TA in KC

One of them is the standard head unit, one of them is for vehicles equipped for Satellite Radio, and the other is for the Mark Levinson system.

Yes, the stickers/labels can all be replaced but they must be ordered and installed through a Lexus dealership. The old sticker also must accompany the request for a replacement. It works the same way as replacement VIN plaques. You should be able to find the forms to request a replacement sticker on the Ebsco auto repair reference center. I would suggest giving them to the body shop and have them work everything out with a local Lexus dealership.

I loved the styling of the previous-generation 5-Series but really feel quite the opposite about the current model....I think it looks like nothing more than a restyled Pontiac Grand Am. I have a friend who owns 2 5-series BMWs. He drives a 535 and his wife drives a 528. I don't know exactly what model years they are, but they are both of the newer "ugly" generation. They seem to be decent vehicles besides their styling, but even in the short time they have owned them they have still cost much more to maintain than our older Camry and LS400. I think their definition of "reliable" and "inexpensive to own" is quite different than mine as their previous cars were old Jaguars that sounded like they were absolutely terrible...all kinds of expensive repairs. I think the 5-Series is a decent car, but the cost of ownership will likely be much higher than your dad's current 4Runner. If he has researched the car at all, he probably already knows that and is prepared to deal with it.

If you still owe money on the car, you should keep it at least until it is paid for. Probably go ahead and fix the power steering problems and worn engine mounts. You may spend what the car is worth on all these repairs, but if you have no plans to get rid of it, that's OK. Even if other parts break after you have fixed the car's current problems, it may still be cheaper to continue fixing them than it would be to make payments on a newer car. I don't know. Since I only pay cash for cars, I wouldn't be able to tell you what is less expensive. Due to starting a new job where I drive others around frequently, I eventually need to move on to a newer car mainly for the better safety features. My '92 LS doesn't even have a passenger airbag. That's why I plan to move on within a year, or if the car requires an expensive repair, whichever comes first. Your situation sounds like it is probably different than mine, so maybe it would make sense to continue repairing your car. Like I said, only you can make the decision whether to keep it, or move on. It sounds like you would rather keep the car, which is probably a good thing since you still owe money on it.

Tony, if your situation is anything like mine was, you probably have leaks in more than one place. If you want to fix what is probably the largest one, you should probably start by replacing the pump and bypassing speed-sensitive steering. Your steering rack looks similar to the rack on my car, which I recently discovered is leaking after taking my car to the dealership for an inspection. As of right now, the leak is not significant enough to require repair. If it becomes worse, or the car requires some other repair costing over $1000, I have decided to replace it with a newer used Lexus or Toyota Avalon. I don't know what other problems your LS has, but there comes a point when it is no longer wise to spend large sums of money maintaining an old car. You can spend thousands replacing all kinds of parts, but in the end you are still left with a 17-18 year old vehicle containing many other parts that will also fail eventually. If you spend a lot of money fixing one thing, then something else breaks, you will probably wish you had just put the money towards a newer car. Figure out how much it will take to get your LS back into driveable condition, and then think about how much you would realistically be able to sell it for if everything worked properly. Only you will be able to make the decision whether to keep it or move on to something newer. When vehicles get to be the age that yours and mine are, they are usually best owned by do-it-yourselfers who have the time and expertise to maintain them themselves. Since I do most repairs on my '92 LS myself, it has been relatively inexpensive to own up to this point. The repairs I have done would have cost more than the car is worth had I taken it to a mechanic. I don't have as much time to work on my car anymore, which is why I have decided to replace it eventually. Hopefully, I can sell it to another do-it-yourselfer who will maintain it and enjoy it as much as I have.

What you are describing sounds much like an automobile brokerage service....which I think were much more popular before the internet. I have a couple of friends who bought cars through brokers back in the 1990s, but I never have and will not plan on doing so. I really don't know if that many auto brokerage companies still exist....I sure haven't heard of one in a while. Now that the internet makes it so easy to shop for vehicles, I think it is probably an obsolete business anyway. Hopefully that answers your question.

