monarch

Just two days after I bought my '91 LS400 the factory original alternator died due to leaking power steering fluid. So like you I was faced with the task of replacing the alternator. I wrote down the following notes as I was performing the job. I removed the radiator to gain more working space. Although I normally buy only OEM replacement parts, I decided to use a Bosch replacement alternator from Autozone because I was not sure how long it would take me to get the PS leak fixed and I did not want to ruin a new OEM alternator. I also built a protective plastic cover for the new alternator http://www.saber.net/~monarch/alternatorcov.jpg 4. Remove coolant jar cap. 5. Drain coolant through radiator drain !Removed! 6. Remove 17mm coolant filler nut above the thermostat housing. 7. Remove upper radiator hose 8. Retighten radiator drain !Removed! after draining. 9. Remove two transmission cooler hoses at radiator. 10. Remove lower radiator hose. 11, Remove hose connecting radiator to coolant jar. 12. remove two two radiator support and radiator & fan electrical connector, shround strap 11. Remove serpentine drive belt. 12. Loosen 14mm upper alternator mounting nut and lower 14mm alternator mounting bolt. 13. remove lower alt bolt then top nut 14. disconnect stuff to alternator and pull out alternator alternator installation: 1. attach stuff to rear of alt from top: a) put on lead wire then 12mm securing nut B) snap in elect conn. c) from below tie lower alt bracket out of the way with string while struggling to get top alt hole mounted onto threated 14mm stud. Then tighten upper 14mm nut, then tighten lower 14 mm bolt 2. install serpentine drive belt. slip onto ps pulley last while depressing tensioner counterclockwise 4. install radiator, and attach white fan electrical connector then attach shroud strap. 5. Install hose connecting radiator with coolant jar & 2 clamps 6. Install lower radiator hose with 2 clamps 7. install two transmission hoses with 4 clamps. 8. Install upper radiator hose with 2 clamps 9. fill coolant through coolant opening & rad cap / patience 10, add 1 cup tranny fluid 11. install pass side radiator support with 12 mm bolt 12. install air duct 13. install batt - cable 14 install driver side batt cover 15. install coolant 16. install trans fluid Now with regard to the PS system leaks it's a somewhat complicated affair. From what I have been able to determine, the root cause of the leaks is excessive hydraulic fluid pressures caused by clogged or restricted a filter screen located inside the solenoid valve on the steering rack and inside the PS fluid pump reservoir. So the first task is to clean these screens and see if that alleviates the leakage. It may or may not. The second task is to correct another common leak point - the air control valve attached to the PS pump. I got mine from 1sttoyotaparts.com for about $62.00 part# 17630-16040 The third task is to replace the rubber 0-ring sealing rings inside or attached to the PS pump using a $25 PS pump reseal kit purchased from irontoad.com or your local Lexus dealer. Alternatively you can buy a new pump from irontoad.com, rebuilt pump from Autozone or take your chances with ebay. After all this PS work has been done, chances are very high your system will not leak anymore, but if it does then the last resort is to replace the expensive high pressure PS hose assembly. No car is perfect and the PS system is a weakness of the LS400. However, owners who periodically change the PS fluid can help delay clogging of the filter screens which is the root cause of the problems to begin with. In other words the LS400 pump and associated hoses are very durable if the screens in the system are kept clean and the fluid is periodically changed to help prevent the screens from getting clogged. By the way, thanks for you email the other day.

Yes it's overkill. Couple examples: My '89 Corolla with 239,000 miles still has the factory original water pump. So does my '91 LS400 with 104,000 miles. The LS still has the original timing belt as well and the belt is still in excellent condition as the former owner was a gentle driver. The serpentine accessory drive belt is more sensitive to aging effects so it should be changed at 10 years / 60,000 miles. This belt is inexpensive and amazingly easy for the do-it-yourselfer to change (see www.lexls.com for a tutorial) What kills Toyota / Lexus engines is owner failure to change the antifreeze and use only a 50/50 mix of Toyota Long Life Coolant and distilled water (the factory original coolant mixture). So at 60K I would make sure you get a new batch of the 50/50 mix installed along with a new cooling system thermostat and thermostat gasket - genuine Toyota of course. Toyota cooling system hoses and hose clamps last practically forever so no need to change them

Hundreds if RX owners have told Consumer Reports they are highly satisfied http://www.saber.net/~monarch/rxb.jpg Relatively few have experienced transmission problems http://www.saber.net/~monarch/cr.jpg BMW X5 owners told Consumer Reports they are not real satisfied and have experienced more than an average number of reliability problems http://www.saber.net/~monarch/bmw.jpg

BMW is an interesting choice for disgruntled RX owners seeking better reliability http://www.saber.net/~monarch/bmw.jpg http://www.saber.net/~monarch/rxb.jpg

