1990LS400

4 hours ago, 400howner25 said:

Thank you for the post.  I crawled under and found the juncture where the metal vent pipe meets the rubber hose section coming from the tank.  I took that apart and stuck a wire hanger about 2-1/2' up the metal pipe and about 1' down the rubber tube section.  There were no obstructions.  I ended up taking it to a ship that did some more analysis on it.  They think it's something on the gas tank and want to drop the tank (6hr labor- 3 hr each way) to look at the flapper valve.  Does that make sense?

Not really.  Dropping the tank is the last resort and only very rarely necessary.  Try these steps first:  https://itstillruns.com/unstop-car-gas-tank-vent-12031310.html

22 minutes ago, Larry DeL said:

Two questions

1. What version of nav disk is required for 2002 lexus sc 430

2. Currently only icons on right portion ov nav screen work but icons on left side of nav screen are not activated when pressed. Any suggestions

Thanks

The last update for the gen 2/3 navigation system used in your 2002 SC was issued in 2013.

There were two different part numbers for the map DVD's - east or west of the Mississippi River.  I think either works nationwide but the ones for east or west have more POI's and map detail for those areas.

PT219-GN23E-13

PT219-GN23W-13

Your touch screen may be defective - wouldn't be surprising after 18 years.  There are probably still businesses that repair them or you could try it yourself if some of the repair videos on YouTube are relevant .... takes a steady hand and some electronic knowledge.

If you are going to keep your SC a while, installing a modern navigation unit and audio system might be practical and reasonably inexpensive.  Some have CarPlay and Android Auto.  Not that I'm recommending Crutchfield but here's a link showing some of the units they say will work in your SC:  https://www.crutchfield.com/g_182350/In-dash-GPS-Navigation.html?tp=20212

I had a Kenwood screen based head unit installed in the 2000 LS400 I used to have in 2012.  It made the car seem more modern and pleasant during the final two years I owned the car.

I suggest asking a Lexus dealer.  The 2013-2015 RX navigation system cannot be updated by the vehicle owner.  You purchase an activation card containing a 1-time use code and then a Lexus dealer technician performs the update using a "Master USB" service tool and inputs the code during the process.  The code the technician enters is then uploaded to a corporate database that is used to prevent an activation card from being used on multiple vehicles.  Navigation activation cards can be purchased from a Lexus dealer - it would be very, very unusual to find one online since they can be used only one time.  Dealers rarely carry these access cards in inventory since they don't have much of a shelf life.  If one is still available for your RX, it should take only a day or two for a dealership to get one for you.

Edit:  I forgot to tell you that the dealership will also have to have the latest version of the master USB service tool since it is what has the map update information on it.  My understanding is that the Lexus organization provides dealerships with these service tools every year but someone on another forum said that a Lexus dealership he contacted had discarded the most current update since the dealership considered it obsolete.  So ... if the September 2018 map update was the final update for your RX system, a dealership will still have to have the September 2018 service tool in order to perform the update.

Very few people seem to update their navigation systems which is probably why so many dealership technicians are clueless on how to update them.  The one last time I bought an activation card for my wife's nav system, the dealership technician was totally unfamiliar with the update process and it took multiple trips back to the dealership to get it done.    Some dealerships charge a bizarre amount of money to perform the update.  The update essentially runs "unattended" after the technician starts it but some dealerships charge as if the technician isn't doing anything else while the update runs.

Map updates for Toyota/Lexus nav systems seem to be being discontinued much sooner than in the past.  Map updates used to be available for 8 or 9 years after the last vehicle using a particular system was manufactured but recently it's been only 4 or 5 years.

The fuel tank vent tube is clogged.  It allows displaced air to escape as the tank is filled.  Google something like "gas tank vent tube clogged".   Here is a link to one video about the problem but I don't know what type of vehicle it is or what the vent tube on an RX looks like:  

The cause might be aging engine/transmission mounts but do you really want to bother if the vibration is only faint?

