landar

Jim, First off, congrats on such a rare find. Sounds like you made a wise purchase. Since you mention that the vibration is on decel, it makes me question the wheel bearings. The reason I say this is because I had a Subaru long ago that did something similar...it would be noisy upon decel and nothing when accelerating. When you accel or decel, you shift(slightly) the load point on the bearings and get different responses. That said, I am simply shooting in the dark. More often than not, it is a bad tire though it appears fine. You will have to do your own due diligence to determine if there is any merit. As I like to say, do your own do-do If the wheel bearings have never been touched and the cost is not too high, it may just be good preventative maintenance anyway. Go on, the old girl deserves it! ...and so does the car :whistles:

There are probably lots of good ideas, but first we need a bit more info....year, miles, error code would be helpful.

I am with etex on this one. Those belts appear to be very well designed and made. Now, the issue that would concern me is the frequency of antifreeze changes. Huh? Well, as has been pointed out, probably the most common failure mode for the timing belt is a seized water pump. And what lubricates the water pump? If the antifreeze has been changed every 3 years or so, the water pump should be adequately lubed. If not, there is some danger. Water pumps only last so long and can deteriorate quickly if the antifreeze breaks down and/or a non-Toyota type coolant has been used. Keep an eye on the coolant level and check for leaks. Older water pump seals tend to go first and the coolant 'weeps' out a hole in the pump when close to end of life.

have you checked for an intake manifold leak?

Thanks, DAZZX! What kinda beer??

Well blessed, your Lexus fuel saver module is kicking in to help save you money. Whenever gas prices hit these high levels, your car makes you wait a least one hour to keep you from unnecessary road trips. Kinda like the search flood control used on this board....... Kidding! :whistles: So, there are quite a few unanswered questions in my mind: Does your car run fine for hours on end if you just keep driving? How hot is your local? What kinda fuel are you running? Does she crank robustly or sluggish after hot? Vapor lock used to occur on older cars with fuel pumps that 'pulled' gas from the tank. Today's cars generally have tank mounted pumps which 'push' the gas to the engine, so to my understanding, vapor lock is no longer an issue. If'n it were my Lex, I would probably want to determine if the problem were fuel or spark. Even though it seems like fuel, dont rule out the other. To that end, when it wont start, I would check for spark. If it had spark, I would check the fuel pressure or maybe worse yet, be tempted to squirt a little engine starter fluid down the throttle body (I know, I know, bad for the old engine). But thats just me. If it starts right up, you gotta a fuel delivery problem.

Just a wild guess but maybe its your TPS (Throttle Position Sensor)?

Well Ian, I am sorry for your luck and hope that you can fix all problems. Can't add much to the advice about checking fuses other than you might check for any burnt looking/smelling wires (but hopefully the fuses kept any from actually frying). On the plus side(or is it negative ?,)...sorry bad pun <_< , your dog pic just cracked me up! Thanks for brightening my day

Pishta....it is very difficult (impossible, actually) to identify your problem w/o actually hearing, seeing, feeling, your car's symptoms. And I know how frustrating vibrations can be. They are only topped by strange noises. That said, I would advise you to look not for a some complicated, obscure issue, but rather for the simple things. You said it was almost like the tires were overinflated. I would check the tires first. Try rotating front->back and see what happens (doesnt cost anything but some time). Also, when the vibration is occuring, try throwing her in neutral to rule out transmission issues. In other words, keep experimenting and look for something rather simple. My bet is on a tire(or tires) or possibly a wheel bearing. Many a time, a belt within the tire will break or become distorted and cause problems. If you get to your wits end, seek professional counseling! ie: a good tire/alignment shop. Many times the diagnostics is free or very reasonable., In any case, let us know what you find when you finally get her fixed so we can throw a virtual party

Hey Brad, Congrats on the Lex purchase. As you are finding out, they must be the best kept secret in cars. The cup holder looks like it might do the trick. Personally, I dont get too worked up over cup holders. Now, a built-in cappuccino maker would be nice ..... :whistles:

Ask, and ye shall receive!!

