eatingupblacktop

Find out why your temp guage isn't giving you proper reading (gauge-coolant temp sensor?) Check your reservoir cap doesn't need replacing. Check coolant level Check coolant pressure (partially blocked rad/system - water pump) Check air flow through your rad (leaves/debris between rads) Check fan is working properly Check tension on your s-belt Check a/c is cycling properly and isn't on all the time

Thanks. Wow, you have to remove the pump to clean the screen in the pump? Isnt anything easy on these cars? ;) Oh well. Thanks! Jim, you don't have to remove the pump to get at the screen. Check out this link: http://us.lexusownersclub.com/forums/index...st&p=175272

Killer, I was doubtfull when I saw the pics, but i'll give you props for taking on the repairs. You've got jp as an advisor and a lack of funds as incentive. Good on ya! Of course we all want to see the final result when you're finished.

Interesting debate we have here. In my days as a two wheeled warrior (moto guzzi, ducati, laverda, and others), I've ridden bikes both on the street and in the bush. I have to say, after once hitting some gravel on a corner in a turn and doing a slow slide, and another time almost wiping out on some wet streetcar tracks after just slightly blipping the throttle in heavy traffic, I don't have the nerve to ride a bike on the street any more. On the other hand, I wouldn't hesitate pounding the dirt if my knees could handle it (one too many moguls skiing). As for driving a four wheeled vehicle, the safest I ever felt was on the track. Everyone's going in the same direction, watching the other racers (all of whom have better driving skills than your typical urban driver), looking for an opening to pass - no pedestrians, no drunks, no kids popping out from behind parked cars, no cops, no big rigs barely staying awake - just hyper aggressive drivers all driving at their car's limit for staying on the track, trying to make you eat their exhaust. I'll take that any day over being on the road with women putting on their makeup, sales reps looking up their next appt's and texting notes, or recent somali immigrants who have never seen winter before, bootin' down the highway on summer tires with 2 inches of snow on the ground. Never mind the idiots on their cell phones going through red lights or poor slobs who don't have enough time to sit down to eat but prefer to use both hands to stuff their faces while steering with their knees. Makes me want to wear a helmet off the track as well. I think the bottom line is there's an advantage to air bags. On the track, you've got adrenaline pumping through your system, your senses are on high alert, your reflexes are as quick as they can ever be, and you're strategizing the whole time. On the road, chances are you've relaxed with the cruise on or some tunes drowning out the road noise around you, maybe engaged in an interesting conversation with a passenger, or thinking about something other than what's happening right in front of you. Even the best driver in these circumstances doesn't have a chance to properly respond to an emergency situation and protect themselves as well or as quickly as an air bag can. We all think our reflexes are sharp and available on command. This might be true if you are driving in a hyper state of awareness for your whole trip. How often does that happen? ... Never! Sure, there are occaisions when we're able to narrowly avoid a disaster - most of us have these survival/near miss stories to tell. In the end, it's all a matter of personal choice, comfort and confidence in deciding how much safety you really want or need while driving. Accidents can happen at any time and most likely when you least expect it. Isn't that why we carry insurance - because no matter how fast our responses, how safe our driving habits, how superior our car's safety rating, !Removed! happens and we all need some measure of reassurance that when we make a bad decision or some dumb yahoo slams into us, someone will be there to pick up the pieces! Go brave ... but go smart!

What's even more impressive - it's 7 years overdue! Welcome to the club Justin and keep up the good work.

WOW! How much you want for that beauty?

OEM is never a waste of money. In some instances you'll even find aftermarket is more expensive. Since "nothing is too good for your car", why go cheap on important parts like a TB. You've got a luxury vehicle built to high standards. The oem parts in some cases might be more expensive initially, but if you amortize the price over the lifetime of the part, it's prob less expensive. In the case of a vital part like the TB, if you have a VVT engine and decide to cheap out on the belt, you leave yourself open to major engine damage if it ever goes. Remember, a lot of so called "bargain" parts are crap coming from China. You have a high end vehicle ... treat it with some respect and it will keep you on the road instead of on the shoulder!