If the pressure sensors are the originals, it's likely that one of their batteries has failed.  If that's the case, you might as well replace all the sensors.  The batteries usually aren't replaceable.  Replacing the sensors will require uploading the ID codes for the new sensors to the vehicle ECU through the diagnostic port.  Any tire shop can do that.  I bought an inexpensive ($125) electronic tool to do it since we have multiple vehicles with both summer and winter wheels/tires.

Well, it's a hoot that you went back and edited your original post adding "NOTE:  I ordered the “F Sport” version." trying to cover up your bozo mistake.  Congrats. 

1 minute ago, NC2020 RX450h said:

@ 1990SLS400:  My dealer’s Master Mechanic was accurate.  You are building a STANDARD 2020 450h.  I ordered a 2020 450h F Sport; the difference being “F SPORT”.  The F Sport model already includes the:  HEAVY-DUTY RADIATOR AND COOLING FAN AND ENGINE AND TRANSMISSION OIL COOLERS.  Try building the F Sport model, and you will not find a Tow Prep Package.

Why on earth did you not mention in your original post that you have an F-Sport if your were trying to make some kind of point?  Your original post is of no help to those who purchase the standard 2020 RX450h.  Get real, guy.

1 hour ago, NC2020 RX450h said:

I custom ordered a 2020 RX 450h (not the “L” version).  During the ordering process (about18 months ago), I specifically asked about towing because I needed it.  The inventory manager at the dealer had a Lexus Master Mechanic come out and talk to me.  He indicated the 2020 450h did not need any additional package for towing. In fact, every time I go to the Lexus website to “design my own” 2020 450h, there is no option that appears to add a tow package; My tow load is not large:  I have a fiberglass tow-behind camper, which weighs 1,500 pounds fully loaded.  I’ve experienced no issues during my trips, although I’ve only been on a couple trips towing.  I hope my information helps.

 

I don't know what kind of B.S. your supposed "Lexus Master Mechanic" laid on you or why you can't find the tow prep package online but I just now did a "build" of a 2-row 2020 RX450h and see the tow prep package as an option.  Here is a screen shot I just took.

The towing prep package for the 2020 RX450h included the following at a retail price of $270:

HEAVY DUTY RADIATOR AND COOLING FAN
ENGINE AND TRANSMISSION OIL COOLERS

It would cost thousands of dollars to retrofit these components if you could find someone willing to do it which is doubtful.  The biggest problem is probably the engine oil cooler since the engine you have probably can't accept one without replacing major components.  On one particular Toyota model with a V6 engine, the estimated cost of adding just the engine oil cooler to a vehicle that didn't come with the tow prep package was over $2,500.

Normally a Lexus dealer would have to prove that towing a camper caused the failure of a warranted vehicle component but this is a case where the car maker offers a towing prep package and specifically states that vehicles that don't have the package are not designed for trailer towing.

My suggestion is to use a vehicle rated for towing.  Or buy a nice tent and don't keep any food in it if you're camping in bear country!  My wife and I used to do a lot of camping when we were (much) younger - a lot of wilderness backpacking and some campground tent camping from a car.  My wife's idea of camping these days is staying in a Holiday Inn Express. 

Fuse #2 (20 amp) in the engine compartment fuse box is for the wipers.  Is it blown?

How often are you having to buy HID bulbs?  Are you buying new high quality OEM 4100K HID bulbs?  Stay away from high kevin off-brand bulbs.   I've never had an OEM HID bulb burn out.  My 2000 LS400 was still on its original factory installed HID bulbs when I sold it in 2014.  The HID bulbs in my 2014 Toyota Sienna Limited van are still the original ones.

You would have to replace your current HID headlight units with the standard units in order to use low beam halogen bulbs and also do a considerable amount of inventive re-wiring.  You would also lose the automatic beam leveling feature.  LED headlight conversion kits are mostly crap.

WD40 is one of the worst substances you could have used.  It's a solvent and not a lubricant and can really gum up the works when it dries.  WD40 stains badly too.  I doubt that it is acceptable to squirt any substance into the shift lever assembly.  I suggest that you pull the wood trim panel off the center console and try to determine what's going on.

I should remember how to remove the large console wood panel from a gen 1 LS400 since I did it many times on the 1990 LS400 I drove from new to 2003.  I can't remember if it's necessary to remove the drink holder assembly or the ashtray before jerking out the wood panel.  I don't think it is - not certain.  Grab the wood panel ahead of the gear shift lever with your finger tips and pull upward.  There are two clips at the front on the underside of the panel that will pop out of slots in the console structure.  Then slide the wood panel forward and upward so that the clips on the underside of the panel at the back slide out of their slots.  I actually have a gen 1 LS400 console wood panel in my garage that was damaged when my 90 LS400 was rear ended hard enough to crack the clear coat on the panel.

I don't know if removing the wood panel will allow you to see anything.  The only shifter I've disassembled was on a Toyota Camry and that was not at all fun.

2 hours ago, Ellen12 said:

Never again I will buy Lexus with no mass media hitch.

Another question,  warranty will not work on a car with this customized hitch?

Warranties are not affected by the installation of tow hitches unless it can be proved that the hitch caused the failure of a vehicle component.  

If a hitch is super important to you then it's best to verify that a hitch is available before purchasing a vehicle.

The cost of custom fabricated hitches can vary wildly.  I suggest getting several bids.  I'm going to have a class II trailer hitch fabricated for a new mid-engine Corvette C8 convertible so I can plug a bike rack into it and I won't be surprised if the total cost is well over $1,000 but that's a nit considering it's an $80,000+ car.  I will provide a detailed design to the fabricator.

Isn't that normal?

1 hour ago, Ellen12 said:

What about TX? Is anyone aware of someone who can do it in Texas? Can't find anyone😡

Here one in Austin that advertises custom hitches:  https://www.spillarhitchestx.com/

There might be others - try searching Google, Yelp, etc.

5 minutes ago, batich said:

I was thinking of this too. How to check the belts for slipping?

The belts should not flex much when you push a finger against them - WHILE THE ENGINE IS OFF!

Sorry, but forgot I was in an ES forum which has a transverse V6.  The electric fan(s) behind the radiator are super important - verify it or they are working.  I'm more familiar with V8 Lexus vehicles in which the electrical fans are supplemental and run when it is very hot and then mainly when the vehicle is not moving.

The first thing I would check are the drive belts.  Maybe the belt(s) driving the AC compressor and water pump are slipping.

Find a leather/vinyl repair business that does automobile interiors.  Ask an auto repair shop or car dealer for recommendations.    

55 minutes ago, Pleease said:

In what way did your LS jack fail - not work at all or something else?

The large diameter, long screw on the scissors jack corroded while stored in the trunk over the years to the extent that the screw wouldn't rotate.

I assume you had your jack in the correct location.  The GX's designers could have made it easier.  Not many vehicles require crawling under them to place the jack.  

On 4/18/2020 at 7:01 PM, DSetliff said:

I have exactly the same problem on my 2005 Lexus LS430.  Anyone out there with suggestions?

A common cause of the problem is a damaged or misaligned laser or radar unit depending on which cruise control type you have.  You have the radar version if your car has the Pre-Collision System (PCS) which was optional only on the 2004-2006 LS430 with the Ultra Luxury or Custom Luxury package.  The LS430 owners manuals makes it confusing by using the word "laser" to refer to both cruise control types.

The laser unit on the lower grill seems to be particularly subject to damage from road debris.  The radar unit behind the "L" emblem on the upper grill is much less subject to damage but still can be damaged or knocked out of alignment by an impact.  Both unit types must be kept relatively clean.

Diagnosing the problem is best left to a Lexus dealership or a independent repair shop that specializes in Lexus.  When my wife trashed the radar unit on her car, the replacement radar unit had to be aligned/calibrated by the dealer.  Even the Lexus dealer's own collision repair facility couldn't do it.  

I don't have a GX but I can take a guess based what I know about the LX.

Does your GX have rear air suspension?  If it does, did you turn it off before jacking per the instructions in the GX owners manual?

