Newbie
04-09-17, 11:35 PM
#1
Lead Lap
Thread Starter
Newbie
Hi there guys.
Been lurking as Ive been talking myself into buying a 91 LS400 and have finally pulled the trigger. Purchased a 91 LS400, 280k kms. Brand new XYZ coilovers new starter motor, brand new tyres, ECU was ent to the usa for refurb, but we will see what good that actually does.
Things I noticed that the car needs is new paint (just going to copper plati-dip til I buy the tools) small dings repaired, new belt, some interior tlc. THe exhaust is surface rusted to the nines.
Other than that its not a bad car and 2k was what I was willing to pay.
Would love to hear about anything I should be looking out for, 80k til timing belt is due again.
Been lurking as Ive been talking myself into buying a 91 LS400 and have finally pulled the trigger. Purchased a 91 LS400, 280k kms. Brand new XYZ coilovers new starter motor, brand new tyres, ECU was ent to the usa for refurb, but we will see what good that actually does.
Things I noticed that the car needs is new paint (just going to copper plati-dip til I buy the tools) small dings repaired, new belt, some interior tlc. THe exhaust is surface rusted to the nines.
Other than that its not a bad car and 2k was what I was willing to pay.
Would love to hear about anything I should be looking out for, 80k til timing belt is due again.
04-10-17, 02:04 AM
#2
A few things I would work on are...
Check and replace old fuses, I have had a few go out on me, they are over a 1/4 century old now if they are OEM....
Check and replace any temperature sensors if they are not newer, these seem to go bad around 80K - 90K miles, and I believe there are a total of 3
Check your Environment Control (A/C) Unit for LCD and capacitor leakage, this does happen unless its been recently (within the last 8 years) repaired
Check your power steering system and make sure its not leaking and that the hoses are in good condition, a leaking Power Steering usually kills the alternator
Also check the alternator they do go bad
Do a compression test (tools are cheap and easily available)
Check the rear wiring harness (from the trunk, its on the drivers side, these have been known to get brittle and get damaged causing some major issues if not corrected (it's an easy repair, plenty of documentation on it on the forums)
Check your fluids, use Full Synthetic oil and a top grade filter for the Oil, check the Trans fluid make sure its red and has no metallic deposits in it (check with a white paper towel), check the brake fluid reservoir for water/contamination (there are cheap testing kits available all over the interwebz), check the radiator coolant and make sure it's its either the BG Red or the Toyota/Lexus Red (the green crap is NOT RECOMMENDED).
Check the undercarriage for any leaks and rust damage, if you know someone with access to a lift, buy some cans of heavy duty degreaser and use a pressure washer to clean that undercarriage. Why? This will help you identify any current and future leaks much easier, and if at the same time you want to work on the exhaust system, it's not a bad time to do so.
Check the ignition system (distributor(s), caps, rotors, plug wires and plugs), and if you need them replaced may I suggest at least the NGK kit and use Iridium plugs, they do work well with the 1UZFE.
IF you still have the stock radio, check all the speakers, if some are blown, consider an audio/entertainment upgrade.
Purchase some Leather Only, its sold at Lexus Dealerships, its not too expensive but it really helps keeps the Leather in great condition and I have been using it on my 1992 LS400 and its made quite an improvement. Its an all in one cleaner, conditioner and protectant, easy to use, just put some of the product on a WHITE terry cloth or microfiber, either will do, just make sure its white so that you can tell when you have gotten all or most of the grime out of the seats/steering wheel/shifter/arm rests.
Check your fuel injectors, and your fuel pump
Last but certainly not least check your filters, not just your oil and air, but you FUEL FILTER as well, these usually get neglected and can lead to poor performance and dirty fuel being introduced into the engine causing more wear and tear.
Check and replace old fuses, I have had a few go out on me, they are over a 1/4 century old now if they are OEM....
