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Happy motoring
But thanks for your reassurances.
Thanks,
cn
So are the early Lexus 400's ok in the snow?
Posted in the wrong area earlier so let's try here.
Thanks, driveRight in NH.
The 92 traction control system will INSTANTLY dethrottle, FULLY, the engine upon even any minor level of wheelspin/slip. THAT can lead to a few moments of "heart in throat" events, no way to move out of harms way until the ECU slowly releases the throttle.
Back when it was my primary driver I toyed with the idea of modifying it so the traction control defaulted into "off". As it was I just tried to remember to always turn it off whenever I started the engine.
And so I certainly would not buy one, nor advise anyone else to buy one, to be used specifically as a "winter car".
I survived many winters in central MT with only RWD vehicles and those were fine for that time. But today too many "better" options are available. And my advice would be to avoid, completely, any FWD or front torque biased AWD vehicle. Well, maybe the Acura RDX' SH-AWD if you can stand the "busiiness" of the dash clutter and ignore the owners manual edict about using tire chains only on the front.
Numerous back and forth phone calls to Acura engineering and in the end all they could tell me was that the statement in the manual might be a typo, they couldn't find any reason, support, for the statement.
Speaking as someone who's earliest driving experiences (1958), "training", (outside of farm tractors and mules) was on the ice and snow covered ramps of Pease AFB just outside Portsmouth NH.
The 91 LS400 that I'm considering doesn't have the traction control option so I won't have to think about it. As I said in my post my rear drive Cressida was great in the snow with snow tires on just the rear wheels. It might have been even better with snows on all 4.
I'm not paying a lot of money for the Lexus so I'm not worried about the adverse affects to the car - just how it might handle.
Thank you for any help you may be able to provide.
Bill - Northwest IN - Shade tree mechanic in a previous life-
If the weather is cold, water will condense in the exhaust system after shutdown, then come out as steam on startup. This is OK. If you see the smoke after driving on the highway for an hour or it is an all-the-time event, you have a problem.
If you have a problem, most likely, at this age, it is a leaking head gasket. Possibly the cylinder head is cracked. Valve problems are possible but less likely. Keep track of how much coolant you add to keep it at the full mark. Obviously, this is expensive to fix.
Hope for the best.....
Ask your dealer to re-program the car's computer per Technical Service Bulletin TC006-04; everyone who has had this done has reported the issue resolved.
Here is a picture and where you can get it if you are a DIY'er:
Sewell Lexus
link title
I have used Meguiars care care products on my LS430s for several years now and like them very much. In particular, I like the "G1016 Smooth Surface Clay Kit" to gently clean all the crud off the surface prior to waxing. I have used several Meguiars waxes and have found them all good. I also use the "Quik Detailer™ Mist & Wipe" between wax jobs and like it very much. It may have been replaced by the Next Generation Speed Detailer? The web site has an evaluation Rx available. Good Luck.
My "066" touch up paint from the dealer that I got with the car in 10/2000 has never matched up (too light a base color) with the "parchment" color paint that came from the factory. I refuse to buy the "pearlescent" second step touch up paint as it will not make the base color darker. Besides, I have a 1990 white LS 400 and Lexus turned the two step touch up process on that color into a one step process that is less expensive and time consuming to do. Since most Lexus colors are "pearlescent", I don't know why they don't do a one step touch up process paint for all their colors? Lexus Corp. said they could not help me with that problem either, and my front end now looks like it has "measles" with all the lighter touched up spots.
Does anyone have any suggestion for either problem, as both cars are out of warranty now. Thanks
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Sounds like others have not had much success in dealing with Lexus Customer Service
1 - everything you wrote is TRUE . on the 2001-2006 LS430
model , it seems to me , that there are two outsources for seats . ( that is a guess ) why a guess ? because some Ls430's have seats that fit my butt perfect , and some hurt
as you described . I tried swapping seats from car to car when the car was brand new with zero miles , foam rubber material on the seat , etc.
