My first LS400
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My first LS400
- Hello, after about a years search I have purchased my first Lexus LS400(1993) Spent a lot of time looking for one that was well taken care but also fitting for my budget( so I can have money set aside for repairs parts and whatever else). It is fairly high mileage at 182k miles but when I saw this gentlemens collection of cars and how much him and his family cared for them I had a good feeling
Any info or tips on this or other information about these cars would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks, Danny
#2
Congrats on your newly purchase & owning such a nice old automobile as they don't make too many of these anymore. Since you already know the location of the alternator which is located right underneath the PS pump, make sure to find out where the leak is, the sooner the better. If you're lucky, the leak could be from the small rubber o-ring at the bottom of the PS reservoir where it's plugged into the pump. The reservoir can be removed via 3 small bolts. Go buy an o-ring from the dealer & make sure to suck the fluid out of the reservoir before you disconnect it. Place a rag or a plastic bag underneath the pump to prevent PS fluid from dripping/pouring into the alternator. Once done, re-fill the reservoir w/ the correct PS fluid (Dexron III or equivalent) then keep an eye on it for a few days. If it's dried then you've found & fixed the problem, otherwise eventually you'll need to replace the pump w/ a new one. Since the car is so old & if you can't afford to spend a lot of money on a genuine pump, you can look into a re-manufactured pump with a lifetime warranty from one of the local auto part stores. Enjoy & take good care of it then it will last for a long time.
#3
In regards to the heat, if the temperature indicator's needle on your dash stays in the middle & doesn't move once warmed up then you're ok. If it's fluctuated during stop & go traffic then you could have air in your coolant system. The way to purge the air out is to open the coolant reservoir's cap once car is warmed up i.e. after driving but be very careful as it's under-pressured so place a towel over the cap & open it slowly. Do this a few times & that should fix your issue. If it doesn't then it could be your thermostat starts going bad as it's not fully open to allow the hot coolant from the engine re-circulate via the radiator. If you're going to replace the thermostat then make sure to get one w/ the correct temperature & a new gasket. Check the fan to make sure it's operating normally before you do any of the above. Good luck.
#4
As far as the ECU... heat and humidity, think Florida, play a big part in the premature failure of the capacitors. You may not see total failure based on your location. Congrats on the purchase and you may have found a good. Enjoy the ride and continue to take good care of it.
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In regards to the heat, if the temperature indicator's needle on your dash stays in the middle & doesn't move once warmed up then you're ok. If it's fluctuated during stop & go traffic then you could have air in your coolant system. The way to purge the air out is to open the coolant reservoir's cap once car is warmed up i.e. after driving but be very careful as it's under-pressured so place a towel over the cap & open it slowly. Do this a few times & that should fix your issue. If it doesn't then it could be your thermostat starts going bad as it's not fully open to allow the hot coolant from the engine re-circulate via the radiator. If you're going to replace the thermostat then make sure to get one w/ the correct temperature & a new gasket. Check the fan to make sure it's operating normally before you do any of the above. Good luck.
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Congrats on your newly purchase & owning such a nice old automobile as they don't make too many of these anymore. Since you already know the location of the alternator which is located right underneath the PS pump, make sure to find out where the leak is, the sooner the better. If you're lucky, the leak could be from the small rubber o-ring at the bottom of the PS reservoir where it's plugged into the pump. The reservoir can be removed via 3 small bolts. Go buy an o-ring from the dealer & make sure to suck the fluid out of the reservoir before you disconnect it. Place a rag or a plastic bag underneath the pump to prevent PS fluid from dripping/pouring into the alternator. Once done, re-fill the reservoir w/ the correct PS fluid (Dexron III or equivalent) then keep an eye on it for a few days. If it's dried then you've found & fixed the problem, otherwise eventually you'll need to replace the pump w/ a new one. Since the car is so old & if you can't afford to spend a lot of money on a genuine pump, you can look into a re-manufactured pump with a lifetime warranty from one of the local auto part stores. Enjoy & take good care of it then it will last for a long time.