I have had good luck with Consumer Reports' top rated wax..."Black Magic". I have purchased it at many different discount stores. No problems getting it off and the results are much better than the other waxes I used in the past.

This problem is most certainly being caused by broken wires contained in the harness attached to the driver's side trunk hinge.

A close family member of mine "Larry" has driven leased company cars for the past 20+ years. Due to the large amount of driving he does, he typically gets new cars every 2 years/50,000 miles. Larry takes good care of his cars mechanically, following his company's instructions and doing all recommended maintenance to follow warranty standards. Cosmetically, I don't think he treats his company cars as well as the other vehicle he actually owns. How clean would you keep a vehicle you knew you would be getting rid of in 2 years or less? I imagine most people driving corporate lease/company cars treat theirs similar to the way Larry does.

They are all great, reliable cars. Purchase one that is in good condition for a good price, the year does not matter.

Try a different web browser. Do you own an Apple computer? The Sewell parts website is not compatible with Safari. I use FireFox instead.

You would probably find the answer in a copy of "The Lexus Story".

It is important to cover up rock chips with touch-up paint immediately after you discover them. If the bare metal is left exposed, it will begin to corrode in a matter of weeks and eventually the corrosion will spread. Obviously, the chips on your RX went through the primer down to the bare metal. Perhaps they didn't on your other cars. Washing a vehicle only 3 times a year is not enough to keep its finish in good condition. Leaving it dirty for extended periods will make it much easier for dirt, road salts, etc to accumulate and start corrosion. I wash my vehicle twice a week during the winter and once weekly otherwise. During the warmer months, I hand-wash it and use it as an opportunity to look for rock chips and touch them up while the car is clean. I wax the car twice per year. It is almost 17 years old, has over 150,000 miles, and has no rust anywhere. Based on the information you have given, I think the damage to your vehicle's paint was just caused by improper care.

I do not own an LS 400 of your generation, but can guess that at least the mirrors from any 1998, 1999, or 2000 model would work.

I have never leased a car, but think I remember hearing a member of this forum say based on experience that "if it is smaller than a credit card, it is free".

I actually saw a 1991 LS400 in the same shade of red at our local import salvage yard. It must have been a popular aftermarket color.

The high and low pressure ports will need to have replacement connectors installed. That is really the biggest part of the job. You cannot replace the oil independently, or without opening up the A/C system and replacing the drier. The oil is suspended in the refrigerant. Most conversion kits come with refrigerant that is already mixed with oil. The system should be evacuated slowly so that most of the oil will come out with it. Of course, some R-12 mineral oil will still remain in the system so it is important you choose a refrigerant/oil mix containing Ester oil...the only R-134a oil compatible with R-12 mineral oil. PAG oil and others are not compatible.

I suggest you purchase a 1-day subscription for $10 to techinfo.toyota.com. There you can download the entire factory service manual for your car. It is a lot of clicking and saving, but much less expensive than purchasing a paper manual.

I successfully converted my 92 LS400's R12 system to R134a with a simple conversion kit purchased from an auto parts store for around $40. Some people call them "AC death kits", but it has been 2 years and I have never had a problem. I did, however, have a family member help me with the procedure who is a retired auto mechanic with extensive knowledge of A/C systems. If you don't know much about air conditioning systems, or know someone who does, I suggest you have the conversion done by a professional.

Yes. You will probably have to ask them to look in the national service database.

Sounds like a good idea. It has been my experience that the estimates the service writer gives are almost never binding. Be prepared to pay a little bit more than he quotes you. For example, the labor costs for the last repair I had done at Exact were estimated to be $325....it ended up being over $400. That would make some people angry, but I am more than willing to put up with it for the excellent service I get from Fred. He is one of the few people I actually trust with my vehicle.

I would not recommend Jim Walker because of the bad experiences other members of this board have had with his services. I have not done business with him for that reason. I have never had the "flickering dash light problem", but I have done business with another company, Mikado Technology, that also repairs dash lights and was very impressed with them.