nc211

Tofu

My former boss bought one of those Acura's for his wife last year, and they love it! Said it was amazing, and nothing like the typical honda ride "jarring and harsh". But, it was new, so no telling how it will ride at 30k miles. Most Acura's I've ridden in that were more than two years old, rode hard, and some had a very hard engagement into 2nd and 3rd gears. My wife's 03' Civic EX nearly gives me hemmroids, and everytime we go over the top of a hill, I'm practically airborne in my seat. Course', she's a Carolina girl, and drives like freakin' Dale Earnhardt Jr., which the insurance company doesn't know about. :whistles: I would take a look at one that was used, with say 30k miles on it. Although I'm sure technology had improved the car's driving characteristics, I think a used one would give you an idea of what it'll be like in the future. One thing I do know about honda engines, is that they love synthetic oils, which keeps them quieter than normal. They do get a bit buzzy at times. I heard Michael Jordon Nissan was offering 22's spinner on their Sentra's, ya' beatch. $15k for the car, $20k for the wheels....makes perfect sence to me....

Well after two hours of what looked like I watching a tennis match last night at circuit universe, I've aced out the LG. The Pany is still a contender, infact it had the best picture, but I don't care for the plastic casing it's in, it looks cheap to me. The other contender is the Hitachi 42HDS69 series: http://www.circuitcity.com/ssm/Hitachi-42-...roductDetail.do It has 1024 x 1080 resolution vs. Pany's 1024x720, which I would think would be a better picture. But in all honesty, the Pany still is better. It's brighter and a little more crisp. The Hitachi has a dulling effect, like a film screen is over the picture. I'm not sure if it's just a setting, or the actual tv itself. I love the casing of the Hitachi over the Pany, and it has 3 HDMI connectors instead of 2 from the Pany. Steve, on the Philips Amblight, does the tv need to be mounted on the wall to gain the most effect of the amblight feature? Ours won't be wall mounted, but rather sit on a stand in the corner of the room. I like the amblight feature, as I think it gives you a really neat experience, and like you said earlier, a warm feeling. But does it have to be against the wall for the light to spread out around the tv? It's impossible to tell at the store, since it's just sitting out on the shelf. I'm not a big fan of the outter casing, as I think it's a little to big, but I understand that's probably due to the need for the lights to work. The Philips is back in the race. So it's the Pany, Hitachi and Philips. Pany has best picture, Hitachi has best case, and Philips has amblight. I think I'm going to pull the trigger tonight. All three pictures are stunningly amazing! I'm leaning towards the Hitachi. Oh the delima... One more quick question, the SD signals that put the tv into normal mode with the side bars...is there a way to fill in the entire screen so one doesn't have to look at those bars? The pany and hitachi have black bars, not sure about the philips. Some have just grey bars, which I'm not a big fan of. Thanks fellas for your input on this one. This is a bit on the sideline from the traditional "my car stalls" type questions.

Well Swo, I'm impressed!! You know, they say Acceptance is the first step to recovery. unless of course if you hang out with me, and in that case, my moto is "nobody likes a quiter." G35 kicks ES butt!

OK...The time has finally come! Apparently, NC was a good boy this year, and have received clearance from General !Removed! Owner to buy my 42 inch TV. 3 months of injecting "42 inch, HD, 1080i Plasma" has finally worn her down. She is now at the point of "go buy the damn things and shut up!" Haahahaa.. So... I have it narrowed down to two choices; A Panasonic and an LG. I rulled out the new Hiatachi 1080 becuase the reviews aren't as good "I like Cnet for reviews". So, which one do you guys like better? http://www.circuitcity.com/ssm/LG-42-Plasm...roductDetail.do OR? http://www.circuitcity.com/ssm/Panasonic-3...roductDetail.do The Pany has more connections, specifically the HDMI's, but the LG's picture reviews, especially the glare issue, is better, and most just buy a switch box for the HDMI's. Would I need a HDMI for my stereo surround receiver? I have a good Pioneer receiver, with more damn connectors in the back than I make sense of. But wouldn't figure I would need a HDMI for sound???? It does have optical connectors though. Arghh...I can't decide! But have to by this weekend, before Mrs. General thinks of something we need to buy first, which will delay my purchase! PS: My budget cap is $1,500 (excluding cables and taxes of course) The philips amblight is a bit too much out of my reach, at $1,700.

check your vin # to the TSB numbers in this attachemtn. this should tell you what computer you have. 41.pdf

Matt...do a search for the "steering solenoid" cleaning thread. You will see pictures and so forth. I recommend you do this proceedure, as it's not very hard, and will HELP tremendously to ease the pressure build up in your system, as well as return the original steering feel to your car. It gives you the one-finger steering back. My rack, on the passenger side, had a small leak as well, until I did this proceedure "took maybe an hour". I haven't had a single drop since. And my steering is very easy now.