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The leak is unfortunately coming from the main seal but it is very very minimal. There is never any on the ground after parking it for a while and i cannot see any after driving and looking underneath. I was also able to get a good look at the alternator and it looks fine at the moment. Would I be able to get away with running it for a while? I would like to put a refurbished pump in a eventually. What about stop leak for the timing being? Or is that a no no in your opinion ? (Would just be a temp fix) I know some people don't mind the stop leak but others hate it.
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#8
As a personal preference for cars I intend to keep I don't take shortcuts to solve problems, i.e.: stop lead products. I've got a reman pump from O'Reilly in my 1998 that has been working fine for a couple of years. Personal recommendation if it's a keeper is to fix it right by replacing the pump. It's a little work but with basic auto skills you can do it yourself. I did mine. Good luck.
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As a personal preference for cars I intend to keep I don't take shortcuts to solve problems, i.e.: stop lead products. I've got a reman pump from O'Reilly in my 1998 that has been working fine for a couple of years. Personal recommendation if it's a keeper is to fix it right by replacing the pump. It's a little work but with basic auto skills you can do it yourself. I did mine. Good luck.
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As a personal preference for cars I intend to keep I don't take shortcuts to solve problems, i.e.: stop lead products. I've got a reman pump from O'Reilly in my 1998 that has been working fine for a couple of years. Personal recommendation if it's a keeper is to fix it right by replacing the pump. It's a little work but with basic auto skills you can do it yourself. I did mine. Good luck.
Thanks,
Danny
#13
In my experience, the pump can leak for months until it actually does damage to the alternator. Even so, when you remove the pump, I'd take the alternator out also and have it cleaned up at an alternator/genarator shop and then drop back in. I would not leave it as it is with PS (transmission fluid in the case of Lexus) in it. It really needs to be cleaned up to prolong it's life. And since you're already there, might as well take them both out.
I would not put stop leak in at this time. I would surmise you'll continue to be fine for a few weeks...purely a guess on my part.
You'll know when you're alternator goes out as all kinds of lights will start coming on, on the dash and your vehicle will start acting funny. Then you know you've pushed it too far and will have to rebuild the alternator also.
I would not put stop leak in at this time. I would surmise you'll continue to be fine for a few weeks...purely a guess on my part.
You'll know when you're alternator goes out as all kinds of lights will start coming on, on the dash and your vehicle will start acting funny. Then you know you've pushed it too far and will have to rebuild the alternator also.
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In my experience, the pump can leak for months until it actually does damage to the alternator. Even so, when you remove the pump, I'd take the alternator out also and have it cleaned up at an alternator/genarator shop and then drop back in. I would not leave it as it is with PS (transmission fluid in the case of Lexus) in it. It really needs to be cleaned up to prolong it's life. And since you're already there, might as well take them both out.
I would not put stop leak in at this time. I would surmise you'll continue to be fine for a few weeks...purely a guess on my part.
You'll know when you're alternator goes out as all kinds of lights will start coming on, on the dash and your vehicle will start acting funny. Then you know you've pushed it too far and will have to rebuild the alternator also.
I would not put stop leak in at this time. I would surmise you'll continue to be fine for a few weeks...purely a guess on my part.
You'll know when you're alternator goes out as all kinds of lights will start coming on, on the dash and your vehicle will start acting funny. Then you know you've pushed it too far and will have to rebuild the alternator also.
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In my experience, the pump can leak for months until it actually does damage to the alternator. Even so, when you remove the pump, I'd take the alternator out also and have it cleaned up at an alternator/genarator shop and then drop back in. I would not leave it as it is with PS (transmission fluid in the case of Lexus) in it. It really needs to be cleaned up to prolong it's life. And since you're already there, might as well take them both out.
I would not put stop leak in at this time. I would surmise you'll continue to be fine for a few weeks...purely a guess on my part.
You'll know when you're alternator goes out as all kinds of lights will start coming on, on the dash and your vehicle will start acting funny. Then you know you've pushed it too far and will have to rebuild the alternator also.
I would not put stop leak in at this time. I would surmise you'll continue to be fine for a few weeks...purely a guess on my part.
You'll know when you're alternator goes out as all kinds of lights will start coming on, on the dash and your vehicle will start acting funny. Then you know you've pushed it too far and will have to rebuild the alternator also.