johnhoward

(Used to be an small equipment mechanic - lots of corroded, and stubborn nuts/bolts), and never had an issue removing a nut/bolt (always had acetylene torch to heat up the nut, also had other methods). However, in the field, you can try a cigerette lighter on the nut (after a few minutes it just might expand the nut to remove it). Sometimes, I also would soak the nut with penetrating lubricant and let sit awhile prior to prying. Breaker and cheater bars work as well, in conjuction with a 5 pound hand sledge hammer. Easy-off!

I've got a 99 LS, and Costco sold me the Primacy tires by Mich. - so far, a great tire @ 40K miles. Smooth and soft ride. The best thing about Costco is that they'll balance, and rotate for free every 5K miles, and refill/check pressure (nitrogen is stock). I paid $700 and have been very pleased. The only downside is having to drop the car off their and wait (they've got no bay just set up for balances/rotations). PS - my former tires were Yokohama's which were directionals, I'll never put directional tires on a older car again. They wear out waaay too fast. So, I reccomend normal non-directional tires for this car (as it's a more touring style car). Now, I would only put directional tires on a car if the rims/wheels and factory specs call for it. Great choice in the Primacy! 2cts

I've got a 99 ls, and had an independent shop do mine. The total job was $720 - new water pump, timing belt, serpentine belt, and thermostat. They spun my bearings and told me I didn't need to replace them and it was a waste of money. (even though I asked them to include this in the job). They even gave me my old belt back, and it looked like-new. My advice - call several established import repair shops and speak directly to the shop manager. Have him/her quote you the cost of the whole package (of above items). Let them know that you've talked with (competitor/s name - insert here). But, don't disclose the pricing. If they know your car, they'll already know its a fairly costly job and they'll tell you that on the phone. You should get an honest quote right away by doing this. This particular shop had been in business for at least a decade, and they guy knew my car. My dealer wanted $1500, and a local Toyota dealer wanted $1300. The independents wanted from $700-1000. Good luck -

I have a 99 LS and I've had the fluid flushed/filled twice since I bought it (with 58K on it - now I've got 150K). I had Lexus/Toyota do the flush both times. As for changing fluid - it's a must and I wouldn't have Jiffy/Valvo/Penz/Meinke etc. do this service.. . A flush is better than a drain, because it gets most all old fluid out of the system. Drains don't do this and leave behind metal shavings/fluid in low points in the trans (which gravity can't get out). Albeit, any flush, or drain is better than none at all. Yes, the fluid will break down over time and as a result, doesn't produce as much pressure (compared to new fluid). Lack of pressure will eventually cause malfunction and it may go unnoticed until full trans. failure. So, old fluid will ruin the transmission due to fluid breakdown, and the metal shavings it contains (from normal tranny wear). The housing has a magnet in there, but it won't get everything as far as metal shavings go... . I agree - only OEM fluids and parts go in my car.. . (one exception; a K and N air filter, which I have good results with). I might change my opinion if I drove more aggressively, or for high usage (25K miles per year or more). Not for me. Good luck - J

I agree the starter is in a bad place.. . I had to have mine replaced 4 years ago (99LS). The starter was put in the middle of the engine for balance and I don't think they changed that until 2007.. . So, I hope my newer Denso lasts longer than the first one (4.5 yrs). It cost me 1K to fix it!

BB, Fix the brakes first! Could have a master cylinder, or line issues (as previously mentioned). Or, very worn pads, and rotors in conjunction with air in the lines etc. etc. My wife has a 1998 GS and today I took it in. It needs new ball joints ($550). - the car shakes at 60 and 78. It also feels a bit loose when going up hills (40 mph). So, I'd have the front end looked at along with all the tires being check for balance. There's no point in buying new rims and tires for that car if you've got suspension issues e.g. ball joints, strut, bushing issues. Get a few estimates from some trusted mechanics in your area. If you've got bad ball joints, don't wait around to repair this. Third - The tire leak could be a problem with your rim. If it's a chrome wheel, the chrome can corrode inside and cause a bad seal;hence causing the tire to leak air. A good tire shop can remove and treat the wheel for 20-30$. Be sure and mark the inside of the wheel so you can keep track of which wheels have been treated. Generally, they sand the inside of the rim, and add some sealant before putting the tire back on the rim. My wife's car leaks air out of the rims from time to time. We've had to have different wheels treated twice in the last 3 years.

