Spartan0536

Its appreciated thanks CELSI0R... I have considered buying a gold LS400 badge and placing it on the right side of the trunk, but it's not like it irks me or anything that the model number is not on the car. As for the rim direction, I watched something on YouTube about that. Toyota/Lexus really went borderline obsessive on this car, they are each labelled for what side they should be on, I have rarely ever seen any other car with this amount of detail in it stock. Just found out today that the Alternator needs to be replaced ASAP, as it's failing quick, looks like its Denso time for me; with that I am going to be replacing the serpentine belt as well just to play it safe. The battery is also looking quite old, I am thinking of replacing it as well, going with an Optima RedTop, I love those batteries they hold up really well.

Check that alternator, they are known to get killed by the power steering fluid dripping onto them, on that note also check the power steering system, and the A/C system is a known complaint across the LS400 series. Other than that, make sure you change out the fuel filter as I am quite sure its never been done, most never do change it out. I prefer a synthetic oil, I like AMSOIL but it can be hard to find and its expensive. I also like Valvoline Full Synthetic High Mileage oil, as its good oil, affordable, sold at just about every Walmart, and make sure its not the Synthetic Blend one there is a big difference. Be sure to check the brake fluid not only its level but its color and viscosity against fresh brake fluid, this will help you know if it needs to be changed. Also check the transmission fluid for its color and if there are any metal deposits, this will help you determine if the transmission is having issues. Check the radiator coolant when the radiator is COLD, check the color, if its brown and nasty you need to do a flush and replace the fluid, if its a light green/pink (yes some coolant companies use pink in their antifreeze) then you are good. Check the serpentine belts for any excessive cracking and frayed ends, this means they need to be replaced. Try to find out when the timing belt was last changed (mileage), this is an expensive procedure for maintenance.

I will have pics soon, I am getting it professionally detailed. Thanks for the info on the paint, this is what I was looking for, I figured it was a costly endeavor, not worth the money IMHO. I am not a big fan of the brown color, but the gold badging at least looks nice with it, maybe it will help keep people from dinging it in parking lots as it looks meh from the outside. :P Yeah I am trying to keep this looking as stock as possible, including the entertainment overhaul, no custom speaker boxes or housings, no oversized subwoofers. The only thing that will stand out over stock is the receiver, but that is intended to give it modern technology which is a preference that I have and its not too expensive to install. I got lucky with this car, it was bought out of an estate, and my father sold it to me for $1000 after I did all the research, it was a no brainer. BTW anyone have any opinions on the Continental PureContact or ExtremeContact DWS06 tires, in regards to handling, fuel econ, ride quietness and smoothness?

The car has just about every available option minus the air ride suspension and heated seats (I think that started in 93 though). I have the Nakamichi sound system but 2 speakers are blown and make a constant popping sound, and I have replaced the antenna as the antenna was broken (it was an OEM replacement). Car was garage kept, paint is in very good condition with some light damage from paint swapping but it seems to be nothing more than clear coat damage. Car is NOT a salvage title, it has 1 accident on record, it was for a minor collision that resulted in no body damage and minor paintwork, nothing I am concerned about. As for resale value, since these cars are well known for mechanical reliability I intend to keep this car for as long as possible, quite possibly to 225,000 miles and its currently at 85,000 miles. I am not expecting the mods to help at all with the resale value, I am quite aware that it usually detracts from the value of the car, and considering the depreciation of the car over the last 6 years, I think these cars will soon become the forgotten legend of the past unfortunately. I know I am going to be replacing the receiver and audio in the car, and I want it to sound a pure as possible, I am looking for class not loundness or excessive annoying bass overload. The lighting is going to current generation high tech LED for the interior, and exterior lights will be all DOT approved OE replacements by Philips and Hella (Hella is for the Fog lights only), talking about bulb replacement ONLY, no lamp replacement. The main area of concern for me is the performance side of things, I know I want to do the "sport tune" exhaust, and well 6K for that at the dealer is just well NO, its going to be aftermarket and done professionally by a shop I have used and trusted for years (they built custom drag engines that have won some IHRA championships), my issue is making sure it does not compromise the quietness of the interior while under normal operation but gives a more aggressive tone when "punching it", this often can make a car more desirable but NOT more valuable, again I am not intending to sell this car any time soon. I have been toying with the idea of just replacing the plugs, wires, cap, rotor, and fuel filter just to help with fuel efficiency and leave it there. As for the strut tower braces, those are going in, they do not detract from the cars value and they help with body roll, plus its cheap and easy to install. I am unsure if I really want to use the larger injectors from a later non-VVTi LS400 and do the ECU replace & re-flash, just seems like a lot for little gain, not sure. Not entirely made up my mind, looking for feedback from others that may have considered the work, and possible other directions, I do NOT know it all, and so constructive insight is more than welcome.

