1990LS400

Steve, what you and I need are Lexus station wagons! Maybe an LS430 or LS460 wagon like the mockups from http://www.cwwcardesign.com/ Unless it is my imagination, hatchbacks are making a bit of a comeback in the U.S. -- they've always been far more popular in Europe. But I'd rather have a mid-size or full-size station wagon that is based on a regular sedan. Back in 1980, I hauled almost everything I needed to finish a basement in my wife's Honda Civic Hatchback -- everything except the wall board and carpet. I hauled a few hundred 2x4 studs, a vanity, toilet, pre-hung doors and even a shower surround in that little hatchback. It was a sad day when we got rid of the Civic "truck". Maybe Americans will eventually get over their SUV fetish and return to more reasonable vehicles. Or maybe not.

Did I not make myself clear? Unwrap the wires in the left trunk hinge and splice in new wires to replace the broken ones. You are at least the 100th person who has asked this question on various Lexus forums. Trust me. Just do it. Or search this and other Lexus LS400 forums for the word "hinge" and you will find the same information I am giving you.

Hmmm .... I already gave you the installation instructions in this thread: http://us.lexusownersclub.com/forums/index...58185&st=15

Yep, there are one or more broken wires in the left trunk hinge. I had the same problem on the 90 LS I used to own. It is an extremely common problem and your question has been asked countless times. You can search this forum for "hinge" and find other threads about the problem. Unwrap the wire bundle and splice new wires in. Soldering is best.

I've had a total of three timing belt services performed done during my 19+ years of driving Lexus LS cars. The tensioner, idler and several other small parts - and, of course, the water pump - are normally replaced with the timing belt at 6 years or 90,000 miles. At least for my 2000 LS400, Lexus does not recommend replacing the transmission fluid - ever - unless the car is used in one or more of the "special operating conditions" documented in the maintenance manual. Even then, the replacement interval is 60,000 miles. The occasional trailer towing I do doesn't even qualify my car for that. With that said, most people end up doing a "drain and refill" of the transmission fluid ever 30K or 60K miles - I suppose its considered "cheap insurance". My understanding is that the spark plug change interval was revised for the LS in the 2000 model year. The interval is 120,000 miles for my 2000 LS400 but I think you will find your 1999 LS400 manual to say 90,000 miles. My car is still running perfectly with the original spark plugs and with no MAP or throttle body cleaning which are generally required only at far high mileages. Mainly follow your maintenance manual and don't allow dealers and indie repair shops to hoodwink you into unneeded and premature services.

Is it a coincidence that the Sony Erickson phones listed on the Lexus website can not "Transfer single number phonebook entries that contain special characters to the system (p, w, etc.)"? Other phone brands and models are listed as being able to do this. I wonder if your problem is a Sony Erickson "feature". As you and others have found, the Lexus Bluetooth system is not as forgiving as some from other manufacturers. For example, I've seen a number of posts from frustrated iPhone owners complaining about the limited compatibility with the Lexus Bluetooth system and noting that the iPhone works well with the BMW Bluetooth system. Do any of your friends or family members have a phone that is listed as being capable of transfering phonebook entries with special characters? I'll be surprised if you get much feedback about your problem on a mainly U.S. car forum. Overall, Americans seem to be far behind people in the UK when it comes to exploiting cell phone features and particularly handsfree. Only a handful of U.S. states prohibit using a handset while driving. I see people everyday holding handsets to their ears while driving cars that have Bluetooth handsfree systems.

I think you will have to do some measurements and perhaps talk with a Lexus dealer. 2000 was the first model year that upper child seat tether anchors were standard on the US spec LS but it may have been different in Canada. My US spec 2000 LS has the upper tether anchors in all three rear seat positions but it does not have the "LATCH" system that allows you to easily "click in" a child seat. Upper tether anchors can be added to older LS cars that do not have them -- I know someone who had a Lexus dealer add them.

The timing belt replacement interval is 90,000 miles or 6 years -- it sounds like the previous owner was reasonably conscientious if he replaced it at 7 years instead of waiting until 90,000 miles. Just about any odometer can be rolled back by a "pro". In theory, the odometer or the entire instrument cluster could have been replaced. The odometer on my 90 LS400 failed and was replaced -- I think the replacement odometer showed about 60,000 miles when I sold the car at 183,500 miles. If I was a dishonest person, I could have represented the 90 as having only 60,000 miles since it looked like a new car when I sold it. The best you can do is look for documentation that supports the mileage on the odometer. It sounds like you are doing your homework. BTW, the replacement timing belt on the 93 LS you are looking at is 9 years old and overdue for replacement. But even if it were to break, engine damage would be very unlikely. I'm one of the few who has had a timing belt break on a gen 1 LS400 -- there was no engine damage.

