LSCD

Can't...... lurk.... anymore... Hi people! Been lurking for quite some time, and it's time for me to join and milk the cow, and feed the cow...

I've owned a 93 LS400 for 2 years and 2 days now, and have gleaned lots of helpful hints from here and a few other places. It was bought for what I considered to not to be a steal, but a very fair low price for what it is, a 17 year old used car. It has been nothing but a pleasure to own and drive, my wife and kids love it, even if it is a little on the beat up side. My aims and aspirations for this car at this time are only to keep it stock and dependable, as I don't think the pealing clearcoat and the splitting leather are worth the cost to repair at this phase in our family finances, but I like to keep it up mechanically. I do most of my own maint and repairs, and what I am not comfortable with, or don't have the tools for get passed on to my wife's uncle and/or brother-in-law, who are both mechanics. So I won't be much help with mods, but might have some practicle advice if more expediant listers don't beat me to it...

So, greetings all and away we go...

Ben

willhickey

iTrader: (1)

glad you quit lurking and started postin haha how many miles etc? always good to have some mechanics around

LSCD

93 LS400 bought in May of '08 with 145K for $2400. Price was good for the machine that it was, but had some blemishes, namely dandruff (pealing clearcoat on the roof) and leather splitting at the seams, due to being an Arizona car.

I wasn't in the market for a Lexus at the time, was looking for an Outback wagon. The LS was the first car I test drove when I went looking with my wife's mechanic uncle, had a great first impression, but forced myself to decide against it due to potential gas and parts costs. Spent a whole day test-driving cars with my wife, none of them panned out, and said at the end of the day "If that Lexus is still available, I think we should consider it", and so it was. We love it, it's a great car for long distance hauls with the kids to see family out of state.

Things I've done:
- started a repair log (this car had no repair history except what Lexus had on their computers. I know, I know, stay away from the ones with no maint history, but I felt confidant because my wife's uncle gave it the thumbs up).
- got a free owners manual by registering with Lexus website.
- tranny pan drop (looked nice, no metal on magnets or on filter), NAPA filter and gasket kit, and flushed with 11.5 qts of Toyota T-IV. Tranny shudder resolved.
- had leaking PS pressure hose repaired locally (see other post).
- repaired master window switch by replacing those tiny springs with a soldered wire connection.
- urethane bushings in front upper control arms, front lower control arms and rear carrier arms. (much better, but still have a clunk in front trying to isolate, suspect strut bushings).
- alignment and set of General Altimax HP 98V on stock rims all around (bad bushings did wonders to the old tires). Have been happy with the AltimaxHPs, if you are wondering, I think they are a lot of bang for the buck, even if they are not the best thing out there.
- regular oil changes between 3-5000 miles just NAPA dino 5W30 and OEM Toyota oil filters.
- new spark plugs and wires
- new fuel filter (solved an embarassing stalling issue resulting in tows); check your filter before you replace your fuel pump.
- new 5" polkaudio (they say 5" but they fit the stock 4" with no mods) speakers in all the doors and a 8" Kicker sub in the rear deck on the stock Nak system sounds OK for now. It is a 4 ohm sub.. the stock amp has 4ohms written on it as output so I gave up looking for the elusive 2ohm 8" sub and ran it.
- new OEM engine and tranny mounts. All is smooth now....
- new return line on PS reservoir (see other post)
- new seal kit and bearing on PS pump (see other post).
- new gascap o-ring (did not resolve hissing when uncapping as Lexls.com tutorial suggests).
- trying to resolve ongoing PS issues (see other post).
- Future plans: will not resolve clearcoat issues (now peals on trunk lid also), will upgrade to 96 or newer rather than spend money on quality paint) but will replace seats if I can find a nice donor in a boneyard or classifieds.

Ben

LSCD

oh yeah:

- new OEM air filter too.

willhickey

iTrader: (1)

what other post? sounds like a deal to me .. i got a 90 ls400 for 600 but its a handful haha i already got new leather for it sc430 rims new roters and pads new timingbelts ign. coils, plugs, wires, roters , and caps.. glovebox door, clear corner lenses, trans flush filter and thats it so far. Its a fun project so its not to bad considering it will be a 4k car when i get it painted finish up the seats , tint it etc. got any pics of yours?

Bradster

I would Seafoam the engine and have the fuel injectors cleaned..

LSCD

The post you replied to

It's not picture-worthy.. although the hood and grill are probably the only body panel without a single blemish of some sort.. The pealing clearcoat is fun in the heat of summer when it starts to lift in big flakes... my Lexus has dandruff! I should park it in front of a dealer and see if they take care of it for sake of bad publicity during all this recall madness.... bit who am I kidding, I know they try to avoid any conversation about cars out of warranty unless you are ready to open your wallet.

Ben

LSCD

I've got a can of Seafoam ready to go, need to find a place where I'm not going to smoke out my neighbors... I need to clean my throttle body first (have the gasket ready to go to, just need the time.. PS issues taking all my available car time at the moment). Also have a can of Lubri-Moly (I think that's what it's called, not going to go out and look right now) sitting on the shelf... Anyone have experience with that stuff?

I did a similar treatment to our old Volvo 740 (sold, missed that one when it went) years ago, sucked some tranny fluid into the intake with a vaccuum line and let it sit for a while, and then fired it up while sucking in some more and it smoked like all get out... It worked well for the 740. I think the tranny fluid might be a bit crude for the electronics-heavy Lexus, so I am evolving to Seafoam... whatever works...

Ben

BLKonBLK98

thoughts on those 5" polks?

LSCD

PolkAudio db501 I found the best deals on Amazon.com, though I did most of my research on Crutchfield.com

I like them for not ruining my kids' ears. They sound really decent for a drop-in replacement ( I think they are really a 4" speaker marketed as 5" for I don't know what reason, maybe the basket lip is big enough to seal up a 5" hole) on stock wattage. I haven't heard a good example of what they're supposed to replace, though: stock rear door speakers were unresponsive, and the fronts woofers had rotten foam (and the stock sub was removed by PO), so the polks were a world of difference in comparison to what I had. Some might like more bass kicking at their knees in the door panels, but their specs are fairly close to stock replacement. I would run something else on an aftermarket head unit/amp set-up.

I don't hear much of anything coming from the door tweeters (they are the stock Naks). Anyone have suggestions for a decently priced replacement?

Ben