nc211

Comish, you've got a couple cheaper options to take first, before buying the entire farm. 1st: If your rack is leaking, it is usually due to pressure build up due to a clogged filter screen somewhere. 9 out of 10 times, this is the tiny filter screen in your power steering solenoid, which regulates the amount of over-boost. Your power steering pump is leaking too? Well, that is normal on those models, and I would suggest fixing that FIRST because in all likelyhood, it's going to drip onto your alternator and take it out too...it's happened on MANY gen 1 LS's. THAT would be my first expense for the mechanic. Amigo, don't mess with the dealership, and certainly don't take his advice on not buying aftermarket parts...he's just trying to scare you into buying their over-inflated priced parts. The rack banging around.... Look at your rack, see those to U clamps on either end that hold it down? See the rubber gromments those two U joints are covering? Those are the two gromment "bushings" that you probably need to replace. They're maybe $15 bucks each, if that. Two bolts per U bracket...super easy to do. I've replaced mine, and it made a nice difference. It sounds like you're ready too, as your rack is probably banging against the subframe which it is attached to. Here is what I would recommend you do... 1) Remove the solenoid and clean the screen.... flush the power steering fluid. Here is the thread that can show you how. It's not hard, and you don't have to jack the car up if you don't want. http://us.lexusownersclub.com/forums/index...enoid&st=75 this is free.... 2) order your rack gromments online, I use www.lexuspartsonline.com, the other guys will chime in on where they buy their stuff too, there are several places. Sometimes it's called steering flange too. They're not that expensive, so if you wanted to over pay, you could get them from the dealership, and maybe spend an extra $25 bucks total. 3) www.mavalgear.com for all of your powersteering components. These ARE lexus parts, they're just reconditioned. Many guys have used these, and have not heard a complaint yet. YOU need a new pump, and you'd best be served to do it as soon as possible. 4) Your noise you're hearing up front in your suspension. Look at your springs, especially where they sit on the strut rod mounting on the bottom. If you look at that flat surface where your springs sit against, you'll see a little notch. This notch acts as the stopper for the springs to twist. If the end of the spring is not seated in that notch, then the springs could simply be rubbing against that metal surface every time they move. To test this, put a little grease on that contact point and see what happens. Mine are not set in that notch, and I too get a noise, which sounds like metal on metal. Looking at that flat surface on my car, I can see where the end of the spring is scraping along the metal toward the notch-stopper. Look at the picture attached, I've circled the area of focus for you. You might need a new power steering damper as well. These are just like shock's, or like your hood struts that hold the hood up. You can buy them online as well.

yours might not of, but his might, as this is usually a common solution to sounds like this. plus, it's a cheap part, and why not start with the cheapest and go from there? do as you wish, but a bad seal seat of a radiator cap can make this happen too...

yes, that is the type of fluid you should use, the Toyota Type IV. It replaced the Type II from way back in the day. I use it exclusively, and my tranny shifts flawlessly. I would be cautious of the "flush" since she's a dozen years old, and maybe do the "drain n' fill" instead. Drain and fill is just that, you drain out the 2 quarts from the pan's plug "it stops coming out at 2 quarts". put the plug back in, pour two quarts in through the tube in the engine bay, and off ya' go. If you suspect the fluid is in really bad shape, I would do this about every 100-150 miles for the next 1,000 miles. It's very easy to do. The "flush" can be a bit harsh on the seals sometimes. The drain n' fill is more gentle, and lets the new fluid's detergents clean the parts. The tranny holds like 7 quarts, but you only get 2 from the pan. After about the 4th drain n' fill, your fluid should look brand spankin' new, and the car will be shifting perfectly. You'll notice a difference from the 1st drain n' fill, and it just keeps getting better from there. Once you're good to go, I would recommend the drain n' fill every other oil change, or 6-7000 miles. Ive been doing this for the past couple of years, and have 110% confidence in my tranny. It's silky smooth. Buy a case of the fluid from your TOYOTA dealer for like $50 bucks, and you should be good for at least a year+.

