nc211

women like cars that work...men like cars that can be worked on. unless you're in the DC Metro area and drive an ES, then men like cars that women want to ride, in. About the only car I consider a girlie car is the VW Convertibles...shave my chest, smack yo' momma, and call me Betty. I had some funny looks sent my way last week in S. Florida driving my folks PT GT Turbo Convertible. But, one spin-up of that h/o turbo, and I was the one smiling! Good buy on the GS Kewl. You guys should be happy with that car for quite a while, unless the flex-neo-rod breaks, then you're screwed.

well you have put on 71,000 km's since then.

mine does the same, always has. i think because it's cold, the engine's computer has the car running rich to make sure everthing gets lubricated in the crucial "warming up" stage. I have to open the garage door to let the car warm up, otherwise I gas up the joint...and not the taco-bell kind :whistles:

I myself wouldn't take the chance, as you'll probably only be saving $40 in parts anyway if you go with the used one. I'd spend the extra nickle to know you have the right part..and is brand spankin' new, not used and compressed.

The GS was redesigned in 98, so you would be dealing with a "new" car in it's debut year. The LS however, was "updated" in 98, which improved the flaws in the previous 3 years' models. Not to mention, the LS is just more car in general, bigger, fatter, etc... I missed what kind of GS you were looking at, 300 or 400? If it's the 300, then absolutly get the LS400, if not for the reasons above, for the awesome V8 engine over the V6. The price depends on the service done on the car.... you need to be particular, and verify certain things were done. The biggest one you will definetly want to make sure was done was the big 90k mile service, which includes the timing belt, water pump especially. If that was not done "don't take his word for it either, VERIFY it," then I would knock a good $1,500 off the price. You do NOT want to gamble with the timing belt. It brakes, you're engine is toast. You verify that it was done by 3 ways: 1) Give the Vin # to the lexus dealership, and they will check the mechanical history in their records. They keep awesome records! My report from them even had items done to the car, that weren't done by a lexus dealership in general. 2) Look at the engine bay, at the top of the front...you should see a sticker indicating when it was replaced, who replaced it, and at what mileage. 3) However, some dealerships don't put the sticker on the engine, but rather will STAMP the service done in the back of the owner's manual in the glove box. To have the 90k service done for the timing belt and waterpump, ranges from $750+/- for an indi mechanic, to $1,500+ for a dealership to do it. I myself feel that certain things are worth the massive upcharge for a dealership to do them. These items are the repairs that, if done wrong, will total the car. So it is nice to have the backing of the dealership if that happens, instead of an indi. But, that's just my opinion. Timing belts are timing belts, nothing new or special about them. PS: Black on Black in Hot-lanta = window tint and shade tree! I know...cooked my dna in Birmingham one too many times with black leather seats in the summer!

Personally, I'm not against the use of the black box in the cars these days. With soooo many greasy lawyers running around, and bad drivers, it sure can come in handy if you have been wrongfully accused of causing the accident in question, and being sued. I had a guy hit me years ago, and the cop blamed me for trying to pass him on the right, of a two lane road?? He blamed me because I had a guy from NYC with me, who berrated the cop and called him Barney Fiefth, etc... That doesn't fly down here in the south too well. Luckily, I had a Poloraid camera in the car, took pictures, and the case was tossed out by the DA, and the cop was repremanded to desk duty. The guy was actually trying to sue me for $50k! Luckily I was working on a movie back then "Virus", and Universal stepped in and hired some attorneys for me.

ED, I think the P0430 code is one of your O2 sensors in your exhaust. If you look under your car, in the exhaust line by the tranny pan area, you'll see 4 spark plug looking things in the exhause. Two infront of the cat's, two behind the cat's. I'm sure one of the other guys will chime in on this one as well, and do a quick search for that code on here too, as I recall it has been posted up quite a few times. I can't remember which one it is, I'm thinking left rear bank "rear one on driver's side". Not sure...but I don't think it's your cats. You will usually have extrememly poor performance, and a very strong odor of fuel and such if your cats are going bad. The O2's just mess up your performance a little, and a little odor. Plus, I think your MPG tanks as well.

Well, it's nice to see that we're not the only country they've been spying on! I wonder if the car is powered by Los Alamos nuclear technology? It is a good looking car! I see influences from Infiniti, Lexus, Jag and even a bit of MB. Funny...no ford, gm, chrystler, dodge or saturn though.

you know what makes me laugh though...even when the ls ranks last, it still runs laps around the competition in sales. I mean, people have been saying Toyota's are boring to drive for a long time...yet they're #1 in the world. So, what does that tell you? Tells me the c/d guys don't amount to a hill of beans, because the market always dictates the desire and satisfaction. I can't recall the last time I saw an LS400/430 sitting on a MB, BMW, Audi, or Jag's lot for sale, as a trade in. But you go to the Lexus dealership, and you'll always find these cars sitting on their used lots, as trade-ins. I'm suprised at the Jaguar too. My brother has a 94 XJ sedan, with the 4.0 engine, and only 42k miles. He has spent thousands repairing that car, and it still rattles like Flava-Flave's gold teeth at a rap concert.

