nc211

That's the one! Thanks TT The ole' memory isn't quite what it use to be, or it's just cluttered up with other junk these days..

Thanks guys & gals for those very kind words! I really enjoy helping folks here, and having a bit of fun too! We're now about 4 months pregnant, starting to show, and the wife has finally regained her energy. The 1st trimester was a breeze, no morning sickness at all, just very very tired. Hopefully the rest of the pregnancy will be as easy on her. Just one round of the flu, over thanksgiving weekend, and that's all. Lexirx, I agree about waiting to start a family until the moms&dads have had a little time to themselves. We wanted to do some travelling first, and right on cue', the day we got back from our last "must see place before baby", baby-time-clock started to tick. We've covered New Zealand, Australia, Fiji, Germany, London, Paris, Amsterdam, Switzerland, Rodeo Drive, Newport Beach and a few others. Now it's family time, with a few "Clark Griswald" roadtrips to Wallyworld. Oddly enough, you guys would get a kick out of knowing that I've strung up over 3,500 christmas lights this year, blown two fuses, and shorted out one of those saftey outlets! But, thanks to my many extension cords, the house is lit up like a freakin' runway, and blinding the neighbors in my culdasac! Hahaha... Keep your eyes open for a newbie someday from Raleigh with a 95' black LS400, with approx. 135k miles... They just might be the new owner!

Anyone have that website for the toyota manuals, where you pay $10 for 24hour access and can download the entire thing? I did that for the LS, and would like to do the same for the 4runner, but I can't remember what it was... something like www.tis, or tsi, or tyso...yada yada.... Thanks!

Let's see..... engine sputter, engine failure, won't start....BMW.....Hmmm. sounds like text book issue with the rear passenger side reading lightbulb..... Hahha... I couldn't resist man! Honestly, sounds like a bad coil pack to me, which BMW is pretty famous for, especially in their 3 series.

T4 fluid is very important if you ask me. I've only used it, never would diverge from it. You say you had the car into the dealership 3 times for this same problem while it was under warranty? How long ago was that? I'm assuming it was years "original owner?". If not, if it was recent, then the clock is still ticking on the warranty, and you have legs to argue that they are dodging the problem to avoid having to pay the $2,300 for the computer, which is exactly what my dealership was doing when i bought mine back in 04'. Thankfully, I found this site, found that TSB, and marched right back in there and said "out of all of the TSB's ever issued on this car, this is the ONLY ONE that is HIGHLY recommended by LEXUS/TOYOTA to be performed. You didn't miss it, you just don't want to own up to it!" Guess what, they fixed it. I don't know what the long-term life of the ECM is, but I do know you can hammer down on them by pointing out the fact that this is the one problem that has been repeatedly reported to the NHTSB by numerous owners, the dealership failed 3 times to fix it, and you now have proof as to what SHOULD HAVE BEEN DONE the FIRST TIME! I guarantee you, freakin' guarantee you, that if you were to go back to the dealership now, out of warranty with this problem, they'd go straight for that TSB and charge you the thousands of dollars to fix it. No doubt about it... On their dime? "we don't know what's wrong"...on your dime? "it's your engine computer, well known problem for the 95-96' series, $2,300 for part alone". If your service was recent, and they're doing this cat n' mouse routine with you even after you present this finding to them, and the fact that they've never fixed the problem, and won't acknowlege the computer, then call Lexus Corporate in California and complain. Let the Corporate Office put the pressure on the dealership to perform it's responsiblities, as perscribed by Lexus. They'll do it then I bet!

it's you engine computer...you have what is known as "Off-Throttle-Shock", which is part of the largest technical Sevice bulletin ever issued on the car. I had this too on my 95 and forced the dealership to replace my computer under their 90 day window warranty. What is happening is that when you take your foot off the gas ever so slightly, the computer is cutting the fuel to the engine too quickly, which is creating a reverse-torque in the driveline, which is the buckeling/shutter you're feeling. Do a search for "Off Throttle Shock" and "ECM" you'll see some posts and attachments, one of which is the actual TSB issued for the fix. The computer is not cheap, but there are ways to have it reprogramed in the aftermarket world. I guarantee, it's your computer.

i'm trying to help you in the other thread you started about this....

Austin, you need to add that additional .25 quarts. I did this proceedure with my 95 at least a dozen times over the years, always put in exactly 2 quarts, always, and never ever ever had a single problem. After about the third cycle, the transmission felt like it was brand spankin' new. I drained that pan on a steep hill, car jacked up on one side, flat surfaces, etc... you name it. Always 2 quearts out, 2 quarts in. Stick to that, and you'll be a-ok...

