1990LS400

yes it can easily be shut off via the lexus approved diagnostic tool. all lexus dealers have them, obviously, but not many independents do. in fact i don't know anyone who has one except for me. yes, i have one at my shop and while it might be quick, the tool and software wasn't cheap :whistles: The independent shop where we take our Lexus and Toyota cars has the scan tool it takes to change the customizable settings. It took only a few minutes for someone there to use the tool to change the interior light delay setting on our LS400 -- there was no charge on the invoice but I was spending $235 on other services. Frankly, I would avoid indie shops that do not have the electronic tools required to properly maintain Lexus cars. "laserron" lives in Atlanta where there are probably several Lexus dealers who can change this and other customizable settings at a reasonable price -- perhaps free -- especially if he has other services performed. While at the dealer, "laserron" might want to check to see if TISB ST003-00 has been implemented on his 98 LS -- the TISB involved replacing several tilt/telescope system parts including both the tilt and telecope motors. The tilt/telescope problem on the 98-00 LS400 was corrected at the factory beginning with VIN JT8BH28F*Y0175592. My 00 LS was not subject to the problem since it was build at the end of 2000 model year after the factory correction was implemented.

Why would one want to try to "pull a fuse" to deactivate the automatic tilt/telescope when a dealer or repair shop can "cleanly" turn the function on/off in a minute with the diagnostic tester. Other important electrical features could be on the same circuit as the steering wheel motors.

My reason for selling my 90 LS after almost 14 years of ownership and buying a newer LS was simply to get newer technology and more safety equipment -- HID lights, vehicle stability control, brake assist, a better ABS system, depowered driver air bag, passenger air bag, side air bags, trip computer, R134 air conditioning, etc. If I could have updated my 90 LS with all this, I would be driving it today -- it was a wonderful car. But sometimes it is better to move on.

Craig, give it up! I'd say you are doing great to be getting 17.3 miles per U.S. gallon while living in Victoria and driving on Vancouver Island. We've ferried a car from Anacortes to Vancouver Island several times -- my cousin has a hobby farm on San Juan Island and we have lots of relatives in the Seattle area. We have spent weeks at a time on Vancouver Island and have driven from the southern tip to about as far north as one can drive -- where the "gravel" on the mountain logging roads are as big as boulders and we take commercial cargo/passenger boats to go further north. My guess is that virtually all your driving is what I would call "city driving" here in the midwest U.S. -- except I'd bet that we do a lot less stop and go driving in Kansas City than you do around Victoria. 17.3 miles per U.S. gallon in an early 4-speed automatic LS400 in Victoria sounds wonderful to me. And where the heck are you doing 80 mph on Vancouver?

I bought a press-in black rubber hitch cover at a trailer supply store a few weeks ago for about $1.00 Some of the more expensive hitch covers can be secured with a locking pin -- my locking pin was made by Fulton.

The challenge would be to find a 245/55-16 tire that would keep the speedometer perfectly accurate. Tires in this size are getting very rare. Toyo offers tires in this size and in the 90's showed them in print advertisements mounted on LS400's. Until last year, Tire Rack carried a couple of European brands in 245/55-16 but carried none the last time I checked. I've noticed that the number of choices in the standard 93-00 LS400 225/60-16 size are becoming more limited too and that prices for what is left in this size has gone up substantially.

The wood kit on the car you are looking at is not "actual Lexus material". It would be nice if it was but it is an aftermarket kit installed by the dealer. Like I said previously in this thead, Lexus dealers install all sorts of aftermarket options which do not come from the manufacturer. For example, I bought an optional non-Lexus fixed phone from the dealer when I bought my first LS new in 1990. My 2000 LS rolled off the Lexus dealer new car lot with "Platinum Series Chrome Wheels" even though Lexus did not offer them as an option. When they were replaced under warranty in 2003, Lexus was not involved in the replacement -- the warranty was from the California aftermarket supplier. If the chrome wheels had been bought separately, they would have had a much shorter warranty. Since they were dealer installed, the Lexus dealer covered them under the same 4 year/50K mile warranty. Lexus dealers sold lots of other non-sanctioned options -- the range of aftermarket options seems limited only by a dealer's imagination. For many years almost every Lexus dealer sold integrated radar detectors as a new car option -- they were aftermarket too. Florida seems to be the "hot bed" of the more unusual new car options -- if you look hard enough in Florida you might find an LS with one of those "L" logo dealer installed hood ornaments. LOL

