cardona6569

Seafoam the engine, clean the air mass flow sensor and the throttle body, then if it persist take it to the mechanic, check air filter, change fuel filter if never done it, it the air filter has over 30,000 miles change it also. Have qualified mechanic clean the IACV MOTOR. IF ALL THE ABOVE FAILS. CPR

Before you spend a lot of money clean the Mass/Airflow Sensor. http://www.lexls.com/sitemap/ This is the site on how to do it. Buy Electronics Parst cleaner to do so. Cleaning that IAC motor is not a bad Idea either, but do what I recommend above, which is not a very hard thing to do. C. PR

Before you spend a lot of money clean the Mass/Airflow Sensor. http://www.lexls.com/sitemap/ This is the site on how to do it. Buy Electronics Parst cleaner to do so. Cleaning that IAC motor is not a bad Idea either, but do what I recommend above, which is not a very hard thing to do. C. PR

Change the air filter if extremely dirty, if not just clean it, second and very important, CLEAN THE MASS AIFFLOW SENSOR, THERE IS A TUTORIAL IN THE SITE ON HOW TO DO IT. SECOND FIX THAT DISPLAY IN ORDER TO SEE CODES OR WARNINGS IN THE CAR. THE MASS AIRFLOW IS AFTER THE AIR FILTER. USE ELECTRONIC PARTS CLEANER, LOOK IN THE TUTORIAL OR GO TO: http://www.lexls.com/sitemap/ with that done if the problem continues you have some other issues. Need to have all other maintenance in up to date, like plugs, cables, fuel filter air filter changed. C. PR

The first Legends were quite small cars no bigger than a Honda Accord, I rode one back in the days. The RL was a big car from day one, the Legend became bigger but the RL replaced it. The last Legends were great looking cars C. Cardona I thought it was the Legend. <_<

Hello: Where I live there are a lot of hills and mountains. In those places getting 7-12 MPG is OK, the mileage is computed in flat terrain not in hilly ones. If everything else fails to improve the MPG it just maybe but maybe, the best it will get you given the hills you need to climb. But as always need to check all possible solutions. C. PR not true, there is a gas station near a series if hills which i drive on to get to work. I got some gas yesterday, went up those hills, and averaged 7.1 mpg. So when is that light gonna come on at the top of the hills is where i work. I understand how it computes your mpg very quickly after you fill up, but still...

Another thing you might want to consider is replacing the gasket on the gas cap, if it is bad it will evaporate a lot of fuel when parked. C. PR

The Acura RL was the first Big Car Honda made, so they were not very experienced on the endeavor. It is my understanding they went more with the sport/luxury ride than with fuel savings, ( saving fuel was not their aim for the car). The RL also was modeled for the upper income clients of Honda to avoid them migrating towards other brands such as Lexus. Remember these were the years that Japanese automaker decided to challenge the US leadearship in the Luxury/Big car market, and they have. In my opinion they did not do their homework as well as Lexus did. I had a Prelude and the car had power but did not consume as much gas as I thought it would being sporty. But I feel they expected that fuel economy on the RL not a problem with the upper income persona buying the car. C. PR

You are my Hero! Nicely Done! I know the "Dark Side" must not be happy about your acomplishment. C. PR

I would reset the MPG meter. Then observe what it reads. Change air filter, put a good injector cleaner like Seafoam or B-12 Chemtool in the gas tank, follow instructions on the bottle. In last place I would take it to an electro mechanic to have the O2 sensors check for conductivity, they may have gone bad but just a little less than necessary to activate the Check Engine or Service Engine Soon light, but they may be out of specifications. Also make sure you use premium fuel as recommended by Lexus to get better MPG. Texaco is one of the cleanest gas since it has additives to clean the system also, Amoco is very good gas. But you need to try them and see yourself and so forth with any other brands available in your area as long as you put premium. C. PR

