1990LS400

The recommended procedure for replacing the headlight bulbs in all model years of the LS400 does not involve removing the battery or any duct work. The recommended procedure is to remove the headlight units -- easier than it looks and certainly better than for "a small lady (just under 5 ft)" to unnecessarily disconnect and hoist out a heavy car battery filled with an acid solution. Attached are instructions from the owners manual for a European 1994 LS400 but the procedure is essentially the same for your 1997 LS400 as it is for my 2000 LS400. Owners manuals for earlier US specification LS400's included detailed instructions for replacing almost every light bulb on the car. I don't know why the instructions were deleted from later model year owners manuals -- maybe it was to "increase dealer profits" or maybe it was because replacing bulbs was seen to be beyond the skills of the average owner.

I'm not saying that "You just can NOT believe anybody these days." but I AM saying that the Gates information is not particularly accurate and sometimes does not match the information in auto manufacturer's documention. I guess I get a little irratated at people bringing up the Gates B.S. over and over when it has been debunked so many times on car forums. For example, look at the Gates manual for the 1990-94 LS400. I bought a 1990 LS400 new in 1990, drove it for 13 1/2 years / 183,500 miles and had the timing belt and all related parts replaced twice. The Gates manual says the timing belt change interval is 60,000 miles. It is not. The recommended timing belt change interval specified in the car's maintenance manual is 90,000 miles. I could list lots of other inaccuracies but I'm not going to waste my time. So ... your think your "2002 Lewxus ES 300" engine with a VVTi valve train isn't interference?

I hate to tell you this but the Gates chart has lots of errors and the errors are not limited to which engines are, or are not, interference.

Here is a website that may help: http://www.lexusnavigation.com The 2005-2009 SC430 is a generation 4 nav system -- bummer that the version 9.1 update for gen 4 nav systems doesn't automatically bypass the "I agree" screen like it does on the generation 5-up systems. You might find an online seller who will discount the $199 price of version 9.1. Sewell Lexus in Texas usually knocks a few dollars off parts and others might also. Edit: The gen 4 discs I see on eBay have W41 on them. The gen 5 discs I see have U31. I see what you mean ... even the eBay sellers seem unsure of what they are selling.

You might try sending a PM to ask qewani. He also has a 2000 LS400 imported from the US to UAE. He has not been very active on this forum lately but he was on Clublexus yesterday where his member name is qewani1 . He is extremely sharp and technical and a very helpful person -- we have exchanged a few PM's. Maybe he can help you.

The only companies I've seen that add functionality to Lexus nav systems are companies like VAIS that provide interfaces for devices like iPods and the like: http://www.vaistech.com Some functionality improvements might be gained by updating the nav to the most recent version: http://www.lexusnavigation.com/faq.php Toyota/Lexus seems to have reduced their nav update prices recently and increased the update frequency. I think the current retail price of an update is about $200 with some online sellers discounting the price a few dollars.

The bulb type is on each of your headlight lenses. If you have HID, you will see "D2R" on each lens. If you have halogen, you will see "9006". Of course, if you have HID, you would have been seeing your headlights doing an up-and-down synchronization dance each time you start your car at night.

Lexus dealers sell and install block heaters up there ... we don't get them here in the states. If you have a place to plug one in at work, it might help a little. People on Lexus forums have complained, however, that Lexus block heaters are fairly low wattage and not as effective as those sold for other makes. There are aftermarket in-line coolant heaters that can be installed in radiator hoses but those require an AC outlet too. The only aspect of my last P.O.S. Mercedes that I parted with 20 years ago was its amazingly effective block heater -- gave almost instant heat from the heater after starting the car in zero F. temperatures. The surprising part was that I could usually find a place to plug it in -- shopping centers, parking garages, Colorado ski areas ... and no one ever messed with the extension cord or complained about my unauthorized use of a little electricity.

Wow! That was fast. Thank you very much for the photos. I wish there was that much clearance between the inside of the rims and the brake calipers on my 16" wheels. Looks like it wasn't necessary to use low profile stick-on balancing weights on your 17" wheels. I noticed as I was buying my tires in Costco that someone was buying a set of 245/50-17 Michelin Pilots. They would make a perfect "plus zero" on your 17" wheels to replace your 225/55-17 tires and would keep your speedometer accurate --- but gosh were those Pilots in that size expensive. They would likely make for a bit bumpier ride but might improve handling/brake performance a bit. But I would wonder how much the unspung weight would increase -- particular on heavier chrome wheels like you have. Attached is a comparison between the standard 16" tire size, your 17" inch tire size and the "plus zero" 245 set up I'm talking about.

