kurtk

Yup, Amsoil knows but where are you located?

Also Amsoil is going UP in prices again on May 1, 2008 due to oil price.. 3rd increase in 6-months.......

****Also engine temp IS NOT integral to tranny issues.

Found a local dealer, I'm in San Diego. How many quarts do you need for a drain and refill. Also I'll bite..."UOA"?

Great advice! Thanks even if slightly tinged from Homey the Clown. Think I will just keep refreshing and hope for the best. Amsoil seems like a reasonable choice over Toyota 4. Not sure where to buy it but When the pupil is raedy the teacher will appear, ( KF)

Howdy Gang!

Picked up a choice 1999 400GS last month. 79,000 miles orginal owner, an older guy who own a tow shop in Manhattan beach, but anywho I was doing or having done the usual stuff draining/changing fliuds, filters etc and the tranny fliud was dark and actually had BLACK sludge at the bottom of the pan, no shavings though. About a month later tranny fliud was still kinda dark,not nice pink/red so just had my tranny guys drain from a hose ,no pan drop this time, and refill. Am hoping it stays nice this time. Think I have a problem with the tranny overheating? Engine temp is always good, straight across and it shifts and drives nice but my tranny guy is worried. If the tranny was gunked up ,would it take one or two or more? changes before it stays pink/red? Appreciate any wisdom y'all can share. Love the car and the performance!!!!

Greetings Gang!

I know ... and I did check the archives and found some info reagrding this topic, But never really seemed to get a definitive answer( If there is one). My old Jag had a big filter and this OEM oil filter seems really small and I always kind of thought bigger volume meant better job. Thru the archives i decided the Puralotor Pure 1 is pretty decent(L10924) but wonder if anyone found a Puralotor of a larger size that fits the 1999 400 GS also?? Also why does the archives not recoginize a word under 4 letters? Make searching for a " oil or air " filter thread much harder. Am I wrong in my bigger is better theory or is that just a guy mucho thing? Thanks in advance

I Have an engine air filter for my GS 400 (1998). Can someone please tell me where the filter housing is located and instructions for removal of old filter so new filter can be installed.

Easy to do. Open hood as I recall it's on the left frontish. 4 clips to unsnap, hose stays attached to it, slide cover to one slide take out old filter..insert new one ..4 snaps back and you're good to go. :)

ok i've talked 2 4 LEXUS DEALERSHIPS 2 including my dealer in town told me this option was/is not avaliable on the 2001 models..........i talked to sewell lexus and they said it is not a option that the 2001 has..........i called carson toyota and they referred me to a local dealer who said it was a option my dealer in memphis said it wasnt a option either OH YEAH AND OUT OF THE 4 OF THEM NONE OF THEM KNEW ANYTHING ABOUT A C-BEST OR A C-BERT SYSTEM said they have never heard of this! someone help me PLEASE............i have a headache!

I think we all do Maybe the dealers don't call it a c- Best sysytem but there is a list of at least a dozen options that only the dealer can customize for you... Maybe if you ask them to change some of the factory preset options that might strike a bell with them. I can tell you I just had this done and I have a 1999 GS400. Maybe you should go to the service bay and talk with a manager or technitian. For whatever reason you are being put off or blown off. Good luck and don't take it doesn't exist for a proper answer. ;)

OK OK I JUST GOT OFF THE PHONE WITH MY LOCAL LEXUS AND THEY SAID CUSTOMIZABLE FEATURES WERENT AVALIABLE TILL 2004! SO I GUESS IM S.O.L.

OH WELL S.S.D.D.!

No way. Just had some changes ie the doors to unlock at park done at my dealer and I've got a 1999. You need to talk to someone who know what the heck they are talking about! ;)

ok my 93 es woulda unlock (might have been cause of my autostart though) all 4 doors when i turned off the motor but in my 2001 gs ONLY the drivers door unlocks when you turn off the car! since i drive clients around after the car shuts off they go to open the door and it wont let them and its starting to become a nuisance.........any help here? can i program all 4 doors to unlock or something here?

Dealer can do that plus some other nifty adjustments via the " C- Best(Bert?) computer thingy that only they have. My dealer charged me 100 but I haer other did it for free. If you bought car there etc. Check archives for C- Best setting options B)

Hi all, just bought a 2001 gs300 with 76000k. From the carfax it looks like i'm the forth owner but the first owner only had it for a month on lease before it was sold to the second owner. Doesn't make sense to me but oh well...

So far I've had it for a week and she drives great, but I'm planning on an oil change and possibly a transmission flush as well. I've also read about a differential fluids change, is that something that is necessary or just precautionary? Can anyone comment on Royal Purple? Been reading a lot of good things about it as well. If anyone in the Chicago area knows of a good mechanic I'd appreciate the info.

Thanks.

Howdy Midnightrat,

Just got mine, a 1999 GS 400 ,last week orso. Tranny fliud was almost black. My tranny guy did the diferntal oil/fliud at same time for another 60$ total of $202. I figured if one fliud was old/neglected probably more was too. Also did a radiator flush,same old fluid. A little prevention= no killer bills ;) ;)

Kurtk

1999 GS 400

Just looking for someone with an active Carfax that can run this VIN:

UTR03106

shane_ariel@hotmail.com

Thanks!

