90LS400Lexus

So it looks like I am not the only person this has happened to. You are right UFC3- that was what happened- just pressure on the wheel lock. Meist- your story sounds like mine. I was not sure of what to do. There was several cars behind me, waiting to get fuel. I could not get the car out of gear either. I was about to just get out and tell them that my car would not start- until I turned it with a little extra force. I did not realize that the slightest pressure on the wheel lock would hold the switch. These cars must really have strong switches. On most cars- this amount of pressure on the wheel would still not keep the switch locked that tight. Probably would take a little more force than normal, but not as much as this car needed. I have always been aware of how it can be difficult to get many cars to get the ignitions to turn, if the wheels were turned when the car was turned off and there was pressure on the lock, but I never guessed that just my hand on the wheel was enough to pull it down to keep it from turning. On the way back home- I kept thinking that my key or switch was bad, but as stated, when I got home- I checked it and realized the wheel lock was holding the key. Now I know to start the car with no pressure on the wheel- which is usually the case. I guess at the service station- I had the wheels turned a little more than normal as well. :D

I thought 246K was pretty amazing for a Taurus as well. It goes to show that proper maintainence will really help a car last. My Taurus was a 1-owner, company owned car- so they took care of it mechanically. You are also 100% correct about the depreciation. I only paid $1300. for my 1998 model. I have seen 2000 models here sell for as low as $6000. The 2000-up would be the better choice, as they have better styling (I think) and the ride is supposed to be more supple- according to road test reports. My car has the base 3.0L V6, but I think it has single exhaust. I have heard of those engine names you mentioned however. I am not sure what the 3.0L V6 that my car has is called. The interior on my Taurus is quite roomy, as you mentioned. Although I am not a tall person- I am only about 5'5, small cars still seemed to have a cramped interior to me- for example- my mothers 1998 Oldsmobile Acheiva (smallest Oldsmobile for 1998) does seem very cramped when I drive it. My 1992 Buick is very roomy- as expected for a large American car.

Some of you folks that have owned a LS400 for a while may already know this, but I just found this out today. When you place the key in the ignition and go to turn it- if there is the slightest pressure on the steering wheel while it is locked- the switch will not turn- or at least on my car. Normally- my wheels are straight when I park the car, so I have never had this happen before. Today- after I filled the car at the gas station- I got back in the car. I went to turn the ignition and it would not turn. I tried to turn it for about 2 minutes- and I wiggled the key- but still no luck. There were a number of cars behind me. I finally got frustrated and turned the key with a lot of force and it finally turned. I zoomed out of the parking lot. When I made my next stop, then got back in the car- the ignition turned with ease. I was thinking maybe it was a worn switch, or bad key. When I got home- I was testing the switch and kept turning the switch on and off, to try to figure out what had happened. It turned with ease again, which is how it had been operating, but at one point- I noticed it would not turn again. I realized at that point that I had my hand on the steering wheel, pulling down on it just slightly- enough to put pressure on the steering wheel lock. That was enough pressure to keep the switch from turning and I figured out that is what had happened at the service station. Most cars require more pressure on the wheel lock to keep the ignition from turning, but I guess these Lexus have a stronger lock than most cars and since the ignition is in the dash- it must be set up different cars with the ignition on the column. I was glad to learn that it was not a problem, but rather the nature of these cars. Has anyone else experienced this?

