POS

I just bought an '01 LS430, and I'm an XM lover but I also like stock setups. Can I get a 2004+ Lexus XM factory deck from ebay and use it in my 2001 LS? What other parts will I need - an XM tuner box and the antenna? Thanks! Brian

You have a judgement call - I like the size/power of the LS much, much more than the ES. 160k mile LS for $5000 sucks - for $7-8000 you should be able to find an LS just under 100k miles. Pay the extra $2k and get a good one with records. When buying a used car, patience is EVERYTHING important.

91 - you may have a slow leak and that's why the air is blowing warmer. As I told another guy, you need a gauge set hooked up to it so you can see if the pressures suck. A common leak on these cars is the compressor shaft seal; mine leaked from there. You can rebuild the compressor (yuck) or redo the system. The problem with the older cars is that you can't just replace the compressor and call it a day - you need a new condensor ($500 @ Lexus), an expansion valve ($200 @ Lexus), a drier ($50 @ Napa), and a compressor ($6-700 at Lexus or Napa). AC jobs are gonna run $1500-1800 and it's real hard to pay that kind of money on a 15 year old car, but I did it anyway. Some guys on this forum (and others) have posted that you can simply change the compressor and call it a day - but I wonder how many of those guys repost when their AC fails again two months later.

Loud humming sound could have been the start of a failure, but a lot of compressors make loud humming sounds. If the engine has no load on it, it's possible the AC clutch gave out even though the system still works. First thing in any case would be to get a gauge set hooked up to it so you can see the pressures inside the system. I wouldn't think a simple charge will solve your problem, but you can hope.

Be prepared to do the job twice if you don't know what you're doing. The biggest deal, by far, is flushing the old system. If you're replacing the compressor, you need to replace the drier and the expansion valve, you need to flush the crap out of the system, and really flush the crap out of the condensor. If you don't do all this, there are high odds that you'll put the system back together, it'll work for a few months, then the compressor will fill up with residual crap and fail on you again. Happened to me, and it's happened to a lot of people on this board and others.

Yeah, please. I'd like to see this too...

All vehicles before '95 have R12 unless it was converted at some point. And yes, the R12 will dissipate over the years, so I small 1/2 can bump might be what you need.

I think I'm just gonna connect those idle-up valve hoses together. Many on this board (and others) have said to not do that, but to those who have, there haven't been any side effects.

My headliner "board" was sagging in the back at the rear window. Once mine started, I noticed there were a lot of early LS's on the road with the same thing. I bought some 3M Super Trim Adhesive in a spray can, sprayed the heck out of it on the top, then used a broom handle and a broom to push and hold it in place overnight. No more sagging headliner.

Bouncy - a lot like the Mercedes of the 80s.

The Audi resale will tank - which is a shame because I love the newer Audis. What I don't know is if the reliability is there. If you're willing to spend $15k, why not buy a newer Lexus and remove the issue of reliability? Do you need the AWD?

$7000-$8000?

Is the service contract through Lexus for Lexus parts? Then it might be worth it. It's a gamble, of course - no one knows if you'll need it. Is the car in well-cared for condition, or did the previous owner just drive it? AC out at 55k would make me wonder... Me, personally, I don't buy warranties because I put 30k miles a year on a car, making your offer a 1.5 year warranty for me - not worth it in my mind. How long will it take you to hit 45k miles or 3 years?

I guess where you buy it has everything to do with how much it costs. I just paid $6800 for a '90 LS with 76k miles and all service done at dealer - oil changes every 4000 miles and all the regular service intervals. Interior looks spectacular, exterior has a few door dings, a few scratches, but the the car was garaged it's life and it shows. I thought I got a decent deal - perhaps another buyer would have paid another $1000 down here.

Only you can answer those questions - it's a matter of personal taste.

Or you could upgrade to a new deck and XM...

Why argue with $6500? Sounds like a good deal - I'd be surprised if they came down any. I wouldn't, if I was the dealer. But, you can always try. Was the car dealer-serviced? Have you reviewed the records? For comparison, I just bought a 78,000 mile 1990 LS400 for $7000 (after TTL) - one owner, well-cared for, and all Lexus records (all oil changes every 4000, regular mileage services). My budget for my commuter was $5-6,000, but for what I got, I'll gladly pay the extra $1000. As far asking for it to be lowered, just tell them that the car isn't worth that, but you'd love to buy it. Offer them $4500, let them laugh at you, and see if they counter - if not, they don't think you're serious. If they do counter, then you got a deal going. Then the choice is up to you - how much are you willing to pay for that particular car? Set this price in your head before the offers begin flying...