tlewis

Next day: We picked up the car from the muffler shop, here is what they said... cats had collapsed so they cleaned them out, no emmision test in florida. The car has more power than it did, still sluggish from take off but it is running so rich that I could smell it from another vehicle following behind. They are telling us we need a map sensor (that is what the shop wrote) they showed us where it is and it is near the breather. He said that when you unplug that sensor the car should "go wild" and it's not. He also said we need a new computer because there was no communication with it. Does any of this sound right? Looking on line in the forums and lexls, I saw 2 different sensors a MAF and a MAP. Can anyone advise on which this would be and if I need one what is the best and cheapest place to buy one? I think this is it for my beloved Lexus, as I said earlier our house burnt in Florida thanks to a firebug and we now have to rent a car to go back and see how bad it is because my lexus isn't running. My husband has about reached his limit but I still love my ride! We are going to take it to the Toyota dealer (no Lexus dealer in Wilmington,nc) to have it checked before we do anything else. A good lexus mechanic is hard to find! Please let me know what you think. Skperformance...Sorry about the thread thing didn't think first,type later DrJfrmla...No we didn't put diesel in although 2 days before all this started we got gas at a station we never used before,but it's a very busy place. As far as the cats, we heard a noise coming from one of them that sounded like pieces of metal rattling around. I have been looking through just about every thread on this forum for ideas. If the throttle body was clogged up would that cause this kind of problem? It will be a week or so before we can do anything because we have to see if we still have a house, there's a good shop there in fl but the lexus will have to stay in nc. Appreciate all the help

Some of you responded to any earlier post from me,skperformance...etc. I had a question about rough running veh, glowing red cats well after I wrote we started hearing a noice in the rear cat converter. A mechanic that we know but who doesn't work on lexus said it sounded like a bad cat. So we took the car to a muffler shop and they said they could fix the problem but they also seemed to be having a hard time using the diagnostic machine on the vehicle. Because we are from Fl where there is no inspection stickers my husband opted to just have them hollowed out (not sure if that is the right term) or bypassed. They told us the converters had collappsed and in trying to find out why they said we need a map sensor and a computer. They said the car is running all right now except it is a little sluggish taking off but once up to speed it is fine. Did we make a big mistake going to this guy? We live in Fl but are in NC (and it looks like we will be here a while house in Fl was burned in the arsonist wildfires in Palm Bay....we have great luck) and we didn't have a local mechanic . Most shops we talked to acted like the lexus was some forein space ship and "only dealers work on them there cars". Please offer me some advise and if I do need a map sensor (is that even right?) and a computer where can I get them and how expensive will this be. Should I get another opinion from another shop ? Thanks in advance for all your help I don't know what I'd do without this forum since we have such a strange vehicle LOL Next day: We picked up the car from the muffler shop, here is what they said... cats had collapsed so they cleaned them out, no emmision test in florida. The car has more power than it did, still sluggish from take off but it is running so rich that I could smell it from another vehicle following behind. They are telling us we need a map sensor (that is what the shop wrote) they showed us where it is and it is near the breather. He said that when you unplug that sensor the car should "go wild" and it's not. He also said we need a new computer because there was no communication with it. Does any of this sound right? Looking on line in the forums and lexls, I saw 2 different sensors a MAF and a MAP. Can anyone advise on which this would be and if I need one what is the best and cheapest place to buy one? I think this is it for my beloved Lexus, as I said earlier our house burnt in Florida thanks to a firebug and we now have to rent a car to go back and see how bad it is because my lexus isn't running. My husband has about reached his limit but I still love my ride! We are going to take it to the Toyota dealer (no Lexus dealer in Wilmington,nc) to have it checked before we do anything else. A good lexus mechanic is hard to find! Please let me know what you think.

Some of you responded to any earlier post from me,skperformance...etc. I had a question about rough running veh, glowing red cats well after I wrote we started hearing a noice in the rear cat converter. A mechanic that we know but who doesn't work on lexus said it sounded like a bad cat. So we took the car to a muffler shop and they said they could fix the problem but they also seemed to be having a hard time using the diagnostic machine on the vehicle. Because we are from Fl where there is no inspection stickers my husband opted to just have them hollowed out (not sure if that is the right term) or bypassed. They told us the converters had collappsed and in trying to find out why they said we need a map sensor and a computer. They said the car is running all right now except it is a little sluggish taking off but once up to speed it is fine. Did we make a big mistake going to this guy? We live in Fl but are in NC (and it looks like we will be here a while house in Fl was burned in the arsonist wildfires in Palm Bay....we have great luck) and we didn't have a local mechanic . Most shops we talked to acted like the lexus was some forein space ship and "only dealers work on them there cars". Please offer me some advise and if I do need a map sensor (is that even right?) and a computer where can I get them and how expensive will this be. Should I get another opinion from another shop ? Thanks in advance for all your help I don't know what I'd do without this forum since we have such a strange vehicle LOL.

Thanks for answering me....what do you mean by the PAS pump are you refering to the power steering pump? We replaced that a couple of months ago and after we replaced it we were still losing fluid but it wasn't leaking. We searched these forums again and found something about the power steering control valve or power steering vacuum switch. Someone on here said they took the switch out and replaced it with a bolt bypassing it so we tried that and it has worked until now. Not sure if that is what caused this problem.or not. We are still troubleshooting or trying to anyway. Thanks for your info and if you have any other suggestions keep them coming.

