1990LS400

Having driven a 90 LS400 from new until 183,000 miles and a 2000 LS400 from 3 years old/ 38,000 miles to its current 110,000 miles, and having owned both at the same time and driven them on alternate days, I'm doubting that installing new shocks on your 99 LS is going to give you what you want. I wouldn't expect the 90 LS and the 99 LS to have much in common when it comes to how "planted" they feel -- the main thing the two cars have in common are their model names -- LS400. My 2000 LS rode and drove waaay different than my 90 LS even at 38,000 miles. Are all the suspension bushings and other suspension components on the 99 LS in top notch condition? Do the strut bar bushings have more than 80,000 miles on them? My 2000 LS never felt as sporty and "tossable" as my 90 LS did but it wasn't designed to be that way.

18" wheels were optional on the LS430 beginning in 2004. The following has info about the tire size than came with the 18" wheels: http://www.lexus.com/contact/pdf/2004/2004LSspecs.pdf

I'm guessing that you will have to buy the whole map light assembly and that the switches and buttons are not available separately ... that's what I had to do for my 00 LS since the switches were not available separately. Get the part number you need from: http://www.toyodiy.com/parts/p_U_2001_LEXU...EAVFA_8121.html Make sure you get the part number for the correct color. Then plug the part number into the search field here: http://www.parts.com/oemcatalog/index.cfm?...or&siteid=2 For example, the part number for an ivory color map light assembly for a 2001 IS300 with moonroof is 81260-32090-A2 Searching for part number 81260-32090-A2 on parts.com shows the ivory map light assembly is available at $102.38.

Pulling the cell phone fuse wouldn't help if the phone mute is the problem. The phone mute problem usually happens at the radio amp and not in the cell phone system. Maybe you have already checked the connections for the mute problem but here is a webpage that might help: http://carstereohelp.com/repairDoItYoursel...usRepairVol.htm

Per my PM to you, here is a photo of the high brake light housing on my 2000 LS400 after I removed it. My finger is on one of the spring clips I mentioned. Be careful not to break the six red plastic tabs. You have to lift the front edge of the brake light housing high enough for the six red plastic tabs to lift out of the holes in the package shelf so that they clear the package shelf and the brake light housing can be removed.

The procedure for removing the high mounted brake housing on a 98-00 LS400 is different than on an LS430. Gently lift up the front edge of the brake light housing with a pry tool so you can release the spring clips -- I think I remember that there is one gray color spring clip on each side. Be careful to not break the red plastic tabs. At least this is what I remember. I posted better instructions and a photo in the past but I can not find the thread due to the new "improved" Google search feature of this forum.

A burned out fuse?

Here are the numbers of Ultra Luxury LS430's by sales year that someone got from Lexus corporate and posted over on Clublexus: 2000= 2972 2001= 5857 2002= 4007 2003= 3467 2004= 1687 2005= 552 2006= 101 The Clublexus thread says the above figures are by "model year" but I think they really meant "sales year". After all, there was no LS430 for the 2000 model year -- at least not in North America. I once asked a similar question about LS400 variation numbers and the only figures Lexus corporate could provide were by "sales year". I've seen a number of comments from UL owners about wishing that they hadn't bought the UL package. One comment from UL owners is that they never get to use the rear seat amenities themselves so why bother with it. The UL especially loses its luster as it ages and develops problems with the air suspension. Based on the threads I seen, the LS430 UL air suspension doesn't seem to hold up any better over time than it did on the LS400. There are now threads on how to replace a decaying LS430 UL air suspension with a steel spring suspension.

I assume you made sure that all the CD labels were facing downward in the cartridge and that the cartridge has no broken parts and that you tried another cartridge ... and that you are not using CD's with stick on labels. Here are some instructions on ClubLexus that might help: http://www.clublexus.com/forums/ls400-foru...sc-changer.html I removed the glovebox in my 00 LS400 back in early 2004 when installing a phone kit but I don't remember how ... I don't remember it being difficult to do.

