1990LS400

You need to be checking the oil level frequently and not waiting for the low oil light to come on. The low oil light on most vehicles comes on when there is very little oil is left in the sump - as little as one quart. Exactly how much oil is being used between 5,000 mile oil changes? Quarts? Gallons? Barrels? I think you need to have a compression test done. I don't know what the design of the compression and oil control rings on your GS is but usually a good compression test is a good sign that the oil control rings are likely OK. My main advise is to take your time unless this is some kind of emergency. Get other opinions.

150,000 miles isn't really high mileage for a Toyota/Lexus engine. My LS400 is at 152,000 miles and it's engine doesn't use a drop of oil between changes. .... same for my wife's Camry V6 which is at 127,000 miles ... and the 90 LS400 I sold in 2003 at 183,500 miles which also had no detectable oil use between changes. What are the symptoms? How much oil is being used? Any oil residue at the tailpipe? Any visible smoking or leaking? What are the cylinder compression figures? PCV valve OK? Do you know the car's history? e.g. ... Owned it since new? Car been raced or abused? Had regular, on-time oil and filter changes throughout its life? If you really need a new engine, consider getting a salvage one and maybe have a non-dealer shop install it. Paying dealer labor rates for removing/installing an engine can get pretty high with their labor rates at well over $100/hour. If the engine really is trashed, maybe its time for a new car? These days, engines are considered lifetime components. I'm known of a number of instances where people who have driven cars to 300,000+ miles on the original engine. My first LS400 was recently sold by its 2nd owner at around 295,000 miles and I'm pretty sure that I would have heard if he had had major engine problems.

I just answered your question on your other post. Register and supply a member name from one of the car forums for which they accept them. Actually, I got as good or better discounts before I registered by just calling and asking - seems like I was always dealing with the same person. And I have made a point to remind the guy at Sewell how much stuff I've bought from them and of the time I stopped by. One of the Sewell Lexus dealerships is just around the corner from the main entrance to Dallas Love Field airport.

Register on the Sewell website and provide your forum member name from one of the forums they accept them for. I registered using my ClubLexus forum member name and don't remember if they take member names for this forurm.

You may park your Lexus in spaces with a sign similar to the one attached - whether or not the sign says "LEXUS PARKING ONLY".

How many miles are on your 09 RX? Is the drivetrain still within its 6 year / 70,000 warranty? The reason I ask is that the maintenance schedule for your RX shows both oil and oil fiter change required every 5,000 miles. It's a good idea to follow the maintenance schedule under warranty. And not that the recent Toyota/Lexus V6 has had oil sludging problems but you get my drift? If you are going to skip oil filter changes, consider using synthetic oil. How difficult is it to remove the shroud? Is it on top of he engine or under it? I have to remove twelve 10 mm bolts in order to remove a "shroud" (it's called the "engine undercover") to reach the oil filter on my 2000 LS400 and it was about the same number of bolts on my previous LS. It takes maybe three minutes. I just calcuated that I have removed and reinstalled one of these undercovers about 60 times in 22 years / 300,000 miles on my two Lexus LS cars.

Setting the keyless entry "beep" on or off is a customizable feature per the 2003 ES300 owners manual: http://drivers.lexus...03is300o/11.pdf Locking/Unlocking the doors When you push the ”LOCK” button on the key briefly, all the doors will be locked from outside the vehicle. At this time, one beep sounds* and the emergency flashers flash once.** However, when you push the ”LOCK” button with any door not closed securely, the buzzer sounds for 10 seconds.*** To stop the buzzer, close all the doors securely or push the ”UNLOCK” button. If the key is in the ignition switch, locking cannot be done. Make sure all the doors are locked when you leave the vehicle. Push the ”LOCK” button once again. If they were already locked, one beep sounds and the emergency flashers will flash. NOTE: *The beep sound can be set not to sound. **The emergency flasher can be set not to flash. ***The buzzer can be set not to sound if a door is not closed securely. Ask your Lexus dealer for details.

About the best I can is to provide a diagram showing the parts in the sunroof assembly.

