eatingupblacktop

I was thinking of getting a battery jacket for my ls, but since I don't drive it much in the winter that idea is on the shelf for now. Instead, whenever I'm going to take her out I put a trickle charge with an autoshutoff on the battery the night before. That way I know I've got plenty of cranking power the next day. I do have a block heater (on a timer) in my everyday ride volvo and run synthetic. It's parked outside but starts in 1.5 cranks. Starts blowing warm air within 2-3 minutes no matter what the temp is.

Don't do any mods anymore since I totalled my Scirocco gen1: adjustable bilsteins, stage 2 calloway turbo with cockpit adjustable boost, headers, shaved head, polished ports, oversized valves, etc. Full size olds came through a red light...I was the third one making a left turn on an advance green. She sneezed while reaching for a kleenex coming up to the intersection and hit the gas instead of the brake. Ripped my heart out to lose that ride. I just browse now. Here's a profile I came across that might interest you. It's a girl builder named Drift_Girl who does her own mods including bodywork, welding, carbon fibre composites, etc. There's a shot of her custom sc400. Looks hot. http://rides.importtuner.com/ride/1003507/...c400/index.html

Try pushing down on it first then pulling up. Also check that you haven't somehow locked out (pushed in) the remote security button.

As with any Body mods, rims' aesthetics are very subjective. IMO the wheels on the dodge looik too big for the car. A set of rims that look good, again imo, are the ones IS400 put on her ls. Pics found here: http://us.lexusownersclub.com/forums/index...ost&id=7891

With the smoke and bad smell you describe, sounds like you're burning your timing belt on a seized pump or idler pulley. Your getting heat inside the car when it's starting to overheat only because of the pressure forcing coolant circulation into your heater. If it's a gen1 (90 - 94) you can drive it into a shop as long as you stay out of the red. You don't want to add head gaskets to your problems. If it breaks enroute you won't damage anything but you'll be stranded. If it's a newer model with an interference engine, tow it. Either way get it nto a shop unless you can do it yourself. Replacing a timing belt is about 9 out of 10 on the difficulty scale.

Nice jump at the end. BTW, SK where do you get your nitrogen and how much? Only place in the GTA that I've found is Costco, and they'll only do it if you buy tires from them. From what I've read, to do it properly you have to do 3-4 refills to get out all the oxygen. I also read you're planning to go lower yet with your 98. Is this a new photo with it lowered or is it yet to be done? Looks pretty good right now.

BigBuggie, for a site that's less tech and more consumer reviews try: http://autos.msn.com/home/reliability_ratings.aspx Just punch in your year, make and model, then "user" ratings and you'll get plenty of owners experiences with their cars. BTW, I know the feeling of test driving a gorgeous car that looks like new and drives like new and not wanting someone else to get it. The kneejerk reaction is to go for it. Good luck and let us know how you make out.

Further to the timing belt issue. Even if it's been done, you want to make sure that the water pump, idler pulley and tensioner pulleys were done at the same time. If not, I would knock off the price for having them done. They won't last until your next belt change, so you'll wind up going in there one extra time at just about the same expense.

Gdave, a couple of questions. How long has it been overheating, have you noticed whether any of your fans are working? Any smoke from the engine area, particularly the front of the engine, and have you smelled anything? If you have none of these, you could have a blocked rad. Are you getting any heat inside the car? If you run the heater on max does your temp gage go down? Even if you haven't noticed smoke or smelled anything your water pump could be seized. If that's the case then your timing belt will be shredding as you drive and will soon fail. Check to see what condition your belt is in. If you notice any shredded teeth, you need to replace it.

Congratulations. Just about all ls cars look great even when they're 10 -15 years old. When you say that ps fluid was low, how low, and if he filled it a couple of days ago, why did you find it low? Check the colour of the fluid with a white paper towel. It should be pink and should not smell burnt. I would check around the reservoir/pump for leaks, especially the high pressure pipe which is the most expensive to repair. Don't forget to check if the alternator is wet if you find any p/s leaks. With 154k on the clock, timing belt should have been done a while ago. If not, it could go any time. I believe the 95 had an interference engine which means major damage if the belt goes. Very important to verify. If the engine is cold and been sitting for a while, get someone to start the car while you check out the exhaust to see if any smoke comes out the rear. If you can, take the car into a shop you trust for a report. Make sure they put it up for a look underneath. Up here in Canada, we have the APA, which will do a complete inspection for about $125. And that's all they do - no repairs, so you get an unbias report. I know this sounds like a lot of bother, but it could save you some money down the road.

