The £1k 4.3 V8 Lexus LS430
Discussion
J.C... said:
Haha what an brilliant purchase. Am I imagining it or do these have ultrasonic glass for de-icing?
Ultrasonic glass? That sounds brilliant. I have no idea what that means but it certainly sounds like a pub fact I'd like to repeat whenever talking about the car 
I'm off the Google to find out now!STIfree said:
Ultrasonic glass? That sounds brilliant. I have no idea what that means but it certainly sounds like a pub fact I'd like to repeat whenever talking about the car I'm off the Google to find out now!
I think it may be b I'm off the Google to find out now!
ks cos I’ve just tried Googling it myself and can’t find anything about it, but basically I got told years ago that certain types of Lexus’/Lexii defrost by having glass that vibrated ultrasonically. Now I’ve actually written it down it sounds even more mental! - edit* OK I’m sort of right but it’s the mirrors not the glass. Apparently it’s the Soarers that have sonic mirrors and it’s to displace rain not de-ice. Google Lexus Soarer Sonic Mirror and there’s a bit of info about it
Edited by J.C... on Friday 15th May 19:13
STIfree said:
Speaking of audio, have you looked into the Grom plug in things for the head unit? Seem to be pretty clever devices that just connect in between the headunit and the wiring loom that can give you aux input all the way to andriod style displays on the touch screen. I might be tempted in the future as the tape to aux or the bluetooth to FM radio devices aren't the greatest for sound quality.
I'm looking at tech stream's on ebay, one of the £20 OBD to USB ones, will that do the trick?
Incredible that it's possible to buy something like that for a grand! I'm looking at tech stream's on ebay, one of the £20 OBD to USB ones, will that do the trick?
I bought a Grom for my RX300. Music streaming was fine but I had terrible issues with 'phone call quality. I could hear callers perfectly but they couldn't hear me (think Rob Brydon doing "man in a box" but worse). Tried with several phones, all the same. The unit went back to Grom who said it worked for them but replaced the board (supposedly). Exactly the same. Long story short, it went into the bin and I replaced it with a similar item from Connects2 which has been perfect from day one. Perhaps I was unlucky.
I have Techstream and it is very useful (as mentioned, it allows access to various features which are otherwise hidden). However, I find I use Torque Pro via an OBD adaptor more. For instance, I had a P0430 like you and Torque let me monitor the rear O2 sensor whilst I was driving. It wasn't behaving as expected but wasn't completely dead. Two resistors and a capacitor inserted into the wiring later and it was happy again! (at least on my car the rear O2 doesn't effect fuelling, it merely tells the car that the cat is functioning correctly). Torque also lets you watch fuel trims, AFR etc while the engine is under load.
Before you pull the sensor, check for exhaust leaks between the sensor and the cat. The gaskets can fail and sometimes throw that code. Stick a rolled up rag over the exhaust and any leak will be obvious.
J.C... said:
I think it may be bks cos I’ve just tried Googling it myself and can’t find anything about it, but basically I got told years ago that certain types of Lexus’/Lexii defrost by having glass that vibrated ultrasonically. Now I’ve actually written it down it sounds even more mental!
ks cos I’ve just tried Googling it myself and can’t find anything about it, but basically I got told years ago that certain types of Lexus’/Lexii defrost by having glass that vibrated ultrasonically. Now I’ve actually written it down it sounds even more mental! - edit* OK I’m sort of right but it’s the mirrors not the glass. Apparently it’s the Soarers that have sonic mirrors and it’s to displace rain not de-ice. Google Lexus Soarer Sonic Mirror and there’s a bit of info about it
Edited by J.C... on Friday 15th May 19:13
I enjoy engineering ideas like that, as wacky as they get. "How do we stop rain droplets on the mirror glass?" "Make it vibrate?" "Perfect".Graculus said:
Incredible that it's possible to buy something like that for a grand!