I find it very interesting to watch these results from the late 90's "merge-fanatic" coporations who were chasing the stock market day-trader craze moreso than focussing on the products. I think we're all in for a show soon, as these automakers begin to unwind the ball of mergings and let the designers get back to what they do best...which was design. Who will stand, and who will fall is a crap-shoot if you ask me. I agree with SWO on the massive pensions and such for the american auto worker. But, I think that is a nationwide issue for all manufactoring companies. Which touches on a very touchy subject of Union's involvements. I can say from experience, both on the union side "former Teamster w/n the movie business", and on the financing side "union labor expenses on hotel operations", is it's a two-sided sword. Nonetheless, it is the biggest expense to deal with, and I think we're going to begin to see a lot of political jaw-jabbin' about it in the coming election. I will say this however, I do not feel someone who took the burden of massive student loan debt to eductate themselves to become lawyers, doctors, financial experts, architects, etc.... should have thier buying power diluted because some union shopsteward insists on his flock having the same hourly wage, or they will go on strike. I don't know, it's a tricky thing, and even moreso when you're talking about people's livelihood and financial security. Will Chrystler survive? The "fireball V8" and original minivan outfit? Yes, no question about it in my mind. I think Chrystler has been hiding on the asset side of others' balance sheets for many years, and robbing the snack bar at the Mercedes shop. Now it's time to see if they learned anything, and come out with some competitive cars. They do have some nice ones out now, but starting to show their ages. In terms of the American car maker, I stick to my original outlook....... be ready for the return!

I second that!!! i would have to assume the suspension bushings have been replaced, i don't think it could be drivable with that many miles on the originals. that thing would rattle-rattle-clatter-clatter-boom-boom-boom like Flavor-Flav's teeth at a rap concert, in Alaska! hahahaa... At 400k miles, i wouldn't judge any book by it's cover, that's for sure. and seeing as how parts are getting more expensive as the models age....it's a gamble. the stock stereo is now well over $2,000+ "for brand new from lexus".

and I can attest that DC's stuff is goood!!! I'm thumpin' with my replaced oem sub, thanks to him!

radiator cap.... change it. seal is bad, sound coming from system depressurizing itself after car is turned off. it happens....... no biggie...

But if you want to know where you made the shift form potential boyfriend materiel to brother status.... it happened when her mom approved of you, which is why she likes Mr. McMoran-Snorthound-DubbieDumbAss. Mommy don't like him, so she does. Happened to me a few times too man. Being southern by nature, Yes Sir / Yes Maam is my way, and I expect kids to address me as such, as I have. But when we moved to KC in the late 80's from Birmingham Alabama, my Sir's and Maam's put me as "the prize" in momma's eyes. Which totally wrecked me. However, in college, girls stop rebelling against their mom and dad, and they actually look for someone they could bring home to meet the folks. Well, the kind of girls you want to be with anyway. Watch out for the others, what used to be a butt kicking by bad-boy boyfriend behind the KenTacoHut "Kentucky Fried Chicken / Taco Bell / Pizza Hut, all under 1 roof", now becomes a trip to the clinic for "it burns when i pee". YOU DON'T WANT THAT! When in doubt, screw the rubber, just go home and get online!

Although I'm a little freaked out where SWO's "sis" relationship has gone to, a little too southern for me, if ya' catch my drift! Hahaha.. BUT, I agree with him 110%! Dens, you just wait for college my man, you'll see... It's a WHOLE new ball game, with all new rules and players. The best thing about college v. high school, is that in college, you get to meet people who come from all over the world to learn the same things you want to learn. You meet people who are like you, because they want to be like you, they share your interests and your goals. THAT makes all the difference in the world man! Instead of being stuck with the same people in the same zip code for 4 years straight, going through the same classes and same life-steps as you. In college, it all changes. AND, the theory of drug addicts=cool and cool nice guys = uncool, becomes "sooooo highschool" like, totally, oh my gawd. Those drug addicts now become wasteoids who are stuck in the same rutt, going no where. As where Mr. College guy gets to move on. You'll win amigo, no worries, you'll win. Just give it a few more months, heck, even a few more weeks, and you'll see! Once you graduate from High School, you'll start preparing for college, and you'll see how things change. It's a GREAT time in a young man's life, if you've played your cards right, which judging from your posts over the years, you clearly have! You're about to get your reward Dens, and I have a feeling you're gonna love it! And that girl who's strapped a drug addict to her side is about to become quite jealous of you! Time tells all tales, but this one is easy. Stay on course, and you'll soon find yourself miles ahead of what you though was "out of your league". It not only happens all the time, it happens EVERY time!!

