1990LS400

Well, it could have been a lot worse. You could have told your wife that you might have had to run a a personal advertisement in the Register -- "Looking for woman with Lexus ... send photo of car". I barely got my 90 LS fixed with no out-of-pocket expense about 9 years ago when it was rear ended. I found out after the car was repaired that the adjuster missed seeing the odometer replacement sticker on the door jam and thought the car had gone only a fraction of its true mileage. It might have helped that my car was in like-new condition. The repair bill was over $10,000. I was prepared to come up with a few thousand out-of-pocket if the car had been totaled. I gave my sister-in-law a demo of VSC on the icy/snowy streets of Des Moines over the holidays since she is looking at new cars and had never heard of stability control -- I don't know if I convinced her or just scared her. I did hear an "Oh $#!+" or two from the back seat each time the VSC warning chime sounded. My 90 LS got around in snow "just OK" but was always a hand-full. I've wondered how it would have done with today's modern heavy duty winter tires instead of the old style M+S tires I used on it. My wife and I have each done a "360" on icy Interstate bridges at highway speeds -- me in a Volvo 242 in 1978 and she in her Honda Civic in about 1980. Mine was in the evening rush hour on a mile long three lane viaduct; hers in the morning rush hour on a short overpass bridge. I was in the center lane spinning slowly while surrounded by other cars -- the longest 30 seconds of my life just waiting for the impact. The impact never came and I came to a stop perfectly centered in the center lane pointed in the right direction ... with all the other cars stopped around me. In her incident, my wife ended up off the Interstate and down an embankment. It was amazing that there were no injuries or damage in either of our 360s. Your wife was lucky too.

It seems like I'm posting the same information lots of times lately -- must be because of the very cold weather! There is a diagnosis procedure for heated seats in the repair manuals for your car and on online Lexus Techinfo. The procedure mostly involves checking resistance and continuity on the various connectors of the seat heater system. It can get expensive just replacing components without understanding what the real problem is. The seat heater diagnosis procedure for my 00 LS takes up 11 pages -- too much to try scan and post and it probably isn't the same for all models anyway.

The failure of a seat heater is often caused by a broken wire in the seat heater grid. A seat heater works much like an electric blanket. There is a long (11 page) diagnostic procedure in my repair manual for my 00 LS for the seat heaters -- too long to scan and post here and it might be a little different for your GS. The diagnostic procedure is mostly checking continuity and resistance. If you don't have access to a repair manual, the procedure can be downloaded from Lexus Techinfo.

A piggyback / add-a-curcuit fuse device plugged into the fuse box only provides the 12V current (positive). You could attach the ground wire from your electronic devices to any convenient ground on the car. Here is a example on another forum of how someone attached the ground wire to a bolt: http://forums.s2kca.com/showthread.php?t=16128

Look towards the top of the brake pedal arm. I just went out to the garage and looked and I can see the brake light switches on both our 98 Camry and 00 LS400. If fact, the switches on our two cars look the same but it's hard to tell. The switch on our LS400 is difficult to see without removing the under dash trim panel. If you can't see it on your ES and it has a trim panel under the dash, you may have to remove the panel to access the brake switch. I think I had two brake light switches fail on my first LS over about 13 years. We haven't had a brake light switch fail (yet!) on either our 98 Camry or 00 LS.

There are all sorts of "grabber tools" available. Some hardware stores have them. Here is a cool looking one: http://toolmonger.com/2006/07/29/flexible-grabber-tool/

Brake pads are always excluded from coverage under the Lexus basic warranty -- brake pads are defined as maintenance items in the warranty book. And it is not unusual for a TSIB to be rescinded or superceded. It seems odd, however, that the TSIB was rescinded or superceded since premature rear pad wear seems to be so common. I guess it wouldn't hurt to call Lexus corporate but I doubt if doing that would accomplish anything. Based on the short pad life on several recent Lexus models, it is looking like Lexus wants to redefine what is normal.

I sort of hardwired wired my portable GPS into the cable leading to the accessory outlet on my 00 LS, details here: http://us.lexusownersclub.com/forums/index...si&img=1349 However, if I had known about "add-a-curcuit" connectors (sometimes called piggy-back fuses), I would definitely have used one instead. They plug into the under-dash fuse box and are perfect for powering accessories -- available on-line or at auto parts stores. Photo attached.

