amcdonal86

Haha, yeah. Glad I could help! :P

If you know which one is making the noise, I'd just replace that one. The Lexus may be a little different, but on most other cars, replacing the belts is a pretty simple procedure, so if you end up needing to replace the other one, it's not like you'll have to take apart the whole car to do it. BTW, what is the price of these pulleys?

I guess it might be different for cars with traction control/DSC, but if you somehow hydroplane with the cruise control on, it can be pretty tricky, especially with a rear wheel drive car. Kind of the same reason why I wouldn't use cruise control in icy conditions.

Why would you EVER recommend parts.com? http://www.resellerratings.com/store/Parts Things are cheap for a reason.

I used to change the oil myself. But it's pretty impossible to transport the used oil to a recycling center without getting it all over the interior/trunk.

You should not be using cruise control in the rain. :chairshot:

That's actually the car that I initially wanted. I was getting ready to make an offer on a '99 540i 6 speed when suddenly, the thought of having to maintain a German car hit me. I decided to make a compromise on the "fun" factor and trade it for reliability with the LS.I think the LS is a perfect luxury car. It's everything a luxury car is supposed to be. (A flagship luxury sedan need not be sporty.) It's just that I will probably be complimenting it with something sportier in the future in my garage. One of the most interesting things to see (having bought different cars and participated in all of these different enthusiast communities) is that there are enthusiasts for every conceivable kind of vehicle, and it's interesting to see what makes people happy. And there's nothing wrong with people having different tastes. Different folks, different strokes. And don't get me wrong! I do like driving down Main Street and watching the reflection of my car in the storefront windows. We're not so different!

Well soooory,, Have had my LS for couple of months. and Love it.. Nope it is not a Mustang, But then again, driving a couple hundred miles in one of those tin cans will jar anyone's brain.. No comparison of the Miata to the LS... so should not even try. Like going from a bicycle to a motorcycle. Maybe not mid-life crisis,, But definitely growing pains, as in Maturity. and learning that sometimes it is the satisfaction of being smooth... Maybe loosing the teen-ager mentality is what you might be going thru. Sure at 22 you not going to woooo any high school chicks in the LS like a sport car.. But then, try to go parking in a Miata and you will then wish you had the "sport" feel of your LS ....LOL Not being tough on ya,,, just pulling your chain,,, all in fun... My son (16) likes his Avalon better than the LS... oh well.. There will probably be a time when I'm near death when I want a car that is smooth, refined and luxurious, and nothing else. That time is not now (I hope). Having owned the Miata and the LS, I can say that they are both very influential vehicles. The LS is responsible for launching Toyota into the luxury market, and for opening the door for other Japanese manufacturers into that sector. The Miata, on the other hand, is responsible for single-handedly reviving the dead affordable lightweight roadster category in the early 90s. So no more Miata bashing! :P Actually, I think the Miata is a very mature car as well. It is a throwback to old 60's - 70's sports cars (you know, when sports cars were actually really light and nimble). Heck, it's probably the quintessential midlife crisis car! I'm really not trying to start a ruckus here and to bash the LS. I guess I'm just curious how most of you deal with the lack of driving fun, if that makes any sense!

I don't understand. You changed the fluid once because their was a leak. Did you fix the leak or just let it continue leaking?

Ahahaha. The LS400 would need a stomach bypass. But there are much better cars for sport driving right out of the box.

Ahahaha, what's the point? Still has an automatic transmission, and 3800 pounds to drag around the corners. I will never get on a motorcycle.

Kudos! You are driving the car the way it was intended to be driven.

All good advice. To the OP, how can you be blown away by an LS400 that isn't working right? :P or If you're blown away by an LS that isn't working right, just imagine how blown away you'll be when it's fixed! :D

That's exactly the problem.Most cars will do more than what you ask of them (even minivans, but maybe not pickup trucks lol). It's a question of handling confidence and balance. The LS400's reflexes are just too slow for me to do any sort of spirited driving. I can see taking those twisties at a reasonable pace and just taking in the scenery, though.

