98GS400Pearl

This is related to an earlier post related to front suspension noises. Here is a quick run down of the '98 GS400's current state: The ball joint is new and firm. The creaking that was there is still gone thanks to a quick fix lubricant spray on all front passenger suspension components. The technicians did not identify any obviously damaged or broken components during the creak investigation. (Sway bar was off and inspected and other parts were loosened and lubricated). And after a week and a half the lubricant spray has had a chance to evaporate, drain off, whatever. There are no signs of leakage on the strut. Car was aligned and wheels were balanced. OK... The new issue is a distinct popping noise :cries: that occurs almost randomly under normal driving conditions. You can make the noise occur by severely braking, accelerating, or alternately severely turning left and right. A similar noise (although not quite as raucous) can usually be reproduced by alternately lifting some of the load off of the suspension (literally lifting the car by hand), then pushing back down on the car. It definitely seems like a binding issue of some sort. My wife claims that she can feel the pop coming through the floorboard on her side, and by sound, it does appear to be coming from right-of-center, not at the wheel (where the creaking noise was) I have read where some car owners suffer vibration around 60 mph, and we have that going on as well. I am just looking for ideas on what to test next...?

I would try white lithium spray for polyurethane bushings, which are notorious for creaking and squeaking sounds based on my latest research, discussions with technicians and auto store personnel. I am having similar problems in the front. WD-40 and silicone spray are temporary fixes, white lithium and some other items (vaseline, anti-seaze, etc.) may provide quiet for a little longer time. New graphite impregnated polyurethane bushings would solve the problem as well, but cost you a lot more.

I paid $20 for the 2 starter contacts and under $80 for the intake manifold gaskets. I spent a day taking everything apart and re-assembling. Worked like a charm. My one "oops" was I loosened the right hand fuel rail to give better access to the intake manifold bolts (don't do this if you can help it!), and I ended up having to replace my fuel injector o-rings for another ~$20. I think the Lexus quote is $300 for the starter (I don't think they usually replace the contacts only) and 6-7 hrs at the going labor rate for your area.

Forgive me for opining among the gurus...If you are open to blue sky ideas from a novice... Any chance it is a failed cold start valve or pressure regulator that is leaking and causing the engine to flood when it sits for long spells? I am assuming the scan tool would catch a failed thermostatic switch/thermo time switch that feeds the cold start logic. Could you have an oil pressure problem that is causing slow oil pressure build up, such that an oil pressure switch is not giving the OK signal to the ECU until a few seconds after initiating the start sequence?

OK, I took the car into the Lexus technician today. After 50 minutes of investigation, we still do not know exactly what was causing the creak -- but the problem IS gone... at least for now. The technician 1st thought it was a dry rack and pinion bushing, but it wasn't. Second, he used a spray lubricant on the strut top mount... nope. Then the second technician got involved. They took the car off the lift, turned the steering wheel time and again... hmm, let's take off the sway bar and see if that's it. The car goes back on the lift, sway bar comes off, car comes down... nada -- noise is still there. Then the stethoscope came out, but still no luck in locating the noise. The best they could tell was that the noise transferred through the lower suspension arm. As a last resort, they loosened all known, unchecked components including the caliper and started spraying lubricant. When they tightened everything back up, voila, the noise was gone. The end result is that it was a minor (although very annoying) creak, it is now gone, and there was no cost to me due to the graciousness of the technicians. And YES, I will continue to take my car to this Lexus shop because of these guys -- top quality customer care.

Couple of additional thoughts -- I checked the stabilizer bar, but the noise is definitely not coming from that area. I don't suspect the struts since the noise occurs with the car sitting still (this may be wrong on my part) and the noise is definitely coming from the brake/ball joint area. I don't suspect the ball joint, because I replaced it. Yes, I have searched the site, and I can't find anything that seems to hit the spot, outside of a post where a lot of people agreed that they had undetermined creaks and would like to know the cause of them! Thanks!