Interesting. Must be a lot different in Canada. In most northern states, they use a mixture of salt and sand. I wish it were only sand but the salt is needed to lower the freezing point of the ice and thus keep the roads clear(so they say). Sk, I also check my vehicles every spring and fall and spray vulnerable places with oil or grease. Lately, I have been experimenting with marheid truck bed liner stuff. I would be interested to know what you do to rustproof your ride. What areas do you consider most vulnerable to rusting and how do you protect those areas? Thanks, Lan

Thoughts? I am perplexed as to how the air can be moist in Phoenix? Well, for starters, I would check to see if the compressor clutch was engaged when it does not work. This is the clutch which "pulls-in" to make the compressor spin. It makes a distinctive "click" and the engine slows down slightly under the load. With a helper, try turning the a/c on and off to note the sounds and differences. Forgive me if you already know this. I just dont want to presume prior experience When the a/c is not working, you can pull over, open the hood and check. From there, its a crap shoot. If it is engaged, we are looking at a malfunctioning vent door or similar air routing issue. If it is not engaged, then maybe a bad connection or signal issue.

Hmmmm, no salt in W. Canada, ehh??? Is there some other nasty compound that is laid upon the roads to cause corrosion or is this just a "normal" (or isolated) rust spot? BTW, Jify, thanks for the report.

Anyone have any significant rust on sheetmetal parts of their LS? I would imagine that those living in salty regions (ie: Canada, NE, midwest) would have the largest incidence of rust, if any. If you do have rust, could you please state where on the car and the degree(slight, moderate, severe...you can make one up). Thanks!

Hmmmm Kid, dont know but it sure smacks of a shudder in the tranny or convertor. Changed the fluid lately?

Actually, I was being a bit harsh about the Lex design. You must have the series resistors in order to sense the current and everyone must do something like this. But for heavens sake, the resistors should really be beefy enough to prevent burnout and total failure of the brake lights. wwest, did you actually exchange the incandescents for LED's? Are LED brake lights readily available or do you have to "customize"? Thanks...Lan

So let me see if I have this straight.... The lamp failure module is supposed to warn the driver if a bulb fails but if the module fails then no lights or warning? Isnt that a bit of an ironic (or moronic) design?

There is a 'ton' of info in this forum concerning electrical issues. Just try a "brake" search with the provided search engine and you will see. It just takes time to weed thru the discussions but if you are determined, you will get to the bottom of your particular problem rather quickly. Having said all of that, there is one particularly pesky trunk ground wire that tends to get stretched and broken causing lots of interesting phenomenon to occur. Its worth a check. This being an electrical problem and all, you didnt let the smoke out of something, did you? :whistles:

albeit, a beautifully designed tank. Although I hope to never test this out, I feel like I could get hit by the biggest SUV out there and still come thru unscratch (though my Lex may be toast...she gave her life) :cries: .

Yeah, I love how after 9 years, the paint/clearcoat still shines like brand new.

Wow, nice tut, pishta! Thanks for all the effort in putting this together and for sharing!!! Ever consider putting this on the Lexus LS Workshop/Knowledge base site?

Ok, a short time ago, Sapper Dadddy asked you what really grinds your gears about the LS. That was an interesting thread, however........ I would like to turn that around and ask: What do you really love about your Lex? What makes it unique and better than any other car out there in the price range? I have stated in other posts that I dont know when the "honeymoon" is going to end with my 98 LS but so far, it hasn't. From the moment I press the unlock button, open those incredibly well-fitting doors, smell the fine leather, to turning the ignition and seeing that instrument panel light up....its magic for me! Did Lexus put a spell on this car to cause owners to go head-over-heels? This isnt a thread to complain. And I know this forum is all about problems but could we pause for a moment to collectively sing the virtues of your Lexus? What do you LOVE about her?!!

I am no 'expert' but I do own a 98. If you have been yearning for a Lex, then by all means, go look at it. Do your homework, make a checklist and ask lots of questions. I would have the dealer put her up on the lift and check for rust, leaks and damage. If it all checks out, I would not hesitate to buy or trade...but dont expect to get get much for your STS(straight trade? if the dealer thinks he has the upper hand, forget it). Its just a dealers job to get as much out of the deal as possible. To even the playing field, you might consider unloading the Caddy yourself. Also keep in mind that if the dealer is asking $11k USD, he gave MUCH less for the car. I would guess maybe $8k (or less?) .I have heard bragging stories from these dealers about how little they gave for a trade-in. So, my advice.....check the Lex out thoroughly but do not fall in love with it or at least, dont let the dealer know that. Be ready to walk if the deal is not to your liking. Bet you dont make it off the lot w/o the Lex (ie: play hardball !) I gave $14k USD for a 98 LS400 with 62k miles. With 137k miles, I am thinking ~$9k USD(or $10k CDN).

Not sure about a 1990, but check for a trunk lockout button such as used for valet parking. Do you have an owners manual? RTFM :whistles: