wandawoods

I was the one who posted the "glue gun" solution in 2006, and 2-1/2 years later, the "cone" in my subwoofer still going good with no buzzing! can't beat 5-cents solution like that ;) ... http://us.lexusownersclub.com/forums/index...st&p=210068

yes, I saw that guide before, but it lists 19"/20" wheels only for SC430. thanks anyway.

Hi Guys, will this set of 4 wheels fit my 03 SC430: 2x Front Wheels 18x8 10-Spokes, 5-lug, 4-1/2 Bolt Patter, 45mm Offset, 6-3/8 Back Space 2x Rear Wheels 18x8.5 10-Spokes, 5-lug, 4-1/2 Bolt Patter, 50mm Offset, 6-13/16 Back Space they are replacing the stock "pie plate" wheels with P245/40ZR-18 Continental ContiExtreme on them now. I do want to keep the tires since they are just 5000 miles new. obviously, I also need to know whether the 4 tires can match the 4 new rims. thanks in advance!

I myself was wondering about whether the 95-97 was a interference or non interference engine as it was my understanding prior to now that is was an interference engine. Anyone can be mistaken here, but that certainly does not mean that they're deliberately spreading misinformation. I agree with VMF that condemning and accusing someone of deliberately misleading others is totally uncalled for. If someone is wrong or another is correct, that can be easily established with a distillation of the facts. I've been on enough boards where there's a lot of rancor. What's nice about these boards is that everyone is cordial. I'd like to see it stay that way. havn't visited the forums for a while, and looks like this infamous "NI vs Interference" debate is flaring up again! in short, 2nd Gen 1UZFE (1995~1997 LS400) is definitely an INTERFERENCE engine, don't take chances! almost 2 years ago, we, the old timers, had a very long and heated discussions: http://us.lexusownersclub.com/forums/index...showtopic=25946 member JPI who did lots of 1UZFE engine repairs finally reported that "Valves slight touch the pistons" in a 95 LS400 engine he was working on at that time: http://us.lexusownersclub.com/forums/index...25946&st=59 well, IMHO, no matter how slightly it can be, as long as pistons can contact valves, it still can cause great damages, and no way it can be called "non-interference". also, the service manual for my 97 LS400 does have this exact warning "piston head and valve head can make contact" if crank pulley is not turned before removing timing belt. thus, it's pretty convincing to me that it's an interference engine and we must take cautions accordingly.

type T-IV is to replace type T-I/II/III (discontinued) and it's backward compatible to all older generations.

we had a long discussion regarding "red vs green coolant" back in 2004: http://us.lexusownersclub.com/forums/index...?showtopic=6420 despite all coolant are ethylene glycol based, the main difference is the corrosion inhibitors added. regular green coolant use phosphate/silicates additives vs Toyota stock red coolant uses organic acid technology (OAT) additives. you really shouldn't mix them when topping off coolant because phosphate and OAT will cancel out with each other and leaves you no corrosion protection. you can change coolant between red and green after 100% flush, but you just don't mix them.

info/pictures on 2008 SC430 Pebble Beach Edition: http://clublexus.com/forums/showthread.php?t=300654

I recall mine was that the needle would rise only to 1/3 even tank was full. didnt pay attention to low-fuel light... changing capacitors is very inexpensive, and relatively easy to do. was it me, I would do that first since we know very well that those capacitors are definitely going to fail over time, if not failed already.

well, gas gauge failure due to defective C142/C147 electrolytic capacitors on circuit board behind instrument cluster is very common on 1st gen LS400. I fixed mine on the 94 LS400 I used to own few years back. instruction as below: http://us.lexusownersclub.com/forums/index...?showtopic=5822

98 LS4 engine is VVT-i which is definitely an "interferenced" engine ==> broken timing belt = bent valves = BIG $$$$ if tb was not replaced yet at 134k, you are really pushing your luck!

congrat! nothing in whole world is more important than a happy wife! :D comes spring, wife is going to get a red SC430 for which she has been longing quite a while.... B)

few years ago, I had my mech done just that on a 94 LS400 I used to own. if you purchase the "straight" conversion kit such as the one from Strutmasters', and follow Lextreme's tutorial: http://www.lextreme.com/ascon.html it shouldn't be too hard to DIY, and no modifications required. I recall the most difficult thing my mech had to do was to remove the back seat in order to get to the rear pair of struts. other than that, the job was pretty straigt forward.

just recently, I swapped all 4 tires/rims between my 97 LS4 (225/R16/60) and 96 SC4 (225/R16/55). both cars had no issues at all.

your good advices to your younger peers deserve a giant size thumb up! guess what my 10-year son got from his old man on his 10th birthday last month? other than a shinny nintendo DS, he also receive a $5K ROTH IRA in his own name. yes, Roth for a 10-year-old! don't ever under-estimate the power of acummulating saving for retirement! $5K today can turn into over half a million wealth when he retires at 65 wihtout even adding a dime in next 55 years: http://www.finance.cch.com/sohoApplets/RothIRA.asp I could write a $65K check for a spanking new LS460 without breaking a sweat and no stupid car loan needed either. but why I would want to do such foolish thing? I'm perfect fine with the 02 LS430 I just picked up from eBay! it looks new, feel new, and it drives like new, make folks turning head like new, yet someone over Texas paid the 1st $30K for me! can't really beat that! AND guess what? if I had given my sons the $30K saving from not buying a brand new LS460, he is going to have 3.4 million dollars in his Roth account at age 65! and best of all, the 3.4mil is entirely tax free! can't never be too early to plan your retirement!

