landar

I think Lexus is being very truthful when they say the fluid needs no changing for the life of the vehicle. Of course they forgot to tell you that the life is determined by the how long the tranny holds out and when the fluid is shot...well, THAT's the life of the vehicle! Self-fulfilling prophecy. Personally, I would be getting antsy about changing or checking the fluid. You might consider sending a sample of the fluid off to a lab. The ATF-WS is synthetic so it lasts a long time but everything wears out eventually. I would just go ahead and have it changed. At the dealer if I could not figure it out. Take a look at this thread -> http://www.clublexus.com/forums/ls430/527541-another-transmission-fluid-thread.html

I use a MacBook Pro running Safari.

Did your mechanic completely bypass the heater control valve? I would do that first to verify that without a doubt, there are no external restrictions making it appear to be a plugged core. Concerning flushing the core...I would want to try to reverse flush it. Probably take it to a radiator shop that specializes in cores and see if they could do something with it while still in the car. But first, make sure the valve is not restricting the flow at idle via bypassing it.

I know you stated that the battery was near new and connections clean and tight but the evidence (dimming lights) sure seems to be saying differently. If the trunk wire is not the culprit, take the battery cables off the battery and clean/reseat them again. Sometimes grease gets on the battery posts which looks innocent (or even clear) but turns out to be not so conductive.

Is this the same issue you posted on the Club Lexus LS400 forum? -> http://www.clublexus.com/forums/ls400/542509-gear-indicator-flashing.html We are talking an '05 LS430 here, right?

Billy, what browser are you running? Some version of Microsoft Internet Explorer (IE), I am guessing. Depending upon your computer and operating system, you may want to experiment with a different browser. You might want to download and try Firefox. Its free.

I had a friend with a brand new Ford Bronco II (mid 1980's) who did not change the oil for the first 25k miles. When he finally took the car in for an oil change, the oil just "glopped" out like thick syrup. The mechanic could hardly believe his eyes (neither could I). The engine ran for maybe another 20k miles before it had to be replaced. When I ask my friend why he did not change oil every 5k, he told me that he did not know that oil was supposed to be replaced. His exact words were "Dad never changed his oil". Or so he thought. To us its almost second nature, but some people really do not have a clue when it comes to basic maintenance. One other thing. If you overheat an engine, the oil very rapidly breaks down. You might get the overheating issue solved but if you fail to immediately change that compromised oil, it is as if the oil had not been changed in a long time even if it were just recently done.

Never mind? Ok. We can go back to sleep.

Rear differential, drive axles, maybe? Just turn the radio up and hum along. B) BTW, Ron...welcome

Exhaust system, maybe? Check for loose hangers, mounts, connections.

Oh, come on guys. In this society where no one is responsible for their own actions, why should the owner have to pay? :whistles: <_< ;)

That is interesting, ljgiles. It sounds like you finally displaced the air with another 1/4 gal of coolant, which is quite significant. Did you put the new TS in with the jiggle @ 12 o'clock? Billy, it was a good idea to start another thread with this topic as so many have this issue. Should be a sticky!

I did not say the engine was shot. I said the bearings appear to be shot (ie: low oil pressure). But more thorough analysis needs to be conducted. I would hook up an actual oil gauge and get a direct reading. It may turn out to be the oil pump itself and a new one may restore pressure(if pressure is indeed a problem). The fact that you did not drive long with the oil warning light on does not mean the doctor did the same. If it came on for you, it is very likely to have lit up for him as well. I am surprised to hear you dismiss the Motorvac machine so quickly. They use a special solution and filter. It really may not work as poorly as you believe. Again, blue smoke on acceleration?

You know on second thought, maybe the bearings are not severely compromised. Usually, low oil pressure relates to worn bearings or a worn pump but with sludge buildup, the pressure is most likely low because of severely blocked passages (which does not bode well for the lubrication of internal parts of course). However, if after a more thorough cleaning, the oil pressure on a gauge seems appropriate and the cylinder compression looks good, you may have dodged a bullet. All in all, this is a very unusual case and I would be interested in how it all turns out. Please keep us posted Andy.