Sam, you gotta' quit taking the LS to the dealership man. I cringe at those repair figure$ :cries: I think I've pretty much decided my next car will be the LS430. Probably an 02 or 03. I don't know yet, can't quite read that far out. Although, the depreciation hits on the 02+ Q45's are pretty tough to ignore. That sure is a lot car for the money. I don't think I'm quite ready to take on the Germans yet. Mechanical I can handle, but electrical just scares me. Too spooky to diagnoise for my diy skill set. I'd much rather turn a wrench, than an electrical thingy-ma-jingy. Ideally, it would be a 2006 LS430, silver, and loaded! Except for air suspension. I don't know, just depends on the avalaible funds when that time comes. I've just now got my career out of 2nd gear, into 3rd, and the road ahead looks pretty darn good. So who knows....

I know what you're saying, exactly. When you're in a MB, the smell, the firm plastics, the feel...is 100% MB, no mistaking. Same with BMW, you know you're in a BMW, no mistaking it. VW and Audi get a little blended, as they share parts. The LS, well, is Toyota at the dna of the machine..and they make a lot of Toyotas, in different price ranges and model line ups. I think what you're trying to say is that maybe there are compononents to the LS460 that might remind you of the Camry. Two totally different cars, in two totally different categories of market segment. I follow what you're saying. Honestly, I think Toyota has blended the design lines too much on the new model line ups, and I think it's going to hurt some model sales. I mean to the non-lexus nuts like us, why pay the extra bucks for a Lexus, when the Camry has somewhat similar lines in it's design? For me, it's hard to tell with an average glance what model I'm looking at anymore. Is it the ES, GS, Camry or LS? They're all slicked back now, in somewhat similar fashion. Before, you knew it was a GS, no mistaking. You knew it was the LS, no mistaking. You knew it was the ES, no mistaking. Now? It takes a second look, for dorks like me.

Man, I've only been married a few months, but I've already learned to just let her pick it out, you buy it, and peace be restored to the kingdom of Kewl. You've been looking for a car for her for months now. This can't be helping your Christmas gift fund from her. Keep !Removed! around with her choice in cars, and she'll be the one driving your LS, and you'll be the one in the Taurus. GS and LS..just depends on what she likes man. As you know, the LS is a much bigger car. Some girls don't like driving such a big car. When it comes down to these two choices, it's really up to the driver on which one they like better, as they're pretty close to the same. At least much closer than some of the other comparisions you've posted up over the past. At least you haven't asked about Alfa's!

I take very little stock in C/D reviews in general. I think it's all a definition of what the owner wants out of his luxury car. It's funny, you build a $50 sporty sedan, and they bark that it's too buzzy, or too harsh. Then you build a ultra luxury sedan, and they bark it's too soft, to wallowish. I think the beauty is within the eye of the beholder. And I can promise you, that most beholders will find the beauty of their Lexus sitting in their own garage, not sitting in the mechanic's garage.

http://www.bedlib.org/ebsco.html i knew i had saved this link. i can't remember who posted it up originally a few months ago, but thanks!! I think it was under the tag "i should be beaten for not sharing this earlier" or something to that effect..

$550???? HAHAHAHA!!! Looks like someone at the toyota dealership is looking for a good christmas bonus from you! www.lexuspartsonline.com Although the picture below for some reason shows the 90-94 strut rod, this is the part they're referring to. Ours are a little bit different on the bushing side "where there's is a threaded screw type". But, about the same price either way. go to that side, drill down to your model year under the "mechanical" catelog...front suspension....suspension compnents....and you'll see it. It's called STRUT ROD. You might have to call them to MAKE SURE you've got the 95-00 part, and not the one they're showing on this chart. The part is #10 in the picture Price? $93 bucks each. Difficulty in installing? Easy. I'm up one state from you..but I can guess that you hear these creaks and thumps when the temp is 55 degrees or below? That's usually when the rubber bushings begin to harden up from the cold, and the creaks come out to play. Mine does the same thing. Got to relubricate my stabalizer bar bushings soon, as they have never been "properly" greased, just bandaided here and there.

heading down to naples, fl., in the morning...if this weather would let up a bit. got a freakin tropical storm off the coast which has the winds here in raleigh up around 40 mph...pouring down rain...and hoovering around 35 degrees. we're a half tick from a full on blizzard down here.

Well my fellow LOC amigos, the time is upon us once again. I give thanks to Armyofone this year, for stepping up and taking the bull by the horns. You da' man Josh... My admoration, respect, and fond wishes of safe keeping is with you my friend... This one is for you amigo. Safe returns my friend...safe returns! We miss you, and the Ford...aka...Foreign Object Redeemor of Destruction.

