nc211

GM knew this too, and back in the 90's, they designed some of thier components to actually fail just outside of the 3 year / 36k bumper-bumper warranty. I read somewhere they used inferior bearings in their alternators, powersteering pumps and other components so they would fail around the 40k mile mark. They banked on their profitability coming from the service departments.... we know how that turned out. On the flip side, Acura back in the 80's when they came on the scene, loaded up on the parts as required by law, and spent some serious dough training up the mechanics on how to work on the all new Legend and Integra. But, they manufactored the cars so well, they never came back for servicing other than the normal routine maintence! So they shot their capital on new dealerships, advertising, staff, and parts, and only made money on the profit margins of the original sale, and nearly lost their butts on the servicing side. Nearly put them out of the game actually. Luckily they were able to shift some of that loss over to the Honda's books which smooth everything out and gave them breathing room to perfect their business model. We had an 86' Legend, and the only problem with that car in 200k miles was when you engaged the rear cigerrette lighter....it would short out the battery and the car would actually stall out, and would not restart until you jumped it. Had something to do with the computer. Simple solution was to just toss out the lighter. Shouldn't smoke anyway.

www.lexuspartsonline.com or any other from www.parts.com under Lexus.

you're not getting enough of one of the following three things: 1. fuel 2. air 3. spark I assume your check engine light is not on? I ask, becuase if it were, your mechanic would of pulled the code. Actually, ask him if he checked the codes anyway, and post up what he said. My guess...in all honesty... you're fuel filter sounds like it is in need of replacement. It sounds like if you accelerate normally, the pump is capable of supplying enough fuel at the right pace. But when you ask for more fuel at a faster pace, it's getting locked up at the filter. This is pretty common, and if you check out www.lexls.com, you'll see the tutorial on the process. Not hard, a bit messy though. Highly recommend doing it on an empty tank if possible. OR, you can try a concentrated can of Seafoam on a 1/2 tank, and run the car pretty hard. If you haven't done that yet in general, I suggest a can of it just to clear out any possible water in the tank, and possibly clean up a fouled injector. If not the fuel filter, then maybe it's in your air supply, and since you have a new tps, I think it might be time for the throttle body to be cleaned. But, you would also have a rough idle if that were the case. Question: Do you have a raw gas smell? I ask because if it is the air supply, and your intake is good, your cats maybe clogged. This will usually produce a strong raw gas smell, and after you run the car a bit, if you look under it, they will be glowing hot. Blake918 took his out one day and ran the religion out of it, which dislodged whatever was blocking the cat. I WOULD ASK HIM FIRST if you decide to try that. Don't do it without asking him first! Next is the spark: you could have a fouled plug or bad wire. However, I would of thought the mechanic would of caught that right from the start. However, I don't know your mechanic, and unfortunetly there are those horror stories out there of buying more than you really needed. Not making accusations, just a thought. Either way, you're engine isn't getting enough of one of those three things. I'm putting my money on the fuel supply.

relief "for me".

Mine does this as well. I've torn down the calipers, they're fine. I've had the rotors turned, and they're fine. I've flushed the front fluid completly with new fluid, that's fine. I'm starting to think the stabalizer bar links go bad, as they're little ball joints. I get it in the front and back, and I do recall when replacing my front suspeniosn parts nearly two years ago, one of the bolts on the bar links would not tighten down to the thread...it was just turning the ball joint inside the housing. I also noticed the other day when doing the differential fluid, I can easily turn the rear link on the passenger side left and right, with ease....almost too much ease. Nearly no resistance anymore. The more I think about it... would you not agree this is a "stabalizing" problem, as the car isn't very stable....hence...the stabalizer bar links!

Cheetos N' Beer.... keeps coming back to the basics of life....

Hahaha... I guess "yes sir" fits this reply? Lived in Wilmington for 8 wonderful years...many beers on the boat with many bruises...gonna catch me at somepoint, that's for sure. ;)

Hark, you can buy a case of the fluid from the Toyota dealership for about the same price. I do advise against using anything but the Toyota stuff for the tranny. I think other fluids for other parts is fine, but I'm not sure you want to mix the fluids in the tranny like that. Might be fine, and probably will be fine. I just get nervous with going outside of spec for the tranny, since when "not fine" is usually pretty dramatic to the ole' wallet. Not like a burnt out pump or something like that, that can be corrected via any ole' shop. Please post back later on if you don't mind. I know there has been a little bit of debate over the non-oem tranny fluid v. oem over the past.

