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DanW

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Everything posted by DanW

  1. Denver! HTH be_11.pdf
  2. Nothing at all? No click, no nothing? The LS will do that if you're not in park, or if it thinks its not in park....dirty switch maybe. If the dash lights up, and you twist to start and nothing happens, that'd be my guess.
  3. The de-icer that is used around Denver (and probably many other cities) is magnesium chloride, and it murder on unfinished metal. (As a de-icer it actually works pretty good) Many car wheel are not finished on the rims, where the tire bead seats, and this stuff corrodes the heck out of it. On my LS400, I have one rim that is a major problem, one that is minor, two that seem ok so far. And the spare is about new. The problem is that the corrosion causes the bead to not seat properly and the tire slow leaks. This substance obviously was not widely used as a de-icer when toyota designed these things. So.... 1) Does anyone know if this can be fixed? 2) Are there any good option on refurb/refinished oem wheels for the 1st gen ls400? I never like any of the aftermarket ones...just me. 3) Do the LS430 wheels have this problem? As a temp fix, I may swap out the malignant one with the spare, and put the spare on a cheap oem rim. Thanks for any help.
  4. DanW, Thank you for the notes. Have you noticed any change in performance, i.e. fuel economy? Thanks, glenmore 1990 LS400 1991 300CE 2000 C280 Performance, no. Fuel Economy, about 1 mpg overall. Seems like mileage is less sensitive to cold weather that it was last year. Best part, that pesky CEL doesn't come on!
  5. This is a belated post, since I did this about 6 weeks ago. Just wanted to wait and see if it fixed things. It did. Got code 25 one day and everything ran like it usually does. Just fine. Most likely oxygen sensors. www.lexls.com has a super article on how to change primary and seconday o2 sensors. I took all 4 out, and replaced them with the Walker ones without plugs from www.oxygensensors.com. Again, see www.lexls.com. One of my primary sensors was shot. The other was close. The secondaries were probably fine, but they are cheap. A few notes on the process: Mine appeared to be original. At 198K, that's incredible. They are not hard to get out, but the o2 socket sold at oxygensensors.com (part 25001) will not fit the OEM primaries. It is not deep enough...the OEM ones are huge. However, it is very handy for getting the Walker primaries (particularly the one behind the sterring rack) tightened back in. It fits the Walker sensors nicely. You'll need a 7/8"or 22mm combo wrench with a nice long shank....longer is better. Its not a hard process, but it takes a while since you don't have a lot of room to work. Splicing the wires on the Walker ones without plugs is not big deal, adds maybe an hour to the process. Basic soldering skills really. Hope that helps.
  6. Mine did that until I replaced the outer tie rod ends and got it aligned. Only one of them really needed replaced actually, made a big difference. Mine has front end damage too, but now it tracks nice and straight.
  7. There are some threads on this, but since the search mechanism won't let you search for words under 4 letters, searching for 71 is a challenge. Test the egr valve by applying a vacuum while the engine is idling. the engine should hesitate and maybe die. If it does, you're egr valve is fine. you can just suck on the vaccum tube....but keep in mind the gasses this system recirculates. the port you want to apply a vacuum to is on the very top of the egr valve on a 90-93, seems like 94+ was different so I dunno. If the EGR valve is ok, most likely your egr vacuum modulator needs replaced. It cost about 70 bucks and takes like 5 minutes. I think this and the egr valve are unitized in a 94+, since my service manual is for a 94 and doesn't show them as seperate. Neither did the one at the lexus dealer. Was code 71 intermittent (CEL on again, off again) for a while? That's almost certainly vacuum modulator. If it just came on and stayed on one day, could be the egr pipe cracked.
  8. Let me be the first to say I'm glad you're ok. I had a wreck just like that...waiting to turn left....except it was back in 1998. Got hit by a Sunbird that totalled. Girl that hit me (actually someone I knew!) brakes failed and darn near flew threw the windshield. I also had some neck pain. It went away in a week or so. If it doesn't please go see a doctor. Again....glad you're alright. My dad always said 'the car can be replaced'.
  9. By '2/5ths' I assume we're talking about the second mark up from cold. The temp never stays below 1/5th for very long, even when its 0 degrees out. Mine runs close to or at 2/5 most of the time, just a hair over when its like 100 degrees out. It's not really even warmed up until 1/5th. Sounds like your car runs fine. The ls400 is a little bit quirky...there will be many more non-problems to worry about but ultimately you'll love owning it!
