fasted1953

I am so excited about recent improvements in my 99 GS400, I had to share it. I lurked around this forum a long time and never tried anything until recently. I had learned how to debadge here a long time ago, and installed an original Millen front strut bar, but that was it. I'm absolutely amazed at the what I've picked up here.

1) Rear license plate/Millen frame rattled like heck when I shut the trunk. Bugged me to no end. Put on a dynamat license plate mat, and its dead silent now. Probably opened and shut the trunk 50 times just to hear the solid thunk it makes now.

2) Polarg M4 and SilverStar bulbs. Bought some on ebay, installed them with instructions from CL, and the improvment in color and brightness was dramatic. Couldn't wait for the sun to go down to use the lights. Still debating on breaking out the yellow foglight glass. Will probably wait til I can find a set of GS300 clear fogs to buy. The silverstars were so nice that I even put a set in my wife's 99 Sienna van. Difference there was even more dramatic. Those lights bordered on dangerous until I changed the bulbs.

3) Today, I bought a gatorback accessory belt at Autozone and installed it. Threw a 14 and 13 mm combo wrench in the trunk along with a pair of mechanics gloves (am I the last person in the world to know how great those are?), stopped at Autozone at lunchtime. Bought the belt and installed it in the parking lot. Linked the two wrenches together to get some extra leverage (a great old trick) and had it changed in 5 minutes. Didn't even have to wash my hands when I was done. My old belt was the original one, and the inside of it was starting to get some small cracks. With the car sounds like brand new again. A very dramatic difference. Drove around the rest of the day with the radio off so I could enjoy the silence.

These are three things I had learned to live with until I came back to CL and started doing instead if just reading. This place rocks!.

TLW

congrats on the DIY belt

welcome aboard

what's next to fix lol

fasted1953

I'm thinking front grill and RMM CF engine cover. And with 47K miles and 5 years of service its probably time to think about plugs.

Any other suggestions are welcome.

Neo

iTrader: (3)

Before doing this, offer it up in the classifieds. I am sure there are members with clears that will trade you. You might even be able to make a little $ on top of the trade as yellow seems to be in right now.

Nice to see a satisfied member.

rominl

iTrader: (4)

i agree, if you are willing to trade + $, it's a even better deal

the demand for yellow fogs are a bit stronger right now i think

LB Lex

I'm glad to hear that you're very satisfied with your car. Regarding the sparkplug change, you won't need that until 90-100k miles because they are iridium plugs that last a very long time. If you want to do some maintenance on your car, do

-a drain & refill of the tranny fluid,
-check the A/C filter inside your car (it's probably really gross if you haven't changed it yet),
-check your engine air filter (if it needs replacement stick with the genuine stock filter from Toyota/Lexus),
-clean out your throttle body,
-of course if you change your engine oil, stick with the genuine Toyota or Mobil 1 filters, they're great. While you're at it, you can switch to synthetic oil.

So you used the Silverstars in your yellow fogs and noticed a difference? I was thinking of trying that out too.

rominl

iTrader: (4)

you can also change the rear end fluid.

for the fogs yes if you put superwhite it will get a bit brighter yellow. but not significantly different though. it was a big difference when i put in hid, but not with just bright bulbs

LB Lex

Hmmm, I guess I'll just leave it alone. Besides, I just put new bulbs in there anyways.

LasVegasGS

If you dont mind me asking whAt are the SilverStar bulbs? did you stick them in the foglights?

Also if you get a clear set of fogs i'll buy your yellow ones.

rominl

iTrader: (4)

yup personally i don't see any good reason to put on brighter bulbs. it has a bit effect but not dramatic at all

liquidsilver

romini......

You think you're wife's Siennas headlights were borderline dangerous? Haha......no offence but try to drive 91-96 Toyota Previa and you'll know the definition for dangerous. Silverstars dont help with the previa(thats how bad the lights are)either so I had to put set of Syvania Xnarc HID driving lamps to cure the problem. BTW good mods you've done to the GS.

fasted1953

Thanks for all the feedback and suggestions. Just so you dont think I've been totally neglecting my car, I do more than the required maintainence, just haven't done any upgrades...

- Air and A/C filters... I change them once a year, in the spring, after Cedar and Oak pollen are gone.
- I've had all the fluids drained and replaced, including brake fluid.
- Door actuator failed and has been replaced
- I tried Mobil 1 a couple years ago but the motor didn't seem to spin as freely with it. I went back to Castrol GTX.
- I'm keeping my yellow fog lights. I would like to buy a set of clear ones to try though. The silverstar bulbs did make the fogs brighter and also a lighter, more washed out yellow.
- The Sienna van lights were awful. They always shined as though they were caked with mud. Over xmas, we drove from Texas to Atlanta, and then up to the Smokey Mtns. 2500 miles in total, including a lot of night driving, some of it on unlit, unfamiliar mountain roads. The silverstars were awesome. BTW, we took the van instead of the GS because with two kids there was a lot of stuff to haul, and even more to haul home after the kids got their xmas gifts.

I've also been thinking about replacing the shocks and possibly adding a rear strut bar. Any thoughts on those?

rominl

iTrader: (4)

really? man now i didn't know that. but just for the record, i had hid fogs in my gs4 for a while actaully, and i love that. nothing beats having 4 hid shining down the road, it's sick

oh and thanks man

DetMich1

SilverStar are Sylvania/Osram's brightest/whitest bulbs this side of HID. PIAA may be a bit better but they cost 50% more than the SilverStars