JimsGX

Hi, When I started this thread I never thought it would turn into such a highly debated topic! I found this article that focuses on motorcycle, automotive, and diesel engine oils. I found it very informative and I hope you will too... All About Motor Oil Thanks, Jim

Has anyone attempted to put a remote starter in a 400h? Jim

On a local radio station that has an automotive call-in show every weekend, the two moderators got around to talking about synthetic vs conventional motor oil. Both moderators agreed that once you switch a car over to synthetic, you cannot go back to conventional. They didn't elaborate on the reasons why, but I'm assuming if this is true, that it has something to do with the way synthetic reacts on the engines seals vs a petroleum based conventional oil. Does anyone have an opinion or know of any factual data to support any of this? Jim

91 LS400 Silver 78,580 miles Excellent condition inside and out

They need to remove the steering solenoid and clean the filter. The system will have a siphoning problem if the filter is dirty/blocked...

Hi, Here’s My Vibration Update… I took my 1991 LS to the dealer today to have them diagnose a driveline vibration problem. The car only has 78,000 miles on it. The mechanic that worked on the vehicle has been with the same Lexus dealership since 1992 and seemed very knowledgeable. He knows the old LS’s in’s and out’s. He came back with the following recommendations: 1.) The propeller shaft spline and carrier bearing have some play in them but really aren’t all that bad. 2.) The exhaust Y pipe that connects to the two catalytic converters and leads back to the mufflers is an aftermarket pipe that doesn’t fit as well as the OEM pipe. The aftermarket Y pipe doesn’t have the proper bends in it, and is forcing the two mufflers up closer to the underside of the floorboards and propeller shaft than they should be. This in turn is putting down pressure on the two catalytic converters, which is also having the effect of ever so slightly changing the attitude of the engine on its mounts, which is then causing the driveline alignment problem. 3.) They checked out all steering and suspension parts and found things that were of little consequence that they wouldn’t even recommend I do anything about at this point. The upper control arms have a little play but are okay, they aren’t making any clunking noises. The sway bar bushings have cracks in them but don’t squeak. The power steering solenoid has a very slight leak (the whole rack and pump were replaced about 8k miles ago by Lexus so what’s up with this?). The power assist doesn’t kick out at high speed, so the steering is always super easy. A bit too easy at highway speeds. This is either being caused by a defective solenoid or defective ECU. He said if it’s the ECU, it’s a $500 fix. So, I think the vibration problem is being caused by the Y pipe. I had it installed six weeks or so ago. I’ve only owned the vehicle for seven weeks or so. The day after the Y pipe was installed is when I noticed the vibration. I had brought it back to the muffler shop two days later to have them recheck their work when the vibration started, but they said everything was fine. I figured the two were pure coincidence, but now I’m thinking otherwise. I may have a fight on my hands to get them to take back the aftermarket pipe unless their supplier is willing to eat it. I had it installed for $884… The OEM pipe is very expensive. I think dealer list is around $1300+-… For those of you with the vibration problem, how many have after market Y pipes or other exhaust components on their vehicles? I’d bet a good percentage of us do because of the costs associated with keeping it OEM… As many of us know first hand, and the mechanic repeated to me today, the early Lexus vehicles, and even many of the newer ones, tend to have a lot of vibration issues and are very sensitive to alignment and wheel balancing issues. He’s learned over the years to fine tune the alignment specs on certain vehicles even further within the recommended Lexus spec’s in order to get rid of some vibrations. Does anyone know of a good online source ($$) for purchasing the OEM Y pipe? As far as the power steering problem, is this the same ECU that controls the engine? If it is, would disconnecting the battery possibly reset the ECU and fix my steering assist problem if it is the ECU? If I try this, is there a reset procedure for the windows and sunroof on the early LS’s like my new RX/GX vehicles? I looked through the owner’s manual briefly this evening but didn’t find a reset procedure. Thanks, Jim

That's interesting. What bushings would those be? thanks any update on the trans mount having any impact, how about the steering damper? there are a couple of us that are in the same boat in the vibration department. Mine must have been the little old man story, '92 with 93k on it, Old doctors that was retired and drove it to the golf course every weekend, since deceased so I hope the stereo doesnt have a security code on it! All records back to the original receipt, $52,760 out the door!!! It also has receipts for 3 different tire changes and the ones Im riding on now, that is 4 sets before 100k! Too bad he could pony up for the fender ding before he sold it to me.... Hi, The Transmission Mount and Damper replacement didn't fix the problem. I think the damper helped but it was unrelated to the primary vibration issue which hasn't changed. The car is going into the local Lexus dealer this Wednesday for a diagnostic. Hopefully they can isolate it. If / when they figure it out, I'll post the fix. Thanks Jim

