the rules garbage on here because they are not allow to post "for sale" threads because they have never contributed here. I just don't get it sometimes, where logic and rational overcomes the "I am important factor" so let me do what i want . SK, why you buggin' on me man? All I'm offering is my gutter cleaning services to home owners while wearing my camouflage speedo. Dang', holmes, can't I make a dollar up in here? Good thing nobody knew about those old suspension parts from my 95' LS I was sending down to Blake a few years ago. I had no idea I could have been "vendoralized"!! DC, you better call for backup amigo, I think the CL team is coming for you!