kevvo

Hello everyone,

I've recently acquired an Australian complianced 6/99 vehicle and there are some things which I haven't been able to find out. Hoping to gets some answers here.

I don't have a master key with the 3 buttons though one is on the way. Is it at all possible once this key is cut to get its electronics to work with my vehicle? The glove box manual states, if I understand it correctly, that all keys will need to be changed without an existing master so I'm thinking that means locks too, and maybe some immobilizer components. Have I got that right or can I take the new key and the car to a Lexus workshop and get them to enable the key's electronics?

The glove box manual also states that the transmission oil capacity is 1.9 litres (a quart) which doesn't seem like very much at all. As the oil is a bit smelly I'd like to know whether or not the torque converter has an oil drain plug on it so that the oil within it can be replaced as well. I'd rather not contaminate new oil with the existing old oil if possible.

Once or twice, the transmission has flared up just a little on light throttle upshifts upshifts. Does anyone know whether that might be a big concern or is it something that a service and adjustment could take care of? I don't know when the box was last serviced but I'd say it's been a while. The odometer reads 300,000 Km. (approx. 186,400 miles)

Is it critical to use T-IV trans oil?

... I'll be getting a specialist to do this work.

I have found 3 different A650E repair manuals on eBay. One dated August '97, another is July 2000 and the last one is dated May 2000, which the seller has specified as being for an IS300. Were there running changes to the A650E from its introduction in the 400 until the 400 stopped production?

Does the IS300 have different line pressures etc? I'm thinking of going for the July 2000 manual but not absolutely sure whether it's the right book for 6/99.

I've also seen 2x general workshop manuals, an electric circuit diagram / repair manual and a diff repair manual. Are there any other manuals?


The brake pedal goes down about an inch or two and I wonder about that. I merely touch the brake pedal on my 4x disc Ford and the brakes start to work. Once the 400's brakes apply though, they are progressive and pull the car up very well. Can that brake pedal travel be considered excessive?

Every light on the dashboard comes on when I turn the key to ON and they all go off after a few seconds. None come on when the car is being driven.

In checking the cam belt: is it possible to remove and refit the right hand side cam cover to inspect the belt without removing the coolant outlet and the radiator hose?

Also, with the car raised a little and safely supported, is there access to the crankshaft's front bolt with a socket and bar or a ring spanner with the radiator, fan and shroud in place? I'm thinking of marking a line in the belt with chalk then rotating the engine 720° so that the belt can be fully inspected.

Supposedly, the belt is very new but I want to be absolutely sure about that.

Lastly, is the red coolant pH neutral?

This car is quite a learning curve so maybe there'll be following questions.

If anyone thinks I'd be going the wrong way about anything related to the above, please tell me.



Thanks in advance for any replies.

LScowboyLS

the capacity is around ~8.5 liters - the 1.9 litres (2 quarts) is the minimum amount that will come out when you remove the drain plug - the longer the drain plug is removed, the more comes out


the safest method for the life of your transmission is to remove the drain plug, (with transmission hot) and allow to drain for several hours or even overnight, this will yield as much as 3 or 4 litres - then wait a few months and do this again, and so on, eventually the old oil will be completely gone (mathematically) - replacing all of the fluid at once in an old transmission is just asking for a problem you didn't have to have! - and the oil in the torque converter gets changed too, it is one large integrated system


sometimes failing ECU capacitors can cause this, or a clogged filter - be very careful who does the filter change on your transmission as this involves pulling the pan and this job can be botched by the incompetent. - Use the genuine Toyota filter!


it is critical to use T-IV or other manufacturer approved JWS 3309 oil, they are all the same Mobil 3309 formula - for example, the ones below:








I would hold off on buying the transmission manual , unless you just like manuals, there were no running changes of any real consequence between August '97 and July 2000 , and seeing as how this may be the world's most reliable and durable transmission, I am not convinced you will ever need it! - this transmission is best if left alone, other than fluid and filter changes. (fluid every 50,000 km - filter every 150K km)

The main manuals to buy are the main 2 volume genuine LS400 manual which looks like the photo below, plus the wiring diagrams, perhaps




this all sounds normal and fine


you really cannot get a very good look at the timing belt condition, especially the toothed side, without removing all covers, this is a false sense of security, what about the belt that looks fine except for a single missing tooth? - if you cannot document a timing belt change within the previous 145K km, then just change it!