I wonder.... do you hear a very slight whine when operating the vehicle at low speeds, it might even be intermittent?

My project is not to "rice it out" or make it "ghetto".. The paint is in top shape minus some scrapes which look like clear coat damage so that is easily fixed and it will be. As for the radio its going to be a Kenwood touchscreen with a backup camera (the Kenwood has the parking lines for it built in), it has an adjustable angle for best viewing, and its NOT motorized for putting in the CD/DVD its a single slot fixed position double din. It also has full Qualcomm bluetooth connectivity for Android and Apple smartphones, built in Garmin GPS navigation, Pandora, Spotify, iHeartRadio, XM ready, and HD Radio, its a significant technology upgrade. 2 of the speakers are currently shot (front drivers side & rear right passenger side) so I am replacing all of the speakers (NOT including the stock sub and amp). I will have the AMP for the new speakers placed at the top of the trunk near the sub as to keep out of the way for maximum trunk space and the AMP has a low and high bypass filter. These are NOT cheap replacement speakers and they each have their own crossover for the component speakers, all of them are Harman Kardon (JBL). Each set is running me around $120 USD. This is NOT designed for mega bass, insane loudness, or sound competition; this setup is designed to make people in modern high end Mercedes, BMW's, or Audi's jealous of the quality, its all about the right balance of lows, mids & high's with little to no distortion and or interference, while keeping the stock look on the doors. I will also be placing sound deadening material in all 4 of the doors, this should help make the car a bit quieter in the interior at highway speeds (I am also replacing the rubber seals on the doors as they are kind of brittle after 25 years, this will also help). Body kits.... NOPE not going there AT ALL I am considering rims, but as I said I can not find a set that I like that looks like it belongs on the car from the factory unless I go custom and that is just way too much $$$. As for exhaust, I am still researching but its going to be a muffler replacement that is very very mild with no interior resonance. Suspension, I am not putting on a lowering kit, it does not have the air ride suspension and unless the suspension needs to be replaced nothing will be done to the shocks or coils. I will be placing a strut tower brace in the engine bay, this will help tighten the car up on turning, and it never hurts the value of a car. I might replace the sway bars with high performance ones that will be professionally adjusted in order to further tighten up the car on turns to make it handle more like a modern Lexus but so far its pretty much only a strut tower brace. Ignition: it's getting overhauled, this will help sell the car more than it hurts, the entire ignition will be done by MSD, probably the most reputable aftermarket/performance ignition system company in the world. I will NOT be adding in a standalone system as that is not appealing to other buyers, but the coils, cap, rotor, wires, and plugs will all be MSD overhauled. Battery: Replacing with an Optima Red Top 800 CCA, & new terminal connectors/contacts Grounding: Replacing the stock grounding contacts and grounding wires with high density low gauge wires for better surge elimination, increasing the smoothness of the powerband. Fuel: I will be replacing the fuel filter (seriously people need to stop forgetting about this on high mileage vehicles), I am considering using higher CC injectors matching a 1996 Lexus LS400, I have not heard of any problems doing this so long as you have the ignition upgraded and the ECU re-flashed. Intake: System will be thoroughly cleaned, K&N drop in air filter will be the only mod. ECU: Replacing the stock ECU with an OEM replacement that will be sent out to JET systems for a professional re-flash, will be flashed correctly based on mods provided. Brakes: Considering rotor, caliper and line upgrades, I have heard it's a shortcoming of the pre 1994 LS400's, but my car seems to do pretty well with stock stuff, so it may just end up being better pads IMHO. Lighting: All lighting will be done within DOT regulation, all are bulb replacement only, interior lights being switched to LED form for longer life and a white light instead of yellow, similar to modern luxury cars like a 2014 Mercedes C300 that my father has. Headlights will be Philips Crystal Vision Ultra, same for the Fog lights. ABSOLUTELY NO NEON OR LED KITS for accent lighting, just bulb replacement with lower energy draw and cleaner/brighter light, all are DOT approved. That is it, no crazy mods, nothing that makes the car stand out, it will look as stock as possible, just updated to a more modern style, the exhaust is a very very tricky part of it and I have a professional garage looking into it with me to make sure it turns out exactly right where it sounds like it was done by the factory as a "sport tune" or an "F tune" by Lexus.

