VBdenny

Thanks Jim, I was planning to go out to the junkyard this weekend anyway. Do you think Camry radios are the same as Corolla's? I was going to look and then if I can't find one (they are $20 at U-Wrench-It) I'll drop a few bucks for a new one. My daughter said she really needs a CD player. Since I also like it, it will be a go. The tires can wait and I'll probably put 4 snow tires on in the fall anyway since she is in Blacksburg where it snows a lot. Denny

I check m,y birth certificate and decided that I am old according to averages, I guess I just haven't noticed it yet. I like about all cars. I like to work on them, clean them, and most of all drive them. Many of my friends say they can't stand long drives, while I thrive on them. I put on loud rock music, and cruise. I am quite impressed with you young guys liking the Lexus. Fine taste at a young age. I'm detailing a brand new Toyota Sienna this weekend for someone I know. $150 a pop for doing something I like. I better order more Collinite.

Great Story GS For soem reason people with big ole pickups feel that they have carte blanche to tailgate. Often the same with the huge SUV's. It must have been enjoyable sseing the dude get pulled. In my nieghborhood is a long straight road where the speed limit is 25mph (residential). A few years ago, I went up to pick my daughter up at gymnastics practice and I see a VB cop hiding out in the church parking lot shooting radar at cars coming the other way. Now people speed on this road all the time, and they get *BLEEP*ed if they are behind you and you don't speed. So I pick up my daughter at the gym and head back the same way. Since I knew the cop was there I was watching my speed carefully since I know people that have been bagged for 32. Right away some dipweed is on my tail. I slowed down even more which made his car swerve back and forth in anticipation. Then I did the coutous thing, I pulled over to let him pass. Well he must have been hot, because he got right on it. As he disappeared down the road, I resumed my creeping slow pace and there was the cop with him pulled over. I gave a little courtesy toot and wave as I passed while LMAO. As far a seatbelt go, I always wear them since my borther and father each got killed in sperate car accidents and neither was wearing one. I strongly disagree with primary seat belt laws, as all they do is give the cops a reason to pull someone over.

The turn signals use a flasher unit that is usually found near the fusebox. Sometimes they go bad as they work on the principle of heating up and breaking contact, opening the circuit, then as it cools the circuit closes again. Perhaps Lexus uses some other expensive method, I'm not sure. Anyway, the flasher is the thing that makes the clicking sound when the lights blink.

I'll tell you where the battery is on the Chrysler since my neighbor just had to replace his. Believe it or not, the battery is located inside the tirewell on the front drivers side. I guess you have to remove the inner wheel well lining to get at it.

Is the no sales tax thing a state issue? Also, who gives you the tax credit (something I very much like)?

Thanks guys, So you think if I took this car over to circuit city or something that they could hook me up with a CD player? It does have the storage tray under the radio. I looked up tires on tirerack.com and according to what they say, I can put 195/45R-16 on this car. ABout $850 for the wheels and tires. Maybe I'll just leave them alone for now as the Michelins on it only have 10K miles on them, it's just that I hate small tires. I do appreciate the feedback. Denny

SWO, What a gentleman, You treat her, like I treat my wife. I KNOW you will have it all superwaxed for her as well. Nice to know there are other considerate guys around. Excellent vehicle choice, please give details when you drive it. I guess gas milage is starting to become an important consideration again. I do know I just got 36mpg with the 99 Corolla I just bought and that was at my highway speed. Denny

Well sorry, no pictures in the gallery since it doesn't work. Asked me for my login and password, then told me it was invalid? I WAS logged in? Maybe it's time to go to bed. denny

I just bought this 99 Corolla for my daughter. Althought the stereo has a button on it that says CD, it has only a place to insert a tape. Imagine that, did they still make tapes in 99? Anyway, I was wondering if anyone knows if I can get something that plugs in to play CD's (since I threw all my tapes away years ago). I know this is a Lexus site, but I went to toyotaownersclub.com and let me tell you, it is no where even close to here and quite disappointing actually. Knowing all you Lexus dudes and dudettes, one of you must know something about Toyotas. I was also kind of wondering if I can put larger rims (since this has 14") from a Camry or something on this Corolla? I pop a picture of the unit in the Misc. Gallery. Thanks VBdenny

SOrry to have to miss this. I know it will be great and since we have an apartment about 8 miles from there it would be perfect. I will be at the Lowe's motor speedway doing my Richard Petty driving experience that day. Hmmmm, wonder if they would let me take a couple hot laps in the LS? I still wish I could be there. Please let me know if the date changes or anything. Denny

I saw Christopher on the Sapranos driving a black LS400 in one episode.

