i recently picked up a 97 ls400 (named kimberly). she is meant to be my daily driver but we all know how fast it can turn into something more. for now i plan to keep her simple and elegant, as to not lose driveability. being in socal we have our fair share of poorly maintained roads, mountainous speed bumps, equally horrendous drivers, challenging driveways, and limited parking. why i chose this platform goes all against this with my future plans i have in store.

here are some crappy iphone pics (3GS not 4 so they'r even crappier haha). i found her on auto trader but i had to drive to bakersfield. the drive there was fine but driving back through friday evening rush hour in LA was not fun. it took me almost 2.5hrs to get back into orange county. it was definitely worth the drive as the previous owners were super hospitable (old couple who owns a farming business) and the car was in great condition. the whole drive home was very comfortable!



driving through the grapevine


yeah i drive slow


wood trim on the hu and vents?


smog check the next day, passed with flying colors


back at home


gold emblems will need to be replaced soon


clean grey interior




i need to work on the maintenance as the previous owners didn't know if the car's timing belt was replaced. i have to do that first before the modding can begin. i also noticed the power steering lines above the alternator are wet. overall though i'm very happy with kimberly!

 

welcome to clublexus!

please remember to use the search tools thoroughly before posting up questions. the sticky at the top will help you a lot.

 

awsome......... very nice. im a Lexus newb too but learning quickly. welcome to your new home.

forgot you can get wood trim for just about anything in a toy or lex. had it all over my 4-runner. R.I.P. but thats why im now in the Lexus family. heheheheeeeeeeeee

 

nice LS, welcome to the club

 

Welcome to CL. Car looks nice and clean, stock is good. My suggestion is to get the T-belt job done as soon as you can, especially not knowing when or even IF it's been changed. You don't want that snapping and chewing up the engine of a car you just bought. How many miles? Was it a one owner car? If so, I can't imagine why they wouldn't know if the T-belt was changed. You can check through one of the Lexus sites with the VIN # to see if it has been done (at the dealer) Also, the PS lines being wet, get that fixed now so it will stop leaking on and in the alternator. The longer you wait, the less life your alternator will have. Almost anything you need you can find with the search feature, it's your best friend. Again, welcome.

 

Nice find! Congrats!

Mike

 

thanks yall, i'm already aware of the typical problems and getting more inspired everyday! i just wanted to share my new baby and show her progress. the timing belt is the first thing for sure i will take care of. i'm already trying to obtain the parts. i will assess the power steering when i actually get in there and see it up close.

 

Congrats on the new ride

 

ok guys i've gathered lots and lots of parts. i'm about to do the timing belt, wp, idlers, and seals after reading for days on how to do it. seems very straightforard! while i'm at it i'll be changing the plugs, caps, and rotors. also i'll be inspecting the ps as the lines are wet from what i can see from the top. i have a few questions and the answers i find are so convoluted or unclear i'd rather ask again.

1. i know to use dexron III ps fluid. would it hurt to run type-IV ATF in there? would that be overkill or just a bad idea due to other reasons?

2. in regards to type-IV ATF, i was told by the dealer that running it in my 97 tranny is not necessary. it's only for newer cars such as the 98 and up ls. all i need is dexron III as they (the dealer) run them on the cars they service below that year. is he correct? i've read to strictly run type-IV ATF here.

3. is running royal purple or any other diff fluid with LSD additive ok to run in my diff, or again is it overkill? i believe our cars don't have LSD anyway so running it would just be a waste of money. i do have a bottle left from when i did my is300 diff.

thanks in advance! i'll be tearing into kimberly for the first time tomorrow !

 

1-stick to recco spec, DIII.

2-your dealer is ridiculous. the 89-97 are all factory spec'd for toyota T-II, which was discontinued and replaced by T-IV a few years back.

3-synthetic diff fluid is fine in the standard weight, but there's no need at all for LSD Diff additives.

 

dang man i was expecting to get a response tomorrow, not a few minutes later esp this time at night. haha thanks!

yeah the guy helping me at the dealership didn't seem too sharp as he had to check his book to see what fluid i should be running in my transmission. thanks for the confirmation. any recommended dexron III brand ATF fluid for the ps?

 

i just finished the timing belt this weekend. thanks to all the great information on here! it's very straightforward, just time consuming removing all the parts. my lower back hurts now, but the pain is worth the knowledge gained and money saved!

i just remembered i forgot to connect this one sensor at the bottom of the radiator on the driver's side. is that the fan switch, since the fan isn't turning off? the schematics i see online don't mention this sensor.

 

Yes that sensor is for the fans. Instead of asking about it you should just plug it in. How's everything else, running good? Any problems on the install, like did you break any connectors or anything else, or did everything go smoothly?

 

congrats on getting the timing belt done. you replaced the WP and all the idlers/tensioner too right?

any name brand Dexron III should be fine, synthetic if you want it.

 

Puredrifter is online 24/7. Sometimes i wonder if he is paid by Lexus to help other people here on ClubLexus

Congrats with your new car. You will find ALOT of help in here.