landar

You bring up a valid point. Measuring techniques are crucial in determining MPG. And the temptation exists to round numbers(up of course!) when bragging about MPG. I just got my Lexus and use the on-board MPG computer. Still, I like to verify with time-tested techniques. On a recent highway trip, the computer said I was averaging 27 MPG. When I went to fill up, I noted the trip mileage at 269 miles and the tank took 9.8 gallons of petrol. Doing a "rough" calculation in my head (270/10 = 27 MPG), I quickly concluded that the computer was more or less accurate. And this was not pure highway, probably 10% was city. Now, I realize that one may not fill the tank to the same exact level each time. So, there remains some ambiquity. However, overall I now tend to believe the on-board computer. I will continue to monitor and verify. How is it possible to get this kind of MPG with a 5000 lb car with a V8? A LOT has to do with acceleration. If I "lead foot" it everywhere, then I could expect the MPG to drop about 5 (or more) around town. I just tend to accelerate smoothly and easily and I anticipate red lights and stops so that I can coast. On the highway, I set the cruise and let her go. No magic there. Still 27 MPG. I have the gen 2.5 (98 LS) and maybe there are engine control advances to explain the improvement over gen 1.

My 98 LS400, which I have only had for 2 weeks, normally shifts to second gear @10 mph, 3rd @ 20mph, 4th @ 35, 5th@40-45. This is just my normal acceleration and I dont have a lead foot. However, when the car is cold(ambient temp = 60 to 80 f), I notice that it doesnt shift to second until about 20-25mph. After it shifts the first time, then later shift sequences are normal. Has anyone else noticed this behaviour or is this a potential problem? The car has 63k miles and has been serviced religiously by Lexus including all transmission fluid changes. I also notice the throttle "tip" (which feels like I cant smoothly step on the thotttle but have given it a sudden sharp jab). Tranny seems to shift smoothly, although it quickly goes thru the gears except that first time when cold.

chilkoot, Did you also replace the cam and crankshaft seals while in there? I would also mention that you want the best parts you can get(OEM Toyota) because if you get a hold of cheap stuff, even one part, you will be back in there cussin under your breath(maybe even out loud). Done that before! From what I have been reading, its about a $1k to $1.5k job at the dealer. I too plan on doing it myself. Partly because I am cheap, partly because I dont trust anyone else to do it and mostly because I love working on engines.

Well all the information is beginning to explain the elusive response I got from the previous owner when I asked about how the Lexus does in the snow. Turns out the wife drove the Lex most of the time, except in the winter when hubby forked over the Toyota Sequouia 4x4 and took the Lexus to work. Right now, I have Bridgestone Turanza's but will plan on getting some snows in the fall. Do any of you keep the snow tires on seperate rims to make the changeover easier? Or do you dismount/remount each fall? (to 'GKLCPA' : I live in the South Bend area. Been here about 11 years now)

The issue is not so much "how much it costs to fill the tank" but rather "how many MPG does the LS get?" Afterall, you use x amount of gallons, you replace x amount of gallons at whatever the cost per gallon. It is fairly easy to calculate. My LS400 gets remarkably good MPG for a heavy car and V8. I averaged 27 MPG on a highway trip at 70mph with the A/C running. Even around town and combined city/highway, I am getting close to 25(w/o the AC) I saw an ad in our local newspaper touting the new VW Beetle at 31 highway/23 city. While better than the LS, its not THAT much better. For a 2.5 ton luxury car, the LS400 is very fuel efficient.

Sure sounds like a bad/loose connection behind the buttons. I would get in there and start wiggling wires before replacing anything.

I grew up driving RWD cars as that was all that was available to me(60's era cars). I have not contended with a RWD in many years so this is going to bring back memories(donut time? :whistles: ). I bought the LS400 knowing that snow may be an issue but thought that with the ECT snow mode, some weight in the trunk and good all weathers, I would not have much of a problem. From this thread, I am gathering that my expectations may not be realistic. (PS..Hey GKLCPA....where in the LV area do you live? My wife is from Northampton and I have roamed around your stomping grounds a bit).

