Lexus Itch

Thanks you all, I will have my wheels polished by professional detailer. I'll post some new pictures to show you how they look.

Oh, My wheel...! :cries: I have never done any machine polish before, please help me with more details. I saw some polish machines at local Walmart, are they worth to try? Also, what products, steps, ... that I need to do. Thanks a lot for your super fast replies.

Sorry, but how can I paste a picture in here, thanks.

I have alloy wheels on my 99LS. Only one of them is shiny. The other wheels are not, they have some kind of stain, look like you wash them without drying them. Any help?

Thanks a lot. I have been looking for the bolt too, for a long time. This forum is the BEST.

I have the same problem with my LS99. The clicking sound seems to come from behind the steering wheel. Rough road makes it worse. It is not really a big sound but it is really bother my Lexus pride. When I park my car, engine is off, by moving the steering wheel back and forth rapidly I can replicate the same sound. For 5 years, I have been visting three Lexus dealers and ask for help, I've got the same respond "Your car is just fine" "It is normal sound, even the new car has it(?)" One time, the dealer told me to replace the struts. I did, and the sound is still there. The last time they told me to replace my strut rod bushings. I went down and use the light to check the rubber bushings, they are fine. Only thing I can see are some small cracking lines. I don't think it is the problem. I hope some one here knows how to fix the noise. If the noise go away, I promise to buy this person a Lexus Polo shirt as my thank you gift.

my VSC was on when the battery is bad. It was hard to start too. I changed the new battery and no more problem.

You are right. I changed the timing belt on my 99LS at Lexus of South Atlanta at 135K. The dealer told me that my water pump is not leaking therefore I don't need a new one. However, if I really want they to change the pump, it is $300 adding to the bill. Heck, I go with my old pump and new timing belt with a lillte nevours at first.

I just had my timing belt on my 99LS400 changed today, 01/03/06 at Lexus of South Atlanta. My odo showed 135,047 at the time. The dealer did not mention about the water pump at all until I ask them to. They said to check and see if I need the new pump. After checking, the man told me that the pump is still in good working order, if I really want to replace it, there would be $300 extra. I decided to replace only the timingbelt. I paid $422 (part, labor, tax,...) for the timing belt. I hope this helps. I like this forum alot. People here did not only helped me to save some bucks but to help me learn and understand more about my Lexus. I feel more responsible for helping others.

Thanks you all for good information. I just replaced both of my hood struts on my LS99. I bought the struts at local Autozone for 19.99/each (12/2005). I did not do any drilling, like one of people here, I used a tooth cleaning tool (looks like a hook, at any Eckerd store) to take the ring out. Putting the ball back to the new strut was easy.

jschunke is exactly right. On the highway, there is no car can come closer to LS400's quietness, none. But it does torture your feeling on the rough road, especially when you hit the break on a rough road curve. I hope the newer model is doing better because I hate seeing myself in non-Lexus car. By the way, I just got a new set of Bridgestone Turanza LS last 4 months. Thanks

Thank you NC211, I've check the brackets, those rubbers are fine. In fact, most of the time, the noise seems to come from the steeringwheel's neck. It sounds like when you have two block of dry hard wood in your glove box. The sound is much clearer when I drive through an old brick road or railroads- slowly . When the car stop, key's out, I move the steeringwheel shortly but rapidly, it make a similar sound, not exactly the same though. The noise is not that bad, but, as you know Lexus LS is super quiet, it does bother a bit.

I have the same thing happened to my LS400 99. It was on and off whenever I hit a bump. I just pull the plug out from the under. It borther me no more.

I love my 99 LS400 for every thing but the noise it makes from the wheel when I drive into a rough road, old bricked road- for example. Also, I am very frustrated when the car go through a bump or a chicken-hole on the road. It is a painful feeling. My old Acura didn't do that to me. I brough the car to SouthAtlanta Lex Dealer, they couldn't fix the problem. I changed two new front suspensions, but they did not help at all. I've own the car for 4 yrs now. For every time I drive the car with someone, I always afraid that he would tell me: "I never though a Lexus would be like that.." Should I get it fixed or just to bear with the un-comfortable feeling until I buy the new one in 5 yrs?

Yesterday when I drove down to Tampa, FL. My front tire got flat by a nail. I tried to replaced it with the back-up tire. Guess what? I could not un-tighten the Lock Bolt using the wheel lock bolt, you know what I talk about. I think about change all the Locked bolts with the regular ones to get rid of the same problem. Any opinions?