New member intro and ??
08-16-09, 06:11 AM
#1
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New member intro and ??
Hello,
What a great forum! Looking for a second car/student kid's car, I've been shopping LS400's and Acura Legends for a while. I think I've found a very nice 90 with 140k. The vehicle has all service records and is an original owner car. Timing belt and water pump and all hoses and drive belts were changed at 100k. Yesterday my son and I took it out for an extensive drive and could find very little wrong. Great cloth interior, nice exterior with a few normal parking lot ripples on the doors. Aftermarket sound system and American racing wheels. Nice, but stock wheels would have been my preference. The car does not have a sunroof, which for me is a plus. No dash cracks. Here's all I could find wrong:
The climate control readout is very dim. I understand this is an expensive fix and wonder if it's critical or worth it. The owner says all it reads out is cabin temp and the time. CC itself works great. AC has been converted.
We noticed a barely audible, speed related click or tick sound that I at first thought might be a pebble in a tire or a vibration coming from an air vent. Of course the owner says it's always done that. It's motion/speed related and doesn't do it in park or neutral. Tight parking lot circles and speed bumps didn't indicate any suspension problems. Brakes to me felt soft but smooth and adequate, I don't really know what they ought to feel like on this car so it's hard to judge.
The guy wants 4100 for the car, which I think is way too much. KBB gives it about 3300 in good condition.
Some questions:
It's my opinion that most people overestimate their MPG. Can a conservative driver really get over 20mpg in this car? Our miles are all highway.
How safe is this car? Crash tests are impossible to find on a 90.
How will this car handle in the few slushy/icy/wet days we have each year?
How to tell if the car has traction control? The owner told me it had it, then pointed to the ETC switch, which unless I'm mistaken is the transmission power/economy selector and NOT traction control. I forgot to check the indicator lights on the dash
Your comments will be greatly appreciated. Thanks for this forum!
What a great forum! Looking for a second car/student kid's car, I've been shopping LS400's and Acura Legends for a while. I think I've found a very nice 90 with 140k. The vehicle has all service records and is an original owner car. Timing belt and water pump and all hoses and drive belts were changed at 100k. Yesterday my son and I took it out for an extensive drive and could find very little wrong. Great cloth interior, nice exterior with a few normal parking lot ripples on the doors. Aftermarket sound system and American racing wheels. Nice, but stock wheels would have been my preference. The car does not have a sunroof, which for me is a plus. No dash cracks. Here's all I could find wrong:
The climate control readout is very dim. I understand this is an expensive fix and wonder if it's critical or worth it. The owner says all it reads out is cabin temp and the time. CC itself works great. AC has been converted.
We noticed a barely audible, speed related click or tick sound that I at first thought might be a pebble in a tire or a vibration coming from an air vent. Of course the owner says it's always done that. It's motion/speed related and doesn't do it in park or neutral. Tight parking lot circles and speed bumps didn't indicate any suspension problems. Brakes to me felt soft but smooth and adequate, I don't really know what they ought to feel like on this car so it's hard to judge.
The guy wants 4100 for the car, which I think is way too much. KBB gives it about 3300 in good condition.
Some questions:
It's my opinion that most people overestimate their MPG. Can a conservative driver really get over 20mpg in this car? Our miles are all highway.
How safe is this car? Crash tests are impossible to find on a 90.
How will this car handle in the few slushy/icy/wet days we have each year?
How to tell if the car has traction control? The owner told me it had it, then pointed to the ETC switch, which unless I'm mistaken is the transmission power/economy selector and NOT traction control. I forgot to check the indicator lights on the dash
Your comments will be greatly appreciated. Thanks for this forum!
08-16-09, 09:43 AM
#2
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Hello,
What a great forum! Looking for a second car/student kid's car, I've been shopping LS400's and Acura Legends for a while. I think I've found a very nice 90 with 140k. The vehicle has all service records and is an original owner car. Timing belt and water pump and all hoses and drive belts were changed at 100k. Yesterday my son and I took it out for an extensive drive and could find very little wrong. Great cloth interior, nice exterior with a few normal parking lot ripples on the doors. Aftermarket sound system and American racing wheels. Nice, but stock wheels would have been my preference. The car does not have a sunroof, which for me is a plus. No dash cracks. Here's all I could find wrong:
The climate control readout is very dim. I understand this is an expensive fix and wonder if it's critical or worth it. The owner says all it reads out is cabin temp and the time. CC itself works great. AC has been converted.