The LS is my mid-life crisis car. That means I will die at the ripe old age of 44! :P

Shortly, I will be coming up on the 3 month "anniversary" of the purchase of my '97 LS400 Coach Edition. With my 400th post (for the LS 400), I thought I'd share a few thoughts about the car. First off, I'm glad I bought my LS400. It's roomy, comfortable, and silky smooth. In the rare chance that I get to drive a friend or two around in it, I always get comments about how quiet it is. My friends even like sitting in the back while I drive them (so they can play make-believe high-class "executive" with a driver named James). However, now that the weather is getting nice (time to tear up the twisties), my love of the car has started to dwindle. The excitement is lacking. I didn't buy the LS to excite me, but I thought driving it would put a smile on my face every now and then. The handling, while very precise and reasonably nimble for such a large car, lacks any feedback at all. Today I was first at a stop-light just before an empty long 45 mph stretch of road. When the light turned green, I gave it full throttle and the car rushed to 55 mph, but it was in the style of Lexus--effortless and gentle, and completely lacking any sensory feedback at all. As Jeremy Clarkson said--I feel dead when I drive the LS400. The most excitement I get out of this car is having a glance at it from far away. It is gorgeous. I love walking up to the car at night with its headlights glistening in the moonlight, the glossy paint mirroring the night sky. It won't be mistaken for a brand new car, but it looks stately and elegant in its own way. And it's not just on the outside. Inside, the cabin is well-appointed with relatively tight, yet luxuriously supple Coach leather. The gaps between interior panels are razor thin, and underway, not a rattle or squeak is to be heard. And the ergonomics!!! Every button just feels right--each clicks with the proper sound and touch, and is in the optimal position for easy, carefree operation. Sitting behind the wheel and peering out over long hood with those chiseled edges (UCF20 owners know what I'm talking about) really makes me feel like I'm getting a taste of what the well-to-do (or perhaps even their drivers) were cruising around in making their daily rounds. It's unlike any other car I've ever been in, not to mention gotten a chance to drive or even own. But none of this can even begin to excite me. There is just so much that is missing. Passion! Thrills! Energy! Fireworks! Inspiration! I know most of the people on this forum are in love with their LS's and are excited to drive them around town, but I have trouble understanding how. To me, getting excited about driving an LS is akin to getting excited about sleeping on a comfortable mattress. As I've mentioned before, my previous car was one of the greatest and fun to drive sports cars of all time, the Mazda Miata. That car put a smile on my face every time I drove it. But it was also incredibly crude and noisy, which is probably what led me to the LS. But now that I've had a taste of the LS, I've come to realize how much I miss having a responsive, agile car. You truly don't know what you have until it's gone. I will definitely be keeping the LS for the time being, but in the future, I am afraid that the LS has reignited my desire for something more sporty, if not a sports car. But maybe that is what fate has in store for me....

I think you're right. On other cars, when my water pump was going, I noticed I had to refill coolant frequently (3-4 times a year) long before I started to see a puddle.

The warning sign is dripping!

I think your period key must have some sort of sticky substance gummed up underneath it..........

here is a link to one in Calif http://sacramento.craigslist.org/cto/1078562964.html take a look Looks like the LS400 Oldsmobile Edition.I really don't think it's that much more offensive than the blue interiors Toyota was pushing out in the early 90's.

I guess it can't be a LSTR because it doesn't have VTEEEEEEEECCCCC!!!!!!!

Thanks for the suggestion. I found it here: http://us.lexusownersclub.com/forums/index...showtopic=25228

Do you have any instructions for the tranny mount change? I'm thinking of doing mine.

Anybody have any idea how much it costs to have all the leather reupholstered (labor only)? I have a feeling it could be over $1000.

He wants the MOST technology! :P But I agree with you. Every time I drive my '97 I am shocked that it's as old as it is. And from the right angle, it looks as new as 2000-ish model.