Well, that certainly is an interesting course of action. LOL The mechanical odometers on the early LS400 (they were electronic/digital starting in 1993?) were subject to early failure. I think the one on my previous 90 LS failed at around 120K miles. Fortunately, they are inexpensive. I don't know about the "O/D off" warning. I suggest that you address the odometer issue first. You can find other information by doing an Advanced Search in the LS forum on "odometer". It wouldn't hurt to check the wiring in the left trunk hinge if it has not already been repaired -- it is a ticking time bomb, but easy to fix.

Fuhgetaboudit, The additional wood trim on the car you are looking at had to have been installed by the dealer if it was on the car when the original owers bought it new -- some dealers install all sorts of things on cars before they put them on their lot. I even remember seeing a photo of an LS400 with a vinyl top -- a Lexus dealer in Florida did it -- I guess he was catering to the old folks. I don't know much about wood kits except I have seen several cars where the kit wood was discolored and coming off. You will find a number of sellers of Lexus wood kits by doing an Internet search.

Here is a verson of the equipment and option list without the prices. It was downloaded from the the corporate Lexus website back when the 2000 LS was in the CPO program. ----------------------- The Lexus LS 400 is where remarkable power meets impeccable elegance. With sophisticated safety features and advanced engineering that handles every twist and turn, each year the LS 400 consistently breaks new ground. The 2000 Lexus LS 400 has retained many of the features found in the 1999 and 1998 designs. The 1998 LS 400 was the third-generation LS, receiving numerous exterior and interior refinements. For the year 2000, a number of safety and mechanical features have been added as standard equipment, including Brake Assist,[1] Child Restraint Seat (CRS) tether anchor brackets, and an Onboard Refueling Vapor Recovery (ORVR) system. Some individual vehicles will have an optional chrome-plated spare included with optional chrome-plated alloy wheels. Safety Equipment - Driver's and front passenger's airbag Supplemental Restraint System (SRS)[2] - Front seat-mounted side-impact airbags (SRS)[2] - Three-point seatbelts front and rear, fronts with height-adjustable anchors, pre-tensioners and force limiters - Vehicle Skid Control (VSC)[3] - Brake Assist[1] - Child Restraint Seat (CRS) tether anchor brackets - Daytime running lights - Strong cabin structure with front and rear crumple zones - Side-impact beams (front gusseted) - Rear-window defogger with auto-off timer - Variable intermittent windshield wipers with mist cycle - Halogen headlamps with integrated foglamps - Electrochromic (auto-dimming) inside and outside mirrors - Vehicle theft-deterrent and engine immobilizer system, with in-key transponder - Four-wheel ventilated Anti-lock Braking System (ABS) - First aid kit - Tool kit Luxury & Convenience - Multi-information display with drive computer - Multi-adjustable power front seats - Power windows with auto open/close feature with pinch protection - Dual-zone automatic climate control with interior air filter and smog sensor - Lexus Memory System to control power driver's seat (except lumbar), outside rearview mirrors, driver's shoulder belt anchor height and steering wheel - Leather-trimmed seating surfaces and interior - Walnut interior trim - Three-way programmable transmitter to activate garage door, driveway gate - Power tilt-and-telescopic steering column with automatic tilt-away - Power door locks with driver's two-turn unlock feature - Dual illuminated visor vanity mirrors - Sliding left and right sun visors, center sun visor - Lexus AM/FM/cassette seven-speaker 195-watt (max power) Premium Sound System - Multifunction remote entry system - Retained accessory power - Dual-compartment center console with accessory power outlet and Lexus Cellular Phone storage capability - Floor mats - Headrests for all seats, including rear-center Available Options Platinum Series - In-dash, six-disc CD auto-changer - Bird's-eye maple interior trim - Uniquely textured Royale leather trim on center section of seats - Power tilt-and-slide moonroof - Bird's-eye maple - trimmed steering wheel - High-Intensity Discharge (HID) headlamps with dynamic auto leveling - 16-inch, dish-type alloy wheels - Black Pearl badging - Embroidered floor mats - Complimentary annual fee for American Express Platinum Card® for two years Premium Package - High-Intensity Discharge (HID) headlamps with dynamic auto leveling - Power tilt-and-slide moonroof with one-touch open/close, pinch protection and sliding sunshade - In-dash, six-disc CD auto-changer Nakamichi Audio System