landar

"I don't remember being offered pin stripes or other accessories when I bought my first LS400 in 1990 but I think I made it clear that I was interested only in a base LS400 and didn't want to spend a lot of money." I got a chuckle out that one Jim. You did not want to spend a lot of money and you are buying a brand new flagship Lexus LS? :D

All good advice above. Here is a tutorial on replacing the bulbs with higher output but you can disregard the upgrade and just look at the replacement aspect. As mentioned, I always wear a pair of latex gloves to avoid getting body oils on the new bulb. Here is the tutorial -> http://www.lexls.com/tutorials/lighting/h3conversion.html

That one is a little grundgy out. :D

Oh boy. Well, for one thing, never force them especially if you hear a metallic 'clink'. Having said that, you may be experiencing the normal spring tension of the cam and that takes a little more muscle to overcome. You may have to 'nurse' the cams back into position by moving the crank a little bit, then the cams a little bit until you get it back on track. Did you move the crank to TDC before moving the cams? If so and the cams are now binding, you may have to bring the crank back and slowly work everything forward. Small steps until you get the right settings. When a cam gets 'stuck', try turning the crank in either direction and see if moving the crank (pistons) frees it up a bit. I am really hoping you do not have things so out of time that you have to pull the cams to get space. I am thinking you should be ok because you should not be able to move the crank and cams to a point where they would not re-mesh without forcing things.

I do not know anything about the ITM parts. Personally, I always go for OEM parts when they are critical to the operation of the engine. I suspect that you may have mis-marked the belt or the ITM quality is low. In any case, I think your new Lexus belt will be factory marked and you should not have a problem as long as you get those white marks on the spot. Your first order of 'business' is to get the crank position verified and the cams close to their marks.

Ok a few questions: What brand of timing belt are you using? And does it have the white timing marks? Are you also replacing the water pump, idler pulleys and tensioner? Brands?

I am operating off of little history on your issue and do not know how you got to the present condition. But if you took the belt off with the marks aligned then you cannot be too far off of TDC. So, moving the crank back to TDC will, most likely, be true TDC. And BTW, the piston on cylinder #1 can only be either at the top of its travel or the bottom of its travel when the crank aligns on TDC. However, you cannot rotate it enough to set it to both locations, so you will have see if the piston starts going down as you rotate the crank CW past TDC. If it started going up instead, then the piston was bottomed out. I do not think you will find that to be the case however. Hopefully that makes sense. Once you determine TDC, you want to rotate the crank approx. 50 degrees more. Then leave it there and work on the cams. Look at the marks and see how far you have to move them. It is really preferable to only go CW but you can also go CCW if its not too far. I mean, you may not have a choice because moving it too far in either direction will result in hitting a piston. The is a special tool with prongs to fit the holes in the cam pulley for moving them. However, you could try that 19mm bolt on the cam. Just be aware that the "bolt" is really just a cap and will easily come loose if you go CCW. There is another bolt behind that one that is the "real" holding bolt. The tensioner should not make the belt jump. Even without the tensioner, that belt is pretty taut in there. I never even saw the belt move when I pulled the tension pin on mine. Just be extremely precise when aligning the belt markings and you should be ok.

As long as you did not force anything then you hopefully did not damage the valves. So, the crank only moves 100 degrees then hits the valve(s)? You are going to have to back it up and hopefully be back to TDC. You are correct that you can remove the spark plug on cylinder #1 and check that it is at the top of the stroke when the crank pulley marks points to 0 degrees (TDC). However, cylinder #1 is LH bank, front. So that translates to drivers side, front most cylinder. I would remove the spark plug (you will need to remove the coil to do this) on #1 and insert a long bladed screwdriver (10" or so) that will rest the blade on top of the piston. Of course, make sure that whatever tool you pick cannot drop into the cylinder and be lost (should be obvious but have to mention it). Then move the crank slowly and you should see the handle of the screwdriver move up and down. When the handle is its highest and the crank mark is TDC then you have it. At that point, you align both cams to their marks (hopefully you did not move them too much) and put the belt on.

Looks like there is a Toyota dealer in Hopkinsville, 17 miles from FC. Also one in Clarksville, Tn, 14 miles away. You do not need a Lexus dealer as it is all Toyota fluid. Call the parts dept first to make sure the fluid is in stock and check price. Several complaints about the Clarksville dealer but you just need some tranny fluid. How bad could they mess that up? :whistles: Toyota of Clarksville 1650 Wilma Rudolph Blvd, Clarksville, TN 37040 Toyota of Hopkinsville 4395 Fort Campbell Blvd, Hopkinsville, KY 42240

You are an hour away from a Toyota dealer? Thought there would be one closer. If you go and you can swing the cost, I always buy a case of 12 for around $5 each. They will cut you a deal if you buy a whole case...or at least ask for a deal.