I like this site (http://www.oehq.com/), carries most major replacement parts plus OE equipment were available and it carries AC Delco which is one of the best OE replacements IMHO..

Speaking from experience with my 1995 Toyota Camry years back that needed a new starter and Alternator, both were replaced with Denso products, both worked great for me until the transmission blew up. I still prefer AC Delco over Denso but both work well IMO. Addendum: Upon researching, apparently Toyota uses Denso products as OE according to AC Delco, so I would venture to say Denso is an excellent replacement.

This is what I needed to know, thank you sir.

I thought he was just referring to the button, nice video explanation!

MY 02 Dodge was "salvage titled" when some drunk fool ran his friends Corolla into it while my car was parked in my driveway. That still did not stop me from driving the car, and the only reason I hate my 02 Dodge Stratus is for mechanical reliability problems that it is known for and has. This is why I like the LS400, its mechanically reliable, and I paid $1000 for it, so if I throw 2-3K into it and drive it for 6-8 years I do not consider that a loss, hell I spend more than that on my gaming PC. In regards to performance mods, I know I will be switching to Iridium plugs and high density plug wires and with a new cap and rotor, I am replacing the fuel filter (not really performance modding but I do this on every used car I purchase as no one replaces them and you really should around 50K miles). I will have the intake and fuel system cleaned professionally by my mechanic as he has the tools; I will be disassembling the entire intake (manifold not included) and cleaning it by hand. All stock grounding wires will be replaced with large gauge wire to smooth out any "surge" (expecting minimal change as the engine is already solid, but its cheap and easy to do). I will also be installing a strut tower brace to help with some body roll, and as for exhaust, I spoke with the guys that will be working on the exhaust and they just said leave everything stock and change the muffler to one that is not a straight through and is packed so that interior resonance is at a minimum so there is that. I am considering a brake upgrade in the form of larger/better calipers and pads, and POSSIBLY 17 inch rims but finding the right style that looks like it would be stock and not look stupid is almost impossible. I am switching the tires to Continental Pure Contacts, i have read excellent reviews on them. Not really "performance mods" outside of the plug wires, cap & rotor, and tower brace, but it should help. I am having the car professionally detailed as its dirty and needs the work (I can do it myself but I want to be lazy. I have no intention on making this "souped up", I just want it to have modernized electronics, an excellent smooth ride, and a responsive engine when needed.

From what I have seen in YouTube videos it's only when the button is pushed, that is how it behaves in my 1992 LS400 as well. It was designed by Toyota/Lexus to be a reading light for the rear passengers.

If that does not solve the problem, I would also test your Alternator, apparently the power steering fluid is known to get into the alternator over time and kill them. My alternator is just starting to have issues with its bearings and I am quite sure it's from the power steering fluid.