Package - Nakamichi 280-watt (max power) Premium Sound System - In-dash, six-disc CD auto-changer - High-Intensity Discharge (HID) headlamps with dynamic auto leveling - Power tilt-and-slide moonroof with one-touch open/close, pinch protection and sliding sunshade - Heated front seats Navigation System Package - Lexus Navigation System[4] - High-Intensity Discharge (HID) headlamps with dynamic auto leveling - Power tilt-and-slide moonroof with one-touch open/close, pinch protection and sliding sunshade - In-dash, six-disc CD auto-changer - Heated front seats Individual Options - Lexus Chrome Wheels - All-season tires (no-cost option) - Electronic Air Suspension (requires Nakamichi Package or Navigation Package) - High-Intensity Discharge (HID) headlamps with dynamic auto leveling - Lexus Navigation System[4] (not available with Nakamichi Premium Sound System) - Power tilt-and-slide moonroof with one-touch open/close, pinch protection and sliding sunshade - In-dash, six-disc CD auto-changer - Nakamichi 280-watt (max power) Premium Sound System with in-dash, six-disc CD auto-changer (not available with Lexus Navigation System[4]) - Heated front seats Dimensions - Overall length 196.7 in - Width 72.0 in - Height 56.5 in - Wheelbase 112.2 in - Curb weight 3,890 lb - Trunk space 13.9 cubic feet - Fuel-tank capacity 21.9 gallons Engine - 90º V8, aluminum block and heads, certified Transitional Low-Emission Vehicle (T-LEV) - Horsepower at rpm 290 hp @ 6,000 - Torque at rpm 300 lb-ft @ 4,000 Transmission - Five-speed automatic Electronically Controlled Transmission with intelligence (ECT-i). Overdrive fifth gear, auto-select shift program, engine/transmission networking, flex-lockup torque converter Performance - 0-60 mph acceleration 6.4 seconds[5] - 1/4-mile acceleration 15.0 seconds[5] - Top track speed 149 (electronically limited)[6] - Fuel consumption 18/25 mpg city/highway[7] - Aerodynamic drag coefficient 0.28 Changes Made To The 2000 LS 400 Standard Features: - Brake Assist[1] - Child Restraint Seat (CRS) tether anchor brackets - Onboard Refueling Vapor Recovery (ORVR) system - Fuel-tank capacity slightly reduced Optional Features: - Chrome-plated spare included with optional chrome-plated alloy wheels 1] Brake Assist is designed to help the driver take full advantage of the benefits of ABS. It is not a substitute for safe driving practices. Braking effectiveness also depends on proper brake-system maintenance and tire and road conditions. [2] The Lexus driver's, front passenger's, and front seat-mounted side-impact airbags are a Supplemental Restraint System (SRS). The driver's and front passenger's airbags are designed to inflate in a severe frontal collision. The side-impact airbags are designed to inflate in a severe side-impact collision. In all other accidents, the airbags will not inflate. To decrease the risk of injury from a deploying airbag, always wear seatbelts, sit upright in the middle of the seat, and do not lean against the door. Do not put objects in front of an airbag or around the seatback. Do not use rearward-facing child seats in any front passenger seat. The force of a deploying airbag SRS may cause serious injury. Please see your Owner's Manual for further instructions. [3] Lexus Vehicle Skid Control (VSC) is an electronic system designed to help the driver maintain vehicle control under adverse conditions. It is not a substitute for safe driving practices. Factors including speed, road conditions and driver steering input can all affect whether VSC will be effective in preventing a loss of control. Please see your Owner's Manual for further details. [4] The Lexus Navigation System is designed to assist in locating an address or point of interest. Discrepancies may be encountered between the system and your actual location. Changes in street names, road closures, traffic flow or other road system changes may affect the accuracy of the mapping software. Rely upon your common sense to decide whether or not to follow a specified route. Detailed coverage not available in every city. Optional periodic geographic updates available at an additional cost. See your Navigation Owner's Manual and your Lexus dealer for further details. [5] Car and Driver, April 1998. These performance capacity figures are for comparison only and were obtained with prototype vehicles by professional drivers using special safety equipment and procedures. These should not be attempted on public streets or highways. [6] These performance capacity figures are for comparison only and were obtained with prototype vehicles by professional drivers using special safety equipment and procedures. These should not be attempted on public streets or highways. [7] Preliminary mileage figures determined by Lexus. See your Lexus dealer for details.

