1990LS400

Lift up on the lower leading edge of the rear seat cushion (down by the carpeting) and see if it is held in place by a spring friction fitting and pops up and out like the rear seat cushions of most Toyota/Lexus vehicles. Once you remove the seat cushion, you will see at least some of the bolts holding the rear seat back in place. Look around on the previous web site I provided. There are photos that show a little of how the rear seat is held in: http://www.toyodiy.com/parts/p_U_2006_LEXU...ETLHA_7102.html If the seat back doesn't come out after removing the obvious bolts check for hidden ones under velcro flaps, etc. Sorry, I'm not familiar with the IS but there are lots of similarities in the way these cars are screwed together. I've removed the rear seats of Toyota/Lexus cars many times -- it's usually easy to do.

There were at least a couple of TSIBs on the steering column but I don't remember any regarding a "clunk". I posted the TSIBs I know about here: http://us.lexusownersclub.com/forums/index...p;hl=tilt++TSIB The steering column TSIBs are about the tilt/telescope feature including a groan when the telescope function is used -- but no "clunks". Curious, how many miles are on your 2000 LS400? If the noise occurs in the situations you described, I'd be more inclined to think it was a caused by a defective suspension component ... maybe even an improperly installed replacement suspension component. Although I don't use dealer shops very often, a Lexus dealer can be a good place to diagnose a suspension problem. The alignment guy at my local Lexus dealer diagnosed a suspension problem (worn strut rod bushings) on my 2000 LS400 that my trusted indie former Lexus dealer mechanic missed.

I guess the Celsior headlights look OK but they are made for Japan where they drive on the left side of the road. The Celsior beam pattern is all wrong for countries like the U.S. where we drive on the right side of the road. Celsior headlights would blind oncoming drivers in the U.S. unless the beams were aimed so low that they wouldn't provide decent light to drive behind. Or one could put tape on the Celsior headlight lenses to dampen the beam pattern like they sometimes do in the U.K. / Europe when driving a RHD car in a LHD country and vice versa. The Eagle Eyes headlights appear to be made for North America where we drive on the right side of the road and where the gen 1 LS400 had foglights next to the headlights instead of below the bumper as on the gen 1 LS400 sold in the UK and Europe. I doubt if the Eagle Eyes headlights would be desirable in Europe since the European gen 1 LS400 has a manual beam adjustment dial for the low beams on the dashboard and an extra set of high beams where U.S. models have foglights. I think the main reason the Celsior lights look so dated is that the beam pattern is cast into the glass lenses as on the OEM US spec gen 1 LS400 headlights. The Eagle Eyes headlights have clear lenses similar to the headlights used on most modern cars. IMO opinion the Eagle Eyes headlights look infinitely better than the OEM headlights I had on the 90 LS I drove for over 13 years -- see attached photo of my old white 90 LS and compare it to the photo of Python's car with Eagle Eyes. I'll throw in a photo of a gen 1 JDM Celsior headlight (sitting on a table) -- reminds of the one piece headlights I had on the 79 Mercedes that was my main car before I bought the 90 LS. They sure don't look pretty to me but I guess beauty is in the eye of the beholder. JDM_LS_headlight.bmp

There is a diagram here that might help: http://www.toyodiy.com/parts/p_U_2006_LEXU...ETLHA_6403.html It's often necessary to remove the rear seat back from a car before removing a package tray. Are you sure the rattle is coming from under the package tray? If you haven't already, you could use a cheap automotive stethoscope to make sure. You could even put your wife/girlfiend in the trunk to listen for the sound! By using a stethoscope I've sometimes found that rattles and buzzes were coming from a different place than I first thought.

Buy whatever new or used unlocked or ATT-locked GSM phone you want on eBay, pop in your SIM card and you're good to go. Nothing says you have to get your phones from ATT.

Not sure what you mean by "console lid" (padded armrest?) but here is a link to a couple of pages showing center console components in an 04 LS430 since I don't know which year yours is: http://www.toyodiy.com/parts/p_U_2004_LEXU...ETGKA_5806.html

Gosh, there are lots of aux adapters for the 06 GS from inexpensive (Peripheral Electronics which uses the Sat button) to more expensive (VAIS) to some that include a Bluetooth phone capability for recent Lexus vehicles without nav (Parrot with adapter harness). Doesn't Lexus offer an aux or iPod adapter for your GS? To get this done? Remove radio head unit, plug in aux adapter or adapter harness, route aux cable to glove box or wherever you want, reinstall radio head unit. The attached instructions used by Lexus dealers in Europe might give you an idea of the complexity of installing an iPod interface. GS_iPod_install_instructions.pdf

What you mean "choose bulb color/size/intensity"? Eagle Eyes headlights for the gen 1 LS400 take Halogen H4 bulbs -- also known as type 9003 bulbs. The headlights on your 93 LS uses H4 bulbs so the Eagle Eyes should be "plug and play". If you want slighty brighter lights, try the clear Wagner Brite-Lite or Sylvania Xtravision bulbs. Some people swear by the blue tinted Sylvania Silverstar bulbs but most research I've read have said that blue tinted bulbs actually put out less usable light. I've read that the clear Xtravision bulbs are sold in Europe as the Silverstar -- the Xtravision bulbs in our Camry provide noticably more light. Both the Wagner Brite-Lite and Sylvania Xtravision bulbs cost far less that the North American Silverstar bulbs.

