1990LS400

How cold has it been there? The engine in our Prius v wagon runs more in cold weather. In summer it will run it in EV mode all the way out of the cul-de-sac but in cold weather the engine starts before I'm out of my driveway. Are you allowing for colder temperatures when you check your tires? Last week I added 5 or 6 more psi to the tires in our cars than shown on the door jam sticker while the cars were parked in our 50 degree garage to allow for outside temperatures down to about zero. Since it could be as low as -10 tomorrow morning I should be adding even more pressure. Tires gain or lose approximately 1 psi for every 10 degrees of temperature change. If tire pressures are not monitored closely when there are wide temperature swings, tires can become dangerously low on pressure and, of course, diminish fuel economy. Yes, drain and fill unless your maintenance manual says otherwise. Winter sucks!

Sometimes questions fall through the cracks. Check the diagrams on Sewell Lexus site. "Paste" has been deactivated on this forum so I have pasted the relevant URL into the attached text document. Be sure to register with your forum member name on Sewell's website if you order parts to get significant discounts. It is not necessary to register to see the diagrams and retail prices of parts. If you register, you will see "club prices" which are often substantially under retail and their regular on-line prices. Sewell Lexus parts.txt

The CD recording feature has apparently been deleted since it is described in the owners manual for the 2009 LX570 but not in the owners manual for the 2011 LX570. I assume the feature was considered obsolete. Consider doing what I did and "burn" your CD music collection to a smart phone using Windows Media Player or a similar program. I also copied most of my CD collection to USB flash memory but I rarely use it and prefer to stream wirelessly from my phone via Bluetooth. But I don't play my personal music collection all that much any more. I stream most of the music I listen to from the Internet - mainly from Pandora to which I subscribe to get it advertising free and occasionally from Slacker and iHeart Radio. I don't even listen to broadcast radio much anymore. All the radio stations in town and 70,000 around the world are on the free tunein radio service on the Internet. You don't need Lexus Enform to steam audio from the Internet. Just connect your smart phone wireless through Bluetooth or plug it in to your 3.5mm aux-in port and control the streaming from your phone - helps to have a phone holder or cradle mounted on the dash. Kuda has some very nice leather mount consoles for the LX570 is you want a convenient place to mount a phone holder or charging cradle: www.kudausa.com I've had phone charging cradles mounted on a Kuda console in my 2000 LS400 for about 10 years. If you want a simple phone holder, I highly recommend the iOttie Easy Flex 2. We have one in our 2012 Prius wagon and it sticks like iron - even to a textured dash and does not do any damage.

The switch panel - see the arrow in the attached diagram - will have to be removed to fix this issue and to determine if anything is broken that has to be replaced. Specialized non-scarring trim removal tools are best to use to disassemble the center console which is usually held in place by friction fittings and occasionally be a few well hidden screws. I sometimes use regular screwdrivers and a putty knife with electrical tape applied to the blades to keep from damaging trim. One must be very careful when prying console components out using gentle but firm pressure and working around the edges of panels so that excess pressure is not put on a part of a panel. . From my fairly limited experience, I have come to the conclusion that center consoles in vehicles made by Toyota share the same types of fittings and are held together about the same way. I know that I can remove everything in the center stack - wood panel around gear shift, radio, A/C and heat controls, center vents - in between 5 and 10 minutes but I've had lots of practice and have the right tools. I think you have to at least pry out the wood panel around the gear shift to see it that allows you to pry out the switch panel. It may be necessary to pry out the radio/navigation/HVAC/vent assembly to get the switch panel to come out.

My recommendation is to follow the diagnostic procedures for your specific car. I have them for my LS but I don't have them for your ES350. And while I have the diagnostic procedures for my car, I do not have all the diagnostic tools needed to follow them. The diagnostic procedures are available at techinfo.Toyota.com Maybe someone else will chime in to help you. The sensors are a little pricey so you don't want to replace them needlessly and still be left with the problem.

I'm with gbhrps. A two or three year old used car is the best way to go if you aren't itching for a brand new car. If you are patient and a little flexible on price, I think you can get a much newer, low mileage ES350 for at or for a little more than ore than $18,000 particularly if you can find one being sold privately. My 2000 LS400 is a good example. I bought it in 2003 when it was about 39 months old when it had about 38,000 miles on it. It was still like new. It originally listed for over $60,000. I paid right at half its original list price and might have tried to get an even better price had it not been the first day it was for sale and exactly what I was looking for. I'm still driving it at its current 176,000 miles.

You can't expect a Lexus dealer to diagnose a problem over the phone. A code 51 and the misfiring might indicate a failed 02 sensor but it could be something else. But experimenting by replacing 02 sensors and other parts can cost far more in the long run than taking your car to a knowledgeable mechanic. Lexus dealers are often not the only game in town. In my 24 years of driving Lexus cars, I've mainly used independent repair shops that specialize in repairing Lexus cars.