Chef, I'm serious. As a former Volvo wagon owner, my view is that if you think your Volvo wagen isn't big enough for your baby, then I don't think an LS is the car for you. I'd suggest a nice used Toyota Sienna van instead of an LS -- maybe you could get a used Sienna Limited with HID headlights ... maybe even one with All Wheel Drive for those mild Montreal winters. ;) I drove a rental Sienna around southern Ontario last year during a Canada Day week family reunion and absolutely loved it. It was about as enjoyable to drive as my 00 LS and seemed about as comfortable. It was huge inside -- had it packed with up to seven adults and luggage ... can't do that in an LS! I want one! A Sienna is likely going to replace my 00 LS at some point.

I certainly like my 2000 LS400 -- bought it at 38,000 miles in 2003 and it now has about 112,000 miles on it. The A/C had to have a little refrigerant added last summer -- the repair shop couldn't find a leak. The R134a system in the 2000 LS has been more reliable than the R12 system in the 90 LS I bought new and drove for 13+ years / 183,500 miles. The 90 LS was on its 3rd A/C compressor when I sold it and I had it converted to R134a at about the 11 year mark. The LS430 has advantages. Lots of additional features were standard including an indash 6-CD player instead of the cartridge CD changer that the 2000 LS400 has. Forget about adding a decent iPod/aux interface to a 2000 or older LS -- there are several companies that thave iPod/aux interfaces for the LS430 whether or not the car has nav. The LS430 has substantially more headroom and rear seat leg room and a far, far larger trunk. The drivetrain is essentially the same in the 2000 LS400 and 2001 LS430 even though the displacement was bumped up a bit in the LS430. It is really a matter of taste and what is important to you. Back it 2003, I was able to buy a 2000 LS400 for way over $10,000 less than the least expensive LS430 of similar mileage I found. If I was selling my 2000 LS400 today, I'd hope to get around US$8,000 for it and it is a fairly high optioned car with no dents or dings and no interior flaws. I don't know what the "premium package" was on the 2000 LS400 in Canada -- could be different than in the US. The Millennium packages on the Canadian 2000 LS400 were similar to the Platinum Series packages on the U.S. spec 2000 LS400. I'll include a link to the U.S. 2000 LS400 specs but you might want to find the specs for the Canadian version so that you know exactly what you are looking at: http://www.lexus.com/contact/pdf/2000/2000LSspecs.pdf Here is a website that documents many of the feature changes on the US spec LS: http://www.lexls.com/info/lsgenerations.html

The commas "Bob" is thinking about are probably the ones used to force waits on analog modems -- not on cell phones. I think someone else has tried this but, if you enter the pauses on your cell phone and then transfer the entry from your cell phone to your car, does the problem still occur when you speed dial the phone number from your nav screen? Also you might check if your particular cell phone can "Transfer single number phonebook entries that contain special characters to the system (p, w, etc.)". Whether this feature works or not with a particular phone is documented at http://lexusbluetooth.letstalk.com/product...=1&model=IS but it may be different for phones and the Lexus nav system in the U.K. Am I correct to assume that the pauses work if you speed dial from your cell phone and then use the IS Bluetooth system to listen to your voice mail? How much does Lexus get for its Bluetooth Complimentary Kit these days? I see that it is still on the U.K. Lexus website for the IS: http://www.lexus.co.uk/range/is/accessories/interior.aspx I agree that it would be a pain to have to speed dial your voice mail from your handset but at least the complementary kit would keep the handset in easy reach. Look at my ancient Nokia handset in its CARK-91 cradle in my avatar to the left. One of the features I like about the old system is that I have phone numbers on speed dial that use multiple pauses to navigate through PBX and voice mail systems automatically supplying extension numbers, mail box numbers, and passwords. It's fun to listen to the little phone cranking it's way through all the PBX and voice mail menus so I know what you are dealing with.

If the dealer sold the car with Lexus wheels with aftermarket chrome, they should be covered by the car's basic 4 year / 50 mile warranty or by a separate warranty that matches the Lexus warranty in duration. Mine were covered. By the time I bought my 2000 LS400 after it came off a 3 year / 36,000 mile lease, its chrome wheels were badly pitted due to being used during three winters. They were not the official Lexus chrome wheel option but were Platinum Series wheels (same as standard on the 2001 LS430) that had been chromed by an aftermarket company. My chrome wheels were replaced under warranty with refurbished chrome wheels immediately after I bought the car in 2003. By the way, nearly six years later, the refurbished chrome wheels still look like new. Unlike the original lessee, I don't use them in winter. Your case seems to be different in that the wheels did not come on the car when it was new. I suspect that your wheels will be covered by a shorter warranty -- perhaps only 12 months from the date the wheels were installed.

