sayow

So I was in the market for an inexpensive luxury car to use as a commuter and stumbled upon a small dealer going out of business. I ended up buying two cars (Jag S-type and this 96 LS) from him VERY VERY cheap (at least IMO).

The LS in particular seemed to need way more TLC than I initially wanted/would be reasonable but the price was so low at a mere $1,300 and despite REALLY high miles (240k) and a power steering leak that the dealer was very honest about, the darn thing ran smooth as silk.

Not having the luxury at the time of reviewing this awesome forum, I did not know any specific things to look for in a 96 LS but now that I drove it home (50+ miles, ran great) I want to see what I should look into first relative to the cost/value of the car.

Some details:

- Black on Black 96 LS400

- One owner (verified)

- 240k miles

- Tires are almost brand new (500 worth, was the clincher)

- AC was ice cold the whole drive home

- Interior is nice save for the driver and pass leather seat seams in the leather that are coming undone. Not ripped mind you, just un-stitched it appears.

- Exterior is not perfect. Car has one thin 10 inch scratch (looks like angry GF key) as well as the rear bumper paint starting to fade. Worst part is a VERY small 6-10 inch patch of paint on the front driver fender that has clear coat starting to peel. Other than that no major dents or body damage.

- All glass is good

- I let it idle for almost 30 minutes while talking to dealer to look for leaks or overheating, no visible issues.

- No noises or squeaks (I assume the power steering will squeak when low, dealer said leak is not small lol).

- No check engine light. Will put the ODB-II reader on it this weekend.

- Car has some cheap "maybe was cool 10 years ago" touch screen radio that I want to replace with a factory unit ASAP. Any good leads on a factory radio and what years will fit easily into a 96?

- All electronics work, no apparent gremlins.

- Only have a single key and fob. fob is wore out, it works but not well. Would love to get new keys and fobs not sure of the process.

- Driving it home, took it up to around 85mpg just to feel the car, no shaking or vibration to speak of, but i have to believe with the miles I will soon be in for some ball joints/struts.

- I have not yet (didnt know when i bought) checked VIN with lexus.com to see if timing belt/water pump and any service was done but will do that ASAP.

I figure for $1300, the fact it made it home makes it a low risk proposition. Actually feel in love with the drive of it and suspect I will end up getting another lower mileage LS in my future.

But for the time being what things should I be looking for/checking on? What are typical issues to be wary or and/or preventive maintenance i can do?

Thanks in advance!

PureDrifter

iTrader: (10)

-a 95-97 radio will fit fine. but you need the factory amp for it to work
- match fobs to FCC id on back, keys can be bought on ebay for your year and cut by a local locksmith. No immobilizer in '96 model year cars.
-read the FAQ stickied at the top of the forum for common issues.

if it's as solid as you describe possibly a very good buy.

sayow

With only 50 miles on the clock under my watch, I could still find a host of issues but so far so good.

Another issue/question:

The headlights, when on, the passenger is much brighter (white) than the driver side (amber). I was happy to see that they are glass, but I am guessing one was replaced and the other was not?

Maybe just replace them both, but given they are glass probably not cheap.

PureDrifter

iTrader: (10)

...or you could just replace the bulbs?

timmy0tool

iTrader: (7)

yeah could just be the bulbs. seems like a good buy. yes i would def see when the last timing belt was done. the engine is an interference engine.

typical issues are the front strut rod bushings giving out shown by vibrations and uneven tire wear, transmission mount shown by vibrations at speed, power steering pump leak at the reservoir which can lead to alternator failure if the fluid makes it's way inside, and starter failure. all of these if you think about it is very minor which makes this car a solid chassis.

timmy0tool

iTrader: (7)

this is also an ongoing issue as the cars get older:
https://www.clublexus.com/forums/ls4...capacitor.html

Sc0pe

iTrader: (1)

Ditto on the new ECU capacitors. Since you've got a particularly high mileage model, I'd say get on that quick. The benefits of new capacitors are almost instantaneous upon replacement. You should see minor increases in horsepower and electronics working better than ever, for starts. Also work on getting that power steering pump either replaced, or having that leak fixed, because the power steering fluid has a tendency to drip down onto the alternator which in turn shorts out the alternator, and when the alternator dies, your electrical is pretty much toast. Unless, of course, you have a cache of batteries which you recharge frequently enough to be at full power and have enough juice to last you through a drive.

RXGS

iTrader: (2)

First thing iwould do is change the the fluids, but congrats

YoshiMan

What TLC do you think it may need? Judging from what you said it sounds like a pretty solid car! My 95 wasnt anywhere near the running condition you're describing when i picked it up. The real kicker is if you are capable of doing the work yourself, otherwise these can get pricey.

sayow

Aside from the bushings and probably timing belt/water pump I have been reading that the power steering leak can/does lead to the idle air control going bad and a sure sign of that is a puff of smoke at start but no other time, which mine appears to have (small but its there).

After car warms up and during drive, nothing so I "think" the PS pump, lines and IAC need replaced ASAP. Anyone have idea on cost?

LScowboyLS

I would replace the strut bar bushings and transmission mount (both cheap parts from the dealership and easy to install) - make sure strut bar bushing are correctly clocked and torqued down with car off of the jack - make sure to use genuine Toyota parts on both tranny mount and strut bar bushings!

best place to find original radio and amp is ebay

Shmee

iTrader: (3)

I would take the car to a reputable shop and have it inspected and see what needs work and what doesn't. Pull a district cover and have a look at the timing belt. If it's not new or virtually new, I'd get that replaced along with the water pump and probably the cam and crank seals.

As for the other mechanicals, a good inspection will show you what needs attention now, in 6months and what might be a year out or more. You could go through the car and replace everything just about everything if you wanted... But that would make the car less of a deal.