Bulls I

I should have clarified. When it cycles it's happening every second. ON-OFF, ON-OFF, ON-OFF.

So I shouldn't be worried about it? Is there a fix? Thanks for the reply.

1999 LS400 190,000 miles. When at idle in gear my A/C keeps cycling on and off. You can hear it click and then the rpm's drop the up then down etc. If I put it in neutral and rev it up sometimes it will be ok, sometimes not. It seems to only happen when it's really hot outside. Any ideas on what it could be and how to troubleshoot?

I have a 1999 LS400. When I turn the steering wheel I can feel friction and it makes a noise in the steering column also. It appears to make the most noise when the car is warmed up and moving - it rarely makes the noise when I am sitting still. It also is happens primarily when turning to the right and there is clearly friction when steering. I just had the power steering fluid flushed and there are no issues when the wheel is adjusted up or down or telescopically (in-out). It feels to me that there is some sort of variable rate power steering and it is binding when it is compensating for normal driving. Any suggestions where to look next?

I have a 1999 LS400. I went to start it this morning and it wouldn't start. I tried 4 or so times with no success. In the process there was a super strong fuel smell coming out of the exhaust. After 20 minutes or so I was able to start it while I put the accelerator to the floor. It started, revved and then stalled. After another 20 minutes or so it started up. There wasn't a super strong fuel smell then. I called the Lexus dealer to see if they had a fuel pressure regulator (which they didn't) and the guy said he's never sold a regulator or a fuel pressure damper. He also said that the fuel pressure regulator is in the fuel tank. I had a Chevy pickup that had the same symptoms and it was the regulator. Any suggestions?

I'd check for tire separation. If it were something in the brakes it would only happen while pressing the brake pedal.

This exact same thing happened to me on my 1997 Chevy Picukup truck and it was the fuel pressure regulator. The exact symptoms. Check it out.

I would expect a 5 minute code change to be complimentary at a Lexus dealership to promote customer service and repeat business. It would be a nice gesture to get me to buy another Lexus when this one is done.

That is freaking awesome. Any chance this can be done with an OBDII scan tool? I assume they'll charge me to do this which would be annoying.

Is it possible to disable the auto tilting steering wheel? I took my 1999 LS 400 to the dealer and they said it can't be done. It was a service writer that looked at it and he clearly didn't have much of a clue.

I probably didn't need to change the intake gasket but I did since: a. I bought one b. Wasn't sure if I'd end up damaging the old one getting it off There are a lot of components to remove when replacing the starter so it'd be best to do them all at once if financially feasible. My timing belt has already been changed and I didn't replace the plugs or wires out of sheer laziness.

You don't need to get underneath the car and about the only special tool would be a swivel socket adapter. Flare wrenches are nice for the fuel fitting too but not totally necessary.

It's specifically for sealing tire beads. There are many different brands - just google bead sealer. I have used the stuff that looks like black rubber cement but we mainly used stuff that was in a bucket and looked like sticky wheel bearing grease.

I worked at a tire shop. When there were leaks from the bead area we used an air grinder with a wire wheel to clean the bead area of the wheel and tire (aluminum wheels are actually worse because they corrode more). Then we used a black goop that sealed the bead. Worked excellent. I'd take it to a different tire place because this is very common and 99% of the time you DON'T need new wheels or new chrome. I never, never saw the need for a new wheel.

An update for anyone attempting the repair themselves. Symptoms: 1 click when trying to start car. Started out infrequently but progressed rapidly. Preliminary fix: Cleaned corrosion on battery terminal. Had battery checked (fine). The terminal fix worked for about a month. Thought I was fine but problem came back. Permanent fix: Replaced starter (Denso - $188.00 from Carquest / intake gasket approx. $60.00) Starter replacement steps taken (4.5 hrs total - condensed from other posts to save some time) 1. remove all plastic parts (engine shroud, intake tubes/air cleaner assembly) 2. remove throttle throttle body assembly with accelerator cable still attached. Place on right side of engine bay. During this step you'll loose approx. 1.5 gallons of antifreeze from bottom coolant hose. Unless you drain some originally. 3. Remove cigarette from mought and extinguish. 4. Disconnect fuel supply line to intake. This will be a rubber hose attached to the steel fuel line on the right side of the engine bay. 5. Remove any vaccuum lines and electrical fittings attached to intake including fuel injector clips. These are all unique and don't have to be labeled. They are all easily identified when re-assembling as to where they should connect. 6. Remove intake mainfold assembly. 1 nut on each corner and 3 or 4 bolts on each side. I had to blow these out with compressed air to be able to get a socket on them as they were filled with grime. After loosening them with a socket (they have torx fittings on them too) I grabbed them with a long needle nose pliers to prevent them from being dropped. You don't need to remove anything from the intake manifold itself. Leave the fuel rail attached. 7. Gently ease intake manifold up and rotate 90 degrees and set on the left side of the engine bay. 8. Remove 3 bolts holding the wiring harness on the coolant crossover tube. The back one is difficult, use a wrench. 9. Remove coolant bypass tube. 10. Remove starter bolts and electrical connection. Disconnect the battery 1st if you don't want a small jolt like me. 11. Assemble in reverse order. The only issue I had in assembly was when I was trying to put the intake back on the back left corner caught the gasket and was pulling it up. I pushed it back (gasket) on the stud with a screwdriver and caressed the manifold back on. I hope this helps anyone in the future when biting the bullet and replacing the stater. To be honest, it was easier than I had expected. It would have been better if I'd have let the engine cool off before starting. I did this on a Monday night after driving home from work. Bulls I

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It appears that when my wife was exiting the parking ramp at work the automatic lights would go on and make the dash lights dim.

It appears my starter is going out on a 1999 LS 400. Seems to be quite involved. Whoever put the starer below the intake should be kicked in the nuts. Anyhow, while I've got everything open what else should I replace? I assume you can get to the plugs and wires then too. Suggestions?

It appears that from research on this board is it's due to the fly-by-wire controls and is totally normal.

I have a 1999 LS 400 that if I don't completely stop at a light or stop sign and then give it the gas it surges really bad. It will hesitate and the slam into gear - at least that's what it feels like. If I come to a complete stop and then accelerate it is fine. Are they all like this? It certainly doesn't feel normal. Thanks in advance.

Just bought a 1999 LS 400 and my wife said that the instrument panel lights flickered a couple of times while driving. While reading the site here I see that this is common on the earlier model years. Could this be the same for the 1999? I also see that it could be the battery which is an easy fix. I'll check that out too. Any other suggestions? Thanks in advance.