sc4demon

iTrader: (2)

i also have 1 bald tire in the rear could that have something to do with the problem?

TACH_MOTOR

LOL. Yup that will def do it. I would get all 4 tires replaced depending on the condition of the other two and get a 4 wheel alignment. You will be straight after that.

KayGee

I just had this issue with my 2007 GS350 with 30K miles. The initial diaganosis was bad fuel pump but after further investigation it was a broken valve spring. This is such a huge repair I'm not sure how much confidence that I have that this car will last as long as my 2nd Gen GS300 that I put 140K almost trouble free miles on.

TACH_MOTOR

It is a major inconvienence however the benefit of having it warrantied by the dealership is they have to stand behind their work. So if you constantly have problems after the re-build you can pursue a buy back from lexus due to the lemon laws.

KingNasGS4

iTrader: (22)

hey whats up man,
I want to know what could be the cause of NO heat in a 99 GS400

I just bought it 2 days ago, got it for a pretty cheap price.
Its blowing air but its cold. even with the temp all the way to 85

do you have any ideas of what that could be?

and also one more thing, the cluster doesnt seem to be registering any of the mileage
it looks to be stuck

it says 100,400 all the time. and the Speedo doesn't work but everything else does.
what do you suppose that is?

TACH_MOTOR

Hi. Ok check your coolant level in the radiator also check what color it is. It needs to be factory RED coolant if its green then top the coolant off with green. Run the heat at high temp low air speed and bleed the system. You may have air in the system. This is to start. Hopefully its not something deeper ( head gaskets etc.. )

As for your gauge cluster there is no fixing that. Im sorry to say but you could have just purchased a really high mileage car if the speedo is stuck. Run a carfax and find out when the last time it was inspected to get a better overview on how many miles the car has. You will need to purchase a new cluster or if you can find a used one in the junk yard or ebay. Write down and keep it as reference.

Sorry to be the bearer of bad news. GL and keep me posted.

Sceptre

iTrader: (2)

I've got a 2000 GS300 w/ 95K miles and a 2002 IS300 w/ 85K miles. I know I will need to do the 90K service soon. My concern is the timing belt / water pump change. Do you have any experience with using Non oem parts or should I bite the bullet and stick with OEM parts? I've talked to several local mechanics and the responses vary from using OEM to "just get quality parts" to "some OEM parts and non oem parts are made by the same company, OEM is just 3x more" BTW, I plan to do the change myself with the help of a mechanic friend.

TACH_MOTOR

This subject is widely debated. For example on my Is300 I did a greddy timing belt with o.e water pump. I would recommend the o.e. water pump and timing belt tensioner. As for the timing belt you can go either way greddy,gates,o.e.

If you can find everything made by Gates you can go that way as well. They are an o.e supplier to many manufacturers.

I would also replace the cam seals and the crankshaft seal while your in their. Be careful not too remove the 5 bolts around the vvt-i cam. Remove the center bolt to access cam seal.

Hope this helps. G.L with the install.

lisc300

bought my sc into local lexus dealer do to smell of gas in cabin area. This dealership had the car for 2 days said they took out the seats, tank and all then the smell was gone(my sc is amazing), it fitted itself. The car still smells like gas when I first get into it without it running then smell goes away when car is being driven. Any answers?

TACH_MOTOR

That is a hard question to answer without physically seeing the vehicle. At this time I would say look into any small fuel leaks around the engine area.

This is unorthodox but before you start your car. Do a smell test around the engine area,trunk, and near the charcoal canister underneath the car. If you dont smell anything then your problem may lie when you re-fuel your car; Dont overfill the tank. Vapor probably can pass throught the tank marginally and give off that fuel odor.

This is the best I can do for you at this time. Keep me posted

lisc300

thanks for the useful advice

Percy

Tach -

How difficult is it to replace an injector out of a GS400, 1998 model? I do believe one of the injectors are starting to go...I get a strange whine noise at certain loads/certain RPMs.

The injectors have 207k miles on them.

TACH_MOTOR

Percy, You will need to remove the intake manifold. Its not that hard however you have to be cautious of the fuel line which goes across both banks near the throttle body. They can easily get pinched. I would just replace all 8.

tim5055

Tach,

I have a 2000 RX with 98,000. My wife just drove it to Ohio (from Virginia) and stated it was making a loud exhaust noice.

Her father checked it out and it appears that the nuts came off the post cat O2 sensor and it was just hanging by the wire for her trip. he was able to put it back in and secure it, but obviously the gasket is on the highway somewhere between here & there.

So, a couple of questions:

Is the gasket available as a separate part?
Would you happen to know the correct size nuts to resecure the O2 sensor properly
Do you have the correct part# for a new sensor and does it cross reference to a Toyota#?

Thanks again for all your help!!

jonnyxboi

iTrader: (2)

I have a general brake question. I just wanted to confirm with an honest opinion and compare it with what I was told by a dealer. They told me I have about 4mm left on my brake pads and said it'd be ok to drive for about 2,000 miles before i need to get them replaced. I just had my rear brake pads replaced and there was 2mm of pad left, but they resurfaced my rotors. How long do I really have until I need to get them replaced without having to resurface the rotors?