landar

Look here ----> http://www.lexls.com/tutorials/EFI/tps.html

No, the rear diff fluid would NOT cause the symptoms that you describe. The rear diff fluid is not very expensive or hard to change but I dont have any hard costs ...maybe $100 at dealer and $20 DIY? You can call and ask the dealer. There is a wealth of information in this forum if you can do a simple search and have the patience to wade through multiple posts. For instance, I did a quick search for "differential" and found this useful thread: http://us.lexusownersclub.com/forums/index...hl=differential I cannot stress this enough...the one most basic thing that you can do to get help and resolve problems is to learn how to use the search engine on this forum. It is your best friend! :D As eatingupblacktop mentioned, your car's problems could be many things. However, from the description, it sure sounds like a fuel delivery issue. If you want to do most of the work yourself, you will need to dig in and learn about the various aspects of your car. To begin with, you might want to check your fuel pump and fuel filter to make sure you are getting good fuel feed to the engine. This does not mean these items are bad, just suspect.

Glad to hear you are a true-blue DIY'er Fblonk (not Frank..sorry) :D I would suggest that you use only Toyota parts in the rebuild if you can get them. You might check with the Toyota dealer or with a Toyota lift truck shop as they use some common starter parts. The following site was recently brought to our attention and is a great part number lookup tool. http://www.toyodiy.com/parts/p_U_1998_LEXU...EAGKA_1904.html

Try pulling the trunk lever inside the car. Does that reliably release the trunk latch? If so, nothing is wrong with the actuator.

My trunk remote is a pain too. I recently changed the battery and that helped with the distance. But the real problem is that the key fob design for some reason, makes it difficult for me to reliably press and hold down the trunk release button. You have to press and hold the button for a few seconds and when I am in a hurry, I dont always manage to do that. I have to use my thumb nail to get it depressed all the way. Next time you press the trunk button, look at the little LED indicator on the fob. Make sure that you see that blinking then keep the button held until the trunk releases. If the indicator is flashing but the trunk fails to release, then there are other problems. But I am betting its a press and hold issue. Its aggravating, thats for sure.

Fblonk(is it Frank?). First off, stay the heck away from Autozone. In most cases they dont have a clue as to what they are doing with a starter. I am trying to understand what you mean by "dragging". You say it "cranks like a low battery". That to me means a high resistance connection in the solenoid contacts which, as the contacts heat up, lowers and then works correctly. And yes, poor contacts can cause this "drag" or sluggish behaviour. I have even had starters which did NOT shut off when I removed the key from the ignition(not from a Lexus, though). The contacts welded together and the return spring was not strong enough to pull them apart. That can also happen with worn contacts. Given that the starter sometimes just "clicks" (once for each key turn, I presume?), you do have starter contacts that are bad. I would do as python suggests and get a Denso rebuilt. The Lexus dealer has "new" starters available for around $260. They, however, are not brand spanking new (as pointed out by SRK) but rather rebuilt and should serve a good long while. A good rebuild shop will replace the contacts, brushes, check the bearings, commutator, etc. In other words, it gets a more thorough check-out than what a weekend mechanic is likely to do. You might even find a local shop to rebuild your original unit. To answer your last question, worn contacts are the cause of BOTH your drag and click. If this is your "work truck", you need to get this starter issue fixed pronto. You are on borrowed time (starter-wise, of course :) )

Very kewel, oldskewel... Thanks! Just click on the part number in the drawing and it highlights the item in the Bill of Material. Vice versa too. My local Toyota dealer said he had no way of cross-referencing Lexus to Toyota parts. Now we do! Neat, neat, neat!

Did your "ALT" light come on at any time?

Welcome! They are neat cars as you are finding out. For $1500, it sure looks like you got a pretty good deal. If it were me, I would be changing the transmission fluid, brake fluid and rear diff. fluid, pronto. The timing belt might also need changed depending on previous owner(s).

Yes, rebuild the starter before installing. You will kick yourself in the you-know-what when 10k miles later the 96 goes out. BTW, I dont see the logic in buying a 96 starter when it may be just about as worn as your 95. As concerns the kit: Make sure it is of high quality. Again, you dont want to go thru all that labor only to have it fail soon thereafter. You might check with a local Toyota lift truck parts supplier. I was successful in getting starter parts from them for a Corolla. And they are genuine Toyota. I also called the local Lexus dealer to see if they had parts...no. However, they do stock brand new starters. I asked for the price, making sure I was sitting down first, and they said $260. What? I was braced for $400, $600 and up. So, while a new starter 'aint' cheap, its not all that bad. And there is more to a rebuild than just the solenoid copper and plunger. I did not see brushes in the kit. Yes, change gaskets, if possible, dont reuse.

Man, I feel old. I had to look up "meh". FWIW, I think the new 18's are nice looking, better than the stock. I need new rims on mine and was going to get 16's but after seeing that....do Blizzaks come in 18 and that profile? I have to deal w/snow :D Luke, what is the make/model of those wheels?

Mine did something similar to yours. A clunk when turning into the driveway and going over a slight curb (like a speed bump). And it only did it in one direction, not the other. I replaced both strut rods last year and the problem went away. Mine is also a 98 LS400 which had 68k at the time. The rubber bushings get dry rotted and cracked over the course of 10 years.