Except for replacing the leather, you may be chasing your tail on this one. I have a similar problem from when I bought my 91 recently. The previous owner who purchased the car new had never conditioned the seats. The seats were hard, more like a 91 Mercedes than a 91 Lexus. Once I started conditioning them, the cracks started showing up. I think the only good remedy if you plan on keeping the car is to replace the leather... I found this company online. I think the total cost of materials is around $750 or so. They recommend professional install but you may be able to do it yourself. Katzkin Leather Upholstery's Jim

Hi, I think the term "violent shake" mbender71 uses may be different than what we're experiencing with our RX400h's. I'd call what I experience as a couple of minor technology qwerks that wouldn't prompt me to take it back to the dealer. If the description is accurate, I'd be pursuing a fix for a violent shake from the dealer. I have noticed that as I've gotten a few miles on my 07 (almost 13k now), that the engine cut in is a bit more pronounced now than it was when new. A little more shakin goin on when the engine cuts in. Jim

Hi Pishta, Its got to be the shadow of the flash on the camera. I can't imagine it being loose. Your car is very clean underneath compared to mine. The road salt around here can do a number on everything. Thanks for taking the pictures to verify that mount. I've had three mechanics look at my vibration problem, including the dealer, and no one can do more than guess at what the problem might be. Replace this, replace that... I think at this point, I'm going to live with the vibration for awhile and see if it gets worse. If it does, it should be more easily identifiable instead of arbitrarily starting to replace parts. It really isn't all that bad, I'm just anal about this type of stuff. I'll track it down eventually. Is your vibration something you can live with? Did you notice it when you test drove the car? I didn't with mine, because it doesn't show up until after its driven awhile. I had the oil (Mobil 1) and filter changed today, the differential oil, and the transmission flushed. There wasn't any sign of metal particles on the differential drain plug magnet or in the diff oil itself. Guess that's a good sign. What's your next step? Jim

I've thought about that being the cause but didn't put it high on my list because of the mileage on the car (77K) and the fact that its been babied and received every service through Lexus. Still possible though. I would assume there are some shims in there as well that could be out of spec. If I have the diff oil changed again and check for shavings on the plug (magnetic I assume) or in the old oil, I might see something there. The oil was changed last at 65k miles or so. it was done at 30k too... What made me curious about that mount was the gap that you observed in the picture. I assume at this point, because I haven't verified for myself, that the propeller shaft is turning counter-clockwise when the vehicle is in forward gear. This would keep pressure on that rubber bushing in forward, but during decel or coast, the pressure would be somewhat relieved and possibly allow that rubber bushing to vibrate a bit. Pure speculation at this point though. Jim

Push AM, FM1, or FM2 - tune to the desired station, then push and hold any of the 1 thru 6 buttons until you hear a beep. The station will be memorized into that button. 6 AM presets and 12 FM presets total. Is that what you needed?

Shabby, is that huge void supposed to be there on the bracket mount? Ill look at my 92 and see if it looks any better. Pishta, Did you have a chance to check out your differential mount to see if that gap is there on yours like in the above bracket .pdf file? Jim

You know, I did the same on my 1991 LS400. I don't think it will do any harm. The reservoir, from what I was told from a mechanic, is for the radiator overflow - meaning if there is too much water in the radiator, it dumps into the reservoir. Next time, let the car cool down, open the radiator cap and add your antifreeze and water in. -Tony Lanz, Austin, TX Better yet, if you need to bring it up a bit, just add a pint or two of water. Joe Distilled Water You're thinking of a battery. No need for distilled water in a radiator. Unless you have REALLY hard water, I guess. Joe I believe Toyota/Lexus and other manufacturers recommend the use of distilled water in the radiator since water conditions can vary greatly. I know where I live, the water is very acidic. I wonder what the dealers do? The 50/50 mix that Prestone sells uses demineralized water. I think I'd rather pay the $3 to $5 extra to fill it up with distilled water than chance it... Jim

You know, I did the same on my 1991 LS400. I don't think it will do any harm. The reservoir, from what I was told from a mechanic, is for the radiator overflow - meaning if there is too much water in the radiator, it dumps into the reservoir. Next time, let the car cool down, open the radiator cap and add your antifreeze and water in. -Tony Lanz, Austin, TX Better yet, if you need to bring it up a bit, just add a pint or two of water. Joe Distilled Water

Shabby, is that huge void supposed to be there on the bracket mount? Ill look at my 92 and see if it looks any better. Maybe not... Let me know what you find out!