Jeff, on my 95, when one of my exterior bulbs goes out, no matter where it is, I get a warning light on the dash that looks like the back of my car with vertical lines extending out. Do you not have the same type of setup?

Got your email... your mechanic is correct, it is one piece. Attached is a photo of what the suspension looks like. The upper ball joint is attached to the upper control arm, which is #3 in the photo. I got this from www.lexuspartsonline.com within the mechanical catelog. They have it listed for $331 bucks. Your mechanic is probably quoting you the price your local dealership is selling it for. One thing you can try, to save some money, is call the dealership yourself and see if they will sell it to for what you would pay for it online plus shipping. I have done this with my local dealership and they have agreed on more than one occasion. It saves you time "not having to wait for it to arrive" and you get it for the same price. If anything, bump up your offer $10 bucks to compensate for the value of not having to wait for it to arrive in the mail. Usually, shipping is around $20 bucks or so. But to answer your question; yes you are looking for the upper control arm. As far as I know, you cannot replace just the ball joint for the upper section, like you can for the lower one "#5". One of the few "gotcha" issues with the LS. Some may have altered thier control arm to replace just the ball joint, but do you really want to take that chance of part failure for this area just to save a $100 bucks? Plus, the time required to make that alteration will probably cost you more in labor anyway. This is an easy as pie repair. Just 3 bolts, and you also now have new upper control arm bushings as well!

Almost worth moving up north for! Assuming, I can have the "domitate" feature. Hahaha.... Hubba hubba hubba.....NC's been a bad bad boy...

I disagree on the darkening display issue on the 95's. From what I have seen, that has been an issue for the 90-94 series mainly. But, being that 95 is the 1st year of the gen 2 series, it is possible for some of those bugs in the series 1 to come over to the series 2, especially in the 1st year. However, I have not had an issue with mine, and I don't think Blake has with his "270k miles I think, maybe more?". The big issue with the 95 and 96's is the computer. Some models had bad computers which would drop the fuel supply to the engine too quickly when you took your foot off the gas, which would result in a pretty violent buckeling effect at 40-60 mph range. Mine had it bad, which ultimatly resulted in a damaged drive-shaft. But, you can easily check the computer by the vin#. Post up a vin, and one of us can probably tell you if it's in the model range of the old computer. That 95 you posted up looks great! I think the lower grey side skirts might be repainted, as to me it looks a little too bright. But, I could be wrong, and even if it were, no big deal because quite a few of them have had this done. The front of those air dams chip pretty easily after a while "road rash" and to fix it, you have to paint it. Some have just repainted the entire skirt to make it blend. I would not be concerned if the car seems too clean. Just run your car-fax report, run the vin# at the dealership and see if anything pops up. The paint on this series is pretty soft, especially the black paint "mine", but the trade-off is the ability to really make the car shine like new again, with a simple wax job: http://us.lexusownersclub.com/forums/index...showtopic=27799 The 98+ model years have 30 more horses under the hood, and an additional gear "5 speed instead of 4". I'm not knocking the 95-97 series, as I preffer their looks over the 98-00 series. I also like the 4 speed better because it doesn't shift around, just press the peddle and the car accelerates, not down shift. But, it's also a bit louder at 80mph too. And is sprung a bit softer, so you get a little wandering around in crosswinds. However, if the 90k service was done, and it wasn't wrecked, has correct computer, then that car would be fantastic! I would buy it myself. Either way, you won't go wrong with the LS series in general. The one thing you've probably noticed on here, is that the guys with the 90-94 series love them the best, the guys with the 95-97 series love them the best, and the guys with the 98-00 series, love them the best. What that means is that no matter what series you buy, you're gonna love it! Infact, if there's anything you'll hate about the car, is the simple fact that it spoils most other cars out there. Once you've had an LS, it's VERY tough to accept owning anything else. Especially when you've paid less than a Kia for it. That's the gem...best car for pennies....can't go wrong there. I would say...wait for the 98+ you want. The extra 30 hp, VVT engine, and extra 5th gear. Plus, you like that styling better. They're out there, just gotta hunt a bit. PS: That little bump above the air bag on the passenger side...don't worry about it...for some reason the 95 and 96 series do that over time. Mine is that way, and Blake's is too. Infact, when I look at these years, I actually look for the bump, which tells me the airbag has not been repacked.