Check and replace any temperature sensors if they are not newer, these seem to go bad around 80K - 90K miles, and I believe there are a total of 3
Check your Environment Control (A/C) Unit for LCD and capacitor leakage, this does happen unless its been recently (within the last 8 years) repaired
Check your power steering system and make sure its not leaking and that the hoses are in good condition, a leaking Power Steering usually kills the alternator
Also check the alternator they do go bad
Do a compression test (tools are cheap and easily available)
Check the rear wiring harness (from the trunk, its on the drivers side, these have been known to get brittle and get damaged causing some major issues if not corrected (it's an easy repair, plenty of documentation on it on the forums)
Check your fluids, use Full Synthetic oil and a top grade filter for the Oil, check the Trans fluid make sure its red and has no metallic deposits in it (check with a white paper towel), check the brake fluid reservoir for water/contamination (there are cheap testing kits available all over the interwebz), check the radiator coolant and make sure it's its either the BG Red or the Toyota/Lexus Red (the green crap is NOT RECOMMENDED).
Check the undercarriage for any leaks and rust damage, if you know someone with access to a lift, buy some cans of heavy duty degreaser and use a pressure washer to clean that undercarriage. Why? This will help you identify any current and future leaks much easier, and if at the same time you want to work on the exhaust system, it's not a bad time to do so.
Check the ignition system (distributor(s), caps, rotors, plug wires and plugs), and if you need them replaced may I suggest at least the NGK kit and use Iridium plugs, they do work well with the 1UZFE.
IF you still have the stock radio, check all the speakers, if some are blown, consider an audio/entertainment upgrade.
Purchase some Leather Only, its sold at Lexus Dealerships, its not too expensive but it really helps keeps the Leather in great condition and I have been using it on my 1992 LS400 and its made quite an improvement. Its an all in one cleaner, conditioner and protectant, easy to use, just put some of the product on a WHITE terry cloth or microfiber, either will do, just make sure its white so that you can tell when you have gotten all or most of the grime out of the seats/steering wheel/shifter/arm rests.
Check your fuel injectors, and your fuel pump
Last but certainly not least check your filters, not just your oil and air, but you FUEL FILTER as well, these usually get neglected and can lead to poor performance and dirty fuel being introduced into the engine causing more wear and tear.
Last edited by Spartan536; 04-10-17 at 02:13 AM.
04-10-17, 04:14 AM
#3
Lead Lap
Thread Starter
Thanks for the detailed reply mate.
It was just serviced with Royal Purple full synthetic and filter by the previous owner. A little over the top but what ever, not something I will continue to do. He also just put in a lifetime k&n air filter, which I will likely remove and replace. It definitely needs the under body cleaned. I have no access to a lift but I will work something out that is somewhat safe, if not totally sketchy. Whilst under I did notice that the outer tie-rod ends were quite easy to tilt, while not having any loose play. Is this normal? I also noticed a small , perhaps old leak on the the 2 hoses on the bottom of the power steering rack. I think I will just replace the whole rack and ends this year.
So the first thing I will do is replace all fuzes just because, start sourcing new sensors and gauges and suss out the the AC control for issues. All of the electrics work just fine at the moment but id like to be safe.
From there I will replace all front end bushings and then rear, along with the exhaust which really has not held up as well as the rest of the car. I am looking for online sellers in aus that sell prefab systems but they are hard to find at the moment, in stock atleast. Might just have to have a go at fabbing.
It was just serviced with Royal Purple full synthetic and filter by the previous owner. A little over the top but what ever, not something I will continue to do. He also just put in a lifetime k&n air filter, which I will likely remove and replace. It definitely needs the under body cleaned. I have no access to a lift but I will work something out that is somewhat safe, if not totally sketchy. Whilst under I did notice that the outer tie-rod ends were quite easy to tilt, while not having any loose play. Is this normal? I also noticed a small , perhaps old leak on the the 2 hoses on the bottom of the power steering rack. I think I will just replace the whole rack and ends this year.
So the first thing I will do is replace all fuzes just because, start sourcing new sensors and gauges and suss out the the AC control for issues. All of the electrics work just fine at the moment but id like to be safe.
From there I will replace all front end bushings and then rear, along with the exhaust which really has not held up as well as the rest of the car. I am looking for online sellers in aus that sell prefab systems but they are hard to find at the moment, in stock atleast. Might just have to have a go at fabbing.
Last edited by Moarpower; 04-10-17 at 04:26 AM.
04-11-17, 07:38 PM
#5
Lead Lap
Thread Starter
No miles here. Only Kilometers. They are certainly not as common here in AUS as they are in the USA and after doing extensive research and looking around, it was certainly worth the 2000. There was only one other for sale in my area for 1500 and it was terrible...One for sale 250 kms away for 2500 but it was a 97 and Im not after one of those.
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