Well, there you go. A leak will cause a lower level and your problems. Someone probably did pull the pan and did not get it back on correctly. They can be "tricky" to seal if you are not familiar with the possible issues. Personally, I would not even consider putting in anything but Toyota T IV but the Castrol might work. The Toyota fluid only $5-8 a qt. and I would just pick up one and take the Castrol back. Your call. As far as the leak, it may be as simple as torquing the pan bolts properly. Or you may need a new gasket. Or the pan may have been bent/warped when removed and in need of straightening. Or you may need a little FIPG (RTV sealer) in addition to the gasket. Maybe all of the above...depending.

It probably is not that much as you suspect. However, just being a little low can cause the symptoms you describe. I would go ahead and add just 1/2 qt. and see what happens. If it helps, you are on the right track. If not, there may be larger issues looming. It will not hurt to add. I would use only Toyota Type IV red transmission fluid. However, just having purchased the car, you do not know what might be in there. Hopefully it is the Toyota fluid.

Welcome, Hananiel. Yep, I agree with the low fluid level. I have had this exact symptom many times. It can be a challenge to check the level, so you could just add 1/2 qt and see it the performance improves. If not, do not add any more. If it does, add another 1/2 qt. but do not overfill if no difference. By all means, check the stick but be aware that it can sometimes be difficult to decipher. Since the car is new to you, you might even consider draining the 2 qts (measure what comes out) that pulling the pan bolt gives and put 2 1/2 qts back in. That gradually gives you a fluid change.

Welcome Mark, to the world of Lexus sedans. The clicks that you notice when placing in reverse and then a forward gear is "normal". Mine does it too. I think it has to do with the brake calipers and how they get slightly tugged forward and backward when first backing up and then moving forward. I would not worry about it in the least. Having said that, if you have no history on the car as far as maintenance records, you may need to do some 'standard' maintenance soon. And it might be expensive. Has the timing belt ever been replaced?

I remain skeptical of the heater core causing your low MPG. For one, there is a heater valve which is in series with the heater core which controls the flow of coolant to the heater core. So, in the summer, when you are not using heat, the valve would be closed such that very little coolant flows thru the core. Would that sound like a smart design decision to make the coolant temp sensor dependent upon the position of the valve and the resulting coolant flow thru the core? No. A closed heater valve is similar to a "clogged" core. So I dismiss the notion of a clogged heater core causing the MPG drop. One thing that has not been mentioned, unless I missed it (entirely possible), is if the thermostat has been changed. A stuck open stat could cause a cool engine and your low MPG.

Amen!

I came out to my iced up car the other day at work, started it up (it was about 15F outside) and pressed the "Front" defroster button. I noticed that the fan came on almost immediately and started blowing fairly strong. I thought this was odd, given that the engine temp was not up at all. So, I get out and scrape some ice for several minutes, then jump back into the drivers seat. I was somewhat pleasantly surprised to find that the front defroster was starting to feel warm to my hand, yet the engine was still showing cold. Remember, only several minutes had gone by. It really puzzled me. The standard cabin temp was set at 74F and was not blowing at all since the engine was cold. The next day, I did a similar experiment. I glanced at my watch to mark the time, started the engine and immediately pressed the Front defrost button. The fan came on strong and air was stone cold. At about 2 minutes of idling, I could just start to feel warm air coming out. Yet the coolant gauge needle was still pegged at the coldest setting. Wonder what is going on here? Is there some kind of electric heater assist element? Or is Lexus somehow siphoning off some early engine heat? I looked for schematics and see no electric element. I am puzzled, albeit pleasantly so.

Welcome Max What you are describing is a classic intermittent. Just what is 'intermittent' is still a mystery. It could be your alternator or your battery but my money is on the battery cables or a ground connection. My first step would be to thoroughly clean the battery connections. Did your mechanic at least do that? You also have a 91 and the trunk wiring issue can manifest itself in all kinds of crazy electrical ways. Though I would not go down that path just yet.

Welcome Sharon Do you mean the air suspension? Here is link with a discussion and in post #10, some part numbers are mentioned. -> http://www.clublexus.com/forums/ls430/305359-converting-air-suspension-struts-to-conventional.html

Only if you drive barefoot. :whistles: :D

The heated steering wheel may be pointless in Virginia Beach, Va but in the Northern frozen tundra land, it could prove to be a nice feature. I have trouble keeping my fingertips warm in the winter months and even with gloves, my fingers sometimes get so cold on the steering wheel that I have to switch hands occasionally while the cabin is warming. I have never tried a heated steering wheel but would like to. Remember the age of the crowd that the LS is targeting (with myriad health issues) and you can see why this could be a good feature. Just as heated seats may be seen as frivolous in Florida, they are nice in the snow bound states. And Lexus does heated things the right way.

You bet. As Jainla pointed out, it is only available on the LS460s. It is beginning to be much more common as the demand for 'creature' comforts increases. It has been an option on Chrysler vehicles for quite some time now.

I put some water in my pockets to keep that money from burning a hole. Of course, now all I have is moldy old money in my pockets.

Welcome, Jose. What things have you tried so far? Have you checked the level sensor in the tank?

There is an 03 LS430 listed at a car dealer that claims a heated steering wheel. I do not see it listed as an option on any LS430. Does anyone know if it was available as a factory option? http://www.lexus.com/contact/pdf/2003/2003LSspecs.pdf