Looks to be a good site for Lexus parts. The prices seems reasonable. ANyone needing new headlights, tailights, radiators etc. Not a whole lot of stuff, but some that looked good. URL http://www.autopartsreplacement.com/lexus_ls400_parts.html

I found this review on the Times (LOndon I guess) online. URL http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,3804-916081,00.html I just learned that my 1990 has only 3 forward gears and that a 2000 LS 400 will go 155mph. Obviously someone missed something. Just wondering exactly what my transmission is doing with that shift fee after 3rd gear? Since its UK launch in 1990 the Lexus LS has split opinion. Owners wax lyrical about levels of comfort, equipment and reliability, while detractors major on the car?s bland styling and lack of pedigree. But Lexus has huge confidence in the LS and earlier this month launched a new version of the LS430. But anyone with the necessary £56,850 to spend on a new LS should pause before handing over the cheque. That?s because the LS400 made up to 2001 is just as powerful, almost as quiet and virtually identical to look at. Best of all, you can pick up a used version for less than £20,000. The LS400 dates back to June 1990 and the earliest cars (1990-93) curiously had only three forward gears. In fact, abundant torque meant this was not as bad as it sounds, but the car was given a facelift in October 1997, when it gained a five-speed gearbox. At the same time the engine power was increased to 280bhp and a superb satellite navigation system was added. Performance from these models is brisk, with 60mph coming up in less than seven seconds, and a top speed of 155mph. Driving a Lexus LS400 for the first time is an eerie experience: as there?s virtually no wind or engine noise, you?ll catch yourself checking the rev counter to assure yourself the engine is still running. Gearchanges from the standard automatic gearbox are all about smoothness, meaning the power remains virtually constant as you move up through the gears. Luxury comes as standard on the LS400. Electric seats that remember several positions, leather upholstery, climate control that can alter the temperature separately for each side of the car and satellite navigation are all part of the standard package. The Lexus LS is designed to appeal to the US market, so its suspension is set too soft and the power steering is feather-light. Even on cars fitted with the Dynamic handling pack, which lowers the suspension and increases the wheel diameter, the car?s floaty attitude dissuades the driver from pushing it hard. While enthusiastic drivers may not relish the experience, passengers will, as rear legroom is plentiful and the soft leather seats are vast. But to really understand why a Lexus LS is such a great used car you need to look closely at how it is built. Cabin fit and finish are faultless, and more impressive still is what you find in corners that never get seen. Check out the electrical connections under the bonnet; each is beautifully made and carefully located. It?s this attention to detail that led a friend in the trade to say: ?You?re more likely to see a game of Quidditch at Cardiff Arms Park than an LS broken down by the roadside.? The LS?s ability to shrug off huge mileages has also made it a target for ?clockers?, so used cars need to be checked carefully. Always look for a complete service history with original invoices and invest in a call to HPI to help authenticate the car?s mileage and ownership details. While many manufacturers claim to build cars with more character than the LS, it?s safe to say that virtually none can build a car better. VITAL STATISTICS Model: Lexus LS400 Engine: V8, 3969cc Power: 280bhp Transmission: Five-speed automatic Fuel: 23mpg (combined) Acceleration: 0 to 62mph: 6.9sec Top speed: 155mph Boot: Huge, larger than Mercedes S-class or BMW 7-series Suspension: Electronically controlled, but still too soft for some tastes Exhaust: Check carefully, as replacement is very expensive Fuel consumption: LS400 will comfortably return 20mpg if driven with care Parking aid: One thing Lexus forgot: an automatic parking aid wasn't standard until 2001 Mileage: These are a dream for 'clockers' as high-mileage cars show virtually no signs of wear Front pads: Heavy V8 engine and auto box make front pads prone to wear Gearbox: All are automatic. From 1990-93 the car had just three forward gears, in 1993 it got four, then five speeds in 1997. Latest LS430 introduced this month gets six speeds Dashboard: Wood and leather in all the right places Climate control: Can be controlled separately for passenger and driver Satellite navigation: Touch-screen system on post 1997 cars is the best in the world Steering: Ultra-light, which makes it all too easy to kerb the alloy wheels

I just read something on salvage titles the other day. Supposedly, these are issued when a car is wrecked and totalled by the insurance company. If the car is repaired, and passes inspection, you can get a regular title. I'd look on your states DMV site for information on this. Of course the title history will always reflect this unless some dishonest person "washes" the title through a state that is slack. I wouldn't pay more than 75% of the otherwise book value for the car as it will always be more difficult to sell. Not that they aren't any good, just not a desirable as a creampuff.

