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stever

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Everything posted by stever

  1. Guys/Gals: I have a noisy air compressor under the hood that's left over from a air suspension system that I removed over a year ago. Has anyone ever removed this? I know that I will have to electrically replace the compressor with a resistor from Radio Shack to fool the computer into thinking the compressor is still there so I'd be interested to see if anyone knows how many ohms I need. BTW my car is a 98 LS400. thanks for any feedback, Steve. :)
  2. I had this happen to me once. Below your coin box and above the parking brake release is an object that looks like a button and has a place for you to insert your key. This button has to be depressed/pushed in as I recall for the trunk to release with the remote. Check your owner's manual for instructions. I don't think I have that on my lexus. Mine's a 98 are you referring to a different year LS400?
  3. Yes the dashboard release lever works and the key works in the trunk itself- the only fault is that the key will not remotely unlock the trunk.
  4. steve, not to insult your intelligence, but you are holding downt the trunk button for several seconds right? i have run into a lot of people who think their trunk key is not working but they just don't know to hold it in for about 3 seconds. if you are doing this already, which i'm sure you are, then i have no idea. my key is separate from my remote (95-model) and i just changed the batteries in both masters two days ago and they are working great. I'm not insulted :whistles: But I believe that the two key remotes are finally giving out and I'm quickly coming to the conclusion that my security system's days are numbered. It looks like aftermarket systems work a lot better at greater distances- I just hate to lump another box on my key ring. BTW thanks for the reply
  5. I recently changed both batteries in our two master keys to try and get them to remotely open the trunk- no dice. I then used one key and made it the master and wiped out all other keys. I then re-registered my second key to the car (after many tries using different methods), but they both still do not open the trunk. Anyone got an idea on what's wrong here? Any help would be most beneficial. Thanks, Steve.
  6. I also need to reprogram my transponders but the link attached above is dead. Will someone please ppost or send it to me? My email is swwilkinson2003 at yahoo dot com. Thanks a lot.
  7. Well I was having issues with my remote key (98 LS400) and I thought it was the battery in the key. I replaced the battery and the open and lock buttons work great but the trunk release button still doesn't work. Anyone out there ever have this happen?? Also I lost my second key yesterday :cries: . It worked fine with the trunk but I now have to replace it. Any recommendations on replacing a remote key?? Thanks in advance for your help, Steve.
  8. Thanks, the tutorial is for an older model and the speaker/subwoofer looks different but the principle looks the same so I will try that. Many thanks for the tutorial link, that should be very helpful for a number of things. Just for others who may have the same question, the tutorial provides the idea but on the 1998 the subwoofer cover and the taillamp cover are separate units. Same principle--use a screwdriver at the corners of the taillamp cover to pry the plastic cover up then twist the lamp housing to get the burned out bulb out. The bulbs cost about $3 each at Toyota, the owners manual lists it as lamp #911. Thanks for the info. I should have read it earlier- I bought two bulbs from Lexus at $6 each! I will replace the bulbs tonight. Thanks again. Steve.
  9. Hey Guys and Gals: Just looking for some suggestions on how I can brighten up my gold emblems on the hub caps. I've got five pointed chrome wheels that look gorgeous but the center caps are tarnished pretty bad. ANy suggestions are welcome. Thanks for your help, Steve.
  10. My son recently busted the two front struts in my Previa Van (don't ask how). Midas did an inspection and came back with $275 for each strut+installation- $900!!! I called my local Lexus guy and he told me he could do the work for $300, parts and all. Needless to say I had it towed to my local guy. He then found that the rear axle was also bent and one of the strut mounts was cracked- Midas didn't catch any of this in their inspection. In case you think I was duped - I saw the old parts and they were bad. I've decided that I won't go to Midas ever again based on this experience.
  11. Thanks for all the input guys. I'm going to try and test drive a couple this weekend. I'll probably go to the dealership although I really don't want to talk to those guys. I can't stand car salesmen. BTW if I'm looking to pick up a used IS300 2002 or later what are some problem areas I should pay attention to? Thanks again, Steve. :)
  12. Can anyone tell me what is in the X package?
  13. Great- and thanks. I assume that the eshift is a special auto trans? Do you know how many HP the engine generates? Is the back seat functional or just there? Any options to avoid? I know when I had my LS you really had to watch out for air suspension systems- falure prone and very expensive to repair.
