1990LS400

A few weeks ago we took I-435 on the west side of the Kansas City metro about 30 miles to KCI airport. It was an icy day and there must have been 100 cars off the road both in the median and off the shoulder into fields. I-435 on the west side of the Kansas City metro area is mostly as straight as an arrow with a few sections of very gentle, hardly noticable curves. Many of the cars off the road were quite new and likely had ABS and some sort of stability control system. As we puttered along at no more than 35 mph and often slower, some people flew past us at over 70 mph. We saw a few of these people later sitting in their cars in the median or in adjoining farm fields. All the technology in the world couldn't save these people from themselves. I kept thinking: why are these people driving so fast when they can see all these cars off the road and tow trucks pulling them out? Duh! Darwin was right! I've run off a road only once in 44 years of driving. It was on a perfectly straight section of I-70 in a rural area east of Kansas City. I was going too fast for the conditions. I was lucky there was nothing to hit and that I went down an embankment into a nice grassy field. That experience pretty much scared the crap out of me and I have since slowed way down when the roads are slick or even "greasy" from rain and dust. I've had my "learning experience". Maybe this one is yours?

The attached page from the 2003 LX470 owners manual tells how to turn the compass off and on and explains when the compass does not display. I grabbed this page from the online 03 LX owners manual in the owners section of Lexus.com. There is no need to register to see owners manuals. I find it often easier to search the online owners manuals (e.g. in this case, for "compass") than to find info in the hard copy manual.

I'm surprised your shop doesn't want to supply the pads and make a little money. Parts.com has OEM pads for your LS430 for $44.88 -- don't know what shipping cost would be. They have front rotors for $93.27/each. Some people say they never turn the rotors, some say they always replace them. My mechanic always turns them and reuses. The total cost of a front brake job on my 00 LS400 a few years back was $220 including OEM pads and turning the rotors. It was done at an indie shop by a former Lexus dealer mechanic. Replacing front brake pads on an LS is an easy enough job -- I've done it only once and regretted it due to not being equipped to turn the rotors and no longer having an extra car to run the rotors to a shop to have them turned. The original front brake pads on my 00 LS400 lasted until over 71,000 miles when the brake wear sensor triggered the trip computer display. The sensor couldn't be saved so a replacement was an additional $55 (??? I've posted it before ... too lazy to look again). I think the wear sensors for the LS430 are a little more expensive. I had my rear brake pads replaced for the first time a few weeks ago during the 120,000 mile service. The wear sensor hadn't hit yet and the thinnest rear pad probably could have gone another 10K to 15K miles.

The repair manuals for my 00 LS have decision tables and detailed procedures for diagnosing and correcting uneven air suspension problems -- there is no way I could scan all those pages and post them here and they might be a little different for your model year LS anyway. Somebody recently posted a link to an electronic copy of the 00 LS repair manuals but I checked and saw that the huge diagnostic (DI) section is not included. I think you need the diagnostic procedures either in hard copy or from https://techinfo.toyota.com

Why are you certain that your ABS caused the problem in "cold conditions, slippery road".

Many problems cause these warning lights to come on with most having nothing to do with the VSC system. The first step is to use a code reader to read stored error codes to identify the problem.

I don't know what you consider "cheap" but Parts.com has the rear bumper molding, part number 52751-50020, for $110.20.

Well ... my 00 LS400 has an electronic throttle system including a Pedal Position Sensor, a Throttle Position Sensor, and a Throttle Control Motor that does "the dirty work". My understanding is that any Lexus or Toyota with VSC has an electronic throttle system. How else could VSC take control of the throttle when it senses a skid? As I found last Spring, when one of these components fails, the throttle becomes erratic -- sometimes the gas pedal does nothing at all and other times the gas pedal works for a few seconds and then stops working for a few seconds.

I'm not seeing mudflaps for the current GS -- not on the Lexus Canada website where they have them for other models including the LS460/600 and not on the UK or German Lexus websites where they've always had them when available for a model. I don't see them on http://www.toyodiy.com/ as being available for Japanese market models either. I wonder if the lack of mudflaps is due to the current GS having more vertical bodywork behind the wheels instead of bodywork that curves inward. When available, Lexus mudflaps fit like a glove and attach with multiple screws and bolts -- nearly impossible to knock off like many aftermarket mudflaps. I bought a set for my current LS from Metro Lexus in Victoria BC. Maybe their parts department can help you: http://www.metrolexusvictoria.com/

Or you could just follow the maintenance schedule in your maintenance booklet -- seems to be a reliable way to make these cars last a long time and with minimal stress.

