Jump to content


philg

Regular Member
  • Posts

    15
  • Joined

  • Last visited

Everything posted by philg

  1. My fuses were not soldered in place. I pulled both and they looked fine. The rear lighter (power port in the center console) still works. I think that I shorted the actual lighter socket. I am going to look over the HVAC display panel disassembly instructions. Thanks, Phil
  2. I blew out my front cig lighter by using an electric air pump for too long. I checked the breaker and it is fine. I am wondering what I need to do to take the actual cig lighter out. The car is a 98 LS400. Does anyone have any links to a DIY writeup with pictures? Thanks in advance. -Phil
  3. One of the HID bulbs on my 98 LS400 went out. The local dealers do not have one in stock and are asking $350+ for the OEM bulb. Does anyone know of a reliable source for a bulb online? Also how badly will the bulbs differ if I only replace one rather than both bulbs?
  4. How do people feel about synthetic blend oil? Is it the best of both synthetic and organic or is it junk?
  5. My 98 has the height adjustment but not the damper setting adjustment. Do you know if that is unique to the 98 or did they get rid of the damper control for all of gen 2.5?
  6. Before getting the 98 LS400 my wife and I had a 93 LS400. Both have the optional air suspention. The 98 has just one adjustment for ride hight, while the 93 had a 2nd adjustment for damper setting (sport and normal.) A co-worker has a 430 with air suspention and that car also has the adjustable dampers. Does anyone know why Lexus took this option out of the 98? What other years had the sport/normal damper settings on the air suspention? I really miss the "sport" setting when driving in a more agressive manner as it made the car handle much better and also made it easier to go over speed bumps at about 5mph. Also does anyone have any thoughts on the air suspention vs. regular suspention in the 400 or 430?
  7. What really bothers me in my wife's car is that there is literally no action for the top 1/8 of pedal travel and that it is VERY easy to get the pedal all the way down to the floor. Is that still normal?
  8. The brakes on my wife's 98LS400 seems to be a bit too soft and mushy. We got the car about 1,000 miles ago and changed the brake fluid. When it went through inspection the mechanic did warn me that the brake booster may be near the end of its life as it was sqeaking intermitentily. When we first got the car I also noticed that the first 1/4 of pedal travel did not result in any braking action, since replacing the brake fluid that has reduced itself to the first 1/8 of pedal travel. When driving the car I notice that I push the pedal at least half way to 3/4 of the way down when making a slow gradual stop from 40mph or so. Is this normal?The pads and rotors were all within factory spec when the MD state inspection was done and I was told that they should have about 10-15k miles left on them before they need to be replaced. Does this sound like a problem with the booster or a more serious problem?
  9. How difficult would it be to change the plugs myself? How much of a chance of !Removed! things up exists for someone doing this for the first time, and what tools would be required?
  10. Shouldn't the plugs and plug wires have been replaced at the 90k mile service along with timing belt, water pump and all fluids?
  11. My DIY skills are limited to changing the air filter and checking tire pressure. A friend of mine is the service manager at an Accura dealer so I can get a discount on the labor and bring in my own parts. Keep in mind the car has had full factory recommended maintenance for the first 105k miles of its life. The previous owner probably did not do the full recommended service at 110k, 115k, 120k and 125k but used the car as a commuter on a 110 mile daily round trip and only had it for 7 months. I would like to do the minimal diligent maintenance to keep the car running well for the next 3 years and 50k to 60k miles and will likely sell it right around the 180k mile major service. So the basic recommendation is to get some Toyota type IV ATF fluid, a new fuel filter, and people are split 50/50 on doing the plugs. If I do decide to do the plugs is it also necessary to change the plug wires as these add a lot to the cost. I am guessing that the fuel filter is about $20 to $50 for the part, plus about $10 for the ATF fluid, and the plugs are about $6 a piece or another $50. That would take the total part cost to about $80 to $120 without the plug wires and about twice that with the plug wires, plus labor which I should be able to get for another $100 or so.
  12. My wife's 98 LS400 can sometimes take up to about 5 or 6 seconds to start when it has sat out in colder weather. When the car is warm it starts right away but if it has sat over night it usually takes about 5 seconds. Is this a sign of problems with the starter or is this not anything to worry about? Sorry about all of the newbie questions but I really appreciate having this forum.
  13. Thanks for the advice. I am still not sure if the plugs or transmition fluid were done by the previous owner. All recomended factory maintenance was done until april of 2006 when the car had its 105k mile service. From that point all I know is that the oil has been changed. Is there any way to determine if the transmition fluid is fresh? I can usually look at the oil on a dip stick and notice wether it is a clear/golden color or if it has been a few thousand miles and it is a bit darker, is there any similar test for the ATF? When I checked the ATF level it was perfect and the liquid on the dip stick was a red color. Also any similar method for checking the plugs?
  14. I recently bought a 98 LS400 and it is due for the 120k mile service. I am doing it in bits and pieces. I have done the air filter, oil, and am flushing the brakes. How important is it to do the spark plugs every 30k miles? Also how important is it to change the transmition fluid and is there any way to tell when it is ready for a change (discoloration similar to engine oil? or is there no such sign?)
  15. I recently purchased a 1998 LS400 with 125k miles. The car had a full maintenance history going to 110k when it was sold to the previous owner. He had the car for only 7 months and was using it as a long distance commuter (55 miles each way) and racked up 16k miles in the 7 months. He did not do any scheduled maintenance other than oil changes at a local shop. Since purchasing the car I have replaced the air filter and flushed the brakes. I know that the maintenance book calls for a complete fluid flush and for a spark plug replacement at 120k miles. I am wonderng if this is entirely necessary, particularly the spark plugs, as getting the transmition fluid flushed is fairly cheap. What are people's thoughts? I did not spend a lot of money on the car and am looking to do diligent but minimally expensive maintenance as I am only looking to keep the car for 3 to 4 years and around 180k total miles (don't want to do the major 90k mile service on what will than be an 11 year old car.) Also please let me know if you guys feel that there is any other critical maintenance which I am not mentioning and which should be done. Thanks, Phil
×
×
  • Create New...

Forums


News


Membership