Cabins can fog up for a variety of reasons but there is one main cause: dew point temperature reached on the windows with high relative humidity in the cabin area. It could be wet carpets, perhaps a leak when it rains. Or snow on boots that melts on the carpet and evaporates into the cabin. Steamy girlfriends, or just a high level of moisture in the breath are some other reasons. You might also check on the recirculation setting and operation. In general, I like to pull in fresh cabin air at all times and avoid the recirculation. Especially on rainy, dreary days, I often need to run the defrost (which kicks on the A/C for dehumidification) along with heat. Not unlike Vancouver in the winter season.

Ok, I guess the pie joke wasnt that funny. :( If you are getting heat (and fairly hot), then your heater core is not significantly plugged. Even if it were 100% plugged, coolant should not leak from the heater control valve or any of the hoses. You need to take care of this "modest" leak first (any is too much). Coolant may be running from the valve along the hose and wicking into the heater core chamber.

I had the same thing happen to me the other night. I was driving to a church function and started to smell something "sweet" in the cabin right after the blower kicked in. At first I thought it was antifreeze...thats the paranoia in me. Then I remembered that I was transporting my wife's fresh-baked pumpkin pie to a friend. It was on the floor in the back. Found the culprit! You dont have any baked goodies in the car, do you?

I would have to agree with eatingup and say I dont know that you can revive your ECU at this point. Personally, if the caps are shot, then I would get a new or used unit at the salvage yard. Would not mess with trying to "fix" it. Now, the question in my mind is: why did the ECU caps blow in the first place? Did you ever have to replace the alternator/regulator or battery recently? Electrolytic capacitors typically are stressed and blow when an overvoltage or reverse voltage is applied. Make sure that the alt/reg is putting out the correct voltage range(13-14.5V) AND is DC. You might have a failed rectifier in your Alt. which is putting some AC on the line(although the battery will help to smooth it) In any case, I would carefully check out the supply (ie: alt/reg/battery). Something is rotten in Denmark, er Florida <_<

Just curious, Vroom and CarCrazy. What type of fuel do you typically run in your LS...regular, mid-grade, or premium?

The problem with that scanner is it is not CAN approved and will be junk if the perons ever gets a newer car... A Code Reader can be used to read and erase diagnostic trouble codes as well as other additional features depending on the tool. These tools work on all vehicles 1996 and newer. All Actron Code Readers are CAN compliant. Now, if you are really into cars and what is going on inside the engine, check out this tool. Very neat. You use your computer to show a virtual dashboard of all kinds of info. Its costs more but could be a fun toy! http://www.autotap.com/

Hmmm, bucks violently yet no codes? I would think with the symptoms that you described, surely the computer would pick up something. You did do the code jumper thing even though the Check Engine Light(CEL) is not on? I know this is kind of generic but it does sound(to me anyway) like a fuel delivery problem. So, Seafoam that sucker! :D (just kidding...kinda). I would do some digging in the forums on fuel-air delivery issues. Dont know enough about the specifics to give more detail, but if I run across somthing, I will let you know. Stick around long enough and there is no end to the amount of information and advice you can receive on this board. :o Also, look at this repair site for info on the EFI system. Your lack of throttle response smacks of a TPS issue. http://www.lexls.com/tutorials/EFI/ I know this will sound somewhat crazy, but the good news is that it acts up so dramatically. Those are usually easier to find than the really small, subtle issues. Count your blessings, Happy Thanksgiving!

Are there any codes? http://www.lexls.com/tutorials/intro/codereading.html

I have an Actron OBD II AutoScanner CP9175. Pretty nice unit but I think it is post 1996 cars only. Check it out: http://www.amazon.com/Actron-CP9175-AutoSc...4207&sr=1-1

Ok good, temp up to normal, stat is good (at least I hope your engine temp sensor is not lying to us...but probably not). Next step, check the heater hoses again and try to see if they are hot, cold or lukewarm. Try to check right at the firewall (I am hoping there isnt some kind of bypass valve inside the cabin itself). If the hoses are hot, then coolant is making it into the cabin and hopefully the heater core. Check the hoses and let us know. I realize that you dont have a calibrated hand but you should be able to sense somewhat the temp. And be careful not to get into any moving parts. (I know this is somewhat tedious. However, I am trying to get this narrowed and avoid the "shotgun" approach).

I've change the thermostat twice thinking I might have got a bad one. I had that happen once with my chevelle. But it hasn't changed anything. The engine comes up to proper temp with gauge about half-way?

Dont grow another gray! Lets work this methodically. It shouldnt be that hard. There are a lot of smart people on this board (excluding me of course ;) ). Can you get to the heater hoses going into the firewall? Once the engine is up to temp and with the heater on max. heat, feel the hoses. Are they hot or cold, lukewarm? This is all presuming the engine comes up to temp and runs fine. It does come up to proper temp(~halfway on gauge), right? If it does, that means your thermostat is good (and probably was good all along). So, no heat in the hoses means air lock or blockage of some kind. And we go from there. Heat in the hoses means something wrong with the core or a vent door/passage way. Check those things and report back. We'll figure out where to go from there.

Well, ok use water... but be careful. It can get cold enough this time of year in Illinois to push freeze plugs. So just make sure the car is back in a warmer(than freezing) garage at night.