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The story:
After my 1995 ES300 decided that it didn't need its timing belt after all, I began the search for the LS400 i originally thought I would be trading for when i got my ES. After searching for 2 months I found this gem. I purchased from the original owners daughter for "book value", $1200. Runs perfect, no idiot lights, unmolested, and only 1 dent on the whole car. Spare tire has never been used by the looks of it, completely up to date on service, all in all a super clean example. I took some low res phone pics of it a few minutes ago, and I think they speak for themselves. At this point, the biggest question is where do i go from here? After this is posted i will be browsing the wheel threads, but I would rather spend money on things that will make it last longer, or replace a common problem point or two before i do some light mods (no hockey pucks allowed )
Opinions, thoughts, or other things i should know before i make a mistake/do something stupid would be much appreciated!
-Cyn
Wow, congratulations! I would be tempted to look for a center cap, to complete the wheels.
If the service is up to date, as in all fluids and filters are good (though, I always suggest to change them anyway, when a new car is purchased), I would look into treatments for the leather and vinyl parts of the interior, if you want to make it last longer.
As for the air suspension, if it works, leave it as-is. I don't have any experience with the air suspension package, but repairs can be expensive when they fail. Expect to convert the car to standard struts in the future, as it's a much less expensive alternative.
Also, out of curiosity, what's going on in your second interior picture? It seems the trunk release switch and the gas flap switch are broken (on the lower left-hand side), or something is hanging in that area.
Last edited by CELSI0R; 01-06-16 at 12:58 PM.
Reason: Strange hyperlinks appear on keywords in my post... Not sure why.
Its missing the air silencer. Coolant tank? Why is it there? Looks like 2 dents one on driver door and other on rear door? If body and paint was good I'd go 3K for it, less is better, I like all the options.
Do they use salt on the roads there? Whats the white spray on the engine?
First fix is the climate control lcd. It already has wheels, anything else totally detracts from the car. If you want to lower it just push the button.
$1200 for a well kept Lexus is a win-win. Good find.
I second your opinion about investing the money in the maintenance of the vehicle. Make sure the car is running properly before dumping money on wheels, aftermarket receiver, etc.
The trunk and gas cap release switches are broken off, I'm pulling some off of a early 98 tonight, hopefully it will work :/ there isn't too many of these around in MT, so if I need parts it's a call to seattle and shipping.
Air suspension works fine and rides smooth, if it fails i will go static (doing it already on my 03 allroad).
Full tune up is getting done as soon as tax money comes in, last oil change was done at 168,5xx.
Anybody have a cheap center cap? The junkyard that has the only other LS I have seen in this town has no wheels, and has been rolled multiple times.
Let me find a pic of the air silencer, maybe i can find one. Will it be the same with other XUZ's, or LS400 Specific?
The daughters Mechanic said it went there, the records in the glovebox say it was relocated this summer. Will also look for when i find a clean bay pic
No salt on the roads, I noticed the spray and didn't have a clue why it was there.
Is there a good source besides ebay for the LCD? Junkyard wants $200 to replace the broken unit in my 95 ES, i would assume the price would be similar.
I love the current sound system in it and probably won't change it in the near future. all stock, still sounds decent, and this is the Nakamichi system with the factory subwoofer. car runs great, shifts great.
Problems I have noticed so far:
Speedo is inaccurate after 40MPH
Trunk/Gas Switches
Headlights/foglights dead (New Bulbs/H3 Fogs Swapped 05/01/2016)
Antenna broken (delete covers available?)
In Need of a detail
Appreciate the love guys, I have wanted one of these since 2012
The trunk and gas cap release switches are broken off, I'm pulling some off of a early 98 tonight, hopefully it will work :/ there isn't too many of these around in MT, so if I need parts it's a call to seattle and shipping.
Air suspension works fine and rides smooth, if it fails i will go static (doing it already on my 03 allroad).
Full tune up is getting done as soon as tax money comes in, last oil change was done at 168,5xx.
Anybody have a cheap center cap? The junkyard that has the only other LS I have seen in this town has no wheels, and has been rolled multiple times.
I could be wrong, but I don't think the 1998 switch covers will fit on the 1st gen models. If they're cheap, it's worth a try. Nothing super glue couldn't make work..