I bought a Grom for my RX300. Music streaming was fine but I had terrible issues with 'phone call quality. I could hear callers perfectly but they couldn't hear me (think Rob Brydon doing "man in a box" but worse). Tried with several phones, all the same. The unit went back to Grom who said it worked for them but replaced the board (supposedly). Exactly the same. Long story short, it went into the bin and I replaced it with a similar item from Connects2 which has been perfect from day one. Perhaps I was unlucky.
I have Techstream and it is very useful (as mentioned, it allows access to various features which are otherwise hidden). However, I find I use Torque Pro via an OBD adaptor more. For instance, I had a P0430 like you and Torque let me monitor the rear O2 sensor whilst I was driving. It wasn't behaving as expected but wasn't completely dead. Two resistors and a capacitor inserted into the wiring later and it was happy again! (at least on my car the rear O2 doesn't effect fuelling, it merely tells the car that the cat is functioning correctly). Torque also lets you watch fuel trims, AFR etc while the engine is under load.
Before you pull the sensor, check for exhaust leaks between the sensor and the cat. The gaskets can fail and sometimes throw that code. Stick a rolled up rag over the exhaust and any leak will be obvious.
I'm a little reluctant at the moment to commit to a Grom or something similar, just due to the price being like 15% of what the car cost I bought a Grom for my RX300. Music streaming was fine but I had terrible issues with 'phone call quality. I could hear callers perfectly but they couldn't hear me (think Rob Brydon doing "man in a box" but worse). Tried with several phones, all the same. The unit went back to Grom who said it worked for them but replaced the board (supposedly). Exactly the same. Long story short, it went into the bin and I replaced it with a similar item from Connects2 which has been perfect from day one. Perhaps I was unlucky.
I have Techstream and it is very useful (as mentioned, it allows access to various features which are otherwise hidden). However, I find I use Torque Pro via an OBD adaptor more. For instance, I had a P0430 like you and Torque let me monitor the rear O2 sensor whilst I was driving. It wasn't behaving as expected but wasn't completely dead. Two resistors and a capacitor inserted into the wiring later and it was happy again! (at least on my car the rear O2 doesn't effect fuelling, it merely tells the car that the cat is functioning correctly). Torque also lets you watch fuel trims, AFR etc while the engine is under load.
Before you pull the sensor, check for exhaust leaks between the sensor and the cat. The gaskets can fail and sometimes throw that code. Stick a rolled up rag over the exhaust and any leak will be obvious.
Maybe in time. Until then, tape to aux off eBay!Does the Torque Pro access hidden features like the Techstream?
I've got one of those OBDII to bluetooth dongles somewhere so could have a pop on that first if it's going to make the car do some interesting stuff.
I wouldn't discount a bit of proper maintenance, as much as I like the quick wins and cheap fixes.
Lexus LS400 are worth significantly more now than when I bought mine in 2007.
You got yours at such a good bargain that you won't lose any money and would probably be able to sell it for more just after the clean.
Lexus LS400 are worth significantly more now than when I bought mine in 2007.
You got yours at such a good bargain that you won't lose any money and would probably be able to sell it for more just after the clean.
ChocolateFrog said:
I wouldn't discount a bit of proper maintenance, as much as I like the quick wins and cheap fixes.
Lexus LS400 are worth significantly more now than when I bought mine in 2007.
You got yours at such a good bargain that you won't lose any money and would probably be able to sell it for more just after the clean.
Certainly. Lexus LS400 are worth significantly more now than when I bought mine in 2007.
You got yours at such a good bargain that you won't lose any money and would probably be able to sell it for more just after the clean.
Hopefully by this time next week the car shouldn't have any obvious faults. Then once I get a few miles on the car and are sure its not a money pit, I'll reward it with some good maintenance.
So far I've purchased -
Wheel bearing -£58
Rear brake pads - £20
Air filter - £9
Pollen filter - £8
Floor mats - £20
Oil looks good so not in a hurry to change that just yet although I don't have any receipt of the last time it was done, just the word of the owner.
Belts, again, I don't think they've been done in a long while. Will see what other things come up with the car in the meantime before I do the expensive bits.
I need to find out where I can buy a filter for the 'Air Purifier'. Euro and Carparts4less don't have anything listed, maybe I should head to eBay. The filter looks fine, but then it's a carbon one so I suppose you wouldn't see anything. And it also says to change every 10k and I somehow doubt its been done in the last 10k.
Also looking to buy some silver rattle can paint for the wheels. How many cans can I expect to use on 4 17inch wheels? It's been a long time since I've done wheels! Also any suggestions for the best place to buy cheap paint?
Before you go dismissing me for using rattle cans to paint the wheels, this is my last project that was finished last month. The whole thing was repainted with rattle cans from eBay.
STIfree said:
philipbrown123 said:
Great Buy and interesting read. I have owned a 2007 LS460 for 3 years. Now on 205,000 miles ( only worth £2,000 as a p/ex ) and have just bought off a mate a 2002 SC430. Both great cars.
Thanks. They are very much the left-field choice when most people head to the Germans for these type of cars. Was that generation CVT gearboxes? Or am I getting that confused with the GS? I've wondered how good/bad it would be running a CVT on a daily basis, never experienced one before.
How do you find the drive of the SC? I hear very polarising views on them. I almost owned a SC300/Soarer a few years ago, chap wanted to swap the GS300 I had at the time with it but the deal didn't materialise.
According to the Toyota/Lexus parts catalogue, the GS300 'box is an Aisin-Warner A960E 6-speed, the A761E 6-speed is used in the GS430, and the GS460 and LS460 have the 8-speed AA80E. All those gearboxes are conventional torque-converter automatics.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toyota_A_transmissio...
STIfree said:
...I need to find out where I can buy a filter for the 'Air Purifier'. Euro and Carparts4less don't have anything listed, maybe I should head to eBay. The filter looks fine, but then it's a carbon one so I suppose you wouldn't see anything. And it also says to change every 10k and I somehow doubt its been done in the last 10k...
FYI...The OEM part number for the air purifier filter is 88508-30110. The only other cars that use it are some JDM Toyota Crowns.
EDIT:
It looks as if the LS430 has two A/C cabin filters, one for the front and one for the rear. I assume the air purifier replaces the rear A/C?
Part No. 88508-30110 is also the rear cabin filter. The front is 87139-50030, shared with the 2nd gen GS and the SC430.
Edited by gareth_r on Saturday 16th May 03:34
If the audio sounds rubbish without the sub the amp might have gone. It's a common issue - it should sound OK without the sub. Could be all the bass speakers are missing.
I'm sure I remember there is some bizarre reset sequence with the VSC which involves a paper clip into the OBD port - might be thinking of an entirely different car but I think I remember having to do it on a LS430 years ago.
IIRC the gearbox on these is 5-speed, the facelift 2004 on model was 6-speed.
I'm sure I remember there is some bizarre reset sequence with the VSC which involves a paper clip into the OBD port - might be thinking of an entirely different car but I think I remember having to do it on a LS430 years ago.
IIRC the gearbox on these is 5-speed, the facelift 2004 on model was 6-speed.
STIfree said:
Does the Torque Pro access hidden features like the Techstream?
I've got one of those OBDII to bluetooth dongles somewhere so could have a pop on that first if it's going to make the car do some interesting stuff.
No, Torque is only for engine diagnostics / monitoring. It's only about £5 for the full version. If you already have a OBD dongle there is a free version, which has less features, if you wanted to check it out.I've got one of those OBDII to bluetooth dongles somewhere so could have a pop on that first if it's going to make the car do some interesting stuff.
Techstream definitely does more but just isn't as convenient as you need the laptop rather than just your phone.
By the way, I service my own LPG system. There isn't much to it, just a couple of filters and the parts are cheap and readily available online . lt's worth doing as some gas can foul them up.
gareth_r said:
FYI...
The OEM part number for the air purifier filter is 88508-30110. The only other cars that use it are some JDM Toyota Crowns.
EDIT:
It looks as if the LS430 has two A/C cabin filters, one for the front and one for the rear. I assume the air purifier replaces the rear A/C?
Part No. 88508-30110 is also the rear cabin filter. The front is 87139-50030, shared with the 2nd gen GS and the SC430.
Top bearding. The OEM part number for the air purifier filter is 88508-30110. The only other cars that use it are some JDM Toyota Crowns.
EDIT:
It looks as if the LS430 has two A/C cabin filters, one for the front and one for the rear. I assume the air purifier replaces the rear A/C?
Part No. 88508-30110 is also the rear cabin filter. The front is 87139-50030, shared with the 2nd gen GS and the SC430.
Edited by gareth_r on Saturday 16th May 03:34
Yes there's two cabin filters. Well one pollen filter in the glove box, which I believe is the one that's listed on Euro and then there's the air purifier one in the boot which seems to be the carbon one. I've got the glovebox pollen filter on order which was only a few quid. A search online for the PN you've mentioned, I can find the carbon one but its £26 with shipping from Autodoc, a lil pricey so I'll shop around see if I can find it elsewhere.
confused_buyer said:
If the audio sounds rubbish without the sub the amp might have gone. It's a common issue - it should sound OK without the sub. Could be all the bass speakers are missing.
I'm sure I remember there is some bizarre reset sequence with the VSC which involves a paper clip into the OBD port - might be thinking of an entirely different car but I think I remember having to do it on a LS430 years ago.
IIRC the gearbox on these is 5-speed, the facelift 2004 on model was 6-speed.
That's an interesting point. I'm not sure what it is on the parcel shelf that I unplugged, but it stops the sub. I assumed it was the sub, but it could well be the amp. I'm a little reluctant to investigate much more at the moment as it requires the whole rear seats to be removed and a bunch of trim to see under the parcel shelf. I'm sure I remember there is some bizarre reset sequence with the VSC which involves a paper clip into the OBD port - might be thinking of an entirely different car but I think I remember having to do it on a LS430 years ago.
IIRC the gearbox on these is 5-speed, the facelift 2004 on model was 6-speed.
I'll have a search around for the VSC reset. Although it does point to the o2 sensors as I cleared the EML the other day then took it for a run and it pinged back on, so will look at that first.
Yes its a 5 speed (although I've not counted them when driving
).Graculus said:
No, Torque is only for engine diagnostics / monitoring. It's only about £5 for the full version. If you already have a OBD dongle there is a free version, which has less features, if you wanted to check it out.
Techstream definitely does more but just isn't as convenient as you need the laptop rather than just your phone.
By the way, I service my own LPG system. There isn't much to it, just a couple of filters and the parts are cheap and readily available online . lt's worth doing as some gas can foul them up.
I've ordered a techstream from eBay, for the price it's worth having if needed.Techstream definitely does more but just isn't as convenient as you need the laptop rather than just your phone.
By the way, I service my own LPG system. There isn't much to it, just a couple of filters and the parts are cheap and readily available online . lt's worth doing as some gas can foul them up.
Any links to guides on LPG systems? I literally know nothing about them. It took me 5 minutes yesterday to work out how to get gas into it at the fuel station
I've no idea what size the system is either, I'd seen something about only filling them 80%, is that right? Anything I should look out for?Oh, some snaps from recently.
Removed all 4 dust shields from the brakes as 2 of them were causing a noise from the rust hanging off them. Took about 30 seconds on each as they were mostly dust Oh how I've missed working on old Japanese cars.
Noticed whilst I was there that the heat shields over the back boxes weren't attached any more either, but just resting on them. So they've gone the journey. This cars getting lighter by the day!
Removed all 4 dust shields from the brakes as 2 of them were causing a noise from the rust hanging off them. Took about 30 seconds on each as they were mostly dust
Oh how I've missed working on old Japanese cars.Noticed whilst I was there that the heat shields over the back boxes weren't attached any more either, but just resting on them. So they've gone the journey. This cars getting lighter by the day!
STIfree said:
I've ordered a techstream from eBay, for the price it's worth having if needed.
Any links to guides on LPG systems? I literally know nothing about them. It took me 5 minutes yesterday to work out how to get gas into it at the fuel station I've no idea what size the system is either, I'd seen something about only filling them 80%, is that right? Anything I should look out for?
Lpg pump will stop automatically at 80% don't worry Any links to guides on LPG systems? I literally know nothing about them. It took me 5 minutes yesterday to work out how to get gas into it at the fuel station
I've no idea what size the system is either, I'd seen something about only filling them 80%, is that right? Anything I should look out for? (you get more in when it's cold) LPG tank will purge if there is too much expansion. Looking at your tank I would estimate it's a 60 litre tank...
Before plugging into techstream make sure your lpg system is off completely by holding the button until all the lights go off. (Not sure why but I've always been told to do this)
The UK bayonet fitting is an absolute pita, hold the weight of the nozzle until you've locked it in place. (It's easier on the continent with the Italian dish filler)
It's coming along very nicely.
Rear seats are easy to remove once you've done it once.
Pull up the bottom cushions to remove. They are just clipped in. Heating wire going to each but the loom has plenty of excess.
Next raise both rear headrests and you will find 2 blanking plugs.
There are 6 13mm bolts in total. Loosen the top ones behind the blanking plugs and you could loose them.
Undo the bottom bolts but photograph the middle bracket so you put it back correctly (I didn't once and the seat didn't sit flush.
Remove the cowl from around the fridge door. It pulls out from the top first.
Your backrests should lift out once you have disconnected the wires.
(When I ran coilovers I had to do this repeatedly to adjust the settings) It's a 10 min job after the first time.
Reassembly is the reverse but pay attention to the bracket I mentioned. Also the top bolts have a habit of dropping behind the back rests during the assembly.
If you get stuck drop me a PM
CX53 said:
What a magnificent slab! A vision in Jewish racing gold 
Love these and hope to own one one day... Ridiculous value for money!
You know what, slab is an excellent way to describe the drive of this car Love these and hope to own one one day... Ridiculous value for money!
CDB1983 said:
Lpg pump will stop automatically at 80% don't worry (you get more in when it's cold) LPG tank will purge if there is too much expansion.
Looking at your tank I would estimate it's a 60 litre tank...
Before plugging into techstream make sure your lpg system is off completely by holding the button until all the lights go off. (Not sure why but I've always been told to do this)
The UK bayonet fitting is an absolute pita, hold the weight of the nozzle until you've locked it in place. (It's easier on the continent with the Italian dish filler)
It's coming along very nicely.
Rear seats are easy to remove once you've done it once.
Pull up the bottom cushions to remove. They are just clipped in. Heating wire going to each but the loom has plenty of excess.
Next raise both rear headrests and you will find 2 blanking plugs.
There are 6 13mm bolts in total. Loosen the top ones behind the blanking plugs and you could loose them.
Undo the bottom bolts but photograph the middle bracket so you put it back correctly (I didn't once and the seat didn't sit flush.
Remove the cowl from around the fridge door. It pulls out from the top first.
Your backrests should lift out once you have disconnected the wires.
(When I ran coilovers I had to do this repeatedly to adjust the settings) It's a 10 min job after the first time.
Reassembly is the reverse but pay attention to the bracket I mentioned. Also the top bolts have a habit of dropping behind the back rests during the assembly.
If you get stuck drop me a PM
I knew there was a reason I started a thread on here. Really appreciate the help, big time! (you get more in when it's cold) LPG tank will purge if there is too much expansion. Looking at your tank I would estimate it's a 60 litre tank...
Before plugging into techstream make sure your lpg system is off completely by holding the button until all the lights go off. (Not sure why but I've always been told to do this)
The UK bayonet fitting is an absolute pita, hold the weight of the nozzle until you've locked it in place. (It's easier on the continent with the Italian dish filler)
It's coming along very nicely.
Rear seats are easy to remove once you've done it once.
Pull up the bottom cushions to remove. They are just clipped in. Heating wire going to each but the loom has plenty of excess.
Next raise both rear headrests and you will find 2 blanking plugs.
There are 6 13mm bolts in total. Loosen the top ones behind the blanking plugs and you could loose them.
Undo the bottom bolts but photograph the middle bracket so you put it back correctly (I didn't once and the seat didn't sit flush.
Remove the cowl from around the fridge door. It pulls out from the top first.
Your backrests should lift out once you have disconnected the wires.
(When I ran coilovers I had to do this repeatedly to adjust the settings) It's a 10 min job after the first time.
Reassembly is the reverse but pay attention to the bracket I mentioned. Also the top bolts have a habit of dropping behind the back rests during the assembly.
If you get stuck drop me a PM
Also good to know it's easy to top up the gas on the continent, planning a drive there at the moment in July.
So a few updates, some a little boring but if you're reading this, you must be a little bit boring to get to page 2 about a 20-year-old Lexus.
Sorted the noise from the rear that was wrongly diagnosed as a diff (hence the cheaper sale price). It was, as I thought, the wheel bearing.
Although part way through the 6 hour episode it took to get it replaced, I was thinking maybe a diff would have been easier.
Let's just say it fought the whole way. You can see how rusty everything is, although structurally it seems to be pretty good.
I was fortunate to be able to call on a mate who was repainting the floor of his unit, who was happy for me to borrow his tools and do it in the car park out front. That was a good choice because I needed a few more large persuasion tools than I had at home!
Celebrated with a beer from the fridge (it doesn't get cold mind, is it ran off the aircon as that's not too cold either?)
Just before leaving though, I was allowed to do a social distanced burnout on the floor before it was prepped for paint. I'm a big kid and can't resist a burnout if its rwd and auto. New rear pads were fitted an hour later (planned), so only a mm or two lost from the tires.
Next on the to-do list is the ABS/VSC light. Although the EML is on for 2 lambda sensors, I cleared them and did a VSC reset with a paper clip between a couple of pins on the OBD port. It didn't turn off the ABS/VSC lights, so there's certainly a problem.
Looking at the drivers rear, where the wheel bearing was (wrongly) replaced a month ago by a pretty crappy mechanic, it's got some kind of bodge job with the speed sensor. I have no idea what is going on with this extra connector that I'm holding, as this doesn't exist on the other side. Also note the random empty crimp and tie wrapped bracket. A bodge has happened. Quick Google suggests a new speed sensor is £130+ so I'll see if I can get a measurement out of this one first before going down the replacement route!
Nice stuff, I got a set of 4 brand new fitted floor mats for £20 delivered off eBay.
And took a few more pictures of it. God the thing drives smooth. It's very wollowey if you try to push it even just the slightest, but if you stroke it along steady it's a very nice daily driver.
The LPG tank I've worked out is 40 litres. It took £23 to fill at the local shell and has delivered about 130 miles of mostly round town driving at 18mpg. Need to do some more 'scientific' tests with full tanks all around and more every day driving to work out the real costs of it.
The latest thing added to the cosmetic to do list today is this part of the centre console. It's the only real part of the interior that's shown any wear. I'd like to vinyl wrap it with something similar for ease but I think it might be an issue with the ashtray pop open door. Maybe i'll go paint.
Sorted the noise from the rear that was wrongly diagnosed as a diff (hence the cheaper sale price). It was, as I thought, the wheel bearing.
Although part way through the 6 hour episode it took to get it replaced, I was thinking maybe a diff would have been easier.
Let's just say it fought the whole way. You can see how rusty everything is, although structurally it seems to be pretty good.
I was fortunate to be able to call on a mate who was repainting the floor of his unit, who was happy for me to borrow his tools and do it in the car park out front. That was a good choice because I needed a few more large persuasion tools than I had at home!
Celebrated with a beer from the fridge (it doesn't get cold mind, is it ran off the aircon as that's not too cold either?)
Just before leaving though, I was allowed to do a social distanced burnout on the floor before it was prepped for paint. I'm a big kid and can't resist a burnout if its rwd and auto. New rear pads were fitted an hour later (planned), so only a mm or two lost from the tires.
Next on the to-do list is the ABS/VSC light. Although the EML is on for 2 lambda sensors, I cleared them and did a VSC reset with a paper clip between a couple of pins on the OBD port. It didn't turn off the ABS/VSC lights, so there's certainly a problem.
Looking at the drivers rear, where the wheel bearing was (wrongly) replaced a month ago by a pretty crappy mechanic, it's got some kind of bodge job with the speed sensor. I have no idea what is going on with this extra connector that I'm holding, as this doesn't exist on the other side. Also note the random empty crimp and tie wrapped bracket. A bodge has happened. Quick Google suggests a new speed sensor is £130+ so I'll see if I can get a measurement out of this one first before going down the replacement route!
Nice stuff, I got a set of 4 brand new fitted floor mats for £20 delivered off eBay.
And took a few more pictures of it. God the thing drives smooth. It's very wollowey if you try to push it even just the slightest, but if you stroke it along steady it's a very nice daily driver.
The LPG tank I've worked out is 40 litres. It took £23 to fill at the local shell and has delivered about 130 miles of mostly round town driving at 18mpg. Need to do some more 'scientific' tests with full tanks all around and more every day driving to work out the real costs of it.
The latest thing added to the cosmetic to do list today is this part of the centre console. It's the only real part of the interior that's shown any wear. I'd like to vinyl wrap it with something similar for ease but I think it might be an issue with the ashtray pop open door. Maybe i'll go paint.
STIfree said:
The LPG tank I've worked out is 40 litres. It took £23 to fill at the local shell and has delivered about 130 miles of mostly round town driving at 18mpg. Need to do some more 'scientific' tests with full tanks all around and more every day driving to work out the real costs of it.
40 litres seems a bit small for that size of vehicle? It may be but I'd have expected a larger capacity. On my car, the LPG level lights are purely decorative and hold no relation to how much gas is actually remaining. Run the car on gas until it's completely empty and switches over to petrol (it should do this automatically). Fill with LPG and zero your trip meter. Run again until empty, again ignoring the lights. Do this s few times and you will soon get an idea of your actual range and tank capacity.Apologies if you've already done this!
Graculus said:
40 litres seems a bit small for that size of vehicle? It may be but I'd have expected a larger capacity. On my car, the LPG level lights are purely decorative and hold no relation to how much gas is actually remaining. Run the car on gas until it's completely empty and switches over to petrol (it should do this automatically). Fill with LPG and zero your trip meter. Run again until empty, again ignoring the lights. Do this s few times and you will soon get an idea of your actual range and tank capacity.
Apologies if you've already done this!
I know, I was a little surprised too. Yes, I ran the tank to empty then filled up, it showed 39.97 litres on the pump when it stopped pumping. The tank takes up the spare wheel well, which is room for a full-size spare, but apparently that's the biggest they could fit in. Apologies if you've already done this!
Still, it's not such a big deal as I have a Shell station with LPG only 3 miles away. I wonder if there's an app that can help me find LPG when I'm further from home though, could be useful.
300sl-24 said:
Fantastic lump of a car for the money. looking very nice have you painted the wheels yet?
Not yet, now the big mechanical issues are sorted I'm happy to address the cosmetic stuff. I'm trying to work out what the best method of removing the flaking lacquer as it's properly thick. Wire wheel on a drill maybe? I also need to figure out wheres cheapest for rattle paint. Internet seems pricey and I'm a little reluctant to do a non-essential shop at Boyes or somewhere similar. I'm still on the lookout on FB market place for some 18's with tyres that would look nice, maybe OEM+ looking. Gassing Station | Readers' Cars | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff