Sooo i get sucked into the damn dealer manheim sale in Atlanta on junker day. Up rolls this fairly nice 253k miler with low options. None that I can tell Just your standard fare leather moonroof LS. I snag a carfax off the vin real quick 37 service records no accidents 3 owners and by the time I see this info, the hammer is about to fall at 2600 bucks! I figured its worth a shot. I throw my hand up for the 2700 final bid.

Drive it home from Atlanta to Chattanooga friday and she runs perfectly. 80 mph smooth as silk 85 and up some vibration starts to sneak in. The tires are near replacement I think they are Summitomos. A/c is frigid and most electronics work. List of items to adddress...

-tilt and tele steering wheel is dead. ZERO noise. just dead
-Radio. DEAD No power
-I am getting that dreaded wobble in the steering wheel at most speeds over the smallest of bumps or imperfections in the road. Of course it is worse at freeway speeds. Feels like front pass wheel susp area is the culprit but im no pro.

Gobs of service history with new fluids tranny service new radiator and hoses battery brakes etc but NO timing belt! No decal anywhere. No way it has made it to 253k and not had at least 1 lol thanks for letting me share!

 

Congratulations on the purchase.

 

Man, I would love to find something like that... I would assume nothing with the timing belt... Its possible that it hasn't been changed. Are you going to swap it out or are you taking it to a shop?

In regards to the suspension, it could be struts, although the roads around Atlanta are very forgiving, so it could be something like stabilizer links, engine mount, UCA bushings or LCA bushings. Time to get it up on a rack and take a good look

Radio could be a fuse.

Steering tilt/tele may have been locked out via Techstream... Just a thought..

Congratulations on the find..

How's the interior condition?

 

Sounds like a very fair deal, but depending upon what your plans for the car are should determine what actions you might take. Looks like a $4,000-$4500 retail piece if in fair running cond with very good body. If you are looking to retail it, spend the minimum to get the electrics going, but concentrate on making the car looking as good as possible. If you want to own it, I'd think long and hard as this car can certainly cost you over and above retail very quickly unless you are doing everything yourself. Besides, with that many miles, the bigger things are certainly near or around the corner. Good luck and let us know how you make out.

 

Thanks for the heads up! the interior looks very good. all leather is nice. lumber and plastics look great. some cracking in the steering wheel and drivers door panel but hardly noticeable.

I think i want to figure out the steering wheel tilt and radio for sure. I am not familiar with Techstream I may even check on the suspension. something definitely feels loose up front. But there is NO clunking Stabilizer links sound more like it. I will be getting it up in the air soon to check If I can sell it and make $500 I am happy or I may drive it a few months. My mother has a 2006 LS that she bought new and it has 80K on it. I swear this car drives as good as hers! (except the wobble in the steering over bumps!)

 

You're welcome!
My 2005 with 59K really doesn't drive much differently than my 2001 with 197K on it. A little tighter in the corners, but not vastly different, like many cars would be...

My vote would be to keep it and enjoy the heck out of it, but if it's not what you're really jonesing for, clean it up, get it right and flip it..

 

what is techstream? I am sorry if that is a dumb question haha

 

Techstream is a program that Toyota techs use when working on their cars. It's kind of like an OBD scanner on steroids. Along with reading diagnosis info, you can change some of the car's user settings. There are a couple of great threads on the use and operation of the Techstream software. It can be purchased on eBay for le than 30 dollars US, and usually comes with the serial cable/OBD connector

 

Show us some pictures already! You are killing us, man!

 

It's likely that the difference in handling around corners between your 2001 and 2005 come down to the slightly reworked suspension for 2004+ models in addition to the difference in feeling from 225/60/16s on the '01 vs the 225/55/17s on the '05. (unless either of your cars have the sport suspension and/or the larger optional 225/55/17s on the '01 and 245/45/18s on the '04)

 

As 2K said, it's almost guaranteed to be a bushing. Based on the fact that you said the wobble happens over bumps or rippled road surfaces, I'm willing to bet that it's not the motor mounts, but you can eliminate them as a possibility by slipping the car into neutral as you drive over bumps that you know cause the wobble, then right back into drive.

 

Congrats! At that price, I would do the common sense repairs, but it doesn't need to be perfect....great deal....

 

Thank you for all of the feedback. I did get the radio working. It was just a fuse. I checked fuse on tilt and tele wheel and its a good fuse. I did put a new one in anyway. I need to research what to do next on that issue. Plus the suspension work is still on the horizon. I promise to post pics soon. I have been trying to get my 2010 es350 sold. I finally got an offer of $7000 that I accepted. Now I can focus on the LS Thx guys!

 

Congrats! Can't argue with that price at all.....wonder what your front lower control arm bushings look like? It seems a given that they have cracks (mine did with only 81k), but the indie said the have seen ones where you can grab the control arm and move them because of a tear. I have only seen that on YouTube with a 4th gen Maxima....