landar

It is true that black interiors can get hot in the winter but you do live in Illinois which does not get that hot, at least not like TX. So, I would not think it to be a deal-breaker. As far as price, bid what you are comfortable with. Most of the general public knows nothing of the LS400 and would be scared of a 17 yr old car. I would suggest maybe bidding $5500 which is not a real low ball but probably below what it would retail for if it had wider exposure to buyers.

Been reading bits and pieces of the service manual...seems that the low fan speed may be 'normal'. The fans go high speed only when the engine temp gets above 181F. Now, it could be that your water temp sensor is bad (reading too low). Is your gas mileage ok... or poor lately?

Don, I should have mentioned that I would be concerned about the fan too. It really should be spinning fast with authority such that you would not want to get your digits anywhere close. But it sounds like maybe it is pretty anemic? If so, then check into the motor. Maybe it is close to seizing up or bad motor or relay contacts? In any case, that could cause the temperature of your cooling system to rise and maybe start to shut things down. Makes sense that when you get moving again, all is well with airflow. So, definitely dig into why that fan is running so slowly. I think the pressure sensor may be mounted on the dryer but not 100% sure. Do not know about the temp sensor. Will try to check my documents to see if there are any clues.

Hi Donald and welcome to LOC! Although I cannot tell you precisely what is wrong with your car from 1000 miles away, I can give you some ideas. Ok, so you sound like you know the basics...the compressor comes on when the clutch is engaged. And that clutch is controlled directly by the clutch relay (which you replaced). Although you replaced the relay, the relay has to be 'told' to engage. Maybe it is not? And maybe it is not because the freon level is low. Maybe. There is a pressure switch in the system that tells the controller that the system is ok. Maybe the pressure switch is bad or freon level is low? And then you have the clutch itself. Maybe it is being commanded to pull in but occasionally does not? You might consider hooking up a 'trouble light' to the compressor clutch coil such that when the compressor is being fed 12v, the light is 'on'. You could rig it into the cabin so that you can quickly glance over at it when the cooling cuts out. If it is off and you are getting hot, then at least you know something is commanding the clutch to cut out. Intermittent issues like this require a good deal of patience and testing but you can nail it down with some logical, methodical testing. There are many other things like expansion valve, dryer, damper doors and evaporator core but lets go for the easy stuff first. Let us know what you find.

Hi Jimmy and welcome. There is a lot to absorb in your post and I am not quite sure I understand all of it. But, assuming the car did have worn tires from the car lot, that indicates that there is something bad in the rear suspension or the previous owner did not replace all four tires at once. May not have rotated them either. Who knows. So, you put used tires on the car and your mechanic said they were 'cupped'. But they are used tires so maybe that was partially from the last vehicle? If the cupping was a result of your RX, then that indicates worn shocks/struts as Dave pointed out in the previous post. What I would do, if I were you, is to take the car to a reputable alignment shop and have them thoroughly go over the suspension system. They should be able to pinpoint the culprit and perhaps be able to correct it right there. They may charge a small fee to look it over but that may be well worth it.

Keep in mind, Boogieman, that it is most probably something fairly simple. It is easy to think the worst but usually it is not all that bad. When you mentioned that you finally got it started and it was misbehaving, I thought maybe it was due to the computer needing to 'relearn' calibration settings since it had been sitting dead for a while. So, you might run it longer to see if it will straighten out. A simple test you could do is to get a can of starter fluid and remove the ducting up to the throttle body. Start it up and when it misbehaves (won't rev, etc), spritz some fluid into the throttle body and see if it begins to respond(will need a 'helper). If so, you may have a simple fuel delivery issue (like the pump). Otherwise, it might be something in the electrical area. But think 'simple' for now. It usually is. I would not throw in the towel just yet.

More good info...thanks for sharing your knowledge/experience.

Can you provide a link to the .pdf that you are using so we are on the same page? And where did you get your new key?

Good to hear that you got it figured out.

Welcome Jay! Good advice on the transmission mount. However, I want to point out that it is not always easy to determine the level. Sometimes it looks proper but could be 1/2 qt low. Especially if it does this only when cold, first thing in the morning. If so, you might consider adding 1/2 a qt and seeing what happens. It won't kill your tranny even if a 1/2 qt high. And as VBdenny points out, may be time to change your fluid.

A spongy feel to the brake pedal is not good. In fact, it can be downright dangerous. The first thing you want to do is get the brakes properly bled to remove the air in the brake system. Do that then re-evaluate how well they stop. Here are some basic procedures to most of your braking needs(these are 90-94 models) -> http://www.lexls.com/tutorials/brake/

Justin, the LS400 has some pretty 'beefy' brakes right from the factory. You may not need to replace the entire brake system. I would start by examining and replacing pads, first on the front (which do the "heavy lifting") then on the rear. Examine not only the brake pads but also the flexible hoses and calipers. Perhaps the hoses are partially collapsed or blocked? Perhaps a caliper is sticking. It will usually pull to one side. The rotors could be shot. Don't know but possible. Also, consider your master brake cylinder and the vacuum assist. Perhaps a vacuum hose is leaking which would increase the amount of force required on the brake pedal or maybe the master cylinder is going bad. Many things to check but to save money, I would focus on these main components. Do the simple things first, then if that has no effect, more onto the others. Are the brakes 'spongy' at all? Or does the steering wheel vibrate when you step on the brakes?

