1990LS400

Shhhh, you are giving away the secret. Jim ... recently retired from the largest U.S. provider of F & I products.

It's always good to look at a car's service records before you buy it. Being late with an oil change or two is not going to invalidate the warranty. I don't know about the SC430 but the maximum recommended oil change interval is 7500 miles on my 2000 LS400. The warranty starts on the day the car was delivered to it's first owner -- it's called the "in-service date". The month of manufacture is shown on a label on the driver's side door post. Usually the in-service date is a month or two after the month of manufacture. The basic warranty is 4 years/50,000 miles. The drive train warranty is 6 years/70,000 miles. Lexus dealers are usually pretty good about verifying service history when buying a car from a non-Lexus dealer or individual. And there is always Carfax although the Carfax reports can be incorrect. If serious about a car, you could have a dealer check it over -- probably would cost a few hundred $$. If you have the VIN for a car you are interested in, you could even register as its owner on the Lexus website and look at whatever records are there for it -- a trick someone recently mentioned in a thread.

Whether or not "wildta" is a shill for XM is beside the point. The main reason satellite radio is failing is that relatively few people see it as being of enough value that they want to pay for it. The two, now one, satellite radio companies have not been able to retain customers let alone get enough new customers to replace the ones bailing out. I've had enough of satellite radio while listening to it in rental cars on several one to two week mostly pleasure trips. Maybe I would think it is of value if I lived in a very rural area where there are few radio stations ... but there aren't enough people living in very rural areas to keep a satellite radio service going. Maybe I would occasionally listen to satellite radio in my own cars if it was free but I am not willing to pay extra for a satellite radio and I am certainly not willing to pay for a monthly subscription to a service with content I do not value. I doubt if XM/Sirius will go out of business unless one or more satellites fail. It is more likely that someone will buy, downsize and operate the service.

Current portable navigation devices boot up just as fast as in-dash navigation units. I think a big screen nav would be nice but if I had to replace my portable nav today, I'd buy another one (a Garmin this time) with a 3:4 ratio small screen. I rarely look at the screen while driving except when I have the view zoomed out so I can see terrain features -- just for entertainment -- while driving on trips. I just listen to the voice prompts telling me when to turn and which road to turn on. Modern portable nav's no longer have to be mounted on the windshield or on top of the dash to get a good signal. I have my "old" (2007) Magellan 2200T mounted on a bracket by the radio and it almost always picks up the maximum number of satellites. It may not be as pretty as in-dash but it is certainly effective and it would be easy to replace at low cost: http://us.lexusownersclub.com/forums/index...si&img=1349

The SABERSPORT store on eBay has them right now for $228 for the complete 6-piece set. They are shown as "93-94 LEXUS LS400 EURO HEADLIGHTS w/ FOG + CORNER 6PCS". An easy way to find them is to search the SABERSPORT store for "LS400. As awful as the gen 1 LS400 headlights are -- I know from 13 1/2 years of driving one -- these replacement headlights look like an incredible bargain.

The fuel door actuator is available for less from several online sellers. It's about $234 from http://www.trademotion.com/partlocator/ind...amp;catalogid=0

That is a nice idea but I doubt that the CD player can be completely eliminated. Here is a thread on ClubLexus about hacking into the CD cable to connect MP3/iPod players: http://www.clublexus.com/forums/lexus-audi...oem-stereo.html With this method, the CD player must remain in place and play a blank CD in order for the radio head unit to accept a signal from the MP3/iPod player. With the work installing the AVIC F500BT and ND-G500 and the inconvenience and theft risk of having the rather large F500BT unit mounted somewhere on the dash, I suspect that one of the in-dash double DIN Pioneer AVIC projects (e.g. Pioneer AVIC Z3) would easier to deal with. I think some of the in-dash AVIC's include Bluetooth or have an add-on Bluetooth module. There are also in-dash audio/nav/Bluetooth products from other manufacturers. There are installation kits from Metra that allow a double DIN head unit including an AVIC Z3 to be installed in the center console and replace the Lexus radio. I think there are installation harnesses available to connect the LS400 speaker wires to a new head unit or at least to reduce the amount of wiring cutting needed. You can see speaker harnesses and installation kits for the 95 LS400 here: http://www.metraonline.com/fit.aspx An indash nav screen where your radio currently is installed is a little low for good visibility but many people, me included, rely primarily on voice directions from the nav and rarely look at the screen to see the map.

