aggiecarpenter

I had the same problem with my 1996 LS with chrome wheels. The tire guy showed me the inside of the leaking rim and the chrome was flaking off in multiple places and corroding. He ground it down a little and put some sealer on it but the problem persisted since the corrosion had eaten so much of the finish away. I got quotes for getting the wheel refinished which was the same price as just buying a new OEM replica wheel. Needless to say I went with a new rim. Problem fixed. I was told it was pretty common for the chrome wheels.

I have the exact same issue with my 96. The up and down quits working when it gets warm outside. I believe that you can take the cover off the bottom of the steering column to access the motors. There should be two motors - one for the telescoping and one for the up/down adjustment. I am going to just unplug the up/down motor until I can figure something else out. I looked up the price of a new motor and I think its like $500 bucks - no thank you.

So I wanted to update you guys on my oil leak. I finally got the chance to get up underneath the car this weekend to change the oil. The oil filter and plug were not leaking. I also checked the valve cover gaskets - no oil there. It looks like the only place oil is seeping out is at the lower oil pan seal. I went to the dealer and picked up a tube of the Toyota FIPG (form in place gasket). The oil pan is unobstructed in my 96 and looks like it is fairly straight forward to take off - thank goodness. Hopefully this will solve the issue. The leak is very slow and not a huge concern but it will be nice to get it fixed.

It is not dripping from the plastic cover. I did recently have an oil change and thought that might be the issue. It is actually dripping only from one spot on the corner of the oil pan opposite from the plug. My thoughts were loose oil filter, worn washer in drain plug or oil pan gasket leak. I will know more once I really get under there and take a look this weekend. I will post what I find. If in the worst case scenario it was the oil pan gasket, does any one have an idea of what cost is involved to have an indy mechanic replace it?

I have a 96 LS with about 112,000 miles on it. I just noticed a small amount of oil on my driveway a couple of weeks ago. I looked underneath and saw that it was dripping from the bottom of the oil pan. It only drips a couple of drops overnight leaving quarter sized spots on my driveway. I plan to get the car on ramps this weekend to see if I can diagnose the problem. Any tips on what I should be looking for?

I had the same plan for my 96 until I removed them. I had pins in all of my rear emblems, which would leave holes if you took of the "Lexus" and "LS 400". I have a dark colored car, so I opted for the black chrome emblems which gives a much cleaner appearance than the gold that came on my car.

I have a 96 LS that I purchased this year. From everything I read, the timing belt should be due for replacement soon since I am coming up on 100,000 miles. I took a close look at my service manual last night and noticed that it was replaced in 2001 by Park Place Lexus at 60,000 miles. Should I be concerned with replacing the timing belt since it has been 7 years? Also, does the dealer usually replace the water pump with a timing belt service? Any advice is appreciated.

Some people prefer to remove the headlight assemblies. I do not prefer this method since it takes longer and can slightly affect your headlight aim. I found that moving the battery back on the divers side and removing the plastic intake duct on the passengers side gives you easy access to both bulbs. Total job took me less than 10 minutes. The plastic intake duct only has one bolt and the battery has 2. Good Luck!

I heard a rattle noise that started about a week ago near the rear of my 96 LS. I looked underneath to notice that there was bent up skid plate between the muffler and the edge of the car right in front of the drivers side rear tire. It looks like it was dented pretty badly and is now rattling when I start my car. Can anyone tell me what this skid plate protects and if I should worry about replacing it.

Replacing the low beam bulb is relatively easy. I replaced both of mine in my 96 LS. If you remove the battery on the driver's side and the air intake shroud on the passenger side, you will have easy access to both bulbs. They are held in by a clip that can be seen once the rubber is pulled back from the bulb. They are H4 type bulbs in my 96 which I believe is the same for 97 as well. Good luck.

I have a 96 with the low beam and fogs replaced. It is really your preference on the color. I have Raybrig Whitesonics in mine and they look great. Replacing the bulbs is very easy. Do not try and remove the headlight. Removing the battery on the driver side and the air filter on the passenger side will give you access to both the fogs and low beams. I have stock high beams since my fogs and lows are bright enough 99% of the time. Good luck

I followed the instructions but I guess I was a little too rough with it. Thanks for the info.

I tried to remove my the woodgrain panel from my center console to remove the radio. In the process it buckled and cracked in 2 places. Does anyone know where I can get a replacement for a decent price. I only found it on one website and it was $500! Any help is appreciated.

I noticed that no one has responded to this post yet. I have a '96 and would also like aftermarket headlights. As far as I know, they don't exist. Are you sure that the car you saw wasn't a 98-00? They had an updated front bumper with different headlights.

I had some issues with this site as well. I had to upgrade to the latest version of Adobe Reader to make it work. Also, all pop-ups need to be allowed for this site. Hope that helps.