Exactly... GM: I bet it's in the contract though between GM and Onstar. The original verbage in the contract probably has a "step-up" clause for this exact scenario, where GM had the option if it wasn't meeting certain debt to income ratios, that it could enact an escape clause. And since they're in the can these days, they're probably enacting that clause to wash their hands of it..hand the file to the in-house attorneys, and move on.... yet another mistake of costumer loyalty from Detroit. Toyota: My prediction is that they will offer updated technology, but in a package deal setting. They'll probably offer a lump sum upgrade for the equipment, or a amortized deal if you're willing to sign up for a 24 month contract, and reduce the price for the equipment upgrade. In fact, I bet toyota offers free upgraded equipment for the contract agreement, then just takes preffered returns on the company issuing the service, since digital seems to be the way everything is going anyway.

TTTTAAAAAAOOOOOO!!!! I've blown speakers from their ad on the radio! Thanks RXn'NC... I'll give them a call! What I'm really after is a pdf. on the procedure. My wife says "it's easy"...aka...."please screw it up so I can get an Audi". So, I have to be careful on this one. Rx330, that sounds about right. I think what I'll do is find the drain plug, drain it out, pour a few liters in to flush it out, then go by the dipstick readings until I get it right. Not to hack at honda, but a lawn mower is a lawn mower.

Ralph, you ole' dog! You trying to ask me to the prom? How's Jaws on Paws doing these days? You kind of fell off on the "this don't work" with that new 430 you got. I'm planning on stepping up to the 430 in the next 12 months. I'm thinking next Christmas might be the time. But given my track record of the past 12 months there ain't no telling what NC's world will be like by that time.

Well then you can imagine what a guy who is 3 inches shorter, and 90 lb's lighter feels like in the LS! Hell, I've still got 3 or 4 inches left in my seat's lateral movement to go! Off I go, for a bowl of Wheaties!

Tex, this sounds like the classic "wish I spent the dealer money at 1st" punch line. Ross is right. There are a few thing only the dealer can handle, and in Cali, smog is one of them. It would be one thing if your indi's advised you to buy one of their O2 sensors, or gave you a recommendation in general. But for them to just flunk you in general?? That to me says "the LS is out of your league". Spend the extra $100, and get it smogged from the boys who know how to do it. Plus, you'll probably get a car wash out of it, and maybe a loaner for a few hours to abuse. Then you can pop back on here and heckle SWO that the ES's are nothing like the G35's. Hahaha...Just Checkin Steve to make sure you're awake! ;)

I agree with the boys.. In my opinion, the LS is a "Go Big, or Go Home" kind of car. The V6 is for the GS.

That's what I'm curious about...the owners survey reports that are sent back in, and if someone who paid the $80k and complained about a bad spark plug v. someone who paid $25k and didn't complain about the bad spark plug, but rather figured the spark plug was just part of car ownership in general, or due to a tank of bad gas. I'm not quite saying it correctly here, can't quite get my fingers to follow my train of thought, but do you follow my general idea? I do agree however that the ratings surely can give you some insight on what your ownership experience could most likely be like. It's just like Pioneer.... Buy Pioneer, because a million rednecks can't be wrong. After years of Sony, JVC, etc.... I followed that advice and went with Pioneer... Gotta love those rednecks!

My wife's 2003 Honda Civic EX has 81k miles on it, and is ready for some maintance time in the garage. She needs new outter tie rods, rotors turned, pads, etc.. I can handle the parts and such, and have already ordered them from parts.com. But, she really needs to have the transmission fluid drained and filled. And seeing as how easy it is for the LS, I refuse to pay Mieneke $125 to do it, especially with non-honda fluid. BUT, I can't seem to find a web forum like this one for her car, so I can ask some questions. Every forum I've found is for turning a Honda Civic into a Civil Neighborhood Nightmare with F14 exhuast, stereos, turbos, etc... Not just a basic, owners club of general maintance advice. I need to learn how much fluid comes out with the drain and fill, where the drain bolt is, that sort of stuff. I found this info below...but knowing what I know about over filling, I'm thinking this kid is probably on his 3rd tranny by now. "9. Now get someone to pour in the tranny fluid from the top wile you go under your car and make sure it’s not leaking out. When the tranny fluid starts coming back out from the filler hole, that means the tranny is full. You can now stop pouring the fluid, take the hose out and reinstall the filler bolt." So, anyone have any advice on to where I could find some helpful information? I tried faqfarm, but no luck. I think I remember someone posting up a link to a library source for car maintance in general?? By the way...after 2 hours of reading about how to tweak a honda civic...god am I glad I don't own one. Geezzz...these guys are amazing with what they can do to those cars! Thanks fellas!