90LS400Lexus

My transmission mount I ordered today arrived! I cant wait to get it on there. I know I will have to look up the instructions here again to change it. It will likely be this weekend before I can get to it. I will post the results! The new one is so soft and flexible... I cant imagine the original looking/feeling anything like that... no wonder I have vibrations.

I kow that my 91' LS400 nor my 88' Mercedes is worth NOWHERE near $4500 and I had considered trading it (Lexus) in on the CFC, but could not bring myself to allow it to have the engine destroyed and then crushed. Its sad. You would not believe the nice cars at our local dealerships that have been traded in on this CFC. The local Honda/Nissan/Mazda/Suzuki dealer has about 200 on a side lot/field... some are Lexus. One is a NICE 1992-94 ES300, with CFC on the window. There are even late model Land Rovers, late model (2003+) Nissan trucks, 2003+ Dodge Caravans, etc on the lot waiting to be smashed. :( ALOT of good cars going to waste. I wonder how long that tough 4.0L engine will run with that crap in the engine while they hold the throttle wide open? :( They did a Volvo S80 like that and it ran so long (at nearly full throttle, which they are NOT supposed to do, but they are idiots) it caught fire! It didnt want to die. I like the concept of the CFC, but dont like the fact that the cars traded in are going to waste.

I have a friend whose father is a Toyota tech that does side work at his home... he occasionally works on my Lexus. He quoted me $150. (labor only) for the engine and tranny mount on my 1991 LS400.... I can get the mounts for $189 (engine) on the internet and I have already bought a Toyota tranny mount (referred to as rear mount) from Lexus of Pembroke Pines and it was $52.97, then shipping: $4.24 / Hhandling Fee: $5.00, so it totalled $62.21. Its on its way and I am going to TRY to install it myself this week. I have terrible vibrations and I am sure my engine/tranny mounts are original, so I know they are shot. I just hope that the tranny mount alone helps out alot, because I cant afford the engine mounts now too.... also my car "bucks" like a Bronco sometimes on light acceleration when going from a downgrade to an incline, as if there is major slack somewhere. I am hoping its my mounts and not something like the torque converter in the tranny. <_< Could be that the throttle body is needing to be cleaned too... I will do that and the tranny mount and if that dont help, I can only assume its the tranny and then it will go on the market... CHEAP and I will give my mom my Mercedes instead. I think my Toyota dealer quoted me around $600 just for the engine mounts!

Thanks for that. Yeah, I loved that car. Anyway, I wanted to update and post, I FINALLY ordered a new transmission mount from Lexus of Pembroke Pines. It was only around $62.00. I just dont use my CC that much and at the time, I had it maxed out. I paid it down alot, so I was able to get what I needed. I plan on changing the mount MYSELF and I HOPE and pray it stops most of my vibration and "chugging" issues, but I bet my engine mounts are still shot and the chugging could be the throttle body. I will update when the mount arrives and I get it installed. lol. Thanks. :D Well, if they would bill me for the $2.61, I would send it by money order :D - I have it, but only in cash. :( I guess when I make my next payment I will be able to get it. :) Hopefully it wont take too long to post and I can complete the order by my credit card. :) Yeah, the Caprice is tucked away and can rest. :) Nice '72 Rivvy - I had a '72 Electra (same 455 engine) and I loved it! True, it would pass anything but the gas station. I wish I had of kept it. Photo from 2002 when I owned it... (it was like new on the inside) Sold to a guy in Rock Hill South Carolina for $1800! It also had the rare gear shift wiper control button option. Must say... that is one fine lookin' Electra you had there from the era of the land yacht... with GM perched on top of the mountain. A 5,000 pound slice of a bygone era. Tough to comprehend, especially right now, but General Motors once owned literally about a 50% slice of the automotive pie. What a tragic fall from grace. Fact is, I've been a GM owner most of my life. While the ownership experiences over the years have definitely been a mixed bag, on balance I'd say the positives have surely outweighed the negatives. Genuinely hope they emerge out the other side of this recession as something other than a government controlled entity forced to build hideous Washington-mandated cars that absolutely no one wants... even with huge tax breaks and incentives factored into the equation. Garbage is still garbage even when it comes attached to a seemingly attractive price tag. This country has some of the brightest, most passionate engineers on the planet when they're not continually hamstrung by the bean counters and office politics... and can focus on what really matters - building great products that will stand the test of time. When a manufacturer provides some breathing room and encourages people to think 'outside-the-box', you end up with game-changing, landmark vehicles... like the 1964 1/2 Ford Mustang... 1966 Oldsmobile Toronado... or even the 1990 Lexus LS-400. By the way, the guy in Rock Hill, SC got a great deal. B)

I also didnt know that a new pump could be bought at a auto parts shop.... thanks for that RDM. I thought it was a dealer only item! I found a pump as low as $139 at O'Reilly. I think its a Cardone? I know someone that will install it for about $50. Does anyone know if this pump includes EVERYTHING needed to stop a leaky pump? Is that valve included with it?

