thisisludicrous

Follow-up - blake918's excellent description of what to do when the wood grain center console cover is out is spot-on. I wanted to add a quick note on how to get the wood grain console cover off. 1. Raise the full armrest all the way up, releasing from the bottom lever. 2. Put the gearshift lever is Neutral, you'll need the clearance to lift off the console cover. 3. The wood grain console cover has got 6 tabs, 3 on each side - 1 at the back end of the cover just in front of the flip-out cupholders, 1 at the beginning of the upward bend in the cover just in front of the gearshift selector, and 1 at the top of the cover just underneath the stereo head unit. Similar to other suggestions on the board, use a wide-edged prying tool (I used a 1" chisel, putty knife is also suggested by others), beginning at the back, prying carefully at each side, straight up from the center console. Holding onto both sides when possible, pry up and lift back, in small bites, so hopefully nothing gets cracked, slow and steady wins the race here. The black trim ring surrounding the gearshift lever will come up with the console cover, it's not attached to the gearshift lever base, as I thought originally. To clarify, removing the ashtray in a 1995 or newer LS400 does NOT involve pulling on the sides of the ashtray, as it seems to with the Gen 1 cars. You must remove the console cover to get to the back of the ashtray (to fix the short, in my case). If you simply pull hard enough on this ashtray, you'll just break something. Last note - those goofy little springs that open the ashtray - the ashtray actually has small - very subtle - embossed lines to show you which spring goes where on which side. One spring has a 90 degree bend on one end, I think that goes on the left hinge (as you're looking at the front of the ashtray). The other spring does not have any bend on either end, I believe that goes on the right hinge. Not a huge deal, though, if you don't get either one back on, just one of those details that bothers a nutcase like me. Thanks to the board and its archives for all the help!

Hi folks - I've searched the forum as best I can with the new Google search tool. My #11 fuse keeps blowing, knocking out my clock (okay) and my a/c (not okay in July). I'm almost positive it's the cigarette lighter, I can feel and hear that its loose, and I've got to get to it. I've found an excellent post by blake918 that tells me what to do once I've got the wood grain off the center console - http://us.lexusownersclub.com/forums/index...aded&start= but I don't know how to get the woodgrain off without breaking something. And I've found several topics with this link - http://carstereohelp.com/stereoremovalLexusLS400str1.htm - specific to 95-00 LS400 but they seem to have removed the part about stereo removal, leaving just amp removal. Is there an idiot-proof post that has this procedure from start to finish? Or can someone explain how to remove the woodgrain without breaking it? Thanks in advance for any responses.

This is one of my precious few areas of expertise on our cars. Same thing happened to me, my mechanic told me I needed a new coolant tank cap. Sounded too easy, but I let him top off the tank and put on a new cap - and it worked. Don't let me talk you out of the coolant flush, but I wouldn't try to overthink the problem until you try this easy fix for less than $15. There are a few threads on this in the archives, if I was my proficient at searching and linking, I'd provide the link. At the risk of sounding immodest, try using the search for "thisisludicrous," and that should bring up my thread on this topic, at least. Best of luck.

This post is simply for posterity, in case anybody else searches for this info in the future, photoinc and blake918 helped immensely in describing how the heck to get the lower glove box out and then get the CD player out. I just wanted to say thanks and tack on blake's response to my pm plea: "It looks like the poster stopped at the step when you pull the lower glove box out. If you are wanting to take the changer out completely.... After the lower glove box it out, you'll need to pull the woodgrain trim out which I am pretty sure is held in just with some philips screws (I know two are in the little storage cubbies at the top of the cd changer glove box) and the glovebox door (I think it is also just held in with philips screws). Once, the glove box door and woodgrain come out, I believe there are 3 or 4 nuts/bolts that hold the changer in. Unplug the changer, and it will slide right out, and you can disassemble it to remove your cartridge. I think what Photonic wrote plus my $.02 should get you going." Thanks very much again, my librarian and I both appreciate it.

According to the archives, lots of folks have had this one - Error Code 13 on the radio display, CD cartridge not ejecting. I know I've got to pull the changer and use the manual release button on the bottom, available on the 95-97 models. I just have no idea how the @#*%^ to get to it. I've asked for the pictures from PIONEERSUBY but he may be away from the computer or on vacation - haven't heard anything in a few days. I wouldn't be in such a hurry if I didn't have multiple CDs, all borrowed from my local library and now overdue, stuck in the cartridge, costing me $ each day they're stuck in there. My librarian is not sympathetic to my situation, with no sense of humor. Any advice or pictures or help of any kind would be appreciated in getting that lower glovebox off so I can get to the bottom of the CD changer. Many thanks in advance for any responses.

According to the archives, lots of folks have had this one - Error Code 13 on the radio display, CD cartridge not ejecting. I know I've got to pull the changer and use the manual release button on the bottom, available on the 95-97 models. I just have no idea how the @#*%^ to get to it. I've asked for the pictures from PIONEERSUBY but he may be away from the computer or on vacation - haven't heard anything in a few days. I wouldn't be in such a hurry if I didn't have multiple CDs, all borrowed from my local library and now overdue, stuck in the cartridge, costing me $ each day they're stuck in there. My librarian is not sympathetic to my situation, with no sense of humor. Any advice or pictures or help of any kind would be appreciated in getting that lower glovebox off so I can get to the bottom of the CD changer. Many thanks in advance for any responses.