Hmmm ... not sure what previous poster "Henryk" thinks he is contributing. OK ... first of all, have you owned this car for a while and this issue just started happening or did you just buy the car and aren't yet familiar with how everything works. When you say "entire dash", do you mean just the instrument cluster or "everything" including all the lights in the center stack (e.g. HVAC controls, radio)? Have you tried adjusting the dash light rheostat switch? Verify that it is not turned all the way down. If your 99 ES is like my 00 LS, there is a separate rheostat setting for the dash lights for when the headlights are on and when they are off. Is the problem the same when the headlight switch is in the "Auto" position and when it is backed off one click to the manual headlights on position? Also verify that nothing is obstructing the light sensor on the upper left corner of the dash near where the dash meets the windshield. Normally, though, if the sensor is obstructed the headlights would be on all the time - night or day - when the headlight switch is in the Auto position.

Yes, go ahead and add 91 octane to your tank and use only 91 in the future. The slight difference in cost isn't worth the trouble.

Paint colors and codes can be found at www.toyotareference.com

The first thing I would do would be to swap the wheels ... RF to LF, LF to RF, RR to LR, LR to RR. If it still pulls to the right the same as before, it means that you have eliminated wheels and tires from being the cause of the problem.

"turning under strong acceleration"? Yes, if you turn sharply, gun the gas pedal to the extent that the tires slip on the pavement, traction control will intervene on vehicles made by Toyota and other car makers and will automatically reduce the throttle until slippage is eliminated. Is this your first vehicle with traction control? Yes, turn traction control off if you drive like that.

The procedure for removing the 2nd row seats from a Sienna is almost identical to the one for an Odyssey except that the Sienna has a safety lock that must be opened by pulling a strap under the seat: Slide the seat forward/fold the seat back down/tip the entire seat forward/pull the release strap/lift the seat out. It can be done in maybe 30 seconds per seat. That the release strap has to be pulled is not obvious to someone not familiar with how it's done. It looks like it is going to be a FWD Sienna Limited for us. I found out directly from Toyota that HID or LED headlights are not going to be available on the 2014 Highlander Hybrid Limited (the Toyota dealer was wrong ... no surprise) and that the Pre-Collision System (PCS) and adaptive cruise control is for some unexplained reason available on the FWD but not on the AWD Sienna Limited. My guess is that the reason is "price point". An AWD Sienna Limited with those features would likely push $60K. By juggling features, Toyota keeps the prices of the most expensive FWD and AWD Siennas just barely under $50K.

Been there, done that. 100W bulb exploded causing quite a mess and a lot of cleanup. Maybe try normal wattage Sylvania Xtravision bulbs.

"Large and cumbersome" is what I think of the GX. It is not that it is all that large - it just seems larger than it really is. I was going to suggest a Toyota Sienna AWD but the term "minivan" seems to disgust many people. The Sienna is certainly not "mini" - it is a large vehicle. The top Sienna Limited is like the Lexus of vans. Being a Toyota, almost all the controls will seem familiar from your Lexus. The Sienna Limited is available with HID headlights, Adaptive Cruise Control and Pre-Collision System with a price not much different than a GX. We are on the waiting list for a 2014 Toyota Highlander Hybrid Limited with Adaptive Cruise and PCS. The dealer says it is going to have HID but can't show me any documentation that confirms that it does. HID (or LED) headlights are a must - not going back to halogen headlights after all these years. My wife wants to get another hybrid (she drives a Prius v wagon) but I would rather have a fully loaded all-wheel drive Sienna. The only problem with the Sienna for us is that it is LONG - would just barely fit in our garage. But I sure like them - rented one a few years back for vacation use and loved it's comfort and capacity. It drove nicely too - very car like and handled well. I also like the Honda Odyssey Touring models (HID is available on them and I think they handle a little better) but I would rather stick with Toyota reliability ... we had lots of Hondas before our Toyota/Lexus cars and don't have fond memories of those Honda days although I know Honda has gotten a lot more reliable. If I was still launching boats from a boat ramp, I would want an all wheel drive vehicle.

Have you looked for it? The diagrams and photos that were displayed when I searched with Google for "1993 SC400 ODB photo" seemed to show where the two ports are - one in the engine compartment per the description you found and the other low by the kick panel in the driver side foot well.

Google "1993 SC400 ODB photo" and you will get photos and diagrams of where it is - apparently near the fuse box under the dash on the driver side and perhaps behind the carpet.

OEM HID components including ballasts usually last for the life of a vehicle. My 2000 LS400 is still on the factory installed HID bulbs and all the rest of the original headlight components. Aftermarket HID kits vary widely in quality with some of them being complete junk. I'm not a fan of aftermarket HID although they usually work much better and are less dangerous to other drivers when installed on a vehicle with projector headlights like your GX has. People seem to get the best results from aftermarket HID kits if they are powered from the battery or the engine compartment fuse box using a relay rather than from the headlight connectors. How is your HID kit powered?

Fess up, Billy. We know you took this photo while driving one of your LS400's.

It seems to now be: http://www.lexusnavigation.com

The specifications I found say that the 2014 IS has a cigarette lighter for front passengers. If so, your IS350 has the same lighter/power port configuration for front passengers as my LS400 - a power port in the center console and a cigarette lighter near the gear shift lever. I never use the power port in my center console - I plug devices and adapters into the lighter socket. It is also possible to tap into a car's accessory circuit to power devices. I tapped into the wires leading to the console box power port in my 00 LS400 at a point several inches forward of the center console box to power my phone charging cradle and a portable GPS - hid all the wires under the console wood panel and inside the dash. It is also possible to tap into the accessory circuit at the fuse box under the dash using a fuse tap. I used a Bussman fuse tap - see attached photo - to connect to the engine compartment fuse box of our Prius when installing a DRL kit. A radar detector can be powered from the overhead light cluster - there are kits for doing that. It's easy to push a wire from above an overhead light cluster (above the headliner) forward towards the windshield - did that on several Toyota and Lexus cars. Or use a battery powered radar detector. Or "lose" the radar detector entirely - driving has been more enjoyable since I pitched my battery powered Escort Solo detector. I'm a little surprised that the IS doesn't have a cigarette lighter or power port for back seat passengers. It wouldn't be all that hard to run a 12v socket on extension cord to the back seat and mostly hide it. They are available with either coiled (photo attached) or straight cords. I used one when I tapped into the accessory circuit under my console - chopped off its male plug and attached the wires to the accessory circuit wires with scotch lock connectors without having to cut the accessory circuit wires. The mods I described above are fairly easy as car projects go. If you are not into "D.I.Y.", I would think that an audio shop could do it for you. Many years ago I had an audio shop make the final connection for a Nokia phone kit I had installed - the installer connected to wires leading to the ignition switch and didn't charge much.

Page 366 of the 2014 IS350 owners manual has a diagram and instructions on how to run power cords out of the center console with the lid closed. If you need to power multiple devices, consider something like a Bell Power Source. We have several. Plugging one into an aux 12v port provides one USB port and two 12v ports on flexible cables - very nice.

I assume you are asking about the trim around the Kenwood double-DIN. Yes, it is from Metra. The installer showed me the cheapest place to buy it on Amazon.com - around $15 if I remember correctly ... it took maybe four days to get it with standard shipping. It fits perfectly but it is lightweight plastic. The color doesn't match exactly but that is not very noticable. The HVAC controller and OEM radio headunits in the 98-00 LS400 have a slightly metallic finish and even the expensive metal Beat-Sonic kits don't match. If I was worried about theft, I would buy the $100+ Beat-Sonic install kit and bolt the Kenwood and HVAC controller in with 10mm "Allen" hex-key bolts just to p1ss off a thief. As it is now, it would be very easy for a thief to rip the Kenwood and HVAC assembly right out of the center stack without unbolting anything. If you really were asking about the "trim around the new phone", it is a Samsung brand charging cradle for my Samsung Galaxy GS3 phone. The charging cradle was purchased from an AT&T store for only $17.50 and comes with a windshield mount. I detached the charging cradle from its windshield mount and bolted it to the Kuda leather phone console I bought maybe 10 years ago. The Kuda in "ivory" is an almost perfect match to the car's upholstery. The Garmin and phone charging cradle are wired into the car's accessory circuit so they turn on and off with the ignition key. If you have an Android phone, check out the free iBolt Dock 'n Drive application on Google Play. It is incredibly useful and starts automatically when I insert my phone into the charging cradle. Dock 'n Drive can also be started using an NFC tag if your phone has that capability - I do that in our Prius which has a phone holder instead of a charging cradle. I taped a programmed NFC tag to the Prius dashboard and pass my phone over it to start Dock 'n Drive.

Putting the HVAC control below an aftermarket head unit has been done but from the photos it did not appear to fit very well. The person who did it had to piece in some wood to cover the gaps and the HVAC controller stuck out more than it should have. The center stack is narrower at the bottom than at the top and the HVAC controller is too wide to fit low down without using force to spread the center stack frame. That's the reason I bought a Kenwood DDX470 without navigation - it would have been too low in the center stack to be useful and the Garmin I already have is easier to use and has lifetime map updates. My Kenwood has handsfree phone capability but the Garmin's voice control handsfree works better and syncs the phonebook from my phone. I haven't been able to get the Kenwood to sync my phone's contact list. I'm able to pair my phone with the Kenwood for A2DP audio streaming and with the Garmin for phone handsfree at the same time. Here is my setup.

All I can tell you is that I paid $9,000 less for a non-CPO off-lease (38,000 mile) 2000 LS400 in 2003 than the local Lexus dealer wanted for either of two lower specification CPO 2000 LS400's of similar condition and mileage. I've since driven the car 138,000 miles. The CPO warranty would not have paid for anything on this particular car. I wouldn't necessarily kick a CPO Lexus out of bed but they are often priced unreasonably high in my opinion. There is certainly a benefit of buying a car with plenty of it's original basic warrant left - gives you time to make sure all outstanding issues are addressed before the warranty expires.