I agree with you. Based on the manual for the ND-G500, it looks like it provides the amplification for the AVIC F500BT while the existing Lexus amplifier continues to be used with the OEM Lexus radio. It is still quite possible that the mute pin under the center armrest - meant for the Lexus phone - can be used for the ND-G500's mute wire. But I suspect that the mute is the least of your challenges and that it may take substantial wiring to connect the ND-G500 to your LS400's speakers. From the diagram in the manual for the ND-G500, it looks to me that it allows for only four speakers -- I wonder if it is possible to connect it so that all seven speakers in your car work. It sounds very interesting. Good luck to you.

Well ... so far I'm seeing that the installation of the AVIC F500BT requires an additional product -- the Pioneer ND-G500 4-channel Gateway Amplifier -- in order to connect it to the audio system of your car ... that is, if it can be connected at all. Your friends BMW probably has ISO connectors on its audio system. The ND-G500 amplifier uses ISO connectors. Take a look for yourself: http://www.pioneerelectronics.com/StaticFi...sManual0410.pdf Your 95 Lexus LS400 is not at all compatible with ISO. The ND-G500 and the F500BT were previously sold in Europe -- where many or most cars have ISO connectors on their audio systems. I think you need to speak with a car audio system specialist -- did you buy your AVIC F500BT from a shop that can install it for you? This looks like a very, very interesting product and I hope it can be made to work on your Lexus. I will try to find more information but I can't promise anything. It would be great if you could let us know when you have made progress getting all this installed into your car.

Again, I'll mention that you are typing in all capital letters and that is discouraged. What is the model number of the Pioneer navigation product that you bought? The navigation/bluetooth combination products I've seen that attach to the windshield or sit on top of the dash on a beanbag cannot be connected to automatically mute the radio when a phone call is in progress. Some of them can play the phone call through the radio using an FM modulator when the radio is tuned to an unused frequency -- but that is not very useful since using that feature inhibits the use of the radio while driving. If you provide the exact model number and description of your Pioneer product, I or somebody else can likely determine exactly what capabilities it has and how it can be connected to your car.

I've got to nominate this thread as the most entertaining one I've seen in a long time. "What is a U JOINT?" " ... connects the big spinning shaft into the pumpkin?" I feel your pain but I just have to laugh. ROFLMAO. It's like Abbot and Costello's "Who's on First." Yeah, I think I got the "big spinning shaft into the pumpkin" from the large multinational corporation I used to work for.

I don't understand what your "PIONEER/NAVI BLUETOOTH UNIT" is. If it is an radio/nav/bluetooth replacement for the Lexus radio, it should have a telephone mute built-in and it should play the phone call through the door speakers after all wiring in completed. If it is something that needs a connection so that it mutes the existing Lexus audio system when a phone call is in progress, then look at this thread from Blake918 which shows a photo of a connector containing a mute pin on his 95 LS400 -- on the driver side, under the vent you see when you raise the center armrest: http://us.lexusownersclub.com/forums/index...061&hl=mute It takes a little disassembly to get to this connector. If you want to provide more detailed information about what you bought, we might be better able to help. Also, some people get offended by the use of ALL CAPITAL letters -- using capitals on forums is traditionally a way of shouting or expressing anger.

Take it back to the people who replaced the window. Your car has a "pinch protection" feature that lowers the window if something (like a person's fingers) prevent it from closing -- a little like the safety features of an automatically reversing garage door opener. I suspect that something is impeding the closing of the window ... maybe it is poorly aligned. Have you tried it from the passenger door switch? Smooth1 recently mentioned that on another model, the IS, windows sometimes need to be reset using the switch on each door.

I've got to nominate this thread as the most entertaining one I've seen in a long time. "What is a U JOINT?" " ... connects the big spinning shaft into the pumpkin?" I feel your pain but I just have to laugh.

