FreddT

So I took the original remote key to my nearest locksmith, and he wants $65 to cut my blank. Non-remote, of course. Think this is an OK price?? Thanks. '94 ls400.

I get around 24 on the highway with my thundering 94LS with 110,000 mi. What amazes me is that I get only 27 on my other car, a 2004 Miata turbo with 7,000 mi. Amazing because the little car is almost half the weight, has a stick shift, and is almost four feet shorter, and 10 years newer. Toyota sure can engineer cars. Maybe part of the mpg problem is that Mazda is 30% owned by Ford?

I've owned my nice 94LS (110,000 miles) for 2-1/2 years now, and there has always been one problem that has driven me bonkers ever since I've owned it. The power window controller on the driver's door has been a pain in the butt. It works some windows OK, but then the drivers or the rear drivers side window won't work. I've lubricated the window glides with silicone, but that seemed to help only the passenger windows. So I've removed the driver's controller at least five times, and have done the following: Sprayed the assembly with electrical contact cleaner spray. Scraped the contacts, some of which looked dark blackish green, with a knife. Stretched the little springs on the controller, hoping for a better response. And guess what? The problem always returned-especially on the drivers side window. No up, little down. So recently, I got the Lexi back from its major big bucks spa treatment (new water pump, timing belt and associated pulleys, etc) and found that the window control wouldn't even lower the drivers side window. Plus the rear window was stuck-open. So I took the car home, removed the controller, messed with it for a while, and looked for something, anything to help. In frustration, I took a can of PB Blaster, and sprayed the whole assembly. Yes, PB, which I usually used for loosening frozen nuts on calipers and the like. And? Now the windows work perfectly. I thought PB was for mechanical problems-live and learn.....2 months later, and all is peachy.

I had a small leak from the water pump, which I'm paying through the nose to have repaired. Anyway, the small leak resulted in low water in the system. I didn't realize it until there was no heat from the vents. The car did not overheat however, although I'm sure it was a matter of time. So check your coolant-you might get lucky.

So I went to an Indie that I trust here, since he's done work for some of my friends. My W/P is leaking like crazy, and it was time to do the timing belt, too (110, 000 miles). He quoted $988 for the job, which seemed middle of the road for pricing I've seen on this forum. Plus I'm in California, which means extra cost for environmental foolishness and the like. So I told him to go ahead on my 94 LS. So he calls today about a problem. Seems he didn't realize that the power steering pump, as well as the alternator, need to be removed! I was shocked, since I had downloaded all the instructions I could find (I was going to do it myself, except I don't have many tools). None of the instructions I have mention removing the P/S and the alternator. So I went over to the shop, where a mechanic showed me that he couldn't get to the W/P without these bracket removals. Looked real. So it's going to cost me an extra $150 in labor. I told him I'd check with the forum, and get back to him in the morning. Then I weakened, and told him to go ahead. Pitiful. So my question is simply-do the alternator and P/S pump need to be removed? The mechanic was using a Gates manual, whatever that is. I noticed that the instructions I downloaded are for a 91LS, so maybe it got more complicated 3 years later? Thanks in advance for any comments/input. Oh, I also have a cracked fan shroud, which I told him I would crazy glue back together. I was a little *BLEEP*ed.

My '94 LS had faded gold emblems and faded gold radiator grille trim. So I took them off, and sent them to a guy in OK who replated them, and brought them back to life. I also bought and had replated an "LS400" emblem, which was not on the Gen 1 cars originally. Looks great. Cost about $120 overall, cheaper than buying new ones, especially if you want a new or used grille trim. The rear emblems have holes in the trunk to position them. They are held with adhesive, but I also used contact cement as an added securement. Best of luck.

My experience with rotors and pads has shown that some pads/rotors work together well, and others do not. My '94 was experiencing the typical "rumble tumble shake syndrome". So I replaced my front rotors with Rock Auto cheapies, and also replaced the front pads with Raybestos semi pads. I could not believe the squeal that resulted, especially at low speeds such as when pulling into a fast food drive-in lane. After lubricating the caliper pins, shims and everything else, the result was the same. Finally, in desperation, I replaced the new pads with the OEM pads I had removed, since they still had a lot of thickness left. Aha, quiet as a sleeping baby. This was 1 year ago, they're still great today. So maybe the problem is matching the right materials that make up the rotor/pad combination. I've found that you can screw around all day with shims and grease and noise reducing gunk-and the like, but if the rotor doesn't like the pad-and vice versa-you have a real problem. I guess the best bet is to try ceramic or OEM pads next. Best of luck.

NC211, I have the same problem with leakage at the water pump. Your pictures around over ,the front of the oil pan area are exactly my problem. I've had it for over 6 months on my 94LS. and I figure that I'll have to live with it until it's too late, I guess. I'm not sure if my LS, with 110,000 miles, ever had the timing belt replaced, so I guess I'll wait for the Grand Poobah explosion, and replace the timing belt, water pump, and all the other associated stuff. Best of Luck.