Shawn, Interesting... my wife's 98 GS (130K miles) just started doing this last week. Same thing... One minute, it starts fine, the next it takes 50 turns of the key to get her to kick over. I thought it was the starter on the car, but I also didn't rule out something with the ignition. I did clean the key, but that didn't help.. . I hope it's not the immobilizer thing. I refuse to go to a dealer!

I have to chime in on this... since everyone has changed the subject (kind of). - I've got a 99 LS I bought the K and N about 6 months ago. So, the K and N hasn't helped, or hurt my mileage. I have the cleaning kit, and, have since cleaned it once - pretty easy - and, I like NOT having to pay 25$ (mininum) for a new OEM filter every 8 months or so. As far as added power, none extra with the K and N. I think the car intake sounds a bit louder as you accelerate. But, this is the same as the old trick of flipping the carbureutor filter cover over in the good old days - more sound, same or little power increase. I also have nitrogen filled Mich. tires - while they do seem to stay inflated more consistently - no better milage for me. I don't really believe in synthetic oils. They are more viscous and will leak much easier in older cars. Look for drips in the garage or drive. Stick with OEM oil and save the bucks, and drips. Some may say their cars don't drip, and they may not, but older milage cars with worn seals are subject to. 2 cents J

I had a 94 Ford Taurus that had the same type of issue (I couldn't figure the vibration out). I replaced the motor mounts, and struts.., Tuned the car up, put in new CV shafts.. And, it didn't fix it. I chased the problem for nearly a year and did all the work myself. So, it still had the vibration and it annoyed me. I sold the car after spending - 600$ in parts to figure it out. Turns out it had more to do with the transmission and those cars are notorius for trans shimmy, shake etc.. I say, if the car drives good enough and rides good, @ age 17, don't worry about dumping 560$ into it. Not worth the money for an old car. Unless, you've got the coin and you really like the car (on your income that's a heavy tax for a vibration). If your giving it to your Mom and it annoys her - maybe she can pay for it. 2 cents -

Common to these cars, and just an opinion -I've owned a 99 LS for more than 4 years and from day one, my car has always "clunked" upon braking (in the morning especially). It goes away and usually only does it only a few times a day. I don't notice it. My car rides and drives beautifully - no play in the steering etc.. I think you'll see some extra tire wear, but nothing bad. I wouldn't spend the money on the new strut bars, unless your wheels couldn't balance to fix a wobble, or unless I did the strut bushing/bar work myself, and that job really doesn't excite me just to get rid of the clunks. So, I don't think it's worth 1,000 to fix on a 10 year old car. You may go through tires a bit faster, but, I say, so what.. .? I'd rather have new tires every 3 years, then drive on chopped/cupped tires for an extra year or so.. . ***I must admit, I do get tire wear on the front left tire (the very edge). I think this is attributable to the bushing wear. I've had one set of directional tires, and had the car aligned, and re-aligned (not to mention balanced several times). I drive 20K highway miles annually and I keep my pressure checked regularly. ****So, in my opinion on this generation of LS, one should consider not buying directional tires (unless you want to replace them every 2, or three years, or if you are a speed racer type). I've found you can get non-directional tires and get much more life out of them with worn bushings which are common on this car. I'd redo the timing belt/pullies/tensioner, water pump, thermostat and drive belt for the grand (if you need to do something, these are a must do). Or, as a back up - you can buy a brand new set of non-directional Michelins for 700$. You'll forget about the clunk. I say enjoy your car with the clunk! 2 cents -

