Shaffer

Hello all. I have found another Lexus I am considering and need some information. I found a light gold 1991 Lexus LS400 w/201K priced below $5000. Probably be bought between $4000-4500.- maybe less. It has a few problems, but the main one is that the seller claims that it has a vibration at certain speeds and has no clue as to what it is and has not had it checked. I have not driven it yet, as it is about 90 miles away. I am guessing it could be anything fromas simple as a bad tire or wheel, wheelbearing or as major as a bad axle or transmission. I know it is impossible to just guess, as it could be many things, but does anyone have any suggestions as to what it may be? My uncle also has a 93 Camry (same as mine) that had a vibration upon acceleration and it was a bad inner axle. Possibly problem with this car? Other small & minor problems is that the passenger side door lock will not lock-unlock with switch, and the A/C is not operating- also the "LCD" on the heat/AC controls are not working- nothing unusual. The car also has traction control option, as well as the "Nak." sound system. Body looks good from photos. What would a good maximum price for this car be? Any advice/information appreciated.

Shaffer

I have also "searched" the forums for vibrations and found a few things mentioned it could possibly be, but any additional information greatly appreciated.

paomien168

4000~4500 wouldn't be too bad, if the owner meticulously maintained the car. the LCD is a common problem in the first generation LS's. Vibration could be a number of things, misbalanced wheels, bad wheel bearings, or worse things such as control arms and all. Good luck. Does it have air suspension? If it has leather, sunroof, nakamichi and trac, air suspension is the only thing that's missing

Shaffer

Thanks for that reply. What do you think the worst possible cause could be? I am waiting for a reply from the seller to see what speeds the vibrations occur. Thanks again.

persian451

you are paying too much for 4500 bucks
especially with the ac and the vibrations... you have to check the service dates.. and some few major tihngs

Timing belt, water pump, tensior, suspension(make sure its not Air), bushings, mounts, EGR valve, egr pipe, PS, rack and pinion... if the car is in good shape and most of these are taken care of.. then its not bad.. otherwise 200+ miles is kidna high for 4500 bucks

I got mine for $5500 for 91 black LS4 2 years ago with 138k miles on it

lextek

Engine Mounts are worn out. Sit in the car with it in Park, pick rpm's up to 1500-2500, feel vibe in seat? Engine mounts collapsing are common on the higher mileage cars. When you remove one and compare it to a new one you will be suprised how far the mount has compressed.

If the above is not accurate for this car, and a droan is heard at, say, 60mph and goes away when let off gas and reappears when you get back in the throttle, (a vibration is accompanying the droan) then the rear end is worn out. Another fairly common issue on the older LS's.

Regards,
Lextek.

persian451

how much does it run for part normally to change these engine mounts and transmission mounts? (parts and labor)

lextek

I'm not sure on the price of the mounts but total its a decent $500 job easily. It really increases the quality of your vehicle when they are replaced, makes it feel "tight" again.

Good Luck,
Lextek.

Shaffer

Thanks for the replies. I has definetly made me reconsider the car. Perhaps I will keep looking for a better, lower mile 90-94 LS400. Are the local Lexus dealers a good place to locate older Lexus'? I have searched the local classified paper, as well as the newspaper classifieds and have not been able to locate any older local 90-94 LS400s. We do have a Lexus dealer about 20 miles away, so I searched their site and it does not list ANY used Lexus. I guess I could call them tomorrow and see if they have any. My guess it that they sell the older trade-ins to wholesalers, as I doubt they want higher mile, older Lexus' on their lots. I have checked E-bay often, but still none that are fairly local. I live in a metro area, where the total population within a 40 mile radius is about 150,000-160,000 people, so one would think there would be quite a few around here. See several of the newer Lexus, or ES300s, but no older LS'. My uncle bought my aunts black 1990 LS400 w/70K at the time, at the local Lexus dealer where they live in eastern North Carolina about five years ago. Thanks again.

paomien168

if you're willing to spend a little more, i'd go with a 93 and newer model, as 93 came with a passenger side airbag, color coded lower body trim, 225/60R16 tires (as opposed to the 205/65R15 on the 89-92 models), and most important of all bigger and better brake system. The first gen. brake system tends to get warped rotors quite easily, unfortunately.... good luck!

LexLS

I also think the mounts are the primary cause of your vibration problem. I just had mine replaced and I must say that the car feels much much smoother. I still have a slight vibration off and on at highway speed; my mechanic says it's simply a wheel balance issue. Anyway, the engine mounts are about $92 each from irontoad.com, there are two, and the transmission mount is about $50. Book labor time is slightly under 3 hours to replace all three mounts. After the mounts were replaced my mechanic told me the old ones were compressed amount two inches! That's a lot considering the mounts are not that big

Good luck with your purchase.

persian451

so how much did the labor run you?

LexLS

Front Engine mounts....list = $111.81 each......I paid $92.08 each.....labor = 1.0 hours per side
Tranny mount/rear engine mount.....list = $62.64...I paid $51.60....labor =0.6 hours

My mechanic charges $50/hour so.....

Parts = $235.76
Labor = $130.00
Total = $365.76

persian451

not bad on labor charges.. i figured it mite be a lot more... sounds like a good deal for something that improves the ride