We noticed a barely audible, speed related click or tick sound that I at first thought might be a pebble in a tire or a vibration coming from an air vent. Of course the owner says it's always done that. It's motion/speed related and doesn't do it in park or neutral. Tight parking lot circles and speed bumps didn't indicate any suspension problems. Brakes to me felt soft but smooth and adequate, I don't really know what they ought to feel like on this car so it's hard to judge.
The guy wants 4100 for the car, which I think is way too much. KBB gives it about 3300 in good condition.
Some questions:
It's my opinion that most people overestimate their MPG. Can a conservative driver really get over 20mpg in this car? Our miles are all highway.
How safe is this car? Crash tests are impossible to find on a 90.
How will this car handle in the few slushy/icy/wet days we have each year?
How to tell if the car has traction control? The owner told me it had it, then pointed to the ETC switch, which unless I'm mistaken is the transmission power/economy selector and NOT traction control. I forgot to check the indicator lights on the dash
Your comments will be greatly appreciated. Thanks for this forum!
What a great forum! Looking for a second car/student kid's car, I've been shopping LS400's and Acura Legends for a while. I think I've found a very nice 90 with 140k. The vehicle has all service records and is an original owner car. Timing belt and water pump and all hoses and drive belts were changed at 100k. Yesterday my son and I took it out for an extensive drive and could find very little wrong. Great cloth interior, nice exterior with a few normal parking lot ripples on the doors. Aftermarket sound system and American racing wheels. Nice, but stock wheels would have been my preference. The car does not have a sunroof, which for me is a plus. No dash cracks. Here's all I could find wrong:
The climate control readout is very dim. I understand this is an expensive fix and wonder if it's critical or worth it. The owner says all it reads out is cabin temp and the time. CC itself works great. AC has been converted.
We noticed a barely audible, speed related click or tick sound that I at first thought might be a pebble in a tire or a vibration coming from an air vent. Of course the owner says it's always done that. It's motion/speed related and doesn't do it in park or neutral. Tight parking lot circles and speed bumps didn't indicate any suspension problems. Brakes to me felt soft but smooth and adequate, I don't really know what they ought to feel like on this car so it's hard to judge.
The guy wants 4100 for the car, which I think is way too much. KBB gives it about 3300 in good condition.
Some questions:
It's my opinion that most people overestimate their MPG. Can a conservative driver really get over 20mpg in this car? Our miles are all highway.
How safe is this car? Crash tests are impossible to find on a 90.
How will this car handle in the few slushy/icy/wet days we have each year?
How to tell if the car has traction control? The owner told me it had it, then pointed to the ETC switch, which unless I'm mistaken is the transmission power/economy selector and NOT traction control. I forgot to check the indicator lights on the dash
Your comments will be greatly appreciated. Thanks for this forum!
Nonetheless, KBB is on standard equipment which means leather interior with moonroof/sunroof. And your correct, the ECT is not for traction control. over 20mpg can be attained but mostly highway unless you hypermile. Everybody else, please chime in and comment.
08-16-09, 10:17 AM
#3
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I'll admit it's the first one I've seen with no sunroof, and they always seem to have leather too. I'd sure like to hear everyone else's opinions on my questions. I know the price is silly, what about the other stuff? Thanks!!
08-16-09, 10:39 AM
#4
Lexus Test Driver
I'd find another one to buy unless the price is DRASTICALLY reduced. I wouldn't trust buying a car from a guy that thinks the ECT is TRAC. The HVAC display is quite a simple fix, Couple hundred bucks. about 100% common on 1st gens.
Also.. The lowest MPG I've ever got in MY LS is 18ish. The highest I've ever got is 30.3! These vehicles are AMAZING on the highway. My daily commute AVG is about 21mpg.
I'd recommend looking for another. Try to find one completely stock. And definitely try to find a lower price. Most people will try to rip you off jut because of the marquee.
Good luck
Also.. The lowest MPG I've ever got in MY LS is 18ish. The highest I've ever got is 30.3! These vehicles are AMAZING on the highway. My daily commute AVG is about 21mpg.
I'd recommend looking for another. Try to find one completely stock. And definitely try to find a lower price. Most people will try to rip you off jut because of the marquee.
Good luck
08-16-09, 01:37 PM
#5
Absolutely out of the question to pay $4100 for a 90 with 140K. One thing I do admit to is that the owner has a prety rare LS as there are VERY FEW of them which have cloth and no sunroof. This was a dealer special order option when the car was new, so you aren't likely to see many equipped this way.
