bossman

Hello SKperformance, I have removed the phone from the cradle and started the car several times, and the stereo has no volume unless totally cranked (and then you hear the music faintly). This is the same as when the car is started with the phone in the cradle - no difference. The phone appears to be completely "dead" as it previously could illuminate the key pad, and as mentioned before the lcd display screen would have some sort of display - now completely dark. Could this be a fuse for the phone only? Or a possible phone programming issue? Help!!! i am going a little stir crazy with no music in my car.

Hi SKperformance, The phone will not work if it is in the cradle, or taken out.

I have a 1997 Lexus LS400 with the built-in Lexus mobile celluar phone in the armrest. While driving today, I heard some beeps about every 20-30 seconds (the sound of the beep was identical to the beep that I hear when I turn the ignition on and the phone is activating). The beeps were becoming annoying, so I pushed the "pwr" button on the handset and the beeping stopped. I then turned the radio on, and there was no sound coming from any of the speakers. I tried am and fm radio and the cd player - no sound. Only when I turned the volume knob to the maximum can I hear a faint sound of the music playing. I have also noticed that the display screen on the phone handset now is completely dark. Even when I push the "pwr" button it will not turn on. Previously it would give an indication of signal strength. When starting the engine, I no longer get the familiar beep of the phone activating. I did activate the phone for use when I bought the car (used) 2 years ago, but do not use it now. Help! How do I get the phone back on if pressing the power button does nothing? Were those beeps warning me of something? Maybe a blown fuse? And how can I get the sound back for my stereo? It is almost as if the stereo has been muted because of an incoming call. Any assistance you can provide would be appreciated. Thanks!

I bought clear front turn signal lenses from Makoto Auto Trends about a year and a half ago (off of e-Bay) and have had no problems with them at all. They really update the look of the front end of my 97 LS.

Hello Brandon, I might have what you are looking for! Please check out my post in this Buy and Sell forum "1994 Lexus LS400 Anniversary Wheels" for sale. I think it is on page 3. Basically bought a brand new set of rims off of e-Bay for my 97 LS, but the rims do not clear the larger brake calipers on the second generation LS. They have been sitting in my garage ever since. Brand new - never mounted on a vehicle (except as test fit on my LS, but no rubber ever put on these rims). I am asking ($600 CAN) $475 US, plus shipping. Let me know if you are interested, maybe we can work something out. Bossman

I'm with Lexusfreak on this one ... I would not take my Lexus to Canadian Tire for service ... EVER! I had my timing belt replaced by our local Toyota dealer (since there is no Lexus dealer way up here). Sorry I can't give you a price because I had it done when I bought the vehicle used in 2003. Sounds like there are some good alternatives to a Lexus dealership in the Toronto area for your service needs.

As wwest says, and the owner's manual confirms ... 'To avoid accidental cruise control engagement, keep the main switch off when not using the cruise control."

I was watching Live with Regis and Kelly earlier this week when Whoopi Goldberg was a guest host. She said that she had just bought a black Lexus RX400H. She tried explaining how the hybird system works, but didn't quite have all the details straight. Then Regis admitted that he had a Lexus, too.

ok, keep in mind that the previous info I gave was from my 1997 LS400 owner's manual. I checked for the diagnostic trouble code 24 from my 1997 LS400 Repair Manual, and it says that the detection item is the driver's side solar sensor circuit (open or short in this circuit). The touble areas could be the solar sensor, the harness/connector between the solar sensor and the A/C amplifier, or the A/C amplifier. There is a note that a display of diagnostic trouble code 24 is not abnormal when the sensor is not receiving solar radiation. Hope this helps. Please confirm this info for your GS model.

I checked my owner's manual and it says "If the air conditioning compressor does not operate, the indicator of the A/C button will blink. If the indicator of the A/C button blinks even when the A/C button is pushed again, have the compressor checked by your nearest Lexus dealer."

Hey! Always great to see a fellow Canadian join this site. Welcome! I had a similar problem a while ago with a loss of sound from the passenger side speakers. I thought that it was the amp, too. But, after turning the balance and fader knobs endlessly, the speakers came back to life. I figure that it was just a contact problem with the wiring from the head unit from those switches hardly being used - as once you set them to where you want you hardly ever change them. You may want to try this before shelling out $$$ for a new amp. Bossman

Hey Dave, Not sure what year of LS400 you have (not listed in your signature), but if you are looking for 16" wheels for a 1990-1994 LS you can check out the rims I have for sale in the buy and sell forum on this site (1994 LS400 Anniversary Wheels). Bossman

I use 5W30 in mine year round. Like clickart said, with those cold Canadian winters, the 5W30 is much better for cold starts.