That would probably be me. :) I never checked it, so I am not sure. I am not that mechanically inclined and I cant afford a new pump. Just keep adding in thick PS fluid. <_< I have a older car (but a gas hog) that I am about to start using as a daily drive and continue to use my trusty 80s Mercedes on my days off and park the Lexus for awhile. :) 4 times out of 5 it will smoke when first started and it is indeed the PS fluid, because it dont smell like oil. I am about to just have one of our mechanics to quote me a price to rebuild the pump (if thats possible), because I have been wanting to give the car to my mother. I have been reading something about bypassing the valve, but I think that only takes care of the leak where it pulls the fluid it into the engine.... not sure if that eliminates where it leaks down on the alternator/under pan??? Can someone verify that? I am guessing worn seals is the cause of that. Good luck! First off, if you're using PS fluid, no wonder it's leaking. Toyota calls for the use of ATF in the power steering system. There's a ton of good resources explaining why. If you bypass the valve, you're plugging the hole completely. As long as you seal it with something, any leaks you may have had are fixed. Typically I just smear a little RTV on the threads before installing, telfon tape works too. You can buy a reman pump for about $130 at most auto parts places, I've had one for four years now, no issues. Just make sure to flush the system thoroughly first, especially if it's full of regular PS fluid. No, I am not using PS fluid... and the ATF goes right through... all it will hold for any time now is the Lucas PS fluid and its $10 a bottle. Last time I drove it (Saturday) it was very low again and I was not going to drive it again until it was repaired, but I will have to drive it again tomorrow for about 20 miles.... then I will probably park it until we get it fixed.

That would probably be me. :) I never checked it, so I am not sure. I am not that mechanically inclined and I cant afford a new pump. Just keep adding in thick PS fluid. <_< I have a older car (but a gas hog) that I am about to start using as a daily drive and continue to use my trusty 80s Mercedes on my days off and park the Lexus for awhile. :) 4 times out of 5 it will smoke when first started and it is indeed the PS fluid, because it dont smell like oil. I am about to just have one of our mechanics to quote me a price to rebuild the pump (if thats possible), because I have been wanting to give the car to my mother. I have been reading something about bypassing the valve, but I think that only takes care of the leak where it pulls the fluid it into the engine.... not sure if that eliminates where it leaks down on the alternator/under pan??? Can someone verify that? I am guessing worn seals is the cause of that. Good luck!

I will change it myself from here on in if we keep it. Our local Lexus dealer was good at first... they only charged me $10 once on my old 1990 LS when my airbag light was not coming on... they checked it and the PO had the system disconnected and bumb removed. They only charged $10- which was nice. Then a few oil changes were fine, THEN the last time I went, they DID NOT change my oil. I know the condition of my oil when I took the car in... it was only at 3K miles, but not that dirty, but it was darker than new oil. I got home and checked it and it looked the same as it did when I got it home... not the fresh light brown look its supposed to be and how it looks when I have it changed. I vowed then I would never take it back there again and started taking it to one of the local Toyota dealers, but they are SLOW and charge for things you dont expect. About the engine undercover, I was always paranoid about this on my car, because my last LS400 didnt have the cover any longer. I was always afraid that one of the jokers would leave the cover off. Last time they left it loose and it was hanging down and it would scrape when I hit certain dips. Its up higher now though.

I will let him know. I am thinking about selling it though. Its becoming a money pit for me. $1000 and it would be a perfect car again though. (power steering pump, motor mounts and valve cover gaskets). <_<

Because its a Lexus. They think people with Lexus all still have money to burn. <_< Well, I can be the proof thats not true. ;)

Thanks. Yeah, I think I definitely will. Perhaps to the other Toyota dealer. They did real good when I had my 2000 Tundra. Never tried to rip me off. Thankfully, my timing belt, water pump were done about 22K ago and the fan bracket about 1600 ago. One thing that terrifies me is the starter. Its fine now, but I know how costly and what a pain it is WHEN it does finally go. I have no idea if it was replaced before or not. I hope they give warning, because first sign of failure, its outta here. :)

The PO of my '91 paid the Lexus dealer in Atlanta $1500 to do mine, but when I had my '90 LS400, MY local Lexus dealer quoted me around $500. Bigger cities are alot higher. Also, I know a Toyota tech that does some work to my car... he did the fan bearing which almost takes it to the t-belt... he only charged $125 labor... he said for $150 labor he would have done the t-belt / water pump, but it was done only 20K ago, so he said it was not called for. Good luck.

