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Comments
Turning the indicator back on has absolutely no actual effect until the OAT rises substantially.
If the A/C were to be used to chill the evaporator below or near freezing then it would soon become clogged with condensed moisture that freezes.
If you're not experiencing temperatures in those ranges then it likely you have an intermittently open OAT sensor or downstream sensor, indicating LOW temperatures.
TPS wear [bad spot/failure] very common after years.
my tach indicates 900 in park, and slightly lower in drive or reverse. Now I've noticed, after chaning TPS, once I reach approximately 60mph my tach suddenly drops from about 1100 to 900 and my car slows down accordingly. I have to increase acelleration to get back up to speed. My mechanic has the car now and I hope he can get it back to specs soon. I will pass your advice to him. Thanks again.
I saw one for sale (St. Louis area) for $6000 w/ 190000+ miles on it. Is it worth the trouble?
The vehicle itself is in fine condition (cloth int, black paint, sunroof).
I am curious to know, so any commentary is appreiciated.
IF the appearance, exterier and interior, is good I would go for it and expect another 50k or so easily
With proper EXTRA maint [oil and fluid changes] these precision engines can last a long time.
We have never had to change a tranny on an LS400 but they use Special Toyota Synthetic ATF and get a pan drain [partial replacement every 2 years or 30k].
Also the telescoping feature isn't working. What worse case scenario in cost to fix it? Other than those two issues it's a great car.
that's a grand total of $3,120
$2165 - for car
$65 - for key
$50 - electric problem
$700 - rear door replaced, trunk, back light(the one with the trunk key), paint. the car still needs minor body work and possibly a paint job.
$70 - to tow it out the lot
$70 - trunk lock
$35 - oil change
Problems:
1)It seems that the power steering pump is leaking
2)I have the infamous leaking LCD climate control
3)It has a ticking noise in the engine. (does any one have this problem)
PS steering pump and res common problem -replace. Rack and boots?
LCD replace!
The valve shims [they come in 50 sizes] need replacing to adjust for valve train wear!
Another $3,000 ought to get everything functioning, but you seem good with junk yards so less.
How is AC and all the suspension? Shocks probably shot!
Can it be that the car is so well made that rack and boots and even the suspension can be bad and I can't tell?
It seems the car was parked at the auction from 05/01/02 without ever being started. can that be the cause of the ticking noise or do you think the previous owner negleted the car.
How much for the valve shims as a seperate job?
The ac works perfectly.
the next question i have is
I'm currently waiting for the paper work to come back from motor vehicle, i'm afraid to start the car because the power steering fluid can leak into the alternater (which I had checked two days ago and they said it was in excellent shape). Can the power steering fluid leak into the car with the engine not running or does it need a vacuum from the engine to push the fluid?
Many thanks,
Hieu
All the rubber bushings in suspension arms/sway bars, tension rods etc shock boots/bumper stops spring seats should be examined for wear and rubber turning hard also exhaust hangers, transmisson and motor mounts.
Lots depends on location: heat, road salt, potholes.......Atlanta/South is pretty benign except for heat.
Purchase both shop manuals and have fun making it near new.
If car checks out w/mechanic is it worth the price? What should I look for when I return to test drive? What are the possible pitfalls with this mileage?
I spent 10 minutes just looking it over, It really is in good shape visually with chrome wheels and excellent tires and high shine to the paint. Car looks like it has been kept in a garage. However without the key I was not able to start it up and check any electronics, motor noise or AC.
Is "cold air" the only check for the AC system or is there something else I can look at when I return?
I'm getting rid of our third minivan and finally getting my wife and I a luxury car. Will this fit the bill?
Thanks for any responses.
Joe .....
I have a 1991 LS 400 with 197,000 miles. I've taken care of it and plan to hold on to it for several more years. I'll tell you about the repairs I've had in the last four years between 150,000 and 197,000 miles. I replaced the air conditioning compressor at 150,000, the power steering pump at 175,000 (also at 80,000)and the rack and pinion at 196,000. The LCD for the a/c temp display is short, but I haven't replaced it. I replaced shocks at 110,000. I think these are common problems. I would also look at the alternator. Check the service records. If these items haven't been replaced, I would think it likely that you would be faced with one or more of these which range between $800 and $1,300. It's a great car, but the replacement of these items is no small matter (but it still beats a large loan payment!)
Kirk
Why else would it have been sold!
Cold air [feel] is not a useful measurement ......you need to measure the temperature at vents after 15 minutes of driving in 90F ambient..........after all you can be fooled by a quicky recharge which leaks out after a week.
Service records showed maint every 5,000 miles like clockwork since 75,000. Even had service @ 120,000 and 130,000 (just 2k ago). Up to 75,000 miles the car had service every 7,500 miles (probably the first owner). Service rep was impressed.
Here is the funny thing. I drove the car 45 miles over two days before the dealer checked it. Then after the check, the car DID have a miss. In fact we never left the dealer lot and questioned them.
They said the miss was there. I never felt it on my test drive till AFTER the checkout. We checked and a full tune up was done at 120,000, just 12k ago, w/plugs and wires.
After discussions with mechanic, salesman, service rep, we came to the conclusion the engine cleaning done by the seller had caused a problem.
We drove off, by the time we got down the block, the miss was gone and it drove fine for 8 more miles back to the dealer. After negotiating and a calculated gamble I decided to buy it (at the right price) figuring any moisture would be gone and the miss may not come back.
Well it came back and is very intermittent at idle. You can see quick a notch on the tach when it happens. The needle moves (drops) about the witdh of the needle and returns. It is very quick, but you can feel it. Sometimes it wil happen 3 04 four times in a row, then stop. I can't get it to happen above 1100 rpm. No pattern on when it happens. But does it about 10 - 15% of the time at a stop.
Runs fine and very smooth with plenty of power otherwise.
Any thoughts on the low idle miss? Can't believe new plugs and wires are the cause after a engine wash. I would think it would not be intermittent if it was plugs.
Good news: Suspension in front has been worked, ps pump sealed at 80k. Temp display is bright as is radio display. Stereo is awesome. Both major tune ups have been done and belt done.
No A/c work has been done. But it is cold.
Thanks ago for your input.
I had a '95 LS and have a '98 LS now - great cars; enjoy!
If the plugs were causing a low speed miss, it would be much worse as the car got underway I think.
This is a think fuel related not spark related.
Gas related, that's a good take. Filled up and drove to San Diego and back. Didn't notice it. Going to note mpg, as that will be a good indicator.
Thanks for the input.
Joe ...
It cruised like a cloud .....
http://www.gates.com/brochure.cfm?brochure=981
Shows all LS400s, from 1990-2000, are non-interference.
Also shows the recommended change interval for LS timing belts:
1990-1994 60k miles
1995-1997 90k
1998-2000 90k
At 144k without a change you probably won't cause much damage if it shreds - but you sure will need a tow.
Why does my 92 LS show 90k for timing belt?
Te1 and E1: 25 (check engine light)
Tc and E1: 51 (traction off light)
I could reset all of these fault codes by disconnecting the battery and leaving it out for a while, but the problem will soon appear again after I reconnected the battery and drove for about an hour.
Hieu
http://carstereohelp.com/repairDoItYourselfLexusRepairVol.htm
Does anyone know a trustworthy and capable mechanic for LS400 in Denver, Colorado area?
Thank you.