My God, your RX is pink! What can anybody say? It all depends on what you like and what your priorities are. The early W220 S-Class had quite a few issues but I have read that quality improved towards the end of the run. A neighbor two doors down has an 06 S500 4Matic (which replaced an 85 420SEL) and it certainly is a beautiful and comfortable car -- the old guy is really into Mercedes and also has a late 90s W140 S500 which I really like. People often comment about how nice S-Class Mercedes cars are for larger people. Even the 450SEL I owned way back in the 1970s had front seats that could hold about the biggest butt around. Lexus front seats are not exactly generous in size. Mercedes front seats almost always can provide substantially more front legroom than a Lexus -- their seat tracks go back "forever". I've owned two used Mercedes and bought only one new -- back in 1979. I have bought one used Lexus LS (my current 00 LS in 2003) and purchased one new one -- a 90 LS400 in 1990. So ... I've spend about 20 years as a Mercedes owner and 20 years as a Lexus owner. The biggest difference I've seen between the two brands is that, adjusted for inflation, I have spent far, far less time and money maintaining Lexus cars than Mercedes cars. But I still like Mercedes cars -- maybe it's just nostalgia as I sort of grew up around them. Crap, I've still got Mercedes parts scattered around and its been 19 years since I last owned one. Hmmm, if only I had bought that perfect, low mileage white 1963 Mercedes 300SL convertible that was on the Kansas City Merc dealer's showroom floor back in 1969 -- asking price was $7,500. A red 1963 300SL recently sold for $400,000. I think if my "right brain" was in control, I'd be buying Mercedes. However, my "left brain" is dominant so maybe that's why I've been buying Lexus.

There are two engine under covers (#1 and #2) shown here: http://www.toyodiy.com/parts/p_U_1997_LEXU...CAZKA_5102.html

With as much dissatisfaction with aftermarket pads I've seen expressed on forums, I don't know of a good reason not to buy OEM pads. Lots of discount parts websites have them such as: http://www.lexuspartsonline.com ($55.96 w/o shipping) or http://www.sewellpartsonline.com/ ($131.20 - Ouch!). I see OEM pads for your 93 SC400 on eBay today for $42.70 including shipping from Anaheim, California. Others seem to have different opinions but I've had better results on Lexus cars when I have had the rotors turned and trued up. I've stopped doing brake jobs myself since I don't have the equipment to turn rotors and don't want to spend the time taking the rotors to someone who can. Plus, the indie shop that replaces pads and turns rotors for me charges so little for a brake job that it is not worth my time to do it myself -- $200 for a front brake job on my 00 LS400 including OEM pads and turning the rotors. My attitude might be different if the front brake pads didn't last a long time -- the original front pads on my 00 LS were first replaced at over 71,000 miles and it looks like the original rear pads will last beyond 125,000 miles. Assuming your 93 SC400 brakes are similar to the ones on the 90 LS400 I had for 13+ years, I don't think there is anything particularly special about changing the pads. Don't forget your brake fluid -- it should be flushed and replaced on a regular basis and is a safety issue. Check your maintenance schedule for the recommended brake fluid replacement interval.

Your main problem is going to be finding a hitch for your IS250. They were and still are available for the IS300 but I don't find any for the ISx50. Trailer hitches are sold for the IS as an official accessory and installed by Lexus dealers in some countries outside North America. For example you can view a hitch for the IS250 gas and IS220d diesel cars on the U.K. Lexus website: http://www.lexus.co.uk/range/is/accessories/exterior.aspx Is the IS robust enough to tow a trailer? Of course it is. Here is text from the Lexus U.K. corporate website: "DETACHABLE TOWING HITCH With so much power under the IS bonnet you have plenty to spare for towing. A jet-ski or sports trailer perhaps? You can do it with the purpose designed Lexus detachable towing hitch. It gives you up to 1,500 kg towing capacity and comes complete with a dedicated wiring kit." Unfortunately, the trailer hitches in the U.K. and Europe are different than that those used in most of the Americas so you can't just get one of those. I thought maybe you might find one in Australia since they use the same ball type hitch that we do but I don't find any online. If you can't find a hitch made for your car, you might be able to go the custom hitch route. I would think that there would be at least one company in the Toronto metro area that could make and install a hitch on your IS. BTW, I've had a trailer hitch on almost every car I have owned including both my previous 90 LS400 and current LS400. The local Lexus dealer here even used to sell trailer hitches or at least arrange with a subcontractor to have them installed. It doesn't take a large car or a powerful engine to pull a small trailer.

There is a thread on another forum on how to remove the console trim panel around the shift bezal: http://www.clublexus.com/forums/gs-second-...bezel-ring.html The console trim panel on your GS appears to be held in place like the console trim panel on my 00 LS400 -- with friction fittings. I've removed the console trim panel on my 00 LS a number of times using a taped stiff putty knife or, better yet, a trim removal tool. Friction fittings for holding console and dash trim in place is very common on Toyota products. Just tonight, I removed all the trim around our Camry's radio to replace a defective phone cradle and all the trim was held in place by friction fittings -- Thanks Blake918 for sending me your old phone cradle!!!

Perhaps your RX is different that the LS -- I don't know. The headlights on an LS with plastic lenses look like they come from the factory with a clear coating on the lens surface. Crystal View does not work like Meguiars PlastX. Lenses polished with Meguiars PlastX will indeed fog up again after a few months and require polishing again with PlastX. The Crystal View clear coat is not just a sealant but is an actual clear vanish like substance and is applied in two coats.

The tilt gear fix for the 97 LS on Youtube does seem similar to the one for the 94 LS shown in the excellent writeup Wandawoods did -- same year LS that ronk33_fl has: http://us.lexusownersclub.com/forums/index...237&hl=tilt One has to be careful though ... the tilt/telescope mechanism was redesigned/refined several times during the eleven model years of the LS400.