As for the center caps, there are some really cheap ones on Ebay, with Free shipping!
Here are a few center caps I have found. They're not perfect, but they're pretty good:
Personally, I would go for the $7.12 center cap. It looks slightly better than the other two, and it's cheaper.
Now, regarding your speedometer, I had the same problem with my tachometer. [It happens over time with these cars] I found this fix on the Lexus Owners Club website, which worked perfectly for me. Here is the text from that post:
Originally Posted by ramnozack
okay guys, I am going to give you a very constructive advice on how to fix this problem.
First remove the cluster and if you do not know how go to lexls.com and follow the instructions.
then remove the face cover .first grap the tach needle gently and pull untill you hear a pop,again be gentle and do not ge scared.
once you hear the pop move the needle clockwise untill it pops again then gently release it.
now move the needle slowly counterclock till you sit it over the zero an on the dot and make sure that it sits right on the zero.
to check your work move it gently say to the mark 3 then let go it should snap right back to zero,once you have accomplished this ,you are rock & roll baby. the same thing goes for speedometer.
... this job should take about an hour if you how to handle things. Good luck and let me know.
please make a donation to lexls.com, this guy is great.may god bless his soul.
Thanks for the links! I just happen to have 12 bucks in my paypal, sold
Im getting the whole switch module, as long as the hole is the same size, I can find a way. My grandfather knows the owner of the junkyard, so he can do some trading for the module. Not a permanent fix by any means, as the switches are the cream/tan color, but functionality over using a piece of the broken switches to short the contacts. x.x
Thanks for the links! I just happen to have 12 bucks in my paypal, sold
Im getting the whole switch module, as long as the hole is the same size, I can find a way. My grandfather knows the owner of the junkyard, so he can do some trading for the module. Not a permanent fix by any means, as the switches are the cream/tan color, but functionality over using a piece of the broken switches to short the contacts. x.x
Nice, I'm glad I could help!
I also posted a fix for your speedometer needle, including the source of the information. This worked for my tachometer, which has the same structure as the speedometer.
If you notice that your speedometer needle sits a little below zero or drops below when the car is off, then I'm fairly certain that fix will work for you.
This image shows what I am referring to. It could also happen when the car is on:
[Disclaimer: This is not my photo, nor is this my car. This is a 1991 LS400 with a tachometer and speedometer needle that needed calibration]
Last edited by CELSI0R; 06-03-16 at 07:59 PM.
Reason: Image added
Guide saved. Hopefully that fixes it, it seems to go dead between 40-55 then picks back up at half speed past that I.E. 45 on the speedometer is 65 according to GPS, anywhere from 40-55 reads as 40, below 40 it is accurate to within 1-2 MPH. Its weird that they would work out of adjustment to the extent seen on your car though, is there any reason?
Guide saved. Hopefully that fixes it, it seems to go dead between 40-55 then picks back up at half speed past that I.E. 45 on the speedometer is 65 according to GPS, anywhere from 40-55 reads as 40, below 40 it is accurate to within 1-2 MPH. Its weird that they would work out of adjustment to the extent seen on your car though, is there any reason?
The most I can say is that it's from regular wear and tear. I'm not really 100% sure, myself. Personally, I would have preferred it if Toyota used LED needles, as on the SC models, rather than the cold cathode tubes. I guess that's just how luxury goes..
The symptoms you are describing is exactly how my tachometer was reacting, though it was slightly different. It was off only slightly up until 1000 rpm, then it would be about half of what the real rpm reading was. I verified this with an OBD-I Toyota scanner.
Also, just a recommendation from when I took my cluster out; when you're removing the lens, be careful not to scratch it. There are multiple clips on the top, bottom, and sides, which are very tight, so patience is definitely key.. Multiple small flathead screwdrivers are very useful to push multiple clips out at the same time, preventing the lens from lifting unevenly. Just make sure you don't confuse the clips for the lens with the clips for the gauge face.