OK, now I understand. The title of your thread threw me. This was not a "silent recall" or really a "recall" at all. All 98 GS owners were sent letters in Februrary 1999 notifying them that the door courtesy lamp switches would be replaced at no cost if they brought their cars to a Lexus dealer. According to the 50 page document about "Special Service Campaign XL-1" - to big to post here - the intent was to have the work completed on all affected GS cars by June 1999. It was up to the owner to decide whether or not to have the work done. Normally, repairs under this type of non-safety service campaign are performed at no cost only while a Lexus vehicle is within its basic warranty (4 years or 50,000 miles) unless the affected component is covered by the drivetrain warranty (6 years, 70,000 miles). Although Lexus sometimes approves making repairs like this after a warranty has expired - usually within a few months after expiration - it would be incredible for this work to be done at no cost ten years after a basic warranty covering a component had expired. I've sometimes passed up having service campaign work done on a Lexus while it was under warranty since sometimes the fix is either inconvenient or could cause potential problems - e.g. replacing the instrument cluster to attempt to resolve the occasional "miles since refuel" issue on my 2000 LS400. silverbullit, did you have this work done recently? I sure would like to know when and which dealer did the work. There are a couple of other service campaigns I passed on and I might have the work done now if it was at no cost.

I guess nobody reads their owners manual. Pages 322 through 324 of your owners manual explain how to remove, clean and replace the filter.

I'm getting confused. The attached diagram shows the nav disk installed in a nav ECU in the trunk. Is there anything under the false floor on the right side of your trunk. Are there any GS ownwers on the forum?!?

It sounds like you are getting "hosed" by your Lexus dealer. Are they any indie mechanics nearby that are knowledgeable on Lexus cars? Have you had a compression test? If you haven't I would suggest having somebody besides the dealer do it. Or you could buy a compression gauge and do it yourself - makes me wonder where my compression gauge and remote starter switch are ... haven't seen them for 20+ years but I know they are in a box someplace. My remote starter switch is a little like this one except mine can be foot operated: http://www.summitrac...rts/ANM-CP7853/ I can't tell you how many times a service writer at a car dealership service writer has tried to sell me unneeded repairs or I had to intervene on behalf of friends and relatives. One of my "favorites" was just after my basic warranty expired on my first Lexus - a 1990 LS400. My car had suddenly developed an intermittent starting problem and the Lexus service writer told me I needed a new main ECU - $1,000+ in about 1995. When I asked to use their his phone to call a tow truck to take my car to an indie shop for a 2nd opinion, the repair suddenly changed to replacing a defective battery cable for which I think they charged me only $15. I've never seen a service writer "dance" so nicely! That Lexus dealership was and still is Superior Lexus of Kansas City. It pays to have a little automotive knowledge and be willing to get second and even third opinions.

All LS400's were prewired at the factory for a dealer installed Lexus branded phone. The connectors you found are part of the prewiring. You found one of the two phone antenna coax cables in the trunk. One leads to the rear of the center console and the other to the phone antenna imprinted on the rear window. Connect the two coax cables together and the coax cable under the center console will be connected to the phone antenna on the rear window. The well under the false floor would hold the phone transceiver or booster if the car had a phone system. There are other phone system cables behind the passenger side trim panel in the trunk. A plastic bracket attached to the the bottom of the tool kit receptacle holds the cables in place so they don't rattle around in cars without the phone system. In 1998, two phone models were available for the LS400 - one fixed and the other portable. Both analog-only and essentially worthless these days. Besides the coax cable under the back of the center console there are two fairly large phone system connectors -- the handsets for the dealer installed phones would have been installed in the upper console tray. The front center pin in the driver side phone connector is a mute pin - attach an aftermarket Bluetooth phone kit's mute wire to this pin and the audio system will be automatically muted when a phone call is received, made or in progress. Other pins in the connectors supply power, connect to where the phone controller would be mounted on the left side of the steering wheel and even to the HVAC system so that the fan speed would be reduced during a phone call. On 98-00 LS400's with factory navigation and a dealer installed Lexus phone, the phone integrated with the navigation system. Calls could be dialed from the navigation screen and POI's stored in the nav (restaurants, etc.) could be called without inputting the phone number. I know all this stuff because I use the mute pin and rear window phone antenna with my Nokia phone kit.

silverbullitt, if you have the recall document, please scan and post it in this thread. Disclosure of an email address in a public forum like this can have all sorts of repercussions. I was unable to find this recall in a search of a Lexus TSIB database. Normally repairs like this must be performed while the car or component is within warranty.

The following website shows the latest version available: http://www.lexusnavigation.com/index.php Installation instructions are at http://lexus.sewellparts.com/pdf/Navigation_System_Installation_Guide.pdf where you can also buy a new disk.

I'm pretty sure that the maintenance bookliet for your car says to change the air filter every 30,000 miles. How to change it? Remove the old one and put in a new one.