Hi: The car looks great. I read somewhere that the reason they made the Hybrid Technology was as a monument to the achievements of Japanese Engeneering, not really to save much gas or emissions. Second this is all anew, I imagine they acomplihsed what they intended, create this buzz. For the Car to be really good in economy, it will have to be around 39/30 MPG, (Toyota Hybrids give better MPG in the city than in the Highway). If the MPG is not much higher than in the regular car it is just another gadget. The 2007 is around 19-27, which is not bad, but if people are going to pay so much more it has to be somehing dramatic. C. PR

I was reading about the two new models and they are so similar, besides the LexusES 350 having more refinement, the Camry is very similar.. It is very sad that Lexus does this. I would not pay 9,000 more for a car that is so close this time to the Camry, that it is a shame. I took this quote from Money Magazine, April 2006 page 113. Don't be Hoodwinked by What's on the Hood Lexus ES 350. Same Engine same platform, different tuning. The 33,000 Lexus also has more soundprofing and wood trim, plus a fancier stereo, thatn the 24,000 Camry. Save 9,000 Toyota Camry SEV6 End of quote. C. PR

I would use Valvoline Oil Synthetic, is the most detergent there is. The Mystery Oil can also help de clog the engine. Make sure to use an original or purulator filter. I would recommend a 5 minute flush, but do not leave the stuff in more than 5 minutes, do it for about 3-4 minutes. Perhaps, the blue smoke can be caused because of bad valve rubber seals, it is very common on Mitsubishi Cars after about 100,000 miles. C. PR

Please remember that the salespeople job is to sell. Our job as buyers is to read in the net ( or elsewhere), which is a great resource to find the negatives of any products. It is usually good to read both sides before you commit. The statement whether a smart or else has a Lex I believe is out of place here. I always was told that the only question which is a bad question is the one that you do not ask. I feel as many people on this page that here you can ask a question and the members which answer are objective about their responses, since they do not drive money from giving their input. Salespeople on the majority are trying to sell you their merchandise, since usually the ones that have to deal with returns are other departments. Like when you buy the car the sales do not have much to do with the service department, it be nice if the were the same division, but they are not. Lets make the forum a friendly place that everyone feel at home to ask whatever they need info. If we make people afraid to ask, the page will be going out of favour with many. I want to add friends not subtract them. I am very happy to read the posts about Siri, because when I buy it, I will know what its limitations are. The advantage is that if you go across the country, you will not loose the station. Lets welcome our new members and the old ones as well, in a friendly and frank fashion. C. PR

I am very happy you decided for the Lexus. One little fact, as you can see I live in Puerto Rico. We have only one Lex dealer with service, and one Mercedes dealer with service, you can buy and get service your cars in other places but they are not the official dealers. My Lex was but from other than the dealer. You have to wander why the MB dealer service stays open until 11 PM during the week. Maybe is more convenient for the business people who own the cars, or maybe they are so full of work because the cars break so much that to accommodate the demand they had to do such decision. I personally feel is both. I had a girlfriend that her boss has had MB's for years, bought them new or used. He had an CLk 430 she only described it as that it went really bad on the mechanical side, he traded it in for a 500 rather than fixing it. You go to the listings of MB for sale and in any given day you would find about 60 and the Lex is about 18 most of the time, that tells you something. I am not against MB but before I bought my Lex there was an MB for the same price and same color of my Lex after doing the numbers I decided for the Lex. I do not discard buying an MB as a project in the future, but keeping my Lex, because is very reliable. I had to correct some minor problems and the dealer and the mechanics do not know me anymore! I bet if I were in the MB I would know everyone by first names in the waiting area of the service department. I would suggest to them since they are opening so late they should open nightclub there, since people have to stay around so late to get their cars to run OK. Yes I have to say that some MB's have run without many troubles either. They are a click better in looks and gadgets than the Lex. I do not like that much the looks of the LS 460, the exterior that is, the interior is great. I prefer the first Gen. and second Gen. looks better on the outside. Like I love the previous Gen infinity, not the bubble head look of the Q-45 they have today. C. PR