Wow, just from the picture, the paint looks amazing for that mileage(not that mileage in itself damages paint). It must have a lot of "highway" miles and I would bet the exec is a salesman. If the owner did all services, the paperwork should be an impressive stack. I would ask to sit down and sift thru the entire stack noting the frequency of oil changes especially. But many, many other things may and should have been done also. Ask lots of questions, do a carfax(but this may not reveal anything and be a waste of money if a one owner). Have the owner start the car when cold, stand at the back and look for a puff of smoke from the exhaust. Take it out on the road and punch it. It should be responsive with no blue smoke out the back. If it does puff smoke, it may be time for an engine rebuild. If the owner had a Lexus dealer perform the service, contact the dealer, tell them you are looking to purchase and ask for a verification of service records. Thats what I did and the dealer even printed them out for me. I would make a point of finding out if the car had been in an accident. Ask the owner point blank and look for body shop receipts. If it all checks out and you like the way the car drives and feels, make an offer. I will bet yours is the only one. What makes me happy about a purchase is value.....getting alot for my money. Personally, I dont think I would offer over a few thousand bucks, but that is up to you. If you could get the car for a few grand(or less), drive it for another 100k+ while enjoying the ride, I would consider that a worthwhile deal. You would also have bragging rights owning a car with (soon to be over) a half million miles! Neat.

The LS400 is an awesome machine, fine in just about every area. If, and thats a big IF, the car was well care for, AND the price is right(sorry Bob Barker) then I would not hesitate to make the purchase. However, if you dont want to be unpleasantly surprised, make sure that all aspects of the car were properly maintained. Some areas of inspection are: frequency of oil changes, timing belt and water pump replacement frequencies, brake flush, radiator flush, ball joints, shocks, etc. This is just a small, partial list and is by no means exhaustive(oh yeah, check the exhaust system while you are at it ) If you are not familiar with cars, then have a mechanic check it out for you. I also just bought a 98 LS400 from an executive and worked out a deal, prior to purchase, to have the local Lexus dealer do the required 60k service work and have the Lexus mechanic give it a once over. I also got to look at the underside while it was on the lift to check for rust and leaks. The Lexus dealer was very accomodating even though they weren't making anything from the sale other than the 60k service charge. With over 400k miles I certainly would be leary. My "leariness" goes down as the inspections go up( without red flags) and as the price goes down. Not many people would even consider a car with this kind of mileage so you may well be in the drivers seat as far as naming a price. BTW, the gas tanks hold about 22 gallons of the expensive stuff and at what, $3.50 a gallon, it costs about $70. Also keep in mind that the LS400 is a rear wheel drive whereas I believe your ES300 was FWD. Take that into account if you plan to drive in Ohio winters.

Hmmmm, but just snows on the rear, correct? Sounds like I may want to pick up some extra rims in the junk yard.

I once replaced the starter relay contacts in my son's Toyota Corolla with lift truck parts. Turns out the Toyota lift trucks(tow motors) use the same starter parts as their cars....makes sense. Replacing the contacts was easy, getting the starter out of the car took some time. Had to be a contortionist.

Not even with all-weather's? I used a brand of Nordic tires(Nokians) on my family van. Very nice all wx tires. We get, on average, about 70 inches of snow each winter here in N. Indiana. My philosophy is to stay at home when we get seriously dumped upon. I dont want a 4-wheel drive because then my boss will expect me to show up on snowy days!

