eddielasvegas

You may be right (and I may be crazy), but they've disclosed issues (after speaking with the current owner to the contrary) that saved me time, and problems, with my recent car purchases. Eddie

Is there a secret to doing a part number search on your site? "12361-50100" (as well as other Lexus part numbers) does not work in the part search box. Eddie

check out kbb.com to get an idea what ur car should sell for. Only you know what your willing to pay relative to that number, but I'd take at least 10% off that price. Also, don't be afraid to walk out of the dealership if they won't meet your deal. You have the ultimate power by doing that. Good luck, Eddie

I was in Sinclair, WY early this decade and noticed their regular gas is 85 octane as opposed to 87 on most other places. Turns out it's due to the elevation and vehicles can operate just fine at higher elevations and lower octane. Also, flat panel TV's (plasma, I think) don't work well above about 5,000 ft. above sea level. Eddie

I hear ya on the door panel removal, but to do it right, that's what must be done. I just bought a speaker grill for my driver's door and was surprised it was only about $20.00. Once I get the time, I'll remove the door panel and replace the speaker cover (grill). Eddie

Hello All, Just wanted the forum to know that I found a good mechanic in Greater Phoenix based on my experience today. Dynamic Imports in Tempe replaced my tranny mount for $50 and diagnosed (and cleaned undercarriage) an oil leak (loose oil filter) for no charge. The owner is a good guy and seems like a fair and honest businessman. Replacing the tranny mount eliminated the 45/65 MPH vibration. See my first post for what a Lexus shop in Scottsdale was going to charge for this work. Thanks to the forums, I suspected this was causing the vibration and that it was an easy fix. Eddie

Nice to see there's another Miata/LS 400 owner. I was wondering if there were others besides myself. Eddie

Hello All, I can do the work I need done, but my tools are in storage and the apartment complex is not exactly a conducive environment for car work, and it might be awhile before we buy a house. Anyway, I'm looking for an honest Lexus mechanic or shop that charges reasonable rates. Here's what I was quoted from a Lexus shop (not a dealership) that I deem unreasonable: $120 (labor only) to replace the tranny mount. $260 ATF flush (and clean filter) and fill. Thank you. Eddie

This also may help you decide: It's a web site listing the model year changes. http://www.lexls.com/info/lsgenerations.html Good luck, Eddie

You can also be patient and keep searching for a better deal. Here's what's in Phoenix. http://phoenix.craigslist.org/car/525926488.html I test drove this car and if my black '98 LS 400 didn't work out, then this would have been the one. Also, the seller of this car turned down $12,750 when he was asking $13,500 in early November. Based on this ad, he should have been smart enough to take my offer. My point is patience may save you some money and get what you want. Good luck, Eddie P.S. I know I didn't answer your question, but wanted you to think outside the box and be patient.

Glad to hear all worked out. When you get the Lexus survey, heap praise on the selling dealer and blast the non-selling dealer. Eddie

Elvis: Thanks for the info and the good and bad tranny mount pictures. Eddie

Did you check kbb.com or nada.com for private sale value? I like to start there and search until I find the car I want at 10-20% off the kbb.com. One must be patient with my method as most sellers use kbb.com to set the value. Also, run a CarFax or AutoCheck. It can't hurt. On the other hand, if the car is as solid as described and your friend does not want to invest (or have) the time or effort to find as nice a car at a lower price, then the price seems fair. As a point of reference, I bought (after searching for 3-4 months) a '98 LS 400 (one family car; normal wear and tear for a 9 year old car) with 81,000 miles for $10,750 recently. I put four new Michelin's and two hood lifts, so I'm in for about $11,500.00. Good luck, Eddie

Congrats and it looks good. Eddie

That's just wrong, and certainly unconscionable. Write a letter to Charles Barker informing him of his dealership's ripoff tactics. He'll probably send you a 50% off service coupon so getting ripped off will cost you 50% less. :D Eddie