I'm just looking for what you gave me ;) , your $.02 about the LS's comfort and how it would suit a rather tall person like me. I guess you could call the ES an extreme luxury Camry except for the ES250 which was very, very similar to its Camry counterpart. They(ES300 and Camry) share the same platform, engine, and tranny as well as little things inside like turn signal levers, etc. Almost everything else is completely different...brakes, suspension, seats, dash, interior and exterior styling, interior/exterior material quality, and the dreaded pilarless windows and high trunk height, etc. Like I said, it's a superb car, but it's just too small :( , or maybe I'm too big ?!?!?!? I agree Camry's are excellent cars and values; my friend's 95 V6 Camry(I was just shocked at the smoothness of the powertrain!) is what sold me on the Toyota/Lexus lineup! As a side note, how do you like your Taurus? Glad the information was helpful. I also agree about the ES250/ES300. I never thought much about it before, but the ES250 is more like a Camry than the ES300. ES300 does have the differences you mentioned. I am not sure how much higher quality/materials that the ES300 has over the Camry, as I have never closely looked or ridden in a ES300. I am guessing that the ES300/Camry is pretty close. My 1993 Camry had a very high quality interior. Most every interior panel was padded (Just like the Lexus ES300 & LS400) and all panels lined up evenly. Door panels felt solid and tightly secure. My Camry had 212,500 miles when I sold it and I was amazed that it was still 100% rattle and squeak free. The LS400 should be even better. In response to your question about my Taurus- considering it is a 1998 model, with 246,200 miles- it is a OK car. 246K is pretty impressive for a Ford- especially a Taurus. I bought it as a work car. The engine still runs like new and still does not leak or use any oil, but the transmission is getting tired, power steering pump growls and the radiator pan leaks. I added some transmission restorer and it has helped it a lot, but I will still probably sell or trade it- incase it gets bad again. This was my first Ford since my old 1983 Thunderbird that I had about 10-12 years ago. After I bought this Taurus- I said it would be my last Ford. It drives good, but this generation Taurus has a harsh ride (for a mid-sized car) and the styling is not all that great. My uncles have had older Fords and some of them are OK- but these newer ones seem "not-so-good".

Very true- since the ES was introduced in 1990 (was ES250 then) it was based on the Camry- and then with the 92 Camry redesign and the V6 engine becoming a 3.0L- the Lexus ES became the ES300. The ES250/ES300 is like an extreme luxury Camry. Camry's are excellent cars, so the ES250/ES300 are just as good. Most people (including Camry owners) do not realize that a Lexus is based on their cars. The ES's are excellent cars- if they are anything like the Camrys. My 1993 Camry LE V6 was a excellent, well-built car. It had 212K and still looked and ran like new. It was still 100% rattle and squeak free and had a very high quality interior. I would not mind having another. Even my old 1987 Camry (like a plain 1990-91 Lexus ES250)- was also a excellent, well-built car. I am not 100% sure what other information you need , but I am sure that others will have more information. Good luck.

As a owner of a 90 LS400 and the previous owner of a 1993 Toyota Camry LE V6- which the ES300 is based on (same engine as well)- the LS400 has a LOT more room. The room in the Camry was OK for me, but I could see how that car could be cramped for a tall person. I find that the Lexus has a lot more head room, as well as leg room than my old Camry. As far as ride and comfort- the LS will be much more comfortable than the ES. Air-suspension models I have heard have the best, cloud-like ride, but even the base standard suspension models still have a very smooth, soft ride, with good handling. The 1990-94 models were stated to have the best ride of any car sold then. The 4.0L V8 is smooth and very powerful. If maintained well and not abused, these cars can go well over 300K-500K miles. They are loaded with standard features. About the differences between the LS400s- there are a few. I thought it was posted here, but it may have been on the clublexus.com Lexus site. The 90-94 as you know is generation 1, 95-00? is generation 2, but the 98' got a significant facelift. I guess that the 01-04 is generation 3. Within the 1st generation (1990-1994) I have heard that the 1990 LS400 has the worst brakes, but not by any means- bad brakes. My brakes are very smooth and powerful, so the 91-up must be exceptional. I have heard there was slight brake improvements (not sure what) on the 1991-1992 models and the 1993 added larger brakes and tires, which are considered big pluses for many. The 1993 also added outside temperature readout, digital odometer (digital trip odometer only on the 90-92), as well as redesigned wheels for 1993 and a passenger side airbag was added for 1993. Driverside only for the 1990-1992. Appearance wise- the 1990-1992 are identical and I think 93-94 as well, except for the wheels and added airbag. 1995 was slightly redesigned- which I think has a longer wheelbase and I think it had a redesigned instrument panel. Options are few. CD player, memory power seats, air-ride suspension, heated seats (beginning in 92'?) remote entry (1990), sunroof, leather interior & gold trim package were the few options on the 1990-? models. I think remote entry became standard for 1991. My car only has the remote entry, gold package, sunroof and leather options. I think the power/automatic tilt steering was standard for all years. I am sure there is something I missed. From what I have been able to gather- the 90-94 seem to be the more reliable generations- but ALL seem to be excellent cars. Instrument cluster and climate control LCD lighting can be trouble spots on the 1990-1997 models. Seems like I see more complaints of this problem on the 1993-1994 models. Power steering leak from the pump is also another trouble spot that should be checked. Air-suspension (optional) can be troublesome and expensive to replace. I am sure many other will have a lot more to add, but hopefully this will help you a little.