Shane,

You're missing about 9 letters/numbefs

still need it?

Go to your Lexus dealer ask for CBERT owner options ..they can change that plus other stuff

Not my finest moment...Just got my 1999 Gs 400 all detailed and polished up. Filled one of the cup holder spaces with the small gumballs as I like to chew a few during the day and after meals, closed the cover which promptly force 2-3 gumballs under the cover hinge..tried to fish them out with a wooden stick... only managed to push them out of the way...cover closed just fine thank you so I'm ready to go... Started up the beast tried to shift to reverse..no go..couldn't shift!! Oh crap gumballs blocking the shifter from moving... tried serveral times to shift ..no luck...said a quick prayer " Dear Lord , Please don't let my first trip out of my garage be on a tow truck"... tried one more time and volia! reverse and I'm off! Only once since (4 days now) have I had the slightest hitch shifting. Which finally brings me to my Forum question ( hope you all have at least been amused so far) Do I need to pay big bucks to have the whole shifter (100-200$) collum/panel removed right away? Can I do it later when it's in the shop for another issue? Can I ignore it completely as it won't cause any further issues. I don't know. Any thoughts from those who know what's under there in the shifter area?? Thanks again. Love the car :D

Hey Lexusnoids!

Newbie here. Just got a a 1999 GS 400 with 79,000 on her/him? : :D Did the usual new owner stuff: new tires,Mich Pilots Exaltas, fluids,etc. Orginal owner ,an older guy, didn't seem to be real good at fluid changes as the tranny had very dark and actually had Black sludge at the bottom of the pan that kinda worried my tranny guy. No metal shavings though to speak of. But my question is where does your car 's temp needle usually ride at? Mine is straight across even between high and low even though temp outside has been cool. Well cool for So Cal ,50's-60's. Don't really know what's normal and with the tranny fluid looking as if it might have gotten a bit hot now and then I'm concerned... Whadda all think??

Thanks,

Kurt In Sunny San Diego

I bought mine with 75K. I have only drained and refilled the trans about 8 times now trying to get it clean. I did not take the pan off as I did this with my Tundra with 80K on It goes in a nice cherry red and come out a nice dark red.

My temp gage is right set on top of the middle mark, it never moves. Im in SC and we have 105 deg days it never moves.

Make sure you put the Toyota type IV fluid in your trans.

BP

BP,

You may want to have the pan pulled off. No big deal to grind off old glue and ise new gasket. In bottom of the pan was where the thick jet black tranny fluid lay :(

IMO, having all the doors automatically unlock is not a good idea. It's a safety issue and I passed on that one.

The only setting I had customized was to keep the interior lights on for 30 seconds instead of 15 seconds.

I would have liked to have had the brightness of the "indicator lights (Shift, taillight, headlight, cruise, and power mode indicators) when

headlights are ON" toned down a bit but my repair shop did not have version 1.1 of the program card.

Thanks of Great Guru!

Howdy Gang,

Read in some posts somewhere that the dealers can set certain options such as: how long do you have to press your trunk remote key unlock button until it does so, auto unlock all door when switching off ignition switch etc. I'm going to take mine in for these two items ..what else is on the changeable programmable menu? Anyone know?? Thanks

Howdy Gang,

Read in some posts somewhere that the dealers can set certain options such as: how long do you have to press your trunk remote key unlock button until it does so, auto unlock all door when switching off ignition switch etc. I'm going to take mine in for these two items what else is on the chageable programmable menu? Anyone know?? Thanks

I just ripped mine off. They had been ther about 9 years. minimum damage can hardly tell..looks much better ;)

Hey Lexusnoids!

Newbie here. Just got a a 1999 GS 400 with 79,000 on her/him? : :D Did the usual new owner stuff: new tires,Mich Pilots Exaltas, fluids,etc. Orginal owner ,an older guy, didn't seem to be real good at fluid changes as the tranny had very dark and actually had Black sludge at the bottom of the pan that kinda worried my tranny guy. No metal shavings though to speak of. But my question is where does your car 's temp needle usually ride at? Mine is straight across even between high and low even though temp outside has been cool. Well cool for So Cal ,50's-60's. Don't really know what's normal and with the tranny fluid looking as if it might have gotten a bit hot now and then I'm concerned... Whadda all think??

Thanks,

Kurt In Sunny San Diego

Read somewhere that Lexus dealer's have a device called a CBERT or something like that and you can get them to do speical stuff like you want done.

Back again for an update of my question ,... I peeled the dang things off. Pretty good results. (After being on the visor for nine years) Lost no sign of visor fuzz and have minimal glue reside and looks much better now than with the Dum Kopff warning label. Out

A dumb question from a newbie... What is the significance on gold lettering of your model type etc. on a car?

Thanks,

Kurt

1999 Gs 400

Sunny San Diego

Hey Gang!

Brand new pround owner of a 1999 GS400...It rocks! But can't satand the huge yellow warnings about airbags on the visors. Anyone have any success in removing those without a mess or damaging the visor material? Thanks

Kurt in Sunny San Diego

1999 Gs 400 78,090