nc211

Hahaha.... You like the avatar heh? I think it's a good fit! Smokey ain' never gonna' get the Bandit. Yep, baby boy is in the last stages of development, we're coming down the final stretch to the May 17th date "or thereabouts". Going in tomorrow for the last ultrasound, so we should have a good idea what we're looking at in terms of a date. Last visit, the doc said he was measuring on the "big side of normal", so we might be off a week or two on our delivery date. My thought? He's a NC211, and that "bigger than normal" is a gift! Hahahaha.... One of the most difficult things I've ever had to do was come up with a name. The middle name was a given, Thomas, which has run in my family heritage since day one. And for those of you who actually know my name, especially my last name, you'll know there aren't too many of us around. I think a total of 23 in the states. But the first name has been tough. The wife wanted "unique" names, which translated to me as "victim on the playground". But, we finally narrowed it down to one, Owen. Owen Thomas *. I think has a good ring to it. President, Owen Thomas *. Heisman Trophy Winner, Mr. Owen Thomas *. Lady's Man, Dr. Owen Thomas *. Hahaha... 1947....Man, Lexus sure has been around a while...a LONG while! Hahaha... Oddly enough, considering the NCAA final four tourney, and given my previous posting about Kansas and UNC, here we are, getting ready to play eachother for the golden ticket to the final. Roy is probably tossing and turning at night.

Hahaha....Gezz La Wezz, did this one go down in flames.... Somehow we went from advice on a traffic ticket, to a debate meant for David Duke and Hugo Chavez, with Ronald Reagan "RIP" being the moderator. Pay the ticket, call a lawyer, or put the peddle to the metal and run for the hills. Those are your options. And, for experimental purposes, the next time you get pulled over and the officer walks up to your window, simply ask him "what in the do you want, you racist commie pig *BLEEP*?" Please post up those results. I'm sure they've got internet in the prison library somewhere.

Yeah, it should be. But if you want to make sure, post of a photo of your engine bay for us and we'll compare... Jcrome, sonny boy, you deserve a "sticky" for this one. Mod's any interest in making this one stick at the top? Seeing as how so many questions are asked about it? PS: You can edit out my props if you like...I'm just a humble servent of passing along the knowledge taught to me from those further down the line...

The law.... must be proven beyond any reason of doubt, period. If you truely were stopped, then simply request the footage from the dash camera of the cop under the discovery statue as evidence of your stop. If the video can't be produced, then you have reasonable doubt. No true evidence other than his opinion. And judging by where he was sitting, ie-infront of you or behind you, his depth perception can be called into question. How can you truely know, beyond any reason of doubt, from any vantage point other than 90 degrees to the stop sign, if the car really was stopped, or slowing rolling? This is a long shot, but nonetheless, beyond any reasonable doubt... Don't believe me? Ask OJ... If da' glove don't fit, chu' ain't got sh*t.

Interesting. So the idle gets higher with age, or opposite? Did these models do this new, or is there something you can replace/repair? I have a 1995 ls and it idles at around 1700 for a few minutes, then goes back to the normal 500'ish. It's not too big of a deal, just really annoying. It jerks into gear and fights hard when coming to a stop. When downshifting, the car feels harsh and out of control while idling high. It's normal, and you can thank your local EPA for it. The high idle is designed to get the engine warmed up fast as safely possible. A warm engine produces less pollution. Even new Toyota's do it. My 05' 4runner with the V8 does this, and when that sucker turns on when cold, it sounds like a mac truck. I have to practically stand on the brakes to keep it still when it's idling at the cold levels. My 95' did this too. The kick in the pants when engaging the gear is simply part of the car, but can be somewhat helped with new tranny fluid. I'd search under "drain and fill" to learn how to phase out your old tranny fluid for new. But, it won't elimenate it. The only thing that prevents it is to let the car idle for a minute or two to get the fluids warmed up. Additionally, new brake pads can help hold the car still as well "depending on what condition your pads are in now".