I have 225,800 on my car and I am unsure if/when the belt was changed. I am not that concerned since I found out this is a non-interference engine. There is a receipt in the glove box though from back in June (about 4000 miles ago), when the previous (original) owner had the car serviced. On the receipt it said - "customer wants ALL belts checked- replace as necessary". It mentioned nothing about the timing belt actually being changed, or any belts for that matter. I am hoping the belt was fine or changed. My dads 1988 Nissan with the 3.0L V6 had the original timing belt to 205,000. My uncle bought it new in late 1987. When my dad bought it the very late 1990s- my uncle told him that he had NEVER changed the belt, or had any work done to it for that matter. My dad changed the belt- which by the was was VERY THIN and on the verge of breaking. . Aside from brakes my dads truck has needed NOTHING over the past 15 years and 250,000 miles- which it now has- until last week. The starter finally went out. This was the first part (aside from brake pads) that has went out on this truck. Pretty impressive. The Japanese built cars are the best. The new Nissans-Infinitis are not nearly as good as the older ones. I feel the same is true for Honda-Acura and Toyota-Lexus. I am assuming since my car has nearly 226K- that the belt has been changed- or else it would have already broken. ??? Perhaps I will change it soon.

I agree. I took my Lexus through one of the local automatic washes and it peeled off a couple of my pinstripes. Luckily- they did not come all the way off, so luckily, with a few minutes I was able to put them back on and so far they have stayed- even after I have washed it by hand since then. :) I take my other cars through there with no problems, but they are lighter colored cars. I would NEVER take a NEW and/or dark colored (especially black) car through one. When I took my old 1995 Concorde through there- sometimes the lower part of the front frame would rub on something- like a metal to metal sound. :o and it also pulled off a piece of loose trim that I had to re-glue. . I did take my Buick through there a while back and it must not have been lined up properly, as it was bumping through there for about 5 seconds. I vowed at that time- I would never take the Lexus through there, because I never had- until I decided to a couple of weeks ago- when it ripped the pinstripes loose. I would recommend washing it by hand. Also- like VMF said- I would give the car a good waxing.

I live on the extreme southern end of I-81. It only goes about 80 miles to my southwest before it runs into I-40. Luckily- this part of the interstate is usually fine, as we do not get nearly as much as snow as the northern end of the interstate. About the post about the best spots to wash- I always wash in the fender wells very good (anytime of the year), as I do not think that the automatic washes do well in this area. When we do have a snow and salt is on the road- which is not that often- I also bend down and try to spray under my cars well with the rinse water when I wash them myself.

It has been mentioned that "Lexol"? is good for the leather interior. I am actually going to put some on my seats next week.

But it is normal for the 1990-1997 USA LS400s to not have adjustable instrument lights when the lights are off?

I have not yet had my car over 2900 rpms. Perhaps soon I will be able to at least take it to 3500 rpms? I have never had to take it over 2900 rpms. The power is very sufficent for my in-town driving even at low rpms. Picks up speed quickly- even below 3000 rpms. Pretty impressive. I guess I baby my car too much. :D

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to ALL!!

Good Lord, man, you went through an auto wash AND it wasn't touchless?? :chairshot: :P Was supposed to be. The good thing is that they were still on there, but were loose. I was able to stick them back on, with a little time. They still had enough "sticky" on them to stick. They may fall off again soon. I guess it is possible that they have been recently replaced due to peeling and may not have been installed properly. I did take the car to the car wash yesterday and washed it MYSELF and they stayed on- even the ones that came loose in the autowash. I am going to take it again this week and give it another good washing. The car wash I normally go to- was packed last evening. I took my other car today on my lunch hour and it was packed again. A lot of folks was anxious to get the salt sprays off of their cars. I was going to take the Buick through the autowash- like I usually do and it does not hurt it- the pinstrips seem to be on very well, as they do not peel at all- even in the autowash. It was lined alll the way around though, so I washed it myself. That same autowash did however rip off a door moulding off of my old 1995 Chrysler Concorde. Luckily- ALL of the snow has melted- which is normal, as snow rarely stays on the ground here for more than 3 days or so. Does anyone know if most of the automatic car washes wash underneath the car? It seems impossible to spray good under the car at the car wash, if you are washing it yourself. I try to spray under there the best I can.