Congratulations buddy! See what happens when you put your mind to it! You do us proud! Think'n ya might be able to enjoy your LS now? lol

Then you prob got the crap they make in China! Besides 160 K aint a lot of miles. Sorry to tell you, "Ya get wat Ya pay for"! Don't bother machining them. With the crap metal they're made from, you'll just be making them thinner and more prone to warping. Invest in some decent quality and save yourself the headaches.

Oh lord...one VW product in my life was enough. VW/Audis have got to be about the most expensive vehicles to maintain out there. Super expensive diagnostic equipment makes independent repair options limited and service is very expensive for VWs....and even moreso for Audis. I would absolutely never buy an Audi... Audi makes a descent car, so long as you have a full warrentee on it and a convenient dealer location to take it to. They use a self designed propriatary diagnostics systems that you can only get if you are an authorized Audi tech shop. And there are very few of those outside of the dealerships because they are really expensive scanners, and diagnotics equipment. It was Audi's attempt to keep all the work in house, and circumvent some of the ODB II systems. Not to mention that Audi has this uncanny need to reinvent the wheel over and over for some reason. And let us not forget the huge recall that is about to take place for Audi and the "Sudden death" issues they are wrestling with concerning the new transmissions. I can easily understand where SW03ES is coming from regarding Audi/ Volkswagon. It's almost hard for me to understand that the same people who are in charge and design Audi/Volkswagon also make the Porsche 911 GT3. (Which by the way, if I could afford one of those I would just get my in-laws a bus pass.) LOL!!! I hear ya about Audi. Too bad is all I can say. I rode in a friend's Q7 recently. Man what a vehicle! If I was in the market for a vehicle in that catagory, the Q7 would definitely be my choice if it weren't for their history.

Well, talk about a reversal of fortune! You've just gone from sitting in the gutter to dining at the Ritz! What a rollercoaster! Once you get behind the wheel and take her out, forget about it! You'll be locked in for life, especially after all the fun you've had with your current LS. This is exactly the break you've been looking for. Now you can take your time to fixup the "beater" lol, in order to sell it. This is a shocker! What else is up your sleeve?

Some of Jag's legendary probs explained: Lucas - Prince of Darkness - Lucas Electrical Humor Jokes

You can never, I repeat never, go wrong with oem. That means you're using what the engineers designed for the car in the first place. Also, don't nickle and dime a part that's dirt cheap to start with.

Bag the alt and you should be fine. Use a dry rag first to soak up most of the fluid, then a cleaner if needed. If you go hog wild with a cleaner, you'll wind up with mess over your floor and yourself. If you do a bit at a time, you can manage any spills/dripping etc. If you use an engine degreaser, make sure you read the label. Most require you rinse the cleaned area to rid it of the cleaner because it's combustible. Sounds like you both had a tough day. Don't let it get to you and no need to explain anything. None of us have the time we'd like. You've received some good advice here. Get to it when you can. Easier to put your mind to doing something when you're not rushed and have the energy required. Try this method - when my wife, who is an artist, gets stuck doing one of her paintings, she comes to me for some help or at least an opinion. Of course I'm not falling into that trap. If I suggest something and it turns out badly, who's she going to blame? You guessed it. So what I tell her is to "walk away, leave it for a while, get onto something else for a few days. The solution will eventually show up". Really all that happens is by taking a break and coming back to the task later, you give yourself a chance to recharge and approach it with a fresh start and a renewed state of mind. Same as relieving stress by taking some deep breaths. Sounds simple but hard to think of when you're circling the drain. Lastly, it's only a car, and you have several. Don't let a f@cking car get the better of you. You were here before you got it and hopefully you'll be here after it's gone. Right? Listen, you might feel better if you got mad, went out and yelled at it for a while! Feeling sorry for yourself and giving up ain't gonna solve nothin'!