90LS400Lexus, A couple more thoughts. Do you notice any difference in the vibration when making turns? If so it could be your bearings. Also, have you tried coasting in neutral to see if that makes any difference? I don't know if anyone's asked this yet, but have you noticed any difference during acceleration, coasting or braking? Another test that's easy to do is to open your hood, get over to one side right at one of the front wheels and push the car sideways. Listen to the top of the strut towers to see if you can hear any banging or looseness. Do both sides. BTW there was an older thread with similar symptoms as yours that turned out to be a U-joint.

This is getting to be quite the adventure. You never did describe the smell. Was it like burning rubber, oil, or rotten eggs?

Good thing you caught the leak before it did in your new alt. For insurance, you might want to flush the p/s and clean the solenoid screen to prevent any pressure buildup. Changing the acv on the pump would be a good idea as well. Cheap preventive maintenance.

Do you have any warning lights on (check engine, air bag, etc)? If so, you should get the codes from your on board diagnostic port under the steering wheel. If not, you could try unplugging all related fuses and keep them out for at least 15 minutes to see if the ecm resets. then plug them back in. Relays would be next on my list. Connecting cables the way you did can do a lot of damage. I think you might be lucky this time, but I see why you're "badboy".

Jamnall, Sounds like you might have a drain on your battery or an internal short in the battery. In the winter, I turn off my remote entry. If the car's been sitting for a while, I would use a battery charger to get it to a full charge before starting the car. Starting and running the car with a discharged battery, places a great deal of stress on your alternator and will shorten it's life. I would also check your belts to make sure they have proper tension. PS: If you're charging a cold battery, make sure it's a 2 amps or less (trickle charge) with an automatic shutoff for when the battery reaches full charge. A cold battery cannot accept a high rate (10 amps) quick charge. An easy way to locate the drain, is to disconnect the battery and let it sit for as long as you can, then check the voltage. If it's up then your drain is in the system. If it's down then your battery can't hold the charge and should be replaced. Bigste says that all seems fine, but have you checked what voltage the alternator is cranking out? If your output is low, with all the systems that you have running in the car, your battery will not charge up fully and your warning lights can light up. I would also check your voltage regulator while your at it. PS: One other thing I overlooked and it's the easiest but could also cause your problems, check your battery terminals to make sure they're tight and clean.

Jamnall, Sounds like you might have a drain on your battery or an internal short in the battery. In the winter, I turn off my remote entry. If the car's been sitting for a while, I would use a battery charger to get it to a full charge before starting the car. Starting and running the car with a discharged battery, places a great deal of stress on your alternator and will shorten it's life. I would also check your belts to make sure they have proper tension. PS: If you're charging a cold battery, make sure it's a 2 amps or less (trickle charge) with an automatic shutoff for when the battery reaches full charge. A cold battery cannot accept a high rate (10 amps) quick charge. An easy way to locate the drain, is to disconnect the battery and let it sit for as long as you can, then check the voltage. If it's up then your drain is in the system. If it's down then your battery can't hold the charge and should be replaced. Bigste says that all seems fine, but have you checked what voltage the alternator is cranking out? If your output is low, with all the systems that you have running in the car, your battery will not charge up fully and your warning lights can light up. I would also check your voltage regulator while your at it.

Jamnall, Sounds like you might have a drain on your battery or an internal short in the battery. In the winter, I turn off my remote entry. If the car's been sitting for a while, I would use a battery charger to get it to a full charge before starting the car. Starting and running the car with a discharged battery, places a great deal of stress on your alternator and will shorten it's life. I would also check your belts to make sure they have proper tension.

This happened to me last week. It was rather disconcerting and worrisome but it was an easy fix. Symptoms were exactly as yours. Came on right away, same limits on RPM, same exhaust smell, almost smooth idle and almost smooth in revving. THE CAR WAS RUNNING ON 4 CYLINDERS! One of the two ignition coils had failed. Replacement coil was $42 at Advance Auto. Other parts in the ignition chain may also be the culprit such as the igniter module and the distributor pickup coil. It may be what you have. Check the spark coming out of a plug wire on each of the two ignition coils. Mine had one side dead with no spark at all. PS: Two collapsed cats??? Yes, that would give you a problem if they were but I have never heard of this in a Lexus. Are you sure? I say this because a friend of mine thought of blocked cats first also. (because the exhaust flow was greatly reduced due to firing on only four cylinders). Luckily, I stayed with ignition troubleshooting first. Mechanically, Lexus cats are very rigid and not prone to collapse or becoming blocked. I looked internally at mine at 175K miles. They look fine from a flow standpoint. Elvis Liam, I'm inclined to agree with Elvis. It's very unlikely that two cats would go at the same time. More likely ignition or fuel related. Before buying expensive converters, I would make sure your efi is operating properly. That includes your filter/pump/regulator/injectors. If you find the injectors need cleaning, you can add injector cleaner to your fuel tank and if they're not too bad, it should clean them up. If your doing that, then your throttle body could probably use some cleaning as well. The other direction I would go is to check the spark/voltage at your ignition coils. Bad coils usually smell burnt. If that's ok, then check your plug/ignition cables. Another easy check is for vacuum leaks. I hope you find your problems in one of those areas. Replacing yor mirror is bad enough without having to get cats as well. PS - If your problem is fuel related, I would use premium grade fuel only from a top tier supplier if you don't already.