No it is not bad to NOT drive in overdrive at all times. Prior to 1981, Toyota automatics did not have overdrive yet they still lasted 300,000+ miles as did the engines. It is actually better for the engine, transmission and brakes to lock out the overdrive when driving at moderate speeds (30-60 MPH) in hilly terrain because it reduces frequent upshifting and downshifting and aids vehicle control on downgrades. It is also better for the engine and transmission to lock out the overdrive when towing a trailer. Nearly all owners made the mistake of assuming the higher engine rpm associated with locking out the overdrive causes the engine and transmission to run hotter. However, owners who have installed fluid temperature gauges have found the transmission runs cooler with the overdrive locked out when driving in hilly terrain or towing a trailer

Neither have most RX300 owners http://www.saber.net/~monarch/cr.jpg

Genuine Toyota Brake Fluid is the factory fill fluid. Change it roughly every 2-4 years it if you want 30+ years and 500,000+ miles of troublefree service from all the expensive hydraulic components in your brake system. Toyota dealers sell it in 1 pint bottles for $3 -$4 a pint. This device is a nifty way to change the brake fluid http://www.saber.net/~monarch/motive.jpg and also allows you to do an outstanding job of purging all the air out of the brake lines.

As a traveling salesman who has spent alot of years driving 50-55,000 miles a year I have learned the key to 60,000+ miles of tread life, regardless if the vehicle is front wheel drive, rear wheel drive, all wheel drive is 5,000 mile rotations just like cruznroadking says. Frequent rotations are also important to prevent tire noise problems from developing. Rotation intervals of 7,500 - 12,500 miles are too long and almost guaranteed to cause problems with tire noise (for owners who are sensitive to tire noise)

If I was a Lexus executive, I don't think I'd be too worried about a few disgruntled owners. Here's why: http://www.saber.net/~monarch/rxb.jpg http://www.saber.net/~monarch/rxa.jpg

Yes, but it may depend on your personal preference / philosophy. If your preference is to use the best tools for the job in order to eliminate any chance of anything going wrong them maybe you should order the $99 toolset 09248-55020 from OTC tools http://www.otctools.com/. You have to call them to order it because they don't display it in their online catalog

A couple Toyota Tranny myths: Myth #1. You need a complete fluid flush because the old fluid makes the insides of the transmission dirty. Reality: Even the old fluid is still a superb metal parts cleaner so the insides of a 17 year old transmission with 153,000 miles still looks brand new like this one: http://www.saber.net/~monarch/tranny.JPG Myth #2 You need to take off the transmission pan every time you change or flush the transmission fluid because the metal filter screen and the magnets inside the pan need to be cleaned Reality: It is extremely rare for the metal filter screen to become clogged (unless the transmission was wildly abused) Usually the screens look as clean as this one was after 17 years and 153,000 miles: http://www.saber.net/~monarch/tranny.JPG Magnets as well are still fairly clean after 150,000 miles TAKE HOME MESSAGE: Don't make transmission maintenance difficult, complicated and expensive. Simply drain and refill the 2-3 quarts in the transmission oil pan about every 15,000 miles. Super simple, super cheap and a proven way to get 300,000+ miles of transmission life. RX 300 all wheel drive owner should probably change the fluid in the pan every 10,000 miles because the fluid appears to run hotter on these models. Roughly every 100,000 - 150,000 miles remove the transmission oil pan to inspect the filter screen and magnets and clean if necessary. No need to buy a new screen unless the old one is torn (very rarely happens)

The Quietcar viscoelastic coating sounds like a good product. However, there must be some drawbacks associated with its use or else car makers would use it or something similar. One drawback might be durability. Like what happens to it as time passes? Does it dry out and disintegrate like some aerosol foam products? Automakers use durable sound deadeners like asphalt sheets http://www.saber.net/~monarch/cressida.jpg in floor and trunk areas, door panels are made of soundboard, compressed fiberglass is used in the headliner and under the hood and vinyl-rubber sheets bonded to a layer or jute padding are used on the interior firewall and sometimes in the cargo area of Vans and SUV's. A cheap way to quiet the interior of a Lexus is to go to a self service automotive wrecking yard and pull some of the sound deadening materials out of wrecked cars and reinstall them on your Lexus. I especially like the thick asphalt sheets found in the trunk and floors of Toyota Cressidas http://www.saber.net/~monarch/cressida.jpg and the vinyl-rubber sheets bonded to a layer or jute padding that can be found under the rear floor of late 1980's Mazda MPV minivans and Toyota Previas. The asphalt impregnated jute padding found under the carpeting of Dodge Caravans is also pretty good. For inside the doors I like to glue large pieces of 1/2 inch thick fiberglass sheets taken out of the headliner of Ford Aerostar vans.

