Kennyr

My fan has always run faster with higher rpm's. Lower at idle. Then just a couple months ago I replaced my dead alternator and guess what? Same thing. I'm not worried about it. I was always curious if it was the alternator or just normal.

Listen if your solenoid in on there tight you can tap a small punch all day long and its not going to break loose. Big punch, big hit and it will come loose.

My car is a 91 You set a good size heavy long punch on the left side of the nut. Strike the punch with a hammer one good hard hit and the nut and solenoid, which are attached, should break loose and turn free counter clockwise.

The problem is you cant get a wrench on this solenoid. Mine was very tight and it took more than a slight tap tap to get it turning. I had to hit a big punch pretty hard to break it loose. Once loose you just finger turn it off. I didn't remove the screen, just squirted it off with brake cleaner and lightly used a pocket screwdriver to break up what was left. Note! Mechanics use break cleaner all day long and only once in a while for brakes. I also just left the old o-ring on there. I just hand tightened it and taped the punch to tighten it. Botta bing botta boom simple job. My pump return hose is petrified also. It was tough even with a heat gun, impossible without. I shoved it back on though since I was too lazy to go for a new one.

You can purchase a Miti Vac Brake Bleeder, powered by compressed air. This sucks the fluids from any canister. Great tool. You just suck the pr steering canister dry and fill it. Run the car and do it again. This is a great tool. Part number MITMV6830 from TrackHaus.com I have used these for years and just purchased a new one last year.

I have used Dunlop Graspics here in Colorado for many years. If your on black ice and on an incline forgetaboutit. Nothing will help much with a rear wheel drive car. I get by, but a couple times I've found myself sitting and slipping. It's not a good feeling with cars behind you. Last winter I didn't use snows. I wont this year either. You just gotta hate rear wheel drive cars in the snow and ice. It does make life a little more exciting I guess. Not knowing if your going to take off from a light or just sit there and spin. My wife keeps telling me to get a real car that runs in any climate but I'm not giving up my LS that easy, unless to swap for a 98 or 01. My friend has an Audi A6 quattro I work on and drive at times. Runs good on ice but It's the biggest piece of crap ever built. Sorry Audi fans but the truth must be told.

Well it's been a couple days since I cleaned the screen. What I had before was just a very slight roughness or noise when turning the wheel. Most people probably wouldn't even notice this. No big deal but something regardless. Now with the screen clean the noise and vibration are completely gone. Another forum fix for my car. By the way my air control valve had a broken off nipple a few months back. No ATF was flowing into the intake but I replaced it regardless. Bought it at a Toyota Dealer.

Just changed my oil, Mobil 1. Also I finally got around to cleaning the steering rack solenoid screens. OH MY GOD! I cant believe fluid was even passing through them. I flush my fluid and keep it clean but the screen was plugged regardless. I used a punch to get the solenoid loose to spin off. 5 minute job while changing the oil. My pump was changed at 80k and now I have 150k. Now its time to help stuff and plug the turkey in the oven. Don't eat too much today. Right!

I just returned from a trip to Dover Delaware. Gas is going for $2.05 there. That's everywhere, not just one station. Not too shabby considering the world was coming to an end 1 month ago. Here in Denver it's at 2.29 per gallon.

It's not the oil. Thats crazy talk. It has to be a timing belt idler or tensioner bearing or even a noise coming from the Auto transmission. Try to rule out the trans before you jump into the t belt area. Give a listen from under the car.

These bushings will make a nasty noise in just about any make of car. I have had the noise in a mini van I owned, Volvos of course, and my LS. Change them or just get some grease between the rubber and the bar. Cheap fix.

After many years in the biz my rule of thumb is OEM pads and aftermarket rotors for the cost savings.

