mejojo

All was fine with the car until I took it in to a shop due to A/C leak. They said they found a corroded O-Ring somewhere beneath the battery that had been ruined. So, they fixed that, and A/C is working great, but tonight while driving (100 miles after picking up the car) the battery drained out while I was driving. My suspicion is that the A/C guy unhooked something that connects the alternator to the battery and didn't hook it back up when he was done. For reasons of convenience, I'd like to find the problem myself rather than take it back to the shop, if possible. Any ideas what someone might have undone in the vicinity of the battery to do that service that would disconnect the charging system? Thanks much in advance for any help, Joe

Plus it looks more trick that way. Further investigation leads to a diagnosis of the infamous FAN BRACKET. Got a factory new unit for $195 + tax + $5 shipping on ebay. I think I will just replace this and go about my business until something else breaks. Question about the timing belt therapy pictorial, it seems that the radiator is gone very early, but rad removal only shows up at step #14, long after it appears that it must have already been gone awhile. Do I have this right? Joe

Well, might as well try the cheap and easy possibility first. There is no water leakage and not overheating, so I'm keeping my fingers crossed. I've got 200k on the original water pump and probably 100k+ on the timing belt, so I won't be surprised if I have a "bigger" job to do some time in the future. Thanks much for your advice. Joe

Thanks. I only got a look at the problem in the dark, and had looked at that tutorial last night, but I was afraid it wasn't quite as simple as it looks. I ordered a clutch 2-day FedEx shipping and should be able to do it this weekend. Looks like it could be a 30-45 minute job if I don't run into any obstacles like "tight spaces". This sound right? Joe

92 LS400. Fan bearing's gone out...wobbles at low RPM with bad noise...not too bad at higher rpm. Can just the fan bearing/clutch be replaced, or do you have to tear down the whole front? If the latter, it could use a timing belt job as well, but if just the fan can be replaced for a few hours work, I'd go that way. TIA, Joe

The antenna mast from AutoZone will (probably) not work. I tried that method and the one indicated in their database for my '92 did not fit. I ended up taking it back and doing the eBay thing. Even if the one from AutoZone had fit, it sure didn't look original, whereas the one from eBay absolutely looks original. Joe

TANSUPPLYMAN, Do you happen to have some extra cans of Maxifrig for sale? I called up and they want like $65 for 10 cans (minimum order) and $96 for 24 cans. Well, I don't need anywhere near that many, just looking for a few right now. If anyone else wants to try this stuff, I'd be happy to organize a case buy and then parcel them out. Let me know here. Joe

Problem with that theory is that the ECU was not "programmed for a certain type of fuel". Modern cars sense the grade of fuel and adjust accordingly. That's why they can and do run so well with lower grades. Gone are the days of wild pinging when putting regular in a car designed for premium. That isn't to say that all pinging is gone (I know that many people here have stated that their LS pings when they use lower grades), just that it's a whole different world since smarter computers have gotten into the act. (There should be some links to this information in previous gasoline threads if the great wipeout didn't kill them.) Joe

VMF, It would be helpful to many if you could reference the information on which you have based your statement. I've seen car manufacturs state that they design their cars to operate in places where premium gas is simply not available, so if there is a quantifiable detrimental effect caused by using the lower grades, I'd be interested to read about it. Thanks, Joe

Look into a product to hide the scratch. I've seen something on TV meant to "repair" scratches on eyeglasses. It's called Lens Clear or Lens Fixer or something like that. This might fix you up without buying and installing a new part. Joe

It doesn't take long at all for a pro to stitch leather. I'm guessing less than a half-hour to do the shifter, including cutting the leather. Even if it took 2 hours, that's still way too much. If I wanted this job done I would visit my local upholstery shop (you know, the little store front with the old guy behind the counter) or even a shoe repair shop if the proprietor knows his business. Couldn't hurt to ask. Joe

As for a full flush, you could keep adding water and then run that out until there's no more color. The purist would do the flush with distilled water so that any leftover water in the system would be ready for the new mix. Joe

Thanks very much for the offer...it is appreciated! I believe I've found a suitable object, so it's cool. Now I just have to buy the bushings. Cheers, Joe

UCF3, My point is that if the Mikado part looks like the original, then it's very preferable to me. And I'm not even a "purist" or "stickler". My LS400 is just my very reliable car that I've driven for a long time. I don't "love" it or anything. But the look of Jim's part bugs me. Joe

I was assuming that the metal sleeve inserted produced some pressure that expands the rubber a bit, and without the sleeve, the bushing could be removed more easily. That must not be the case, huh? I was trying to figure out what I have (that may be smaller than 33mm) that I could use for the job since I don't have a machine shop. Joe

Nice. One would deduce that there's more to it than whether it's EG-based. I'll go with the Toyota red stuff, myself. Joe p.s. For anyone who doesn't already know...if there's a Toyota place nearby, get it from there, NOT the Lexus dealer, unless your pockets are just too full. (of money)

VMF, Wandawoods states that there are green/yellow coolants that are ethylene glycol. Do you have knowledge that this is not true? If not, perhaps you should alter your advice to make it chemical content-based, rather than color-based in order to avoid mass confusion. Joe

Do you think using a "punch" that's only large enough to cover the inner metal sleeve would work as well to push out the sleeve and then the rubber comes out easy? Joe

It could be the control arm bushings or maybe something to do with a faulty strut. Is it just one side, or both? Maybe someone outside the car when you go over the obstacle would help isolate it. New control arms cost like $300 each, but you can buy new Daizen bushings for $99/side. I don't think anyone on this forum has gone the Daizen route (and written about it), but I'd sure try it. Daizen Bushings Labor has to be at least 2 hours per side whether you go with new control arms or replace the bushings. Joe

There are pictures posted of Jim's part. I haven't seen anyone post a picture of the Mikado part, but more than one person has stated that it looks like the original. Joe

My dealer had quoted me $260 for that job. It sounds to me like one of those "we can sell more if we just tell them they need it" kind of thing. I had no symptoms. I'll bet Mom didn't, either. Joe

Some people use whatever works (aka "doesn't knock") since modern engines adjust to gasoline quality. The downside is that you may lose something around 5-10% performance and get slightly lower mileage with standard grade gasoline. Other people use premium gasoline because it purportedly keeps your engine cleaner (I don't know whether that's been substantiated) or at least "my Lexus deserves nothing less". They also may calculate that if premium costs 20c per gallon more than standard (that's the case in my area) then a 20-gallon fillup a week only costs you $200/year in extra cost. (Of course, that's $2,000 over 10 years) Personally, I used to use Premium when my car was young and was worth $20,000-$30,000 and when gasoline cost less, but now that the market value of my LS400 is less than a handful of thousand bucks, it gets 87 and likes it. Joe

I believe he's saying that he machined a piece of metal into a "punch" that he used to press out the bushing. You can see the shiny silver circle in the picture that he's using with the 2-jaw. Joe

Is "rear trailing arm bushing" the same as "rear carrier bushing"? Joe

Why all the secrecy? What is EE2 and why is it valuable? What phones are "EE2"? Joe