Yes- I checked my lights today and they do not dim, even with the dial, unless the parking or headlights are switched on. It is like that switch is "dead" or not activated until the headlight/parking light switch is on.

My 90 LS400 has 225K and does not have the steering column rattle- at least not yet, so I really cannot say what it could be. I did have a car a few years ago that did have a little rattle in the column. I think it was one of my old 1987 Toyota Camrys, but it may have been more of a "pop" sound. It had 152K and it had a few rattles, but my other 1987 Camry had 195K and it was still 100% rattle and squeak free. I remember reading years ago in a 1998 edition of "new car buyer guide" about the 1998 Toyota Corolla having severe steering colum rattles on the test cars and I think it was even mentioned to be a problem on the 1998 Lexus GS. Perhaps a similar problem? Hopefully someone here will have some answers. This is the first complaint I have read about column rattles on a Lexus. Are you sure it is not the steering column cover rattling, or are you sure that the rattle is inside the column? Good luck.

You got a 92LS400, with 163K for only $3,000? That was a great buy. Isn't it great when you are able to get a great deal on a car every once in a while? I paid $4000. for my 1990 with 225K. I still feel I got a very good deal on my car, as it was a 1-owner, well-kept car. I would have liked to have talked the owner down to about $3500 however. The only thing I dislike about my car is the color. Not bad, but the "dark walnut", as the factory window sticker states, is not my favorite color. :D

To update on my problem- I took my car to Lexus and the previous owner had simply had the airbag disconnected and the warning light removed. The dealer installed a new bulb and reconnected the connector and all is fine.

Sorry to hear about your misfortune. Perhaps your Lexus is a lemon? What is the mileage? Was it properly cared for? Abused? My 90 LS400 has 225K and is in perfect working order. Good luck with your problem.

Talk about salt! We had our first measurable snow of the season. Although not much on the ground- they did salt (or put that salt water solution) on the roads last night and early this morning, as the roads were turning to black ice. I drove my Lexus early yesterday, but I think they salted earlier, as they knew the temperature was supposed to drop. I am going tomorrow to wash my Lexus very well. I did not want to drive it in the salt, but I would rather drive it than any of my other cars. :D My Buick is covered with dry salt residue as well- as well as all of the other cars here in the area, so I am sure everyone will be washing their cars tomorrow- as temperatures rise to about 50 degrees, then 55 on Monday and 60 degrees on Tuesday. I may wait until Tuesday before I wash the Buick. We typically do not even see snow until January, but this has been an unusual year for weather. We are currently 25.00 inches of rain above normal for the year and have broken two record monthly rainfall levels this year. * Also- I will never take it through the automatic car wash again. I took it through there last week and it tore off two of my pin stripes.

I agree. I paid a little over $4,000 for my 90 LS400, with 225K, but I know these cars are built to last for a long time. It being a 1-owner, southern car, helps a lot. It has obviously never seen any abuse. The previous owner bought it new in Florida in March of 1990.

I was pretty sure that was something I noticed in my car. They can be turned off during the day, but the head/parking light switch has to be on. I was not sure though if it was on the other year LS400s or not from some of the other replies.

Are you buying the same car that you took the little handling test drive in? I know a lot of people like to see what a car will do before they buy it, but I think if I was going to buy a car, even on test drive- I would not be able to drive it aggressively. I would probably be the slowest driver in town. :D

I have not had my Lexus long, but I was under the impression when the headlights/parking lights are off that the instrument cluster stays on full brightness and the dial does not dim the light even if it is turned to low. I thought that the brightness dial only worked if the headlight/parking lot light was switched on. I will have to check mine out tomorrow. I usually always leave mine on full brightness - even at night. My car is also a 1990 and all of the lighting still works fine- for now. I have also seen other 1990s with lights still working like new, but I have seen LS400s as new as 1995-1996 with instrument cluster lighting problems.

I filled up my car today and checked the guage and it seems fine to me. It took it less than a minute to go to full. It went all the way to the line at the "F" and stopped. I had less than 1/4 tank in it. It held 16.6 gallons. $23.50 was the total @ 1.40.9 per gallon. The supermarkets gas station has a special on Fridays, where you can get premium gasoline @ mid-grade prices. Last Friday it was $1.35 per gallon for premium. Now that I know exactly how many gallons I put in- I am going to check my MPG.