Hello all - Problem - faint vibration noise/rattling from my steering wheel cover area. Car - 99 LS When I barely push my finger, or hand on the airbag cover on the wheel the vibration-noise stops... When you have a car this quiet, everything sounds loud.... Again, this noise is faint and constant and almost sounds like a rattling, buzzing noise. It occurs only when driving all speeds, and even when inching along in traffic. I think if I remove my steering wheel cover I'll figure it out. However, I'm a bit shy on doing this (due to the airbag etc. under there). Anyone have this happen and know how to fix it, or what the hell it is?? Thanx -

My Z had 135 horsepower.. (Python) and, for those who know old Z cars (92lsforhundo), they're light and the straight six really will wind out good. Most roadtesters wouldn't drop the clutch to spin the wheels, so the performance specs look bad on the late 70's z cars. But, this isn't really the case. My car was quick! I also took it over 135 mph once and the car was purring along... I've never been faster in any other car since. Ok, the Z would probably lose in a downshift situation... But, this is a race off the line, so the Z could win... I also had a friend who owned a 78 280 Z and his was faster than my 79 (his had 35 more horsepower)... He raced everyone in my high school and he always boasted about beating everyone - the Camaros, Mustang GT's, IROC's, Fierros (yes, I said Fierro) and Porches - Those were the days - I'd still love to have a 78 280z in good condition - a fun car!

I owned a 79 280z and I can tell you for sure, I used to race and beat V-8 cars of the early to late 80's.... If the guy has a 5 speed, and the car is running ok, the Lexus has no solid chance off the line... and I think a good driver in the Z car pulls out a win. I think the Lexus would come on strong after a few seconds, but it's catch up from there... As for the Z - Rev the engine, and pop the clutch and the Z car will instantly surge in front of the Lexus with a bit of wheel spin. I used to do this all the time when I was young, racing much more powerful cars than mine. My 79 Z was a quick car, but jumped off the line when poping the clutch. It was more like a launch... The weight of the car was just right to where you wouldn't burn too much rubber and the tires were gripping some during the launch. A pretty strong surge if I remember correctly... If I didn't peel out in my Z, it was just a quick car and would lose races to V-8's. However, the peel-out is the key -

What's a guy with 2 Ferraris driving a 98 Lexus for??? ;) I like the S500 a lot - despite all the horrors I hear of them having electrical issues, etc.. Drove one last fall and loved it. 2cents

Saw this old post - laughed all the way through... My worst cars: 1994 Ford Taurus - POS! - frustrating coolant smell from head gasket, transmission shudder - spent a ton on new struts, motor mounts, new tune up, AC problems (leaks)... Biggest POS ever... 1984 Ford Mustank GT - Caught on fire on the highway.... Hood started bubbling... Carb was leaking gas on the mainifold... - watched the car burn to the ground while fire dept arrived... Strange tires P220 only made by Michelin -heater core failed, gear shift broke, reverse gear broke (had to replace with a new rear end) - Caliper broke and repaired @ 450$... 2000 Ford Taurus - (you'd thought I'd learned my lesson) - in the first year of ownership: - engine immoblizer had to be replaced, both door handles broke in the winter - new hood struts - replaced - new blower motor for A/C - Heat - Firestone tires (in the years that they blew out on Ford owners) - my front right lost it's whole tread while driving along... Ford = never again.....