Ausin, the good news is that starter related problems should be fairly easy to isolate if you are methodical as you go about analyzing the situation. All of the clues are there, you just need to be a good Sherlock <_< First, a quick review or tutorial, depending on your background. A starter pulls in excess of 100 amps when turning over the engine. 100+ amps is a LOT of current. ANY bad or semi-bad connection between the battery and starter(including ground connections) can spoil the whole circuit and make your starter seem sluggish. So, if you are interested, and have access to a voltmeter, here are some simpler tests you can perform. First, without the engine running, check the voltage at the battery posts and then at the cable terminals. They should be nearly identical (12 volts approx.). Then switch on the headlights and check the voltages again. A difference of more that a couple tenths of a volt would probably mean a poor connection at the battery terminal(s). You see, the headlights pull some current(probably a few amps) but not nearly what the starter does. Still, it can be a valuable indication of a bad connection which becomes exacerbated when the starter is engaged. Starter circuits also need a relay to handle the large current loads because the ignition switch which you turn to engage the starter cannot handle the 100+ amps. It can energize a coil which pulls in the starter relay with larger contacts. These relay contacts get corroded over time and can begin restricting the flow of current making your starter seem sluggish. The relay is usually an integral part of the starter and may be possible to rebuild without buying a new starter if that ends up being the problem. BTW, the "dreaded click" usually indicates corroded/worn out relay contacts. What you are hearing is the relay being pulled in once when you turn the key but since it fails to make good contact, nothing more happens. The other sound more often heard is the rat-tat-tat clicking which indicates a weak battery or bad connection somewhere. The rat-tat-tat continues on as a sort of oscillation because as the relay engages, the starter begins to pull its large current. The large current causes the voltage to fall rapidly, which "starves" the relay and it falls back open. Which allow the voltage to return to normal and engage the relay/starter again....its a vicious cycle. Thats why you hear a rapid clicking noise. Sorry if this is more than you wanted to know. I can get on my soapbox pretty easily. The bottom line is that you should clean all connections(particularly to the battery). If you have access to a voltmeter, perform the tests I have mentioned. You should also check the voltage at the battery with the engine running. Anything in the 13 to 14 volt DC range would mean your charging system is fine.

it takes about 4-5 minutes to completely subside. i know the tink-tink-tink sound you're describing, but it is not that at all. it's kind of dull sounding, and you have to really listen to be able to pinpoint it. however it is audible. i hope it's nothing serious, i just bought the vehicle. thanks, tj Noises can drive one crazy when trying to pinpoint. So, how about trying an experiment? This has worked for me on several ocassions.....get a stethoscope like the kind used to monitor blood pressure(you can buy these pretty cheaply at a drug store), only take the diaphram off the end of the hose and replace it with a large nail(spike). Then when the car is making the noise, carefully listen thru the stethoscope by positioning the point of the nail on various areas of the engine. The noise will be much more pronouced when you get near the source. While not perfect, this may give you a better clue as to the source. Also wonder if it isnt some slight boilover of the radiator fluid indicating that your thermostat needs replacing and/or cooling system flush and refill. Anyway, let us know what you find.

Mike, If the connections on the battery became "very hot", then you may indeed have a bad connection(s) at the battery. Heat is caused by current flow thru resistance. A good connection should not become excessively hot even if you have a shorted starter(the starter would become hot). I have seen battery cables which look like they are making good connection but are getting very hot because of a poor, high resistance connection internally. And it turned out that the terminal head to cable was bad inside the cable itself. It was not something you could visually verify. Once the cable was replaced, everything was normal. You can use a voltmeter to check for a voltage drop across connections while trying to start. You should not have more than a few tenths of a volt on any connection. Remember that a closed circuit is only as good as the weakest link. ANY bad connection from the battery to the starter and back to ground can cause the whole thing to malfunction. Attention to detail is paramount in solving this issue.

Thanks mud. Thats the kind of age report I am looking for. My concern still remains on the water pump. Did you happen to have that replaced earlier than the 83k miles? If you got 83k out of a water pump, that is amazing. But..... it is a Lexus so maybe I should not be too amazed

92silverls400, It probably will come as no great surprise that in their zeal to sell, the salesman will offer you the world. Thats why salesmen are, well, salesmen. However, when it comes time to making good on a "handshake", they suddenly have "no recollection" of having promised any such thing. If you have the T-belt replacement warranty in writing then you may have a case. Any warranty I have seen does NOT include "normal" wear and tear(tires, brakes, timing belts, etc). A timing belt needing replacement at 90k is considered normal wear and tear.

Thanks for all the advice. Looking at the pics showing how to replace the T-belt, the belt looks very "beefy" as does just about everything in this car. I am going to wait a while longer and consult with the Lexus mechanics. I just had her in for the 60k mile service and the T-belt never even came up. The mechanic did say that the 4.0 liter engine is just about indestructible. The shop had never even had to completely dissassemble or rebuild one. A seized water pump is probably about my biggest fear as that could shred the belt but the antifreeze has been changed faithfully throughout the years(keeps lubricants fresh in the pump and seals). I will keep an eye on the pump and for coolant leaks.

