landar

You say you have a puller set. Is this a loaner from a local auto store? If so, It could be that the screws are distorted or cross-threaded from previous users. I bought a puller kit from Harbor Freight and found a pair of bolts that worked nicely but I do not know exactly what size they were. You might need to locate another kit and see if the bolts will work. I do not remember anything unusually about the size and thread. http://www.harborfreight.com/bolt-type-wheel-puller-set-69889.html

That being the case, maybe bad/wrong resistor pack, new blower motor is sluggish or wrong type, or something misconnected. For one thing, at high speed, you should find almost 12v on the blower motor. You are going to need to get back in there and make some checks. Win one for the Gipper. ;-)

No.

So, the basic issue is that the blower motor speed is slower than indicated?

Good to hear Daffy and thanks for posting the resolution. You got one heck of a good deal. Diagnosis, parts, labor and a loaner for two weeks. The loaner by itself was worth several hundred if not more.

Thank you James, for that informative post. I am sure someone will benefit from your experience. And welcome to the club!

The big question is whether the fluid was completely changed at 114k or whether it was just the quick, two quart change. You could do the complete change that Freddie mentions above. In any case, I would start by pulling the dipstick and seeing what color the fluid is. If it is darker brown then you will probably immediately benefit from a fluid change. But it the tranny fluid truly was completely changed at 114k then I do not think you will benefit. That was only 24k miles ago. Your dealer is being a bit overly dramatic, IMO. Sure, if the fluid had never been changed, a flush *could* loosen some built-up crud in there and clog the inner parts. I think it well worth that small risk to change it if it is old You will have to check to be sure. It will not hurt anything to completely change the fluid with fresh other than hurting your wallet.

Has the transmission fluid ever been changed on this car?

Maybe because the default mode of the circuit without the sensor connected is to indicate a low level?

Good to hear that you are a fellow engineer. I know you will be logical and methodical. Here is what I would do: There should be a fairly thorough treatment of the CC system and how to troubleshoot in the Lexus factory manual (I know there is in the 90-94 models). I do not have the manual for a 96, however. But you can download it pretty cheaply if you go to the Toyota TIS site and pay $15. This gives you 48 hours of unrestrained searching and downloading of all Toyota models/years including Lexus. I will warn you that you can get overloaded with all the info presented. However, if you remain focused on getting your cars info, you can download the entire manual in a couple of hours. They (Toyota TIS) do not make downloading easy. They tend to group info in small categories and you have a lot of click and saving to do but it can be done. For $15, its a good bargain. Anyway, that is where I recommend that you start. There is a Cruise ECU, an actuator for the throttle, speed sensor, brake sensors and all that. The manual will show a troubleshooting diagram and you can maybe work thru that. Otherwise, it is a job for the shop which would have a "checker" tool they can hook up. Finally, I suppose the problem could simply be in the CC stalk contacts and when you press down, it is not making contact. I do not know that for certain, of course, but it remains a possibility. Here is the link to TIS -> https://techinfo.toyota.com/techInfoPortal/appmanager/t3/ti;TISESSIONID=FQNbJSYPZQ9FS9tz9n9z0CGxCTmjQVgBRFqGJGVNSLJW4Hy2GRTS!-726067647?_nfpb=true&_pageLabel=ti_faq_page

Those are troubling words..."to my knowledge" ;-) Sounds like you are setting it correctly. You will need to go out and try it again, armed with this new knowledge about the light, looking specifically for the brief blinking. Also, the parking brake sensor appears to be tied into the cruise system as well and I know those things are notorious for sticking 'on'. Check your parking release lever.

I am not sure about the 96, but on the 90-94 LS, there is a dash light "CRUISE MAIN". When you are driving along, switch the cruise to 'on' and try to set it. Paying careful attention to the CRUISE MAIN light on the dash, do you see it blinking at all? The earlier LS will blink the cruise light 5 times to indicate a problem. But it does not continue to blink. You only get a brief time period to see. BTW, are you pushing up or down on the CC stalk to initially set the speed?