Great point about the battery Thread, I would of never thought about that, and I bet pulling the rack off could very well trigger the airbags. Now THAT would be a mess, and make me quite upset! It steers like new again, except for the blow up steering wheel. hahahaha... DC, I'm still selling it, but not in a big hurry too. I already bought a "lists until it sells" add on cars.com, so I'm just gonna leave it up, and see what happens. If it sells, then it sells. But if it takes it a few months, so be it. This car is meant for someone looking for an LS400 specifically, not for someone looking for a car in general. And I think it'll have to sell to someone like that. If it doesn't sell by the time we have the house projects closure to done, then I'm probably going to eat the lost equity of selling it myself and trade her in, or put it on a consignment lot. It's a great car, but I really want to try something else for a while. There can't just be the LS400 that's so good out there, otherwise we'd all be driving one. In the long run, I'll be back to the 430's, but they're still a bit out of my reach, and I don't have the funds nor the patience to rehab another LS. From what I've read on the bmw forums, I can completely rehab a 325 wagon with about 50k miles for around $800 - $1,000. That includes waterpump, control arms, all fluids, etc..... That's pretty darn good! I don't know what it is about those 325 wagons, but the sport models just look so dang sharp to me, and I really like the way they drive. Not as smooth as the Lexus, not as quiet either, but not bad either. Although I'm still on the fence about the sport seats and the normal seats. Almost too much side bolster for me, but that's also coming from an LS driver....aka...living-room on wheels. One thing I won't really miss though is the lost converstations with my passengers. It's almost a guaranteed promise that anyone who rides in my car, is usually sound a sleep within 10 miles, or drolling and in a state of comatoast due to it being so quiet and smooth. hahahaha.... kind of boring for the driver sometimes!

try www.gsp9700.com, "locate a shop" near you that has that straight trak equipment. I had mine done about a year ago on the other side of town with that equipment, and it was dead-on-center-perfect. Best I've ever had. The dealership doesn't have the straight-trak system, and when the car was in the shop for a minor repair, they realigned it to their specifications, and ruined it.

I'm probably going to buy a Maval reman rack for the car. Steering is a new area for me. Has anyone replaced their rack on their own? Is it hard to replace the rack, especially with car on jack stands and not on a lift? Are we talking about a few nuts and bolts, or is it a more intense process that requires a lot of time/effort/pain, like getting at the starter? Thanks guys.

I agree and disagree on the records. On one side, why show them all the records of things that have gone wrong? But on the other side, this is a 12 year old car with nearly 130,000 miles, and I would think anything that old would sell better if it could be proven that the previous owners both were super anal about maintenance. It's a flip decision, and basically comes down to the buyer. If someone just wants the car to trick it out, then I probably wouldn't go through the hassle of laying out the history in great detail. But if someone like myself comes knocking, I think they would like to see that the previous owner paid to have the entire stereo system replaced due to a scrambled read out, with true Lexus parts, had the seat belt fixed because their kid tugged on it, that sort of stuff. All the repairs that were done by the 1st owner were all minor, as most records are just service interval records, with the minor "customer says sunvisor rattles, new one ordered under TSB hd434", that sort of stuff. In light of the fact that gas prices are going through the roof again, and the fact that my wife and I are still updating our house, I'm not in a big hurry to sell the car, and will pull back a bit on aggresively advertising it. If someone comes up to me and says "I'll buy your car" for a decent price, then it's sold. But I think what will happen is that I'm probably just going to trade it in either in the fall or towards next February-ish "bonus season for me". I do want one of those BMW 3 series wagons, I'm dead-set on one. I love them! But, the LS is the LS, and like I've said before, this thing will probably outlive me. Now, onto a couple repairs I want to do....

