Lexus LS 400/LS 430

yak54

Does the euro-suspension make that much of a difference in cornering? I test dorve a non euro ls 430 today and took it aggressively into the corners and thought it did well. I am also considering waiting for the LS460 (I am 8th on a list at the dealer) I am guessing that the handliong will be even better.

blk99ls

My 99 LS is due for a 90k service. My friend says forgo it. Can anyone advise on this and approx cost.

sv7887

Hi,
I wouldn't take your friend's advice on that. Your car has a timing belt that is due for replacement at that mileage. Your engine is an Interference type so if that belt were to snap your engine will need some real work.

The 90K service normally costs $1,000-1,500. It's not cheap but they do alot of work. Half of the engine needs to be taken apart to get at that Timing Belt. Most dealers will replace the water pump at the same time. (Cheap insurance) They will also change all the fluids. You may want them to change the Power Steering Fluid at the same time. (If they don't already).

Hope this helps,
Sam

gee35coupe

I'm not doing my timing belt til 150K.

benzseeker

Thanks for the info. I think I will get it done, the car deserves it.

lucian95

I have LS430 and RX300, both are 2002 models, due for a 90K service. I'm aware that replacing timing belts is a required service. However, I was also advised to consider replacing the water pump on both cars($385/car). Does anyone have any experience what is the lifespan of water pumps in Lexus cars. Do they last 180K?

Thanks for your advice with these questions.

bigrin

Group, can you help. Have need for touch up paint for 94 LS400, k47 is code. Dealer cannot locate anywhere. Any ideas? thx...CR

bigrin

Go with the 99'. Bigger engine, more improvements. Bigrin

luckylou

Hello , I don't post very often but I read all your posts.
I have a question. Anybody heard about a LS430 recall and reason ??
Thank you
Lou

famwald

"Anybody heard about a LS430 recall and reason ??
Thank you. Lou"

Lou, if you'll go to the "Search This Discussion" box on the right, just above the posts, and type in the word recall you should find what you're looking for.

luckylou

Thank you famwald.
Lou

gwendolyn

I have a 97 ls 400, with 117k miles. I notice if I accelerate, from 55 to 65, I get a vibration...only wihen I hit the accelerator.while at these speeds..if I let off the accelerator, or goes pass 70 mph, the vibration instantly goes away...I have had the tires balanced, rotated and balanced and I have replaced the transmission mount...still have problem...pls advise...any suggestions??

Also, I have mich harmony and all 4 have plenty of thread left and are wearing evenly.

Thanks,

Gwen

vcheng

... the propellor shaft U-joints.

huckleberry1

I checked on ebay for a DVD update but didn't find any that old.

nvbanker

Go to www.Lexus-Parts.com I think they can help ya.....

gwendolyn

What are "propellor shat u-joints....what are their function(s)?

Thanks,

Gwen

vcheng

...or universal joints, as they are properly called, keep the propellor shaft in proper alignment while allowing for driveline angulation and differential movement.

If worn, they can allow vibration to develop, initially at set speeds, and then growing worse over time.

However, this is only one of many possible causes in your case.

gwendolyn

What are the other possible causes....I am attempting to find the problem thru process of elimination without incurring too much expense....

which repair should I try first?

vcheng

... called "computer ears". (It goes by several other names too.) A Lexus dealer will have this device, but you may want to try a good independent shop.

Basically, the mechanic will install several microphones/vibrameters on the suspect components (bearings, propellor shaft, differential etc) and go for a ride, with a computer device recording the vibrations. This is the best way to pin point the culprit. It will save you a lot of hassle in just throwing parts at the problem hit-or-miss style.

In this siutation, some money spent for proper diagnosis will save more expense and especially aggravation.

craignhp

I have an '05 LS430 with a strange noise. I'm taking it in for it's 15K service here in a week or two, but I thought I'd see if anyone else has heard this. I have a tone (it's about 1500khz) that I can hear at idle and low acceleration above the radio. It's not related to engine speed, vehicle movement, or the fans in the AC system (unless it's the low speed fan you can't turn off). It never changes, but it gets masked with road noise. You can turn the radio off and the AC off and you still hear it. I thought maybe it was me, but my wife can hear it also. Any suggestions? Other than this noise, the car has been absolutely flawless. Maybe it's just too quiet?