I know that if you install the thermostat backwards in an engine, the engine may overheat. Done that on a Ford(once). As pertains to the jiggle value or air hole, these are used to allow air that is initially trapped around the thermostat to move through. So, when you first drain/fill a coolant system, you do not want an air pocket right up against the thermostat or it may not open properly at first, allowing hot spots in the engine block. And you always want a small amount of coolant flowing past the thermostat even when the engine is cold. The valve or vent hole accomplishes this(some replacement thermostats do not have the jiggle valve). I do not believe the valve would be the cause of not being able to purge air from the entire system however. If the thermostat is opening properly,once the engine is warm, there is plenty of area for air to come through. Having said this, owners experiencing air lock symptoms might want to replace their thermostats as cheap insurance(ensurance of proper operation?).

Well shoot...you're a natural to be working on cars then! You just need to build your confidence a little and soon you will be tackling bigger and bigger DIY'er jobs. One thing I have been reading is that there seems to be a heater airlock issue on the 94-95 vintage LS that requires careful burping. The hill is a good idea but it might take the fill plug bleed to do the trick.

Classic symptoms of bad distributor cap/rotors in wet, humid conditions. Could possibly be coil(s) or plug wires. There appears to be spark but it is not sufficient to run. Open the hood and have someone crank it in a dark garage or at night and see if there isn't a 'light show' (sparking) somewhere around the caps, coils or wires which could pinpoint the culprit.

If you are getting a lot of warm air at 2500 RPM then I would doubt that your heater core is plugged. So, next step would be billy's suggestion of purging by loosening the 17mm fill plug and again running the engine at 2500 RPM for a few minutes. You will need a helper to do this. Someone to rev the engine while you carefully loosen and retighten the bolt. Actually, if I was doing it, I would get the engine up to temp, then loosen the bolt very slightly...just enough to get some coolant trickling out. Have the helper rev the engine while you slowly crack open the bolt and watch for coolant leakage. If you get a spitting effect, you will know there was air in the system. Once you are convinced that the air is purged just tighten the bolt all the way and you are done. And it would not hurt to have an absorbent shop rag around the bolt area to soak up the overflowing coolant so it does not seep down into the engine timing belt area. If this does not solve the problem, we move on to the heater valve. Do you feel confident enough to try this?

That is a good idea, billy. A lot of the 90's GM cars get burped in a similar manner. I notice the 97 LS has a hex bolt(looks like about a 17mm) rather than a 10mm Allen plug on the 98-00. Nice Model A. Wish I was in TX right now. Snow and cold here. The good news is that I do not have to 'dream' about a white Christmas. Its here plenty early. All courtesy of "global warming" of course. ^_^

Thanks for the tutorial, listener! We can always use more insight and experience on this board. And your first post. Bravo. Welcome!!!

Yes, thanks for the info Billy. I can see where the wiper arms in all of these position sensors can get dirty, corroded, etc. over the years and cause poor performance (possibly intermittent).

Did you make sure the reservoir was filled to the 'Max' mark with coolant when the engine is cold? If you are low on coolant you could be sucking air back into the system when the engine cools off overnight. Hmmm, wonder if you have a cracked reservoir tank...(never mind just thinking to myself :whistles: ). And did you make sure the heat was on the "HOT" setting to ensure the heater valve is fully open? The engine RPM should be more in the 2500 range, not 1500. (but don't rev it until the engine oil starts to warm...a few minutes after starting from cold). Although not absolutely necessary, I have always had the front of my car up on jack stands (about 18 inches) when burping the system. For the price of a new cap, I would certainly invest in one. Give it another try, this time being VERY careful to observe ALL that has been discussed. Just one missed step could be all it takes. Let us know the outcome.

Is it a "no"? BTW Billy, it has only been a year. ^_^ You did ask the same Q, Mr. White. Why did the ealier post suggestions not get the job done? The forum, being the compassionate group that they are, can help you... but you got some 'splainin' to do. If you are stuck, some pics and specific questions would help. Here's the original post -> http://us.lexusownersclub.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=61722

If you are looking for a meaningful appraisal from the forum, a lot more info is needed: history(including maintenance), current condition(powertrain, body, interior), location, pictures (inside and out). You might try Edmunds or Kelley Blue book. A quick swag is anywhere from $1k to $3.5k. The extra set of rims/tires is worth an additional $300 - $400.

Whatever you do Pierre, do NOT push that white button! :o Just kidding. Very nice car and your leather interior looks immaculate. Jim, what editing program did you use to insert the white arrow in that pic? Wow. What a hijacked thread.