1. Climate control blackening out was a very common problem. Not too expensive a fix at all. Some have taken the unit out and shipped them out to have the screen re-done. There is a vendor on ebay who sells the kit(if you are electronically savy) for $100. You can also send your unit to him and have him replace the screen and send it back. I really can't recall the vendors name, b/c it has been awhile since I looked for it. I know a few people here, on these forums, have used him with satisfactory results. If you choose not to repair, it doesn't hurt anything, just can't read what is on the screen.
2. I still average about 22-23 mpg on the highway with my 92, so MPG ratings is very obtainable.
3. Every Lexus is very reliable in doing what is was originally intended to do; protect it's occupants in the event of a crash. Cabin design is strong and is engineered to protect.
4. Car will handle in slush/ice typical of any other RWD car. Rain performance is pretty good. A really good set of all season tires will def help.
5. Turn the car to the "on" position so that all of the warning lights on the dash come up. There should be one which says "TRAC" which comes up if car is equiped with traction control.
This should help with what came standard and what came optional.
http://www.lexls.com/info/ls400.html
1. Climate control blackening out was a very common problem. Not too expensive a fix at all. Some have taken the unit out and shipped them out to have the screen re-done. There is a vendor on ebay who sells the kit(if you are electronically savy) for $100. You can also send your unit to him and have him replace the screen and send it back. I really can't recall the vendors name, b/c it has been awhile since I looked for it. I know a few people here, on these forums, have used him with satisfactory results. If you choose not to repair, it doesn't hurt anything, just can't read what is on the screen.
2. I still average about 22-23 mpg on the highway with my 92, so MPG ratings is very obtainable.
3. Every Lexus is very reliable in doing what is was originally intended to do; protect it's occupants in the event of a crash. Cabin design is strong and is engineered to protect.
4. Car will handle in slush/ice typical of any other RWD car. Rain performance is pretty good. A really good set of all season tires will def help.
5. Turn the car to the "on" position so that all of the warning lights on the dash come up. There should be one which says "TRAC" which comes up if car is equiped with traction control.
This should help with what came standard and what came optional.
http://www.lexls.com/info/ls400.html
08-17-09, 08:13 AM
#6
Hello,
What a great forum! Looking for a second car/student kid's car, I've been shopping LS400's and Acura Legends for a while. I think I've found a very nice 90 with 140k. The vehicle has all service records and is an original owner car. Timing belt and water pump and all hoses and drive belts were changed at 100k. Yesterday my son and I took it out for an extensive drive and could find very little wrong. Great cloth interior, nice exterior with a few normal parking lot ripples on the doors. Aftermarket sound system and American racing wheels. Nice, but stock wheels would have been my preference. The car does not have a sunroof, which for me is a plus. No dash cracks. Here's all I could find wrong:
The climate control readout is very dim. I understand this is an expensive fix and wonder if it's critical or worth it. The owner says all it reads out is cabin temp and the time. CC itself works great. AC has been converted.
We noticed a barely audible, speed related click or tick sound that I at first thought might be a pebble in a tire or a vibration coming from an air vent. Of course the owner says it's always done that. It's motion/speed related and doesn't do it in park or neutral. Tight parking lot circles and speed bumps didn't indicate any suspension problems. Brakes to me felt soft but smooth and adequate, I don't really know what they ought to feel like on this car so it's hard to judge.
The guy wants 4100 for the car, which I think is way too much. KBB gives it about 3300 in good condition.
Some questions:
It's my opinion that most people overestimate their MPG. Can a conservative driver really get over 20mpg in this car? Our miles are all highway.
How safe is this car? Crash tests are impossible to find on a 90.
How will this car handle in the few slushy/icy/wet days we have each year?
How to tell if the car has traction control? The owner told me it had it, then pointed to the ETC switch, which unless I'm mistaken is the transmission power/economy selector and NOT traction control. I forgot to check the indicator lights on the dash
Your comments will be greatly appreciated. Thanks for this forum!
What a great forum! Looking for a second car/student kid's car, I've been shopping LS400's and Acura Legends for a while. I think I've found a very nice 90 with 140k. The vehicle has all service records and is an original owner car. Timing belt and water pump and all hoses and drive belts were changed at 100k. Yesterday my son and I took it out for an extensive drive and could find very little wrong. Great cloth interior, nice exterior with a few normal parking lot ripples on the doors. Aftermarket sound system and American racing wheels. Nice, but stock wheels would have been my preference. The car does not have a sunroof, which for me is a plus. No dash cracks. Here's all I could find wrong:
The climate control readout is very dim. I understand this is an expensive fix and wonder if it's critical or worth it. The owner says all it reads out is cabin temp and the time. CC itself works great. AC has been converted.
