90LS400Lexus

Hi all, I am considering the purchase of a '07 LS460L with 138k miles. It looks super nice inside and out. I have owned several Lexus in the past, but all were early 90s LS400. I am not at all familiar with the LS460. Do these have timing belts that have to be changed? Any tips on trouble spots, etc., would be appreciated.

lol. Maybe, but it will take me awhile to recover from this last LS. ;) Looking at four different vehicles this week... likely next car will be a nice: 1993 Lincoln Town Car (all service records, excellent condtion and low miles), low mileage 1991 Chevy Caprice Classic, 1993 Toyota Camry LE V6 (aka Lexus ES300), but since it has a Toyota name and not Lexus, its so much cheaper to maintain. I can buy this car for $1100... needs a RF fender. I owned a 1993 Camry LE V6 about 6 years ago... super car. Also looking at a nice 1996 Toyota T100 SR5 4wd (3.4L V6). I am not looking at anything newer. The only 2000+ cars that inspire me are the 2000-02 Toyota Tundras, 2001-02 Lexus LS430s, 2000-2001 Mercedes S420 and the 2003 Honda Accords, but not really wanting a 2000+ model, as I am looking for something LOW priced at this time. I like 80s and 90s cars, so basically trying to find a nice low mile example.

Bravo! :) That is only a dream to most people for a CEL to be that easy. Glad it was nothing major.

Well I first want to thank everyone here over the years of my LS400s ownership (since 2003 when I bought my first LS400). I am posting this here, as this is the only Lexus forum I have ever posted in and everyone here knows me. It is with a little sadness though to report I sold my LS400 today. I had owned it for about 3 years and I tend to get a little sentimental with my cars, even when they are not old, but it was time to let it go to someone that could do more to it than I could. I almost makes me teary eyed when I think of it not being in the driveway. :( It had been a reliable car and aside from the fan bearing going out and ALOT of power steering issues and most recently a CEL issue (that I am still going to try to help the new owner with) it was a good car. I sold it to someone about 90 miles away that has more time and and automotive know-how than I do, so it can get the attention it needs. I was having a hard time getting straight answers on some issues it had and even the local mechanics seemed to be morons when it came to this car. One even thought it was a V6. One thought they didnt even offer LS400s until 1991. <_< I also sold the car at a HUGE loss.... about $1500 less than I paid for it overall, but that was almost 3 years ago, so I suppose I got my monies worth. Also, the PO will have to spend some $ to get it up to par. I dont know if I will ever buy another LS400... I had said before I never would, but did, only this LS400 had given me more issues than my other did and it even had higher mileage, but I dont know. I am leary now, as I am not a wealthy person and cant afford high cost parts and repair bills. IF I ever bought another LS400, it will likely be a 1995-97 model and EVERYTHING such as power steering, starter, valve cover gaskets, motor mounts, timing belt, etc will be up to date unless the price is a steal. OR a LOW MILEAGE 1990-94 LS400 that also had most of this taken care of. My goal however is to now purchase a large 90s American luxury car or perhaps another big Toyota 4wd truck. I have even some early-mid 90s Camrys and early 90s Accords on my list. Something easier and less costly to service. Thanks again for the data over the past few years. I will still visit from time to time.

Wonder if he was still locked out two years later? :) Could be. ;)