Oh I'll still be around here, got too much knowledge to pass along to the newbies. And this is one of the best forums out there! I did lower the price down to $9,200. However, if you scan my area, you'll see I"m priced in the lower half, espeically for the miles. There arent' that many for sale around here, maybe 15 in a 300 mile radius. And most are either in the 20's with sub 80k miles, or in the mid teens with 80k-100k miles, and then in the $8,000 to $10,000 range no matter what the mileage is. There are a few with nearly 300k miles for the $7k mark, so I think a fully documented LS, with all repairs done, and done RIGHT, I think is well worth the price. You got to rememebr, and one of the things I like about buying older cars like this, is that the value can only go down so far. Either way, sell it or trade it in, I'm ready to give something else a try. There are soooo many cars out there, I feel like I'm missing out simply because I've already discovered the beauty of the LS so soon. You know what I mean? Each car has it's good and bad points, even the LS. I'm ready to try a different blend of good and bad points. If all fails, I can always come back with a 430. My loose feeling was due to my front right ball joint bolt being a little loose. The locker pin on the bolt broke and the bolt loosened up. Dealership fixed it for me yesterday, for free. They only charged me $9.85 for the state inspection. Cheapest bill I've ever had from there! Hahaha... Got the entire history of the car too. 48 pages of service sheets, ranging from a new radio at 48k miles "scrambled read out", to new antenna mask, and anything else the car needed. I never saw all of that before, and I can say the previous owner really did take great care of the car. Always had in for the service calls, oil changes, etc. Even had them fix a rattle in the dashboard at the 10k mile mark. He must have spent a butt load of money up there! $795 bucks for a brake job at 60k miles, and that was for just the rear brakes! :o

Got her listed in the FS section. Car is in perfect shape now, being inspected by the dealership now "160 point thing for $100 bucks". If anything comes back as wrong, I'll fix it, within reason. But, it's time to move on. I need a bit more hauling capacity, or at least fold down rear seats. Plus, need something my wife feels comfortable driving too, just a pain to have two cars of which only one she can handle. I'm suprised she hasn't taken out mailboxes yet with mine. The car is perfect. I want a 01+ BMW 3 series wagon. She's also on cars.com

OOPS, I thought I was in the General Converstion section.... Mod's please move me. Thanks!

I've been doing some comparisons of part prices and such for the 01+ 3 series BMW's. And to my shock, my complete and total shock, they're parts are MUCH cheaper than ours!!! OEM strut mounts for $34 bucks, v. $75 "lexuspartsonline". OEM brake rotors, $50 bucks, v. $108 for Lexus "lexuspartsonline.com". I gotta' tell ya, the prices of our parts are making it tougher and tougher to think of the old LS as a DIY friendly option. I've been in a couple 3 series over the past few weeks, and I won't lie, I really like it. It's kind of nice to be reminded what "sporty" feels like. And if those are the real prices for parts, it's tough to dog on the 3 series anymore. I spoke with a german mechanic this morning about them, and he said the only thing to watch out for are the ones with the GM transmissions. Some have GM tranny's, and some have the ZF tranny's. The GM's burn up bands and are crap, but the ZF's are bullet proof. And he said "if you know how to use a screwdriver, you can fix a 3 series in your sleep." Mine is going in the shop in the morning for the state inspection, and of course, to diagnoise what's causing it to wiggle around. Sure AM GETTING sick and tired of it too.

