tcbted

I just replaced mine from Lexus of Richmond Hill, Toronto area. They charged $120 per strut ... yikes! Thankfully, the dealer I bought the car from reimbursed my expenses.

Re the wood console, place your shifter into N, gently pry up the wood piece where it meets your cupholder ... I used a flat head screwdriver. The whole piece pulls backwards from the dash, where it releases from two small clips. Scared me a bit at first, but its very easy. Post some pics when you get a chance.

Here are a couple of pictures taken after a good claybar/wax/seal job. The car really grows on you ... I appreciate it more after every mile driven. Warhawk, very nice colour combination. KingDavid, black exterior was my first choice, I just couldn't locate a nice one.

So, I've picked up my 2000 LS with about 59k on her ... great car, I'm loving the experience of owning my first Lexus. It seems that every time I flick a switch or handle some surface, I smile at the care to detail that went into these machines. The only issue I've noticed is the gearshift bulb is out. I've taken off the wood console, and looked at the exposed shift box. I see a wire going into the ECT button, and I see about 3 wires up at the top, going into the shift box. That's it. I'm leery of pulling at wires, hoping a bulb pops out. Does anyone have a good "How To" tutorial on getting at this bulb? This is my only issue with the car ... you can only imagine the issues I had on my 1995/95/99/01 Seville STS'. :) Here are a couple of shots after a good claybar, polish, and wax.

Hopefully, I'll see next Tue. Sep.18th. That's when I drive down to Toronto to pick up the car ... its taking longer than expected for Lexus to get in the parts to repair the parking brake. I only drive around 5k per year, so this car should serve my needs very well.

The electronic struts on the STS go for around $800 - $1000 per corner ... they aren't a bladder system, but an active electronic system. They can be replaced with Arnott passive struts, where a dummy plug in fools the electronic brain, and stops throwing codes to the computer. If you're Northstar 4.6 DOC requires a headgasket replacement, good luck finding a garage who will even attempt the repair. There are only 1 or 2 shops in Toronto who will even attempt a Timersert repair, where the bolt sleeves are retapped into the block. The engine needs to be removed, the tranny dropped, and your wallet will be at least $3k lighter. The other STS negative is that the 98-04 series regularly develop a 65 mph shimmy. I have put 8 tires and 6 wheel balances into this car, and the shimmy just came back again. I even had a Road Force Balance done, to no avail. I've had 4 STS' in the past 5 years, and I think they are one of the most beautiful designs on the road ... but the mechanicals show their age fairly quickly. You cannot possibly imagine how thrilled I am to get out of my GM and embrace the LS400 ownership experience.

Thanks for the heads up. I had the 425watt Bose cranked up in my STS tonight, and I'm really looking forward to comparing it with the Nakamachi system. I'm thinking part of the Lexus secret is that the car is the perfect acoustical environment ... whereas the STS' Bose system must compete with a sporty exhaust system.

Very timely post for me, as I pick up my new 2000 LS400 next week, on its original T-belt at about 59k. When I select a shop to do my belt and waterpump, your post gives me a good idea for hours involved and parts pricing. Much appreciated. Ted.

Solid advice. The car won't be ready for about 1 week. It needs rotors, an HID bulb, a rear control arm (cracked), and an E-brake cable. The E-brake has to come from Japan. Its at the dealer's expense, so its nice to know that they are very thorough. The dealer is a Saab/GM dealer, which helped a lot on the trade (Cadillac STS). They really weren't sure how to market a 7 year old Lexus ... their used lot is full of 2 year old Saturns and Saabs. They are obtaining complete service records for me from the original Lexus dealer, up in Ottawa. I know about the importance of coolant changes, after owning 4 GM Northstar motors. If the Dexcool isn't changed every 5 years, it breaks down and you risk head gasket failure. Its very common, and the repair involves timeserting the block, outside of the chassis, to the tune of about $3k. My first service on any new "used" car includes a coolant change and tranny fluid change. For anyone who has viewed my pics .... would you put a light to medium tint on the dark green car, or leave with the factory look? Thanks again for the help .... great board. :D

Thanks for the reply, Jim. I figure I'll change the belt in the spring, at about 63k. Its going to be a long weekend, waiting for Monday to come. I can't get over how few LS400s are for sale here in Canada ... maybe its the RWD, but they seem to be very scarce. Makes finding a nice one all the more special.

Hello, everyone. I've been reading this forum almost daily for the past 5 years. During those years, I've owned 4 STS', 1 Lesabre, and 2 Accords. I've always yearned for an LS400, and I became tired of weird repairs to my Cadillacs ... I never fully trusted any of the STS'. I test drove a 2000 LS400 today, green over grey leather, with 59,000 miles. 1 owner, full service history. It drives very different to my 2001 STS .... smoother, just as fast, but much more subdued than the Caddy. Anyway, after much haggling, I traded in my Caddy and bought the LS400. It has the Nakamichi stereo, standard suspension, new Michelin HydroEdge tires, headlight washers, and I'm not sure if it has HID's or not. Here's my question ... at 59k, I'm well under the T-belt change mileage, but the car is 7yrs old. I really don't want to put out the money for a few more miles, and I'm a very low mile driver. When do you think I should get the T-belt changed? BTW, here are a few pics. I'm very excited .... the issues reported on this site are so minor compared to the woes over at the Caddy boards. I hope I'm in this car for many years to come. Here is a photobucket link. I get the car on Monday. Thanks for any advice on the timing belt issue. http://s114.photobucket.com/albums/n243/tedtcb/

Thanks for the tips. I've tallied up about 45 car purchases over the years, and on a couple of occasions, I've been successful in getting a dealer to go even based upon wholesale values and how stale his inventory piece is. Its all a question of timing, and which car he thinks is more marketable on his lot at that given point in time.

I forgot to mention, that $11,900 CDN works out to about $11k USD.

Hello, all. I really enjoy this forum ... I've viewed it daily for years, but as a non Lexus owner, I've never posted. I'm thinking of trading from my 01 STS to this LS400. There are very few 98 and newer LS's for sale up here in Ontario, and they're usually very expensive from the dealers, yet are too old for the CPO program. I've owned 4 STS's in the past few years, and never had a single major component fail. Having said that, the little rattles and build quality are starting to get to me, and I suspect an LS400 with high klm might surprise me. I've yearned for one for years, and this one has caught my eye. I spoke with the dealer today, and I may drive down next week to check it out ... 2 hr drive. I know to check for service records, and a Lexus inspection would pay off dividends. Any thoughts from the experts on this car? The car has 137000 miles, and they want 12k. They specialize in STS's, so I would consider a straight trade on my 01 with 83k. I appreciate any comments.