Per the attached maintenance log page for a 2008 ES350 (probably the same for all model years of the ES350), there are also a number of inspections that are performed during the 30,000 mile service. They may look like "fluff" but they really should be performed either by you or a mechanic. In over 265,000 miles of driving Lexus cars, I've had only one 30,000 mile services performed by a Lexus dealer -- in about 1992 when I didn't have good alternatives. I've been using independent repair shops for Lexus service since about 1993. The two I have used were/are owned by former Lexus dealer service writers and staffed by former Lexus dealer mechanics. Prices are substantially less and the quality of service has been far better. The indie Lexus repair shop I've been using since 1996 provides a shuttle service instead of loaner cars, his waiting room is not as nice as the dealers, he has only one flat panel TV, no free snacks or WiFi but he does have decent coffee. A Toyota dealer might be OK too but I prefer a small indie repair shop where I'm on a first name basis with the owner and staff. I don't even have our Camry serviced at a Toyota dealer. It's virtually identical mechanically as the ES of the same year so I have the indie Lexus repair shop service it too -- and for lower prices than the Toyota dealer charges.

The 1995-up LS400 is different from the 90-94. Instead of turning off a switch in the the trunk, all that is necessary is to turn the ignition switch off. Attached is the relevant page from the 96 LS400 owners manual.

Removing the rear seat is quick and easy -- did it several times on both a 90 LS and a 00 LS ... 30 seconds to remove the seat cushion and 5 minutes to remove the seat back. The base suggested retail price of the LS400 increased only slightly between model years 1994 ($50,370) and 1995 ($51,680): http://www.lexus.com/contact/pdf/1994/1994LSspecs.pdf http://www.lexus.com/contact/pdf/1995/1995LSspecs.pdf

Attached are the 90K maintenance requirements for a 2003 LX470 from the owners section of https://www.lexus.com A maintenance booklet containing these requirements should have come with your LX. The first scheduled spark plug replacement for your 03 LX is 120,000 miles -- they are Iridium spark plugs and could probably go even longer that that. I had the Iridium spark plugs replaced for the first time on my 00 LS at 120,000 miles a few weeks ago and the plugs showed no sign of deterioration ... and the car doesn't run any better with new Iridium plugs -- it ran perfectly with the old plugs. "Normally" the timing belt change includes replacing the water pump, the tensioner, two idlers, a few O-rings and maybe a few other small parts -- at least those were the additional parts replaced during the three timing belt changes I've had done on Lexus V8 cars. The last timing belt change I had done (on a 2000 LS400) cost $780 including the above mentioned parts at an indie shop specializing in Lexus with the work done by a former Lexus dealer mechanic. I'm guessing the cost will be similar for an LX470.

The Lexus website says "Power-adjustable outside mirrors with defoggers" are standard: http://www.lexus.com/cpo/model_library/RX/2004.html Outside mirror defoggers normally operate in conjunction with the "Rear-window defogger with auto-off timer".

There are a variety "paintless dent removal" techniques. Google "paintless dent removal in New York City" and you will find companies that do it. Search for "paintless dent removal" on Youtube and you can find a number of videos that show how it's done. I've seen cars with dents caused by hail removed with one of these processes and I could neither see nor feel the dents after they were removed -- it's remarkable and fairly inexpensive.

Lie down until the urge to replace your brake pads prematurely passes. The wear sensors on the front and rear brake pads won't trigger a warning on your trip computer until pad thickness is well under 3 mm. Start thinking about replacing brake pads when the pad thickness falls below 3 mm or wait for the warning message. Waiting for the warning message may mean having to replace a wear sensor -- they don't cost all that much. The wear sensor on my 00 LS400 front pads didn't trigger a trip computer warning message until over 71,000 miles. Rear brake pads last far longer than front pads. I had the rear pads replaced for the first time on my 00 LS400 recently during the 120,000 mile service and they could have gone longer. I had them replaced since I doubted that they would last until the 150K service and didn't want to make an extra trip just to get the pads replaced and the rotors turned. There are plenty of threads on this forum and opinions vary. Having done it both ways, I would never replace pads without resurfacing the rotors. You probably spent a lot of $$$ for your 06 LS430 -- why skimp when doing a brake job since it's needed so rarely.