I took my LS to one of the local Toyota dealers today and they have went up, or should I say, cut down on what they offer. I used to take it to the local Lexus dealer 20 miles away until the last time I was there, they didnt change the oil, but charged me for it. Long story. So.... normally, at our local Toyota dealer, the tire rotation was included with the oil change... not now - now they charge $16. to rotate the tires. It cost me $56.20 today to get my oil changed and tires rotated... how does that compare to those of you that get it done at a Toyota dealer? They only charged $10 labor to change it, which is worth it to me because of the engine cover that has to come off, then $6.00 for the oil filter and $2.55 for 6 quarts of oil... oil change alone would have been like $33.00, which is not bad, but had I known that they now charge $16 for tire rotation (which it really didnt need), I would not have agreed to it. $16. is not alot, but I could have done more effective things with that $16. Then the service manager said since my car had high miles (221K), that he recommends I have a oil flush done for an additional $27.00 which puts something in the engine and flushed it out for 10 minutes, then refill and add some sort of additive. I declined that. My car dont leak or burn any oil (not one drop), even if I wait and do the 5K change interval. Whats worse is that my appointment was at 3:00 and they still had not took my car back at 4:00 and it was nearly 5:00 before my car was ready. <_< He said that it took so long because the first oil filter was defective and it was leaking..... hmmmm I hope they didnt run my car without oil. <_< I dont think so... I think they were slackers because everyone was having to wait long periods. I think next time I will just do it myself if I still have the car. As many of you know, I had been wanting to give the car to my mom, but I may give her my Mercedes instead and sell the LS400 and buy me a truck. I love the LS, but it needs things I cant afford to put into it now... power steering pump (leaking and I have a feeling it will leak like crazy this winter), motor mounts (vibrations) and eventually valve cover gaskets.... funny, they only leak in the winter, but oil always stays full... they only leak enough to cause the smell and occasional puff of smoke from under the hood, but again, only in the cooler months. I am planning on changing the transmission mount this week or next.... hoping it will eliminate some of the vibrations. There is one guy really interested in it... he said he would give me $3200 for it if I would sell it to him.... seriously considering it.

Yeah... the location of the starter on the LS400 - its one of the dumbest designs I have ever seen before. I have never seen anything on these cars so uncalled for. Under the intake.... when I tell "non-Lexus owners" this, they give me this funny look like I am crazy. Well, I tell them I am crazy.

lol... to me, simple is about a 5 minute job... not an hour. :)

Thanks. For some reason I cant get the search engine on here to work... can anyone steer me the right direction to replace/clean the Idle Air Control Valve? Is this the same piece of crap that causes the power steering fluid to get pulled into the engine?

Pay a visit: http://www.lexls.com/tutorials/EFI/throttlebody.html http://www.lextreme.com/tb.htm Thanks for the links. Good write-ups. Looks like a fun job. Looks more involved than I thought, but this is coming from someone thats not a DIYER. <_< I will give it a whirl though.... whats the worst that can happen.... I break a $500 part?

They city wasnt responsible for the damages?

Well, how does one remove the throttle body on these cars? Are there instructions here somewhere? I know nothing about them. I am a fool. I found what to USE to clean it, but not how to clean it. What all comes off... any special tools? Also, how do you clean the EGR valve?

I called the local Toyota dealer (because I dont use our local Lexus dealer anymore) to see how much throttle body cleaning would run and he said $49.00. OR he SAID they have a complete fuel system cleaning (which cleans the fuel pump, injectors, tops pistons, etc) for $122. He said this was "outside of" Toyota, but it was a great system that would take care of my low RPM hesitation and what I think is causing my "bumping" when in overdrive nad light acceleration between 35-50 mph. Does this $122 sound the way to go, or would the $49 service suffice? Thanks.

AFAIK, no one is really sure yet. I am not getting the engine light issue and my car dont have trac control, so I am not sure about that. I am going to try to get my throttle body cleaned soon and a new tranny mount and see what happens... if OK, then onto getting the PS leak repaired. Useless piece of junkyard fodder. Just too let you know that in Australia these cars are going for about$10k private sales and from a import dealer $13-15k. Not chump change lol Msut be different scenario in the US. Even for a 90-94 LS/Celsior? They wanna buy mine for $4K?

My "low coolant" light has been on ever since I have bought the car, but the coolant is FULL. Faulty sensor. Everytime I take it to the dealer for an oil change or something the remind me. They also remind me its $82 for a new sensor. Temp gauge never goes above 1/2 way though.

AFAIK, no one is really sure yet. I am not getting the engine light issue and my car dont have trac control, so I am not sure about that. I am going to try to get my throttle body cleaned soon and a new tranny mount and see what happens... if OK, then onto getting the PS leak repaired. Useless piece of junkyard fodder.

Thanks! Its a 1991. Thanks... I will look into that.

Well, mine is still doing it and honestly, it feels like the torque converter to me, but I hope not... I am hoping its either the tranny mount, or the throttle body. My transmission shifts smoothly in all gears, even when going into and out of lockup mode. Its mainly when changing between an incline or decline on light acceleration... it kinda jerks back and forth, almost like a bobble. :(