What did you do to your LS430 today?
07-12-18, 08:22 PM
#646
Finally made it home after driving her for ~950 miles for our vacation. Wow we love the car even more now that we have spent considerable amount of time driving long distance. To start with, for a heavy sedan carrying ~700 lbs of load, it has impressive gas mileage. From one exit to exit on interstate, cruising at ~70-80mph, it gets 27 mph or so. I kept checking the gauge to make sure it is working haha... AC was working great. We were comfy even when the outside temp reach up to 99F with high humidity. It helps that the car is white and all the windows are tinted. The radar cruiser control is pretty neat but I still need to get used to it.
Early on the trip, I find out that the lighter in the center console is not charging my GPS. I am going to see if I can figure it out over weekend. Hoping it is just as simple as a fuse. What I do not like, I wish it has arm rest that can be adjusted like my Land Cruiser. Also I wished it has dual sun visor (you can place one on the window side, and have another one to cover the front windshied). I do like the little sun visor above the mirror, that was proven useful. I also need to attach something soft in the cup holder. My metal coffee cup rattles like crazy when it is empty.
Now that I am back at home, I need to clean her up. There are millions of bugs that got splattered along the way, and probably will need to vacuum the interior a bit.
Early on the trip, I find out that the lighter in the center console is not charging my GPS. I am going to see if I can figure it out over weekend. Hoping it is just as simple as a fuse. What I do not like, I wish it has arm rest that can be adjusted like my Land Cruiser. Also I wished it has dual sun visor (you can place one on the window side, and have another one to cover the front windshied). I do like the little sun visor above the mirror, that was proven useful. I also need to attach something soft in the cup holder. My metal coffee cup rattles like crazy when it is empty.
Now that I am back at home, I need to clean her up. There are millions of bugs that got splattered along the way, and probably will need to vacuum the interior a bit.
Last edited by BCT; 07-13-18 at 12:24 AM.
07-12-18, 10:25 PM
#648
Need to do that. My CD player is jammed and won't load/unload disks. I'll try the quick hit to the RH side (which has worked before). Time to play music using phone . How much? How hard to install?
07-13-18, 12:18 AM
#650
This is one of my favorite "party pieces" of the car lol. Anytime I have someone new in the car that's never been in an LS and doesn't really know about them, I pull that little guy down to "show off" how Lexus paid attention to every little detail imaginable when designing the car. One time someone said something along the lines off "Ahhh, it all makes sense now. So that's why people paid $70,000 back in the day for a new one of these... for a 1" by 8" strip of fuzzy flap to block the sun."
07-13-18, 05:35 AM
#651
Lexus Fanatic
Gave her a break, she's a workhorse and a DD. Since my wife's been driving I saw the dash said like 13.x mpg! One day I'm really going to mount an egg holder on the gas pedal, we'll see if that number improves or not! 
07-13-18, 05:37 AM
#652
Lexus Fanatic
Somehow, after owning a 2001 LS for almost 2 years, and my current '04 for over 3 years, I just now (like 2-3 months ago) discovered that the main sun visors slide out from the mast that they're attached to. This whole time I've been driving around with the sun in my face when it was out my window at the ~9 o'clock position, and randomly pulled on the visor one day, discovering that it extends!! I feel like such a dummy being that I have read for hours and hours about features and aspects of the design, amateur and professional reviews, etc... but somehow didn't know this existed
This is one of my favorite "party pieces" of the car lol. Anytime I have someone new in the car that's never been in an LS and doesn't really know about them, I pull that little guy down to "show off" how Lexus paid attention to every little detail imaginable when designing the car. One time someone said something along the lines off "Ahhh, it all makes sense now. So that's why people paid $70,000 back in the day for a new one of these... for a 1" by 8" strip of fuzzy flap to block the sun."
This is one of my favorite "party pieces" of the car lol. Anytime I have someone new in the car that's never been in an LS and doesn't really know about them, I pull that little guy down to "show off" how Lexus paid attention to every little detail imaginable when designing the car. One time someone said something along the lines off "Ahhh, it all makes sense now. So that's why people paid $70,000 back in the day for a new one of these... for a 1" by 8" strip of fuzzy flap to block the sun."
Nav system
07-13-18, 09:19 PM
#654
Getting ready for primer.
Pulling out the low spot.
Today I used a stud gun to pull out the bottom of the right passenger door. I first had to take off the lower outside trim panel. Most of the time was spent trying to clean up the double sided tape used to secure the plastic panel to the metal of the door. The double sided tape adhesive is insane. Googone or goof-off would barely touch it. Hours of scraping later, I got most of it off.