Here are some pictures of my differential mounts... The two rear mounts and the mount on the bracket. The right side mount doesn't look too bad but the left side mount has a totally different appearance. I think the bracket mount is looking pretty shabby too. This is a 1991... The pictures are pretty hi res, close to 2mb each. You'll need Acrobat v7 or later to open. Any opinions on the condition of these? Thanks LS400_Diff_Mount___Left.pdf LS400_Diff_Mount___Right.pdf LS400_Diff_Mount_Bracket.pdf

I think you're stuck with a dealer reset for around $100. That's what I did.

Mine's a 91 and the owners manual specifies four digits. Maybe it changed for 92... Have you checked the instructions in your owners manual?

I read that somewhere too. The code is 4 digits though so I dismissed it as heresay... Once the dealer wipes out the existing code, you should be all set even if you disconnect the battery again. There won't be any security enabled on the unit unless you decide to set a new code yourself.

I just got a 91 LS and the Pioneer stereo was locked out when I purchased it. The previous owner didn't know the code. I ended up at the dealer. They cleared the code / disabled the anti-theft feature so that there was no code in the system. It cost me $105... I don't plan on re-enabling the security / anti theft feature. Jim

Thanks Chris, I think my problem is the same as yours. My differential only has one side bracket on it. On the passenger side. I plan to get under the car this weekend and check everything out close up. If I decide to repair it, which I think I'll have to because its driving me nuts, I'll do the three differential mounts, maybe a new bracket, and the shaft center bearing while its all apart... I haven't seen anthing in searching in the message threads about center shaft bearing failure. I only have 77k miles (124k kilometers) on the vehicle so hopefully I won't have a shaft spline problem. When the mechanic test drove the vehicle with me, he couldn't feel (or hear) the vibration. It was so obvious to me, I think each of us thought the other was nuts. I joked with him and asked him if he had the shakes from drinking too much the night before. He admitted to downing a few. Do you know if the center bearing needs to be greased periodically or is it a sealed unit? I've seen some generic references to lubricating the bearing but in looking through the LS400 repair manual on alldata, I haven't seen any specific info for the LS. Thanks Jim

I'm experiencing the exact same droning noise that Chris is on my 1991 LS400 with 77k miles on it. I've had the suspension checked and they can't find any parts that are worn, I had the tires rebalanced, a four wheel alignment, replaced the transmission mount today as well as the steering damper. The vibration is still there. The sound described, like having the back window down and hearing that wap wap sound that resonates in your ears is exactly how I explained it to the mechanic. It sounds / feels like its coming more from the center or rear of the car. I'm usually pretty good at pin pointing the location of these types of things but this one has been elusive. Mine is most obvious at 25 to 29mph, then again at around 50mph. It isn't as bad when accelerating, more when going at an even speed or when decelerating... Also, most of the time when the car has been sitting overnight, it takes anywhere from 3 to 10 miles of driving before it starts acting up again. Almost as if a bushing is starting to work itself / warm up and become more flexible and then the vibration shows up... Can you tell me if these conditions are similar to what you experienced nc211, and what you were noticing before, and to a lesser extent now Chris? Thanks, Jim

For a second time last night I took each tire off, replaced it with the spare and test drove it. Each time it didn't make any difference. The tires have around 3k miles on them. I had them rebalanced on a Hunter machine a week and a half ago. This past weekend, I had a four wheel alignment done on a Hunter alignment machine. The left front was only slightly out of spec and all others were within spec. They gave me a color print out that showed the before and after results. Again, it didn't change anything. Tonight the Steering Damper and Transmission mount are being replaced. The steering damper is leaking fluid. I'm doing the tranny mount while its in the shop, only because its an inexpensive replacement that so many on this site have either had a problem with or seen an improvement from after installing. If these don't fix it (which I'm pretty sure they won't) I may take a break from trying to troubleshoot it and wait until it gets worse / more easily identifiable... I did see a TSB somewhere that spoke about changing the stabilizer bushings on the earlier Lexus LS's... I believe it replaced them with teflon coated ones in order to stop squeaking. Does anyone care to guess what the average life span of the struts / shocks are on the older LS's (91)? For all of these parts, I think age and drying out of the rubber components are as much a contributing factor to their failure as is mileage. My 91 only has 77k miles on it. Thanks...

Thanks... Well, Since your in Texas and I'm in Massachusetts, why don't we meet in Kentucky and swap tires & rims! I'll bring the beer! Thanks for the info... I'm having the transmission mount and steering damper replaced tomorrow... They're telling me the steering damper is junk (leaking)... I figured I'd go as far as the tranny mount because its not a very big expense. From there, I'm going back to the tires. I had all four balanced on a hunter machine and it didn't make any difference. They're Sumitomo tires (they make the Dunlop brand for the Asian market). They only have a few thousand miles on them... What brand of tires and how many miles were on them when you had the problem? Thanks, Jim