I agree about the little black wire in the trunk, along the hinge. It's broken or exposed. Fix that, and then check what it does to the rest of the electronics, as that little wire has been known to be the root of lots of little wierd issues in your series. Everything else you've metioned can be fixed for relatively cheap dollars. Your lcd display is infamous, and there is a sticky post at the top of index for it. Car sputters.... search "seafoam" and go buy some spark plugs. Gas tank.... charcoal canister might need replacing, but mine had built up pressure too, a different series than yours, and I never had a problem. infact, i've had several cars hiss at me when taking the cap off when i was low on gas. AC.... conversion kit might be needed to refill with the proper coolant, run a search for it as it's a pretty big topic on here as well. Walmart has a kit for pretty cheap. Traction light....again, search seafoam as you'll probably want to clean out the intake, which is free! Search for "cleaning throttle body" to learn more, big topic too. Also, search "drain and fill" for transmission fluid service. You're probably due. my recommendation is to stick with toyota tranny fluid. Go by the toyota dealer and buy a few quarts and read about the drain and fills. Overall, you need the basic CPR service on the car to bring it back, which is mainly just a good cleaning of the fluids from front to back. And clean the throttle body, will help tremendously. The throttle bodies get sooo dirty that they can choke the car out.

Is it possible that because you only used it for 45k miles that maybe it didnt show up yet? They advice all owners to check their oil level regularly in case that you run out and blow your whole engine! hehe :o NC, when you mentioned internal components, what components are you talking about? The Rodeo, particularly those 98 and newer (aka Honda Passporte also) had the same EXACT engine as the 3.5L 98-newer Troopers. So whatever problems that the Rodeo/Passport had, the Trooper MAY also have the same problems! Yes, Acura did have the SLX (aka Trooper badged with an ACURA logo). The SLX had the 3.2 L engine, and I think they were still selling that car around 1998 and 1999 when they launched the 3.5L engine, so I believe there are some SLXs out there with a 3.5L engine, unless they are 97 and older models then they have the 3.2L engine. I've known two Rodeo's suffer massive engine failure due to the timing belt snapping unexpectently. One was on an old girlfriend's 99' with 48k miles while driving down the highway from Chapel Hill to Wilmington. The other, was around 60k, my best friend's sister had a 2 door Rodeo, and again the belt just snapped one day and took out the engine. I believe hers was a 98' as well. Both were green though, so that might have something to do with it . I knew a camera guy back in my film crew days that bought one of the new style troopers, I believe a 97 or 98, and he loved it. I saw him a few years later at a local coffee shop, noticed he still had it with about 80k on the clock, and he told me it's in the shop quite a bit for internal engine problems related to burning oil. Said he couldn't pass the state's emissions test for the past two years, which prompted expensive repairs to correct the problem. At that time, he said he was going to sell it before his state inspection period came up again. I saw him a couple years ago driving an older 4runner. Honestly, who here can't say they've been behind an Isuzu at the stop light, and didn't get smoked/choked when the light turned green? Especially the older Troopers, the square box ones. It's been my experience with friends who've owned Isuzus that when the engine has a problem, it's usually a very big problem. Either all or nothing.

I've heard mixed results on them, most complaints had to do with engine related problems due to internal components going out, the whole burning oil, and some timing belt issues that blew the engines "might be rodeo I'm thinking about though". I do know that I've seen three on their roofs due to very easy rollover risk. I was behind one a few years ago that flipped going around a turn-about at just a tick over normal speeds. Acura had one too just like it. I think maybe that 3.2 engine might of been the honda powerplant?

I'm not a lawyer, but I firmly believe that when anyone gets into any kind of trouble with the law, the first call you should always make is to a lawyer to weight your options against the penalty of a guilty verdict. I think if you don't at least call a local lawyer in that town for some advice, then you can't complain when your insurance company receives the month dmv report of that county and deem you at a higher risk calculation. Plus, what happens if you get another ticket in a few months, or even in a year or two? If that happens, you're going into that one with one already on your record, and you will have far less of a chance of fighting it. Honestly, I don't know why people don't at least call a lawyer to just chat. They're everywhere man, free consultations, etc... Speeding tickets are the biggest racket in the game. They're negotiated, altered, reduced, etc....but only if you ask. If you don't ask, you'll get 100% of the consequence, and once it's on your record, it's on there for good. It doesn't matter if it's in another state, in terms of your insurance coverage. Some companies don't check state by state records, but some do, and most keep an eye on neighboring states. If I got a ticket in South Carolina, Virginia, Tenn, you can bet USAA would know about it, if I just pled guilty. My point is this: don't think about this in a "reaction" scenario, but a "proaction" scenario for when "not if" you get the next ticket, for whatever reason "California rolling stop, didn't use your turn signal, following too closely, etc...". You're still in that window of experience where every little thing you do wrong, can cost you a lot of money in increased premiums on your policy. And you've got a good ways to go to get out of it.