Another vote for the Garmin Nuvi. I have a 350 and a 660. Amazon has the Nuvi 350 for about $300. That's a decent price and no tax or S&H. Good luck, Eddie

Hello All, I didn't see this problem addressed in my search so here it goes. Earlier today I was attempting to apply some touch paint to my '98 Black Onyx LS400 and I applied a blob of paint instead of a smooth, thin layer. After seeing this, I attempted to wipe off the blob and created a larger, more noticeable rough spot. The rough spot is about the size of a dime. What compounds this problem is the rough spot is right in my line of sight when looking in my side view mirror so I am reminded of what a knucklehead I am at least every 30 seconds while driving my LS 400. Is there any way to smooth this out? Maybe clay the area or 1500 grit wet sandpaper? Thank you. Eddie

+1 for a nice write up IS400 and a job well done. I really, really want to do the same work on my '98, but living in an apartment has stopped this kind of work for a couple more months. I will definitely eyeball the belt this weekend and pay someone if I must have the work done. I'm not sure what is more important to me: Saving the big money for this kind of work or knowing it was done right. I'm thinking the latter is more important. Eddie

I'm glad you started this thread. I have the same thing, but in the 43-47 MPH range. Thanks for everyone's comments. I'm gonna try the tranny mount. ASAP. Eddie

I have a '98 LS 400 with 82,000 miles which is why I started this thread here. I know this has been discussed at length, but after reading much about the changing of TB's, I started thinking (that usually doesn't get me too far) about the Lexus recommendation of changing at 90,000 miles or 6 years. What if the belt failed at 89,000 miles or 92,000 miles or 5.5 years? Is Lexus going to cover it under warranty? Of course not. My point is, especially given this is such an expensive item, is that inspection may be be the key to maximizing the life of the belt and also not spending dollars on unnecessary maintenance. Maybe the belt tensioner and water pump makes this a moot point and these would need replacing before the belt anyway. Any thoughts on this by others with way more Lexus seat time than me? Eddie P.S Does anybody know why Lexus used a belt versus a chain? Possibly a quieter engine or less power loss?

Hello and welcome. I've had my '98 LS400 and love the thing. I'm a bit older than 33, but I have my Miata to allay those geezer fears. Eddie

Hood Strut Update: Found a decent price on these from a PHX area Lexus dealer, but decided to buy them off an eBay vendor since the mfg. provides a lifetime warranty. This eBay vendor was not the cheapest, but is a highly rated power seller and I like the lifetime warranty. Very easy to change the struts except the after market studs are 11MM versus the 12MM stock, all this really means is you need another wrench. Eddie

Hello All, I ended up going with Michelin Primacy MXV4. They rode great drving to work today. Discount Tire (B&M) messed up and did not have the Assurance Tripletreds there as they said they would. DT sold me the Michelins at the Goodyear price and even deducted the GY rebate off the top. I was very happy with the way DT handled their mistake and the OTD price was pretty good from what I can gather. Still shopping for hood supports, but am leaning towards an online Lexus retailer. Thanks for everyone's replies. Eddie

Well folks, here's the LS400 I ended up buying. It's a single family '98 with 81,000 miles. Runs well and has some normal interior/exterior wear and tear, but I think I got a decent deal at $10,750.00. The only thing it needs fairly soon are tires (going with Goodyear Assurance Tripletreds) and hood struts. Can anyone recommend a good source for hood struts besides Lexus at $130/each? Thanks for everyone's comments and suggestions. Eddie

Thanks for everyone's comments. I have not bought the car yet, but I've negotiated the price down to $10,000, plus add $200 for an inspection and compression/leak down test. The car was repo'ed prior to the previous owner and that was 80,000 miles ago. I'm guessing any real issues would have surfaced by now. Anyway, I'm looking at a one family '98 LS400 this weekend with 80,000 miles. If it is in good shape, that'll will be the car I'll buy if it lives up to the owner's description. It is more expensive, but the lower miles is well worth the difference. Thanks again posters and I'll post an update here once I make a purchase. Eddie