Information about changing a flat tire starts on page 534 of the 2016 GX owners manual which you can view at https://drivers.lexus.com/t3Portal/document/om-s/OM60M73U/pdf/OM60M73U.pdf

The only other causes I can think about right now are non-standard wheel/tire size, the jack sinking into the shoulder, failure of the jack or the wrong jack.  The jack on the last LS I had failed and I bought a replacement ... which I forgot to give to the person who bought the car from me.

48 minutes ago, parsifal said:

Is excess current from starter good? I'll get someone to check it. I had another 1998 Lexus LS400 I bought in 2003 with 50,000 miles on it. Kept it until it had 270,000 miles on it. Never a problem. Not one. I wrecked front end 10 years ago and couldn't find used parts to fix it or I'd still driving it. Love the cars. 

Excess current draw is BAD!  A competent repair shop will know the acceptable amps and you can probably find the information on the Internet.  Starter failure on these cars is quite common at or just above the mileage yours is at.  There's more information about the problem in the Club Lexus LS400 forum than there is here.

I really liked my 2000 LS400.  It was nicely equipped with the Platinum package which included the 2001 LS430 wheels, birds eye maple wood, nicer leather and other features that were different from the standard 2000 LS400.  I would have driven it a few more years if it had features such as automatic emergency braking, adaptive cruise control, headlight washers, rain sensing wipers, parking sensors, etc., etc. 

There are photos of it in my forum album:  

15 hours ago, Dan Saunders said:

I took our excellent running car RX 350 with 31,000 mi for a tire rotation and state inspection to the Lexus dealer. They called me and told me the water pump was bad and needed to be replaced. They said it was not leaking onto the floor because the leak was “crusting up” before hitting the floor.  Quite frankly, I do not believe them for a minute but since they said it was covered by warranty I plan to let it go. I have never owned a car that needed a water pump at 75,000 mi let alone 31,000. So, bottom line I will not take my vehicle to the Lexus dealer ever again and will not buy another Lexus because this is just the type of thing I felt I would avoid with a Lexus/Toyota product. Personally, I think it is fraud versus a real issue only they are committing it to their own motor company. Unbelievable!
Dan Saunders

It's fairly common for a water pump to weep coolant for a long, long time before it fails if it ever does fail.  Unfortunately, water pumps on the 3.5 liter V6 engine used in the RX and in my 2014 Sienna seem to have a little higher failure rate than normal.  

If/when the water pump does need replacing, consider consulting an independent repair shop that specializes in Toyota and/or Lexus vehicles.  Or start now so you will be ready if the water pump fails.    A Lexus dealer might tell you that the engine must be removed in order to replace the water pump but it's been found that doing that is not necessary.  I've wondered if dealerships are billing customers for far more time than it really takes to replace a water pump on the 3.5 liter V6.

I agree that a lot of dealerships scam customers by recommending unneeded repairs.  The 3.5 liter engine in my Sienna was weeping a tiny bit of oil from the pan gasket - the Toyota dealer said it MUST be repaired but I declined.  I wiped the oil film from the pan gasket.  The dealership has never mentioned the "problem" again even though it has serviced the vehicle about 10 times (every 5,000 miles) since then.

I had the same problem at about the same mileage on the 2000 LS400 I drove for 11 years.  Verify that the battery posts and cable clamps are spotlessly clean and that your battery is in good condition.  And verify that power steering fluid is not dripping on the alternator but that's pretty rare on the 1998-2000 LS400 - it was a common problem on the 90-94 LS400.   It would have to be very leaky valve covers for oil from them to get on the alternator.  It's not a problem if valve covers only slightly weep oil as long as it does not flow from them.  The valve covers on a Camry V6 we used to have weeped oil for years with no detectable oil loss and we finally had it fixed only because the car went to a nephew.

Unfortunately, it may be the starter going bad.  Have the starter tested to see if it's drawing excess current.  Apparently it's a quick test for someone who knows what they are doing.  Replacing the starter is a fairly complex operation due to its location.  I think I paid about $900 in around 2012 at an independent repair shop that specializes in Lexus vehicles but that was substantially less than what the Lexus dealership would have charged.  After the starter replacement, I drove the car another 30,000 miles to 180,000 miles with no problems until I sold it in 2014.