91LS400vgb

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.

I'm aware of this one place, though I haven't tried them yet, so I don't know how good they are. You can give them a call and do your own research. Toy Shop - The Toyota Specialists 363 N Midland Ave Saddle Brook, NJ 07663 (201) 791-7683

strutmasters.com is another source

I agree with 1990LS400 that there is no benefit to a remote starter. My 91 LS too warms up very fast in the winter. I just start it, wait 5-10 seconds, and drive. The temp gauge starts moving up within a few blocks. Remote starters allow people to idle a cold engine for a long time which is not a good thing as the engine runs with a rich fuel mixture which leads to oil dilution and oil contamination, shortening the lifespan of the oil and the engine.

That was a great thread TexasLexus94 - I'm glad to see that it worked out for you. I recall when I got my 91 LS tested, the technician said it just barely passed. Excuse me if this is a stupid question, but I was wondering, when you say he put the probe next to the accelerator, do you mean he physically put it near the accelerator pedal, or does the accelerator refer to something in the engine compartment? Thanks.

Just an update - after replacing my failing battery with a brand new one, the condition I described above only occurs occasionally. The lights now function normally (with the rear lamp failure indicator off) most of the time.

Yepper, the fuel acts as a coolant for the fuel pump and if you run low on gas, the pump can overheat.

I agree with mobilyte. I needed to replace my transmission pan due to a stripped drain plug, so I left my 91 LS without a pan on ramps in my garage for 2 days while I wait for a new pan to arrive. I was surprised that the tranny fluid continued to drip out the day after I removed the pan. I assumed 2 quarts would empty out but it turns out that more than 4 quarts have drained out. I'll probably add 2 quarts after I get the new pan on, and then do the incremental approach as mobilyte suggested.

I would check the power steering fluid level. There may be a little air trapped in the system. If the level is correct, you might want to try leaving your p/s cap off overnight - just remember to tighten it before driving. Alternatively, you could try the air bleeding procedure outlined in several posts.

Thanks for your advice, cardona and walt. I refused to give up and finally was able to loosen the flare fitting. I had to rig up a 17mm crow foot to a 3/8 extension and a breaker bar, plus I held against using channel lock pliers. It was tough. I followed cardona's suggestion and used a fine emery cloth to smooth the sealing surface of the flared tubing. I sprayed some brake cleaner to remove any particles, making sure the rubber hose was covered to prevent contamination. I then wrapped the threads several times with teflon tape and tightened it using a 17mm flare wrench, using an adjustable wrench to hold against. Also, I made sure not to get any teflon tape on the tip. So far no leaks - I will monitor it over the next several days.

Well, I can't get that flare fitting to loosen up, so I am considering replacing the whole high pressure hose assembly. I see there are banjo bolts at both ends. Anyone have any caveats before I go ahead and do this? I could not find a tutorial on replacing the high pressure hose and would appreciate any advice. Btw, while I was under the car, I removed the solenoid filter using the hammer and screwdriver technique and found that the screens were 50% clogged. Also found a hole in one of the screens (perhaps intentionally) and a small tear in another.

Just an update. A good mechanic I know indicated sometimes one can get away with just applying teflon tape on the threads. I've tried loosening the flare nut where the fluid is coming out but I am unable to do so as it is extremely tight. I even broke my wrench trying to loosen it. I may wind up just bringing it to the mechanic and letting him try with the risk that he will come back and tell me he has to replace the whole hose. My other option is just getting a new hose and installing it myself. It seems all the power steering sealers out there work by swelling the seals and o-rings. That obviously wouldn't work here. Is there a product out there specifically for my condition where the leak is at the flare fitting?

I just want to clarify that the leak is not at the end that attaches to the ps pump. It's beneath the car closer to the gear housing (see arrow in picture). I assume you mean I should disconnect the hose here and make sure the tip is smooth, otherwise smoothen it, then retighten and add the bar's leak for p/s. Thanks for your advice, cardona.