I also tried to not touch the surface where the actual gauge face lies, but that's just a nitpicky thing..
wow great find! whats the build date on this one? early 1990 examples are getting hard to come by that are not hacked up and beat to death! looks like this one has all the toys too! just remember, as easy as it is to forget, this car is almost 30 years old, with almost 30 year old parts so don't get too crazy with it till you really get it checked out.
the 1990 model will always be special to me.
my first Ls400 was a 1990. optioned out about the same as yours. mine was in pear white with dark grey interior, and factory chromes. I drove that car to death and it lasted me almost 8 years of driving it like an asshat! had 395k miles when it finally bit the dust. best car ive ever owned. ironclad reliable and a blast to drive. ive had 5 other Ls400s since then but none quite had the same feel as the 90. they really are special cars.
lexus has been a huge part of my life. because of that old 90 I had years ago, it led me down a career path. im now the head technology specialist at a lexus dealership. funny how that worked out
anyway here is what you need to watch for and expect to have to deal with in the future.
Timing belt needs replaced every 80k, water pump should be changed about the same time.
power steering pump is going to leak. they all do and it doesn't matter how many times you fix it, it will come back, just make sure the leak is away from the alternator cause the fluid can leak into it and cause damage to it.
the air shocks are guaranteed to fail, they are fun while they work but they never last. mine went twice and I converted to regular coils, I suggest you do the same.
with that said you have one hell of a good car that even if you are not good to it, it will still be good to you. it has awesome merging power on the highway and is very fun around twisty roads. and yes it will really do 160, would I push one that old that hard? probably not at this point. but the car was designed to do every bit of it and I had mine up that high a few times. the Nak stereo sounds great. I know its antiquated at this point but will still sound better than most aftermarket systems. the climate control LCD is a known thing. its actually cheaper just to pull the whole box and swap it out. that's what I did with mine when I had it.
just keep her original, maybe upgrade the wheels and fix the dings. you have a car that is almost at classic status, and in some ways it already is. hang on to it. the numbers are dwindling and I doubt youll find another one that isn't abused. last summer I went searching for a second 1990. spent months trying to track down a nice one and had no luck at all. im jealous man. congrats!!
My build date is 02/90, not necessarily early but still a blast to drive!
On the timing belt issue, i was told it was done at 100K, and i want to do it again soon so it doesn't end up like my ES300. Is it any more difficult than an Audi 2.7t/2.8? (lots of experience with them, it's a good reference point for me)
Power steering doesn't seem to be leaking yet, maybe I'm just not paying attention to it how I should...
With the air shocks, is there a good conversion thread I can chase down? Will I need any parts besides the coils? They are fine right now but it doesn't seem like any factory air suspension is very reliable.
The whole climate control box? Like the shroud and everything? On the subject of climate control, if the heater is really weak, is it more likely to be the water pump or the heater core? one of the big things i loved about my ES is how quickly it heated up, during winter up here, that's a necessity.
She'll get a minor restoration, fix the dings, the little electrical gremlins, and enjoyed properly. When I first sat in it, i went home easily 5 under the speed limit, it doesn't seem like it wants to go fast, more of an enjoy the scenery, enjoy the lack of wind noise, enjoy the moment sort of car. I won't let this one slip away!
The whole climate control box? Like the shroud and everything? On the subject of climate control, if the heater is really weak, is it more likely to be the water pump or the heater core? one of the big things i loved about my ES is how quickly it heated up, during winter up here, that's a necessity.
She'll get a minor restoration, fix the dings, the little electrical gremlins, and enjoyed properly. When I first sat in it, i went home easily 5 under the speed limit, it doesn't seem like it wants to go fast, more of an enjoy the scenery, enjoy the lack of wind noise, enjoy the moment sort of car. I won't let this one slip away!
No, no. Stereorob is referring to the Climate Control unit, not including the shroud and everything attached. Just this part:
For me, it was much cheaper to buy the screen and solder it on to the board. Plus, I got to keep the original unit.. It's up to you, though.
As for the power steering, it's great that you don't have any noise or leaks! Most people don't know this, but power steering pumps in general become overloaded with pressure when you turn the wheel all the way to the left or the right and hold it there (from lock-to-lock, as they say).
Over time, this causes power steering pumps to leak, and in the case of the LS400, short out the alternator. As a preventative measure, whenever I turn the wheel, I never go all the way to the end. If it does get there, I usually pull it back slightly, to relieve the pressure.
01-06-16, 12:28 PM
Dream Car Found- 1990 LS400, 169K, now mine!
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Nothing super glue couldn't make work.. 