If your engine runs and your car goes without the covers then they are not "needed". Several people have said they leave the "engine undercover" off their Lexus vehicles to make oil changes easier. Some of plastic covers are probably cosmetic, others are definitely to improve aerodynamics and fuel mileage, some perhaps to protect underlying (e.g. electrical) components, and some may be for noise control.

Forget HID in a gen 1 LS400 with fluted headlight lenses -- it's not pretty. Take a look at Eagles Eyes headlights for the gen 1 LS400 -- less than $200 for a set from vendor "Sabersport" on eBay. Several people on this and other Lexus forums, including Python, have installed them and have had good things to say. Here are some photos.

Randy, do I understand correctly? You own three Lexus cars with identical V8 engines, you won't use a professional mechanic and you won't pop for a cheap set of repair manuals that have detailed diagnostic procedures for the MAF, IAC, TPS and most everything else? Is this correct?

Although some people go to way too much work to remove the battery and air ducts to access the back of the headlights, the method in the bulb replacement instructions is to remove the side lights and then the entire headlight assemblies. As long as you don't touch the beam level screws you can slap the light units back in without having to re-aim the headlights. There is only one screw holding in the side lights -- you can see it when the hood is open. Remove the one screw and then grasp the forward edge of the sidelight with your finger tips and gently/firmly pull it away from the car body -- it is held in place by a friction fitting. Once the side light is removed it should be obvious how to remove the headlight/foglight assembly. It may seem difficult to do all this but once you've done it, doing it the next time will probably take you less than five minutes.

Absolutely, there can be a REAL difference. I even have to be careful when buying wiper blade refills for our Camry due to the Japanese made Camrys having different wiper blades than Camrys made in the U.S. Even the Toyota dealer has a hard time keeping track of which is which. I have no idea why the parts are sometimes slightly different. You have to remember that Toyota/Lexus mainly assembles cars but, like most other automakers, relies on hundreds (thousands?) of outside suppliers to manufacture the parts for them. You would think that all parts suppliers would be using the same specs and designs, wouldn't you. It is odd. Why don't you call or write Lexus customer service, ask why and then report back to us. I've asked them a number of questions over the past 19+ years, including some trivial ones, and they have always come up with an answer.

Hey thanks. I thought about doing that sometime -- combining all the "by state" files from the GPS Passion forum into one POI file. I converted your file to Magellan format and loaded into the Magallan Roadmate mounted on the dash of my LS400. It seems to work quite well. I suppose I could have combined the address fields on your file with the name field for each Lexus dealer -- as it is now I have to rely on the GPS to route me to a Lexus dealer based solely on the coordinates ... would be nice to also have the street address, city, state and ZIP on the GPS in case the maps in the GPS are out of date. Nice work! Maybe I'll set an alarm on the GPS to sound each time I near a Lexus dealer. That should make the wife happy!

Do you really think the difference between $112 and $94 is HUGE? To quote Barney Frank's recent comment: ""On what planet do you spend most of your time?"‎ I have to be careful when buying parts for our Japanese built Camry since some of the parts on it are different than on Camrys assembled in the U.S. I never regarded this or the occasional small price differences as a big deal. This is nothing at all unusual -- identical looking Fords assembled in multiple countries haven't necessarily shared the same parts either. Of course, I'm not trying to fix every little scratch and blemish on our cars ... I generally replace a non-maintenance part only when it is broken to the extent that it doesn't work.

Are your plastic headlight lenses in good condition? They should be crystal clear with no fogging. The light output of my HID headlights increased dramatically after I sanded the lenses and refinished them with a kit from an auto parts store. I wish had taken a photo of the lenses before I refinished them. I think they were in much worse condition than Blake's lenses shown in this thread: http://us.lexusownersclub.com/forums/index...&hl=Crystal

It's surely documented in your maintanance manual. For my 2000 LS400, the answer is "Never" if I was to follow the maintenance manual which only goes up to 150,000 miles. Like many Lexus owners, I overdo the maintenance schedule a little. The only additional service I do above what is in the maintenance manual is to replace the transmission fluid every 30,000 miles -- probably needless but I do it anyway. Besides, I have a hitch on the car and occasionally tow a small trailer -- so light that I can't "feel" it while driving with it hooked to the back of the car. Couldn't feel it when attached to the less powerful 90 LS I had either.

