1990LS400

These days, that sounds like a super price considering I paid about $32 for a 6-pack of Mobil 1 synthetic oil yesterday at Costco. Personally, I would never in my wildest dreams take a vehicle to someone else for an oil change. My time is money and I can do it is less total time in my garage, at less cost, I know I will do it correctly and I don't have to worry about grease monkeys or porters damaging my vehicles. In fact, tomorrow I'm doing the 20th oil change (at 135,000 miles) on my 2000 LS400 since I bought it in 2003 at 38,000 miles. With the occasional exception when something goes wrong that I can't solve, I let an "expert" service our vehicles only every 30,000 miles.

Have you owned this car from new and, if so, has this "slapping" noise always been present? You could try unbolting the windshield wiper arms, pulling them off and reinstalling them positioning them one "notch" higher on the sprockets.

Horn Assy, Security.

I replied to another one of your threads and I am not familiar with your particular model year, but I suspect the headlights don't turn off automatically until the drivers door is opened which is how it works on its Toyota Camry sister.

First check the door and trunk lid switches. IMO, it is more likely that something simple is causing the problem.

Whoa! This isn't Ghost300's problem. Somebody hit him from the rear. His role is not to save the other guy money but to protect his interests and get a first rate job which in this case appears to be a bumper cover and maybe more if there is underlying damage.

$1,453.22 OK, that's a SWAG (a technical term) but my guess is based on the cost of a new front bumper cover for my 2000 LS400 last week which was replaced by a body shop owned by the Lexus dealer and sanctioned (i.e. price caps) by the company that insures my car. If there is underlying damage the price could be substantially more. I assume you know that it is completely your choice on who repairs your car and that the other guy's insurance company should pay for a rental car of a similar size to your RX. I've been rear-ended so many times by idiots talking on cell phones that it's starting to feel routine.

eBay is a good place to buy them although they likely won't be OEM. If you would rather stick with OEM, register at http://lexus.sewellparts.com/ for discounts. Hood struts are very easy to replace. I've done it on both 1990 and 2000 LS400's. It takes maybe 5 to 10 minutes per side.

Whoa there. I'm not all that knowledgeable about this stuff but I don't think the purpose of the transponder is so you can unlock the doors. My understanding that it's purpose is to allow starting the engine. Here is a website that explains it: http://www.wisegeek.com/what-are-transponder-keys.htm

What diagnostic codes? http://www.lexls.com/tutorials/intro/codereading.html

How to adjust the beep volume and turn it off and on is explained on page 17 of the car's owners manual (see attached) which can be viewed in the owners section of https://secure.drivers.lexus.com

Several vendors sell the same VAIS/Audiovox kit on ebay.

Yes.

I'm tending to doubt that. When I bought an extra master key and an extra valet key for my 2000 LS400 back in 2003, the service writer programmed both keys to work in the ignition. If the new valet key didn't have a transponder, I don't think programming it would not have been necessary or even possible. Whatever you do, you should have more than one fully working master key and you might as well have at least one extra valet key - particularly since they are inexpensive. I've got three full sets for my LS - one for my wife, one for me and one backup set in a secure place. !Removed! happens. You don't want to be in disaster mode if you ever lose your keys.

ES with 2.5 liter engine: http://www.lexus.com/contact/pdf/1990/1990ESspecs.pdf

Nope, no rear air bags - only for the front seat passengers ... one steering wheel air back, one air bag in the dash for the front passenger and one side airbag in each front seatback. Here is a great link: http://www.lexls.com/info/lsgenerations.html

I've have far better service and prices at the two independent Lexus repair shops I've used over the past 20 years but both were owned by former Lexus dealer service writers and staffed with former Lexus dealer mechanics. If the indie shop I currently use didn't exist, I doubt that I would still own a Lexus. The service writers at the local Lexus dealers are extraordinarily clueless. Last time I was in, I mentioned to one that water was leaking into the trunk of my LS400 as is common when the trunk lid gasket gets older. The service writer told me that she had been at the dealership over 10 years and had never heard of that problem. Duh!

Cool! At least it was nothing serious. Your "who reads directions" comment got me thinking about how I made quite a nice living for decades mainly reading directions and explaining them to others. One of my favorite educational illustrations is attached.

Push the Sat button? Your owners manual has a list of the messages that will be displayed if you have a sat tuner but no subscription or if there is a malfunction. If there is no sat tuner, one can be added for probably less than $250 if you do the work yourself and not much more if you don't. Probably the most popular aftermarket sat tuners that fully integrate with Lexus audio systems are from VAIS - http://www.vaistech.com/products/home.php You can also find VAIS products on eBay.

Silly questions but have you loaded the CD's facing the right direction? Per the instructions on the cartridge: "Set the disc with the label side face downward." Also, the CD changer of that vintage will not read and play MP3. If they are MP3, use software (even Windows Media Player will do it) to convert the MP3's to a compatible format and burn on to a high quality audio CD. I've burned a number of CD's that play just fine in my 2000 LS400 CD changer.

I know I'm a lot more website savvy than most, being "in the biz", but can't imagine what you guys are doing on Sewell's website to not find the diagrams and see the prices. Select your model and year and then click on the OEM parts category you need instead of Accessories. This will lead you to further categories down the left side of the page which you can explode, pick, and then see diagrams and parts prices. Register with your forum member name for the best prices. Yes, Sewell is a Lexus dealership with at least two locations in Texas. They are a sponsor on Clublexus and I think you can get the same discounts if you register with your member name of this forum although I registered with my Clublexus member name. I can usually find the parts I need on Sewell's website without the part numbers but if part numbers are needed you can get them from http://www.toyodiy.com/ where you have to register to see diagrams. You can view the part numbers on toyodiy.com without registering. If you don't see the parts you need on Sewell's website, call their toll free number and talk to one of the guys in their parts department. It's fine with me if you would rather buy from Lexuspartsnow.com but based on the extensive price comparisons I've done, it looks like you will pay substantially more.

I again compared prices between Lexuspartsnow and Sewell Lexus ( http://lexus.sewellparts.com ) on a number of items and am still finding Sewell to be substantially less expensive on everything. For example, a starter for my car (part number 28100-50062) is $246.13 at Lexuspartsnow but only $219.00 from Sewell as long as you register your forum member name. There was a similar percentage difference on all the other parts I priced. Sewell was in all cases substantially cheaper. I've sometimes gotten even better prices from Sewell by just giving them a call and reminding them how many times I've bought parts from them. I have been particularly perturbed that some of the other online Lexus part sellers nail people with artificially high handling and shipping fees. Sewell charges actual shipping costs instead of ripping people off. I may sound like a "shill" for Sewell, but I've bought a lot of stuff from them by telephone and on-line and have visited there facility by the old Dallas airport. When I call Sewell, I'm talking to a real "car guy" instead of just a phone operator regurgitating what they are reading.

Both are listed for a 1992 LS400.

Register at http://lexus.sewellparts.com/ with your forum member name to get discounted prices and use the part numbers on the attached diagram to search Sewell's website for the tools by part number. Sewell sells the screwdriver for a bit less than $15.00 with your forum discount.

http://www.lexus.com/cpo/model_library/ES/2008.html