Thanks

aggie76

Just a thought, I have an '04 LS430 and was having a similar tone issue. I think there is a post earlier this year in the Problems forum that I asked for anyone's help on. It turned out to be the A/C compressor, replaced under warranty and that cured it totally.

May not be your issue but something to look and listen to.

wwest

Yes, the new variable dosplacement A/C compressors do not have a clutch that disengages with A/C off.

gwendolyn

Thank you....I will check around to see about this...Thanks for the advice....

Gwen

nvbanker

To an old shadetree mechanic, this sounds just stupid to me.... Why would you want the Compressor running when you don't need or want it? What is a Variable Displacement Compressor anyway? Sounds frightfully expensive to me.....

wwest

As one OLD shade tree mechanic to another.....

A variable displacement compressor uses a wobble plate (think variable pitch helicopter blades) which is adjusted to control/limit the travel of the compressor pistons. Like that helicopter blade, the "pitch" can be infinitely adjusted, full capacity or all the way down to neutral wherein no refrigerant is being pumped.

And now as the engine RPM rises gear to gear for acceleration or uphill travel the servomotor can move the wobble plate to keep the refrigerant flow rate (work effort, engine load) constant.

No longer a need for a refrigerant reservoir and no clutch to wear out...

nvbanker

Thank you so much for that response, wwest. I get it now, and appreciate the excellent instruction on the new technology.

jimbo409

I am thinking of buying a ls400 with 105m mies. It is in excellent condition. Has not had the 90m service timming belt wp replaced. How long do you think I can go before I need to do thid. The asking price is 11,000.00 firm. Do you think this is a good deal. Also any good independent dealers in the nw suburbs of chicago. thanks

nvbanker

Good price, if it's been cared for. Not having the 90M service done isn't impressive.... You can probably get to 125M before it breaks, but if you're wrong, (I'm wrong), you lunch the whole engine when it blows..... I wouldn't risk it for a day If I bought it.

jimbo409

I just picked up my car. I went to the Lexus dealer and they quoted me 1500.00 for the 90m service. I know the timming belt and water pump will be replaced. But what does the other part of the 90m service include. They said they changs all fluids, do they change spark plugs and wires or is this extra.Also do they change the power steering fluid and is this necessary on a 98. Thanks Jim I love this site

nvbanker

It's a good site, isn't it? The 90M service includes:

Replace Air Conditioner Filter
Replace Brake Fluid
Replace Engine Air Filter
Replace Engine Coolant
Replace Engine oil and oil filter
Replace Timing Belt
Re-torque drive shaft flange bolts
Rotate Tire
Inspect the following:

Ball joints and dust covers
Body
Brake lines and hoses
Brake linings/drums and brake pads/discs
Differential Oil
Drive Belts
Drive shaft boots
Exhaust pipes and mountings
Fuel lines and connections, fuel tank band and fuel tank vapor vent system hoses.
Fuel tank cap gasket
Rack and pinion assembly.
Steering linkage and boots
Transmission fluid.

ckennedy

Anybody have any suggestions as to what i could put under an infant car seat to protect the seats on my 2001 ls430? i currently have a bath cotton towel folded in half.

nvbanker

A cow or sheepskin seat cover.

garyh1

Anybody have any suggestions as to what i could put under an infant car seat to protect the seats on my 2001 ls430?

A hefty mother-in-law.

cneuman

Is $1500. the typical charge for the 90M service? I know that maintenace on the LS is exspensive, but how exspenive is it? Can someone please give more examples of typical charges? Can anyone suggest a good independent LS mechanic shop in the Chicago area? How much more reasonable are the independent charges?

Thanks for any help given.

cn

jimbo409

I checked with 3 dealers in the nw suburbs of chicago and they were all about the same. I then went to a highly recommended independent and he was only 300 lower. I even went to 2 toyota dealers and they were the same as the lexus dealers and they did not seem to know what they were talking about. Might as go with the lexus dealers.

cneuman

jimbo409

Wow, thanks for your time and the very through reply. This is a great forum full of helpful people and good info.

cn

nvbanker

My Lexus dealer charges $140 for an oil change basically. You can get a Lincoln done for $30, and a Mercedes for $1500.

famwald

"My Lexus dealer charges $140 for an oil change basically"

Wow, I'm glad I avoided my dealer for the 15k service last month. I took ours to our regular mechanic/tire dealer who is a Toyota Authorized Parts place and services lots of Lexus. I paid either $70 or $80 for the oil change and tire rotation.
They have on their computer all the specs for the 15k service and check a lot of other things, too.

nvbanker

Then that's probably a great shop to know, and you'll save some bucks. I have one of those too, and only visit the Lexus dealership when I have some warranty stuff done.

cneuman

Can anyone reccomend a Toyota dealer/ independent mechanic, who is qualified to work on the Lexus, in the southwest suburban area of Chicago? I really want to buy an older MY LS, but the maintenance costs may make that a bad choice for me. I do realize that the maintenance on an LS is going to be more than say a Hyundai or Ford, I just want to find out if I can manage the cost w/o selling my first born.

Thanks again to all...

cn

famwald

Can anyone reccomend a Toyota dealer/ independent mechanic, who is qualified to work on the Lexus, in the southwest suburban area of Chicago?

If you don't get any recommendations here, you might try the www.cartalk.com website. They have a section called The Mechanic X-files (or something like that) where people post good local mechanics by state, with comments, etc. That's how we found a good mechanic for our son's Toyota Avalon in Atlanta after he moved there.

cneuman

Thanks Famwald!

cn

afiber2

If you can hack the ride, Lexus of Fort Wayne Indiana has an excellent service dept. They don't sell me things I don't need and their prices are very reasonable - nearly as cheap as my Ford Dealer for service. They treat me like a king. I just wish they were closer than the 112 miles. At the time I bought my '01 ultra, it was them or a Chicago Dealer. No choice in my estimation.
I will buy the '07 LS460 from them as I'm accustom to the ride - or they would drive from Fort Wayne to my home, leave me a rental, and drive my car to the dealership for servicing returning it later that day. Now my wife likes to shop in Fort Wayne so we take the car in.
Bill
Northwest IN.

jfz

I agree with Bill about this dealership. Fortunately, its only a 5 mile drive for me! The Toyota service department just behind this dealer is also superior.

cneuman

Thanks afiber2 and jfz, I never thought about going to Indiana. Not sure exactly how far away Fort Wayne is, but I will definitely check it out. Any body have any other recommendations for dealer / indpendent mechanics in Indiana or elsewhere?

Thanks

cn

jimbo409

I have my 98 ls 400 at the lexus dealer right now for the 90mile service and timming belt and water pump. The service tech just called me and said they do not replace the cam seals only the crank seal. He said that they do the timming belt from the side of the engine and the cam seals would have to be done from the front of the engine at an additional cost of about 500.00. He sid that only the 6 cylinders need the cam seals replaced with the timming belt. What is going on here. Everyone said to replace the cam seals but the dealer said absolutely not. He said that if they leaked in 6months or a year from now it would be the same amount to change then instead of now.HELP

todd2004

I have a 2003 Lexus LS430 Ultra. I bought it used in Feb. 2004 from Mead Lexus in Utica , Mi. on their internet site. It was a demo with 14k miles on it. I have had both the 15k and 30k done at Tom Wood Lexus. They have treated me very well . The only thing you have to watch on the major services is that they only do what the warranty book calls for and not a bunch of dealer recommended interval services (some of which I like to have done and some I don't feel are worth much) . I use only Amsoil 100% synthetic oil/oil filters and have the oil changed at 7500 mi. intervals. I have been charged $25 for just the labor---you can't beat that !! So , while I can't get that dealership to deal with me on a new/used car, their service department has treated me fairly. This is our fifth Lexus and each time I tried to buy here, but they just wouldn't treat me right! My other four cars all came from Lexus of Lexington---great deals and delivered to my door in Indy.

cneuman

todd2004

Would you please share your experience of purchasing a demo. Did you save a great deal of money on that type of purchase? Has anyone else here made such a purchase? What was your experience?

Thanks,

cn

nvbanker

I have purchased Demos from time to time, but really never saved much on them. The dealers try to get their money out of them just like everything else. Unless it's beat up.

craignhp

I found out the high pitched noise was being caused by the Driver's Seat ventilation fan. They're replacing the fan motor and we should be back to peace and quiet. I was impressed that the technician found it right away (Fort Wayne Lexus), even though they hadn't seen (heard) that problem before.