landar

Brilliant NC! Simple, cheap, bullet-proof. I love it. And your 'A' design means that if I overshoot the top, I am just going to start going back down, not do a 'backend flip' like a conventional ramp. Very smart. Gonna have to make me a set. BTW, I 'feel' safer climbing under a 2 ton car when its on ramps rather than jacks but ramps are not always appropriate like when you need the wheels dangling. Anyway, thanks for sharing!

Gene..if you had the tires rebalanced and they did not see excessive wobble, then the rim is probably ok. When in doubt, I always get a second opinion at another tire shop. Anyway, the noise is probably tire related. All tires make some noise. What is acceptable to one person may not be to another. There are several threads in this forum that deal with many aspects of tires. If you type the phase "tire noise" or just "tires" in the search box, you will get lots of hits. Then enjoy all the reading! Many differing opinions out there. :D Heres a sample thread------> http://us.lexusownersclub.com/forums/index...ire+noise\

Wow, a nice heated debate...like the charge coming from the air bags! 1990LS400 is a venerable poster here and has some good points as do others. Concerning deployment, I can vividly recall the 1993 Chrysler air bag going off in my face. When I get into an adrenalin-producing situation, my senses heighten and "things" seem to be in slow motion (sounds strange but it happens to me). Anyway, I very clearly remember seeing the seam pattern/ribs of the airbag and it inflating and coming toward my face, though it never touched. After that, the smoke and debris from the explosion actually panicked me for a moment because I could not breath. That was the worst of it for me. There are many things that contribute to auto safety: crumple zones, seat belts/shoulder harnesses, weight of the vehicle, steering wheel design, air bags, etc. I am sure that air bags may help in certain situations. Is the cost justified? For the vast majority of situations, I remain doubtful. We could wear full-face helmets in our cars and that would probably save some lives. Where do you draw the line? The insurance/legal issue brings up a good point. Our society is so 'sold' on the efficacy of airbags that w/o them a sin has been committed.

I agree. Why bother with aftermarket oil filters when it has been proven that Toyota/Lexus V8 engines can go hundreds of thousands of miles on OEM oil filters. Each of the last couple of 10-packs of 909215-YZZD3 oil filters, including 10 oil plug gaskets, I've bought at a local Toyota dealer has cost only $40. Dang it...I paid $50 at the Lexus dealer for a 10 pack :D Have to try the Toyota dealer next time. What I really like is that the Toyo filters come with the oil ring gasket pre-greased. Just pull the cellophane wrapper off and go! No more forgetting to oil the gasket.

I thought it was 145,000 KM or 90,000 miles? BTW, this subject has been covered ad naseum. A quick search will reveal many related posts.

I agree about the air bags RDM. Biggest mandated waste of money in a vehicle. I can remember when air bags were first talked about in the 1980's. I thought they were joking. Sadly, no. I was in a head-on accident in 1999 while driving a 1993 Chrysler with airbags. The airbag went off in my face but the seatbelt/shoulder harness and my death grip on the steering wheel kept me from even touching the airbag. All it did was put a bunch of powder/smoke in my face and I found myself choking for air because of it. The Chrysler was totaled but thank goodness, I was not hurt(no thanks to the airbag BTW). As with you, strictly my opinion. Same sentiment for "global warming" and a host of other subjects. Not for this board. ;)

There are many good aftermarket parts out there. While the parts may work fine, they may not out-live OEM parts(ie:Toyota). With pricing pressure, there are some questionable parts out there. Personally, I would not hesitate to use an aftermarket part for something like say the serpentine belt. Easy to replace, no biggy if it does not outlast an OEM. But, I am not about to use aftermarket on something that takes lots of labor to replace, like the timing belt and waterpump. Just my preference. Also, remember that you can get decent prices for Toyota parts. I normally don't pay the dealer list for parts. I talk with the parts manager pointing out that I can get so-and-so part for price x on the internet. He usually matches it without any argument. Saves me the shipping.

I am getting ready to do my TB, pump and other stuff. Just curious Billy, but did you happen to use a cam lock when you did the belt? That keeps the cams from accidentally turning while removing the belt.

I'd rather spend $3Billion that helps than throw $50 Billion at them in a bailout that didn't do anything to help them. This is stimulus that works... You're not paying for people's new cars...you're paying for stimulus in an effort to get our economy moving again...and its working. Yeah, I agree. I would rather have limited the damage to $3B than $53B. I guess what really burns my butt is that they(govt) are destroying some good cars. Being an avid mechanic type, I cant stand the thought of putting something in the crankcase to deliberately seize the engine..gives me the willies :( Oh well, the govt can just print more money and we will be fine. ;)

No, they are just being crushed for the fun of it. By your own logic you admit that the environment will be better off. There is an implicit burden... on our environment, on global warming, oil prices, etc., and ultimately upon our society. And yes, I can make an argument that the environment is not necessarily better off with a more efficient(ie: MPG) car. There is an environmental cost(footprint) to produce the new car in the first place and it is not insignificant. It takes a lot of BTU's to produce new glass, metal, plastic, etc. Depending upon how many miles are driven in the new car and the MPG difference, it could take years to make up the difference, if ever. Not to mention scrapping all of those perfectly good, used cars. More energy used to separate and process the shredded junk and throwing the rest in the landfill, there to rot for decades to come. Actually, the so-called "clunkers" are not as much of a burden as the whole CFC program is on the US taxpayer... an astounding $3 BILLION! Who's gonna pay that bill? Oh, its you and me (and probably my children and grandchildren). Selfish I know, but I do not like paying for other people's new cars.

