UGKkllr

So I finally bought my dream car , a black on black ultra luxury LS430. It's a 2001 with 119k miles and is a one owner car. The interior is pretty good except that the owner was a lil old lady who smoked inside of the car. So I will have to work on the smell the best I can.

A few things I noticed that are wrong. The drivers window has a white spot near the bottom where it looks like it fogged inside the glass. I guess the windows have 2 panes of glass ? Do I need to go on ebay and grab a window or can this be fixed ?

The tilt steering does not work. The telescoping wheel does work tho. Lucky for me the wheel is in a pretty good spot but it would be nice to have it working. What will it cost me to get fixed ?

The wood on the steering wheel has cracks in it. The cracks seem to be under some kind of lamination or whatever it is lexus used so it is not chipping but you can see and feel it slightly. Can this be fixed without getting a new wheel ?

The subwoofer is blown , no big deal but it sounds like crap. How hard will it be for me to replace it on my own ? Do I have to use a woofer exactly like the one it came with or are there aftermarket options ?

The intermittent windshield wiper speed does not work. The wipers work on slow and fast tho which for the most part is fine unless I am in a light drizzle. What can I do to address this ?

When I put the rear sunshade up on the rear windshield , the motor sounds like it wants to keep going. it does not shut off at all. So for now I just keep the shade down. Is this common and is it an easy fix ?

There is a code on the dash saying a tail light is out but the tail light works , what can I do to reset this and get the message to vanish ?


I know there sounds like a lot wrong but I paid $7800 for the car and it runs and shifts perfectly. The interior is actually in good condition other then the things I mentioned and the exterior needs a good wash , claybar, wax, buff , etc... I may have to call in a pro to get it looking right. I do not think this lil old lady ever washed the car once since she bought it new. It has 2 door dings , one which is about 3x4 inches and the other is standard size, no biggie tho. All of the chrome trim around the car will need to be replaced also. But hey for what I paid , I can deal with having to fix some minor things over time. The 3 hour drive home was pure bliss

Gene01

Smoking smell - I have not tried this, but I have heard that an open can of ground coffee will absorb odors.
Double-pane glass delamination - I don't think it can be repaired. This has been mentioned in past threads.
Steering wheel tilt inoperative - Lots of previous threads on this, including one simple cheap repair technique.
Blown subwoofer - Lots of previous threads.
Rear sunshade - Not too common a failure, but there are a few previous threads.
Tail light warning - It is quite common for this warning light to glow even if all bulbs are apparently OK. This is usually caused by at least one bulb that is of the incorrect wattage, but may (more rarely) be a failed sensor circuit. There is a fairly recent thread or three on this topic.
My experience - it may be my lack of knowledge, but I find that the standard search does not give me very good results. Try the advanced search function instead.

Lavrishevo

iTrader: (1)

For smoking smells, one of the most affective solution is an ozone machine.

http://m.wikihow.com/Do-an-Ozone-Sho...t-on-a-Vehicle

Tmarbury

For the most I would just replace; starting with the tilt steeringwheel motor, subwoofer, rear shade motor (check sewell lexus parts online, request clublexus membership discount). Subwoofer can be replcae with an aftermarket; however, you may have make some adjustment for proper fitting.

Not much you can do about the cracks in the steering wheel, unless you replce it with a used or a new one. I recommend if the cracks are not that noticeable leave it alone, if there are deep then check out ebaymotors for a replacement; it has to be the same year cannot replace a 2001 with a 2004-06).

Light bulb must have a shortage, I had this problem, check the bulb, make sure it is seated properly.

Buy the trim online (a large reel of trim will due). good luck and enjoy!!

430THUNDER

Congrats!! I find using google search works better also.

Legender

Congratulations on your purchase... price sounds extremely reasonable...
Check out all the maintenance intervals and catch up what you need to...
Oftentimes if they didn't take care of the outside, the internals may have been neglected also.
Good luck.

UGKkllr

Have you used one of these or do you know anyone who has ? I wonder how good it is at getting the smell out of the suede headliner. Looks like I can rent one for about 100 bux shipped to my door. As for the subwoofer, I found a Polk sub that others have used in their LS430 and it's cheap. I just dunno about the actual labor. I do not want to have to remove my back seat.

