landar

I will "third" the starter. Your single 'click' gives the starter solenoid away. How old is the battery?

How much "ya unt fer it"? :D

From what I can see, you have a few choices... Lexus OEM (you *should* be able to purchase at around $180 USD/pair), StrongArm ($64 USD/pair) or MightLifts ($50 USD/pair). I am with you on the geniune Lexus (er, Toyota) parts but hood struts were one area I was willing to compromise. So far the StrongArms are doing fine. If you can order them or get them locally, go for it.

They (radar detectors) have an LO (Local Oscillator) that can interfere. I know how to remedy it. Buy a V1. ;)

Ok thanks etex. Then there is this neoprene-like boot over the tensioner. I believe it may be the dust boot. Does that stay on or remove before installing tensioner? See the pics. In the second pic, I pulled the "boot" back to expose the pin shaft. I guess this will all become more obvious once I get the old tensioner off.

Ok, found this in the service manual: INSTALL TIMING BELT TENSIONER a: Temporarily install the belt tensioner with the 2 bolts. b: Alternately tighten the 2 bolts. Torque: 26 N·m (270 kgf·cm, 19 ft·lbf) c: Using pliers, remove the 1.27 mm hexagon wrench from the belt tensioner. I think something is left out however. It says to "temporarily" install the tensioner but never follows up with the "permanent" solution. I believe you maybe install the tensioner with the bolts just barely snugged down, pull the pin, then final tighten to 19 ft-lb. If I torque to 19 ft-lbs with the pin installed, I don't think the pinched pin is going to pull too easily. And even if it does, I will need to re-torque. Just detail, but important detail.

Not following you here. Recommended replacement time or make/model of struts? Recommendations vary by those you talk to and cost expectations. Are Canadian Lexus hoods significantly different from those in the US?

The time has come. I am getting all the parts scrounged up to do my timing belt, water pump, tensioners, etc. Lucky me. So, I buy the tensioner at the local Lex dealer and he gives me something that looks like a grenade. I am having the hardest darn time trying to resist pulling that pin! Question: how do I install this puppy? I am thinking after the new tensioner pulley is in, I install this new tensioner then pull the pin. But the pin itself will get in the way of tightening down the tensioner before I pull it. I am also thinking this thing is under alot of pressure? How do I do this w/o....KA BOOM!

Hmmm. Any focused, close-up pics of the offending board? I would like to take a look.

From this thread you can see how important the coolant pump operation is to the life of the timing belt. And yet, the Lexus maintenance schedule does not specify a pump replacement at 90k miles. I just quizzed the service people at my local dealer about changing the pump with the TB. They said that they "inspect" the pump and if it shows signs of leaking they will replace. If not, the existing pump stays. Ditto for the pulleys. The reason given was that the customer is usually shell-shocked about the TB replacement price and they are trying to keep the shock factor toned down. It also makes business sense to me. The customer may be returning soon for a failed pump. More revenue. Summarizing the lessons learned in this thread: Change the pump with the TB but use OEM parts, ie:Toyota I would think you should also use the Toyota "red" coolant as well as it has the proper lubricants mixed in to keep that pump happy. And important to keep the coolant changed as per the maintenance schedule. If you use an Indie, purchase the OEM parts yourself and hand them to the mechanic to eliminate that potential misunderstanding.

Hey Walt..may I ask how you know you have 2 leaking caps?

Did you get that "special" support at the Lexus dealer...OEM? Did not know they came in green For $61 each, I would have been more tempted to stay with Toyota. The interesting thing is that the StrongArms have a "lifetime" warranty. Dont they know how long Lex owners keep their vehicles? I must say (as someone else also noted), I do not think I could ever own another primary vehicle besides a Lexus. Dang, stuck with quiet, smooth, durable, reliable luxury! The sacrifices I must make. ;)

Just replaced the hood lifts on my 98 LS400. I went with "StrongArm" aftermarket lifts($64 at Advance) as I am too cheap to buy the OEM ($180 pair). I really like to use OEM but....when it comes to non-critical components, I can be bought Surprisingly, these StrongArms are made in the USA. So, I got out the digital camera and made a tutorial for those interested. I know, its a fairly simple job but sometimes you need some encouragement and the devil is often in the details. I can highly recommend the StrongArms. Very simple to install. No bent hood. The hood does not fall on my head anymore! (hey wait...that could explain alot!) :P Anyway, the tutorial resides on my Flickr account. Just click on this link--> http://www.flickr.com/photos/landar/sets/72157622809519310/

Only on the LS. The SC still has a belt.

