Someone's selling a '93 LS 400 with 124k miles for $1000. Body and interior are in good condition.

The ad says it has a problem where it will stall out while driving. They then must have the car jumped before it will go again.

I'm going to go see it this weekend and see if I can get further details. Could this be as simple as the leaky PS pump shorting the alternator issue? What kind of questions concerning the symptoms should I be asking?

Also, how much has someone paid a mech to change these two parts out? I'm assuming the t-belt hasn't been replaced either.

Thanks,

Bob

 

Could be a variety of problems, without further explanation. From a first glance view, based on what you are telling us, sounds like the car has a dead alternator; most likely due to a leaky PS pump. The fact that the car will re-start on a "jump" leads me in this direction, however it could also be a dead battery. Charge system dying will pretty much display the same symptoms ( all dash lights coming on, radio will exhibit fade, weakened hedlights, etc). YOu would pretty much need to take the car to a place to have the system tested to isolate whether it is the battery or the alternator causing the problem. You local autozone can pretty much do this and doesn't charge a thing. In terms of cost, PS pump can get close to $500(new) and the alternator runs somewhere around $200(reman.) You can save yourself some money, if you are mechanically inclined, by doing some of this yourself. T-belt, should do the water pump as well while you have the area exposed and this is driven off the belt, can get VERY expensive. At a dealership, expect to pay $1K or better. I would find a local mechanic that you trust to do this to save some money.

 

you can get used parts too. Save a lot of money that way. Especially with a project. Check it out.

At 127k that LS400 is worth saving.

 

Yeah, I would offer them a little less and have a buddy or company tow it to where you can test drive it safely (i.e. not across town). I think this could be fixed with a little know how, it really just depends on what you want. I am located in Minneapolis, I know it's not close but I do my own labor so it's substantially cheaper. If you have a little wrenching skills, don't be afraid to tackle this, there are tons of do-it-yourself tutorials around here to give you the knowledge to be able to do this. I bought mine for $400 cash, when he was asking $1000, so don't be afraid to let Benjamin do some speaking too.

 

It could be the ECU, too! Similar thing happened to my SC. Good luck!

 

I spoke to the owner today. She said "We pulled up to a stop sign and it died. It needed to be jumped to start. It has started fine the two or three times we've tried since. However, we have not driven it because we are afraid."

So it died once.

 

i would bet on a relatively easy fix, but wouldn't get into it if you can't afford something more involved just in case. especially if you don't have the resources to diy.