the timing belt has marks from the factory, I would pull the radiator, it is about a 10 minute job, then the crank bolt is correctly removed with a proper 1/2" air impact gun




the Toyota red long life coolant has an initial ph of ~10 so if were now neutral a ph of 7, then it has absorbed a lot of acid and it would be time for a change - if it is still the red stuff and still has the same color as new coolant cut 50/50 with water when viewed in a glass vile, and the correct ph, it's probably fine, it lasts a long time (if they used the real Toyota red initially)

billydpowe

iTrader: (1)

do what he says!!!!!!!!!! now about your key... you do have one to run the car RIGHT? the one you have on the way (3 button) does it have the guts in it or just hollow... if hollow ask the dealer if they can and will activate it (and how much$$$) if it has guts but not for your car, ask the same question. then ask how much THEY would charge for a working 3 button.
you will not need to change any locks.
you can get a duplicate key to run the LS for around 35$ (no buttons)

Greg5OH

lovin the pics LS haha aweosme.
The flaring upshift, i had that on my tranny as well. the fluid was oldddd, pretty brown. changed the fluid twice and seems good now. holds onto the gear too, doenst downshift at the slightest throttle tip in. I kind of got used to it downshifting very easy, so i didnt know if it was right. But i got back and drove my moms toyota matrix and infact an auto tranny should hold a gear untill you really start giving it throttle.
The LS is my first auto tranny vehicle so I didnt know what to expect.
With all the torque the 4.0 has it should take advantage of the high gear.

kevvo

Hello again,

Thanks for such comprehensive information. Really very handy.

A few more questions:

How is oil added to the transmission? The dipstick tube has a small diameter, far too small to put a funnel in.

Please pardon my ignorance but what problems can replacing all of the ATF at once in an old transmission cause?

(I had a quick read of the 'failing ECU caps' thread'. Fingers crossed that that doesn't happen too soon!)

I've ordered the vol. 1 and vol. 2 repair manuals so far. I just like to have the manuals as I like to know what makes the car 'tick' as it were. And maybe there are things I can fix myself with those books.

Is the rear axle limited slip in the 400?

I'll talk to my mechanic about the timing belt. As mentioned earlier I was told that it was new, there's a sticker on the engine cover stating that the job was done less than 3,000 Km ago. I was hoping it could be checked as my understanding is that there's 10 hour's labour involved to replace it with the cost of the belt, water pump and bearings on top of that.

Re: the pH of the coolant, not suggesting that I mistrust certain unknown people but it's not unknown for some to put coloured water in the cooling system, that's why that question.

The 2 keys I have are without buttons. Confused about a 3 button key being 'hollow'.

The transmission upshift flared up occasionally under light load when going uphill from moving off. When on level ground, I haven't noticed any flare up when moving off. I would just get across an intersection and the transmission would already have upshifted to 4th. And bags of torque... that's for sure.

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The old Ford has half the power, if that. It's so olde that it doesn't even have an ECU. Going up a hill in the Ford at 60 Km/h it runs out of steam and I have to really tickle the throttle to keep it moving and it will often kick down from 3 to 2. In the 400 I barely lean on the throttle at all in that situation and when I do it's very responsive.

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Thanks again everyone

Gene01

No LS4xx came from the factory with a Limited Slip Differential.
I believe that Pure Drifter has experience swapping one in, though.

billydpowe

iTrader: (1)

IF you ordered a 3 button key from ebay it would be "hollow", nothing inside, you would have to put your program items in it.... or the dealer could put new items in it. $$

check: http://www.ebay.com/itm/New-1998-2005-Lexus-ES-GS-IS-LS-3-Button-Remote-Key-/190851279641?pt=Motors_Car_Truck_Parts_Accessories&fits=Year%3A1999%7CMake%3ALexus%7CModel%3ALS400&hash=item2c6f9f6b19&vxp=mtr

LScowboyLS

not too small at all - they make funnels for this, even from Wal-Mart!


replacing ALL of the fluid in an older transmission (such as flushing) can cause premature failure, especially if the fluid wasn't changed regularly throughout the cars life (and most were not)


the 99's are not failing at epidemic proportions like 97 and earlier - they had a design change that is less hard on the caps, but all capacitors eventually go out (they are like tiny batteries, actually)


as Gene01 said, No


it's not 10 hours of labor - more like 5 - even much less than that if you have done a bunch of them, I think I could do one including the water pump in 2 hours, on a bet, in a good shop and with proper tools


just get one of those $4 hydrometer thingies at the auto parts store that has the little ***** in it, no colored water will float all of the *****!

kevvo

Hello again. Happy New Year, everyone.