One can't tell what options are in a car by inspecting the VIN but I suppose in theory the Lexus organization might be able to determine what options a car has -- but I wouldn't count on it. Probably your solution is to understand all the option variations and to personally inspect each car. The 2000 LS400 had more option variations than the 98-99 models since the 2000 model year also had three variations of the Platinum Series - SE (standard), SF (Nakamichi), SG (Navigation). The Lexus press release does not discuss all the Platinum variations but the the content and prices have been listed on this forum in the past. Here is a link to the press release on the Platinum Series: http://www.lexus.com/about/press_releases/...2000_02_09.html I have a complete list of option packages for the 2000 somewhere but please search the Forum first.

I concur with Otto. I had the same problem on a 90 LS. It is easily fixed by splicing short lengths of wire into the wiring harness in the left trunk hinge.

I doubt if you have to go all the way to an auto auction in L.A. to locate a "2003 LS 430 white, w/Nav and less than 35k miles". There are auto auctions all over the U.S. If your 8,000 unit used car dealer thinks he has to go all the way to L.A., I suggest you drop him and deal with someone else. I wouldn't be concerned with how much a dealer pays for a used LS at an auto auction. Why care? Your goal is to buy a car like you want at a competitive price and the used car dealer or broker's goal is to make a profit large enough to feed his family. Personally I don't care how much the used car dealer paid at an auto auction for the white 2000 LS400 with 38,000 miles I bought in 2003. I hope he made a buttload of money - he's a great guy. All I care about is that I bought a very nice car -- better optioned than I was looking for -- from him at about $8,000 less than what the local Lexus dealer wanted in 2003 for several 2000 LS400's with similar mileage but fewer options. Like you I wanted a car with a bit fewer miles (36,000) miles but 38,000 miles was close enough -- I suggest that you be a little flexible on mileage and options. Who knows, you might get a nicer LS than what you are looking for -- like I did. If you really want to buy a car at Manheim in L.A. and want to attend the auction, a roundtrip airline ticket to L.A. is cheap compared to a $35-36,000 price for a car. Hey, I've changed planes in Nashville numerous times so I know there are airports in Tennessee. LOL!

My 2000 LS400 came with 16" wheels and I stayed with the same size and bought 16" Mille Miglia Bellos with 225/60-16" Blizzaks from Tire Rack. The Bellos were the least expensive Mille Miglia wheel sold by Tire Rack and they looked especially good on my LS. As you probably noticed, 18" Blizzaks in your OEM '06 LS430 size cost a lot more than the 17" Blizzaks in the '06 GS300 size. And 18" wheels seem to cost more than 17" wheels. I think you would be fine with the 17" GS300 wheels you found and Blizzaks in the '06 GS300 tire size -- especially with as much snow as Chicago can get. The two wheel/tire size combinations you mentioned (17" & 18") have almost exactly the same circumference so there would be no noticable speedometer accuracy change. And, you might appreciate the extra cushion that the larger section height of the 17" tires will provide when you hit one of Chicago's winter craters -- I mean potholes. LOL One more point: If you are an agressive driver, you have to be very careful to moderate your driving style when using snow tires -- I wouldn't recommend doing any four wheel drifts on snow tires! Besides, agressive driving on snow tires can especially reduce tire life -- maybe yours too, LOL. Way down south here in Kansas City, I use snow tires from the weekend before Thanksgiving until the first day of Spring when I take off the snow tires and start having fun again. By moderating my driving style and using the snow tires only about four months each year, I can usually get four winters (20,000 total miles) out of a set of snow tires.