Have you looked at the instructions? http://lexusbluetooth.letstalk.com/brands/.../436_05Navi.pdf

"All cruise control units" are NOT designed that way. Maybe I know this from driving waaay more rental cars than the average person. The 25 mph minimum cruise control speed Toyota/Lexus uses is typical if there is any minimum at all. One aspect I have always liked about Ford vehicles is that they do not lose the set cruise control speed after coming to a stop or dropping below a defined minimum speed. I use cruise control almost every day on low speed surface streets here in Kansas -- unless I happen to driving in our twice a day "rush minute" stop and go traffic. I especially use cruise control in the long 25 mph school zones common here -- best way to keep my "lead foot" under control. But I also use cruise control on the typical 35 and 45 mph boulevards in Kansas City ... I probably haven't driven down Kansas City's Ward Parkway without the cruise set at 35 mph since I got my first car with cruise control back in the 1970s. I've even installed aftermarket cruise control -- often ones from Dana -- on a number of cars back when cruise control was not available or a hard to find factory option. I've never been into altering the basic electronics of a car ... but I wish I knew an easy way to keep the cruise control from losing its setting when my speed drops below 25 mph. Does anybody know how?

The installation instructions for the "Lexus Parking Aid 800" option sold by Lexus dealers in Europe might give you an idea of the amount of work (quite a lot) involved installing a system like you want: http://techdoc.toyota-europe.com/aimupload...000%20414-2.pdf The instructions are for an IS -- the ES is not sold in Europe. The Lexus Parking Aid option uses a buzzer and not a display. Installation instructions for the two parking aid options on other Lexus vehicles (but not the ES) can be viewed at http://www.lexus-tech.eu

I don't think I've ever driven a Lexus or Toyota vehicle on which the cruise control did not lose the set speed after coming to a stop. The set speed in both our LS and Camry is lost when the car speed drops below 25 mph (40 km/h) as documented in the owners manuals of both cars. What does the owners manual for your SC say?

Take a look at the parts list for the U.S. and U.K. 2002 IS navagation system: U.S.: http://www.toyodiy.com/parts/p_U_2002_LEXU...EAVFA_8603.html U.K.: http://www.toyodiy.com/parts/p_E_2002_LEXU...EAVFW_8603.html There have been a number of threads on this and other Lexus forums about where people have taken U.S. specification Lexus vehicles to Europe and then found that the navigation systems could not be made to work there.

I assume it was the same in 95 through 97 but I'm not certain. Lexus audio systems don't seem to change within the same series of the LS, i.e. 90-92, 93-94, 95-97, 98-00.

I see that "ATE Auto and Truck Electronics" is advertising a Nakamichi amp rebuild service on eBay. Their website / phone number is: www.autoecu.com / toll free 1-866-983-6688 Also, sometimes used Nakamichi amps for a 95-97 LS are available on eBay. Or you could see if your amp model is one of the Nakamichi amps these guys north of Orlando still repairs: http://carstereohelp.com/lexus.htm They will send a troubleshooting procedure if you contact them. I dealt with "Bob" there early last year when they fixed the Nakamichi head unit in my 00 LS.

The under covers (part number 51441-50070) become so brittle and beat-up over time that it could be a waste of money to buy a used one. A new one for a 00 LS is $103.70 at http://www.parts.com/lexus/2000-lexus-ls-400-parts.cfm

Maybe you can buy mudflaps for your 06 RX from a Canadian Lexus dealer since they are shown on the Lexus Canada website for the RX350: http://www.lexus.ca/lexus/experience/en/po...0&type=side I bought mudflaps in 2003 for my 2000 LS400 from "Paul" in the parts department of Metro Toyota/Lexus in Victoria BC -- mudflaps for the LS had been dropped from the U.S. parts catalog some years earlier. Metro ships to the U.S. http://www.metrolexusvictoria.com/index.htm Mudflaps are sold as an accessory on the RX350 sold in the U.K. so it is possible that they were available there for the 06 RX: http://www.lexus.co.uk/range/rx/accessories/exterior.aspx In 1990, I bought mudflaps for my first LS from Park Lane Lexus in London. You can get their email and phone number from the Lexus UK website.

I can't explain why you are sometimes getting colder air but mine did the same when it was low on refrigerent. R-134a is cheap so you might as well charge it up and see if that fixes the problem.

