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Hi people from all over! I am a Lexus technician who has finished my apprenticeship and been with only this product since 2005. I know most details on most models. Im working to be a master technician at the moment and I am happy to answer any question.

Hi, I have a 90 LS 400 in great shape except for a "droning" sound coming from the back (occurs between 63-66mph in od). I have had all engine, and transmission mounts changed. I've heard the problem is a harmless harmonic probem these driveshafts acquire over time. Supposedly the only fix is a new driveshaft. Any thoughts on this. thanks

so i just wanted to tap into the existing wires to the sub, my choices are as follows

1. hook up a new sub and leave the old sub plugged in having both subs, the new one would be in the trunk which is sealed off from the cabin.

2. port the new sub from the trunk with some insulated pvc into the 8 inch hole (after i pull the old sub)

3. Or i can just pull the stock sub and leave the trunk as a large resonator for the sub, which would leak into the cabin from the 8" hole

so what do you guys think i should do?

My sub cracked and I needed a replacement. The first shop I went to said "no problem" and that he would fit something in there for a couple hundred. He had no concerns about the box size or ohm requirements. ........ The second shop owner was honest. He said he had a lot of exprience with early model LS 400's. Unfortunately, he had no luck with his products and the resulting sound. Everything he tried just wasn't quite right and he recommended just a factory fix which I eventually opted to do. I've had no regrets and the system sounds remarkably good for a 20 year old system.

Is the noise continuous or intermittant based on speed?

I have a 2004 with 2000 miles and at 70 MPH and 2000 RPM, under power, not coasting, the engine drones and the droning gets louder as the speed increases.

Does anyone have experience with this?

Thanks. :(

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please describe more. It may be a new thing, or could be one of the following:

1. vibration (around 65-70 at 1800-2200rpm)

2. clunk (might not be this, but it's the feeling of a "rear end hit" from the rear driveshaft at a stoplight)

and many more..... but not related to this.

So if it is more of a vibration around 65-70, what would you think the problem might be?

161,000 on my 90 ls 400, but i do have 330,000 on a 90 Volvo 740 wagon

Take a look at my attachment.... see where I've circled and arrowed? That is the 3rd mount to the differential, which attaches directly to the underside of the car. It has rubber rings to insulate it from the car. I was going to replace these on mine, as they were dry-roted pretty badly. I'm thinking that when these begin to go, the rear differential will vibrate up against the underside of the car very quickly, creating a hum/drone noise. I replaced the rear diff mounts on mine, and made a nice, tight difference in things, but never got to these little rubber rings. I was going to take this exact same drawing to the dealer and buy new rings, as they can't be that expensive "they're not all that big". It's very easy to do, just one bolt holds it up...undo the bolt, pull the old ring(s) out, put in new one(s), and reinstall the bolt.

I have a 90 ls 400 with a "droning" noise that can be heard from 65-70 mph. The car is extremely smooth otherwise. The sound is definitely coming from the back. It sounds like differential mounts could do the trick, but what about those rings, are they something that can contribute to this sound? How many differential mount are there? thanks

Lately, my stock sub has been making this horrible sound to which I can't stand listening to music. Its time I need to get it replaced. If I am correct, the stock sub is 8" and shouldn't produce more than 40 RMS, right? I went down to circuit city and best buy and they had nothing for stock replacement. Is there any store online where I can buy a replacement?

I have a 90 ls 400 that needed a sub replacement as well. The dealer has two options, the Nakamichi or Pioneer subs, both pretty expensive, 370 amd 260 respectively. I talked to local installers. The first said he could throw in a "Kicker" for 150 bucks, but he really had no concern about ohms or enclosure space. The second installer said I would be better off getting a factory component or he would build an enclosure for one of his own subs. He said his experience with the trunk space and the resistance requirements of the ls 400 system have never been very good. He said he would be more than happy to take my money and install something that didn't sound quite right, but he thought the best bet was still a factory component.

first started thursday morning. i heard something out of the ordinary. a whining noise that kept up with the engine rpms. went through the motions and concidered it to be a water pump, pulleys, tensioner, etc... but the sound is strounger from inside the cabin, not too bad from the front of the car, you can hear it more at higher rpms, like at 3000rpm. asked my instructor to check it out real quick, he ruled out anything from the front of the engine (not water pump, tensioners, etc). i also noticed that you can hear it a bit more if you listen form under the car. my instructor said it might be the trans... checked all fluids and all seems to be okay... trans fluid doenst smell burnt or look discolored. he told me since we cant tell for sure what it could be, i have to let it take its course and wait for it to get louder, or for the next clue to come up... has anyone had this problem, or know of what it might be. i searched and most of your whining problems came back to be a water pump, tensioner, power steering pump/fluid, pulleys...

i will try to flush and replace the trans filter/fluid and see if there is any metal shavings in the pan... thanks in advance..

I have 90 ls 400 and a "whining" sound similar to yours turned out to be alternator noise.

I don't know much about the current crop of Volvo's, but the 240DL's could not be killed. Very durable cars. I saw one for sale about 3 months ago with about 400K on it for $ 600.00 bucks.

Besides the LS, the best cars for longevity as far as I'm concerned are:

Mercedes Benz 240D/300D

Volvo 240DL

Honda Accord

Nissan Maxima

Most Toyota models

These are the type of cars that one buys once every 10 years or so and I've owned every one of the above, with the exception of the MB 240D/300D and the Volvo 240 (I did own a 740 turbo). I owned a Accord for about 10 years and never had a problem out of it. I still own a Maxima with 183K miles and haven't done much to it other than routine maintenance. That Maxima is the cheapest car I ever owned from a maintenance standpoint and pound for pound is a very good value. It is also a wolf in sheep's clothing.

I disagree. Not every car can go 600,000 miles with only a small amount of work and a transmission replacement...

I have 1990 Volvo wagon with 330,000 miles on it that I'm saving for my son to drive in a few months when he get's his permit. When I compare it with my Dad's 1990 LS 400, the volvo seems dated the day I purchased it, but after awhile the car grows on you. At about year 10, I started to appreciate the volvo's simplicity. Yeah, the brakes have always been an issue as is the old freon AC, but that volvo was built to last. I also had a 1988 honda accord that was literally trouble free. Can you imagine driving an accord 288,000 miles and never having an alignment problem. My new Acura MDX is a lemon compared to these cars.

I can't argue with that list

I disagree. Not every car can go 600,000 miles with only a small amount of work and a transmission replacement...

I have 1990 Volvo wagon with 330,000 miles on it that I'm saving for my son to drive in a few months when he get's his permit. When I compare it with my Dad's 1990 LS 400, the volvo seems dated the day I purchased it, but after awhile the car grows on you. At about year 10, I started to appreciate the volvo's simplicity. Yeah, the brakes have always been an issue as is the old freon AC, but that volvo was built to last. I also had a 1988 honda accord that was literally trouble free. Can you imagine driving an accord 288,000 miles and never having an alignment problem. My new Acura MDX is a lemon compared to these cars.

Odd vibrations at different speeds can also be caused by worn front suspension bushings. Some of the front suspension bushings on the early LS400 was known for premature failure. Some the original front suspension bushings on the 90 LS I bought in 1990 were replaced at no cost before the basic warranty expired simply because of the noise they were making.

That's interesting. What bushings would those be? thanks

Odd vibrations at different speeds can also be caused by worn front suspension bushings. Some of the front suspension bushings on the early LS400 was known for premature failure. Some the original front suspension bushings on the 90 LS I bought in 1990 were replaced at no cost before the basic warranty expired simply because of the noise they were making.

Odd vibrations at different speeds can also be caused by worn front suspension bushings. Some of the front suspension bushings on the early LS400 was known for premature failure. Some the original front suspension bushings on the 90 LS I bought in 1990 were replaced at no cost before the basic warranty expired simply because of the noise they were making.

I have recently acquired a 90 LS 400 with 140,000 miles. Running through the gears I hear a slight "droning" noise and feel a very slight vibration periodically through the rev band. Between 60 and 70 mph the sound and vibration is worse, but it disappears beyond 70 mph. Could this be engine or transmission mounts? Also, at highway speeds I feel a little looseness when I accelerate and let up on the throtle. Could this be a ball joint problem? How long should ball joints and mounts last anyway? The miles aren't that great, but the car is 17 years old. Any help is appreciated. thanks.

Just in case someone is interested. I finally had the dealer look at the car and I had the engine and transmission mounts replaced. The car is fantastically smooth again. Absolutely no vibration at all during idle. The car feels new again even though it is in fact 18 years old. My only concern now is a slight "droning" noise originating from the back, possibly from the rear differential?