1990LS400

It's DVD based ... take a look at the footnotes at http://www.lexus.com/cpo/model_library/GS/2005.html

No, the bolt pattern on your ES300 is 5 X 114.3 and on the LS460 it is 5 x 120.

An electronic version of the 06 LS430 brochure is here: http://www.toyotareference.com/lexusls#LS01 The specs in the CPO library are at: http://www.lexus.com/cpo/model_library/LS/2006.html Sometimes auto brochures are sold on eBay. There are a number of businesses that sell old automobile brochures. Here is just one: http://www.autopaper.com/ I've got a bunch of Lexus brochures and sales videos stretching back to 1989 but nothing on the 06 LS.

I see lots of new Phillips 4300K D2R HID bulbs on eBay today for "buy it now" prices of less than $75 per bulb with reasonable shipping costs. There are also sets of 2 bulbs advertised. You will want to replace both bulbs at once so that the color matches. Be careful about eBay though. There are people on eBay selling used HID bulbs at a higher prices than new ones. Some of these used bulbs could be as old as the ones in your car.

You are on "Lexus Owners Club (USA & Canada)" which describes cars sold in - where else - the USA & Canada. Maybe you should take a look at the " Australian Lexus Owners Club Forums". There are huge differences in the Lexus cars sold in different world markets.

So ... what kind of condition is the fuse for the accessory circuit in? Have you checked the fuses? I think you will find them behind the coin change compartment on a 99 ES.

Yes, you can put 18" LS430 wheels on a 94 LS400 but you can not put 16" 94 LS400 wheels on an LS430. The supplier you spoke with is wrong.

IMO, an LS400 and particularly an aging one is a very bad choice for a busy college student. I've had a bunch of $1,000 to $2,000 repair and maintenance bills over the 19 years I've been driving Lexus LS cars. I think you would be much better off with a used Corolla or Scion. Even our 98 Camry has been far less expensive to maintain than either of our LS cars over the nine years we have had the Camry. Wait until you are out of school and established to buy an expensive car. There are a lot more important things than a car. But if money is no object and your parents are footing the bills, then why not?

The seat heater elements are replaceable but quite expensive so you might want to follow the diagnostic procedure for the seat heater system before you start replacing stuff. There is probably a diagnostic procedure described in the repair manuals for your car since there is in mine. I think the diagnostic procedure is mainly testing voltage and continuity on connectors. The repair manuals are sometimes available on eBay and they are certainly available from Lexus dealers. You could also subscribe to online Lexus techinfo for $10 for a 24 hour period and download what you need. The repair manuals on CD that are sometimes on eBay are likely downloaded information from techinfo.

$48.70 here if I looked at the correct part: http://www.lexuspartsonline.com/

I'm not absolutely sure but a sticker on the door jam of my 00 LS400 reads "C/TR 062/LF03" which I think means "Exterior Color / Interior Trim = Crystal White / Leather Ivory". This thread also seems to confirm that the "C/TR" means what I said: http://www.toyotanation.com/forum/showthread.php?t=231006 The color/trim codes on my car seem to be confirmed by the Toyota codes shown on http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/Stepho/colour.htm I can't vouch for the accuracy of that. It is possible that only the "03" of my "LF03" represents ivory. My car is one of the Platinum Series so its ivory seats have a different texture than the standard ivory seats. What are your "C/TR" codes?

I can't remember if the recommended maintenance schedule regarding transmission fluid changes for my departed gen 1 LS400 was the same as for the 2000 LS400 I have now (I think it was), but my 00 LS maintenance manual recommends changing the transmission fluid only every four years or 60,000 miles and only if the car is operated under severe operating connections. It's probably overkill, but I have always had the transmission fluid changed on cars with automatic transmissions every 30,000 miles. Do you have the maintenance manual that originally came with your car?

Cracked and/or corroded wires and other electrical contacts can work fine when warm and shrink ever so slightly when colder and not make enough contact to conduct electricity. For example, the remote locking worked only in warm weather for years on the 90 LS I used to have and stopped working whenever it got a little cold. After I sold the car, the new owner discovered that the ROM chip in the receiver in the trunk was not fully seated. Something similar happened with my 90's fog lights -- they worked fine when warm but not at all when it was cold when I usually needed them. I was told that the cause of that problem was a corroded connection at some fuse block -- the repair shop would clean the corrosion and the fog lights would work again for another year or so until the corrosion returned. I once had a similar problem on the after market car horns (Hella Supertone) I added to the 90 -- corroded connectors. This kind of issue may not be the cause of your problem but electrical problems like this seem to get worse as these cars age.

Here is a different idea. Both Yakima and Thule have ski racks that fit on hitch mounted bike carriers. You can see them on the REI website: http://www.rei.com/category/4500281 Maybe I'm overly sensitive to noise but I've always hated the wind roar from roof ski racks.

OK, I guess the Toyota/Lexus engineers didn't realize that. By the way, do you use the feature on your Mercedes that allows you to turn only the left or right side parking lights on? They are engineered so they can be left on all night. There is a 4th setting of the "Light Off Delay" that I didn't mentioned. The dealer can program the LPS setting to turn off your headlights immediately after the car is turned off and when the drivers door is opened -- it will work just like a Toyota Camry. The default setting is 30 seconds. If it is 60 or 90 seconds then it has been previously customized. If you don't like the standard 15 second interior light delay, it can be reduced 7.5 seconds. I had mine customized to keep the interior lights on the maximum time - 30 seconds.