Doug, crucial question: Is it doing it when you take your foot off the gas, like it's jerking a bit? Say you're just cruising at that 45-50mph window, nothing aggressive, then you take your foot of the gas to coast....is it jerking then?

I've watched this thing at least a dozen times today, and each time I just bust out laughing! Blake, I sent your picture to all of Auburn friends that have been giving me sh** all week about being beat 6 times straight. I'm no LSU fan either, but at least when you guys come to town, you usually burn something down on Auburn's campus!

In light of all the chatter about personal driving habits recently, I thought I'd post this ABSOLUTELY HILARIOUS video clip, sent to me from an Alabama born attorney friend of mine "even though he's an Auburn fan :chairshot: " You'll need to listen closely, as the sound it a little hard to hear. Enjoy! http://www.biggeekdaddy.com/humorpages/Mis...wnmowerDUI.html

Now that's a slick looking LS! I love those wheels, really gives it a handsome and classy look! I can see where this would be a very hard temptation to not take in regards to trading the 4runner for it. 4runners are sweet, I love ours, but the LS430 is in a league all it's own! However, you'll miss that power rear window, especially in the Home Depot parking lot! Hahaha... LS's and plywood go together like a Fiat & a long road trip....some things just don't work! That's why you have friends in NC that'll gladly let you borrow his 4runner, while he borrows your LS!

Very true.. honestly, I don't know what it is around Atlanta, as I'm usually white-knuckled just to keep pace and not get mowed over. I think it's 65mph. Off topic, but I do know the cops all line up on the western side of Atlanta, just on the outskirts like a net and just tag people left and right, heading to Alabama. Lexkid, I hear ya' man. To each is his own, as are the consiquences "god I wish I could spell sometimes". We've been around here for some time now, and I think it's safe to say that you've done well enough in life to afford certain luxuries, one of which is speeding tickets and inflated insurance rates. But man, seriously, becareful. Those are "grease-spot" speeds if you should blow a tire or have to avoid a deer, or anything else that would require a sudden shift in direction, especially in an SUV. It's not the resposiblity of those obeying the speed limits that are in your way to quicken up your commute. And God forbid if something like a blown tire should happen to you, you'll almost certainly, and unfairly, have to involve those other motorists around you. We've all read those news clippings....someone was going too fast, blew a tire and rolled across the median into oncoming traffic, etc..... Not meaning to preach to you man, you wear your own. But next time you're screaming down the highway at 100mph, how about taking a look at some of the faces in the cars you're passing, and ask yourself if the 30 minutes you're saving is worth the possible life ending destruction it could cause them and their families, not to mention the potential life altering and financialy damaging effects it could have on your own family. Because amigo, if this worst case scenario were to happen and it involved my family...well, I'd have a very difficult time not lining up the attorneys to take every single penny that person left behind, not just what they had, but what was coming to them as well. And, at those reckless and disrespectful speeds, I'd easily win. I'd find out the max payout from their insurance company, and triple it, which would ultimately go into their personal assets, checking/savings account, investments, equity, etc... It has happened before, several times, usually leaving the remaining family members left with nothing but bankruptcy options. An "accident" is just that, an "accident". But one at 100mph, isn't an accident, it's intentional manslaughter. So, just be careful man! You're rolling the LexKid's family dice when you're doing those kinds of speeds.

Ahh Geezz Haha.... I'm still sticking around. For the thousand$ I spent, and hours under the car, I feel an obligation to pass along the stuff I learned from 3 years of ownership to the new crop. Plus, honestly, this is the only website I really like and am a part of. I've signed onto other forum sites, 4runner.coms, bmw, infiniti, subaru, mazda, but none even come close to this one! Heck, I can't seem to get answers over on the 4runner site. Plus, if I leave, DC will steal my cheetos n' beer, and who's gonna keep SWO in check with my Infiniti G35 v. ES cracks?! :D Another lexus will certainly be in my future, we'll just have to wait and see. I was telling Blake that when the baby comes in May, my wife is going to take the 4runner and I'll be driving the Mazda 3. One, the gas mileage of the Mazda is amazing. We're fortunate enough that my wife doesn't have to work anymore, so I'll be the only one commuting. Two, I don't feel nearly as confident about the Mazda's ability to perform in an accident as I do about the 4runner, and I don't really want my infant getting blasted by 8 airbags. So, I'll be in the Mazda... But, it's small and a freakin' riot to drive, but it's small....too small for a business man in certain settings. So....in the back of my mind....something a tad bigger might replace it in the next 12-18 months. Possibly a 02-ish GS. But, who knows.... I do know I'm sticking around here for a long time. I want to see Blake hit 500,000! And SW03ES change his screen name to SWLS4*0!

