91LS400vgb

okay guys, I am going to give you a very constructive advice on how to fix this problem.first remove the cluster and if you do not know how go to lexls.com and follow the instructions.then remove the face cover .first grap the tach needle gently and pull untill you hear a pop,again be gentle and do not ge scared.once you hear the pop move the needle clockwise untill it pops again then gently release it.now move the needle slowly counterclock till you sit it over the zero an on the dot and make sure that it sits right on the zero.to check your work move it gently say to the mark 3 then let go it should snap right back to zero,once you have accomplished this ,you are rock & roll baby.the same thing goes for speedometer.back light is not working change cap 212,after making sure your cathodes are okay meaning the bulbs.if not you can get them at a very good price from plano lexus,they are awsome as far as price goes.gas guage slow change cap 142.while you are at it change any bad or weak bulbs ,be the warning ones or the indicator ones such as shifter position.by the way guys the cluster lexus has on the first gen is the 1992,because the psb are so robust,where the 1993 and 1994 are made a little bit on the cheapy side.this job should take about an hour if you how to handle things.good luck and let me know.

please make a donation to lexls.com,this guy is great.may god bless his soul.

I realize this is an old thread, but I thought this might help others.

I also tried this on my 91 LS. In my case, the RPMs were reading about 600 less than they should have been until one day after hitting a pothole, the needle dropped to 100, and then would drop below zero after shutting off the engine.

it looks like this procedure fixed the issue - the RPMs match the ECU reading (using a scantool) perfectly. Hopefully, it will last.

Thanks for your help.

I picked this one up from ebay for my 1991 LS400 (part #23300-50020):

http://www.ebay.com/...cvip=true&rt=nc

It came in a toyota box and had the bracket, which is great when you're trying to swap the filter out and fuel is running down your arm - it's one less thing to worry about. I only paid $12 and I haven't had any issues.

Agree, a minute tops is all that is necessary in most cases. I usually wait 15-20 secs and then drive moderately. Here's a good common sense article on the subject:

http://www.garage-pak.com/pat-goss-washing...tart-smart.html

My 1st gen LS brakes are easy to change. Check out the lexls.com site tutorials.

Very cool, pishta. I've been reading about a few of the different mthods of checking toe using lasers, chalk lines, or rope. The following links demonstrate similar ways of checking toe using string:

http://forums.nasioc.com/forums/showthread...80#post18644680

http://www.scoobymods.com/forums/showthread.php?t=7388

Thanks Pishta. This is great timing because I wanted to check the toe on my 91 LS as well. My friend is going to lend me a wheel alignment gauge and I'm going to see if I can get a good measurement in my garage. LOL - my steering wheel also needs to be straightened out.

Really? Pishta, how did you find out the dealers are GR-2's now? I'm bummed if that's true, because I wanted to duplicate the original ride when I was ready to change them out.

My rear door speaker covers are torn, so I would be interested in them if yours are in good shape and are either grey or blue.

You may want to try cleaning the screen in the power steering rack solenoid and also the one in the reservoir. Here are some links:

http://us.lexusownersclub.com/forums/index...solenoid+filter

http://us.lexusownersclub.com/forums/index...solenoid+filter

http://us.lexusownersclub.com/forums/index...solenoid+filter

That makes sense

In the past, it has been noted that the OE struts are not repackaged GR-2, and that the GR-2 will give you at least a slightly firmer ride. Closest thing to original ride is only via the stock struts.

I wouldn't expect Shell or any Top-tier gas to 'magically' improve mileage. After all, all brands of gas originate from the same refineries. What is different is the additive package, and over the long run, I think the extra cleaning agents will reduce or eliminate deposits that can have a negative impact on performance. Here's another article on top-tier:

http://www.mpt.org/motorweek/goss/2531.shtml

Not sure what you're referring to, dc, but here's where I got my info:

From: http://www.shell.com/home/Framework?siteId...ls_ga_0111.html

Shell Regular and Plus gasolines, which meet the “TOP TIER” standard, also contain more than two times the amount of cleaning agents required by the EPA. Shell V-Power goes even further – it has more than five times the minimum amount of cleaning agents required by government standards and twice the cleaning agents required by the “TOP TIER” standard.

Actually, I said their regular grade had 3x, when it's actually "more than two times." I got the premium grade right, though.