Hello; The best thing you can do is clean the maf, and check your air filter, to make sure is in good condition. Just go to the auto parts and get electronics parts cleaner, and give a good cleaning to your sensor. Then if the problems continue clean the trottle body, check your throttle sensor, they can cause the same brand of problems also. Need to clean the maf as soon as possible to avoid it getting burned due to the dirt it might has that can cause a short circuit rendering the sensor useless, clean all terminals and metal in the sensor and connector in the engine harness. Disconnect your battery while doing this so the computer ressets. This happened to an Suv of mine the idle was good but had bad acceleration, then all became really bad, it was so, that the SUV literary, limped back to my house and could not even ascend a mild incline surface. Cleaned the maf, checked the air filter TB, which was clean and -puff!- all was back to normal, saving a trip either to the auto parts or to the mechanic and auto parts. I wish to know which of the two would have been worst. Check in the club knowledge for this procedures. C. PR

I would use instead of Dex III, Mobil 1 synthetic ATF which is compatible with DexIII, and Mercon Lubricants. It will also last longer, so you wont have to change it as often. C. PR Hehe...300k in the next few years! I can't wait! A maintinance guru like you saying he's getting lazy with maintinance is what a normal person can achieve at their best. lol ← And also to you my friend.......... I am going to flush the PS (for 2nd time in 12 months) once we get out of the refrigerator this winter B) It's like anything else I put my logic to; $10 for 3-4 quarts of Dex III + an hour of fun under the hood........--what's the big deal

I would replace the Radiator cap if you have never done that. Maybe it is malfunctioning, because nobody tests the pressure of it, to know if it is within limits. Maybe that is what is causing the troubles. I own a nissan and the cap went bad causing the radiator to blow up on a vehicle with less than 50,000 miles. Replaced it after the dealer replaced the radiator, but would not replace that cap, had no more problems. It can be bought aftermarket from stan, which in many cases is OEM brand, or your friendly Lex dealer. C. PR

Well an area worth checking is the gas cap rubber gasket. If you have not ever lubricated it have it replaced and lubricate it at least annually with engine oil very light. If it is too flat replaced, if you do not hear the air pressure coming out when you open the gas tank when the tank is not very full, change it anway as it might not be sealing properly. By doing this procedure you avoid losing gas by the avenue of evaporation. Second always put gas in the car when the outside temp is the lowest, the gas lasts longer this way, when it hot outside it expands and burns quicker because it evaporates quicker. They even have a federal law saying this. They have to account in the price for the high temperatures, because the gas evaporates. You can also avoid this by parking your car in the shade in the daytime, thus keeping the gas cooler. Clean your Mass Airflow Sensor. Check all your wheels for free movement, to make sure all brake pads are not bidding. ***This one you research in the net.**** ***Put 2 ounces of Pure, and repeat Pure Acetone in the gas tank for every 10 gallons of gas. Acetone makes the gas more volatile making it burn more percentage of it. Sometimes as much as 40% of the gasoline is not burned. In these vehicles I do not believe that percentage is that great on the LS, but much is not burned as the engines need to improve in this area.*** You can research it in the net. I put it to mine with about a 5% percent increase in the MPG this can vary from car to car due to driving habits, hill climbing gas flooring lol. When you try this you will feel the car stronger in the way it accelerates and its power. I would venture to say that with this you do not need to use Premium, but I always put premium in mine regardless, of the acetone. Take all dead weight off the car, like the olde bowling ball, gulf clubs, etc. !If it is not needed in the trunk or interior of the car it needs to come out! Hope this all helps. C. PR

I have some sample questions. As the fluid looks very reddish, It might as well coming out of the P/S system. Is your car consuming excessive amounts of coolant? This is noted by evaporation. Have you check the level of your P/S Pump tank? The PS system uses tranny fluid dex III for the P/S system and it looks that red. I had the same leaks and it was the main pressure hose coming from the PS pump, it has a fitting in there that becomes burr and needs to be smooth not to leak. A water pump ussually fails after 150,000 miles in these cars as I read in the post, even as 120,000 is also aceptable. Need to make sure the leak is not coming from the PS system. The coolant fluid even as it is red it is not as intense as the ones depicted. Hope this helps, C. PR