2 - the way to know if your LS430 has the wacko seats ,
is place your fist between the seat bottom and seat back . if your fist goes through from front to back , you have the dud . the seat bottom and seat back should be so tight they rub together with NO space between them . LEXUS even alloed
for ZERO tolerance , because there is a whitish colored strip of cloth sewn into the seat back and seat bottom where the two pieces meet and rub as they are adjusted and
give during driving ( operating ) conditions .
FIX : there are 4 bolts that hold the seat to the chasis floor . 2 in front , 2 in back .
remove the 2 bolts in back ( move the drivers seat all the way forward , so you can work , place several "o ring" metal washers ( spacers ) on the male bolt coming up from the floor , place the seat on the two bolts in the rear , place the nuts on the bolts and torque the bolts .
-------
now the rear of the seat is higher than it was before , and your posterior is more level with the anterior .
simply put , you place yourself on a level playing field .
------
DISCLAIMER : i have had dealer service people tell me that void's the warranty .
i do not own any LS430's anymore . I removed the o ring washers before trading or selling the cars . it is the next guy's problem now .
--------
NOTE : the seats made by this outsource for lexus are great if you are 6' 5 " , and weigh 350 lbs , and carry lead in your pants .
for the average 5' 8" person , they can make you feel like you have a serious bladder infection knawing away at your lower back .
---------
Further Disclaimer : the above is not a scientific endeavor. it was strictly done for MY comfort . whether it is true or not true remains to be proven .
mitchell rowe
It's a bit disappointing that the finest car on earth, has a crummy seat, isn't it?
in Japan use two sources for the LS seats from 2001-2006 .
It's pot luck which one a customer is blessed with. the "pain" didn't show itself to sensitive person's for 300 to 800 miles ?
In re : to your comments about seats in "other" brands , vs. LS seats through 2005 :
I am extremely happy with the seat in my LS 460 SWB .
it is flat , conforms to the proper seat bottom length , and it is very wide at the same time , accomodating my butt . additionally , the seat back and seat bottom , actually fit together in all settings ( amazing ) .
whoever is building the 2007 seat , has heard the call from the american car buyers .
air / heat - seats : yes ... it is a different system of heating , as was my 2006 LS . However the 2007 LS 460 SWB that i own heats up in seconds ( i like it - we've had very cold temperatures here lately ) .
mitchell rowe
Does your reference to 2001-2006 models imply that the 2007 seats are more comfortable than the previous ones? That would be really good news for me, because I have found the seats in both my 2001 and 2004 LS430's somewhat uncomfortable too. Not as bad as some previous posters indicated, but definitely below par.
Renny
ITA with you about the seats. We, too, have an '05 LS430.
I'm tall and find that extending the bottom out (forward) makes the seat even more uncomfortable in that "sitting" area, as if the padding has been compressed in a car with 200k mi. on it. Feels like I'm sitting on a wooden bleacher. Ugh.
Seat heaters in front really do take forever to warm up. I think it is because they "blow" instead of radiate. My Volvos were much faster (well duh- they're from Sweden), but the LS is faster than our old '98 Toyota Avalon was.
Direct Answer : YES . the driver's seat in the 2007 LS460
( i have full time knowledge of the SWB only ) , is
"THE CHAMP " .
Lexus can do it . THe seat in the "original" gs300 + GS400
were superb for the average size person .
the GS , as you know , came out as a 1998 model .
REPETITIVE : the seat in the 2007 LS460 is flat , wide , and the seat bottom meets the seat back tightly at any position , even with the seat bottom extended or retracted . there is nothing in the seat back that hits the "nerve" in the lower back , that signals "pain" , and
causes language either thought or spoken sending the seats to an early demise in the graveyard of car parts in one's mind .
Not all LS430 seats have this insanity . I believe Lexus used two outsources , and one of the sources thought americans were 6' 5" tall , weighed 350 pounds , and ate Micky D's all day while driving , to add another 40 pounds .
These are unscientific Opinions only . The opinions expressed here are from Personal experience , and there has been no survey to back up these statements .
mitchell rowe
If you are experiencing the same problem w/the trunk struts/shocks, I want to encourage others to respond to the message posted by "slexy1" (Msg. #8044)or this message, to voice your concerns to your local Lexus dealer, and finally to contact Lexus by the 800 number for customer care.