The LS is very reliable, but not bullet proof, and certainly no more reliable than other Toyota built cars that will cost you a LOT LESS if they need some repairing. My suggestion to you is look for a camry or something like that, for now. The LS isn't too difficult to work on yourself, which is the key component to owning one of these older cars, to make them somewhat affordable. If you can't fix stuff yourself, then you're going to find yourself way over your head in costs. But, the other problem is the parts, they're not very cheap either, and the older these cars get, the more expensive the parts are going to become. You need something with the realiablity of the LS, w/o the overly inflated maintenance costs for that "L" on the grill. For example, I have an 05' 4runner, same engine as the Lexus GX470, and many other same/similar parts. Toyota dealer will give me a bumper to bumper inspection for $49 bucks...same inspection for the GX470 is more than twice that. Oil filter..$4...lexus? $9. Same parts... I say an older camry, corolla, etc... Something that has an average parts price of about $40 bucks, not $120 like the LS has these days. Not to mention the gas mpg of a V8 in the mountains either.. True, mileage on the LS doesn't affect it like other cars, but age is age, and in your neck of the woods with the cold and such, mounts, bushings, seals certainly have been effected, especially on a car with a dented hood, busted head light, broken a/c...aka...not taken care of very well. An abused or neglected LS400 can run you into bankruptcy, very quickly. They're some of the best cars ever made, but they're just cars, man made machines. Camry, Corolla, Maxima, etc... something reliable, fun, and cheap to fix. Lexus has 2 of those 3, but the 3rd can be the killer.

Well my LOC family, it's with mixed emotions that I tell you I am officially no longer a lexus owner. My LS sold this week for $7,350. Somebody around here got a great car for a good price. I'm happy with the price, right in the sweet spot for private party KBB value. It took about 4 months to sell, but it finally did. So...one day I will update my profile with "200* LS430", but it'll be awhile. Got a baby on the way, and I don't think my patience could handle diapers in my LS. The 4runner will be the baby-!Removed! slingin' machine for the next couple of years.

I'm waiting for one of our Atlanta members to chime in with "90mph is school-zone speeds around here on I-20". Blowing the carbon out on a back road somewhere is one thing, when you're all alone. But I agree with SWO that those who speed with traffic around, usually tend to push the others to speed as well, and create that musical-lanes syndrome like you said happens down around you Smooth. I know I75, have family in Naples and friends in Tampa, and it's a zoo to drive on the freeways sometimes, very dangerous and irritates the crap out of me too. Add in the millions of senior citizens on the roads down there, and it's a wonder the entire state isn't in one big ole' pile-up.

Not that I'm an expert, but I've had good luck with a clay bar first, then Mr. Clean Magic Erasure bars, then some rain-x afterwards. Always served me well, surely helped out on the LS, and seemed to hold it's shine. Or, just spray some sticky substance on them followed by cat nip, then park outside and let the cats scratch the som' beatches spotless.

Hahaa.... :whistles: None, thanks to my lawyer! That includes the great states of Alabama, Kansas, Colorado, and a moment in time that I dare not speak of in my adult years...Kennansville, NC, 1995, coming back from a Drivin n' Cryin' concert. I was drivin', and Sheriff Brown made me a Cryin'! But Lawyerman - Quick-Draw-McGraw in Wilmington gave me the last laugh. Been spotless up until that litte white Mazda 3 showed up in my garage last spring... B)

Banking wise, I'm fine, I'm a credit union member myself. But my mortgage however is in the hands of a different bank in Texas, which caters to businesses, but has a decent size portfolio of residential loans, and they charge the fee. All the other places, like the cable company, gas company, tried to pay my taxes on the car today, they all charge this stupid fee. I understand business, and convenience has it's price, but how stupid is it to charge for certainty of receiving payment? Just seems like poor business practice. I'd much rather charge someone for sending me a hand written check, so I can at least use that fee to pay the salaries for the 5 employees it takes to process that check. Just brings back ole' Arsenio Hall moments of ".....makes you go, hum?" <_<