UGKkllr

Her son told me that lexus would come to her house, pick up the car for service and leave her a loaner. So all the required service was done as far as I know. i know the dealer did the timing belt within the last 10k miles, i can see it on the carfax. I could not find a tranny dipstick when I went to go see the car but it shifts like a dream , cant even feel it shifting. The oil looked a lil bit dirty so I will get that changed asap. I also need to order an in cabin air filter for after I treat the interior odor. Im sure the filter in there now is gonna stink pretty bad.

jayclapp

The UL has a rear air condition34 which contains a UV bulb that filters the air to reduce impurities and odors. That bult is always on. Make sure that the rear A/C is on and full fan speed to allow the UV to really work. The rear A/C also has it's own filter. It may also need to be replaced, but this filter is very expensive at around $150 list price now (was half that a few years ago).

Baking soda in an open container is good for absorbing odors. You might try that for a few nights or so.

XJSFan

A pot with a quart of white vinegar sitting on the drivers or passengers floor for around a week always got rid of bad scents from old collector cars I have purchased...

UGKkllr

I do not think baking soda is gonna do much, this car was smoked in for 13 years so it's pretty bad. As for the rear filter , that's just insanity at $150. i found the primary cabin filter on ebay for around 30 bux shipped so I think I am gonna order one. What's the part number for the rear filter ? I searched and cannot find it on ebay.

If only I could let the car sit still for a week. I just got back from the DMV so from here on out the car is gonna be getting driven quite a bit. I'm a realtor so I get around quite a bit.

jayclapp

I reviewed my records regarding the rear A/C Filter and found the following:

The owner's manual states the filter is to be replaced when it, "reduces airflow or deodorant performance." It is to be installed with the gray surface downward....... The gray surface in the filter may turn yellow (yellow spots) because of ultraviolet rays, however it is no problem for use."

I just checked Sewell for the '01 UL filter. P/N: 8850830110 (in stock) List price: $61.32, Club Lexus member price: $37.41.

The filter for an '04 UL (my car) is P/N: 8850850080 (in stock) List price: $197.38, Club Lexus member price: $144.78. (I'll explain my reason for mentioning this filter as follows)

Now here's the really interesting part. When I replaced my rear filter a few years ago, my Lexus dealer sold me the '01 filter. When I compared it to the 04 filter I was removing I noticed they were virtually identical. The only difference was the gray side was up instead of down. I removed that filter and installed it in my carrier and used it. I am still using it.

Since the filter is to be replaced when the airflow is reduced I saw no reason not to use the much, much cheaper 01 filter.

I suggest in your situation that you order a replacement 01 UL filter from Sewell and use it.

This is a note to other 04-06 UL owners: WHY PAY $145 FOR A REAR A/C FILTER WHEN YOU CAN USE THE $37. 01 FILTER?

honeygee2

For your taillight failure light. Check the upper brake light in the rear window. Just replaced mine

dostephen

I bought a used Lexus LS from the dealer years ago but it smelled really fowl. They guaranteed that they would completely get rid of the odor. First they tried ozone, which didn't touch it. Then they took out all of the AC duct work and soaked it in chemicals. That helped about 50% but the smell was still too much. They replaced the floor mats which helped another 10% or so. Finally they ripped out all of the carpet and replaced it. That did the trick and I never smelled the odor again.

UGKkllr

Thank you for the helpful post. I see that same part is 45 bux shipped on ebay. I wonder what shipping would be from Sewell and how long it would take. I am having my car detailed soon so the sooner the better. And what about part # 87139-YZZ01 which is an in cabin filter , do I need that as well ?

As it turns out my 3rd brake light is indeed out. The DIY thread link in the faq section is just a dead link tho so I am clueless on exactly how to replace it and what exact bulb I need also.


I was hoping two shock treatments of ozone 2 days in a row would do the trick. The place I was looking at online does 2 day rentals and shipping is included in the price

http://www.ozonesolutions.com/OZONE_MACHINE_RENTAL

A set of OEM floor mats is around 90 dollars and I have no problem doing that even tho the ones I have are in great shape. I was probably gonna do that anyways. I'm sure they stink pretty bad too. Replacing all the carpet sounds expensive and like a lot of work. I think the suede headliner is probably holding quite a bit of nicotine and tar also and will not be easy to clean.


One last thing I forgot to mention is the middle hinge on the drivers door is broken. The door still opens and closes but this hinge keeps the door from opening too far and also it seems like the door jumps a little bit when I shut it due to this broken hinge. Can anyone shed some light on what exact part number this is and where to get it , I'm assuming Sewell will have it ? I tried to upload a pic but it is not working , maybe cuz I am on a Mac , dunno.