The previous owner had run up against something, pushing in the bottom of the door by about 3/16”. It’s not exactly pretty under the trim panel, but only pulled on the metal underneath the plastic trim. Re-primed the bare metal were the stud gun was used.
Then there was the trim panel itself, which was warped where the door was pushed in. I think I was able to straighten it it mostly using a heat gun. The plastic seemed to become a bit pliable after heating, allow me to gently reshape the warped bit.
Of course some of the attachments points came loose on the back of the trim panel. I used some JB weld to glue them back down. Hopefully it will stick to the plastic. Had to let that sit overnight, it is not a very fast setting epoxy.
Originally, I had pulled the door apart to replace the lock actuator motor. Then I figured I might as well try to fix the dent, if possible. So working on the one door has become a multi day operation. Tomorrow I should be able to put it back together. The right side still has some paint damage from the scrape, it looks well enough from 25 feet. It really needs to be painted. I may try that myself but currently do not have the equipment. There are a couple of dents that could be pulled out using paintless dent repair, but would probably cost about $1000.
07-14-18, 05:17 AM
#655
Lexus Fanatic
Getting ready for primer.
Pulling out the low spot.
Today I used a stud gun to pull out the bottom of the right passenger door. I first had to take off the lower outside trim panel. Most of the time was spent trying to clean up the double sided tape used to secure the plastic panel to the metal of the door. The double sided tape adhesive is insane. Googone or goof-off would barely touch it. Hours of scraping later, I got most of it off.
The previous owner had run up against something, pushing in the bottom of the door by about 3/16”. It’s not exactly pretty under the trim panel, but only pulled on the metal underneath the plastic trim. Re-primed the bare metal were the stud gun was used.
Then there was the trim panel itself, which was warped where the door was pushed in. I think I was able to straighten it it mostly using a heat gun. The plastic seemed to become a bit pliable after heating, allow me to gently reshape the warped bit.
Of course some of the attachments points came loose on the back of the trim panel. I used some JB weld to glue them back down. Hopefully it will stick to the plastic. Had to let that sit overnight, it is not a very fast setting epoxy.
Originally, I had pulled the door apart to replace the lock actuator motor. Then I figured I might as well try to fix the dent, if possible. So working on the one door has become a multi day operation. Tomorrow I should be able to put it back together. The right side still has some paint damage from the scrape, it looks well enough from 25 feet. It really needs to be painted. I may try that myself but currently do not have the equipment. There are a couple of dents that could be pulled out using paintless dent repair, but would probably cost about $1000.
07-14-18, 06:04 AM
#656
Moderator
Just curious, is it possible for that to not rust in the future? I have never had any luck with rust when I have sanded down to bare metal. Primer, etc., and it comes back....like a game. Then I would sand larger, repeat, and it comes back. Over time the original area got bigger and bigger...this is my Maxima rear right wheel well....
As long as the repair area has been prepped correctly (Clean dry surface, good primer coats, sealer, good paint coverage), there's no reason to believe it would rust again.
07-14-18, 06:12 AM
#657
Lexus Fanatic
Body work is 90% prep work. The only reason it might rust after painting would be due to improper prep work.
As long as the repair area has been prepped correctly (Clean dry surface, good primer coats, sealer, good paint coverage), there's no reason to believe it would rust again.
As long as the repair area has been prepped correctly (Clean dry surface, good primer coats, sealer, good paint coverage), there's no reason to believe it would rust again.
07-14-18, 08:29 AM
#658
Just curious, is it possible for that to not rust in the future? I have never had any luck with rust when I have sanded down to bare metal. Primer, etc., and it comes back....like a game. Then I would sand larger, repeat, and it comes back. Over time the original area got bigger and bigger...this is my Maxima rear right wheel well....
Also, I don’t live close to the Gulf, so no salt water to worry about.
Last edited by jherr; 07-14-18 at 08:33 AM. Reason: small addition
07-14-18, 08:32 AM
#659
Lexus Fanatic
Always wondered how nice it would be to have an old car in CA or AZ or TX etc....especially when you look under and take things apart...
My LS still sitting, but will get used tomorrow. It deserves its 2 day rest!
07-14-18, 05:18 PM
#660
cars don't rust in Texas? are you insane...I grew up in Corpus Christi and my first car rusted out in less than 2 years. On Padre Island and Mustang Island we drive onto the beach and park in the sand. Cars without rust are the exception. Do people not drive onto the beaches in Florida? Cars don't rust in West Texas and maybe North Texas but South Texas is bad on cars.