That's a better picture. The rotor grooves look exactly like the condition of my Lexus when I bought it with 97,000 miles. The rotors had been ground down twice by a previous owner after 70,000 miles. He went to to a Lexus stealer with brake problems often. Each grinding lasted less than 10,000 miles, and then he was forced to return to the stealer with brake problems again. I installed cheapie rotors for 60 bucks-for 2-and they work great. Since the install is easy, I recommend you replace the rotors if you have problems.

I got the teeny screw off using an eyeglass repair kit you can buy at Wally World. That 2016 battery works on my '94 key. I get them at Walgreens.

Hold on. I think KO confused plastic emblems with the solid logo that you want to put on your center caps. I was missing one logo on my 94LS that I bought used 2 years ago. After a lot of vigilence, I found 2 used center caps on EBay. The caps were alloy finish, while my caps are shiny, but they did have 2 gold logos. I bought the caps for about 25 bucks, and removed the logos. The logo had a worn out gold finish, so I had to spray it with a shiny gold paint. Then I found out that the logo did not fit the holes in the center cap exactly. But close enough to make it work OK, with a little Krazy glue. 2 years later, and the logo still looks fine. I used the other logo as an extra "Lexus Emblem" in the rear window-looks great. So I guess the answer is to see if you can get the logos on an internet auction, or possible this forum. I've never seen them for sale at a retail place-maybe they're at a junk yard, but that would be a real longshot. I got an "LS400" logo via this forum, and it looks great on the trunk of my '94, since they didn't have "LS400" logos until the 95 model year. Best of luck.

I replaced my rotors front and back, along with new Raybestos pads, even though the old pads were lightly worn. Used shims and anti-squeal gunk, too. I was amazed that my new pads squealed like a subway train at rush hour. Reinstalled the pads twice, but no luck. So I installed the old pads, for grins, on the new rotors. Not a squeek-perfect. Since I only drive the Lexus 5K miles a year, I guess the old pads will have to do. Live and learn....

Sure sounds like you have a problem with the drivers door controls. Which is probably caused by the fact that the drivers door is slammed thousands of times, while the other doors are opened much less. I'd remove the drivers door lock/window console (a piece of cake), and tweak the interior connections. This means spraying all the contacts, and cleaning the whole assembly, including the "lock" button.. Also, my secret solution is to be sure to gently stretch the 5 upright springs that affect the up-down buttons. If this doesn't work, then we have a problem. But I bet it works. Good luck.

Radio off. Key at "Acc". Press the "1" button with the upper portion of the "Tune/Seek" at the same time. Now press the #1 button the required times for the first number of the code. Then #2 with the second, #3 with the third. Then press "Scan". Best of luck. Wish I knew my code. Remember, if you stole the radio, you have nine tries out of 999 or so numbers. Or you're screwed-radio goes dead. So I don't mind helping-the odds aren't in your favor.....

My 94 LS had the brakes worked on (rotors resurfaced) at a Lexus dealer at 90K and 94K by a previous owner. When I got the car with 99k, the brakes were still bad. So I had the rotors resurfaced, with new pads. That was a waste of time, too. Still bad. So I installed new rotors and pads, and the brakes were great. Now with 4K miles on them, I can already feel the smoothness going out of the rotors. I drive mostly in the city, so I use the brakes a lot. It's obvious that I'll need to resurface or replace the rotors in 5K or so miles. Seems the car may be too heavy for the whole system, I think. Note-Since it only takes about an hour or 2 to remove and replace the rotors, I'll buy new Raybestos type rotors which only cost $60 a pair. Kinda' like throwing out a cheap pair of socks, I guess..

Stupid question-with all the work you did on the front end-you did replace the rotors? I didn't see them mentioned. Not refaced-replaced. The caliper bolts do have a small amount of "give" after being torqued, but it's not enough to cause your problem. Same for the brake pad springs. Best of luck.

I've sent many posts to LOC regarding my LS400 referencing repair problems, etc. I've come to the conclusion that an older LS400 is a money time bomb waiting to happen-that it's fun to drive and looks great, but it's just a matter of time before it slams your wallet. The parts are stunningly expensive, and too many of the repairs are far beyond the weekend guy's ability. We know that all the repair places, upon seeing a Lexus, increase the costs exponentially. Lexus dealers, of course, are the modern day equivalent of John Dillinger entering a bank-"Give me ALL your money." So I bought my neighbors 92 Chevy Truck. I won't register or drive it-except for maintenance reasons. In the meantime, I drive my pristine LS400. Not a thing wrong with it. I know that one day, hopefully not too soon, it will start to malfunction-power steering, ignition, and front end are the likely culprits. And I will park the LS. And drive the old truck. It's kinda' like facing reality-If you buy an old car, buy one that everybody else owns. Sure, you look like Jed Clampitt, but you will still have some money in your pocket after repairs. And do the chicks really care about what you're driving? Nah, they have enough trouble parallel parking....