So, let's see...the gov't decides what cars are clunkers and entices people to trade them in so that they can be destroyed. After all, these clunkers are a burden on society. <_< Now, can we draw any analogies to gov't run health care? Can Cyanide4Seniors be far away? :o

I saw a 98 LS400 with 185k miles on Craigslist and the owner said it had a broken T-belt. It looked very nice but was priced around $2k because the engine was damaged. I would have bought it but was already sold. How many miles someone might get depends upon many factors, not the least being how much of a lead foot one has. It is rough on internal engine parts to keep high revs and aggressive acceleration. That being said, the LS is one durable engine and not easily broken. Concerning OEM vs. aftermarket(ie: Chinese parts)..ONLY go with Toyota OEM. Too much on the line to risk it. I dont have any Lexus stories on this but a friend recently had his original Ford Escort belt replaced(at an Indy) with an aftermarket belt. The new belt only lasted 40k miles before failing(should have lasted 60k). It totally trashed his engine. To be honest, I don't know if his water pump or tensioners siezed(which would not be the belt's fault) but he did "gamble" on the cheaper belt to save a few bucks.

Well, I called the 1-800-255-3987 number and talked to Lexus central. Turns out the seat belts are part of the restraint system which is under the powertrain warranty(go figure). So the warranty coverage is 6 years/70k miles. I am out on both counts. I did get the speaker grill out. Just pull upward on each corner(one at a time) to pop it up. Thanks Jim for the brake light suggestion. It got me to thinking maybe the speaker grill just pops out and it did. I guess the next step is to pull the retractor out of the car and see if I can repair.

My 98LS rear seat belt retractor(rear drivers side) just got stuck. It wont allow the belt to pull out. I removed the rear seat bench and seatback but I still need to get the "package tray trim" removed (thats what the manual calls the rear cardboard shelf with the speaker) . I can see the retractor if I pry up the shelf. I think the speaker has to come out or at least loosen the speaker grill, possibly from the trunk. Still have not figured that one out. Removing the rear seat was fairly easy but not totally obvious. As many have stated, the bottom(seating) portion of the bench came out with just a forceful lift upward on the bench...one side at a time. There are four slots holding it in. To get the back seating part out, there are 7 x 12mm bolts to remove. Four of these are rather obvious, two on the bottom ends and two closer to the seat belt anchors. Then there are 3 more bolts hidden behind each head rest. I pulled the two end headrests out(pinch the plastic retainer in and pull them out), and found a bolt hidden behind a flap of upholstery behind each headrest. The back seating portion then pulls away. I will try the 1-800 number and see how far I get. Worth a try anyway. Will post my findings. Anyone have any updates on the retractor or suggestions on removing the rear package tray trim?

Has this Bill even passed yet? It is sponsored by that, er gentleman, Henry Waxman(D. Calif). Oh man, its hard to hold back.... Despite needing maintenance, the LS series is very difficult to beat in combined safety, gas mileage and overall repair costs. I really cant see myself owning any other kind of primary car. I am hooked. All my friends think I must be some sort of rich guy to own a Lex and they are all envious! I dont know why. I paid $14k for my 98, hardly expensive. They paid more for their new Camry's. Yet everyone assumes I have big money. Curse of being in the know. Poor slobs!

Maybe...but would'nt it mess up the ride/handling? I'm pretty sure it would mess up my wallet.

Try this site ---> http://www.lexus.com/contact/maintenance.html The owner's manual may have some more detailed maintenance scheduling.

"Boot" is British for "trunk". A hood is a bonnet. I think fenders are birds. Clear as mud? The poster is saying that alot of early LS's have a problem with intermittent or broken trunk lid wiring. Causes all kinds of weird things to happen. Do a search on trunk lid wiring.

My Lex now looks like a 4x4? I refuse to modify the suspension(ie:lower). Guess I will need to start taking the off-road trails to work.

Well, I know everyone was just dying to know how this saga ended. I ended up with 17" Sport Tuning wheels with Michelins. Seems to handle and ride just as nice. Heres a look:

if you think high octane gas increases your power on a factory tuned car, then i've got some C16 i'll sell you for the low low price of $12/gallon. it's 160 octane so according to you that should be good for about another 80hp or so? im willing to bet that cleaning all the crap from and regapping your spark plugs caused the increase in power you're feeling more than the bull*BLEEP* that is sidegappping. don't believe me? put up the money to dyno your car and realize that you're STILL making stock HP or more likely lower. also, learn to type, your spelling spelling and grammar are atrocious. Oh come on PureDrifter ;) . I was rather enjoying the comic relief!

And I noticed that when I drained my tranny via the plug, that 2 liters of fluid comes out, not 2 quarts. They are close, but the liter is a couple ounces more than the quart. The net issue is that the fluid is sold in quart containers and if you do the drain often, you slowly lose out. Granted not a big deal with just several drains, but it can add up. You just need to keep an eye on the tranny dipstick for actual measurement.

First off, you get kudos for using the term "peristaltic". I learned something new... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peristaltic_pump I really do not see a difference in pumping vs. draining. You are depending on a mixing action in either case. Really, the better way is to let the transmission pump the fluid out via the method outlined in the tutorial. Why? Because there is less mixing of new and old fluid going on (although there is some). So, I would go with the tutorial method for best flush.

lite gold

No, brand/make of battery does not matter. Just as long as it fits the battery compartment, 12V, has the same posts, cranking capacity is about the same, you are golden. I got my new battery at Sam's club AND installed for $70. Lexus wanted $120 for a "Lexus" battery and $50 to install. Ripoff.