Liam, This happened to me last week. It was rather disconcerting and worrisome but it was an easy fix. Symptoms were exactly as yours. Came on right away, same limits on RPM, same exhaust smell, almost smooth idle and almost smooth in revving. THE CAR WAS RUNNING ON 4 CYLINDERS! One of the two ignition coils had failed. Replacement coil was $42 at Advance Auto. Other parts in the ignition chain may also be the culprit such as the igniter module and the distributor pickup coil. It may be what you have. Check the spark coming out of a plug wire on each of the two ignition coils. Mine had one side dead with no spark at all. PS: Two collapsed cats??? Yes, that would give you a problem if they were but I have never heard of this in a Lexus. Are you sure? I say this because a friend of mine thought of blocked cats first also. (because the exhaust flow was greatly reduced due to firing on only four cylinders). Luckily, I stayed with ignition troubleshooting first. Mechanically, Lexus cats are very rigid and not prone to collapse or becoming blocked. I looked internally at mine at 175K miles. They look fine from a flow standpoint. Elvis Liam, I'm inclined to agree with Elvis. It's very unlikely that two cats would go at the same time. More likely ignition or fuel related. Before buying expensive converters, I would make sure your efi is operating properly. That includes your filter/pump/regulator/injectors. If you find the injectors need cleaning, you can add injector cleaner to your fuel tank and if they're not too bad, it should clean them up. If your doing that, then your throttle body could probably use some cleaning as well. The other direction I would go is to check the spark/voltage at your ignition coils. Bad coils usually smell burnt. If that's ok, then check your plug/ignition cables. Another easy check is for vacuum leaks. I hope you find your problems in one of those areas. Replacing yor mirror is bad enough without having to get cats as well.

I just changed the thermostat. The old one only got between one quarter and one half. Now it is on half steady. Got heat for awhile when on max heat. Got hotter when running hard above 3K rpm's. I then turned it down to 80 degrees.Then it started only warm at best again. Now even on max heat it is only warm. Any suggestions? Could it be the radiator cap not holding pressure enough to put water through the heater core? Having changed your thermostat, I'm sure you have checked your coolant level. In some cars, if your level is outside the marked range it will affect how much heat you will get. You also have the possibility of an air bubble when filling up after replacing your stat. Your heater core could be starting to block up. Did you do a flush before filling up the coolant? If not, I would use some radiator flush, set the heater to max heat, and let it run for 5-10 minutes. Then drain and refill. If your heater's only partially blocked you should be able to clear it this way.

I would agree with VMF that it might be time to change your shocks. If you push down on one corner hard enough, you should be able to get it to bounce. Once bouncing, if you let off, it should bounce no more than two times, then stop. Any more bounces than 2, you need to replace. No bounce, need to be replaced. However, your body does seem to be high. Compare with this photo of a '93 I was interested in buying. 93ls By the way how do you post images on this forum? I tried the "upload" button in the "attachments" section but it was a nogo. Couldn't upload. The jpeg was 192k, way below the 2mb max.

I would agree with VMF that it might be time to change your shocks. If you push down on one corner hard enough, you should be able to get it to bounce. Once bouncing, if you let off, it should bounce no more than two times, then stop. Any more bounces than 2, you need to replace. No bounce, need to be replaced. However, your body does seem to be high. Compare with this photo of a '93 I was interested in buying. 93ls

Keeping the rubber out of the sun is a good idea if you can do it. Even though you garage your car, not driving it regulary can flat spot older tires. Newer tire technology has eliminated this to a large degree, but given the age of your tires (03), I would point my finger there. age can also deteriorate the tires' belts putting them out of round or moving the tread so they don't run true. Even though they have plenty of tread and replacing them might not solve your problem, it's time for them to go. Keep a couple of them as spares.

Also check out the "Highest Mileage" forum for an idea of what kind of longevity you can expect with this model.

Price sounds ok, 3k would be better. Definitely not a pro but things I would check or have checked for your peace of mind: - last time the timing belt was changed (with 225k should have been done twice) - power steering pump leaks / wet alternator - A/c compressor sensor - get underneath to see if it's been banged, zipped or rebuilt. I would also try to get as much service history as possible or at least the last couple of service bills. If nothing else was done but all the fluids & filters changed as per schedule, should be nice a car.