2000 Lexus LS400 - a bit of a bargain (to buy...)
Discussion
Northbrook said:
The passenger window not wanting to auto-wind to the top of its travel is a minor annoyance. Likewise the random patch of expanding foam that's sealing a tear in the rear driver's side door (why?).
....
I'm off to France tomorrow for the day. I would take this car, but I booked the ticket before the handover was agreed, so Skoda Roomster it is. No leather, no heated seats, no cruise control, no cosseting ride. But double the fuel economy!
My 400 did that with the passenger window. ....
I'm off to France tomorrow for the day. I would take this car, but I booked the ticket before the handover was agreed, so Skoda Roomster it is. No leather, no heated seats, no cruise control, no cosseting ride. But double the fuel economy!
On a long run, they can be remarkably economical. Mine was the most economical car I have owned on my regular 350 mile run; I once saw 36mpg.
Northbrook said:
Hmm. I now thinking the squeal might likely be pulley or tensioner related, not the belt itself. I'd have thought the belt, if slipping because it's damp, would dry out in 20 mins. A bearing wouldn't, and if the tensioner isn't keeping the belt tight, that again wouldn't change.
I say it like it's fact, but it's my non-mechanically-minded conjecture.
The thudding.... I don't know. Is there something that's supposed to move around on startup? Other than the pistons, the cams, the...
Time to get shot of it. I'll give you £2.50 for it. Thank me later I say it like it's fact, but it's my non-mechanically-minded conjecture.
The thudding.... I don't know. Is there something that's supposed to move around on startup? Other than the pistons, the cams, the...
I was chatting to a colleague last night, and he had an interesting suggestion: is the alternator loose? That might explain the initial thudding, while it moves into a comfortable position on cold start, and the squealing could be due to the pulley being misaligned.
I have no idea, but hopefully I'll be able to take the air intake plastics off tomorrow and have a little look. I've seen the top alternator bolt called the pivot bolt, along with a suggestion to undo to release tension from the belt (odd, when there's a tensioner for the same job) but there might be something in it.
I ended up giving the former owner's partner (my colleague) a lift home from the work Xmas do last night, when her taxi was a no-show. She commented how quiet the car was, with no squealing.
Probably the best illustration of alcohol earmuffs I've ever experienced - the car was squealing the whole way!
I have no idea, but hopefully I'll be able to take the air intake plastics off tomorrow and have a little look. I've seen the top alternator bolt called the pivot bolt, along with a suggestion to undo to release tension from the belt (odd, when there's a tensioner for the same job) but there might be something in it.
I ended up giving the former owner's partner (my colleague) a lift home from the work Xmas do last night, when her taxi was a no-show. She commented how quiet the car was, with no squealing.
Probably the best illustration of alcohol earmuffs I've ever experienced - the car was squealing the whole way!
I keep finding things wrong with the car.
The bonnet struts need persuading to stay extended, and the passenger-side inside door catch trim panel is cracked.
Shocking.
But I have looked at the fan belt, and I may have an idea what it is....
One bolt and some jiggling (of the car, not me) and the air intake box thing was off. Air filter needs changing
...so that'll get done soon along with oil & filters.
To recap: there was a thudding at cold idle, and almost-constant belt-type squealing.
So, what did I find?
Well. Do you think it'd help if the power steering pulley was rotating in the same plane as everything else? I do!
It was hard to start the car, take video and see what was happening but, as far as I can tell, the thudding may be the belt flogging back and forth before settling down. The tensioner may be toast, the belt may be stretched, or it may be the simple fact that the power steering pulley is a good couple of mm out of alignment with the other pulleys that is the root cause of the whole problem. Car behaved reasonably well this morning, but significant steering or extra electrical drain could provoke squeal for a few seconds.
I'll let my Man know, and hopefully he can sort it on Tuesday before the MOT.
Car sounds good without the air intake box.
The bonnet struts need persuading to stay extended, and the passenger-side inside door catch trim panel is cracked.
Shocking.
But I have looked at the fan belt, and I may have an idea what it is....
One bolt and some jiggling (of the car, not me) and the air intake box thing was off. Air filter needs changing
...so that'll get done soon along with oil & filters.
To recap: there was a thudding at cold idle, and almost-constant belt-type squealing.
So, what did I find?
Well. Do you think it'd help if the power steering pulley was rotating in the same plane as everything else? I do!
It was hard to start the car, take video and see what was happening but, as far as I can tell, the thudding may be the belt flogging back and forth before settling down. The tensioner may be toast, the belt may be stretched, or it may be the simple fact that the power steering pulley is a good couple of mm out of alignment with the other pulleys that is the root cause of the whole problem. Car behaved reasonably well this morning, but significant steering or extra electrical drain could provoke squeal for a few seconds.
I'll let my Man know, and hopefully he can sort it on Tuesday before the MOT.
Car sounds good without the air intake box.
Edited by Northbrook on Sunday 15th December 14:13
Brilliant car for the money. Pretty much all the car anyone will ever need.
I'm no tyre snob by any means however given how my TRC kicks in for a past time on my Rainsport 3's fitted to the LS430 I doubt I would risk a set of landsails
TRC is horribly intrusive and just takes away all of your throttle control.
