MarioC

BMW's dont really get show their teutonic mastery till the 5series IMHO. The 3series is a decent well built car but for the money there are much better values out there, they tend to hold value ok but parts are even more expensive than Lexus parts. Now the car my brother got for his wife for safety reasons was the 4 wheel drive BMW 5 series, good deals can be had on a 3-4 year old one and I must say that car is amazing. The IS is really a trick little car have her drive one and see what she says. This may get me in trouble with my wife if she reads this but while its important to get what makes her happy, sometimes they dont know whats really gonna make her happy, especially when it comes to cars. Sure BMW's are "Cute" but when my wife drove one-3 series-she hated the ride and complained the seat was too stiff so even tho the toyota avalon 2003 was bigger than she wanted she loved the ride and comfort and with the low deck height and shorted rear end on the avalon compared to the LS we have, she thought it was a smaller car. 3 cents MarioC BTW if I remember correctly the 318 we drove had TONS of cheapo plastic in the interior.

19-22 City drivingn with my new baby 91 ls400 and loving every minute of it ^^ Ive been stepping on it quite a bit lately after fixing all the problems I had on the way home with it. Mileage is about what i expected from the V8 and after using 98 octane and the lucas fuel injector cleaner on it it seems to feel a bit peppier. The previous owner took great care of it but he being almost 75 I doubt he ever really stepped on the gas like I have been the last week. thread hijack, is there any other additive or cleaner that will improve mileage or responsiveness that I can use safely? -ive never been a believer in slick 50 or any other "miracle" product- MarioC

Well from a newbies perspective-having just bought a ls400 with less than 100K miles-I couldnt be happier with the car. Even thought I had to put in another 400 bucks after paying for it the ride quality and luxury is better than my Fiancee's old car 2000 toyota camry and better than her new car a 2003 toyota avalon. Now the ls was a car a dreamed of when I could only afford a yugo-please dont laugh so getting one,even at this age, represents a milestone of sorts for my automotive dreams ^^ :D The investment required to keep a car of this quality is vastly lower than that of a new car that depreciates the second you get off the lot as stated above and with huge insurance premiums. Getting someone you trust to work on the car is very important as stated above as well and with the right amount of preventative maintenance will last you a long time. MarioC 1991 LS 400 White with black leather interiour 97K and loving it.

Wow your undercarriage looks cleaner than my kitchen! Just curious as what you did to get it so clean? MarioC

Mario, that's why you're here, and will probably be on here for a very long time....These guys know these cars better than the manufacturer does! I'll make a prediction here, from my own personal experience.... You'll suffer a bill from the dealership for something simple.....at which time you'll say to yourself "for that kind of money, I could have purchased all the tools required, and parts, spent 2 hours of time in the garage fixing it, and save myself a butt load of money." If you're on here, it's only a matter of time before you'll be at Sears buying tools. When I bought mine, I had a basic socket set. Now, I've got two lifts, air compressor, air tools "including a air hammer that nobody will let me use!" and a bunch of other tools...All this for less than the price of a dealership standard brake service. The thing about these cars, is that about 80% of the repairs needed are so simple and easy to do, that you can do them yourself. Yes I think I am headed in that direction as well-just bought a house to put the tools in-but in the short term in in a small bind. My brother lives 2 hours away and has offered to hep me get the car running if I get the parts, Ive found the parts in chicago fairly cheap but the problem is getting the car there. If I charge-or ask the dealer to charge-the battery completely will I be able to make it off the battery running ignition for about 2 hours or will I sputter in the middle of a cornfield? If I dont use any lights or ac or radio for that trip think I can make it for 2 hours? Mario Cuomo

Thanks for all the replies everyone. I checked with the dealer-since im still at work-and they said that the PS is still leaking, in fact the mechanic got a little defensive with me about all the questions I asked, so Im definately getting the car outta there. I wish I was handy and had a the tools/lift to do the work at home so im left with trying to find a indie place to do the work for me. I may try buying the PS you guys recommended and get the alternator rebuilt to save some moolah ^^ thanks for all the help guys :D

Not sure SK, its still at the dealer tho I may get it towed outta there tommorow. Ill check if its still leaking when I get it home, was hard to see much at midnight after driving for 5 hours when it broke down.

Well you gents were right, PS leaked onto alternator frying alternator. Dealer wants 1500 to fix :o After speaking to the previous owner he told me had the Powersteering lines replaced a year ago at a cost of 450 dollars. He didnt have that work done at a dealer but at a local shop where the car used to live. He offered to call them and see if they would take any responsibility for their work. Otherwise the car has to sit for a while in my driveway-once I get it towed-till I can find someone else locally here to fix it for ALOT cheaper since I cant really afford that much right now with my wedding fast approching. If anyone knows a good reputable mechanic someone near Indianapolis Indiana please let me know. 1991 LS400 White ext. with black leather interior 97k on odometor and holding...... BTW offtopic has anyone used this clickable smile recently? :snoooorrrtttt: made me laugh when I saw it on the extended list.

Thx for the replies and encouragement everyone. Ill let you guys know what they say in the morning. :whistles: Crosses fingers it doesnt cost a grand

thx for the reply-the previous owner did tell me he had a power streering leak a year or two ago that he added fluid to that didnt leak again >< hope its not that that sounds so expensive MC

Well, Recently I purchased a 1991 LS 400 with only 97K on the OD. I was very excited to get such a clean car owned by a elderly person-whom I know well- On the way home, 2 states away, I broke down 1 mile before my exit on the hwy lol. AAA towed me to a lexus dealer where I dropped off the car overnight-since it was midnight- and I eagerly await the details. So the car was running fine with no warning lights visible on the dash when the lights go off radio and all accessory lights dim as the car starts to stutter then die. It wasnt exhibiting any strange behavior up to this point and was cruising very nicely at 80mph. The car once stopped on the side of the road would not turn over, apparent lack of charge in the battery. Now the gas tank was below a quarter tank but the low gas light was not on. I checked the connections on the battery and they were a bit loosen than I would have liked it but once the AAA guy showed he tried jumping me. The engine started but after less than 2 or 3 minutes it would stutter and die in the same manner. We added gas in case the guage is off-it is a 15 year old car- but alas that was not the case. He surmised it could be the alternator, or possibly the fuel pump but with little else to go on Im awaiting the monday morning call from the dealer. Question- Anyone ever use Tom Wood Lexus in Indy? I know Lexus dealers treat customers very well but im afraid this is gonna cost me more than it would a local place. Question 2 - What should a alternator cost me on a first generation LS? Question 3 - Can you believe my luck>?, breaking down the first night I own the car ; ; :cries: *edit* tried to edit mispelled title, but couldnt figure it out lol