You know what I don't get these days? These "convenience" fees the utility companies, banks and local revenue board charges you if you wish to pay your bill online or over the phone with your debit/credit card! I mean seriously, does it make any sense what-so-ever to charge someone an additional $11 dollars for them to get thier money, instantly, without the need for employee assistance "aka a paid employee"? Take for instance my mortgage; I use to be able to just walk up stairs, flip on the computer, log into the bank's website, and click "pay now"..and boom..it's done. But now they charge a freakin' $15 fee for me to do that...but they don't charge a single penny if I write out a check and mail it to them, so some lonely and probably miserable employee in the back office can earn $9.50 an hour to open my letter, enter my check info, process the check, bundle the check, and ship it off to the federal reserve for cancellation. Now, you tell me what makes more sense to you; Charge $15 for getting your money instantly via electronic transfer "that is instantly verified before acceptance"; or don't charge anything for the manpower to process the check and hope it doesn't bounce "i know i know, they charge for bounced checks", but still, the added time to deal with it, doesn't even come close to the bounced-check penalty. Just a messed up thing if you ask me... especially the banks with mortgage payments in today's environment. If I were some CEO, I'd reverse this decision pronto, and reward my customers who require less of my staff's input to pay me my money, instead of penalize them.

#1, until #2 &/or #3 are "no brainers" too! You know what they say...if it ain't broke, then no need to be broke. :D Funny that you mention the stiffer ride of the M already. If you're noticing it now, you'll definetly notice it more later on. Nissan's in general seem to rattle a bit more as the mileage rolls on, and starting with a stiff ride that you notice already, might drive you nuts later on. But, having said that, you don't see too many used M's being offered for sale, which tells me something. But, you don't see too many on the road in general, which I like too. Tough call...but Steve, you KNOW YOU'RE AN LS MAN! The M' is just a substitute for your inevitable LS!

Dear Santa, Please disregard the Red-rider BB gun with the compass in the stock, and replace it with a bus pass and new 10-speed bicycle. LexKid, what in the world!?!? I hate to say it, but it's looking like you're screwed on this one Bubba' since you paid the first one w/o trying to contest it. By paying the 1st one, and now in-light of this new one, you're basically telling the court that "yeah, I was speeding, so what, here's your fine money, it ain't gonna stop me". Your insurance rates are going to get a bit pricey now. But, I don't think that is of major concern for you. However, I want to point something out that should be of concern; the future.... If you're in a minor fender-bender in the near future, the other guys' lawyer will see that you have a spotted record, and can most likely use that against you if you're in a situation to defend yourself. THAT is where a traffic record can come back to bite you in the tail. I'd call a lawyer for advice at this point. The only way I could see a possible shred of possiblity of you getting out of this one is if you supena the black-box recording in the cop's car "assuming it was on", and you can hear him say he "set you up". A slicked-back attorney could possibly use that as leverage to reduce the ticket, under the entrapment laws. But, it's highly doubtful. It doesn't matter if you're behind him, beside him, above or below, they have radar in the back window, and using "pace" as a method to judge your speed is acceptable, although subjective to the cop's opinion. Having paid the 1st ticket already, it'll be highly unlikely that a judge will believe you, over the cop's testimony.

check around the thermostat with some cue-tips, rub the seal and see if it's leaking. Usually, if the leak is dripping the engine, the seal around the thermostat is the #1 place to start. Or, they did not properly clean the seal area of the waterpump, and possible debrie is stuck in there creating a leak. But check the thermostat first. Just follow the top hose of the radiator to the engine, on the top driver's side. You'll see it. I had this too a couple years ago, thought it was the pump too...but it turned out to be the thermostat seal.

It's not beating the cop in court though, that's not what the attorney does. If your record is responsibly clean, the attorney can negotiate with the DA for a lesser charge, replaced with a little more money on the fine. Trust me, a lot of states do it, a frequently, usually in batches on a designated day. The states aren't dumb, they know you're willing to pay more to them, in order to avoid paying even more to some company somewhere else. States want the money, they need the money, and if your driving record shows that you're a responsible driver, but just screwed up by accident, they'll gladly take your money for their purposes, instead of you giving it to someone else..aka....your insurance company. I'll bet this is why the cop wrote 65 in a 50 as the nature of the offense, instead of the actual speed, which an attorney, and especially the DA, would have no way of justifying to the court for the reduced offense. 36 over is too much to negotiate with, and in many states would of landed you in jail on the spot. But 15 is manageable, and the cop knew it when he pulled up your history on his computer. If you had a bunch of infractions, you'd of been cuffed' & stuffed' by Roscoe himself, on the spot. Just at least call an attorney and ask before you send off the money, it won't hurt and it's free! I got nailed last winter in my wife's new car, and at the end of the day, it cost me $250 bucks total for going 67 in a 50, nothing on my record. It was much like this situation here, cop could of really nailed me, because techinally I was in a construction zone, but because of my good record that he saw on his computer, he didn't check that little box saying I was in one, which opened the door for the attorney to get the state to agree to $75 bucks more on the fine to make it a parking ticket. It was done with a batch of about 200 others just like it, on the same tuesday of every week the DA opens the doors for negotiations...