I agree. Load test your alt.

I'm assuming you're taking Az's advice to clean up that whole area. You can't determine the source of your leak when the fluid is everywhere. Clean all hoses and metal surfaces then start the car and watch for the first signs of fluid. Crank the wheel a bit from side to side to help get the leak going. As for the rack, have you taken a look at it? Is it wet anywhere, especially at the boots?

Jim boy, I sympathize with your state of mind. But believe me, when anyone starts piling up all their troubles, it's hard not to want to give up and cry! The trick is ... don't do it! Don't pile it on! You'll just go into a depression. Hard to make rational decisions when you're in one. Take another look at the car without all the financial aspects involved. What will it take to be able to drive the car? That's where you start. Can you drive with a leaky valve cover until you can afford the time and cost for a new gasket? If it's not smokin the whole way down the road and your not seeing a dip in the oil level, then sure you can. Can you drive with less than perfect motor mounts? Sure you can. Is your rack problematic? Learn how to clean the solenoid and the pump screen then take your time doing it. Learn how to flush the system, then take your time and do it. No need to spend any money until you know you have a clean system. You may find that's all it needs! You have a wealth of information here at the LOC and at other sites. Use it. If you haven't been a DIY before, then at least attempt it if for no other reason than to find out what aptitude you have for it. You may find skills you didn't know you had. The key is to tackle one project at a time and develop some patience with both the learning curve and the actual application. Ever watch a spider build his web? Never gives up! You tear down his web in the morning, by evening he's got a new one almost completed! Now mind you, they have nothing to learn because it's all instinctual. You spend enough time with a wrench and it becomes instinct much like the spider's. Your probs aren't insurmountable. I'm sure there are many members here who would gladly change their probs for yours. The next time you're listing all the probs with this car, add another column listing all the aspects of the car that aren't giving you grief and what you like about the car. Make sure you avail yourself of a balanced perspective! ;)

Are these oem rotors?

It does seem somewhat incredulous that a veteran trained CPH Officer would panic even in a novel situation as this. Familiarizing yourself with a new vehicle/equipment would most likely be a habit for any professional driver. It would be interesting to learn what contingency training officers receive in dealing with possible driving situations. Let's look at the options: Placing the car into neutral - I find it difficult to believe that this option wasn't attempted! Attempting to lift the accelerator pedal - wouldn't this be obvious to anyone? Turning off the ignition - wouldn't the officer have noticed the start/stop button? It seems to me that there could be extenuating circumstances which will no doubt be investigated. As for speculation, has anyone considered this accident could have been intentional?

Welcome to the club. Should be able to find it at: http://www.toyodiy.com/

Easiest way .. start pulling fuses, beginning with the sensor circuit. Eventually you'll find the drain. Btw, nice setup aquanuke, esp the rims. How about a few pics.

YUGO was bad, but LADA was badder! Don't know if you had them in the States. In Canada, these Russian cars started rusting even before the roads were salted for the winter. In the spring you'd see all the patchwork owners were doing to stop the spread (futile). In the parking lot at the studio, there was this one guy who was constantly trying to repair the corrosion that was in the cheap metal from day one. Every 3 or 4 months you would see some fresh paint in the problem areas. Resprayed the whole car twice in 2 years until he realized it was a losing battle and just let it rust. In 6 mths the rust took over almost the whole car. Finally got rid of it and what did he buy ... a Pinto! :chairshot:

Honestly, I think 90's just a bit lonely. :whistles: One things for sure, at over 1600 hits, heeee's popular! :P

Another year (they sure go fast don't they - especially this non summer) ... another B day. All the best!

Hey flop, I noticed you've got a few axes in the corner there, but I don't recognize any of them. Nice setup btw. Yeah, I'd worry about getting in the car after a session on the "RaceStation"! There, I've given you a name if you decide to go to market with this thing.