Definitely worth sorting the rust too. These things still have to be among the most well built cars ever and well worth keeping going. Apparently the 1UZ is a better engine than the 3UZ I have and capable of taking a decent amount of boost.
I'm no tyre snob by any means however given how my TRC kicks in for a past time on my Rainsport 3's fitted to the LS430 I doubt I would risk a set of landsails
TRC is horribly intrusive and just takes away all of your throttle control. Definitely worth sorting the rust too. These things still have to be among the most well built cars ever and well worth keeping going. Apparently the 1UZ is a better engine than the 3UZ I have and capable of taking a decent amount of boost.
It'd be great if the car could have DAB, and an update to the sat nav, parking sensors, and radar cruise. And a whacking great big LPG tank. But, for what it is - and what it cost - it's fantastic.
The radio unit also runs most other things, including the heater controls, so that wouldn't be able to be replaced without money and/or ingenuity I wouldn't want to invest in it.
Radar cruise would be lovely, like the later LS models, but I'm happy enough with the novelty of standard cruise.
We'll see how I feel about fuel consumption after a while.
Ross: you're right. I won't spend out on consumables until the MOT has been passed. I would be surprised if it doesn't pass, but you never know.
The tyres.... I thought the same. But then they're a matched, new, set. If they become horrendous with the kind of driving the car is likely to get, I'll get shot of them and enter the world of not-reasonably-priced tyres (my other cars are on 15s, so the tyre cost is considerably lower) but I'll wait and see. I haven't provoked the traction control just yet.
Does anyone know if the power steering pump can be rotated (on its vertical axis)? That's whatll need to be done for the pulley to be in plane with the others. I'm wondering whether its an adjustment job, or time for a new pump. Thanks.
The radio unit also runs most other things, including the heater controls, so that wouldn't be able to be replaced without money and/or ingenuity I wouldn't want to invest in it.
Radar cruise would be lovely, like the later LS models, but I'm happy enough with the novelty of standard cruise.
We'll see how I feel about fuel consumption after a while.
Ross: you're right. I won't spend out on consumables until the MOT has been passed. I would be surprised if it doesn't pass, but you never know.
The tyres.... I thought the same. But then they're a matched, new, set. If they become horrendous with the kind of driving the car is likely to get, I'll get shot of them and enter the world of not-reasonably-priced tyres (my other cars are on 15s, so the tyre cost is considerably lower) but I'll wait and see. I haven't provoked the traction control just yet.
Does anyone know if the power steering pump can be rotated (on its vertical axis)? That's whatll need to be done for the pulley to be in plane with the others. I'm wondering whether its an adjustment job, or time for a new pump. Thanks.
It's not wobbling - it's just operating with the inner edge of the pulley further in toward the front of the engine than the outer edge. If that makes sense.
Looking at the (terrible) vid of the initial start, the belt is flapping around on the run between the tensioner and crankshaft. I wouldn't be surprised if the tensioner is gone, too.
Looking at the (terrible) vid of the initial start, the belt is flapping around on the run between the tensioner and crankshaft. I wouldn't be surprised if the tensioner is gone, too.
Bloody hell, can’t quite read the last digit of the reg but I’m 99% sure that’s my old car which made SOTW back in the dim and distant.
Doesn’t look like that air filter’s been changed since I did it
Was a lovely car, wish I’d been able to keep it. Glad to see it still running - assuming I’m right.
Doesn’t look like that air filter’s been changed since I did it
Was a lovely car, wish I’d been able to keep it. Glad to see it still running - assuming I’m right.
It is the same car!
https://www.pistonheads.com/regulars/ph-features-s...
So: the Goodyear are gone; the scrape has been dealt with (still a slight ripple on the wing, and a lightly cracked rear light), the timing belt was done, and the ash tray catch has stopped working.
From what I can tell, I 'bought' the car from the guy who bought it from you.
I'm off to read your thread now!
https://www.pistonheads.com/regulars/ph-features-s...
So: the Goodyear are gone; the scrape has been dealt with (still a slight ripple on the wing, and a lightly cracked rear light), the timing belt was done, and the ash tray catch has stopped working.
From what I can tell, I 'bought' the car from the guy who bought it from you.
I'm off to read your thread now!
Here's the earlier thread on the car. It's lovely to have found this connection.
https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&...
https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&...
rider73 said:
towbar
As if found out when I walked around the back of the car for the first time, it certainly does. (the only times I'd seen the car, it was backed into a space (and reversed into a hedge))
I didn't know it was removable, though. When I have some time, I'll have to take a look at how to take it off.
- edit: remove as in take off the swan neck piece temporarily - the whole thing is staying :-)
Edited by Northbrook on Monday 16th December 08:14
Northbrook said:
Here's the earlier thread on the car. It's lovely to have found this connection.
https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&...
Excellent! Can't quite believe that it was over five years ago, time really does fly.https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&...
Ref the towbar, my understanding is that they were never homologated for one so technically it's a no-no but for something like a bike rack there's not really any risk. I never used it.
It obviously loves PH, it can't escape......
Fingers crossed for the MoT.
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