Speedemon, You might consider calling http://carstereohelp.com/lexus.htm in Florida at (407) 830-0777. I don't know if "Bob" is the owner or manager but he is the one I and others end up speaking with. He might be able to tell you if this is something he knows how to fix or if there is something you can do. He fixed the Nakamichi in my 00 LS400 last year and I'm going to help a friend remove his radio and amp from his 99 LS400 soon to send to Bob. The local Lexus repair shop I use also sends customer radios to them. I highly recommend them. Your problem might not be simple to track down. When the right channel of my audio went out last year, my friends and I assumed that the amp was at fault. The problem turned out to be a loose connection in the head unit. I would have never been able to find the problem on my own.

I can address a couple of your questions. The 90-91 LS was known for warping rotors and mainly if the lug nuts were unevenly torqued. The rotors were made thicker beginning in 1992 and I don't remember hearing about rotor warping on later model year LS cars. I changed the front brake pads myself just once on my 90 LS400 -- it was the first time the pads were changed since I had bought the car new. I didn't have the rotors turned, I used OEM pads and needlessly bought the complete pad kit including all new shims. The results were not very satisfactory. I forgot the exact problem - noise or vibration - but after that, I had a shop replace brake my pads (OEM only) and turn the rotors. The brake pads on my 2000 LS400 last so long and it costs so little to have OEM pads installed and the rotors turned, that I decided it was not worth my time to do the work myself. The front brake pads on my 00 LS were replaced by my favorite indie Lexus shop for the first time at about 72,000 miles and I expect the original rear pads will last to at least 120,000 miles. The car is currently at 107,000 miles. I check the pad thickness each time I rotate the tires - every 5,000 miles. Not including tax, I was charged about $215 for the installation of new OEM front pads and to have the rotors turned on the 00 LS. The front pads were about $59 of the cost. I see OEM front pads for your 04 LS online for $55.96. http://www.lexuspartsonline.com/index2.htm...p;siteid=214281 You might be able to find OEM pads even cheaper on eBay or from another online seller.

Here is a website provided by the state of Pennsylvania for locating businesses that accept used motor oil: http://www.dep.state.pa.us/cgi_apps/oil/

I posted info recently about a Metra kit for the 98 ES: http://us.lexusownersclub.com/forums/index...9&hl=double Scosche also has kits for the 98 ES: http://www.scosche.com/ I think a "faceplate" is a part of all these kits.

Check with the environmental agency of your local government. In my area (Kansas City metro), the local government provides a list of companies that accept used oil. I take my used oil to a near by Jiffy Lube once or twice a year. They accept up to five gallons of used oil at a time and do not charge me anything. Other businesses in my area that accept used oil at no charge are Wal-Mart, Advance Auto, Firestone, Sears, Goodyear, Napa, Tires Plus, and a number of others.

An LS430 doesn't have a frame. I had a 90 LS400 that had over $10,000 in rear end damage in about 1999 and it was as good as new after it was repaired. I drove it until 2003 and sold it to a coworker who is still driving it. It's probably difficult to find a five year old car that hasn't been hit at least once. My 2000 LS400 has been rear ended and repaired at least three times and it still drives and looks like new. You didn't say how much the repair cost was on the 04 LS you are looking at. Knowing the cost might indicate the severity of the crash.

I don't know what year your car is so I guessed 2003 and checked an online Lexus parts seller. I see a "Cup Holder Front" for $21.31: http://www.lexuspartsonline.com/index2.htm...p;siteid=214281

Why would you want to do that? Why don't you just leave the switch in the auto setting and let them turn off automatically? I've rarely felt the need to turn the headlights off manually. The "Light Off Delay" can be set to 30, 60 or 90 seconds by the dealer or by anyone with the appropriate handheld tester and program card.

Again, I don't know about the ES but for the LS400 there seems to be an almost infinite number of wiring harness variations -- it looks like each wiring harness was custom made for the exact equipment and options that each car has. For example, my car does not have the optional air suspension and has none of the wiring for it. My car doesn't have the wiring for the optional navigation system or for the standard audio system. It is wired only for the optional Nakamichi audio system that it has. And I have verified that my LS is not wired for options that were not available in the U.S but which were standard or optional in other countries -- rear seat heaters, rear power seat, headlight washers, rear fog lights. The only option that seems to have been prewired on all LS, SC, and GS cars of from 1990 through 2003 is for a dealer installed phone. However ... it sure wouldn't hurt to check your ES for seat heater wiring -- there is a chance that the ES is different.

Well, yes ... I guess it takes practice and patience. I wonder if you extracted the rubber insert with it's metal inserts by pulling in the wrong direction. Also, I have never had to removed a wiper blade from the arm on a Toyota or Lexus vehicle to replace a rubber insert. Remove the wiper refill with its metal inserts, remove the metal inserts from the rubber and, as best as you can, bend the metal inserts back into their original slightly curved shape. The two metal inserts should mirror each other in their curvature. The inside of the arc of the wiper blade should press against the window -- image the wiper blade conforming to the surface of an orange. Be sure to get it right ... a window can be badly scratched by the metal parts of a wiper blade. If you are unsure, by all means take it to a pro -- a window is expensive to replace if it gets scratched by a wiper blade.