So that's how you turn on the windshield wipers in a Ferrari ... :o

Very interesting. There were two chrome wheel options for the 2001 LS430: 16" chrome wheels like I have on my 2000 LS400 and 17" chrome wheels of a different style. The 2001 LS430 17" chrome wheel option has plenty of clearance to use stick-on balancing weights inside the wheel rim while doing a dynamic balance. The 2001 LS430 16" chrome wheel option like I have does not have enough clearance for even the thinest stick-on balancing weights that anyone has tried. The Lexus dealer instead uses chrome plated hammer-on metal balancing weights on the outside rim lip to achieve a dynamic balance. So, PCW ... my questions are: 1) Do you have the 16" chrome wheels like mine? (shown in a photo above.) 2) If you do, is the Lexus dealer doing a dynamic balance that requires that the stick-on weights fit between the inner wheel rim and the brake calipers? If your answer is "Yes" to these questions, I'd love to have a closeup photo of one of your wheels mounted on your car. Could you upload one to this thread? I could take it to my local Lexus dealer. And could you tell me which Lexus dealer is balancing your wheels so I can call them to find where they are buying super-thin stick-on balancing weights? Your help would be appreciated!

Steve, have you switched the bulbs to confirm one is bad and that there is not some sort of other problem? I see a new Phillips D2R bulb on eBay today for $61.64 including shipping from a well rated seller. I think that is the lowest price I've seen. I'm seeing a lot of used Phillips D2R bulbs on eBay at lower prices. Maybe they are from crashed cars but I am having a hard time with the concept of buying a used light bulb ... a little like buying used underwear!

One of the keys in installing wiper inserts is to install the metal support ribs correctly -- its usually different between the driver and passenger side. The curve of the metal support ribs usually follows the curve of the windshield on the passenger side but not on the drivers side. See the attached instructions -- they're from the wiper inserts I installed on our Camry a couple of days ago but it's usually the same on other Toyota and Lexus cars like my LS. Also, on the passenger side of some Toyota/Lexus models, it makes a difference which end of the rubber wiper insert is first threaded into the wiper "claw" nearest the passenger side outboard edge of the windshield -- if the rubber insert is installed the "wrong" way, the end of the rubber insert will rub/hit the passenger side outboard windshield trim. After installing new rubber inserts, double check that you have threaded the new rubber inserts and support ribs through all the wiper blade claws. If you miss one claw, you'll end up with a scratched windshield. It may not be necessary to remove the the wiper blades from the wiper arms to install new rubber inserts. I actually find it easier to leave the wiper blades attached to the arms while installing the rubber inserts -- but I'm fairly tall and my arms are so long that my knuckles drag on the ground. I'm probably making this sound more complicated than it really is. By my calculation, I've replaced over 100 of these inserts on our Toyota and Lexus cars over the past 20 years so I could probably do it blindfolded. If you replace the cabin filter yourself, be very careful not to damage the housing that holds the filter -- I've read that the housing on some recent Lexus models can be easily damaged if the operation is not done correctly and that fixing the damage is very expensive.

Yeah, looks like it's mainly nc211 talking to himself.

I can sure see how someone would expect a car as large as a gen 1 LS400 to have more potential drivers legroom. I was surprised when I bought my first LS in 1990 that its driver seat didn't slide backward nearly as much as in either my Mercedes 240D or even my little tiny Honda CRX Si. OK, I guess when Honda converted the CRX from a 4-seater (Japanese market) to a 2-seater for the American market, they went a little overboard to accommodate big people. Toyota/Lexus should have done better on the LS driver seat. This statement is on the http://extendmyseat.trespropaganda.com website: Please email us at sales@extendmyseat and let us know what car you would like extend my seat brackets for and we will see what we can do.

I can't find the clutch springs either at the usual online Lexus parts websites. Someone on the MyIS forum listed the price at $2.26 so maybe it's too cheap for an online seller to carry. I actually found two clutch springs in the diagram and parts list -- I checked for a 2005 IS300 since you didn't give the year of your car. I assume you need the much larger of the two clutch springs. Both are shown in the attached 2005 IS300 clutch pedal assembly diagram. Sounds like it is time for a trip to Montgomery.