I could have missed it in my six years here but I don't remember threads about diagnosing ABS problems. It might be good to get a set of official Lexus repair manuals for your car. If you can't get an English version of 1990 Celsior manuals, get a set of manuals for a 1990 Aussie or UK spec LS400. I've noticed on the UK forum that Celsior owners can have a difficult time getting their cars repaired since there are a number of differences from UK LS400s. The repair manual set for my 2000 LS400 has 59 pages dedicated to troubleshooting ABS problems and some of the procedures in those 59 pages point to diagnostic procedures in other sections of the manual set. I can tell you some of the diagnostic procedure for a code 51 (ABS) for a 2000 LS400 but it might be different for your car. PREPRARATION: Disconnect brake actuator connector. CHECK: Connect positive lead to BM terminal and negative lead to GND terminal of the brake actuator connector, check that the pump motor is operated. OK: The running sold of the pump motor should be heard. OK: Check for open circuit in harness and connector between ABS motor relay, brake actuator and ECU (See page IN-32). NG: Replace brake actuator. It is not practical for me to type in all the other diagnosics or scan all the pages -- the thick repair manuals are very difficult to scan due to the design of my scanner.

The maintenance schedule you found for the 2000 LS400 is also incorrect. I've sometimes wondered these on-line scam maintenance schedules were created just to sell unneeded services. Here is an old thread that discusses the increase in the spark plug change interval from 60,000 miles to 120,000 miles for the LS400 between 1998 and 2000: http://us.lexusownersclub.com/forums/index...38&hl=spark It includes a comment from LexusLooker who verified that the spark plug change interval is also 120,000 miles for the LS430. Attached are the 60,000 and 120,000 pages from the maintenance log book for my 2000 LS400. As you can see, for the 2000 model year spark plugs are replaced at 60,000 miles only on the GS300 and SC300. Although the "Replace spark plugs" item is checked on my 60,000 mile page is checked, they were not replaced -- I just now checked the invoice ... about $371 before tax for the 60,000 mile service. I think the "bottom line" of all this is to only use the official Lexus maintenance log book for the model year that matches your car and avoid the on-line scam maintenance schedules that dishonest repair shops use to charge for unnecessary services.

I'm suspicious of that maintenance schedule too. Did the spark plug replacement interval for the 2001 LS430 really drop back to 60,000 miles after it was 120,000 miles on the 2000 LS400?

It can be far less expensive in the long run to take a car to a professional mechanic who has the appropriate diagnostic equipment instead of just diving in and replacing stuff. This aren't 1950's or the 1960's cars -- these care are very complex. Save your self any more grief, bite the bullet and take your car to someone who specializes in repairing Lexus vehicles. Ask for a diagnosis -- you don't necessarily have to have the mechanic do the repair.

The problem is that the maintenance schedule is not the same for all model years of the same car model. For example, the spark plug change interval is much longer for my 2000 LS400 than for earlier model years of the LS400.

From my experience, once rust has started it is next to impossible to stop it without replacing body panels. I know a body shop owner who may still be cursing the day he gave me a written nontransferable warranty that rust would not reappear on a Mercedes he removed the rust from and totally repainted. I think I could see him cringe each time I bought the car back for him to fix the exact same rust spots he had fixed before. Poor Fred -- I'll bet he celebrated when I finally sold that car ... which had rusted through still again. Honestly? If I fixed rust at all, I'd fix only the individual spots, spend as little as possible and hope for the best. This is an almost 14 year old car you are considering -- doubt if it is realistic to expect it to be anywhere close to rust free at the 19-22 year mark. At least LS400's seem to rust at a fairly slow rate -- nothing like the rust bucket ES250's I've seen. I'd say ... if you buy the car, just drive it with the rust and save your money. Or apply the money you would have spent on rust repair and paint and buy a newer car.

The maintenance schedule on edmunds DOES NOT match the maintenance schedule in the maintenance booklet for my 2000 LS400.

You could register and look in the Owners section of the Lexus website. I just now logged into the owners section and found the maintenance schedule for my 2000 LS400 has been deleted from the website -- guess it's so old, it no longer needs maintenance. The owners manual for my 90 LS also showed the maintenance schedule but it didn't have the pages for recording the performance of service. The 90 LS also had a separate maintenance booklet. I would imagine you could obtain a maintenance manual from Lexus or view the maintenance schedule on the fee-based Lexus techinfo site.