landar

Yeah, that's exactly what I am thinking.

Huh? Are we even talking an LS400 here?! That is a pic of a transverse-mounted, front-drive setup. Is it not?

You have not really identified a problem as far as I can see. "Moves quite a bit" is highly speculative and does not mean there is any problem. A charge rate of 13.5V is acceptable. I would think you would get a lot of belt squeal if it were really loose. Try putting a large electrical load on the alternator such as turning on headlights, brake lights, rear defroster, etc and rev the engine a bit. If it does not squeal, you are probably fine as is. It is does, then the tensioner may be weak or (more likely) the belt is stretched and simply needs replacement.

He did not choose the name "Crispy" for nothing!

As long as previous owners were not into the wiring splicing an dicing, I think you will be ok. There are some common problems with the dash and HVAC display going out over time but not real "biggies". The other large maintenance item is the timing belt and water pump. Could be upwards of $1500 at the dealer. $800 at an independent. Rust should not be an issue as long as the car has been in CA. What kind of car are you driving? Maybe you should take this one. :whistles:

I believe it was just a cut-out plastic gallon milk jug.

My original LS430 glass is made by "Asahi".

Apparently someone else did not have such a great round...

Well, AZ is a first step but do not put much stock in what they tell you. If you want to nail this quickly, get a voltmeter and go through ALL of the steps for checking the system as outlined in the lextreme link. Take good notes and do not skip any tests. Then get back to us with the results and we can go from there.

Joel, tell us a little of how you checked the charging system to determine that the battery is not being charged? Did you use a voltmeter and, if so, what were your readings? If you go about troubleshooting methodically, you can get to the root cause fairly straight-away. With speculation, its a crap-shoot. Here is a list to follow -> http://www.lextreme.com/alternator.html

I never plan to become a widow. Widower maybe. :whistles: But I have to agree. I gave marriage a try and would not feel the need to do it again. I do not have to worry about my wife slamming the door as much as I do opening up the door into our other vehicle when in the garage. That, and slamming the door onto an unretracted seatbeat. I even cringe when people get in and slide across the leather rather than just plop down. OCD, I tell ya.

Huh? You a psychiatrist Rx? I just like cars. And have a special appreciation for Lexus automobiles because of the refinement and obvious attention to detail. Lots of people could not give a rip what kind of car they drive, like most of my friends. They seem to admire my Lexus but never, ever consider it a practical or obtainable car for themselves. Their logic escapes me as do their manners when riding with me. IOW, they are, for the most part, slobs in their own vehicles. While in my Lex, just sit there, enjoy the ride and don't touch! :P

I don't know if any of you have this kind of experience but sometimes the passengers in my LS430 drive me nuts! One guy unconsciously "fingers" and smudges up the walnut on the passenger side. I think he finds the car so luxurious he can't believe it and has to "touch". And he often fingers the window controls such that I have put the child window lock on to keep him from messing with the window. Another friend likes to pull up and down on the side hand rail. Yeah, I know its for holding onto but we are not going around corners fast. Yet another gets in and has to start picking lint off his clothes and depositing in my car like its a giant garbage can. The same friend gets into my car and feels so comfy that he sits cross-legged with his left shoe almost touching the side door panel. Makes me extremely nervous. ARRRRGGGHH. I know I need to chill but its difficult. I know its just a "car" (darn good one too) and I try to control myself. So far, I have restrained from yelling...(feel like screaming). And I definitely know I have Lexus OCD. ^_^ Thanks for reading. I think I feel better now.

Curious, those prices are Edmunds/Autotrader. Edmunds is always on the very low side. KBB has it listed as $4200 for a private sale which I think is a little on the high side. The truth is somewhere in the middle. In my recent experience, any 96 that is "clean" with 180k miles is worth at least $2500-3000 private sale.

I would ask how do you know it is the compressor making the noise? Does the A/C still work? Why not take it back to your mechanic and have him take a look? The A/C system should not need to be disturbed in order to replace a timing belt.

It sounds like you already long for a "newer" model and are tired of the old girl. If you have the "jack" and really want a newer model, go for it. Life is short. The 98-00 are pretty sweet, however, they can have expensive maintenance issues as well. For now, it won't hurt to dream and look. I do it all the time though I have no plans to upgrade. Who knows, a really good deal could come along. But save that coin. If upgrading means digging yourself into more debt, just keep your 96 until you can pay cash.

Thirty years ago, when cars were beginning to have a lot more electronic controls, I heard a lot of moaning from old-timers saying we would not be able to work on our own cars much anymore. They were becoming too complex, too specialized for a weekend mechanic. Only the dealer could diagnose, repair and maintain them. I remember somberly agreeing with them. Gone were the simple points and distributors. Mysterious machines we faced. My, how things have changed. Enter the internet age. I could not have imagined that, while engine control and cars in general would become more complex, so readily available would be the information in which to deal with the new machines. I find it, perhaps, even easier to deal with maintenance and issues now that we have so much more info available and communities of owners sharing experiences. I wonder what the future holds as far as car repair for DIY'ers. I would love to see an age where you just plug your OBDxx port into your computer and get diagnostics over the net! Far fetched? I don't think so. However, somebody still has to turn that wrench! What does the future hold? Hmmm.

Not to mention the Bill Gates worldwide wait. You know the 5 minutes after power up while your system boots. :( Or the 10 minutes for shutdown. That's why I use a MacBook Pro.

I learned a little "trick" from a local locksmith which has worked well for me over the years. Because we are pulling keys out of our pockets and jamming them into the ignition on a (near) daily basis, a lot of lint and dirt accumulates in the lock cylinder. I take a can of cleaner (brake, carb, etc...something that dries quickly) and spritz a small amount into the lock. Then, with a rag over the top of the cylinder, I shoot compressed air into the lock several times to blow the crud out(the rag catches it so it does not go into your face). Thoroughly dry again with compressed air and spray some teflon-based lube into the cylinder(I use "Tri-flow" from Dupont...Ace hardware). Work the key around and repeat the process if necessary.

I thought about the battery post connections but if it is good enough to supply the starter, it should be plenty good enough to supply auxiliary power. However, there is also the unknown as to what shape the auxiliary connection is in. One leg of the + goes directly to the starter and another to the fuse box (and also to the alt output). Sometimes that auxiliary connection is faulty within the main battery cable. However, it is also possible that a fusible link is acting up(hi-z or open altogether).

After you check the fuses, put an OBDII reader on the port and see if there are any stored codes. How old is the battery? Original alternator?

Thoughts? Yeah. Take it to another shop for a second opinion. Advice sounds all wet (with PS fluid <_< ).

Yes he is. He used to look like Gene Wilder! What happened, Kansas? :whistles:

I am curious as to how the mechanic finally persuaded the bolts to come out of the bushings?

We probably will never know for sure. This is the typical 'dead end' to some threads. Posters come and go. Closure sure would be nice but not much we can do except make sure that our threads show resolution.