Yep. Things do wear out. Now may be time to 'dump' it. Caveat Emptor!

Yes, exactly what I was thinking too, sha4000...the trunk wiring issue. Especially since yours is a 1990 and you say it did this after being put in 'reverse', Ray. That is one of the wiring symptoms, I believe. Have a look at this tutorial -> http://www.lexls.com/tutorials/lighting/bulbout.html And welcome to the Club, Ray!

That sounds like a reasonable plan. You might want to check into the MAF (Mass Air Flow) sensor as it could be misbehaving, having the computer believe that less air flow is reaching the intake manifold than there really is. Also, check for any vacuum leaks around the plenum/manifold...could be a cracked hose allowing air to bypass the air flow sensor. And finally, check for pinhole leaks in your exhaust pipe just before and after the sensors (CAT area). Sometimes that causes wacky readings.

The manual is correct about the 'MIL' but you need to read the code from the computer to determine precisely what is it squawking about. It is good that the engine is running fine. May not be that big of a deal. Yes, you can pull the negative terminal on the battery for a while to reset BUT I would try reading the code(s) first before doing that.

Good to know and I am sure it will help others wanting to replace the air suspension. Thanks for the update!

Thats true in most cases and a good way to go if you do not have a scanner. Except in this case, the car in question is a 93 and before the OBDII systems began in 1996. Still, you can read the codes manually by shorting a couple of connector pins and watching the blinking lights as sha4000 pointed out.

You might also want to locate the blower motor assembly and see if you could open it up. Might be an old mouse nest in there or other nasty stuff.

There are various deodorants/cleaners that you can spray into the auto HVAC ducts to clean. Do a Google search. It is not unique to Lexus. For Lexus searches, click on the gear shaped object to the right of the search box(Advanced Search). Then simply type in your query and select the forum you want to search. I know, it is not super obvious but that will work.

Welcome Max. I seem to recall that the 91's did not have a cabin filter. Read thru this thread for more info -> http://us.lexusownersclub.com/forums/topic/57544-91-ls400-cabin-filter/?hl=%2Bcabin+%2Bfilter

As far as the alternator replacement in January...it is a possibility that it is bad. But no way to know w/o checking the ripple voltage. And it could exasperate already compromised capacitors in your electronics units. In simple English, the microprocessors and associated circuits that run many of the functions of your car, do not 'like' unstable voltages. They tend to misbehave and do not run the code they were meant to run. Perhaps resetting to some 'limp' mode. You have a main 'ECU' (Engine Control Unit) but also many other 'ECU's' (Electronic Control Units). I know, confusing but it is what it is. Poor naming conventions. If I were you, I would probably start by removing the main Engine Control Unit and cleaning the connectors (you can buy contact cleaner at an auto store to spray on the pins). Work that around a bit(i.e.: mate and unmate the connectors to scuff the pins a bit). In 20 yrs, you would not believe the oxidation that occurs around pin connections. Its actually amazing to me that more problems do not occur after that age. You could also check the 'ripple' voltage of the alternator to see if it is excessive but you will need a good meter or, better yet, an oscilloscope. Probably out of most hobbyist range of expertise. Another thing you could do that is really simple is to remove the serpentine belt. That will disable the accessories including the alternator and then you can see how the car operates. Of course, you will not be able to run the vehicle with lights or other electrical loads for long because it is not recharging the battery. But its a simple, cheap test. It could still be your ECU capacitors being the culprit but it might provide clues.

I am curious about something boogieman...you stated earlier that you have owned 300 cars in your life. Thats a lot of cars. Are you a car dealer of sorts?

If your LS is a Texas Lexus then no rust. Thats a big plus. You are also close to Billy Powell in Carrollton. He is a retired mechanic with lots of LS400 knowledge and experience. With your symptoms, it is highly likely that your ECU is acting up and causing all of these problems. It also might be acting up because it is not 'happy' with the power being supplied to it. Like an alternator that is throwing excessive ripple onto the system. If you are not adverse to throwing a little money at it, you might consider just having the alternator replaced. Then see how she behaves. However, it may be the ECU itself or a connection to it that is misbehaving. And if you get too frustrated with her, maybe we can work out a deal and put her on a truck headed to South Bend? ^_^ And yes, I know Mike. There are all sorts of Studebakers in the area. Even a museum.

Glad to hear it is now fixed. Thanks for taking the time to post the update!