Where's the "G Man" when we need someone to express some "Audi love"? :D 7-10 years or more is easy if you keep on top of maintenance and repairs. Last Monday I "visited" the LS400 I bought new in 1990, drove 183,500 miles and sold in 2003. It drove and looked like new when I sold it and still looks pretty good at 20 years and something like 275,000 miles. I bought my 2000 LS400 in 2003 at 38,000 miles and it is still a wonderful car at 120,000 miles. Unless some uncontrollable thirst for something more modern arises or it gets crashed, I plan to drive it until about 2015. (Hmmm, maybe I shouldn't go to the Kansas City Auto Show this afternoon!) The main advice I have for making these cars last is to do your own minor maintenance (e.g. oil changes, tire rotations), don't let a quick-lube, Wallymart or the like get near your car, find a good indie Lexus repair shop, and have your car serviced religiously every 30,000 miles. "Less is more" when it comes to these cars. samwifi -- enjoy your "new" LS430!

I found several threads on removing the instrument cluster but didn't run across one specifically for your 01 ES -- I didn't look at all of them. Here is a thread for an older model year: http://us.lexusownersclub.com/forums/index...rument++cluster The easiest way to search is to use the search in the drop down menu at the bottom right of many forum pages -- I call this the "advanced search" and it allows searching for multiple keywords: +instrument +cluster Attached is a diagram of the 01 ES300 instrument cluster -- shows the bezel that some of the threads talk about removing in order to extract the cluster.

"Nobody expects the Spanish Inquisition! Our chief weapon is surprise...surprise and fear...fear and surprise...." -- Monty Python. Of course it is better to fix the PS pump but the leaks can really sneak up on you. I had a number of new or rebuilt PS pumps on my 90 LS over the 13 1/2 years I drove it with one of the rebuilds lasting only a few months. My point is that many people have reported failed alternators due to leaking gen 1 LS400 PS steering pumps on these forums but no one has reported an alternator damaged by a drip shield. We are talking reality here and not just scientific speculation. Trust me, when you are 180 miles from the nearest Lexus dealer with your gen 1 LS400 PS pump leaking like a sieve -- like I once was -- you really want one of these guards protecting your alternator. I've seen nicer alternator drip shields than the one in the photo I provided -- some people have made them so they stand off a bit from the alternator. The Spanish Inquisition skit has to be my favorite.

People have been using drip shields on gen 1 LS400 alternators for about two decades. Do you have documented evidence that these shields cause problems?

Having been stranded when a leaking PS pump caused alternator failure on the 90 LS I used to have, I think an alternator guard is a good idea. The one in the attached photos is made out of a plastic bleach bottle -- I've seen prettier alternator guards but who cares what it looks like if it protects the alternator.

Mama said WD-40 is the Devil. Really, WD-40 is evil stuff. And you might have it dripping on and staining your carpet and clothes. I wouldn't worry about a few squeaks. Maybe a carefully placed shot of clear silicon spray on the exact part causing the squeak -- but not WD-40. I could probably find a similar thread about repairing the actuator on this forum but I happened to find this one on Clublexus first: http://www.clublexus.com/forums/gs-second-...uators-diy.html

Yes, the plastic trim fasteners usually pull out. I use a trim removal tool with a "Y" shaped metal end that I insert under the fastener head but a flat blade screw driver can be used if you are careful. If you break one -- and I have broken quite a few over the years -- replacements are fairly inexpensive.

It sounds like there are significant questions about how the car is equipped and questions that significant effect its market value. The only "self leveling" suspension available on the LS430 is the air suspension that comes only with the Ultra Luxury package. The Ultra Luxury package includes rear reclining/massage seats and other options I mentioned previously. Maybe the seller meant "self leveling headlights" -- all 98-up Lexus LS cars with HID have them. If the car does have the Ultra Luxury pacage with self leveling air suspension and rear seat "toys", I wouldn't avoid it due the car's very low mileage. If it does not have the Ultra Luxury package, the $33K price seems quite high. You can see a list of all option packages for the 2006 LS430 here: http://www.lexus.com/cpo/model_library/LS/2006.html Be careful -- it's not all that uncommon for sellers to misrepresent the options an LS has.