I was wondering when this question was going to pop back up this year. It seems like it always comes up in winter. 91Lexus, oddly enough, it's pretty normal. Of course, depending on how much it flickers. I mean if it's going dark, then no, that's not normal. But if it's a slight dimming kind of flicker, then I wouldn't worry about it too much. My 95 has done this as well, in fact that battery down in my signature was installed becuase of this exact question, and yet it still does it. I just attribute it to the fact the car is over a decade old, and the wiring probably is a bit brittle and is affected by the dropping temp's. Mine is a very slight flicker, right when the rear brake lights come on, then it comes back to normal. Is this what you're experiencing as well? Haven't seen the "crunch" question yet regarding cold bushings....global warming maybe??

pweber.... to compare and set your mind at ease about the throttle..... i would suggest you swing by your nearest Toyota dealer and take a new Solaro for a quick test drive, or last year's Camry. You will notice, even brand spankin' new, they have that throttle tip-in as well. My folks bought a 2004 Convertible last December, and 1st thing Pop's noticed....the throttle tip in. Same with friends who purchased 2003 new ES330's, up to the dealership to complain and so forth. So no need to worry about that, it's just the car's flaw, of which is probably only one of maybe three in general, one of which no folding down rear seats when you're $500 in the hole at Home Depot. You'll get use to the throttle issue, and there a few tricks we know here that can help. Plus, your driving style will adopt to it, and you won't even notice it after a few miles. Ask SKPerformance about it, he has it as well, and just adopted to it, as everyone usually does. Drive by wire showed up in 98. If you buy that car, you'll find yourself in the garage doing little things like cleaning out the throttle body plate, etc.... to bring it back to new. The cool thing about these cars, is that it takes just a few minor tweaks to have it right back to new condition. It's not an extensive list. And, you'll be happier than anyone on your block. My car is going on it's 12th year, with 126k miles now. It's had some issues, mainly due to poor ownership skills of previous owner, and my over reactive nature. But when anybody rides in it, they're always amazed it's 12 years old, not 3 or 4 years. And I'm not anal about keeping it clean. The heated seats....common problem, and most don't work anyway. There is a TSB "Tech Service Bulletin" on the issue, I have it somewhere but can't find it. Do a search for it, and you'll see it. The car doesn't have air suspension does it? You don't want to mess with that! Trust us, not worth the effort unless you really need it, like it or want it. It's super smooth, but can be quite expensive to repair. You'll know if it has it, as there are two switches on the shifter plate, one above the Pwer/Econ switch. You might need a car loan, but even still, you'd have a payment like $200 bucks at worst, for a perfect car. Plus, your insurance won't be much of anything, as you could probably hit a tank @90 mph and walk away fine. Warning: Either invest in a radar detector, or keep your eye on your speed until you get use to the car. You'll be doing 80mph in a school zone one day, and won't even notice it until the blue light special pulls you over.

Hahaha.... and if my memory serves from my B'ham days, there are a few good, stout women down in Alabama! Especially around Talladega. Just not too sure I would want to be seen in a Toyota 'round dem' parts, if ya' know what I mean. Dat' be some serious Earnhardt territory, and Sr. didn't drive no Camry.

Ouch....that was a bit direct. trying to get up there tomorrow, got fogged out last week and they closed regan. 2nd time's a charm...

Yeah man, still chasing down those miles to catch up to you and Blake. The car is doing good, needs a tune up soon and some general maintance. I haven't had time to even wash it in nearly 3 months. I cut out about 3 hours a few weeks ago to service the front brakes and change the oil, and that's it, that's all I've done to it since September. It looks bad, but operates fine. Good thing about having a garage, and covered parking at the office, is no bird crap! Just a ton of bug guts on the grill, which a quick swipe with the window cleaner stick while filling it up at the gas station usually works.

It is tough to beat the LS series...I've been trying to find something I like enough to replace mine with next year...but I keep ending up right back where I've started... They're not a driver's car like a BMW is, but you're not living the brand's name either, which stands for Better Maintain Weekly. The LS becomes like your old baseball glove, and you find that when you're driving something else for a while, be it a new car or old, you smile when you get back into your LS, and that steering wheel moves down into place, and you whisk on down the road. It's very tough to beat...very tough. The only thing you might face at that mileage is a couple suspension parts that have worn out, and are creaking. Anything you buy w/ 100k+ miles is going to have a few repairs needed, unless you find one that has already had them done, which is rare, because if they were already done, then the car probably wouldn't be for sale, as it probably drives like brand new again. When I say a few repairs, if you're a DIY type, you're looking at probably $500-$1,000 in parts. But once you fix it...it's fixed for another 100k miles. You're not going back in to do it again, and again, and again. One thing you want to factor into the price, is the timing belt and water pump service that is done at the 90k mark. Yes, the 98's have that engine, and yes if the belt breaks, you're engine is pretty much done. But, ask the guys here if they've ever had that problem, and you'll see 99.9% will say no. The 90k service is the mother service, and ranges from $750 "indi shop" to $1,500+ at a dealership. I recommend the dealership for this one, even though it's twice as much, simply because if it's done wrong, you're not left standing in line at small claims court, but rather waiting in the luxury lounge at the dealership. Simply take the vin # to the dealership and they'll give you a maintance report history. You can easily see if the timing belt and water pump have been replaced already. If they have, then$10k is a great price! Coming from a 80's BMW...you'll be in heaven with a 98 LS400...no doubt in my mind.