Took my 98 LS400 on my first road trip this weekend to see Mom on Mother's day. She absolutely loved my Lexus and wanted me to give it to her for a Mothers day gift!. Now, I love my mom but.......woman, thou knowest not what thou asketh for! Oh and the look on my friends faces when they check her out....priceless. Most of them dont even know what kind of car this is, just some fancy-schmancy "fur'in" car. But they are impressed, at least many are. Some relatives work at GM. They just want to bash it with lead pipes. The best, and funniest ones are when they learn of the quality and price for a used Lexus. For instance, one friend just bought a 2002 Impala with 72k miles for $10k. He just about soiled his drawers when he found out he could have had a nice used LS400 for just a little more! I am coming to the conclusion that a Lexus is just about the cheapest...er.. least expensive car you could own. While many people buy "thow-aways", I am realizing that the Lexus is one you can truly enjoy for many, many years and still look and drive like new. It has got to be one of the best kept secrets. BTW, got 27mpg on the highway at 70mph, running premium(93 octane). I reached for the regular unleaded handle but my arm started to shake uncontrollably. No problem when I grabbed the ultimate :whistles: Regards, Lan

Is it fairly easy to do? I mean, there are not many jobs that I am afraid to tackle and I have even rebuilt engines before but I just got her and like a new father, dont want to break my "baby"

I was reading my owner's manual and noticed that the recommended mileage for replacing the T-belt is 90k OR........ 72 months(six years). My LS400 only has 62k miles but it is well over the 6 year limit at 9 years of age. She runs flawlessly, however, I only put about 10k miles on her per year and at that rate I wont make 90k miles for another 3 years. It will then be 12 years old, more than double the recommended time to replace the belt! Can I dare to push it that far?

Just an update.....my first full day with my new "baby". Took her to work to show the guys. They are not Lexus savvy and didnt know what year it was but could not believe this was a nine year old car. It looks (and drives) like brand new. The quality of paint and materials is evident. I "floated" into work and floated back home. Its like I am on cloud nine! Its pure love, fellas. What a car! I know, I know, get a grip. But I am just so impressed every time I drive her. And the chiseled good looks. She's a timeless beauty with classic lines. Ya know, I am actually starting to feel sorry for the other drivers that I meet along the road. No Lexus? Of course, I used to be one that gang. Mercifully, ignorance is bliss.

a real "cream puff". One owner(CEO of a local company), 62k miles, dealer serviced, all records. Wow. I saw this car in the paper about three weeks ago. I wasn't particularly looking for a new vehicle, just caught my eye and I thought no harm in just looking. Of course I drove it. Love ensued. I couldnt stop thinking about her. Couldnt sleep at night. Sounds crazy doesnt it? This is my first Lexus and I am both excited and apprehensive at the same time. What did I get myself into? I gave $14k for the car with the stipulation that the owner have the 60k service done at Lexus(which he did to the tune of about $500). I stopped by to talk to the mechanics and have a look at the underside. The boys at Lexus were very impressed with how well the car had been maintained. A friend of mine recently bought a four cylinder 2006 Dodge Status with 20k miles for $13k. Now, the Dodge is nice but I can not believe that I could get the Lexus, even with 3x the mileage and 8 years older for about the same price. To me, there simply is no comparison between the two. Yet I feel guilty, almost a "snob". I am a former Ford/Olds/Mistsubishi /Chrysler owner. I think I am about to be spoiled rotten! I took my 15 year old son for a ride and "punched" it for the first time. Wow, did not expect that kind of acceleration! Even he was impressed(and that aint easy to do). Ok, sorry for the lengthy message but I am pumped. Looking forward to many years of marriage to the old gal(the car and my wife..... : :whistles: ) I am a DIY car enthusiast and will try to contribute to the forum when I can. Regards, Landar

And from what I have been reading, you are overdue for a timing belt.

Disclaimer: I am not a Lexus owner.....yet. But I have the hots for a nice, used LS400. However, I am having trouble finding one with heated seats. Since I live in Indiana, with cold winters, I would REALLY like to have heated seats. Not to mention, Mama would REALLY like to have heated seats. And we all know that if Mama is happy.....well, it will help me buy a Lexus. So, whats up with these heated seats? Are they a rare option? And which models were most likely to have them? Could a model without the heated seats be retrofitted? (I am guessing yes, if you want to shell out major buck$$$). Thanks, Lan