2000 Lexus LS400 - a bit of a bargain (to buy...)
Discussion
rider73 said:
if you ever get time / know - i'd love to know the make/model# of the towbar - i can do some google research on it - if it could fit a 460, my lexus barge hunt might resume ;-)
I'm sure it was a Watling towbar : https://www.watling-towbars.co.uk/uk_cars.htmlThey list ones for the 400 and 430 but not the 460.
There's nowt like a shiny new MOT.
Car failed on an ineffective handbrake, caused by the cables seizing (and one cable outer deforming).
My Man couldn't source replacement cables for both sides, so grabbed two NS cables and modified one for the OS. All done, bill to be communicated later.
He didn't have time to resolve the squeal, but said the serpentine belt is very loose, so either the belt is too long or the tensioner has gone.
Tensioner is ~£70, so I'll probably get both to make certain. I may even do it myself, if it's relatively straightforward. I just need to establish the belt length.
Car failed on an ineffective handbrake, caused by the cables seizing (and one cable outer deforming).
My Man couldn't source replacement cables for both sides, so grabbed two NS cables and modified one for the OS. All done, bill to be communicated later.
He didn't have time to resolve the squeal, but said the serpentine belt is very loose, so either the belt is too long or the tensioner has gone.
Tensioner is ~£70, so I'll probably get both to make certain. I may even do it myself, if it's relatively straightforward. I just need to establish the belt length.
Well, today is being a little eventful.
Cabin filter was a pretty easy job - back of the glove box out (very easy - it's missing), clip off the white cover panel, pull out filter holder, take out element & replace. The holder is damaged in several places so will need to be replaced, but is fine for now.
Kinda needed doing.
Air filter, more of the same.
But the squealing? Well.
A couple of underemployed engineer trainer colleagues wandered over, so we whipped off the old belt, and went to fit the new. All was going reasonably well.... except the power steering pump pulley was out of plane with the rest, and then it turns out that it's supposed to be bolted in three places but isn't bolted in any...
As a result, with the new & slightly shorter belt, the belt contacts the back of one of the pulleys as it goes over the (I think) alternator.... and that won't be good!
Breakdown cover activated, and hopefully someone will be here soon.
Cabin filter was a pretty easy job - back of the glove box out (very easy - it's missing), clip off the white cover panel, pull out filter holder, take out element & replace. The holder is damaged in several places so will need to be replaced, but is fine for now.
Kinda needed doing.
Air filter, more of the same.
But the squealing? Well.
A couple of underemployed engineer trainer colleagues wandered over, so we whipped off the old belt, and went to fit the new. All was going reasonably well.... except the power steering pump pulley was out of plane with the rest, and then it turns out that it's supposed to be bolted in three places but isn't bolted in any...
As a result, with the new & slightly shorter belt, the belt contacts the back of one of the pulleys as it goes over the (I think) alternator.... and that won't be good!
Breakdown cover activated, and hopefully someone will be here soon.
Right. Temporarily partially un-broken.
Mechanic arrived, and agreed that the power steering pump wasn't supposed to be ble to move like that. Or at all. We tried to pop a nut onto the stud, and it wouldn't take. Didn't help that the stud, by accident or design, was missing the thread from the outer 2-3mm. Our attention turned to the other mounting points. By torchlight, he thought he could see that the rear mounting points, which are bolted upwards into the block, had sheared away from the rest of the pump.
Game semi-over.
Options bring to be recovered to my local mechanic - who works on a closed site and won't be around until the new year - recovered home, or fixed by them (£480ish for new pump & fitting), we (I) decided to give that stud one more try.
The stud may now be knackered (aren't we all) and the pump may be on the squiff (me, later) but it's more secure than it was.
Now I just need to find a replacement pump & stud, and someone to fit it at reasonable cost.
And the car still squeals.
Mechanic arrived, and agreed that the power steering pump wasn't supposed to be ble to move like that. Or at all. We tried to pop a nut onto the stud, and it wouldn't take. Didn't help that the stud, by accident or design, was missing the thread from the outer 2-3mm. Our attention turned to the other mounting points. By torchlight, he thought he could see that the rear mounting points, which are bolted upwards into the block, had sheared away from the rest of the pump.
Game semi-over.
Options bring to be recovered to my local mechanic - who works on a closed site and won't be around until the new year - recovered home, or fixed by them (£480ish for new pump & fitting), we (I) decided to give that stud one more try.
The stud may now be knackered (aren't we all) and the pump may be on the squiff (me, later) but it's more secure than it was.
Now I just need to find a replacement pump & stud, and someone to fit it at reasonable cost.
And the car still squeals.
Maybe Hubnut's videos can help ?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ZjlSapWzC4&li...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jxuLDIUZ-A8&li...
Also about the antenna:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6loeLioiBOY&li...
Thanks. It might be that the alternator will need to come off to change the PS pump. I don't know what shape the pump will be in until it's out, so need to think about how best to approach the job.
Looks like the earlier version of the pump (which is much more plentiful) is usable with some tweaks to relocate the reservoir - remote on this Mk IV, versus on the pump on most years - so I may just get a pump on hand. Not sure on the remanufactured vs new, genuine vs non-OEM question - looks like reman & non-genuine get bad press, but genuine looks to be many multiples of a pattern part (£400ish vs £70ish). I'll ponder that question, but will probably plump for an affordable option to get the car fixed up.
In the mean time, I have some mat clips for the floor, the new aerial mast has arrived, as has the passenger side latch trim, and I've ordered a couple of bearings for the tensioner pulley (6203-2RS in C3 flavour - don't ask me what it means).
Looks like the earlier version of the pump (which is much more plentiful) is usable with some tweaks to relocate the reservoir - remote on this Mk IV, versus on the pump on most years - so I may just get a pump on hand. Not sure on the remanufactured vs new, genuine vs non-OEM question - looks like reman & non-genuine get bad press, but genuine looks to be many multiples of a pattern part (£400ish vs £70ish). I'll ponder that question, but will probably plump for an affordable option to get the car fixed up.
In the mean time, I have some mat clips for the floor, the new aerial mast has arrived, as has the passenger side latch trim, and I've ordered a couple of bearings for the tensioner pulley (6203-2RS in C3 flavour - don't ask me what it means).
Non OEM pumps don't have a great reputation. You may be better to get your original rebuilt, or to find a good used item, if necessary. However, I'd be more inclined to think that a squeal is a belt tension issue so it may be worth checking your tensioner first.
I think you're correct that you need to remove the alternator and may need to access two bolts from underneath the car.
The stud probably originally had a Torx head which may have been rounded, or snapped, off. This suggests that it's tight in the block so be careful not to snap it when trying to remove. I would try to reform the thread by cutting the correct size nut in half (so that you have two half moon sections). Place each half onto good thread and clamp them hard with vice-grips and then carefully wind the "nut" off. Repeat this a few times and you may be able to reuse the existing stud.
Check out Rock Auto for parts. They're in USA but their site calculates shipping and taxes and their prices are very good indeed.
I think you're correct that you need to remove the alternator and may need to access two bolts from underneath the car.
The stud probably originally had a Torx head which may have been rounded, or snapped, off. This suggests that it's tight in the block so be careful not to snap it when trying to remove. I would try to reform the thread by cutting the correct size nut in half (so that you have two half moon sections). Place each half onto good thread and clamp them hard with vice-grips and then carefully wind the "nut" off. Repeat this a few times and you may be able to reuse the existing stud.
Check out Rock Auto for parts. They're in USA but their site calculates shipping and taxes and their prices are very good indeed.
All good points - thanks.
I think the squeal (which has quietened significantly after the tensioner pulley's baths in cleaner & WD40) is due partly to the mostly-seized previous condition of the bearing, and partly because the last of support of the PS pump has resulted in the pump rotating towards the centreline of the engine, giving the belt more slack than the tensioner can deal with. Now, with the pump secured on the stud and the tensioner bearing briefly lubed, the squeal is more of a light squeak.
Whether the stud is reusable will be determined, I suspect, by how easy it'd be to replace and by how much damage the new nut has done to it. The mechanic was very good at getting my informed consent to tighten the nut, knowing it might cross-thread and knacker the stud, but there was no other way to secure the pump.
Whether the pump is reusable will depend on what (if any) damage the back of it has. It seems pretty clear that the two bolts on the back aren't in place, so whether they've just worked their way out or whether the bracket has sheared remains to be seen.
Rock Auto are offering reman units at ~£110 (incl core charge), cheapest new unit at £135 and upwards. I'll have to have a think about what would be the most effective solution. It might be that the 'best' fix for now would be to grab a cheap unit, with the knowledge that it might not be needed pending removal of the current one, and knowing a cheapie may need changing out itself in a couple of years. Depends how difficult it'd be to DIY.
I think the squeal (which has quietened significantly after the tensioner pulley's baths in cleaner & WD40) is due partly to the mostly-seized previous condition of the bearing, and partly because the last of support of the PS pump has resulted in the pump rotating towards the centreline of the engine, giving the belt more slack than the tensioner can deal with. Now, with the pump secured on the stud and the tensioner bearing briefly lubed, the squeal is more of a light squeak.
Whether the stud is reusable will be determined, I suspect, by how easy it'd be to replace and by how much damage the new nut has done to it. The mechanic was very good at getting my informed consent to tighten the nut, knowing it might cross-thread and knacker the stud, but there was no other way to secure the pump.
Whether the pump is reusable will depend on what (if any) damage the back of it has. It seems pretty clear that the two bolts on the back aren't in place, so whether they've just worked their way out or whether the bracket has sheared remains to be seen.
Rock Auto are offering reman units at ~£110 (incl core charge), cheapest new unit at £135 and upwards. I'll have to have a think about what would be the most effective solution. It might be that the 'best' fix for now would be to grab a cheap unit, with the knowledge that it might not be needed pending removal of the current one, and knowing a cheapie may need changing out itself in a couple of years. Depends how difficult it'd be to DIY.
Ironically, I went into today expecting the problem to be the spring on the tensioner. That's fine, as evidenced by the number of times the belts have been on & off today. The pulley bearing surprised me; the pump being badly secured didn't surprise me but being not secured did.
Three weeks ago I was saying "the first big bill it gets, it's gone". Now I'm pondering another three-figure bill, on the day I paid the last one!
Cars.....
Three weeks ago I was saying "the first big bill it gets, it's gone". Now I'm pondering another three-figure bill, on the day I paid the last one!
Cars.....
I used the Rock Auto option and bought a Denso item much cheaper than i could in the UK, even when taking duty and delivery into account.
In fact, its still in my lockup after 2 or so years as i sold my LS400 a year ago. If my XJR wasn’t out of action, I’d offer it to you ((It’s in north London, I’m 25 miles away from it) - if its convenient and you’re desperate, i could help a PH’er out and catch a train or two.
Good luck with the fixes, they’re great cars.
In fact, its still in my lockup after 2 or so years as i sold my LS400 a year ago. If my XJR wasn’t out of action, I’d offer it to you ((It’s in north London, I’m 25 miles away from it) - if its convenient and you’re desperate, i could help a PH’er out and catch a train or two.
Good luck with the fixes, they’re great cars.
Aha! If I need one, I'll let you know.
To try and make some positive change to the car this weekend, I've done two things.
Well, 'done' isn't quite right.
- The missing mat hooks arrived. I bunged in the one for the driver's side..... and the hole in the mat is in a completely different place to the mat hook. Inches away.
- Removed the securing fitting for the aerial mast, turned on the radio, pulled out the old mast.... but, unlike all the online videos, it wouldn't just pull out. New mast looks to be the same as the old, but the old feels like it's still secured inside the motor. Could be that not removing the outside plastic trim piece is in some way preventing the mast from releasing, or there's something else going on. Ironically, the problem is that the mast won't retract without being pushed, and there's a nasty grinding noise suggesting the motor cog is slipping, but the old mast's toothed belt seems okay so it's probably the drive cog (and I think that's non-replaceable?) so it might be that the entire unit needs to be changed. Bugger.
To try and make some positive change to the car this weekend, I've done two things.
Well, 'done' isn't quite right.
- The missing mat hooks arrived. I bunged in the one for the driver's side..... and the hole in the mat is in a completely different place to the mat hook. Inches away.
- Removed the securing fitting for the aerial mast, turned on the radio, pulled out the old mast.... but, unlike all the online videos, it wouldn't just pull out. New mast looks to be the same as the old, but the old feels like it's still secured inside the motor. Could be that not removing the outside plastic trim piece is in some way preventing the mast from releasing, or there's something else going on. Ironically, the problem is that the mast won't retract without being pushed, and there's a nasty grinding noise suggesting the motor cog is slipping, but the old mast's toothed belt seems okay so it's probably the drive cog (and I think that's non-replaceable?) so it might be that the entire unit needs to be changed. Bugger.
I've done a thing! And it hadn't gone wrong yet!
Bonnet struts had reached their twilight years - they'd hold the bonnet open once they'd been persuaded to open to their full extent, and then persuaded to stay open. It's a shame Lexus didn't take up Mercedes' bonnet idea (or at least the vertical-position part) as it makes engine access much easier.
New struts sourced via ebay for £16ish, arrived in a postage bag (ie not wrapped) but undamaged.
After watching some videos on YT, I made a start on the first one. Obviously, by the side of the road and in the dark, because that's how I get my kicks.
The difference between original and aftermarket is the releasing method on the mounting balls. Now, I had it figured out by the second strut, but the first is what took me to get there.
The correct method, if you've got original struts, is to remove the little clip around the base (which then runs up through the side of the socket joint) then tap the strut to the side, which nicely releases it from the ball fitting, which can stay on the car. Press the new ones on, and your father has a brother.
Otherwise, what you can do is labour to remove the ball fittings from the car (13mm open-end spanner), then remove the clips, then struggle to remove the balls from the strut ends. It's workable, but there's an easier way!
In case of interest, here's the clip:
It ends up being a nice tool-free job, if the struts are original. Probably 15 mins all in, and the bonnet now opens more reliably (and, I think, wider).
Bonnet struts had reached their twilight years - they'd hold the bonnet open once they'd been persuaded to open to their full extent, and then persuaded to stay open. It's a shame Lexus didn't take up Mercedes' bonnet idea (or at least the vertical-position part) as it makes engine access much easier.
New struts sourced via ebay for £16ish, arrived in a postage bag (ie not wrapped) but undamaged.
After watching some videos on YT, I made a start on the first one. Obviously, by the side of the road and in the dark, because that's how I get my kicks.
The difference between original and aftermarket is the releasing method on the mounting balls. Now, I had it figured out by the second strut, but the first is what took me to get there.
The correct method, if you've got original struts, is to remove the little clip around the base (which then runs up through the side of the socket joint) then tap the strut to the side, which nicely releases it from the ball fitting, which can stay on the car. Press the new ones on, and your father has a brother.
Otherwise, what you can do is labour to remove the ball fittings from the car (13mm open-end spanner), then remove the clips, then struggle to remove the balls from the strut ends. It's workable, but there's an easier way!
In case of interest, here's the clip:
It ends up being a nice tool-free job, if the struts are original. Probably 15 mins all in, and the bonnet now opens more reliably (and, I think, wider).
Car is back from its investigatory visit to my Man.
Power steering pump is broken! Physically broken....
The pump is attached in three places (normally): two bolts at the back, up through the bracket that forms part of the rear portion of the pump, and a nut on the front atop the bulge containing a stud from the front of the block.
I suspect the nut - and the thread on the stud it was secured to - failed first, leaving the pump secured just by the rear bolts, and under constant tension by the belt. Eventually, the bracket portion of the rear part of the pump sheared off from the rest of the pump, and the two bits have been rubbing against each other since. It probably doesn't help that the 97-2000 model LS400 have a different pump to the earlier cars, in that they have a remote reservoir....and a redesigned bracket that has the bolt holes closer together. Whatever the reason the front stud failed, I suspect the rear bracket on this late LS400 is weaker than the earlier bracket.
Anyhow. The earlier pump is available on the aftermarket from £60.
The later pump is not.
Thankfully, I fly to the States in a couple of days and, £150 later, I should have a pump arriving while I'm there. I'll also buy some new fittings. Then back to the mechanic we go.
My Man was complimentary about the car as a whole, though, as was one of the colleagues who was poking around in its guts with me before Xmas.
And that's nice.
Power steering pump is broken! Physically broken....
The pump is attached in three places (normally): two bolts at the back, up through the bracket that forms part of the rear portion of the pump, and a nut on the front atop the bulge containing a stud from the front of the block.
I suspect the nut - and the thread on the stud it was secured to - failed first, leaving the pump secured just by the rear bolts, and under constant tension by the belt. Eventually, the bracket portion of the rear part of the pump sheared off from the rest of the pump, and the two bits have been rubbing against each other since. It probably doesn't help that the 97-2000 model LS400 have a different pump to the earlier cars, in that they have a remote reservoir....and a redesigned bracket that has the bolt holes closer together. Whatever the reason the front stud failed, I suspect the rear bracket on this late LS400 is weaker than the earlier bracket.
Anyhow. The earlier pump is available on the aftermarket from £60.
The later pump is not.
Thankfully, I fly to the States in a couple of days and, £150 later, I should have a pump arriving while I'm there. I'll also buy some new fittings. Then back to the mechanic we go.
My Man was complimentary about the car as a whole, though, as was one of the colleagues who was poking around in its guts with me before Xmas.
And that's nice.
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