I have a 1992 ls 400 with about 160,000 miles on it. Have had the same problems as other owners in this forum with the ps, alternator etc. Car was running fine yesterday, went out to start it this morning and it was running rough, white smoke, strong exhaust smell and cats glowed red after running for awhile. We know it may be that the cats need replacing but we can't see both of them going at the same time,that quickly. I have been reading post after post on everything about cats, rough running of the car etc I have seen the seafoam thing and we are not sure if we should try that first. We also have a question about the egr valve that I can't find anything about anywhere. Maybe somebody out there can help me. On the egr valve at the bottom there is a hose that attaches to a hard line that goes into the top of the motor, when we pull that hose off there is antifreeze in that line and if you start the car with that hose unhooked antifreeze shoots out. Is this suppossed to happen or are we in big trouble here. Can somebody please help me, I love my car and don't want my husband to torch it....please help I need all the advise I can get. Sorry Sk wasn't thinking, I forgot too many things on the brain!

OK guys, no responses yet, I know someone must have some ideas. But in the meantime I have another question about the egr valve. Looking at the car from the drivers side there is a hose attached to the bottom of the egr valve that attaches to a hard line that goes into the top of the engine. When we disconnect that hose antifreeze is in the line is it suppossed to do that or do we have a major problem? I don't want to lose my lexus but husband is not a happy camper. Please help!!! I need your help again guys, having another problem with my 92 ls 400, husband is again threatening to light a match!! Vehicle has been running fine thanks to all the suggestions I have found here about ps steering pump leak, etc. This morning when we started the car it seemed fine until we went to take off then the car sounded rough and there was no power. At first there was some white smoke out both the exhaust pipes but that stopped. Both catalytic converters turned red after running awhile and there was also some smoke from the engine compartment near the windshield. We were thinking it might be the catalytic converters need replacing but we are not sure is it likely both converters would go at the same time? After we replaced the power steering pump we had some problem with the fluid disappearing but not leaking and some white smoke we read on here somewhere where it could possibly be a valve on the pump where the vacuum hoses hook to. I can't find that thread again so I can't tell you what the valve is called. The person said they replaced the valve with a bolt and disconnected the vacuum line and problem was solved. So we did that and our problem was solved too until now. I don't know if that has anything to do with what is going on now. Can anyone offer any suggestions on what we can try? We don't want to go thru replacing both catalytic converters and then find out that wasn't the problem. You guys have been so much help in the past and I love my car.

Thanks, I'll try them

can anyone advise a source where I can order this part for a 1992 ls 400?

Can someone please help? We replaced the power steering pump in our 92 lexus ls 400, we are still having problems...it appears that the fluid is going into the intake and burning white smoke when we first start the car. We have done the flushing and everything that has been suggested in the forums.The only thing we can't seem to find anything on is the idle control valve.Can anyone tell us more about this and where we might find one? We saw something in one of the posts about plugging the intake hose with a bolt but we don't know if that's a good idea or not. If someone could advise us further on this it would be much appreciated. A part number for the valve would help, the auto parts store said it would be a dealers item. Has anyone changed one? I have found out so much information from this forum and I love my car but the husband is reaching the boiling point so any help you can give me will help me keep my car. Thanks,

I have read the many posts about the power steering pump and tried many solutions but I am still having a problem. We replaced the power steering pump, and it was alright for awhile but now the fluid is going somewhere but we can't find where. We have some white smoke coming out the exhaust, seems to be more when we use a cheaper thinner ps fluid. We have used a thicker ps fluid with stop leak and it worked for awhile but when we put that in yesterday it also disappeared but we can't find a leak or fluid anywhere! Does anyone have any suggestions or ideas, we don't know what else to do and can't afford to take the car to a mechanic right now. We don't want to change the pump again if that is not the problem, is there a way to test and see if it is the pump? I am desperate I love my car but the husband is getting tires of all the ps problems. Thanks everyone! I have read in the forums about an idle control valve for the power steering pump anyone have any more information on this part maybe a part number or where we can find one? Auto parts store says it is a dealer part but there is no lexus dealer close so we will have to order it online I guess any suggestions,has anyone replaced one of these?

We purchased the rebuilt alternator and the battery from an auto parts store after we researched them on line and saw what was recommended on line the headlights dim when you put the brakes on, it doesn't last just for a few seconds.

I have a 1992 lexus ls 400 with less than 150,000 miles on it. We have recently replaced the power steering pump, the alternator and put in a new battery. We bought the car in Florida 3 1/2 years ago and replaced the alternator about 6 months after we bought it. At the time we didn't know about the problem with the power steering leaking onto the alternator and shorting it out, we recently moved to NC where the weather is colder and the alternator let go again. Thanks to this forum and others we found out about the power steering leak (it wasn't bad until we moved here) so we changed out both. Then we started having trouble with the battery and had it tested and bought a new one. Well now when we leave for work it is still dark so we have to have the lights on and when we step on the brakes the lights will dim, it's not a lot but it's noticable. Also when we turn on the AC (not that we're using it now but just testing) it immediately shut's the car down. I have read in other posts that this might be the compressor so we'll check that out before it warms up again,it doesn't do it with the heat. The dimming of the lights has us puzzled though. Does anyone have any idea's what we can check? I love my car but my husband is getting frustrated with the problems and want's to sell it. I want to keep it but we can't keep pouring money into it. If anyone has any ideas I would appreciate your help.

I have a 1992 ls 400,I am on the 2nd alternator, there is a continuing problem with the power steering pump leaking onto the alternator. That is something we are working on but now the problem is if we turn the ac or heat on the engine shuts off. Anyone have any ideas? Or is this all related to the alternator problem?