Billy...you will probably get better response by posting in the "General Lexus Forum>Lexus Detailing and Car Care Forum" Just back up to the main Lexus page and navigate or http://us.lexusownersclub.com/forums/index.php?showforum=9

Jtom...one click *usually* means one of two things: a bad starter relay OR corroded starter solenoid contacts (in the starter). Corroded/bad connections at the battery usually produce a machine gun clickety-clickety for as long as you hold the key in the start position and not just one single click. A theft deterrent cause would usually result in no response at all(from a key turn) but perhaps there is some small anti-theft relay clicking somewhere. I am not familiar enough with anti-theft to say for sure. If it is a fairly loud metallic click and appears to be coming from the back of the engine compartment, you might be looking at a starter rebuild/replace.

It is interesting to note that the new LS460 gets a timing chain while the SC retains a timing belt. The SC belt is still a 90k mile replacement BUT the time period has been increased to 108 months(9 years). Better belt or change in recommendation based on re-evaluation and historical data?

Oh this is "eye opening" More than a strange coincidence that all of us have the +3 mph needle increase BUT the car knows the real speed! So yes, I would agree that it sure looks intentional. We bad boys need some restraint. Wonder if it is gov't mandated? I also agree Blake, it is not rocket science. (good video BTW...same thing I did). My Chrysler speedo needle is dead nuts on. (of course they were probably trying to make it +3 and missed ).

On a recent trip, I noticed that my speedometer was reading a bit higher than my Garmin GPS was indicating. Since I have 17" aftermarket rims, I am thinking its normal to be off a few percent. On a level stretch of highway, I turned the cruise control on and set the speed so that the speedometer needle was pointing precisely at the 70 mph mark. The Garmin reads 67 mph. Ok, I am not all that happy with that but blame it on the wheels. Then I get to thinking about how my odometer must be racking up more miles than I really have. So, I decide to set the trip and check it with the Garmin miles. When the Garmin showed exactly 100.0 miles travelled, the Lexus odometer showed 100.5 miles. Pretty darn close. In fact, within 0.5%. Not bad at all. Then, I decide to check the average speed indicator on my Lexus. I reset that with the cruise still on and it reads 67 mph! Same as the Garmin. That convinced me that the car speed sensing system knows how fast it is going (and is almost dead on) but the analog needle reading is off. I don't think there is anyway to correct the needle reading but thought it was interesting. I can live with it.

Been one week and no disintegration thus far (knock on wooden steering wheel). Yes, good point about the exhaust bracket. Soak the bolts with PB blaster beforehand. Can be rusty from the exhaust heat. I did not remove mine and it was much harder to manipulate the pan although it can be done. Removal highly recommended. Also helps to remove the exhaust damper thingy(round) that can get in the way of the filler tube.

Oil leaks generally develop due to worn/bad gaskets but there are other reasons as well. Ask the owner if you can take the car to the Lexus dealer for a check-out. Thats what I did with mine. Nothing like seeing it up on a lift and having it checked out. It may cost you a little coin but its well worth it. Then tell them your concerns about the TB, oil leak and anything else you can think of and see what they say. True, the TB is supposed to be changed at 90k miles or 72 months, whichever comes first. But fluid changes are very important...perhaps more so. Worn fluids like engine oil, transmission fluid, etc, can cause excessive, insidious wear on internal parts and thus shorten the life of the components over time. A worn TB will not harm the car or shorten it's life UNLESS it actually fails. And clearly, that has not happened. So, there is a distinct difference in maintenance. Should the TB have been replaced? Yes. Has it caused any damage to the car? No. Now, if the original owner skipped regular fluid changes, you might have some concern. Is the lack of TB change indicative of not being very attentive? Perhaps, perhaps not. The dealer may be able to help there with records. Then again, what do I know(just plain dumb advice!)? ;) Hey, if you have a digital camera, we would love to see some pics!

