1990 LS400 proud owner
04-15-05, 05:11 PM
#1
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1990 LS400 proud owner
Hi CL, great place going on here 
Found the forum a couple of months ago and figured I might as well start contributing and post today.
I just got my LS back, I had to get a new A/C compressor. Cost me $1050 altogether, but this car is so worth it, I never even thought twice about not getting it fixed. I usually work on my own car, I know nothing about A/C.
Like the title says it's a '90, I've owned it since Jan. 2001, it has 155,000 miles, and this thing is so smooth, it still gives me the giggles!
I found CL in one of my google searches when my alternator went out. You guys had already diagnosed why it failed before I could even post. Power Steering fluid!
Yes, I thought I had a bad leak and would need to rebuild the pump. But, I found a nice little thread about white smoke on cold starts. The infamous vacuum valve, I have now become very familiar with, had failed. Quick trip to Lexus, slap the valve in. NO MORE SMOKE!!!
Thank you guys.
Also I would like to give back by telling you I made a bad mistake when I first got the car, and I hope you learn from me.
I had a bad radiator/bottle cap. I took too long to replace it, I split the plastic bottle, overheated the water pump, seized it, and as I'm sure you now have imagined, shredded the timing belt.
A nice 18,000 miles after belt replacement.
That cost me over $500 just in parts, I did all the work.
All because of lazyness, and about $20 would have prevented that.
But besides the A/C compressor failing after 16 years of Florida use, the blackened climate control display, and tach and speedo needletips dimming, only negligence has hurt this car.
WOW!
Found the forum a couple of months ago and figured I might as well start contributing and post today.
I just got my LS back, I had to get a new A/C compressor. Cost me $1050 altogether, but this car is so worth it, I never even thought twice about not getting it fixed. I usually work on my own car, I know nothing about A/C.
Like the title says it's a '90, I've owned it since Jan. 2001, it has 155,000 miles, and this thing is so smooth, it still gives me the giggles!
I found CL in one of my google searches when my alternator went out. You guys had already diagnosed why it failed before I could even post. Power Steering fluid!
Yes, I thought I had a bad leak and would need to rebuild the pump. But, I found a nice little thread about white smoke on cold starts. The infamous vacuum valve, I have now become very familiar with, had failed. Quick trip to Lexus, slap the valve in. NO MORE SMOKE!!!
Thank you guys.
Also I would like to give back by telling you I made a bad mistake when I first got the car, and I hope you learn from me.
I had a bad radiator/bottle cap. I took too long to replace it, I split the plastic bottle, overheated the water pump, seized it, and as I'm sure you now have imagined, shredded the timing belt.
A nice 18,000 miles after belt replacement.
That cost me over $500 just in parts, I did all the work.
All because of lazyness, and about $20 would have prevented that.
But besides the A/C compressor failing after 16 years of Florida use, the blackened climate control display, and tach and speedo needletips dimming, only negligence has hurt this car.
WOW!
04-16-05, 02:39 PM
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woah, i have the same white smoke cold start problem, my fluid is leaking, about 2 weeks after a fresh fill and it moans and groans, would the vacuum valve fix that or do i need to rebuild the pump and all that stuff?
04-16-05, 06:31 PM
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Thanks all, here's a pic.
She's dark brown, not the lighter, more common maroon color.
I've never seen another one like this.
I also have the beige cloth interior.
PlutoBHG, the valve will stop the white smoke on startup and fluid loss. If you have a leak you will have to fix that also. I wiped my pump and surrounding area clean and dry, and it stayed that way, meaning the wetness was from my spillage.
Good luck and let me know if I can help in any way.
She's dark brown, not the lighter, more common maroon color.
I've never seen another one like this.
I also have the beige cloth interior.
PlutoBHG, the valve will stop the white smoke on startup and fluid loss. If you have a leak you will have to fix that also. I wiped my pump and surrounding area clean and dry, and it stayed that way, meaning the wetness was from my spillage.
Good luck and let me know if I can help in any way.
04-16-05, 06:43 PM
#7
Dysfunctional Veteran
My god that is a RARE color. and it looks to be in good...no, scratch that...GREAT shape.
I believe its called Chocolate Brown Metallic Pearl. We are talking 1 of ~1,000 here. IIRC, there were only 20,000 LS4's made in 1990, you have a RARE one.
I believe its called Chocolate Brown Metallic Pearl. We are talking 1 of ~1,000 here. IIRC, there were only 20,000 LS4's made in 1990, you have a RARE one.
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04-17-05, 01:32 PM
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Thanks again for the welcome and the compliments!
I totally agree with you RA40, unfortunately most people don't know that.
I know I didn't until I drove my dad's '91 LS, two weeks later I owned my '90.
The paint is awesome from six feet away, there are a lot of imperfections.
And the roof clearcoat layer is starting to haze.
The dark brown has some type of red pearl action, here's my favorite corner.
GRAND_LS 4, I'm in Jacksonville.
Mike G.
I totally agree with you RA40, unfortunately most people don't know that.
I know I didn't until I drove my dad's '91 LS, two weeks later I owned my '90.
The paint is awesome from six feet away, there are a lot of imperfections.
And the roof clearcoat layer is starting to haze.
The dark brown has some type of red pearl action, here's my favorite corner.
GRAND_LS 4, I'm in Jacksonville.
Mike G.