I think one of the best additions to the automobile industry in general is the emerging turn signals on the outside of the mirrors, and the signal within the glass of the mirror itself....for the exact reason Jim states here. It is tough to see if an LS is coming over a lane when you're coming up on one to pass it, when you're right at it's rear quarter panel.

Obviously that thing you call a house cat was in-doors for the entire two week period... Because if he's anything like my 18 pounder black cat "Ace", the nicer the car = the more fun it is to run from hood to trunk on. And that cat of yours looks like it would enjoy signing it's tag on the hood of a new Benz...just because it could.

check out www.lexls.com for tutorials on your request. And if they help, give the ole' boy a $20 Christmas donation, as we use his site all the time around here for your model series.

Georgi, do you mind posting up the part number from your invoice ticket? I'm just curious what they sell for on the parts site, and I don't think I've ever heard of a peddle position sensor. Although it makes perfect sense, given the drive by wire set up. I must say, I think you've broke new ground here with your request. I can't recall anyone having to replace that part!! We'll have to call you Capital Georgia, of the Star Ship...going where no man has gone before!! Welcome to the club!

it's not the driveshaft....if it were that, you would feel it in the seat, and it would be extremely fast. Question: who balanced the tires? And what kind of tires, how old are they? But more importantly, who balanced them, and what did they use? For the LS...if you want the best balancing, you have to use the hunter systems. All the dealership's have them. But, if you go here: www.gps9700.com and put in your zip code, you'll find quite a few places other than the dealership that has this system as well. You WANT to make sure you have them use the "road force" option. The tire itself will interact with your rims, and can have heavy spots if they're not properly installed. The road force option will find the heavy spots, and they can remount the tire to off-set this. Number 2.... You said you have new rotors... What kind of rotors? OEM or aftermarket, and who put them on. Two issues come up with the rotors: #1) They have two, soft metal, centering screws that are needed upon install. These two tiny screws in the middle will center the rotor on the hub. I know this to be FACT as I went through this myself last spring, and my car shook, shimmied and hopped until I figured it out. If you had the dealership put oem's on, then I wouldn't worry about it, as they know this. #2) Warped....just because they're new, doesn't mean they're not warped and need to be turned ever-so-slightly. I have new rotors on my car, Moutain's to be exact. And my steering wheel had been doing the same thing yours is now, for months. I just had them turned for the 1st time a couple weeks ago....no more shaking. Additional: #3) Pads..more importantly, installation of pads.... They had to be removed to get the rotors off. They sit on two sliding pins. If those pins were not cleaned and regreased, or if one of your shims on the back of the pads is not aligned right "you'll hear clicking when you stop..got this issue myself", the pads can stick just a little too close to the rotors, which will heat up, and eventually lead to a warped rotor. You have 4 options in my opinion. 1) Improper equipment used for balancing "likely" 2) Improper rotor installment "not likely because you would definetly known that quickly 3) Warped rotor "possible" or 4) bad alignment done. Learn from me "search for my wobble thread, it's huge" After a couple of attempts from other shops and nothing works, just pony up to the dealership, demand a senior tech look at your car, and be done with it. I've learned that trying to save $100 here, $100 there...usually ends up spending an additional $100 here, $100 there, when I should have gone to the dealer. If there is one thing I HATE ABOUT THESE CARS, is that there is very little forgiveness in suspension tuning for vibrations. They're soo smooth, but damn if one tiny thing will screw up the ride and drive you insane!! I feel your pain amigo...I feel your pain.

It isn't just you man... I feel the same way. But, I think some time is needed for the market place to digest all these changes Toyota has made in general for the LS to start to shine like it has in the past. It's one thing to change up a car or two, but they've changed up the entire sedan line, from the Camry, Avalon, ES, GS, IS and now LS. So much change in one year, I think it going to take some time for people to see past the menu, to notice the meal. But, as I believe now, unless I could really afford the luxury, I probably won't spend the extra money on the LS. I mean, when you drive a Toyota Solara or Avalon and notice it's completely silent, smooth and flawless, it's tough to imagine spending an extra $50k for the LS460. But, I'm a man on a budget.

the online dealerships.... i like www.lexuspartsonline.com myself. I checked, your struts are $65 a piece.. can't beat that!

Holy Crap, that's a great deal! You don't see too many of those with Navigation units in general. I bet you'd be quite happy in one of those! And when the kids start to drool, just punch the gas and the drool should go back into place. I hear they're fast, real fast. For better pictures, check out ebay motors, they have great pictures of cars!