I would say the risk is high. It is already way past the time of the belt replacement. 600 miles is a good stretch for any car. I would ask him to take it to get it replaced with the water pump before you drive it away. IMHO it should have been done. I would say the risk is low. Its a Lexus and built like a tank. If the previous owner was the original and the car has a history of being well-maintained, you'll be fine.

Happs...always look (hope?) for the simplest things first. Like a busted line. Or maybe the drain plug just loosened up? Fell out?(may be your lucky day) I know it was disconcerting to have this happen but revving the engine to 6k RPM? Makes me cringe just thinking about it.

I just got done removing the tranny pan from my 98 LS and thought I would share my experience. Maybe offer some sage advice? First off, think longgggggg and hard before removing the pan. I wish I had. Everything turned out fine but in hindsight, I wish I had just left the pan alone and did the 2 qt at-a-time drain thing. Why? Glad you asked! ;) Well, I figured the pan removal was no big deal and I *had* to get all of that "gunk" out of the pan, clean the magnets, etc. A man's gotta know whats in his tranny pan, nicht wahr?! Turns out that at 92k miles there was almost no gunk, the magnets were incredibly clean and the filter was clean(its just a fine mesh screen). The tranny fluid was brownish red so it was definitely time for a change. The first change was at the dealer at 60k and it was the 2 qt change. I consider myself a fair mechanic having rolled in the grease at a young age, however this *simple* job had several evils lurking. Now, first I drained what was in the pan by removing the 14mm drain bolt. Next, I proceeded to remove 19 x 10mm bolts from the pan. The next step proved to be a wee bit more of a challenge...pry the pan off the transmission which is stuck on with a bunch of RTV goo. Whoa. Not so easy. That baby is STUCK. But I pryed anyway and got the pan to pull away in one corner (the back corner). I used a pry bar and just brute-forced it...not really what I would recommend, although you do have to be persuasive. Doing it again, I would buy a long, thin, putty knife and work it around the lip of the pan, then gently pry. You can easily bend the edge of the pan by prying so make sure you have it somewhat loosened before you try. So, now the pan is loose, just remove it right? Not so fast, not so fast. The fill tube is welded into the side of the pan and that presents somewhat of a problem. The fill tube is actually two adjoining pieces and you have to get them disconnected. I pulled down hard and wiggled them and they finally seperated but it took some choice words. Whew, pans off, now what? Clean the old FIPG (ie: RTV junk) off the pan surface...Fun, fun, fun! Hey, I could have been watching a football game but NO, I had to know what was in that tranny pan. Took me 1 1/2 hours to clean the old RTV gasket off of the pan. Believe me, you want to thoroughly clean that old gasket material off because ANY little bit of that getting loose in the tranny innards could spell disaster. I took my time, obviously. I dont much care for RTV FIPG(Form In Place Gasket) material so I went to Advance Auto and bought an aftermarket pan gasket. It is actually a pretty nice neoprene-like gasket. Made by "Pro-King". Lexus does not have a gasket, just RTV. I put the pan back in place and dang it, I cant get the two-piece filler tube to reconnect, hard as I try. So, I bite the bullet and remove a 12 mm bolt holding the upper half of the tube to the engine block(just below the valve cover). This proves harder than you might think. The bolt is hidden away from sight and I have to use a swivel socket to get it loose. BIG pain. Bigger pain getting it back on. Anyway, all's fine now. The Tranny is shifting smooth as silk. But it is not because I dropped the pan. It is because I changed the fluid. Which would have taken all of 30 minutes instead of 6 hours. Live and learn. Now, if you suspect really bad things about your tranny and want to change the filter, you have to drop the pan. But if its been doing relatively well, just do the 2 qt shuffle and go have a beer! Lan

Now..., that is something I would call overkill , but to each his/her own. ;) I was recently at the service dept of my local Lexus dealer and quizzed the service manager about transmission maintenance. They drain the 2 quarts in the pan about every 60k miles and dont ever do a 'flush'. Then again, the feeling I got from the manager is that they are not overly concerned about keeping things uber-fresh. After all, they get to charge $100/hr when something fails. No biggy My personal preference is to drain and refill the tranny pan about every 15k miles (or once a year for me).