The deed has been done. I bought the H-rated Michelin MXV4 tires instead of the V-rated ones. I did not purchase Costco's installation package and lifetime balancing/repair service -- reasons below. Costco didn't have any V-rated MXV4 tires in stock. I could have ordered V-rated tires but instead bought four of the seven H-rated ones they had left in stock. All were manufactured in the last half of 2009 except for one made the third week of 2009. The price was lower than advertised -- ended up paying $122.47 per tire. Saving an additional $8.08 will make my CPA wife happy -- really, she's that nuts about money. The Costco employee that sold me the H-rated tires required that I sign a release ... the Costco employee I spoke with last week didn't mention that. The reason I did not purchase the Costco installation/service package ($14 per tire) was that Costco has "gone green" and is using steel balancing weights (instead of lead) that would be unusually noticable on my chrome rims. Since steel is apparently lighter than lead, the steel weights are HUGE and take up a substantially greater length of space along the outside wheel rim than lead weights do. I'm hoping that the Lexus dealer is still using chrome balancing weights even if they have gone to using steel. My wheels are really nothing special -- same as the optional 16" chrome wheels on the 01-02 LS430. The Costco tire guy suggested using low profile stick-on balancing weights, but "been there, done that" -- not enough clearance between the front brake rotors and the inside of the wheel rim for even the thinnest stick-on weights that have been tried. I checked my current Bridgestone RE750 summer tires again today and found that all four have exactly 4/32" tread left -- good for a couple of months use in the Spring before I have the Michelins mounted. For now, the new Michelins are stacked in the basement and are making excellent cat toys. Attached are the current Tire Rack survey results showing the Primacy MXV4 at the top of the ratings and a photo of the car/wheels the tires will go on this Spring. When my next door neighbor saw me unloading the tires, he told me that he had just bought new Michelins for his Mini Cooper S at Costco under the same $70-off special: Y-rated/186 mph tires for 4 cylinder Mini Cooper? Go figure. Thanks, everyone, for your advice. Really, I appreciate it.

Me too. A cousin's 2009 Camry is subject to the accelerator pedal recall. I looked at her Camry last Saturday and found myself wondering how on earth could any kind of floor mat get tangled up in her accelerator pedal. Maybe I'm missing something.

Thanks for the feedback. It's hard to ignor that the Primacy MXV4 was rated #1 by purchasers in the Grand Touring All Season category in the Tire Rack Survey. I'm almost going to feel like I am "cheating" on Tire Rack when I buy the Michelins from Costco in the next few days. Except for one set, all the tires I've bought since Tire Rack went national in the early 1980's have been from them.

Wow! Those Goodyear Integrity tires were really trashed in Tire Rack's survey by the 1,600 people who purchased them and responded -- there near the bottom of the ranking in the all season tire category. The owner comments make them sound a little scary. I would hope that some Goodyear tire models are good. I haven't had a Goodyear tire on a car since the disastrous Eagle GA tires that came on my 90 LS. When I got the class action lawsuit settlement check from Goodyear, I did NOT buy another set of Goodyear tires.

Thanks for the feedback Steve and SRK. I'd be thrilled to get 40K miles from a set of tires, let alone 50K or 60K. What has me baffled is that both the V and H rated MXV4 has the same very high 620 tread wear rating -- how can they do that on a V-rated tire? My Bridgestone RE750 Z-rated summer tires have a treadwear rating of only 340. Thanks for reminding me about the Costco lifetime balancing. Costco charges $14 per tire for installation including lifetime rebalancing, flat repair and even nitrogen. The dealer charges a little more per wheel (and no lifetime balancing/repair) but I tend to trust the Lexus dealer with my chrome wheels -- at least they haven't screwed them up yet. The Lexus dealer replaced the wheels in 2003 under warranty and they still look flawless -- I'd like to keep them that way. I'd rather have Costco mount and balance the new tires if I could depend on them to not mess up my wheels -- Costco is only 8 blocks from my house and the Lexus dealer is 10 miles away. It's a running joke with some of the Costco employees that I'm in there every day or two and I'm on a first name basis with some of them. I'll stick one of my summer chrome wheels in the trunk and have the Costco tire department manager look at it. I also want to verify that Costco has decent balancing weights that the fit the rim well -- chrome weights like the Lexus dealer uses would be nice but that's probably asking too much.