Can I blame Al Gore for the farting smell my 4runner, and the mass 4runners, tundras, tacomas, and most other Toyota trucks produce from their earth saving cat converters? I mean, if it isn't one type of pollution, it's another. Just like those STUPID florescent light bulbs everyone is running out to buy, that you can't hook up to a dimmer, and GOD FORBID you accidently break one! Oh My God, it requires the local HazMat team to come to your house and clean it up, because those STUPID things contain enough MERCURY in them to kill a horse. So, we save on the required energy to produce electricity to run one of those light bulbs, but WASTE 5 times as much when you turn on your carbon burning gas sucking car to take one to the local toxic dump, because local landfills won't accept them. I'm serious folks, I'm not making this stuff up! You break one of those things in your house, you're to evacuate. And if it breaks on the carpet, you're to actually cut out the carpet and toss it too at the local toxic dump.... I just can't wait to see the impact of these "earth saving" devices have on the water supply. What a bunch of damn idiots! Who ever is responsible for these little light bulbs should be shot dead, as human kind doesn't need morons like that walking this earth... Just my opinion....back to painting the nursery, with paint made in China. Happy Easter.

It's strange...why don't they just say "6 speed" instead of "5 speed with overdrive"? Just strange. I know back in the day, the older MB's had a Y shaped shaft in the gear box and the clutch would slide down the shaft to gain speed w/o revving up the engine much. My dad has an 85' 500 SEL from Italy, and it's the strangest thing to see when you're cruising that you're gaining speed but the rpm's aren't really moving. When you go faster, the car hunkers down instead of revving up.

I've never fully understood what exactly "overdrive" is, and how it works? Is it another gear, or does the clutch have a sliding yolk it uses? I've never really understood it.

For 20k, you can get quite a lot of car! I think you could pull a LS430 for that. They started in 2001, but from what I've heard "and remember, it's a lexus so all negative comments are relative", there were a few electrical issues with that first production run of the 430. For the money, I'd pick up a well documented 2000 LS400. That was the last year for the style and engine, so they had 10 years to tweak it and make fixes. Typically, the last model year run of a car is usually the best, and the first model year run is the worst. With the 2000 LS400, you would most likely have plently left over for the timing belt change and a nest egg set aside for any other repairs that might crop up, like a suspension bushing here or there.

And the main reason why I stepped down from Lexus to Toyota....the cost of service. Alignment, rear differential fluid changed with correct diff/lock additive added, rotate/balance, steering stoppers greased to quiet down crunching noise, intake/injectors/fuel system cleaned, brakes inspected, and thurough inspection with report on all mounts and bushings...$200 bucks from the Toyota dealership. I gotta' admit, I know the GX470 is much/far/extremely nicer in terms of amenities and such, but the cost difference in servicing "and keeping me off the garage floor" is quite a nice difference.

i had an 01' se, fully loaded, it was nice, but after 40k and a new set of tires, i wasn't willing to buy out the lease. but it was a great car. i think they screwed it up though after that body style and haven't recovered since. they went "radical" with their designs and lost my interest.

Thanks fellas, I can see what you mean now. The tech said the rear wheels on this type of setup follow the fronts, so if the front is out of line, the rears will act as such too.

Just looks like a tweaked Altima to me. Honestly, I don't know what Nissan is thinking with juicing up the Altima so high into the Maxima range. I could understand it if the Maxima was truly a totally different car from appearances to mechanicals, but it doesn't seem to be anymore. I road in a new Altima a few weeks ago, and it was pretty nice, especially for the price. looking at those photos, I can certainly see a lot of the Altima in this Maxima, from the dash lines, flared fenders, etc... I don't know, guess I'll have to see one in person. Depending on the price, and judging from prices of the past, I think it's going to be a tough sell to new buyers of Nissan's in general. My question will be how well it holds up after 40k, in terms of road noise through the suspension bushings and such. The two nissans I've had both got much louder on the road, even with new tires. Engines are the best in the business though if you ask me. They've got the perfect V6 on the block. I don't understand all of this internal canabilism going on with automakers and their designs. So many car models are now sharing similiar designs across the board, kind of ruins it for me a little. Especially in the lexus line up of is/es/gs/ls, although I'm becoming more familiar with the individual lines. I'd have to say, the IS is my favorite looking lexus car now.