Bill Gates' old 90 LS400 for sale on eBay: http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Lexus-LS-LS...sspagenameZWDVW if a LS400 was good enough for Bill Gates, who prolly is rich enough to buy entire Lexus division from Toyota, a LS430 is definitely good enough for all of us!

there is very good chance that the drive belt tensioner is making the noise. I had been thru this for my 96 SC400 (basically the same 1UZFE engine and components). brand new drive belt, new pulley...etc. but they didn't help to rid of the ultra annoying squeaking noise. it turned out to be the drive belt tensioner! the bad news is that it's very labor intensive to replace the tensioner you will need to remove whole bunch of overlaping parts in order to reach it ! two major steps: must remove alternator because alternator and tensioner share one long bolt (the one in the top red circle shown in picture), and the alternator's sockets is positioned in front of the tensioner's socket: there are 2 pieces of plastic molds must be removed because they are overlapping belt tensioner assembly: 1. left CAM shaft cover 2. the piece between tensioner and idler. in order to remove these pieces, you must firstly remove timing belt cover, air intake, and one piece leads to another.... I bought the complete tensioner assembly (including a new pulley) from autozone (part#305255, made by Dayco, $65) for those about to do the timing belt job, you will want to add this tensioner to your list. otherwise it will takes hours of labor just to change out the tensioner alone.

just about the only flaw I found on the 02 LS430 I took delivery a week ago was the badly buzzing subwoofer. I took off the top cover (snap-on type), and found that the top foam rim had 3"~4" seperation from the rim wall. so, I pulled my hot-glue gun and patched the seperation (in fact, I went ahead to do a bead of hot-glue around the entire ring to make it even). hot-glue dries in minutes and it did cure the buzzing noise immediately even I cranked the bass to highest level!

its not really a "repair", it's doing proper maitainence. despite 91 LS4 is non-interferrence engine (broken TB will not produce bent valves), but you don;t really want to get stranded late at night in nowhere either. if you are planning any long trip in a near future, or planning to keep the car for a while, then change it now, I would say. mind you to replace 3x oil seals and drive belt bearing (not just pulley) while tackling the TB jobs.

even the 6k~8k extra will still make it less pricey than comparable s-class, plus you are getting a heck of car with super reliability, AND you can sleep very well knowing it worth every penny you spend. no more nightmares of owning a $80K junk....

it seems that you have eyed the 06 LS430 only. 07 LS460/460L debuts on Oct/20, are you sure you don't want a LS460? according the brochure I picked up from a local lex dealer this morning, it comes with these standard equipments (base trim): 4.6L V8, 380hp, 8-speed tranny, smart access/push button Start, eletrical parking brake, 10-speakers premium sound, 18-in wheels, dual-swivel adaptive front lights.

good lord, indeed! I am so glad that I was able to rid off the mercedes "itches" ocurred when I was still 30 someting! I thought I was just having bad luck with couple of S-class, but looks like lots of brand spanking new MB having issues from day 1! I switched from MB to Lex over 4-year ago, and couldn't be happier. in fact, I just took deliver of a low-mile 02 LS430 (my 5th lex in 4-years) this morning and it drives like a brand new car fresh from factory, all gadgets are working like a champ! :D run fast to Lex dealer, you will never regret that!

exactly 7-days after I hit the buy-it-now button on eBay, I took delivery of 2002 LS-430 this Sunday morning, and I'm more than pleased! :) surprisingly, it came with full-tank of gas, the 4 brand new Michelin Energy MXV4 tires (saves me $500!), 17" 7-spoke Chrome wheels are shining and perferct, and set of 5 keys (saving of a few hundreds) are included. it's a 2002.5 (manuf. date is June-2002), interior is absolutly perfect with no sign of a 4-year old car whatsoever, and all buttons/switches/gadgets are in working order. all fluids are at proper level and appears fresh (just been thru 30k service), and most importantly, the driving quality is excellent: solid handling, solid brakes, very fast yet smooth acceleration, and no noise from susp. I like the "parchment crystal pearl" (white with a touch of grey) very much, it's not so "snow" white or hospital white, she is looking absolutely elegant despite very few chips which are expected for a 4-year old car, and they can be corrected by touch-up paints easily! will do "longer" test drive in next few days, take some pictures, and report back again. anyway, looks like my eBay luck (4x lex) continues! :D PS. just took her out for a 60-miles interstate ride at average speed of 85mph. I barely noticed the speed at all, and it's a very enjoyable ride and everything is kicking nicely. i was so excited that didn't realize I forgot to bring my wallet. fortunately, no cop around... :whistles:

that's a frequent occurance on 1st gen LS4. see this DIY guide that I did 3-year ago to fix up the 94 LS4 I used to own: Precedure/pictures To Fix Steering Column Gear Box - 94 LS4

sure, it can be cheaper to buy an "over-driven" high-mile 02 with 75k~80K miles. however, at that kind mileage, you need to factor in the pending costs of 90k services, replacing suspension, brake, timing belt...the whole 9 yards! so after 1-year, total money out of your pocket will be much higher than buying a 02 LS430 at 31K miles only! also, $4K below KBB private party is hardly paying a PREMIUM for a 02 LS430 with low mileage. BTW, call me CW is fine! "Wanda" doesn't sound right for a 47-year old male!

talking about MB, I owned 2 S-class (88 420SEL/93 400SEL) before, all ended up with mount Everest size dispointments, so I switched to lexus 4 years ago and never looked back those MB junks! I wish I could drive her back here from TX, but my 80~100hr/week work load just can't allow me to do that. anyway, money is wired, transportation ($695) is paid, it should arrive this weekend or monday the latest! :)