Getting a fluid change without a flush is worthless. 2 qts. maybe a little more came out. Have a complete flush with or with out a flush machine and use only Toyota fluid or a universal synthetic fluid for your transmission. I hope the high end shop didn't charge you more than 30 bucks for the 2 quarts they changed. Waist of time and money. That's like changing your baby's diaper and not cleaning his butt. If you start with a new or clean trans and change the 2 quarts often enough I guess it will be better than nothing. I'm not in the camp that says flushing an older trans will hurt it. I think that is an old fairy tale that someone started and enough people will believe anything. Just my opinion.

I just put on my third drivers door handle last week. Got it from NewLexusParts.com, a Real Lexus Dealer. $133 with no tax and already painted. This dealer is awsome. Oem parts for 17% off List and no shipping charges or tax.

I was totally in the (don't do it camp on this one) but for 1k my opinion has changed. Heck I just dumped 1k worth of parts alone into my car. Your getting the whole car. Amazing deal except for that air suspension. I dont have to deal with that with my Lex, thank god.

My alternator just lunched itself at 150k last week.

Javapda, I dont know how old you are or how much experience you have working with cars but you have to learn that using a little force is the way a lot of things come apart, especially on cars. You will never get a ball joint apart etc. without applied force. I'm a mechanic but I didn't know how to get the headrests off either. I asked my Lexus contact at the dealer how to do it and he told me this method. It worked good and I was able to install my sheepskin seat covers. I am impressed with the fact that you are hesitant to believe every post here. Not everyone knows it all on these boards. Including me. Being a mechanic 30 years gives me an edge but I didn't work on Lexus cars every day, so I ask a lot of questions also. I fixed my car a couple times already by getting the answers here.

are you for real? a little brutal isnt it? i mean, what did your car ever do to you? :P ← Ok get in there and grab it with both hands and pull up really hard. Hurt your back or whatever. It pops right off with my method. Mechanics know all the tricks on getting tough stuff apart.

Thursday I started hearing and feeling a real bad vibration from my engine, 91 with 150k. I parked it till yesterday. It was coming from the Serpentine belt area but the vibration was so loud it was hard to isolate which component was making the noise. I tried to load the Alternator by turning everything on. The wipers were slow so there was my clue. I was only charging 12.6 volts. The dealer wanted $400 after tax so I got one from Checker Auto Parts for $159. It was the same part, just rebuilt and not run through the Lexus system. I did change the upper idler and tensioner bearing also, they sounded rough. I ordered a rt upper A frame from Lexparts online also, $290 & free shipping. Its clunking and I can grab it with both hands and simulate the noise. It has lots of movement. The struts aren't very old and everything else is tight. I still need a drivers door handle, its cracked again. This one lasted 3 years. Just another $800 for parts.

Raise the headrest all the way then run a 2 by 4 under it. With a good size hammer bang up on the wood and the headrest will pop off.

I always leave my headlights on also. When the key is out and the drivers door is opened they go out. But for a 3 month period about a year ago I would come back to my car once and a while and find the lights on and the battery drained. I carry a jumper box in the trunk so not too big a deal. By the time I decided to do something about this problem, it fixed itself, or whatever. I haven't had the lights stay on or a drained battery for a year now. Go figure. I also just get a new Wall Mart battery every 3 or 4 years. 50 bucks for the yellow 3 year 1,000 cranking amp one. I dont think there is a listing for it. You have to take a tape measure in there and get one that will fit. And it does fit good. OK I will get the part number out. MAXX-1N One of the last great deals in this world, that and Pizza.

Sorry for going off the subject but how much was the starter job?

I did mine that way and ran the wire through where the subwoofwer mounts.

I am a mechanic and I would take the car with 80,000 less miles every time if the cars both equally appealed to me. I feel like it's a no brainer. I do appreciate and respect every opinion I read in this forum I must add. Besides the brakes and wheels (not really that big a deal) the cars are pretty close . I would try to get the price down on the 90 enough to cover the work needed though. Now if I liked the color of the 93 better then that's another story. I would consult my wife also. Don't want to listen to her telling me she thinks the color is ugly for the next 6 years. 80,000 miles is a small price to pay not to hear that bring down!