Does the system have adequate refrigerent in it? It is not uncommon to have to top up the refregerent in an older car at least once each year. The refigerent level in an R-134a system doesn't have to drop that much for the system to stop producing cold air -- at least that is what my repair shop tech told me last summer when he topped up the refigerent in my 00 LS to get it working again. The system in my car apparently has a slow leak but the tech was not able to find it after adding dye and using a blacklight.

The noise is NOT normal. I'd be wondering if the guy used the correct parts when he replaced the pads. You might as well get an OEM pad kit and replace them again.

I wonder if you could muck around with the rear brake sensor connector: i.e. use a jumper wire to bridge between pins on the connector to fool the system. The rear brake wear sensor isn't all the expensive in the U.S. and the one on the U.K. spec 02 LS430 appears to be the same as on the U.S. spec 02 LS430. According to the following website, the part number is 47770-50060 ; http://www.toyodiy.com/parts/p_E_2002_LEXU...EAGKW_4707.html Parts.com has the rear brake wear sensor for US$58.65 which is about the same as I paid for a front brake wear sensor for my 2000 LS400: http://www.parts.com/oemcatalog/index.cfm?...or&siteid=2 At what mileage did the rear brake wear sensor indicate that the rear pads were worn? The original rear pads on my 00 LS400 are still OK at 110,000 miles and should last until at least 125,000 miles. US$58.65 doesn't seem very much for a part that has to be replaced every 125,000 miles. What does the rear brake wear sensor cost in the U.K.?

Why not just buy a portable nav to use while you are there ... just got a Garmin 260W for my wife at barely $160. There is a European version of most Garmin GPS devices and you can purchase European maps for the American models. I've seen a number of posts on Lexus forums from people who don't use the Lexus navigation systems in their cars -- they prefer and use portable navigation devices instead.

hi Blake Yes it does, but I don't use it cause I don't know how ;) any ideas about the AC fan! Go into the trunk and unplug the connectors from the phone ECU. Plug the two larger connectors into each other. This should take care of the problem but if it doesn't, pop off the air vent you see when you raise the center armrest and unplug the phone handset cradle from the connector(s). If you want to remove the handset cradle from the upper console tray to free up space, carefully pry the black insert out with a trim removal tool, a taped putty knife, etc. Be careful to not break the console tray insert as it is not available separately as a replacement part. A variety of materials can be used to cover the holes in the tray insert that are left -- one person used a cut up mouse pad. The Lexus phone is analog and worthless -- analog service is no longer available in the U.S. If you want to install a modern phone kit such as a bluetooth kit, you might be interested to know that the center front pin on the driver side phone connector under the air vent is an audio mute pin. Connect a phone kit's mute wire to this mute pin -- just stick it into the connector and secure it with a wire tie -- and your audio system will automagically mute when a phone call is in progress.

It sounds like the first 01 LS you mentioned has had a hard life and wasn't maintained very well. Does it have a documented maintenance history other than the skipped 90K maintenance? Why don't you drive both cars to see what the difference is between the one with and without the ML, nav and the 17" wheels. Some like the ride and handling of the bigger wheel options and some don't -- it's a personal preference. The mirror glass is easily replaced -- based on what they cost for my 00 LS, I'm guessing the mirror glass costs $400 + or - $50. Used whole mirror assemblies are sometimes available on eBay too. What do you mean by the headlight being dull? Is the lens fogged over or is the HID putting out limited light? The A/C whine is a "feature". My 2000 LS400 does it too -- wish it didn't. Probably noticeable since everything else is so quiet. No, the driveshaft bolts don't need to be retorqued "all of the time". Gaskets and seals last a very long time on an LS. My first LS is still being driven by its current owner and it has 280,000 miles on it. If the "S80" in your car model field means "Volvo", as the past owner of three Volvos I can assure you that Volvo and Lexus quality are on dramatically different levels. From my experience, Volvo quality is waaay lower than Lexus quality. I'd suggest passing for now on the 01 LS with ML/nav/17" wheels. You can probably do better and find one that doesn't have all these problems. Only yesterday I saw a low mileage, visually perfect 05 LS430 on a dealers lot with an asking price of $26,000 and change. Heck, most people keep these cars up and fix problems when they occur. Look for one of those.