  14. I am a LS400 owner and am considering getting a IS but don't know much about them. I've been impressed with their styling and the sportiness appeals to me. I wanted to ask any and all to weigh in and give me your opinions on what years, engines.... are best. I want to stay under $15,000. Thanks for any input in advance. Steve.
  15. Does anyone know where this compressor is and how to remove it? I have changed out my struts but also want to remove the compressor. Thanks in advance for your help.
  16. First - to answer your quetion - you can tell if you have air suspension by looking next to your shift lever. There is a rocker button to adjust the ride height if you have air suspension. You may not - it was an expensive option on the LS400s. The installation is finished on the car. I like the ride. The car does not seem to lurch as much as when I had air suspension. Also going over speed bumps i no longer hear a bumping/clunking sound under the front end. On the downside you do feel a little more of the bumps on the road but overall I prefer the traditional shock ride. Also for those of you who purchase these struts- i was able to use my mechanic's tax id # and saved all the sales tax on these struts- saved me over $50. The front struts were easier to replace than the rears. The rears were a big deal- removal of the back seat etc... My mechanic charged $200 for the complete installation. Pretty good deal I thought. Also I'm thinking of selling the other three air struts on ebay, to recover some of my costs. Does anyone have any ideas what they are worth? I know that they were $972 each from Lexus. Oh, one other thing- the back of the car is slightly raised with these new struts- I would estimate about 1", so if you are doing this swap you may want to opt for the lowered sport struts for the rear. That's it. Thanks for the input!!
  17. Well my mechanic checked with Lexus and, with his discount, the one front air strut is $972.00- uninstalled. So I've decided to purchase a set of strutmasters struts for all four wheels and get rid of the air suspension system. I'll report later what the result is.
  18. Thanks for the tip. They don't list struts for a 98 on their website but I will phone them. again- thanks.
  19. Had a catastrophic failure of my left front air shock today (i have air suspension). My wife was driving and the left front just dipped suddenly. She was able to pull off into a bank parking lot. Anyway.... I would think with this failure I'm looking at replacing the strut. :cries: I've read the threads and other posts but have a further question or two: 1. Can anyone recommend the conversion kit from Strutmasters? What is the ride like with the new shocks? 2. Does anyone know of anyone that is rebuilding these air struts? I found a guy on the web but I believe he is in Australia !! (I live in LA) Hope you can answer soon. I've got to get this car on the road ASAP. Thanks.
  20. Thanks so much for the info guys. I will have a crack at it tomorrow. I was a little hesitant due to the fact that there is the wear indicator and the pins holding the assy together. Any recommendations on brake pads? I got the Autozone specials to put in but if you guys feel strongly different then I will return them and get the recommended spares. Again thanks! :)
  21. I need a pdf on replacing the front and rear brake pads on a 98 LS400. I am hoping that someone out there has this. I couldn't find it - I hope one of you can provide. Thanks very much in advance for your help.
  22. I just noticed today on my 98 LS400 that the rear bumper is not completely straight. My car is silver and the darker gray lower half of the rear bumper is where I am seeing the "waves. Any ideas what may be causing this? I am also thinking of dropping this panel off the bumper and looking underneath- is there anyone in the forum that has done this before that can offer some advice? I appreciate all the input I'll receive. Thanks. :)
  23. I too am looking for repair manuals for my 98 LS400. Called the above number: Vol 1 - diagnostic and troubleshooting- $71.20 Vol 2 - Engine, body, chassis- $103.90 Electrical Diagram- $62.88 Total for all three: $237.98 :whistles:
  24. :D I used cars.com and sold my R32 VW before buying my LS400 a month ago. I bought the more expensive package (I think $50) and posted all the pix (12 in all). My car sold in 2 weeks for $400 off the asking price- $500 below what I paid for it new !! It was almost 1 year old with 14K on the clock. I'm frankly amazed at how many people will not spend an extra $20 to upgrade their ad to sell a $20,000 or up car ! Spend the money- if it gets you a hundred $ extra you've doubled your investment. I also found my 98 LS400 on Cars.com- $15,000, Lexus checked it and it spec'd as a CPO (but couldn't be certified because of mileage), 86,000 miles, chrome wheels, navigation, air suspension, new rubber ..... It was the deal of a lifetime and I found it on cars.com.
  25. Wow- what a great job. I've been having some issues with my 98 lurching a little and being a little stubborn to shift first thing in the morning. Would a tranny flush fix this problem and if so how do you do it? Would you also recommend a tranny cooler for this problem? Please let me know. Thanks. :)
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