And from: http://www.bp.com/printsectiongenericartic...ntentId=7013479

In terms of cleaning formula, Amoco Ultimate meets the Top Tier program specifications.

my '90 ls400 is running '94 16" rim and the tires keep kissing the inner plastic wheel arc whenever the car bounce a bit hard

not sure if its the coilover or struts or the bigger rim, but you may need think of it

gha - what size tires are you using on those 16" rims?

I use Shell Gasoline around here since they are Top Tier and it is only a couple of cents more per gallon. I heard that Shell's regular gas has 3 times the minimum EPA requirement of additives, while their premium has 5 times the amount. BP's Amoco Ultimate Premium grade meets Top Tier standards, though it is a mystery whether their other grades qualify. Top tier requires all grades of a retailer's gasoline to meet their standards for it to qualify as 'Top Tier'.

I have experience with the taillamp failure problem on my 91 LS400 and also previously on my 89 camry. I would approach it in the following way:

1) Make sure all your rear lamps, including the high mount lamp are working. Test with the brake alone, with the headlights on alone, and then with both brake and headlights on.

2) If they all seem to be working, then switch any non-original bulbs with bulbs purchased directly from a toyota or lexus dealer. A toyota tech gave me that tip once and it actually solved my problem in the 89 camry.

3) Look for any loose ground wires or any loose fitting bulbs. Also, I applied bulb grease to my rear bulbs to resist corrosion and moisture.

4) Check your taillamp failure circuit board (located in the left rear of the trunk). One giveaway is any burn marks on the printed circuit board. In my case, I was able to swap mine with one that was known to be good to confirm that it wasn't the problem.

5) Check for the infamous damaged wire in the left trunk hinge (do a search in the forum). If you find one or more damaged wires, repair them.

6) My problem in the LS400 finally seems to have resolved itself when I replaced a dying battery with a brand new one. It recurred recently but I discovered that 2 bulbs had lost contact in the socket - I restored connectivity by unscrewing and rescrewing the bulbs in and the indicator light went off.

I hope this gives you some ideas and helps you resolve the issue. If you get it fixed, let us know what you did.

My 91 LS O2 sensor was changed at 92k and the fuel economy improved dramatically. Some mechanics change them as preventive maintenance every 80K as they tend to get "lazy" with age, while others prefer to test them before replacing.

Also, see

http://www.lexls.com/tutorials/ignition/sparkplugs.html

Wow - if all 4 O2 sensors are original w/ 320k miles, then I would definitely replace them. After I replaced mine (w/ only 100k), my emissions improved and my fuel economy improved considerably.

It sometimes runs differently because all the learned data is lost. The air bag is easy to reset - the steps are documented somewhere - try doing a search - if you can't locate it, let me know and I'll find it for you.

When's the last time you changed the drain plug gasket? Service manual says to do it at each oil change. Worst thing you can do is to try to fix it by over-tightening it.

Use the search function and you will find lots of info on this as it has been discussed many times before. If you want your car to last as long as possible then use synthetic as it is clearly superior at resisting heat and deposits. I've used only Mobil 1 with no issues in my 91 LS400 with since I purchased it with 92k miles (previously it had been given conventional oil).

That last link looks interesting. If you're antenna motor is still working, you can also buy the antenna mast and repair it as in the following tutorial:

http://www.lexls.com/tutorials/audio/powerantenna.html

Take a look at http://www.dakota-truck.net/TIRECALC/tirecalc.html

I'm actually thinking of doing the same thing. My 1991's 15 inch wheels are pretty scuffed up and I can get some 16 inch rims from a 93 or 94 for fairly cheap. Using the link above, it says 225-55R16 will result in the speedo reading low by 0.98% - not bad. 215-55R16 result in being high by 0.72%. I'm a bit concerned switching to 16 inches only because I know there were suspension and braking improvements made to the 93 and 94 models, I assume in part, to compensate for the larger wheels. I'm hoping I'm not making a mistake by going to the bigger rim - or should I not worry?

Unfortunately, I have not. I know of one other person in NNJ who has worked at at a toyota/lexus dealer for 20 years. I don't want to post his info here so I will PM you instead. Also, if you check out either of these, I'd appreciate hearing what your experiences were. Thanks.