I also agree that replacing the shims is likely not necessary. I bought the expensive shim kit when I did a front brake job on my previous LS and I found that the original shims were in perfect condition -- I replaced them anyway but it was a waste of money. An indie Lexus repair shop did the first brake job on my current LS a few months ago -- he doesn't replace the shims either. The rear brake pads have lasted about twice as long as the front pads on most the cars I've owned. I think I replaced the original rear pads on my 1st LS at somewhere over 125K miles. The indie repair shop I mentioned often is able to reuse the sensors even if the brake light has already started to come on. The mechanic told me that he had to replace the sensor this last time because it was to far gone. I should have looked at the defective sensor to see if I could have repaired it. The brake pad sensors on a Mercedes I owned could be repaired by coating the electrode with a conconductive paint -- even a few coats of fingernail polish would work.

Turning the DRL on/off does not appear on the list of customizable settings for the 98-00 LS400. Here is a link on ClubLexus.com on what can be customized: http://www.clublexus.com/index.php/article/view/1970/1/156/ The functions that can be customized are also dependent on having the correct program card for the Lexus Diagnostic Tester. For example, the independent repair shop I use does not have a version of the program card that allows customizing the cluster and console indicator lights -- no one else has asked him to do this so he never bought the card. Even with a slightly older program card version, he was able to increase the "Illuminated Entry" setting to the maximum for me. As the TSIB points out, some customizable options have been disabled for cars sold in North America.

If Sirius is on the purchase or lease contract then it is a contractual obligation for the dealer to provide it unless the contract language somehow gives the dealer an "out". If you really want Sirius and the dealer and Lexus can't come through then terminate the lease immediately -- you will likely need an attorney. You are paying for integrated satelite radio -- I wouldn't want an add-on unit sat radio either if I was acquiring a brand new car. Stick to your guns and demand what you paid for.

Bill, Thanks for replying to my questions. My only other suggestion is to unplug the two cables from the trunk mounted phone ECU and plug them together - just in case something goes wrong with the old phone ECU that could impact your audio system. It doesn't seem to be necessary to remove the command module from the steering wheel - I guess the command module has nothing to communicate with once you disconnect the other phone components.

One option is to purchase a wheel/snow tire package from http://www.tirerack.com I purchased a package with Mille Miglia wheels and Blizzaks for my LS before the winter of 2003 -- have used them through three winters and am still very happy with them. The Mille Miglia wheels were substantially less expensive (about $115 each at the time) than what the dealer wanted for new car "take-offs". Using narrower wheels and tires in the winter can actually be a plus because doing so focuses the cars weight on smaller tire patches contacting the pavement (or snow). But going to narrower wheels and tires are not usually necessary unless you live in ... like Siberia -- or Toronto, where "SK" lives - LOL. You will love the Blizzaks which are true snow tires (they have the mountain/snowflake symbol on the sidewall) -- I still can't believe how much better they are than the all-season tires that are also called snow tires by lots of sellers.