I took that pad off a year ago. But I live in a relatively benign weather area. If I lived in Canada or the Northeast, I would leave it on, to mitigate salt spray, water infiltration, and grease build-up. And to simply keep the area cleaner than if exposed. It's hard to believe that a nearly 2 ton vehicle would get much mpg improvement with a partial underbody shield. We're not talking Nascar here.

I really doubt that the rear brakes are the problem with such a heavy car that wants to "dive" forwards when the brakes are applied. I've learned that the way to determine your brake problem is to attack it one method at a time. For the lowest cost. If your pads have adequate thickness, then don't regrind the rotors-replace them. And it's simple. For example: I bought a 94LS with 99,000 miles. It had a bad steering wheel vibration, and a shudder upon braking. The first thing I did was to have a front wheel rotation and balance. No alignment-it wasn't leaning right or left. Then I replaced the brake pads myself, and had the rotors refaced. This didn't solve the brake shudder. I had wasted money-when I replaced the rotors, the problem was solved. The LS ran like a top. Upon reviewing the Lexus Owners History of the car that I got from the dealer, it noted that the brakes were shuddering at 90,000 miles, and the previous Owner paid $500 to have the pads replaced-and the rotors refaced. Then at 94,000 miles, the poor guy returned to the dealer with the same brake problem-and they did the same repair for $600-including another REFACING/TURNING of the rotors!! So when I got the car at 99,000, it's obvious that the rotors were worn out, and needed to be replaced. I missed this the first time-dummy... Replacing the rotors is simple-I got 2 rotors for $60 plus shipping at Rockauto.com. Yes, they're cheap-But I can always replace them now that I know how to do it. And the brakes are now as smooth as silk....

I've posted a reply about "jerky brakes" several times before, and I still believe the following: If you have a heavy car like a Lexus, and your recently changed pads are giving you trouble, you should change the rotors as well. It's an easy job, and any DIY type can do it easily. I don't believe in simply grinding down the existing rotors, because everyone drives differently, and Joe #1, who never anticipates stopping, and is always slamming on the brakes - never hears squeals and such, while Mr. Careful Joe #2 has noisy brakes all the time, since he is forever anticipating stops. What I mean is that to be sure you are starting out on a level field, change both the rotors and the pads. The contact items. Then, if you still have a problem, you can go on to other solutions. Have a great day....

I bought 4 logos on EBay for my center caps, and the ones shown on your attachments are identical. The same indentions in the same area shows that they are real. I do caution, however, that when I bought the logos from E Bay, they did not QUITE fit my Gen 1 Lexus wheel covers. I had to put a tiny break in the logos to allow them to fit correctly.. I think that buying on E Bay is like buying from Ho Chi Minh-He's got your money, he's dead, and you may or may not be screwed. Best of luck.

One of the first things I did when I bought my '94LS was to drill a hole in the gas cap handle, and thread a plastic coated wire through it. I attached the wire to a screw that holds the fill-up pipe in place. This way, an attendent-or a confused owner-can't place a loose cap on top of the pump, and then forget about it-and drive away. Funny thing is that we almost always close the gas cover-but sometimes forget to screw the cap on first. Can't do it with the cap hanging out there. I traded a Honda in on the Lexus, and I remember that several times I forgot to put the cap back on the Honda. After 50 miles or so, a light would come on, and I would run to the store to buy a new cap. And the light would go off. It's obvious that, as a person drives a more expensive car like a Lexus, the manufacturer devises more questionable ways to profit from minor problems. This is a perfect example.

GS- Your 35% is much darker than the 70% requirement, so the cop was right. The lower the number, the darker the tint. 70% of the light is allowed to enter with legal Cal tint-70% is about the same as leaving your windows dirty for a month. Useless. Note that the rear windows can be anything, so your 25% is OK.

Really good advice, Outlaw. I used to roll down my windows in Cal when a cop was near, too. Now I don't even think about it. My only other thought is that, if you're coming back from the Lake, or a party, you really don't want the tint to give the cops a reason to stop you. Even if you're totally legal, they'll be sure to check you out extremo. And you know that their effort expended in stopping you will result in a ticket, even if the tint was the only "violation".

For grins, I Googled some state window tint laws, and came up with the following: STATE FRONT SIDES REAR SIDES BACK WINDOW VISOR NET/FILM AL 32% 32% 32% 6" NET AK 70% 40% 40% 5" NET AZ 33% ANY% ANY% AS1 NET AR 25% 25% 10% 5" NET CA 70% ANY% ANY% 4" NET I guess this shows that Alaska is as sunny as California? Curiously, the only other states with the 70% requirement are in the non-sunny Northeast-Ny, Pa, and RI. As I said in my other post, if you want to be over-regulated, move to California.