I'll just have to wait and see which type of key the non-Lexus dealer provides me with.

How do I correctly check the transmission oil level? i.e. in Park when hot and idling?

What pressure do people run their tyres at? Yesterday I found 40 psi in the new tyres fitted by the dealer, checking them because they were a 'thumpy' to drive on. The glove box manual states that for what I do, 30 psi all around is recommended. I've gone with that, for now.

~ Checked the psi in the spare too and found the original polishing kit along with leather and rubber conditioner, as well as the valet kit, all unused, Bonus!

I'll get the pH checked with a hydrometer. Didn't think of that, was going to splurge $19 on a litmus testing kit.

Thanks again

LScowboyLS

in Park, after a long extended drive, like 30 minutes, parked on a very level surface, idling, in Park, after having just shifted through all gears - level should be at very top of HOT area, and slightly too much (1 mm or 2) is better than too low


FOR ANY CAR - you always go with the glove box or door placard recommendation, NEVER the pressure printed on the tire, that is only a maximum for when you have the car severely overloaded with passengers and cargo, which you should not even do



a hydrometer tests specific gravity, not ph

Kansas

Is it possible for you to obtain more information about the timing belt change - perhaps from the former owner? It's not the timing belt that fails - it's the water pump, tensioner and idlers you have to be concerned about. I've had timing belts and the ancillary parts replaced three times in my 24 years of driving LS400's - twice at the normal 90,000 mile interval and once at about 75,000 miles when a water pump seized. The old belt was beat up by the water pump seizing but the old belts from the 90,000 mile changes looked like brand new - no visible wear or cracking.

The 3-button master key part number for the Australian market 98-00 LS400 is different than the one for the U.S. I cannot tell you if the programming procedure is the same. You may have features we don't have in the U.S. such as the capability of closing the windows using the 3-button master key.

kevvo

Thanks for the info.

I've just emailed the dealer because he's previously stated that he knows the previous owner. I've asked for information of the service history and for any receipts if possible.

Also, there's some non Lexus service stamps in the book with phone numbers and addresses from 2 service centres...

I've got to take the car back to the dealer as he's promised to get a minor power steering fluid leak fixed for me, have to wait a week or so as the mechanic closed for a while over the Christmas break. I'll get the key then.

....I've just had a read of this and saved the pdf:

https://www.clublexus.com/forums/ls4...y-dilemma.html

LScowboyLS

not sure about dealerships in Australia, but in USA, any Lexus dealership can take the VIN number and print out the entire service history of the car (dealership service history) regardless of which dealership did the procedure, they also have a record of any recalls or TSB campaigns performed

this info is also available at Toyota website online

kevvo

I went here: https://secure.drivers.lexus.com/lex...us/add-vehicle

Unfortunately after entering my VIN the message "Please correct the follow error(s): The VIN you have entered is invalid. Please check your VIN and try again" comes up. The VIN in the glove box manual, the registration label on the windscreen and the VIN on the firewall all match. Re-entered the VIN to make sure but still the same error. Maybe that site only recognizes American vehicles afterall. Bummer. In the right hand drop down menu on that page, the LS400 is not listed.

Started the car so I could reverse it away from the wall to open the bonnet to read the VIN, noticed an oil leak on the concrete about 16 square inches in size. Car's been sitting for 6 days. Looks fresh-ish but could be from the old Ford so I'm going to put newspaper down next time I've taken the car out for a run to find out for sure. If it's the 400, it's right at the front of the engine so I can only suspect the harmonic balancer at this stage, with my limited knowledge. I'll see...

There was no oil whatsoever under the car when I inspected it at the dealership and the car was boxed in so I presume that it had been there for a little while at least.

Pleasantly surprised to notice for the first time that the security light comes on, even when only using a buttonless key, when the key is withdrawn from the column.

kevvo

How is the power steering fluid level checked, with the engine running or switched off? I've noted the hot and cold marks on the reservoir dipstick.

Thanks in advance.