Its a tough one, Beau. I don't know enough about the cruise system to say. I would check anything that might disable the cruise, like the system thinking the brake had been pressed. Maybe a cruise controller module is bad or an electric motor or sensor is shot. I wish I knew more about the system to help but I do not. Fine Tech Guru I am ;-)

Glad to hear you got it fixed. Do you happen to know which connector was loose? (for future reference)

It well may have been, Jim. I wish I had tried to find a model number on the jack but when the dealer agreed to replace it for free (and no hassles whatsoever), I just handed it over. Seeing that my car, a 2002 that was built in 2001, I would bet it was the earlier version. Good to know about the version rev, thanks!

It is fairly easy to check for spark but you will have to remove some of the plastic pieces perhaps. I would just try to pull a plug wire that is convenient. Put a spare plug on the end or use a screwdriver held close to ground to see if a spark jumps while cranking.

Picked up a bolt in my RR tire the other day at work and had to change it using the Lexus supplied jack in the trunk. Well, the jack worked at first, then started to twist and crumple on me. I had all five lug nuts out and believe me, when I saw that jack begin to melt, I scrambled to get at least two nuts back on. Just in time. A friend of mine was there who also has a Lexus and he got his factory jack out. It worked fine. So, using his, we were able to get the spare installed. Now, I was kinda po'd at the cheapy Lexus jack, so I stopped into my local Lexus dealer to complain. I thought they would just blow me off...but low and behold...they agreed that the jack was defective and ordered me a new one, free of charge. That was a very nice surprise, indeed. Props to Lexus for replacing my 12 yr old jack (although it was the first time it was used).

Welcome, Nick. Wow, that is bizarre. Although it is hard to tell from the video, it almost looks to me like the belt is not turning at all. Further, it looks to me that the harmonic balancer (i.e. crank pulley) is not spinning. Almost like the rubber dampening ring has separated on the crank pulley. If the belt is not turning, you should have at least have the battery charge light on the dash. Can you verify that the belt is turning at all?

Just FYI...you can just click on the "edit" button to modify a previous post if you like. I cannot see why changing the blower would affect the theft system. Or keep the engine from running. Maybe disconnect the battery overnight and try again in the morning(theft reset)? Otherwise, you may have to troubleshoot between fuel and spark. It has to be something simple if it was running before.

I owned a 98 LS400 before buying my current '02 LS430. The 430 is hands down (IMO) a better vehicle in most aspects, although many things are similar. The LS400 body style is better (again, IMO). The 430 is probably the best LS every made although I have never owned a 460. I have owned my 430 for over 4 years and it still feels like a new car to me every time I get in. Just an awesome vehicle. Besides the looks, I much prefer the LS430 over the LS400..smoother ride(suspension changes), more standard refinements(heated seats!)

Welcome, Andre! Let's back up a minute....you say the car would not "turn over". Do you mean it would not crank at all or would crank(starter turns the engine) but not start?

If you hear 'sloshing' and the heater is not always working, that strongly suggests air in the system. And yes, having an air bubble trapped in the system can fool the temp sensor. So, I would make sure you get the proper coolant level in there and make sure the system is not leaking, no air in the system. A clogged radiator will usually result in overheating and your symptoms do not indicate that.

Good to hear, Billy. You did not have Park Place try to reprogram your old fob, did you?

Charles, you can check codes and clear them yourself without any special tools. Read this tutorial carefully and it will tell you how to do it. http://www.lexls.com/tutorials/intro/codereading.html Are you sure that a connector on one of the sensors you replaced did not wiggle loose?

Are you feeling lucky? Maybe try reprogramming your existing non-working fob? Don't blame me if your car goes 'kaplooey' Desperate times calls for desperate measures! http://keylessremotes4u.net/programming.php