It should say "does not work with '90-'97 LS400", but like I said, only the valve lifter depressor tool does not work. The other tool which holds the lifter down after the lifter has been depressed DOES work because it's identical to the lifter hold down tool that's found in the expensive $99 kit. In fact, in one of the tutorials I previously posted a link to, the author substituted a butter knife in place of the lifter hold down tool. It's OK to substitute tools as long as you don't do anything to nick or dent the valve lifter. Either a strong plastic rod or strong rod shaped piece of wood might make an ideal lifter depressor tool. A large screwdriver covered with several layers of tape works good for me.

The toolkit specifically for the 1990 -97 V8 is Toyota Part # 09248-55020, but it's currently on backorder at OTC tools and sells for a hefty $99. A near equivalent toolkit is the standard Toyota valve adjusting toolkit Part Number 09248-55010 which is this one on ebay http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAP...sspagename=WD1V The valve lifter depressing tool of the cheaper kit doesn't work very well on the Lexus V8 - it doesn't depress the valve lifter enough, but an effective work around is to depress the valve lifter using a large screwdriver that has been covered with 5 layers of tape to prevent any chance of nicking or gouging of the metal of the valve lifter. A strong plastic rod might also work well. Both tool sets include a tool that keeps the valve lifter depressed while you remove and install the shim. It works well.

Try a large, high volume dealer like Lexus of Westminster or Longo Lexus in El Monte. Westminster is particularly aggressive about not losing a customer over price. Longo probably has the largest selection in the whole USA since they are 3 times larger than any other Lexus dealer, but may be more stingy on the price of a 2006. A 2005 model can probably be purchased for $3000-$5000 under MSRP

If the rubber boots have not broken your CV joints will still be fine because they don't hardly wear if kept well lubed and free of dirt. So if the boots are not broken then the noise must be coming from something else.

That's way to early. Wait until 100K or 10-15 years or whenever (if ever) your water pump starts leaking. Almost no one on this forum or other Toyota forums has had a timing belt break at under 100K expect a few owners with 2 Fast, 2 Furious type driving habits around town. Relaxed highway drivers have gotten up to 190K miles out of a belt.

In the past the mantenance CD's on ebay have just been Mitchell Manuals - imitations of the official factory manual.

If you want to avoid future high repair bills, search for a used GS that was driven gently and has a complete set of preventive maintenance service records - they are your best guarantee the vehicle has not suffered excessive mechanical wear and tear. "CPO" vehicles may have been driven hard and may not have a complete set of preventive maintenance service records. That's why "CPO" is mostly a marketing gimmick. If your vehicle could talk it would say "Use part of that $5,000 you saved to service me more frequently."

As long as the pads and rotors are OEM there will be no problems.

Many libraries carry Consumer Reports and Trailer Life Magazines. Back issues have road tests of the Toyota Tundra pickup and Nissan Titan pickup. Surely you've also probably seen Toyota Motorhomes on the road for the past 30 years. These Motorhomes weight 5,500 - 6,500 lbs yet most of them are powered by only a Toyota 4 cylinder engine mated to a four speed automatic transmission. No Ford or Chevy 4 cylinder motor has ever been rugged and capable enough to survive motorhome duty.

All you do is inspect the rubber boots of the CV joints for tears and grease leakage. Normally Toyota CV joints last for hundreds of thousands of miles. However, life of he joint is drastically shortened if a boot tear is not caught early and replaced before alot of the grease leaks out or is contaminated with dirt. Boots last 10-15 years or 100,000 -200,000 miles in warm climates like California, but they may crack earlier in cold climates like Boston.

Correction to my last post: I did some comparisons and found irontoad.com's prices are virtually identical to 1sttoyotaparts.com prices.

All the timing belt components of your '98 ES300 1MZ-FE V6 will be the same as the '98 Toyota Camry (assuming both are NOT variable valve timing engines) I think the change to variable valve timing occurred in '99, but you need to make sure because there are important timing belt component differences between the VVT and non VVT engines. Anyway, the best online prices on truly genuine Toyota OEM parts can be found at Bob Bridge Toyota www.1sttoyotaparts.com. Compare and you'll see.

I agree with branshew, the LS430 is substantially different. Test drive the Avalon and LS430 back to back and then you'll probably realize the Avalon is not up to the standards of the LS430 in characteristics such as ride comfort, quietness and high speed directional stability, aburpt lane changing stability, etc. I also know even my old '91 LS400 is superior to the '06 Avalon in these characteristics. Next take a look at the richness of the interior materials of the LS430 vs. the Avalon. The difference is almost like night and day. The Avalon will feel more nimble and agile than the LS430, but then so would a Camry. Image-wise a young person should feel more at home in an Avalon because the LS430 is more of a old man's car.