  10. That's interesting....according to carfax this car began its life in california. I didn't know code 71 was only a CA thing....these days most places are a lot stricter on emissions than they were in 92, so in a way its probably nice to know when the egr is malfunctioning....Denver is getting pretty tough on the issue.
  11. For anyone else who is having the same symptoms, I finally got around to caring about this. Everything I could gather suggested the EGR vaccum modulator failing caused this intermittent CEL and code 71, with the CEL eventually coming on for good. Amonth or so ago I took the vaccum modulator out and soaked it in seafoam for a few hours. Let it dry overnight. Pulled the EFI fuse to turn the CEL off. The CEL came back on almost immediately, code 71, and it never went off again for over 1000 miles!! Trying to clean it actually seemed to make it worse. Then I was on vacation for 2 weeks and sort of didn't care. Last week I replaced the vaccuum modulator (cost about $70 and takes about 5 minutes). I have had the car out for 3 drives and CEL has not come back on yet. I took apart the old VM and it was all cruddy and the spring was corroded bad. The new one felt much more 'springy' when I tapped it on a table. Hope that helps.
  12. Thanks for the replies. It almost sounds like I shouldn't worry about it. Its not that loud, so turning on the radio or even the AC on medium or high 'fixes' it. I'm not losing any brake fluid, and the booster itself pumps up solid with the engine not running....doens't leak....it's just annoying.
  13. had the same problem with an 02 gs 300 it was bad had to be replaced lucky it was still under warranty When you say it was 'bad' what does that mean? Did it or will it eventually fail? Thanks for the info.
  14. Oh and by the way, it only happens when you depress the brake pedal, and only sometimes (maybe every 3rd or 4th time)
  15. My power brake booster makes this annoying buzzing sound....doesn't do it all the time. Its sort of a faint, high pitch buzzing or squealing sound. Engine doesn't have to be running. I'm sure its coming from the booster. Testing per the factory manual, it doesn't seem to be leaking. Has made this sounds since I bought the car over a year ago and doesn't seem to be getting any worse, its just annoying. Any ideas? Its just starting to get on my nerves...
  16. Dan, thanks very much...sadly, that's pretty much exactly what I did. I had problems getting the strut up past the axle when installing. So much so that I kept thinking that I must be doing it wrong. Well, hopefully I learned enough so that it will be easier. Joe That part was tricky...I recall that rotating the strut 90 degrees from where it should be helped get it down past the axle.... also moving the carrier up and down helps slide it through. I think I just experimented with those two until it went it. Its a very tight fit unless you take the axle off.
  17. I had this happen once. I pushed on the door over the gas cap a couple times and felt something pop...then the next time I pulled the level on the dash, everything worked fine. Hope that helps.
  18. I did this last year to replace conventional with conventional....is that what you're doing? 1) remove rear seat 2) lift the car and remove the wheel 3) remove the upper end of the sway bar link 4) remove the 19MM bolt on the bottom end of the strut. This will be on very tight, mind the brake line 5) remove the 3 bolts on top (do not mess with the one in the center) you probably don't have to remove the package tray...I got a 14mm socket wrench under there just fine. 6) work the axle carrier up and down and pull the strut down through it as far as you can, sliding it past the axle...mine the rubber boot. Then pull the top of the strut toward you and out from under the fender. putting a jack under the axle carrier to control the height of it when your installing the new strut is very helpful. I think that's about it......hope that helps. Again, that was removing a conventional stut, I wouldn't think the air struts are in there much differently except for the air lines and stuff.
  19. And to beat this dead horse.... Today I replaced the left side UCA and tie rod end. Now it steers like new, but both UCAs and the left tie rod end went in the spare parts box. The right tie rod I replaced yesterday had the most dramatic impact.
  20. Thanks for posting that! I was curious enough last weekend (curious enough to start taking things apart )that my plugs and wires had never been replaced (at 195K) mostly because the wires all said "1992" on them, and the car is a '92....but that must just be random conincedence. Found some aftermarket wires and Bosch platinums that don't look very old. If yours still ran that good with original plugs then maybe there was no need for my concern!