Ahhh, teenage love, so overly intense, it's simply to simple to simply be simple. Dens, my man, you're on the right track. The only part of your plan that is missing is the seasoning to the stew, which time will take care of for you. You want her to want you? Then you do what YOU do, and stay your course. Might I suggest though, don't spy on the ex, don't even aknowledge him, or let him into your relationship with her. Otherwise, you're tainting your chance to build good memories and good times with her, with bad memories and bad feelings she has with him. You follow me? Mark your lines in the sand, and make sure she understands where you start, and he ends, and don't let that line get blended. You be you, and let him be him. You defenetly don't want to be the "comparison guy". That's a no-win situation for you, and in the end, if you guys do end up together, will be a no-win situation for her too. Because what will happen is that she'll eventually get tired of her ex running around in her world and simply toss in the towel with him, and if you're mentally in that same boat, you run the risk of being tossed out with the bathwater too. I've been down both paths in my life. One was being tagged as the "buddy" who had to listen to all the crap, and never got up to the plate. And, I've been the comparison guy too, always being told "he use to do that too, and I hated it", or "you're so much funnier than he ever was", etc... Eventually "he" being the ex, made such a stink that she got sick of all of it, and out the door I went too. You be you Dens, stay the course, do your own thing, and she'll follow. You seem like a great guy who has a lot going for you. You don't seem like the guy who lets "drama" fester around you, which is a huge attraction for the ladies. The biggest turn on for a girl, is the curiousity of wondering if she can fit into someone's life that isn't the typical life she sees from everyone else. You be you man, and it'll all work out in your favor. Might take a little seasoning "time" for the recipe to come to maturity, but it will. Being you, means you are driving the situation. Being someone else's spy means you're riding in the passenger seat. PS: Almost forgot, under no circumstances should you start comparing stories of your ex, with her and her ex! Otherwise, you're definetly on the path of being one of the girls, and you're marking your spot in the dugout. You can share stories, but god sakes, don't start comparing. When she starts barking about her ex, simply say "whatever, wanna go take a walk around the lake, or the beach, or get some icecream?" Change the subject, tactfully, and quickly.

I second SRK's comment about being the best damn car on the planet, almost to a fault. JTom, once you have one of these, it's really tough to replace them. Not that it's tough financially "personal situation", but it's tough to find anything that rides, drives, and feels as nice as the LS, for the price bracket. Just can't beat them. I know, I've tried and tried and tried again, and I just can't seem to find something I like as much. I've had an itching for a 5 series BMW lately, but one turn of the key, I hear the low rumbling of the exhaust, and I loose all desire for the BMW. I've grown use to the LS's quietness. So, if you ever want something else with a bit more sport to it, or utility to it, well, you might as well up that home equity line to build that third space in your garage, for your other car. THAT'S where these get expensive. You never want to get rid of it, so you have to add on to it. The gas: I've run both, used 87 on the freeway a couple years ago on our way back up from Florida, and I felt a little slugglish, but nothing bad. However, and again just a personal opinion, I see the extra $30 a month for the premium stuff as preventive maintenence myself. I like the fact that it burns hotter, makes the engine smoother, and it is recommended for the car. I'm not quite sure what the compression ratios are for the LS, but I think they're in that range of needing higher octane. My dad's 85 500 SEL Benz I think is a 1:1 compression, which means it could practically run on water. But I think ours are a bit higher. Either way man, I would recommend the premium, just to be on the safe side of things. My 95 has 130k on the clock now, and other than that tank of 87 a few years ago, it's always been premium. I've never had an engine problem, ever. Had a leaking thermostat seal once, but that was it. Never has the car not started, never has it pinged, never has it stalled, never has the fuel filter clogged. The engine's mechanicals have never been a problem. Need a new serpentine belt, and that sort of junk, but the internals have never failed. I thank the premium gas for that. I drive 40 miles a day through back country roads to my office in Chapel Hill. I fill up 2 to 3 times a month, max. 130k miles and I still get 26+ a gallon. My car holds 18 gallons "fill up amount from when gas light comes on". For me, it's a price difference between $3.25 a gallon, or $3.00 a gallon, for a whopping $4.50 difference. I can't even get a 6 pack for that, or a big bag of Cheetoos! My lawmower is one of those walmart $60 specials, Murray I think... Bought it nearly 4 years ago. I've always run premium gas in it, and it has always started on the very first pull, usually within the first 1/4 of the pull. I've never even changed the oil in the thing! Same goes for the weed trimmer, always used premium, and it too starts if I just look at it.