I just saw a new TV ad for Lexus. This guys walks up to his LS430 and the interior lights go on. When he puts his hand on the door handle, impressive looking lights flash and the door unlocks. Then he puts his hand on the ignition switch (without any key) and starts the car. Several people have commented that this is the coolest thing they have seen in years. I'm not sure how it works, but Lexus is certainly staying in the forefront of technology. I know I will enjoy my 2005 LS430 when I buy it in 2012. Cool comments on this welcome... VBdenny

I posted a PDF file detailing how to replace the bulbs in the body portion of the trunk. Email me with you email address if you would like me to send it directly. There is also another post on replacing the bulbs inside the trunk. Everytrhing comes off quite easily. You have to carefully pry out the caps to remove the carpet trim, but it is designed to easily do so. Quite an easy job. As 1990LS400 said, it is a good idea to change them all while you are in there

Before you jump to conclusions, let me add a little story regarding not starting and the battery. My wife left the lights on at the Newark airport for three days. She said when she pushed the door lock button on the key, she didn't hear the click. Sure enough, the door was still locked. Using the key itself, she opened the door and everything was completely dead. Then the parking lot attendant came over with a jumper battery on a cart and hooked it up. The gauges came on, but the car wouldn't even crank. Then the brought the lot truck over and jumped it. My wife said it still wouldn't start. AFter the batteries were connected for about 10 minutes, she was able to start it up. The guy told her that her battery was bad, which I knew to be untrue. Never have had another probles since. The preplexing issue remains, how did she leave the lights on? I tried every way I could think of and couldn't replicate. Apparently, when these puppies have a dead battery you almost have to hook up directly to a power plant to jump. They don't like it very much. Have the battery load tested at just about any autoparts store for free. Be aware that the SELL batteries, so read up on it first so you know what they are doing. Denny

Yeah Tan, I run the detector in Virginia. I found they work nearly as well on the seat as they do on the dash. I actually only use it on the Interstates and have never been bothered. I started with a Fuzzbuster way back when, Now I use an Escort tri-mode. The best detector made without question is the Valentine One by Mike Valentine. They are about 4 bucks for one though. Lock it in the trunk? no way, they don't work well in there. Anyway, the ticket is a $75 max fine with no points. I'd rather have that the a fat tickets

I would still bleed them first as it is NOT that common for calipers to stick open, they usually stick closed against the rotor. If you determine it is the calipers, I can tell you where to get them and send you a pictorial (PDF) on how to change them. It is really easy. email me if you want the information. Before you assume it is anything else, and above all, check to make sure the pads are not excessively worn. It might be that youyr brake pads are glazed over and just not working well. I have also seen cases (though not on Lexus) where the front calipers leak small amounts of brake fluid and when that happens, whoa watch out, they really grab. Diagnose carefully, fix once. Denny

Your car looks great. I love waxing white.

AW Fantastic slide show. Lot's of very cool pictures. Thanks for sharing it.

I keep my left foot on the dead pedal, however when traffic warrents, I do cover the brake. To heel toe, you must have a stick. I push the clutch with my left foot only.

Try ICE. Fish a cube out of your cocktail and hold it on the gum. The gum gets really hard and you can chip it off. Someone told me and I didn't believe it, but it works. By the way, I hate gum. People hawk it out the window and then you get long gooey strings of someones chewed out gum on your lower panels. Spearmint is the most offensive smell.

After just driving the Corolla I just bought for my daughter from NJ to VA, I really have even a greater appreciation for my LS. You really have to stay on top of those light cars and they are much more disturbed by turbulance. Not to mention that I don't feel safe going very fast in them. My LS with 133,000 is better than anything I have ever driven on the highway. After I bought it, I was amazed that they actually build a car this good.