As far as I'm concerned, everything but the tranny fluid is going to be synthetic from now on. The improvements of this gear oil has me convinced, synthetic is great stuff! I've got synthetic in the brake fluid, and it's an improvement. I'm going to flush the steering fluid soon and replace it with synthetic as well. Anyone know if they make synthetic coolant? I need a flush soon anyway.

is it a wobble or more like a tug of war left to right, like one side is grabbing harder than the other, and goes back and forth?

Condo prices out there are hidious, but not the worst I've seen. $300,000 for a 800 SqFt apartment "condo conversion" is insane! Have fun with the 7 when the new metrorail construction begins! Good god, you'll still be sitting in traffic for your retirement party! Everyone converted their rentals for condo's out there "rondos" and now there is a void for apartments...which is where we come in. I complained down here at $125 a foot when we bought our house....geez I don't know how you guys do it up there! Must make some buck$! Researched a residential home that just sold in the area, 2400 sqft....went under contract in 10 days, for $650k+! OUCH! You'd have a freakin' palace down here for that! That "welcome home" feeling the car gives is almost too addictive to give up. Think I might just dump the extra few hundred bucks to finish out the updating "new strut mounts, bearings and rack" and just keep on going. I want something more practical for my needs these days, but I don't know if I can give up on that feeling the car gives when you start it up. I am looking forward to warmer weather though, to get the creaks out of it. She shows her arthritis a bit in the cold, as does her current, former hell raising owner. 33 years old is starting to feel like time to pay the bill for the 20's. The car isn't the only thing that needs a tune up these days, that's for sure.

I like the full size SUV's a lot, but not really into the lumbering aspect of how they drive. I spent the past two days being driven around by developers in Swo's neck of the woods for two new deals. One was in a Volvo wagon, the other was a Tahoe. Both nice cars, but when I got back last night "after 5 hours in America's worst airport, Washington Dulles", my old LS was just like that worn in baseball glove. Which is just the best feeling. It's so nice to know your car, covered in ice will start right up, warm up and is so comfy, smooth and quiet, especially after being crammed into one of those commuter planes. That's a tough feeling to walk away from. We'll see what happens in a few months. On a side note, my wife has told me that she has changed her mind about the 07' Camry ! She did not realize they had changed them, saw one, and really liked it. Now all I have to do is get her away from the Carolina Blue color she likes. Powder blue looks like crap on cars if you ask me. Swo, looks like Herndon is about to get another massive mixed-use project, like you guys need more freakin' condo's & starbucks up there anyway. Hahahaa..

the trailer hitch idea is a good one, I would have to store the trailer under the back deck of the house....but I know my wife won't like that, at all. My thought process over this decision is that the cost of the trailer hitch & trailer, annualized, would be about the same amount of money of the difference in the payment for a newer car v. my car now. So I can't really bring myself to doing that. I'm also a bit concerned about the exit strategy of the LS for me. We all know how expensive they can be to repair, and when that repair bill begins to hit the double-digit % of the actual car's worth, I begin to question the logic. I wouldn't worry about it if I haven't already dumped the money in it now to bring it back to life. I just fear "the big one" like the starter going out again, or something like that, that would force me to repair because I couldn't sell it like that anyway. Just got that paranoid feeling that "if you don't sell it, the egr/starter/powersteering pump ~ alternator and rack, are all going to go out at the same time." I was able to dump the repair bills into our house, and zero out the credit card balance. I would rather not give the car that option again. Basically, my thought process is: I can afford an additional $2,000 a year on my car, that included taxes and insurance adjustments, which probably won't be but $500 for both total. A) I could jump up $1,200 a year in payment from where I am now, and buy a newer car still under the bumper-bumper warranty, buy extended warranty and be within my limit +/- $100 bucks. No more family truck runs, new car smell, all wheel drive turbo scream machine. OR: I could set the money aside for repairs, since I'm out of warranty by many years and miles. Hope only one big repair happens at surplu$ time. I'm fine with either one, but the ability to haul stuff, not to mention the all wheel drive aspect in bad weather, has me really leaning towards option A. I'm not one who thinks it is wise to toss money into a depreciating asset, and cars are the worst! But, there is a reason why I get up at 5:30 every morning, M-F. And I"m not sure what's worse, increased payment on a fully warranted car that depreciates, or nickle and dimed about a half dozen times a year at $200 a pop for a car that's pretty close to the floor on value already. Of couse, take into consideration my metal limitation to just realize the car is 12 years old, and a squeek happens. As my wife says "it's fine, leave it alone!" One tiny squeek for me = $500 & several pages of a thread.