Yes, a "regular shop" can swap an engine. No, "proprietary Lexus diagnostic computers" are not needed - any good repair shop has everything needed. If your GS is at 225,000 miles and really does need an engine transplant consider selling the car for salvage or parting it out yourself. I was told early last year that my 2000 LS400 at 135,000 miles had an insurance value of about $15,000 (due to its exceptional condition) although it's market price here in the midwest is probably no more than $7,500. If my engine was "blown", I woudn't for a minute consider replacing it - the car would be sold to a salvage company or to one of my mechanic friends who would replace the engine at his leisure. If you don't depend on the car, you could swap the engine yourself. I did things like in my younger days (and completely torn down and rebuilt engines) and it is not brain surgery. But don't do this unless you consider it a fun hobby. I'm interested in answers to SRK's questions ... e.g. how much engine consumption is going on. These V8 engines can last to extraordinarily high mileages --- far longer than a mere 225,000 miles.

Guys come on? Conspiracy mode? $5600 is silly. You are better off parting out the car.

Gosh, $5600 is a lot since I'm seeing used 98-00 GS400 engines on eBay for less that $1,000. Maybe the other $4,600 is for the "lube" required while they are "sticking it to you".

The attached diagram seems to show that part of the console as a single unit. I suppose you could try removing it, turning it upside down and sideways and shaking/gently knocking it to see if you can free up the doors..

The early LS power steering pumps were very troublesome. I think my 90 LS400 was on its fitth power steering pump when I sold it in 2003 after driving it 13 1/2 years, from new to 183,500 miles.. Here is a link to how to rebulld it: http://www.lexls.com...umprebuild.html Or you could just buy a rebuilt one. You might not want to drive the car while the PS pump is leaking -- the leak can cause the alternator to fail which happened the first time the PS pump went out on my 90 LS.

Certainly a loose/damaged sensor would be suspicious and something to consider replacing before going further. I suppose it is possible that all four sensors have to be functional in order for any of them to provide information to the system. Again I ask: Have the rear sensors ever worked while you have owned the vehicle? If they did, was there some "event" associated with them ceasing to work? There should be a diagnostic procedure for your park assist system as there are for other systems in Lexus vehicles. If you are intent in diagnosing the problem yourself, you might consider getting either the repair manuals for your car or a short term ($15?) subscription to https://techinfo.toyota.com which should have the diagnostic procedures you need. Do you have the skills and tools for doing routine tests on automotive electrical systems - testing for continuity, resistance, amps, etc.? Few people on car forums seem to buy the repair manuals for their cars or have access to https://techinfo.toyota.com . I doubt that you will fine anyone who can provide the diagnostic procedures in an electronic format. A diagnostic procedure for even a simple electronic system (e.g. seat heaters) can take up quite a few pages in the hard copy repair manuals. I don't remember threads on this or the other Lexus forums I frequent that had information about troubleshooting the park assist system. Sometimes it's just cheaper and more efficient to take a vehicle to a knowledgeable mechanic.

The main point of recirculation mode in all cars is to recirculate the inside air to more quickly heat or cool the interior. Most systems do bring in a little outside air when in recirculation model. The temperature has been 70 degrees (+ or - 10 degrees) here the past couple of weeks when I started the engine in my LS after work. Every day hot air blasts out of the vents until I punch the button to put the system in fresh air mode. The first three things I do when I get in my LS: Fasten seat belts, start engine, press the air flow mode button to switch from recirculation to fresh air. My LS actually has a customizable feature to make the HVAC system "remember" the last air flow mode setting (fresh air or recirculation) when the car is started - but the feature is only for when the A/C is on.

Are we talking about this happening when your A/C is off? If the A/C is off, the air coming out of the vents will be warmer when in recirculation mode. Manually change the mode to outside air to get cooler air. Many people have wondered why the HVAC systems in most (all?) Lexus vehicles default to recirculation mode when the engine is started. I wish the HVAC in my LS would stay in the same mode (fresh air) it was in when the engine was last shut off but I've gotten use to changing the mode back to fresh air each time I start the engine. Of course, none of the above applies when the A/C is on and "Auto" mode is on. In that scenario, the mode will likely still be in reciculation mode when the engine is started but it will automatically switch to outside air within a few minutes if the "smog sensor" is not sensing foul outside air - assuming the IS has the HVAC smog sensor feature. It's time to get out your owners manual - which you can also view at https://secure.drivers.lexus.com/lexusdrivers/home without registering.

Have the rear sensors ever worked while you have owned the vehicle? And I am confused - The photos of two 2008 ES350's I'm looking at on eBay both have four rear sensors instead of three.