Well, I have had several old Japanese cars (some over 20 years old) and this is my 3rd Lexus and have had minimal issues with all, save for this one. Its just since day 1 this car has been the pits and after 3 years, its really got to me. I am amazed I have put up with it this long. Its funny though, because major things are fine... engine and tranny seem like they will last forever, but its the little things that are going wrong like this and its annoying. True, its an old car, it high mileage and I AM better off selling it. I would not even mind repairing this and that, but when one thing breaks after you fix another, its annoying. I dont like the newer Japanese cars and highly likely I will ever buy another Lexus, unless its a LOW mileage 1995-96 model that has had alot of the problem spots dealt with already. I dont like anything newer than 1995 to be honest. I will probably get an older 80s-early 90s American luxury car, or a low mileage early 90s Accord. These old LS400s are just too costly to service, but after owning an LS400 since 2003 (well you know, you have been here since 2003 like I have), I knew that, but not expecting this one to have the issues it has had, despite being a well cared for, 1-owner car (when I bought it) and having only 196K when I bought it and I have done nothing but baby this car... never over 3000 rpms, dodge potholes, keep it clean, oil change every 3K, etc. My last LS400 had nearly 300K and I didnt have near the issues with it than I have this one... there is only so much stress one person can take with a car before it pushes them over the edge. I mean I fix one thing and something else breaks. I dealt with power steering issues for about 16 months on this car and I finally get that repaired and now all of this starts happening. Maybe I am lucky my other car (which ironically is 22 years old and is a Mercedes) had never given me the problem this Lexus has, but the Mercedes I have is a simple car that dates back to 1981. btw - I ran the code and its code 71 again. <_<

Ran code again.... code 71.

Well... again, it hit 85 miles after the CEL was reset and the light came back on, again when at highway speed. I was so angry, I punched the gas for about 4 seconds. After all of my power steering issues were finally solved, I decide to get the throttle body cleaned for $45 at the shop (had a hesitation)... this cleaning soon (next morning) tripped the CEL light. Ran code, showing it was the EGR (code 71), spent another $56 to have it cleaned at the shop... get the car back, now not only does it have a tapping sound at idle that sounds like a knock (which I am told it probably an exhaust leak at the EGR), and now the check engine light comes on AGAIN on my way home from work! Has anyone every seriously considered taking a sledge hammer to their car? I am SERIOUSLY considering it. I have babied this car since day one... I am done with that now. Sad part is I have this car sold and the person is coming next week to pick it up.... guess I will let them make me an offer and just get shed of this POS once and for all. Thanks for all of the help over the years.

oh well... all of that work for nothing - check engine light came back on. Stupid piece of crap!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The photo on this link will show you where its at... I had mine done at the shop http://www.lexls.com/tutorials/emission/egrfilter.html Remember, this is for only cleaning the filter in the modulator... its easy as pie, but there is more involvement in cleaning the EGR system... so much so that the shop charged me $56.00 - then they screwed something up (I was told probably the EGR pipe/gasket) because it has a tapping sound at idle.

Well then frankly, I am not worried about it then. It can only be heard at idle anyway when the heater blower and radio is off... so its not a big concern. The car is sold anyway and I am not putting anymore $ into it. I am afraid to take it back to that shop, because everytime they "fix" one thing, they break another... its getting ridiculous.

Ugh, that sounds dreadful. Could be your coils going weak... I was told this when my LS was idling rough and had a gassy smell from the exhaust. Just a guess though. Turned out I had unburned gas built up because I had only started the car for like 20 seconds and moved it one day when it was cold and apparently it had temporarily fouled the plugs... let it run for about 3 minutes then it was fine and has never happened again.

Well thats good to know its nothing major, but knowing this place they will probably not think its anything they did (you dont know this shop, but I had no other choice but to take it there). I will give it a try though. What will leaving it like this do IF something happens they wont fix it? Will it cause any damage to anything?

I can attest to that... my throttle body needed cleaned though... I had a hesitation and a jerking motion at certain speeds, which went away when I had the throttle body cleaned... however it caused the check engine light to come on. I was told it could have washed some junk down in the EGR... had it cleaned at the shop... now I have a tapping sound at idle that I did NOT have before.

After I had the throttle body cleaned the check engine light started coming on..... it was a code 71, "EGR system malfunction". I wanted to be honest with the man buying it, so I told them the engine light was on and I would have it fixed first. Shop said it "EGR" needed to be cleaned... they cleaned it alright.... now the car has a knock at idle! Someone said they may have sprayed something in there and scored? a valve??