12get12

Hello CL. I test drove a 98 LS400 with OEM Air Suspension with 184k miles today. When I switch the OEM Air suspension to "High", nothing seems to happen. I had the owner switch it back to "normal" then back to "high" and I do not see any changes to the fender gap. Is the OEM Air suspension's movement very subtle? Everything about the car I do like.

Besides the obvious, what should I look for when I switch the OEM Air Suspension to "High" then back to "Normal"? Should I pay attention to the air compressor turning on?

Thanks in advance for any advice(s).

LiCelsior

iTrader: (32)

well i know the oem air takes a long while to fill up and drop.

JAndersson

On my car it's quite hard to see the movements if nobody is sitting in the car during the process. And as LiCelsior is saying, the system is slow.

12get12

How long is long? 30 secs, 60 secs, 2 minutes 5 minutes?

The owner pressed the switched button then got out of the car. I want to schedule another test drive and I hope I'll be well versed on how test the OEM air suspension in a 98 LS400.

JAndersson

It should take around 60 secs for the car to adapt to the situation. If you sit in the car, press the button and gets out its very hard to see any movements because of the car already being higher the normal due to the extra weight on the suspension being lost. If you wait a while with the car on idle and the high switch at normal and nobody in car you will see it drop a little bit. Especially in the front.

skperformance

iTrader: (6)

If it didn't raise a warning light would come on the dash for it.
It is slow 1-4 minutes , unless you have a ruler you'll never know.
You could park next to a high curb to test .

edtbjon

I cannot see if the car is higher either, but I do feel that the suspension is somewhat stiffer when driving after a little while.
Apart from that, yes these cars are very easy to like.

//Björn

Kansas

Advice? Don't consider this car.

Air suspension was a fairly inexpensive option on the 98 LS ($1850 retail) but costs a lot to fix and is prone to problems. Here is a thread about air suspension issues on a 2000 LS400 which has the same system as the 98 LS: https://www.clublexus.com/forums/ls4...ce-thanks.html

If that 98 LS has air suspension, then it also has either the navigation system or the Nakamichi audio system. The last update for the 98-00 navigation system was in 2005 and there probably isn't going to be another one. The 98-00 nav system doesn't cover much and has few POIs. Worse, the nav screen controls HVAC functions -- if the nav screen goes, so does your HVAC controls.

Nakamichi went out of business years ago and replacement Nakamichi components are not available through Lexus dealers. No repair parts for Nakamichi are available either. If your radio's LCD display goes, for example, (a fairly common problem) the display can not be replaced like it can on the standard Pioneer head unit.

If you want an LS400, my advice would be to consider only cars with the standard Pioneer audio system and steel springs.

sam12345

iTrader: (1)

You can get Nakamichi stereos on ebay all day long

Schnitz

iTrader: (5)

The Nak can be fixed as well and its fairly inexpensive.

The air ride can be replaced with struts/springs or coilovers for less than $850. If you want replacement air struts look at Arnott Industries. $1550 replaces them all.

Kansas

My point was ... why consider a 98-00 LS with a fairly rare (in the U.S.) Nakamichi that can't be repaired when there is a far greater choice of 98-00 LS400s with the standard Pioneer audio system which can be repaired. There are even conversion harnesses to install aftermarket systems into 98-00 LS400s with the standard Pioneer system but none for the 98-00 LS with Nakamichi.

As much as I like the Nak in my 00 LS400, if knew in 2003 what I know now, I would have bought a 00 LS400 with the standard Pioneer system.

12get12

The next person test drove the LS400 bought it... Oh well, the search continues.

Thanks for the comments and insights.