I'd hang a portable GPS on a bracket to the right of the radio and hide the GPS power cord by routing it into the center stack. Wait a minute! I've done just that on both our 2000 LS400 (Magellan) and 1998 Camry (Garmin). Photos and information about both installs are in my gallery: http://us.lexusownersclub.com/forums/index...m&album=131 Pro.Fit ( http://www.pro-fit-intl.com/ ) has at least three bracket models for the LS430 including the "G3" made specifically for mounting a Garmin Nuvi. The last time I made a purchase from Pro.Fit, I emailed them a question and they gave me a 10% discount code. Pro.Fit has detailed instructions on their site about how to install a bracket on an LS430. Here are instructions for installing a Pro.Fit "G3" (Garmin Nuvi) bracket on an LS430: http://www.pro-fit-intl.com/Adobe/MV-50-03-G3-p14.pdf

Parts.com is often one of the least expensive: http://www.parts.com/oemcatalog/index.cfm?...r&makeid=20 I see that they have the DVD player remote for less than $85. If you don't know exactly what you need, Sewell Lexus in Texus can be helpful by phone and offer a bit of a discount: http://www.sewellpartsonline.com/

Maybe you should ask those "others" how to change the LPS settings through the nav screen. ;) Otherwise, have the Lexus dealer do it or find an independent repair shop with a handheld tester and the appropriate program card. Here is a pointer to the LPS settings for the RX350 ... I doubt if the RX330 is much different: http://www.lexus.com/pdf/service/RX350_LPS.pdf You might want to review the list to see if there are other LPS features you would like changed. The only feature I had changed on my 00 LS was to keep the interior lights on the maximum time.

No nav and a fridge? I don't think that's possible but I guess we'll take your word for it. Does it have the screen? Does the rear armrest have radio and rear seat controls? The door for the fridge and the ski pass-through I think are the same...open it and see what's behind it. I don't know when nav was first available on the Canadian specification LS430 but the documentation I've seen has indicated that it was not available in 2001 even on Canadian spec LS430's with the power rear seat package. There were other markets, including Hawaii, where nav was not available. Here is an old Canadian Driver article: http://www.canadiandriver.com/2001/01/04/t...exus-ls-430.htm Edit: I couldn't find a brochure for the 2001 Canadian spec LS430 but attached is one for the 2002 Canadian LS430 that shows that the power rear seat package was available without navigation. 2002_Canadian_LS430_brochure.pdf

Chef could join the thousands of other Canadians who have imported a US spec car from the U.S. -- if he doesn't mind the instruments not being metric. One of my Ontario cousins imported a car from the U.S. last year and he didn't make it sound like it was a big deal. I think the only thing he had to do was have DRL installed but of course the U.S. spec LS430 already has DRL.

The service intervals for Canadian spec Lexus cars may be viewed here: http://www.lexus.ca/lexus/experience/en/ho...tenance_oms.jsp I've been driving Lexus LS cars for over 19 years (about 260,000 miles). What has worked best for me has been to use independent repair shops. Where I live, there have been several owned and staffed by former Lexus dealer service writers and mechanics. I once tried using a Toyota dealer to do a few things on an LS (we also have a Camry) but they didn't have the required knowledge and parts in inventory. Montreal is a big city -- you might find a similar independent Lexus repair shop there.

Based on this drawing, it looks like the two little plastic lenses that cover the bulbs in the overhead map light housing are held in place by the friction of the two little tabs on each lens against the light housing -- very much like how the single lens on my 00 LS400 is held is place: http://www.toyodiy.com/parts/p_U_2002_LEXU...KAQKA_8121.html Carefully pry the lens out by inserting a flat blade screw driver near a lens tabs. Or use a small plastic trim removal tool if you have one.

Here is one of the threads found by searching for "ES300 knock sensor": http://us.lexusownersclub.com/forums/index...showtopic=41974

Transmission fluid is added through the dipstick tube. Be careful not to overfill.

Warranty informatoin from the Lexus website: "Wheel alignment and balancing are covered for 12 months or 20,000 miles, whichever occurs first." Vibrations at highway speeds can also be caused by bent wheels, damaged or defectives tire and suspension damage (e.g. from improperly repaired collision damage) which are not covered by the car's warranty. Lexus dealers exercise some discretion when it comes to loaner cars. The main complaint I've seen has been about distance restrictions from people who lived far from a dealer and who expected to drive the loaner car out of the dealer's local area. The funniest complaint I've seen was from a teenager who dropped off his or his parents Lexus for service -- he was not given a loaner due to being below the minimum age requirement.

The powertrain warranty for all Lexus vehicles is 6 years or 70,000 miles - whichever comes first. The hybrid component warranty is 8 years or 100,000 miles - whichever comes first. I recently retired after over three decades with one of the largest providers of vehicle service warranties. I have never purchased an extended warranty even though I could have purchased one at cost. Need I say more?

92 ES300: http://www.toyodiy.com/parts/p_U_1992_LEXU...TPGKA_1702.html 92 Camry V6: http://www.toyodiy.com/parts/p_U_1992_TOYO...EPGKA_1702.html