Well... I replaced the lower ball joint on the passenger side tonight. Definitely an easy job with a standard pitman arm puller by your side. The original ball joint still looked to be in fair condition, but the car feels firmer now, so I think it was a good decision to replace it one way or the other. Unfortunately, I still hear a creak coming out of that area. The noise is generally present when you turn the steering wheel while stopped or driving at slow speeds. What I have deduced is that the creak disappears when you turn the wheel and the front passenger side suspension is not under load (i.e., raised on a floor jack). The noise gets worse as the load on the suspension increases (as when you lower the jack). The odd part is, if I PULL on the brake disc, the noise goes away. If I PUSH on the disc, the noise gets worse (again, all of this is while turning the steering wheel -- car stopped in this case :P ). I have tried pushing and pulling on all parts of the dust shield, but it doesn't do anything to increase or decrease the creak. I have had my nose right in the area where the creak is coming from, and I can't positively identify where it is coming from. Does anyone have thoughts on what might be causing this?

Good enough -- thanks for the input

I found Guy Telefunken's response to an earlier post on replacing the lower ball joint (http://us.lexusownersclub.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=7318&hl=). QUESTION: The procedure doesn't mention anything about "managing" the struts or coils. Are there any watch outs to insure that you do not dislodge the potential energy in the strut/spring, turning a simple job into either a dangerous, or at least much more tasking, job? I am considering taking this job on, but don't want to get myself in a pickle. Any tips beyond the obvious (e.g., use a ball joint removal tool) are appreciated. Thanks.

I'd have to think hard about this one. We keep a 1995 Isuzu Rodeo for the dog haulin', fish catchin', mulch layin' duty. The GS400 is a pretty sweet ride for an all-purpose vehicle and may end up disappointing you if you have many functional-use issues in your life. For example, although the trunk is roomy in the GS400, our back seats don't lay down. Second example, the GS400 is an eye magnet (read thief magnet), so we try to avoid taking it to certain areas that our hobbies would otherwise lead us (secluded mountain trails, riverside parking, etc.). If you're on a budget, be aware that there are certain parts on the GS's that wear down in the 80k to 120k mile range like the starter (just replaced my contacts), ball joints (passenger side is currently on order), steering column gearing (too expensive to replace since it is functional, though noisy when the sun heats it up), and the driver's power door lock mechanism ($250 part plus labor -- waiting to fix this one, too). On the other hand, ooohh the power (and I still don't think that cop was playing fair when he sent me to traffic school! :cries: ). It is a fun, luxurious car that has a very high thrill factor. Yep, I would have to think hard on this one.

We have 245/40 on the front and 275/35 on the back -- 18" Miglias with spacers to fit the hubs. See attached picture. We have Eibach Pro-Kit Springs and are neutral on the actual performance (don't love it, don't hate it). The biggest thing to note is that lowering the car increases the amount of negative camber, which can wear out the inside of your tires. There is an adjustable camber bolt on our GS400 that our technician used to minimize the negative camber (it got it in spec anyway). Some negative is good anyway if you drive aggressively.

Guy, As an update, the injector o-rings came in yesterday (special order), I installed them last night, and by God's grace all is running well. Thanks again for the reference material! And as a side note, if it weren't for the information available on this Forum I would not have tackled the starter contact replacement job on my own. Total cost was approximately $100 (including the injector o-rings) versus repair estimates of $600 to $1400. The wife's GS400 is fixed, I still have cash in my pocket, and all are happy. :P A SPECIAL THANKS also goes to Greg at Lexus of Kingsport who took his personal time (I gotta call from him by cell phone on his way to the beach and a follow-up call by him when he returned) to discuss tips & tricks used at the Lexus shop when replacing starters. That fella is a jewel!

MUCH THANKS! Looks like I had lucked into using the correct bolt torque spec (same as intake manifold) but I may need to buy me some new injector o-rings. I'll try that and see what happens.

I need some help with a fuel leak issue. I was repairing my starter (ugh!) and had everything back together and running fine (after a full day of sweat and tears). The first pass at an operation test went fine, at mostly idle speeds with some revving. On the second operation test, I revved the engine to 5000 rpms and held it for a few seconds. When I got out of the car I had a nice fuel aroma and fuel all over the ground! :cries: In looking at the leak, it seems to be coming from one of the fuel rail to injector interfaces (the one nearest to the driver). I did not remove the fuel rail on that side to get to the starter, but I DID loosen the bolts that hold it to the manifold. Does anyone have a torque spec for the pipe rail bolts? I may be making a bad assumtion that bolting is the problem, so other suggestions are welcome!