dear lord, that thing would be the "haulin' for heaven" express, if i drove it.

Do well, inspector... :whistles: ... I really wasn't expecting anything different with the synthetic gear oil, at all. I was just replacing it because I had a nagging feeling one of the mechanic's who changed the differential supports, or drive shaft, might have spilled some, or didn't refill it to proper levels. Just bugged me. This has turned out to be a nice little suprise, that's for sure.

Well butter me muffin; DC is inspector 187 at the toaster factory! I can only imagine the rowdy crowd at the annual toaster conference in Vegas! hahahaha.... What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas...especially things covered in jelly and smell like..burnt toast.

Trust me, I don't let a senseless bashing thread go by me unanswered. One word.... Monarch.... Hahaha...

The home owner association won't allow it, and I really don't want a beater truck sitting out. I thought about that, but the Mrs. won't have it, at all. I am in no hurry to sell my car, at all. It's a great car, probably the best one I've ever owned, and if the numbers don't work the way I want them to, then I'm just fine with keeping the LS and borrowing the truck on the weekends to get our stuff. But I'm at that point where the numbers will tell the story and not the actual car's performance. I would like for us to be able to buy that piece of furniture we see at a garage sale or something like that, and actually get it home the same day w/o burning a 1/2 tank of gas and 3 hours to get the truck. Simply put, the only reason I am even slightly considering the change is for the ability to haul stuff, that's the main reason. I found a 05' Outback at the Toyota dealer w/ 20k miles. Had the 3.0 Boxer-6 engine, fully loaded. In order to make the numbers work, I need about $3k, simply because the loan balance and trade value of my car is flipped over, which is to be expected on a 12 year old car. The market value and balance not flipped over, but the trade value is. I bought this car for affordablity reasons back in 04', it fit my budget, and was the most bang for the buck. Of course the repairs ate me alive a couple times, but recovered. Now the affordability factor has come up a bit, and it's not a stretch to bump up the payment $50-$75 a month into the $300's. Which put's the fully loaded Outbacks in reach "used of course". Plus, we're getting ready to update the Mrs.'s family beach house on the outter banks, and I sure could use the space to haul stuff back n' forth, like our old furniture and tools to use on the weekends. Might have a use for that air hammer after all! The LS just can't do that, and when it can, I have to line the back seats with blankets so I don't tear up the seats. Just would like a little bit more utility, at the expense of luxury of course. The only other Lexus I would buy would be the 430's, and I'm gonna have to wait a few more years for the 04's - 05's to come into my reach, comfortably.

The car is extremely smooth, and I've noticed that when I let off the gas, it coasts 10x's better, no feeling of pulling something behind it. It's also extremely quiet back there, no noises whatsoever. So far, the synthetic oil is spectacular. No signs of leaks from the shaft seals. I've also noticed the engine seems to be quieter too, like it's not straining at all. I wouldn't think gear oil in the differential would make a hoot of difference in the engine's performance, but I can honestly say, it feels better, and is definetly acting less strained.