I've had a persistent small p/s leak since I purchased my 91 LS400 less than a year ago. The power steering pump, rack and high pressure hose were replaced right before I purchased the car. Originally, I thought I was losing fluid through the idle up valve so I replaced that. However, the leak continued and I now have discovered that a small amount of fluid is leaking from the high pressure hose underneath on the driver's side that is threaded into a steel line (see picture). It is seeping out from the threads. I have tried tightening the connection but it won't budge, so I'm not sure what to do. Should I loosen it and apply some kind of thread sealant? The other thought I had was adding a power steering leak additive as the leak is very small - but I'm concerned that may not be the best option in the long run. Any advice is appreciated. Thanks.

I think my case is different because the bulb will light if the brakes are applied without the headlights, or the headlights are turned on without the brakes. It just doesn't light when both brake and headlights are on at the same time. Therefore, I would think it's not a contact issue, but I'll recheck the socket anyway. Thanks for the info, LScott.

Wow. Actually, the previous owner was in a minor accident and he had the driver's side front fender replaced as a result. I wonder if that's the reason. Hmm, something for me to think about, but still seems odd that it wouldn't cause any other problems. Thanks teamer.

No problem, Arkansawyer, and thanks for your post. Actually, one of the first things I tried was replacing all my bulbs with new ones I purchased from a Lexus dealer as that is what remedied an almost identical problem I once had with my 1989 Camry (see original post). However, it didn't fix it this time. Btw, my taillamp failure indicator usually only goes on (and stays on) when I press on the brakes the first time while the headlights are on. The failure light does not go on during the day (as the headlights are not on). I think it's still a good idea for you to try replacing your bulbs with genuine toyota ones. Let me know how it turns out.

Just a quick update to this - I finally got around to checking the trunk hinge wiring, as CUMan suggested. Unfortunately, I did not find any breaks in any of the wires (I even removed tape further below the hinge and did not find anything). I still have the same sympton, i.e., on my leftmost tail lamp, which has 2 bulbs, the upper bulb does not illuminate when I have both the brakes and headlights on at the same time. This is accompanied by the taillamp failure indicator on my dash. Otherwise everything is normal. The sockets all look good too. Perhaps it is related to the alternator as LexInfo suggested. Thanks for all your help on this, everyone.

I wouldn't worry too much if the oil was just a bit below the "L" for a short period of time. I've known people who've done that a couple of times without a tangible impact on the life of their engine (still got 180k+ miles). Actually 1 quart over 3500+ miles is not that bad. What weight oil are you using and how often do you change it? My '91 with close to 100k doesn't use much oil at all - using 5-30 mobil-1 here.

A couple of years ago, I tried unsuccessfully to recharge the a/c on my father-in-law's 93 Nissan (R-12 system) using an R-134a conversion kit. Brought the car to a mechanic who charged it up with Freeze-12 and it's been fine ever since.

Chris, I buy my parts from Matt Molini of Lexus of Roseville (916) 783-9111. The genuine Lexus replacement bulbs I bought from him cost me less than if I had bought them at an auto store, so it may be worth just giving him a call for a quote. He doesn't charge me for shipping. Good luck.

I purchased the lower silver touch-up paint for my 91 LS400 from Lexus of Roseville (Matt Molini 916-783-9111). My invoice shows Part # 00258-UCA29 Silver Met. They charged me $4 for the touch-up bottle. I'm not sure if they have the spray paint but you can call them up and ask. Hope this helps.

Sounds like good adivce. Thanks very much.

1991 LS400 here - the owner's guide says to slide the rear mats under the ducts located beneath the front seats but there just doesn't seem to be enough clearance for me to do so - result is that the mats tend to block the rear air coming from under the seats and also makes it a pain when I want to give the rear floor a quick vacuum because the mats are not held down. Anyone have any tips to get the mats under the ducts? Thanks.