Benjamin Tang

go to home depot and buy the 3M double sided adhesive tape with the red backing. that stuff will just about hold anything, but isn't so strong that you cannot remove it when needed.

anyway, i used thin adhesive-backed foam insulation strips meant for sealing windows and doors to stop ours from rattling.

A rock just bounced off my RX330 windshield yesterday, leaving a small-sized chip right in front. I do not want to replace the windshield with a brand new one. What are my options to fix it, so it won't get spread. Thanks!!

take it to an automotive glass shop and ask about their epoxy repair system.

but sometimes if the chip isn't deep enough it's best to leave it alone.

my friend has an M3, and he finds my GS to be heavy (obviously), and handles too soft. basically, the hard edged peformance his BMW has is lacking my my lexus :cries:

yes they are reliable, but you have to factor in age, which no car is not suceptible to, so expect stuff like bushings, etc. to be a little bit on the tired side, depending on the condition of the car.

as for suspect stuff... door actuator failure, starter failure, front suspension bushings worn, evap core leak, headlight condensation, RMS... again, all age-related.

OEM hid headlights can be retrofitted into a non HID GS with some rewiring, but i do not think the auto-leveling features will work, so you will have to aim manually and leave it like normal headlights would.

if you want true terror about mercedes ownership go to http://www.mercedes-benz-usa.com/... i almost bought an S500 instead of my GS before reading this message board... thank god for google

just a shot in the dark.... has anyone pulled the spark plugs (both the lean plug and at least one of the other ones to compare) to see what condition it's in?

this is all i could find on the other board:

http://www.clublexus.com/forums/showthread...;highlight=lean

edit: coil pack has nothing to do with this problem...

nope... are you in the "auto" setting?

For the people who had a mechanic change the starter on their GS, what did you guys pay for part and labor?

starter from autozone, pep boys etc. or from dealer?

What do you recommend?

thx

my mechanic rebuilt my original starter using oem parts from toyota (i think one of the pickups uses the same starter). so to remove/reinstall the starter, rebuild it, and parts... it was around $500-600cdn for me.

enjoy the peace of mind that you've done the t-belt. i've read too many stories about people saying "it looked fine" after the belt broke and the engine ate all it's valves :chairshot:

mine was done late also (previous owner skipped it because he was selling the car... doh). when it came out one side was unravelling and a strand was flapping free. otherwise there were no missing teeth or cracking/wear. but when the mechanic put the new and old one together, the old belt had stretched and was slightly longer than the new one... no idea what that had done to the timing :o

Thanks for the quick replies. I called Lexus of Glendale (where the car has historically been serviced) & scheduled a complete vehicle inspection ($230) prior to purchase. What items should I watch out for???

so is this car is being sold at glendale? is it a CPO car? or will there be some sort of 3rd party warranty included in the sale?

your chances are better with a dealer-serviced car, but still...

how much on ebay are used ones going for?

the wheels bolt up, but i am uncertain about the tire size. i don't think it's possible to recalibrate the speedometer on these cars... try using the upgrading sizing calculator on the tirerack.com website to confirm if the rx400h tire size works?

as far as i know, the transmission problems are limited to the AWD models only.

but the engine sludge issues affects both the 2WD and AWD models :cries:

Sup, I have a '99 GS400 and I want to drop it and add 18" wheels...I was thinking of coil overs but looking at various types, Im not sure which one to go with. Does anyone have any suggestions? Also, the width on the 18's should be what? 18x7.5, 18x8.0, 18x8.5? If someone has any info on which products I should go with or brands, and/or, the ones to stay away from. Also, through the people who have experience in dropping the GS, is the ride changed drastically? I know its determined on the type of suspension you get but please let me know. Im willing to spend anywhere from $1000-$1300 on suspension (coil overs). Thanks!

tein cs is about as good as it gets if you're concerned about the ride. you can adjust with an edfc controller.

make sure when you buy, you're getting the new revised tein cs because they just recently changed the design.

- needs dealer service records, or at least proof of regular oil changes/service intervals.

- valve cover needs to be pulled to see how much sludge is in there, if any. if you don't know about the sludge problem, do a search... it's potentially a fatal problem for these engines.

- transmission fluid needs to be checked. a lot of owners here have had theirs fail regardless of mileage... i think it's a $5k replacement :o

i just put up with it. don't use stuff like armor all and whatnot that ends up making it even shinier. not much you can do... the windshield is so damn big.

my mechanic says as you approach your scheduled change point, pull the plugs and check their condition. if they are okay, leave them in. otherwise, replace them for obvious increased efficiency/performance .

it could be that the pads are chattering. some options are the chamfer the leading edge of the pads, or add more anti-squeal compound at the backing plates?

open your glovebox and look inside. there is a false wall/panel to the back of your glovebox. give it a pull and it will pop out. behind it is part of the hvac assembly. there will be another rectangular panel with 2 vertical pull tabs on it. pull on those and this second panel will come out. reach inside and pull on the air filter panel (it has a horizontal pull tab in the middle and the filter should come out. if it hasn't been changed take care not to shake it, turn it over, etc. while still inside the car or you'll find yourself cleaning up dead leaves and other crap all day out of the car.

installation is the reverse of above. pay attention to what is marked "up". it's pretty dark in there, so bring a flashlight if ambient lighting is not good.

I have rolling codes also and it was very easy if you follow the directions. Go for it. It also transmits farther than me clip on one does, I can open the door from a block away.

Jeff

wow that's impressive... ours barely works from 10-15 feet away... it might having something to do with the fact we live at the bottom of a hill and our driveway is steep.

is there a load rating or tow rating in your owner's manual?

i know 600lbs could be considered to be roughly the equivalent of 3-4 people, but that weight is not concentrated in one spot (ie. over the rear suspension)... but i'm just guessing.

can someone post a link to the other thread? i'm interested in reading what the torque and mpg numbers are for this new model...

so the v6 has finally caught up in hp ratings as my GS400... i feel so old :cries:

check your trans fluid and see if it's still okay.

garage door opener (homelink).

our owner's manual is in the car (i'm at work), so unfortunately i can't remember the sequence to program them sorry

my mechanic said yes, unecessary downshifting will cause wear on an automatic transmission... to quote him; "brake pads are cheaper to replace than transmissions, so don't do it".

are you sure? "spun connecting rod"? i've never heard of that before... spun bearing maybe on the crank?