Yes, I know the H vs. V speed rated tire buying decision has been discussed ad nauseum, but do I really want to buy the H-rated version of the all-season Primacy MXV4 when the V-rated ones are essentially the same price and have the same treadwear, traction, temperature and 60,000 mile ratings? I'm looking at the 225/60-16 size that was standard on my 2000 LS400 and all other LS cars from 1993 through 2002 to replace the Bridgestone RE750 Z-rated directional summer tires I've used the past three years. I'm still on Blizzaks in winter. Here's the deal ... until January 31st, Costco has both the H and V speed rated all-season Primacy MXV4 tires on "special". $124.49 each for the H-rated Primacy MXV4 -- $497.96 for a set of 4 tires $131.49 each for the V-rated Primacy MXV4 -- $525.96 for a set of 4 tires The price difference between the H-rated and V-rated tires is a "nit". Regardless of which I choose, I'll even get a bit of the purchase price back at the end of the year in my annual Costco rebate check. My brain is telling me buy the H-rated tires ....you know ... something "age appropriate" .... but, would the H-rated MXV4 tires really last any longer, or be any quieter or more comfortable than the V-rated ones? And would the V-rated MXV4 provide any real safety margin or noticably better handling during my occasional transformations from "Dr Jekyll" into "Mr Hyde"? It's not like I'm driving over the speed limit except for an occasional punch up to 85 mph or so when someone speeds up on a downhill grade while I am passing. I have, however, been known to occasionally drive near and sometimes past the limits of tire adhesion when I'm feeling a little randy (no jokes, landar!). Interestingly, Costco has the H-rated MXV4 in their computer system as having an "H/V" speed rating ... maybe to bless putting H-rated tires on a car like mine that came with V-rated tires. I specifically asked and they have no problem in installing the H-rated MXV4 on a car that came with V-rated tires. I might have the Lexus dealer install the Michelins on my summer chrome wheels since they have chrome wheel weights and nobody else seems to. I thought the dealer might balk at putting H-rated tires on my car but I checked and they don't care either. Does anybody have any comments on which tires to buy? Am I obsessing? Thanks in advance for any comments or abuse! On a side note, my Bridgestone Potenza RE750 Z-rated summer (not all-season) directional tires are already down to 3/32" of remaining tread after 22,334 miles of mainly geezer-like driving over three years and with careful monitoring of tire pressures. They have been reasonably quiet (i.e. quieter than the Bridgestone 4000 tires they replaced), a little harsh on rough pavement, and have provided the most fun and secure handling of any tire I've used on an LS. A big reason I'm moving back to using all-season tires in the summer is that the selection and supply of high performance summer tires in size 225/60-16 is drying up -- they exist but tire discounters seem to be focusing on tire sizes commonly used on more recent cars.

Both part numbers are $694.92 at http://www.parts.com The retail price is shown as $1,005.13

Here is a webpage that discusses bringing a nonconforming car to the U.S. for a period of up to one year: http://foreignborn.com/visas_imm/entering_...tingyourcar.htm I doubt that your car being RHD would be an issue in bringing it to the US. There are lots of RHD cars here although most are older British sports cars. I sometimes take visiting UK friends to this company, a stone's throw from my house here in Lenexa, Kansas: http://www.victoriabritish.com/ Buying an older car (i.g. a pickup truck or SUV) in Alaska and selling it in New York sounds like a good idea. It must not be all that difficult for a foreign national to buy, license and insure a vehicle in the US. Most of my Swiss coworkers bought new cars to drive when they were here on long term assignments here in Kansas but, of course, they all had work visas and US addresses. All that did buy cars (and at least one Harley Davidson) took them home to Switzerland at the end of their assignments.

Since you are not getting much help, I'll speak as an American with Canadian roots who has taken both personal and rental cars from the U.S. into Canada and rented cars in the UK and Europe. 1. I doubt that you will find a rental car company that allows picking up a car in Alaska and dropping it off in New York. Hertz won't even allow picking up a car in Alaska and dropping it off at the nearest Hertz location in Canada. You would have more success in renting a vehicle in ... say Vancouver ... and dropping it off in Toronto. One of my Swiss coworkers and his family did that when he rented an RV after he completed a work assignment here in Kansas -- except that he didn't realize how big Canada is and (expensively) gave up and abandoned (turned in) the RV about half way across Canada. Or fly into someplace in Alaska, take the Alaskan ferry to Seattle/Bellingham and rent a vehicle to drive to New York. You could take the rental vehicle between Canada and the U.S. as much as you like. You probably already know that one-way rentals can get quite expensive. If you really want to actually drive from Alaska to New York, you could ship your vehicle from the UK to Alaska and then ship it home from New York. I've run into several people over the years who have brought cars from Europe to the U.S. to drive on holiday. I've met even more people in Mexico who have brought personal cars, small RV's and even a very large (full size Mercedes bus) RV from Europe to Mexico to drive on holiday. 2. Best month to drive? Summer of course ... plenty of websites that discuss that. You are, of course, crazy ... but it's the type of crazy I like. Maybe these people can help you: Anchorage - British Honorary Consulate Address: British Honorary Consulate University of Alaska Anchorage College of Arts and Sciences Room 362, 2311 Providence Drive Anchorage AK 99508 Telephone General: (907) 786 4848 Email: afdh1@uaa.alaska.edu