Hi: Just get some electronic equipment cleaner and clean all the sensor wires, the ones that connect to the harness and the other(s) in the sensor itself, they should be shinny, or clean from dust, grease etc. www.lexls.com, or go to the Uk lexus owners club, they have tutorials there of how to clean the MAF. If you do not have an check engine light, you only have a dirty MAF sensor. You can also check in the internet and find info about it in a nissan vehicle. Just use google to find it. After you clean it you should have no problem. If the above do not work then you need to replace, but they usually just get dirty and affect the resistance in them. In case you do not have any of the above you can use alcohol in spray form, but do not leave any residue and make sure is dry before mouting. Do not spray the rubber packing if so equiped, because you will have to replace it. That rubber packing needs to be lubricated with some hinge oil, a drop to make sure it does not crack. Any other problems about the maf just email me if you do not find the info. C. PR Thank you very much ! This is what I'm looking for. On evening I do the test.

Hi: In my opinion a 1998 LS will do just fine for your first one. You can find them pretty cheap. I would stay away from the air suspension. Second before you commit, go the the maintenance people with the VIN number and have them check the cars history in the computer for maintenance if it is a local car. It should be all there. Do a carfax or whatever other company you prefer to make sure your car has not been in a bad accident before you get it. After that do the test drive and tell them you want to run it an hour in the highway, at lawful speeds that way if it has a bad oxygen sensor it will show up, watch the temperature gauge, it should not move much, run the ac to see how the car behaves for a minute then putt it off and keep your running I am guessing it is too cold to run the AC normally, do not turn the radio until you driven it about 10 to 15 minutes, to make sure you do not hear any bad noises from the suspension. After that test the radio, bring a CD and put it in the charger to make sure it works, look the car when you come back, they tend to leak PS or Tranny fluids sometimes. If you find any bads tell then to have them fixed. Finally if you feel satisfy you are on your way to a great car! C. PR

Thanks: I almost to save a dime or two was going to buy the Sams BF G Tires. I guess I am keeping Bridgestones or changing to Michelins when time comes. The time probably will be before the year is over. At least for two of the Tires. Have anybody heard about Kelly Tires? C. PR

In case of doubts buy the OEM stuff, or you can do a search in the forum, there is a lot of info about Tranny Fluid. As far as I am concerned it should use type IV, or you can buy the Amsoil premium stuff that calls for your car. For Amsoil products you can do a web search to find the location or the method to get it. Secondly your PS uses Dextron III Tranny fluid, not PS fluid as American cars do! If you put PS fluid into your Lex, there could be leaks at the seal. Never overfill Tranny or PS systems, since the fluid will make pressure and premature failure of seals and leaks will develop. C. PR

I had a Mercury Cougar XR-7 1987. This car had a digital dashboard. Current MPG, and INstant MPG, Quality of Fuel Gallons, Distance to empty, voltmeter, Temperature and Oil Pressure, all in a nice package. The 1998 Lexus I have does not have: Voltmeter or Oil pressure gauges and neither fuel quantity in gallons. This is a 1987 car had a 5.0 V8 gave 19-27.5 MPG. Cost was a lot less than a Lexus. It is still running with some rust. When I get in my Lex I feel many of the things the Japanese came to the US to Study before they built the LS because of my premium Cougar it was the most loaded model. Go to the Lexus site and read the history of the first Generation Lexus. The Japanese came a copied and improved in areas such a reliability, durability and rust prevention, all car makers have improved on that area specially the Japanese. The great thing about my Lex is the fuel economy for a car with such HP, which is more or less the same as my 5.0 which is a smaller engine. C. PR You know what they say, "Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery." GM is certainly not the only manufacturer that does this. Historically, the Japanese have been known as the great imitators; they are now on the other end of the stick, so to speak. In the book "All Corvettes are red" there was mention of an tear-down room for competing sportscars. Based upon knowledge gained from the tear-down process, GM engineers were able to produce a sportscar that was unmatched at anywhere near its price. Today, the 06 Corvette Z06 outperforms sportscars costing $80,000 more. I say, if the result is a better vehicle for the masses, keep doing it, as long as patents aren't breeched.