96 LS, 265K. Last month the engine ECU went bad (caps leaked) and I had this repaired, and the car drove well for 50 miles, but now there is more:

Starter is failing, just clicks sometimes, but then starts ok, I know its the starter. (And yes, I know where it is on the engine!)

P0125 Coolant not reaching temp fast enough, maybe it is because the cooland is quite low, but not sure yet.

P0430 O2 sensor or bad cat. When the ECU went bad, it had piles of unburned gas and smoke coming out the back as the wife drove home (2 miles). Maybe this killed one or more cats?

Steering pump leaking slowly.

Basically, it keeps me too busy these days and I have decided to get a GS for the wife. Just wondering what to do with it - I could fix the starter at leisure over the summer, but not if the cats are dead.

Can't complain though! Went round the earth 10 times! Any comments? (It has a new timing belt, dammit!)

 

Depending on the general condition of the car if the repairs are not too expensive I'd say fix it. IMHO these cars deserve it.

 

i agree. unless you are looking at a worn out engine or something, its worth it to fix it

 

swap coolant temp sensor, fix exhaust leak that likely exists, swap pump for rebuilt unit (<$130), monitor until the starter dies.

 

it's probably the high pressure hose rather than the pump, a new one on ebay is only $50

and I agree that you likely have an exhaust leak or bad O2 sensor rather than bad cats - it is very rare for a Lexus cat to go bad on a '96 unless you have like 350K+ miles on it!

try a genuine Toyota engine coolant temp sensor p/n 89422-20010 next
(the green one in the pic)

Attachment 498864

 

Fix it!!!! They don't make the LS400 anymore.Save an endangered species.

 

I look at these type of decisions in one way only: Unless you are buying a new car to replace an old one, you will be buying someone else's problems very likely because you can never be 100% certain about what you are buying when used.

Say you buy used. You drive it for a few weeks, and discover that compression on one of the cylinders is too low, or that A/T is going out when its hot outside, or that injectors are gone, or that breaks are crappy (rotors were turned too many times and they just replaced pads with cheapest garbage) and suspension was replaced with bad parts, and you end up spending just as much as on your own car right now, but with no certainty about the future.

I'd keep the car, provided engine and transmission are good (especially since you put in a new TB).

 

Typical wear parts to replace and you know what history yours has. I'd say fix it unless you really want a different car to drive. When buying used, all kinds of fixes may be waiting to pop up so that may not save the wallet much. If buying brand new then it is a different game.

 

I would let the cosmetic condition be a big factor in my decision - has the car always been garage kept and is still looking sharp and classy inside and out? - Or has a lot of hard years turned it into something of a beater?

If it is currently a rougher example, perhaps think of upgrading to a newer LS400 such as the 98-00 generation, or even the LS430, both are great cars and both can still be found where the cosmetic condition is practically new!

 

You can give it to me, I'll take care of it