Maybe we can get some positive responses if we all complain together.
THANKS!
Matthew Manning
rxstudent@sbcglobal.net
Thanks for the post and backup of my (and some Lexus Master Mechanics that I know) contention that the weak trunk struts are a known safety problem that has been reported on the NHTS web site. I sent you a copy of my e-mail that I just sent "Lexus Customer Satisfaction" (to rxstudent@sbcglobal.net). I basically found out from the dealer I bought the car at in 10/00 that the part number for those trunk struts was changed from ending in "30" to "31" sometime after 2001. Lexus keeps the reasons for these changes a secret even from their dealers, so I could not find out "why" for the change. But, I'm requesting that Lexus Corporate allow my dealer to install the "31" trunk struts, as I'm fairly sure that the new ones have been "beefed up". Good Luck.
Thanks,
cn
Lexus Corp. is not giving the dealers any info as to why the change in part #. I think they want it that way, since Lexus can always say that "It was just due to a change in vendor-supplier". That way, Lexus never has to admit that there was a problem to begin with, and therefore avoids the possibility of any public "recall" happening. But, don't get me wrong, I don't know what the real reason is, and I still love Lexus as my number one brand of car (I have two of them). I just don't think that Lexus has handled this particular situation with the consumer's best interest at heart, and that is not up to the kind of Lexus quality standards that I am used to (my opinion).
Here is some VERY INTERESTING NEWS! A nice new car salesman showed me the trunk mechanism on the brand new 2007 LS 460, and "lo and behold" Lexus Corporate decided to stop using struts to hold up the trunk lid, and go back to the same type of mechanism that was used in my 1990 Lexus LS 400! For lack of specific terminology, I'll call it a "swing-arm with counter balance" mechanism. That might not be accurate, but the point is that for SIX YEARS (2001 TO 2006) Lexus used struts. This tells me a lot that for their newest flagship model they went back to the same basic type of mechanism Lexus used 17 YEARS AGO!
I could be wrong, but this appears to be more "circumstantial evidence" that Lexus is very aware of the problem of weak struts, and/or the problem of even stronger replacement struts (# 31's) wearing out over time. My 17 year old 1990 trunk mechanism is still working perfectly after all these years!
http://www.brokerblogger.com/brokerblogger/2007/02/lexus_ls_460s_r.html
Great job!
Thanks,
cn
60k Timing Belt Service $1,500
Transmission Flush $190
Fuel Induction Flush $160
New front and rear brakes $700
I am wondering if I could get the same things done at a Toyota dealership for much less $$$$.
Do any of you use a Toyota dealership for your Lexus LS? I had a Toyota dealer do the timing belt service on my 99 LX 470 as it is practically identical to the Toyota Land Cruiser.
Regarding the brakes, would it be safe to buy the Lexus pads, shims, and fits and have a brake shop or Toyota put them on?
THANKS in advance!
Fuel Induction Flush would especially be a good idea if you live in an area of the US that has 10% Ethanol at all the gas stations like mine do. Ethanol can clean the fuel lines of gunk that gets caught in your fuel filter (which may need changing too)
I swear by these ceramic brake pads on TireRack by Akebono ProAct at $74 a pair (available now for front and rear). They are long lasting, don't squeak, dissapate heat for better braking under heat stress, and I think cost less than the dealer pads. I also think that Akebono does the OEM ceramic brake pads for Toyota that cost more.
http://www.tirerack.com/brakes/results.jsp?autoMake=Lexus&autoModel=LS430&autoYe- ar=2001&autoModClar=
I would get a second opinion from a Lexus Independent Service and Repair shop in your neck of the woods before I did anything. But, I used to use a Toyota dealership to get my 2001 LS 430 serviced, since they used to send me discount coupons for the 30K, 45K, etc. major service intervals that represented big saving over the local Lexus dealerships. Just call the Toyota Service Mgr. and ask him if he would agree that all that work needs to be done (don't say who told you that it was reccommended to be done), if he would do the work, and at what price would he do it all for.
I blogged about the E-10 Ethanol situation here:
http://www.brokerblogger.com/brokerblogger/2006/09/does_e10_ethano.html