Hello, I drive a 99 LS 400, and it's silver with Navigation. It's the best car I've ever owned. It's got a very practical and functional appeal for my taste in cars. Here are the things I love/enjoy about this car - Silver looks great after being washed and is considered a color bonus on resale Powerful and fast - this car is surprisingly fast; 0-60 around 6.5 seconds Smooth, comfortable, quiet and solid (hard to find all these together on any car sold today) Room for 5 with comfort Quality and dependability (see Edmunds.com for JD Power ratings; they are among the best in the world) Exclusivity - not too many people drive them and all the LS models are appealing... Any 90's model will hold value between 5-15K ish I use regular unleaded in mine and get equal milage on the highway, but also use premium (better power) You can likely have the car serviced, for any reason, at a Toyota dealership (cheaper than Lexus) Mercedes-like ride, fit and finish, performance @ half the cost to maintain - approx.. (I've owned MB before) The best of Acura, Infinity, Hyundai and building a lasting name for itself - Lexus Good gas milage for a big, fast car - 18 city/ 25 hwy Did I say silky smooth engine, that growls if asked?? Worth every penny you'll pay for it 60K car new in 99 I love the original 16 inch wheels on mine (1998-1999), also like the 2000 edition wheels on this model too... Car brakes and handles pretty good for a large car, say better than average, but don't expect a BWM - A few cons - It's big car and you can back into stuff pretty easy if you're not careful Could use better cup holders, not made for larger drinks - No steering wheel controls for stereo etc.. NAV system a bit cumbersome to use - but very helpful even if it is outdated.. Phone controls in the car (came with a mobile phone installed..) - useless now - Make sure to install your own wiper blades with care - don't have some yo yo do it - they'll bang up the edge of your hood (I know many of you out there, have these mysterious dings in the very top edge of your hood, and that's where this comes from...) These small complaints really aren't much of a fuss at all - I could care less... Good luck -

Merry Christmas everyone! My Dad has a 95LS and he has a wet passenger, and rear passenger floorboard (fairly soaked). He asked me what the problem was and I told him I thought is was the heater core. Has anyone had this replaced and how much did you pay? I'd appreciate any feedback - Happy Holidays! JHoward

Lexus17 - The guy that got called "rude" made a few good points - You might have a tire that's very low, or a few tires that are very low, or improperly inflated... My wife drove around on a flat tire for a few weeks and didn't even know it... She complained at getting horrible milage in the car... So, I checked it out, and found the front right to be totally flat... Duhh!! She's got 18's on her GS300 and she couldn't really tell that she had even a low tire... **Never - drink and drive** - number one best advice for any young man, or woman in high school, or college and throughout life.... There are about 2, or 3 other things that I could throw at, or near the top of this list... (for another forum) Saftey and Joy to all this Holiday Season - JH

Welcome - Sounds like you've possibly bent/warped the device which grabs the CD from inside the unit. When you put the CD in the unit, the grab device wedged itself above, or below the CD. The grab device is in there because it places each CD in a rack, or carasel where other CD's are stored, for mutli-CD play. It works much like a .45 old jukebox works... well sort of... I hope this isn't the case and you've got someway to reset it. If you can't, you might try and have an auto radio installer take out your unit alltogether and look inside to see what may be damaged... Sending it off may be very pricy, and I think Lexus would maybe do the same. I'd call Lexus just for kicks and speak to a service magager/advisor to ask what the common fix is for this situation... Did you also consider that the CD player may have been broken upon purchase? Good luck - you'll love your new car 2cents

The starter is common. Its only going to get worse and its expensive to do. I can second that - My starter went out when my 99 LS was 4 years old - 1 grand to replace.

I pay Toyota to do mine, and I watch them go through all the lights, fluids, belts, battery check, filters, tire pressure and they vaccume the car. I pay 30$ and they do good work. I do get the up-sell pitch for odds and ends, but I feel that's a good price. I used to do my own service for years, but for 10 bucks more, I don't have to do it myself, in the floor of my garage... As for Lexus dealerships, in my few experiences in two different cities. They charge labor to install snap-on parts (that are already marked up)... I.E. When have you ever paid labor to have wiper blades installed? Or, a filter installed? etc.. That's a rip off. I went to a dealer in Nashville, and they wanted to charge me 50$ for a cabin air filter, and half an hour labor to install the damn thing... I took the service advisor out and took my filter out in 10 seconds, and put the new one in. I did this twice in less than a minute.. He tried to charge me 35$ to put in the new filter. What a crock.. I never went back to a dealer again... He took the labor charge off. I agree, that service techs will mess up your car... My wife had an Accord that she took to Sears to have oil service done. The stripped the plug into the pan, and had to replace the whole pan etc. She didn't find this out until the next oil change place couldn't get the plug off... So, take it to a reputable place and hope they don't have a yahoo working on your car... 2cents