  21. Just to update this thread.... I was suspicious that the right side suspension was causing the sloppiness when turning left, and I was correct. Today I replaced the right side UCA and outer tie rod. That really helped...left turns are tight as a drum. Now right turns actually feel a bit loose (though not as bad as the left turn was), but I suspect after I change the right side this week (I just didn't have time today for both sides) the steering will be like new. A few notes on the process. 1) pishta is right, the tie rods likely have the most impact. The ball joint on the UCA on the right side was turnable with my fingers, but actually feels rather smooth, boot looks good, and the bushings look decent. I'm keeping the old UCA in my spare parts box. I already bought the new parts, so whatever. The ball joint on the tie rod was almost mush. It looks like the boot wore away (or someone used a pickle fork on it) and it was just completely trashed. 2) you do not need to removed the strut to change the UCA. This was mentioned on an earlier thread I can't seem to find right now. Remove the upper end of the sway bar link from the sway bar, and take off the three bolts on top of the strut (under the hood). Put a jack under the steering knuckle (or LCA or whereever underneath there, just to provide support) and lower everything until the top bolts clear the frame of the car. This will allow enough play to get a socket on the bolts that hold the UCA on. I would reccommend at least a 20" breaker with a 17mm 6pt. socket and liquid wrench. They will be on very tight! also, it will be a tight fit, so try not to have to use any 1/2-3/8 drive adapters or anything like that, not even the really short ones. 3) mark the tie rod end with the wife's nail polish before you take it off. There is a nut on the inner tie rod that snugs it (and since I'm not a real mechanic I don't know what its called) and if you put nail polish behind that (toward the steering rack) you can replace the outer tie rod to right where it was. 4) the 'pitman arm puller' from autozone is what I used to pull the UCA and the tie rod. Something a little smaller might be nicer for the tie rods...but the pitman arm puller will work fine. 5) by the way make sure you tie the steering knuckle to something (the strut works fine) when removing the uca as to not mangle the brake line! Hope that helps.
  22. My 92 ls400 seems to work its way out of alignment fairly easily.... It is due for its second front end alignment in less than a year. This time, and last time, the wheel is cockeyed to the right, and the car feels great turning right at highway speeds, and wanders turning left at highway speeds. If you just point it down the road....it actually doesn't pull right or left. I do know that my right upper ball joint is very worn (can turn it with my fingers) but I don't get any clunking up there.... does anyone know if this ball joint can cause alignment problems?
  23. Interesting that this is what happened when I bought their passive stuts last year. Two were defective, I had to send them back, and they told me that they "tested out fine" whatever that means... Of the two replacements, one was still assembled wrong and I finally got it adjusted at a strut shop at my expense. And they're not even that great! Very sensitive to temperature. Good for you to buy OEM. Everytime I don't to save a few bucks (or a thousand) I kick myself. There's another thread on here about their UCAs that isn't very positive either.
  24. I keep having to revive this thread because turn signals are the only problem I'm having with this car on a regular basis. Again my turn signals started not coming on all the time. So I thought the new flasher I just put in was failing again. This morning I replaced it and still nothing. I finally realized that if you put some pressure on the fuse itself (sideways) it works fine, otherwise it doesn't seem to close the circuit. Swapped it out with other 7.5 fuses and same thing. So I put a folded up piece of paper in there to apply some sideways pressure, everything works fine. So there is something odd about the fuse plug itself. Please note from the beginning of this thread that that particular fuse was a bent piece of wire for an unknown amount of time. This is probably didn't help matters. Anyway, since I'm the turn signal expert now....if your turn signals stop working: 1) check the fuse 2) wiggle the fuse gently back and forth if that doesn't help..... 3) see if there is voltage from the fuse plug to a ground the the turn signal lever is up or down 4) if yes, the switch on the steering column is fine. if no, the switch is probably bad....double/triple check this measurement 5) if the switch is fine and fuse is fine, its probably the flasher burnt out. The fuse is a fuse and the flasher is about 10 bucks, so be 100% certain whether or not the switch on the steering column works, as it is like 200+ bucks.
  25. Have you noticed any effect on your gas mileage or anything like that? I certainly haven't...it just doesn't seem to run any differently than it ever did. Its gone on and off a couple times since I posted that...definetely getting annoying but seems to run fine.
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