It has become quite frustrating to have to drive 120 miles round trip to my inlaws house to pick up the farm truck, just so we can go to the Home Depot which is 2 miles from our house. We need something that can haul stuff, not a truck or a big ole' SUV, but a wagon of sorts. My wife simply won't have one, she hates them, and feels that at 27 years old, she's not ready for what she calls "a baby on board" mobile. I on the other hand, love wagons! In our pursuit of looking for a car for her, I noticed a 06' Subaru Outback turbo, fully loaded over the weekend. I've had an Outback before "99", an the only 2 reason's why I got rid of it was due to lack of power, and sparce interior. Those are the only 2 reasons. The new ones have tons of power "240hp / 0-60 5.9 seconds", and plush interiors with wood trim, wood wheels, sunroofs, etc... So I was thinking in a few months, depending on bonus time and salary adjustment, I might take the plunge. Any suggestions on what my car might be worth? Not going off of market data, simply because we're beyond the salvage value of the car, but more so market demand. As you guys know, the car has been freakishly maintained, and all issues have been corrected with genuine Lexus parts, and in many cases, genuine Lexus service. The car comes with a stack of receipts, the entire repair manuals "4 3'inch binders" that demonstrate how to do EVERYTHING on the car. And, it actually comes with the honest opinion of the dealership's top mechanic. Everytime it goes in to the dealership, it comes out with the "nicest 95' we've seen". She's got 125k miles, needs nothing. Every issue known to man regarding the 95' LS400 has been fixed on my car, from suspension bushings, to new starter, to new ECM and even driveshaft binding. All OEM, all properly inspected by Lexus dealership. Heck, I bet the mechanic himself might be interested in the car. So you guys think $8,000 is a fair price? Too high, too low?

Is the fluid looking better with each drain and fill? Or is it just simply black every time you drain it out. Also, how many miles between drains, and especially what kind of fluid are you using? You should be using the Toyota OEM Type IV, which is red. I wouldn't mess with aftermarket fluids in this tranny, especially at your car's age. I drain and fill mine every oil change as well, and the old is red, like the new, at 3k miles. If I skip one, and do the drain n' fill at 6k miles, it looks a little darker, but not much. If I skip two, and do it at 10k, it's maroon. I only put in 2 quarts, not three. For me, it seems to drain exactly 2 quarts, and I put in exactly 2 quarts. The fluid level is exactly where it should be on the tranny stick, both hot and cold settings.

Geezz, did you guys read some of those postings? That kid "Lexusispos" sounds like a real winner! I haven't been over to the MB forums in years, but I can imagine if I posted up "Lexus owner here...what cha' think about that?" I can imagine I'd get booo'd out the front door. Hahaha.. I think the best posting was this one from Bembo: "Daimler Chrysler must have walked by and tripped and spilled it cheapness onto the C class interior." I also dig this chic. The caption should read "Cats; I like to eat cats" Or: "Oh my GOD, I shouldn't of taken that second hit! Who in the hell invited Barney the dinasor to this thing?" Or: "Rich man in a Mercedes...hello big boy! " Or: "I'm about to drop my lunch! Damn !Removed! dog!!"

I have not been married long enough to master the reverse phsycology skills yet, how do you think I ended up with 3 cats! I know what you mean about the shoes... my response is usually "whichever one is easiest to remove from my as$ later when I tell you I'm too drunk to drive us home, here are the keys". Hahaha... I think I'm going to have to just sit back and let her pick one out, but I do have to keep up the offense to get her to actually pick one out, otherwise we'll be driving that lawnmower for 20 years. She's not into cars. That thing has some serious road rash in the front, and starting to show signs of rust from those marks. Time to retire that thing before it gets expensive.

Roadblocked....although I hear you guys, and completely agree. But this theory has been shot down several times with the "why give up my Civic for something with the exact same of miles?" I get killed every time by that one. She does now understand the difference between my obsessive nature of preventive maintenance v. actually being broken down. She's seen me one too many times under my car to believe us about the 80k Lexus v. 30k anything else..... this is what I refer to as "lock, load, fire...OUCH, THAT'S MY FOOT!"

have you checked the trunk for a small metal rod banging around in there? Like the spare tire equipment, specifically the car jack coming loose from it's seat? Mine came loose once, and before I hauled off and spent the money, by chance, I went for the jack to life up the car in the front "unreleated problem" and realized the jack had wiggled itself loose from it's seat. No more noise. But, if I had to venture a guess or two, I would think upper balljoint on the control arm? They seem to be likely culprits at your car's age. I've also heard of the lower control arm's bushing in the hub going out. There is a thread on here from probably 4 months ago about the ASUS 530 buhsing repair kit for it. Like $40 bucks I think?