djspawn, it happens on these cars for some reason. Mine is the same way, looks like a trillion little sand pits, and when the sun hits it in just the right spot, or at night with headlights, it makes it tough to see out of. I've tried liquid glass repairs, etc... nothing seems to permanently fix it. I run my and over the glass, and it's smooth, can't feel the pits at all. I think it's within the tint of the glass. Lexus glass has either a greenish tint, or a charcoalish tint from the factory, and I think over time, the sun's uv's pit that tint. I have noticed however that if you claybar the windshield, and then lather it up real good with rain-x, it helps quite a bit! I also clean the inside glass with a Mr. Clean Magic Erasier Bar, which also helps. Those Mr. Cleans are the best product on earth for cleaning glass! They're also great for your headlights. Claybar the lense, then Mr. Clean the lense, then rain-x the lense, and they'll sparkle!

DanW, when I bought my 95, it was doing the same thing, especially when the a/c was running. I took it back to the dealership for a fix, and they adjusted the slack in the throttle cable. There is a seperate tranny computer that is attached to the cable plate on the engine. In shade-tree talk; on the passenger side of the engine, on the top, towards the firewall, you should see the cable plate, where your throttle cable connects to the throttle body. You'll also see another cable with a tightening bolt on it, that is the one to the tranny computer. If you just back that bolt off a turn or two, it should put a little more slack in that line. What happens is that over time the slack in that line tightens up, which can trick the tranny computer into thinking you've got your foot mashed down on the gas. It basically makes the tranny think your going faster and harder than you really are, which makes the computer shift gears faster/harder. Not saying the solenoid isn't worn out, but try the slack adjust first, might save you a few bucks and hassles. I know it fixed mine back in the day. I need to readjust it again now since I've scrubbed the throttle plate and intake clean, seafoamed the intake a few times and put new plugs in the engine. I've noticed the more I do to rehab the engine's performance, the hard it shifts. Just gotta' put in a little more slack, or take some out, don't know yet. My tranny fluid is spotless too, drain n' fill every oil change.

Blake, unfortunetly, you were right, and man, what a PAIN IN THE BUTT it is to take out that seat, especially when it's humid, and the mosquitos are out! But, the new sub is in there, and I'm back to my normal, anti-aging, noise again! Ahhh, The Who never sounded so nice! The old sub was definetely toast, and judging by how well the new one sounds, was toasted quite some time ago! The center cone bubble what completely ripped off of the speaker. It was just flapping around, held on by those two tiny wire connectors. The new one actually makes the license plate cover rattle a bit, and the bass isn't set but a tick past middle. I love it, just freakin' love it! DC, thanks amigo for the hook-up! PS: Celine SUCKS!!!! Saw the moon-lizzard from hell on American Idol tonight, and had to leave the room for fear of erectile dysfunction disease being beamed through the TV.

Actually, it is just that simple.. search "tilt steering wheel problem". You do whatever you want to do, it's your car. But if you're curious, click on this link and check out the attachment in my second posting. Again, do as you wish, but here is what the brains who built the thing have to say about what's wrong, and how to fix it. http://us.lexusownersclub.com/forums/index...=steering+wheel

do a search for this one. there is a simple fix for your problem that has been addressed. the wires are taped too tightly in your steering column and are tugging the connector out of it's seat. It's very easy to fix, just run a search for it.

NICE!!!! Thanks DC!!! I completely forgot about lextreme. Haven't had my 3rd cup of coffee yet this morning, which is probably why I can still see straight and my eyes aren't floating around. Seems easy enough, and shouldn't take but an hour at most. That's good, because I can't take talk-radio anymore, I need my thump back.