I've heard of houses burning down from unkept candles, irons, etc, but from the family minivan? Geezz, that's just embarrasing! I hear ya' about the harsh ride of the Mazda. The 3 is like that too, but I'm sure a bit softer than the 5, as it's a "sporty" car v. the 5 being a true sports car. I like the little tweaks they've done to the 5. I agree, it looks less girly. The 3 is like a go-cart at times, which adds to the fun on certain roads, and keeps the chiropractor on speed-dial on others. I have yet to push the car to the point of needing the stability control, come close, but it scared me before I could scare it. The mazdaspeed versions must ride like a ton of bricks! Hopefully these little cars will hold up, as they are just fantasticly fun little go-bots! And on blacktop, very quiet and smooth. But come concrete, not so much.

The 4runner heads into the shop tomorrow for a general inspection and alignment. The service guy said only the front wheels can be aligned because the rear set up is a solid axle. I'm new to this setup, but does this sound right to you guys? The rear is one long tube from wheel to wheel, but I wouldn't think that would matter since it's just tiny adjustments? Being my second awd vehicle, and not having to align or balance the wheels in the past 7 months, I figured it best to do it "needs it a little". Knowing how quickly an awd setup can chew up tires if not aligned. Any of you subaru owners out there certainly know what I'm talking about!

I am familiar with this debate, and how I handled it was to figure out how much the repairs would cost, then figure out what my payments would be for a newer car that I wanted. Once I had those two items understood, it was a timing issue debate, as in "the cost of repairs = 8 months of payments for a new car." From there, it was question of satisfaction of my current 12 year old car and feeling of security against future repairs, which was negated by the warranty issued for a new car, or extended warranty negotiated into the price of a used car. But, my 95ls was not paid off and had another year to go, which was the basis for the entire financing question to begin with. If your's is paid off, owned free and clear, then things change a little. The question then becomes if you're comfortable with the annualized repair bills v. a car payment for a newer car covered with a warranty. If you're facing about $4500 in repairs to bring it back to new, that's about $375 a month. Now granted, the argument there is the reliability of the LS400 to begin with, as it is doubtful you'll be faced with those repairs again for quite some time, certainly more than just a year. But, and this is what ultimately made up my mind to sell mine, was the question of "what else lurks in my 12 year old car that will come up?" Factor in the increased cost for parts due the age of the car, and it was a no brainer for me. Oh, and the wife wanted an SUV in the garage...that might of had a little influence too. ;)

Mera, a personal question and I would completely understand if you so choose not to answer. But I'm curious what you do for a living?

Man, I'd have to agree with that, considering I sold my 95' with 132k on the clock for $7,500 just a couple of months ago, and cost of living here in NC is far cheaper than out there in CA. Good deal amigo! You'll love the car, no doubt about it.

In fact, $230 is only about EUR 150 or GBP 114. So, if anything, significantly lower than the poor folks on the other side of the ocean have to live through! Hahaha.... you're right! Sorry, my math was bassakwards...hey, it's friday, and all I can think about is beer and cheetos!

I don't disagree with you Texas in terms of saving a buck or two, and it's pretty obvious that several folks on here have had good results with aftermarket brake components. My point is that if you simply order the pads from the online vendors, it's really not that much more money "and you avoid the retail markup from the stealership", and you know they're the right kind in terms of caliper seating/fittings/etc.. across the board. Especailly if you still have the oem rotors on the car and plan on using them still. Just like your Raybestos are all matched up with like components, in my opinion, the oem stuff should match as well to give the best performance for the car. I'm just speaking from my own personal experience with this repair, and understand that others have had better luck than I had. I was very very picky with my LS, too much so in certain instances. You got a MX5? You like it? If it's anything like my wife's 3, I'm sure you're having a lot of fun with it! Especially with an LS400 to switch back to. It's like going from a floating couch, to the edge of a sewing needle. We've got about 20k on the Mazda now, and the brakes are just fine for us. They do make some groaning noises however when you let up from a stop, or creep to a stop. But they stop that little think on a freakin' dime! I didn't know they made a turbo for the 5? Thing must boogie on down the road!

Yes, we too pay taxes for our cars. It's not called a road tax, it's a personal property tax. Anything outside of real estate here in the states, is considered "personal" property. Misleading in term, as your home is also your "personal property", but being afixed to the earth "unless you're a tornado target", it's considered a "real estate tax". Tax amounts vary by each seperate county in each individual state. In translation to your tax, my tax on the 05' 4runner was about $230 dollars....translation into Euros would be about $345 euros.