Is the amount you have lost really worth a lawsuit? If we are talking about just a few hundred dollars, just walk away and chalk it up as a lesson learned. I love my attorney friends but they are the only ones who come out ahead in cases like this. steviej has given you excellent advice. By the way, I've had plenty of aftermarket windshields installed on cars including Lexus and Toyota with only one problem -- a distorted windshield way back in about 1977 which was promptly replaced with a good one.

I've seen threads from people on another Lexus forum intent on getting a Prado rear door so they could hang the spare tire on it: http://www.toyodiy.com/parts/g_J_2004_TOYO...1W-GKPGK_4.html I don't know why since the Japan market Prado rear door hinges have been reported to break from the weight of the spare tire. Not sure if I chose the Prado that most closely matches your GX on the above website ... you could browse the Prado parts descriptions and drawings to see if there is anything you want. I always dislike that Lexus cars have not had turn signals on the sides -- ones for the Prado are shown on the website above. Also, replacement outside mirrors with turn signals might be available in the aftermarket in Japan -- over here people usually get the less desirable mirror housing covers with signal lights instead of the full mirror housing with signal lights more widely available in Japan. Does your GX have the optional 3rd row seats? Or the hitch receiver? Here are the 04 GX specs so you can compare what was available to what your GX has: http://www.lexus.com/cpo/model_library/GX/2004.html

Have you verified that the drive shaft is turning where it meets the differential? It isn't just a broken U-joint, is it?

Are you saying that you aren't willing to follow a link to another thread that answers one of your questions? I don't think I will be responding to any of your questions in the future.

Here is a recent thread where I suggested having a shop fabricate a custom hitch for an IS250: http://us.lexusownersclub.com/forums/index...32&hl=hitch I assume there would be shops in Virginia that could fabricate a hitch for your IS. It wouldn't take much of a hitch to carry a receiver type bike rack. I use a receiver type bike rack on my 00 LS400 with my Draw-Tite trailer hitch.

Here is an old thread where I posted information about the K40 radar system sold by many and perhaps most Lexus dealers in the 1990s: http://us.lexusownersclub.com/forums/index...showtopic=29107

Here are the 03 LS430 specs in case you haven't seen them: http://www.lexus.com/contact/pdf/2003/2003LSspecs.pdf

Yeah, the original odometer is still working, Jim! But, now that I have it safely working in the '92 Instrument Cluster, I have a NEW problem with the Temperature Guage - as soon as I turn the key in a cold engine, the needle immediately bounces up to the highest meter reading possible and stays there. Do you have any idea what I might have done to cause this? Now, I'm starting to wonder if the '90 Temp Gauge will work with the '92 Cluster! Nope, no idea on the temp gauge problem. Maybe the temp gauge in the 92 cluster is defective. I think the cluster is the same on the 90 through 92 LS ... not much changed in those three model years ... a summary is at: http://www.lexls.com/info/lsgenerations.html

Myce, sorry your question fell through the cracks. I'm surprised your odometer is still working at 207698 miles since they commonly fail many miles earlier. The odometer on the 90 LS I had failed at about 125,000 miles -- at least they are cheap to replace.

The iPhone has limited to no compatibility with the Lexus Bluetooth system. It was recently removed from the capability list on the Lexus website. Even when it was on the compatibility list, the iPhone was listed with almost no compatibility. A wheel alignment, dynamic balance and tire rotation is a good place to start. If there are worn or damaged suspension components causing the vibration, a wheel alignment technician can usually find the problem quickly. A variety of discount Lexus parts sellers are around and eBay is a possibility. Search this forum for the word "discount" and you will likely find some relevant thread. I think member Billyshaft recently posted information about upgrading the nav DVD. The advanced search feature of this forum will often answer your questions. Click on Search .... More Search Options

Installers in the U.S. just don't want the liability of frying a multi-thousand dollar audio system. My car was under warranty when I installed my kit in 2003 and none of the many installers I called would begin to consider looking for a mute wire on the audio system. That's when I spent a 100+ hours figuring it out myself and why I connected everything up without cutting into any wires -- I didn't want to fry my expensive Nak audio. Views on this subject are completely different in the UK and Europe... different expectations ... its weird.