Your dad must have been sneaking away to a Holiday Inn Express on the west side of Richmond, Virginia in late May. Sounds like he's being a "bad boy". LOL

I must say that I am not surprised by some of the negative comments on this thread. But then, quite a few people gave me a hard time when I bought a new LS400 in early 1990 -- some called me crazy for spending so much on a "fancy Toyota". We generally try to rent Toyota Camrys when we travel since we also have a Camry V6 and like Camrys a lot. And I have not seen Lexus LS rentals since the early 90's when one of the major rental companies rented them at the Sea-tac airport. I sure have to say that I like the Ford 500 way more than our Camry. I for one can't say that I will always buy a Lexus. I suspect that a couple of Chinese companies will be giving Japanese luxury auto manufactures a run for their money far sooner than most people realize. Don't forget that Toyota is manufacturing vehicles in China (including the Prado) that are very similar to Lexus vehicles sold in the U.S. Toyota/Lexus is going to have to compete for my business. I was so impressed with the Ford 500 that I am recommending that my father buy a Mercury Montego sedan -- very similar to the Ford 500 except it comes with memory seats, HID headlights and LED stop lights standard. Side curtain airbags are available and I want my parents to have them. There is no Toyota or Lexus dealer where he lives and I can't have him driving 30 miles for service. But I still really, really like my 2000 LS400! Here are some more Ford 500 photos from our two week Virginia vacation to fan the flames. I like the air vent in the console for rear seat passengers -- just like the Lexus LS. And I loved the all the controls on the steering wheel.

The point I was making was that the failure of several different components can cause the engine to die while driving. In about 1993-4, the engine on my first LS started to occasionally die while driving -- my basic 4 year/50K mile warranty had just expired. A service advisor at Superior Lexus in Kansas City told me that the main engine computer had failed and that they would replace it and fix the problem for about $1,000. When I told him that I was going to take my LS to an indie Lexus repair shop for a 2nd opinion, the dealer service writer "did a little dance" and told me that mechanic had discovered that the problem was instead caused by a bad battery cable. Be vigilant!

It could be a bad battery. If the battery is more than three years old, then replace it. I have had the same problem happen numerous (four or five) times over a 16 year period and on two different LS400's (90 and 00) and it was (almost) always the battery. I have never gotten more than four years (OK, I once got 4 years, 3 months) out of a battery on an LS. Several name brand batteries have lasted only three years. When my 00 LS engine died in 2004 while turning into a parking lot, I got it restarted, drove straight to the repair shop and got a new battery -- problem solved. But one time I had a similar problem and it actually was the alternator -- the alternator failed from leaking fluid from the power steering pump -- a very, very common problem. See if the battery will take a charge -- very easy to check with a charger. If it won't take a charge then replace the battery. If the alternator is bad and if its failure was caused by a leaking power steering pump failure, consider making a drip guard out of a plastic bottle to protect the alternator (you can find instructions on this forum) -- even if you have the power steering pump replaced. Power steering pumps on the early LS fail over and over and over and have to be either rebuilt or replaced over and over and over -- its a "feature". Bummer that this happened so soon after you bought your "new" car. But once you get over this little hump, you will be very happy with your LS.

I wanted to resurrect this thread to post a few photos of the top-of-the-line Ford Five Hundred Limited my wife and I rented in Virgina last May for two weeks -- wonderful car -- was amazingly similar to our 2000 LS but with the much larger trunk space of the non-Ultra LS430. Before we bought our first Lexus LS in early 1990, we had a 1979 Mercedes mid-size (W123) sedan that I purchased new. The photo of the similarly sized Mercedes 300E (W124) sedan parked next to the Ford shows how big the Ford 500 is. While I was surprised at the size and comfort of the interior and the excellent quality (including fit and finish) of the materials, particularly the leather, what really blew me away was how much fun the Ford was to drive on the winding backroads of Virgina where we visited numerous historical sites and wineries. The six speed automatic gets a lot of performance out of the V6 and always seemed to find the exact right gear when driving mountain roads. And the huge trunk held cases of purchased wine and all our luggage with lots of space to spare. We still love our 2000 LS! But, since we can't rent an LS when we travel, the Ford Five Hundred is the car I want to rent.

Here is a thread with information on what ylekiot1 did to fix the keyless entry problem on the 1990 LS he bought from me in 2003: http://us.lexusownersclub.com/forums/index...ic=2188&hl= As far as the early keyless entry being defective, it was prone to interference problems from other wireless devices. I could never get the keyless entry to work near the grocery store where we shopped. We take keyless entry for granted today but it was a very unusual feature in 1990.