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carlhpretired

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    carlhpretired

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  • Lexus Model
    1990 LS400

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  1. I have a 1990 LS400 that developed the same problem - baffled me for months. It turned out to be a defective radiator. These are aluminum radiators and have extremely small passages that are easily clogged if you inadvertently use or top off with the wrong (i.e. non-Toyota) coolant. Some of these passages had become clogged in my radiator and it had to be replaced. A new radiator solved the problem and is has never recurred.
  2. I have a 1990 LS400 coming up on 262,000 miles (original owner). My starter has begun intermittently sticking, no doubt due to worn solenoid contacts as described elsewhere in this forum - aside from that, though, the car still runs and rides like the day it was new.
  3. Engine and/or transmission mounts are a good possibility. I have a 1990 LS 400 (246K miles) and had a similar problem - new engine mounts fixed it. Test: With the engine idling and transmission in PARK, depress accelerator slowly and increase engine RPM to 2300 or so. If you notice a shuddering that increases and decreases as you move through the 600 to 2300 RPM range, it's an absolute indication that your engine mounts need to be replaced.
  4. Clutch on AC compressor may be slipping when engaged (AC turned on), or a bearing in the AC compressor may be failing.
  5. My guess would be a defective turn signal flasher.
  6. but I will not spend $3447.00 on a LS that is worth less than the shocks. Just my 2 cents. Thank you, Ono. As a long-time customer of Arnott, we've had great luck with their Lexus rears, and the price cannot be beat. The replacement through a delaer or through Lexus is outrageous, especially for a car that can be as much as 20 years old. I agree that it is a great car, though I do feel that if you're willing to preserve it, then you don't want to get re-man parts anyway. Luckily, Arnott is there to help those of us in business, and others who are on a budget, to service the old vehicle. Having 245K miles on your vehicle is great, but Ono is right: $3447.00 for replacements is not on everyone's agenda, especially if the car is barely worth half. Suggestion to Carl: Arnott's remans of the LS400 rears are the shock only. If your car was leaking an inch overnight, then perhaps you needed to replace the o-rings, which are not included with the Arnott reman, and not the entire shock. You may have paid an extra $500 per shock just for an o-ring changeout. But, at least you're satsified. Lexus is lucky to have a devotee such as yourself who still sings its praises after 20 years and 245K miles, despite the fact that they have changed and redesigned the LS twice now. I did install new o-rings when I installed the Arnott rebuilts, so that was not the cause of the leak. I also thoroughly checked the air-fitting connections for leaks using the soapy water test before concluding that the Arnott re-builts were defective. Installation of the new OEM shocks went smoothly and there were no leaks or other problems. And, by the way, The Kelly Blue Book value of this car is currently $5355.00
  7. but I will not spend $3447.00 on a LS that is worth less than the shocks. Just my 2 cents. A good point, but consider this: there is market value and there is real value. I bought this car new in 1989 and have taken very good care of it. It is arguably the finest automobile ever made. After 17 years it still looks, rides, and drives like the day it was new. How do you replace a car like this for $3447.00? In California, the sales tax alone for a new LS460 is more than $7000.00. When considering the true value of anything, ultimately the value it has for you personally is the only value that really matters.
  8. I purchased a set of front and rear re-manufactured air shocks for my 1990 LS400 from Arnott, Inc. (the originals lasted 244,000 miles!) After installing the rears I noticed they were leaking – enough to cause the rear end to lower about an inch overnight. I returned the defective rears and the unused fronts to Arnott. Arnott said they found no leaks in the rear shocks. I paid $83.00 in shipping charges to return the defective rears and the unused fronts (this in addition to $76.00 in initial shipping charges for each pair shocks that was not refundable). So my total loss on the transaction was $159.00. NOTE: In addition to the leakage problem with the rear shocks, the air connection fittings on both of these units had greasy-grime in the threads, a missing rubber check valve in one of them, and the mounting plates for the control actuators on both shocks were rusty, indicating that these units had been sitting around for an extended period exposed to the weather. The ride quality was also intermittently choppy. The ride quality of the new OEM air shocks that I purchased from Lexus is absolutely perfect. Cost for the new front and rear shocks totaled $3447.00 – and worth every penny!
  9. Original owner - 1990 LS400 has 244,586 miles on it.
  10. Some of the passages in the radiator may be clogged. I have a 1990 LS400 that had a similar problem, but in my case the electric cooling fans kept coming on even though the temperature gauge indicated normal. These radiators have an aluminum core with very small passages. If you use the wrong type of coolant or inadvertently top off the coolant with anything except the special long-life (red in color) coolant designed specifically for aluminum radiators, it will have a corrosive effect that will clog the passages in the core. If this is the problem, it can be verified by doing a temperature scan of the radiator that will reveal hot spots (Lexus dealership service departments have the tools and procedures to do this testing). In my case, the test revealed that this was the problem and replacing the radiator fixed it (after wasting $250.00 on a new fan clutch, and another $76.00 on a new radiator cooling fan temperature switch, of course!)
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