Toyota and GM have had a "partnership" going on 20 years. The Pontiac Vibe and Toyota Matrix are fraternal twins built on the same platform. Both have Toyota engines, transmissions, suspensions and brakes. The Vibe is built in Freemont, California, US while the Matrix is built in Cambridge, Ontario, Canada. Previous partnerships include the Toyota Corolla/Chevrolet Prizm.

I had a look at my cabin air filter and it was very dirty. Definitely in need of replacement as it was probably original equipment. Contacted a Lexus dealer - gave me part # 87139 - 50010 - and was quoted $60 CAN + taxes for this filter. Contacted my local Toyota dealer and they had a Lexus filter sitting on their shelves - part #87139 - YZZ04. I went in with the old filter and this one fit just fine. Cost to me was $33 CAN + taxes. Nothing against OEM Lexus parts, but this cross-referencing of equivalent Toyota parts is certainly a nice cost savings if you can figure it out.

Having gone through a Canadian winter (with lots of snow) on all-season tires that had me white-knuckling the steering wheel, I have since gone to a second set of rims and winter tires. I still have the all-seasons on my chrome rims, but hope they wear out soon so I can get some good summer rubber on them. The winter rubber made a huge difference on the rear wheel drive LS. If you are thinking of getting a second set of rims (especially to save your nice chrome rims from the harsh conditions of winter) and winter tires, you may want to check out the rims I am selling in the buy/sell forum. They would look very nice on your new ride.

If you go the e-Bay route, be sure to get what you need. Some of the shift knobs for sale are the 3.5 inch version. I believe the 98 LS takes a 5 inch shift knob. Some of the photos are deceiving and they sometimes do not always list the size, so be sure to ask. The dealer price is way out of whack.

I use a Lexus factory repair manual specific to my car. I got this on e-Bay a while back, but you don't see them for sale very often. I prefer the book version rather than the CDs - who knows what info has been transferred on to these CDS. Could be info left out or even inaccurate that could really mess up a diy repair.

I'm the third owner of a 1997 LS400 with 178,000 km

I bought (used) and have my 97 LS400 serviced at a local Toyota dealership. The closest Lexus dealership is probably at least 3 hours away. The Toyota dealership has given me excellent service and can get parts quickly when needed. I also have only 1 highly-trained Tech work on my car. They service quite a few LS and RX models. The president of the dealership even drives a Lexus.

You may want to continue having your Lexus serviced at that Toyota dealer if you feel they are being honest and above-board about the condition of your car. You can't beat the trust and integrity of a good mechanic - just ask Jerry Seinfled about his mechanic "Puddy." :) My car has only been serviced at my local Toyota dealer - they do great work and the labour rate is much cheaper than it would be at a Lexus dealer. The last repair work they did they even washed the car after like I was a preferred Lexus customer.

I have a set of 4 Enkei wheels that are OEM replicas of the 1994 Lexus LS400 Anniversary wheel. They are a 7-spoke rim with a bright silver finish. They are a 16 inch x 7 inch wheel with a 5 inch x 4.5 inch (114.3 mm) bolt pattern and a +45 mm offset. They are brand new in their boxes. They have never been mounted on a vehicle. I bought them off of e-Bay a while back for my 1997 LS400 (I thought they looked good), but alas they will not clear the large brake calipers in the second generation LS. You can contact me at bossman@alumni.uwaterloo.ca if you are interested.

I have a 97 LS400 and also wanted to upgrade my all leather shift knob to a burlwood and leather one. I bought a 3.5 inch wood/leather shift knob on e-Bay and it did not fit my car. The threads on the shifter are wider than the threads in the knob. You will need to stick with a 5 inch shift knob. Now I have a nice paperweight :)

In addition to "Lexus" and "LS400" the trunk lid also sports a "Coach Edition" badge - that's probably the quickest way to tell the difference ;) When I bought my 97 LS (used) it had the Nakamichi sound system, and I have since upgraded the stock 97 wheels for a set of chrome 5-spoke 98 LS wheels. All I am missing now is the coach leather and the little badge :)

Sounds like you'll need to go to an authorized Lexus dealer to have the locking lug nuts removed - they have complete sets of all the keys. I also bought my Lexus from a Toyota dealer, and when I put on new locking lug nuts I went with the Toyota nuts instead of Lexus (cheaper and more Toyota dealers around in case the key does get lost).