Disneyland? I'll never forget the one time in my life my parents took my sister and me to Disneyland ... I was about 12 years old ... it was closed ... for senior day ... sis and I were traumatized. It was a scene right out of National Lampoon's "Vacation" movie -- you know .... Wally World being closed when the Griswold family arrived? Now, whenever I hear the word "Disneyland", all I can think of is that song by Dada - I CAN'T HELP IT: I just ran away from home Now I'm going to Dizz Knee Land I just crashed my car again Now I'm going to Dizz Knee Land I just robbed a grocery store I'm going to Dizz Knee Land I just flipped off President George I'm going to Dizz Knee Land I'm going to Dizz Knee Land I just tossed a fifth of gin (cue shot glass) Now I'm going to Dizz Knee Land I just got cuffed again I'm going to Dizz Knee Land, yeah Shot my gun into the night I'm going to Dizz Knee Land, oh I just saw a good man die I'm going to Dizz Knee Land, come on I'm going to Dizz Knee Land (Hey... What?) (solo) Kicked my !Removed! out of school Rolled me out into the streets Hitched a ride on a monkey's back Headed west into the black I'm going to Dizz Knee Land I'm going to Dizz Knee Land, yeah, yeah I'm going to Dizz Knee Land, oooh I'm going to Dizz Knee Land, yeah, yeah, yeah

I could probably find it for you but it would be good practice to do an advanced search of the LS400 section of this forum looking for the word "tilt". Complete instructions including photos on how to fix the tilt/telescope of the gen 1 LS400 have been posted several times in the past.

There is a number for the courtesy light bulb on this website: http://www.sylvania.com/ConsumerProducts/A...placementGuide/ There are a few part numbers for interior bulbs here: http://www.toyodiy.com/parts/p_U_2007_LEXU...ETGKA_8121.html Have you considered popping the bulbs out and taking a look? When a bulb fails I pop it out and run to the auto parts store.

This company has some DIY directions on the climate control module and can likely replace the bulbs in your radio: http://carstereohelp.com/lexus.htm I don't think replacing the radio backlighting bulbs is an easy DIY but you might try doing a search on this forum for more information. The people at the web site I gave you repaired my LS radio in spring 2008 -- wonderful service experience and reasonable prices. The indie Lexus repair shop I use here in Kansas also uses carstereohelp to repair radios in customer cars.

It could also be a bad battery cable. I actually had a battery cable fail in about 1994 on a 1990 LS400. The incident was especially memorable because my warranty had just expired and the Lexus dealer service department manager told me that my car needed a new $1,000+ ECU. When I asked to use a phone to call a tow truck to take my car to an independent repair shop, the problem suddenly turned into an inexpensive battery cable. To make matters more interesting, the service manager tried to bribe me to keep me from ratting on him. I didn't but he ended up getting fired anyway a few months later.

RhoXS, I think you could accomplish the same thing by loading your car on a flatbed truck and riding around a parking lot. I doubt if it would cost much if you drove to a tow company's location on a nice day after making arrangements in advance. It's been years since I had a car on a Washington state car ferry (many times between Anacortes and Vancouver Island) but I thought they chased us out of our cars and required us to go to a seating area on a higher deck.

Care to Share?? Why the secrecy? because I must modify instrument cluster data Regarding Gregor's information ... There has long been a thriving industry in Europe for modifying vehicles from miles/Fahrenheit to km/Celsius. Most every European employee who worked on temporary assignment at our location here in Kansas bought a U.S. spec vehicle and had it shipped back home and modified. There are companies in Canada that modify everything from miles/Fahrenheit to km/Celsius.

It's bad that Toyota didn't go back and add Bluetooth to the non-nav systems in the RX -- Toyota is not exactly the quickest company to make adjustments to existing products. Depending on which Bluetooth kit you choose, the only additional non-stock item that would be visible would likely be a small microphone and a control module. Some Bluetooth kits have control modules that are substantially smaller than the IHF1000 control module -- some from Nokia are very small. Or you could just buy a visor mounted Bluetooth product or one that plugs into the cigarette lighter socket or accessory socket -- but they do not automatically mute your audio system. They are, however, very inexpensive. My wife and I missed a lot of incoming calls before I hooked up our phone kits to mute our audio systems.

Snow tires, snow tires, snow tires, snow tires. Get four heavy duty winter tires -- the ones with the mountain/snow flake logo on the sidewalls. You would probably be better off with the smaller and narrower 17" tires but that would require an extra set of wheels. I don't have an IS but my RWD 00 LS does infinitely better in the snow with my Blizzak snow tires. I bought a set of cheap wheels from Tire Rack to use with my snow tires. I wouldn't dream of driving it in the snow with my summer (not all-season) tires -- I wanna live!

I've had the exact same condition caused by a bad battery on both my previous 90 LS and current 00 LS. Now that I think about it, it was odd that the radio presets didn't get lost. Not that your battery is bad -- I'm saying only that a defective battery is one of the possible causes.