Yep, As long as you've got the service records to prove.. That's also a fair price on a dealer sold car. I've got a 99LS with Nav and all service is up to date (120K). Drives great, and runs real smooth. I'd sell it for about 15 ish, despite small paint chips and some knicks from highway driving. The previous owner ran it through an automatic car wash.... (never do this)... TOUCHLESS ONLY. Anyway, the automatic wash put some dings on my passenger door - barely noticeable... My bumpers have a few normal wear bangs, but no dents just some scrapes.. After I hand wash my car, the silver paint just shines and the exterior wear doesn't reallycome into play. I'd buy my car back over again. However, I'm not a superman fault finder. My car isn't prestine, immaculate, showroom, excellent (all dealer terms for most cars they sell- LOL). I'd say because of bug run'ins and a few bumper scratches my car is in very good condition; and still worth about 15K to me +/- 2 cents

I like the Hyundai Azero, and would like to test drive one, but all their other cars/trucks are ugly in my view. Unfortunately for Hydudai, I don't think they'll really every get out of the shadows... They are the new Volkswagon of today/tomorrow. The name just doesn't seem good for the snotty folks in our land, and telling folks what you drive is all part of our capitalist, and elitist society. However, I love cars and don't fit into this status. If it runs good and looks good to me, I'll check it out... As for American autos, their only true savior is to ship their plants overseas and pay much less for all costs (namely labor, R and D, and engineering). Then, they can put more quality components into their cars and build a better car than the !Removed!, Chinese, Germans etc. When operating costs go up, a compromise must come into play. It's sad to say, but true - Not a good time to be in the American auto industry.... 2 cents -

Actually, my Dad owned a 79 240D and an 85 300TD - they both ran to almost 300K miles. The only significant thing that happened, was that a timing chain broke on the 240D around the 220K mark and it cost him 2K to fix it at the time which was really expensive. Everything else on the cars held up beautifully - paint, interior etc. Dad didn't like plugging them in, in the winter time, but he drove about 120 miles round trip per day - so these cars suited him perfectly. They are the slowest car that I think I've ever driven, but once up to speed, they do fine. Dad now owns a 91 - 300 SEL, and a 95 LS 400 (he likes to drive both). The 300 SEL has 225K on it and has given him no problems since he bought it in 96. My sister drives a 1996 - 220. It has suspension problems, but runs good - a slow car.

So far, I've enjoyed the comments... I posted this because, Benz is the chief competitor of the Lexus brand. OK, there are a few others, but Benz really has always been the measure. I agree that the LS is a superiorly engineered car and is the best built car I've ever owned. I kinda felt like I was cheating on my car.... :), while driving the Benz. Sometimes, as part of being in a forum, I get biased and need to stretch out a bit and check out other cars. I've loved cars all my life, and have had much fun in junky ones too. However, I'm no dummy... I've sunk lots of jack into MB cars in my past. When I bought the Lexus, my wife actually liked it better than other cars I was considering. So, I did the research and my 99LS was an easy purchase 4 years ago. 03 and GKL, I know where you're coming from... MB's are one of life's joys for me, and to experience driving them is a love affair that's hard to shake (despite cost associated with ownership). So, I thought, why not praise, or desire other cars too? Benzes have been in my family for 40 years. I don't know... somthing about looking over the hood and seeing the star while driving and the vault/tank-like feel... They are truly the most solid/heavy car on the road (opinion). I'd like to drive the newer LS models - 2001 - 2007 to re-compare my thoughts. I'm sure my opinion my would change. In the near future, I'll try out Audi and Benz ownership (again). I recommend the older 107 model Benz (convertibles) - I had an 85 500sl (European model) - fast without the big American bumpers! It had a curb weight of over 5000#. Someday, I would like to own a 280 sl (ca 1970)- a straight six ragtop that'll hum!!! Great sounding little car! Plus, simple to work on! Keep the LS in the garage, but try out a Benz someday if you haven't! You'll understand why many are crazy about those cars.. Especially, if money is no object...