Hello fellow Lexus Owners, I am now the owner of a 1992 Lexus LS400 with 82,421 miles on it, garage kept by an elderly man whom took the car only to the dealer for service as indicated by records left behind in his estate. I had my mechanic look at it, had the transmission fluid flushed and changed, same with the power steering, and the A/C system recharged and dyed as there is a leak. Other than that there is nothing mechanically wrong with the car. I am coming from a 2002 Dodge Stratus SE with the 2.7L V6 aka Dodge's Sludge Monster (seriously stay the **** away from that car and engine), the mechanic said this car is most certainly an upgrade, and I am inclined to agree, but I am still going back literally 1 decade in years, and this car is now old enough to be registered as a Classic car at 25 years old (1/4 of a century). After reading other websites reviews and watching YouTube videos I decided to make the purchase, and it only set me back $1,000 USD. I know a lot of you are going to say "no one would sell you a 1992 Lexus LS400 with 82K miles for $1,000 unless it was borked (intentional misspelling). Well the guy literally had no say as he died and my father bought out his estate and with that the car, which he paid $1,900 USD for. My father paid for all of the mechanic inspections and services plus cut out $900 of the cost, leaving me with the $1,000 offer, which I paid for by selling my POS 2002 Dodge Stratus SE for $1,000. My question now is, was my research well founded or did I mess up big time? My idea here is to make this a project car, but not in the usual sense of slamming it and or making it look "ghetto/riced". My project for this is to give it a facelift by overhauling the entertainment system, seat cushions, MINOR performance tuning, metallic silver repaint, and modernize the lighting both interior and exterior. I have planned out the costs for the upgrades MINUS professional service charges where applicable, I am looking at around $3,000 - $3,500 USD (A big portion of that being the professional repaint with minor body repair). Entertainment: The goal here was not loudness or excessive deafening bass, but something that would make even modern BMW, Mercedes, and Audi driver jealous of in terms of quality) Receiver: Kenwood DDX574BH (3 Pre Amps) Front Speakers: JBL GT7-5C's (Component) Rear Speakers: JBL GTO529's (Coaxial) Amplifier: Kenwood KAC-8406 4 Way 900W AMP Subwoofer: Stock Pioneer 8 inch with stock AMP powering the sub (will eventually replace with a Rockford Fosgate P3SD2-8 8 inch Punch sub and a Class D Kenwood KAC-5001PS AMP) *NOTE: I AM keeping the interior speaker covers, it will look as stock as can be. Lighting: I have decided NOT to place an HID retrofit kit, I have read about nightmares from all sorts of people and for the cost + headache & potential worry its just not worth it IMO, I certainly could be wrong. All lighting replacement will be done by Philips and Hella All interior lighting will be White LED, Glove box will be RED LED (its easier to see red at night when looking for papers, the military uses this) and its ILL ADVISED to use RED for interior lights as you can get into trouble with LE, the glove box, not so much. All external lights will be LED except for the Headlights and Fog Lights. Headlights: Philips Crystal Vision Ultra's (9004) Fog Lights: Hella Optilux Extreme White XB (H3C) - I opted for white as they are not lower to the ground like fog lights should be and will be used alongside standard low/high beams for better lighting. Performance mods: Still working on this, but they will be mild, as for the exhaust, it will be entirely custom stainless steel, catalytic converter will be replaced with a high flow with new O2 sensors, resonators will be replaced with Magnaflow resonators, and I am debating on the mufflers, either Borla ProXS, Flowmaster 50 Series, or Magnaflow XL Mufflers, all piping will be 2 1/4 (2.25) inch and TIG welded by a professional custom shop (whom I have used before). My goal with the exhaust is to give it a sports tune sound like you would get from the factory (if it were an option). Something that has little to no resonation at low RPM's but gives a bit of a growl when revved, and opens decently at high RPM's. Thoughts?

I know I am new here, but I have had a similar issue with my old 2002 Dodge Stratus SE with the dreaded 2.7L V6, turned out to be a bad battery, and then later my starter failed (not related). When was the last time you changed your battery and what are your Cold Cranking Amps and Running Amps?