Many thanks again for the responses, I'll ask him to take a very close look for sticky slider pins, etc. I'm afraid my driver's ed teacher left us effectively scarred with several bits of dogma, one of them being to never drive with your left foot in an automatic trans car, so no, not "resting" left foot on brake. But I like alternate solutions being considered!

This will be my third set of front rotors (always OEM replacements) in a little over 4 years of ownership, about 60k miles. I complained to my indie mechanic and he suggested it might be something wrong with the master cylinder. I know ZERO about the master cylinder, can it possibly be set too tightly, to squeeze too hard, creating too much heat that warps the rotors? He can diagnose this somehow? I live in the mountains, yes, and drive slightly faster than most, yes, but 3 sets in 4 years just seems wrong. The wife's Toyota Sienna minivan has had only ONE brake job in more than 5 years of ownership, and she drives just like me. Anything else that might be out of place to cause the extra heat/warping? Axle? Sticky calipers? Many thanks in advance for any input.

Here's why I love this board - Sunday afternoon, the only time I get a couple of minutes to look at my car in an attempt to find out where the buckle for the rear center seat has disappeared to (I will MAKE 3 child car seats fit back there!), and I can't figure out how to remove the back seat cushion. Online, I do a quick search (ALWAYS search first, 99% of the time, somebody else has needed the same help you now need). And the boards reward me. http://us.lexusownersclub.com/forums/index...c=19752&hl= I quit pussyfooting around, follow agc's and branshew's instructions, yank like hell, and it pops right out. I was too afraid to do that without directions earlier. Where else am I gonna get this kind of information on a Sunday afternoon? I couldn't do this without the forum unless we all lived on the same street - which, lets face it, would be a little strange...some of us are pretty scary. But how cool would it be to see an LS in every driveway you passed?! Many thanks to all the contributors and moderators that make this such a great resource for the owners.

The short answer is an unfortunate, "no." There is a fix, but it ain't easy - http://www.cureline.net/lex/audio/howto_li..._hu_pioneer.htm The site's author goes so far as to recommend that people don't attempt this. Unless you want to go aftermarket, welcome to the world of night-time-radio-by-touch.

As always, thanks gentlemen. Your info was spot on. Sewell's got my money, but I'll have to wait a few days extra for the UPS truck. The disturbing news was that I had called several dealerships that SKPerformance had mentioned, and none had any 4N1 in stock, then they all said the same thing, that the Lexus National dealership database claimed the paint to be "Discontinued" and "No longer available." Even Sewell could not provide me with an 'original' touch-up tube of paint. I spoke w/ the manager there who told me that my order would be computer-matched to the color, and sent in a 1.0-2.0 oz. can for me to apply. I suppose it's the best I can do - the other places also mentioned computer-matched paint, but the smallest increment I could get was 1 US quart, just a tad more than I actually need, so I passed on those offers. So, that's the bad news for us owners of older models - Lexus seems to be giving up on the support of those colors. To be fair, everyone I spoke w/ said this was the first they had seen of a paint color being discontinued. I have a sneaking suspicion that it won't be the last, though. Unless, of course, this is all just a big conspiracy against me... Thanks again!

I need to touch up a small spot on the roof - no idea how it got there. The closest dealer is almost 2 hours away. Dealer says there's no Toyota cross reference for a '95 LS400 code 4N1 (Crystal Quartz Metallic), at least they cross referenced the lower cladding (dark taupe). Dealer says they can't ship the paint via USPS (hazardous/toxic/flammable) and they'll need at least 2 weeks notice to order the stuff for me if I want to show up in person. I occasionally am in the same town as the dealer, but I usually don't have two weeks notice that I'll be there myself. And a $6 can of touch-up paint just doesn't merit nearly 4 hours in the car by itself. Any ideas? Any other way to get this can shipped to me? Many thanks in advance.

I too am very pleased with the new LS. But I've got to call a spade a spade. While the body is beautiful, it is also uncannily similar to the 7-series that debuted 4 years ago. I have never had any qualms with my LS ripping off the best of Mercedes' S-class. If the Japanese can build a better, less expensive, more reliable mousetrap, I'm buying. Going forward, I will continue to have no qualms with my FUTURE LS ripping off the 7-series. Long Live The LS! Now, let's hope these attachments work...

I had the same problem on my '95 LS400. Even though I was just a tad low on coolant, my indie shop insisted that all I needed was a top off AND a new coolant resevoir cap, with a fresh gasket. I didn't believe them, but let them go ahead with their plans. My feet have been nice and toasty for 2 years now at idle, stoplights, etc,...and I'm finally beginning to believe my mechanic... Give it a shot, it's only a couple of bucks.

Gents, thanks for the advice and comments. Based on what I've read and heard, here and elsewhere, I think I'll just start with the struts (NOT KYB, I'll find OEM or Tokico, thanks!) and see what that feels like. I'll go with OEM springs for the moment. I've heard fantastic things about the TEIN coilovers, but that's a tad more change that I've got rattling around in my pockets right now for this project. NC211, the shop I use in Western North Carolina is 'Mostly Toyota' in Asheville. The people there are terrific, fair and honest. I used to travel to Raleigh regularly for sales meetings, and you have my sympathy for the condition of your roads, not Detroit-like, but hardly pleasant. Now, where to find the springs...? I've seen the Tokico structs on Ebay, but not OEM springs? I'll check the vendors on this site first. Thanks again.