We noticed a barely audible, speed related click or tick sound that I at first thought might be a pebble in a tire or a vibration coming from an air vent. Of course the owner says it's always done that. It's motion/speed related and doesn't do it in park or neutral. Tight parking lot circles and speed bumps didn't indicate any suspension problems. Brakes to me felt soft but smooth and adequate, I don't really know what they ought to feel like on this car so it's hard to judge.
The guy wants 4100 for the car, which I think is way too much. KBB gives it about 3300 in good condition.
Some questions:
It's my opinion that most people overestimate their MPG. Can a conservative driver really get over 20mpg in this car? Our miles are all highway.
How safe is this car? Crash tests are impossible to find on a 90.
How will this car handle in the few slushy/icy/wet days we have each year?
How to tell if the car has traction control? The owner told me it had it, then pointed to the ETC switch, which unless I'm mistaken is the transmission power/economy selector and NOT traction control. I forgot to check the indicator lights on the dash
Your comments will be greatly appreciated. Thanks for this forum!
MPG - My 95 gets 22-26 average for the tank. I drive conservatively though.
Crash safety - According to this link the 90-92 LS did not fair well unless I read it wrong: http://www.iihs.org/research/hldi/ic.../ictl_0993.pdf
Winter driving - I live in Houston but drove one week in icy and snow conditions. My 95 with traction control drove well however, it was not as stable as a front wheel drive car.
Traction control should have a small button on the center console - don't know for sure on the 90-94 though. ECT is exactly as you stated - only transmission power option.
For what he is asking you could get a better 90-94 and possibly a 95-97. There are so many clean LS models out there with much lower mileage than that one.
For a second car I would definitely recommend a LS versus a Camry, Maxima, etc. IMO the LS, no matter what generation is so much nicer to drive than the previously mentioned options.
Hope that helps. Enjoy
08-17-09, 08:26 AM
#7
Winter driving - I live in Houston but drove one week in icy and snow conditions.
C'mon over to the NE side of the country for awhile and really get your snow skills in gear; as well as enhance your road hazard dodging skills.Steve,, cant pull the link. Asking for a security password to unlock the PDF file.
Last edited by trukn1; 08-17-09 at 08:32 AM.
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08-17-09, 08:37 AM
#8
Ha ha your funny. Yes, one week almost does not count. But hey, I grew up in New Hampshire though. That one week my LS was good in the bad stuff.
Sorry - I tried copying link and pasting the link into Safari and Explorer. Although it worked for me here is actual file:
Hopefully the information is useful.
Sorry - I tried copying link and pasting the link into Safari and Explorer. Although it worked for me here is actual file:
Hopefully the information is useful.
Last edited by steveski; 08-17-09 at 08:52 AM.
08-17-09, 09:33 AM
#9
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Thanks for the info. No way I'm paying anything close to what the guy's asking. The car has definite positives. I don't want a sunroof, or leather. 20 year old leather in Arizona is almost always pretty rough. I find leather hot in summer and cold in winter and the first thing I want to do is put sheepskins on the seats, so what's the point other than prestige?The car's maintenance records are complete. The sound I mentioned is more of a slight purring sound and really doesn't bother me. I'd look into it of course if I bought the car, but don't think it's some horrible issue. That and a few parking lot dings are the only things amiss other than the hvac module.
I read that crash report. Great resource, thanks! It looks to me like the car scored "substantially better than average" on injury criteria, which is my concern. It got poor marks on collision, probably due to cost of repairs. I don't care how badly damaged a car is in a crash, it's occupant safety I'm concerned with.
I'm going to lowball the seller in the 1500-2000 range. All he can do (and probably will) is tell me to F off.
Thanks again!
I read that crash report. Great resource, thanks! It looks to me like the car scored "substantially better than average" on injury criteria, which is my concern. It got poor marks on collision, probably due to cost of repairs. I don't care how badly damaged a car is in a crash, it's occupant safety I'm concerned with.
I'm going to lowball the seller in the 1500-2000 range. All he can do (and probably will) is tell me to F off.
Thanks again!
08-17-09, 10:11 AM
#11
Wouldn't go more than $2k on the cost. Heck if you want to spend $4100 on an older LS,, I will throw mine on the back of an 18 wheeler and just sell you mine. LOL!!! Annnddd,, only cause you are spending the money and I am a trucker, will deliver it to you minus the delivery cost. LOL!!!
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