jwhutch58

Just purchased a 01 GS300 w/205k miles for my granddaughter. Headlights are pretty dingy, so I need to repair/clean or replace. Any recommendations for either? Would also like to go to LED bulbs for the headlights, turn signal, and fog lights. Want something brighter, but not something to blind oncoming traffic.

Timing belt "looks" good, but no indication of if/when it was ever replaced. With 215k miles on her, I'm going to go ahead and have the belt, water pump, & cam/crank seals replaced.

Any other recommendations?

Thanks in advance for your responses.

McPierson

iTrader: (3)

Do both lower front ball-joints or check the hell out of them.

I don't personally like any of the aftermarket headlights. Used are pretty expensive. I'd suggest, if they are mechanically ok, a headlight restoration kit to clean them. The HID lights work pretty good. I don't have the halogen versions, but they should be easy to find a replacement bulb with more output.

JaySco

Just grab a decent headlight restoration kit and see how you like them first. These headlights have a good beam pattern/output even with the halogen bulbs. We got a GS for my son that someone put LEDs in. Yanked em out because it was worse.
If you do decide on LEDs I’d recommend Diode Dynamics. A bit pricey but all US made and high quality.

CurlyG

I've been running these D-Spec lights in my 2000 GS400 for 3 years, and they're great.
Note:

• My car had the self-leveling HID's, and these aftermarket headlights were still plug and play.
• The low beams have a crisp horizontal cut-off, with the standard left lane joggle/drop (no glare)! They are amazing.
• They make you old car look like a new car.
• I run H1 LED's in them (search amazon), which requires you to run them with the back cover removed, leaving the headlight unsealed. I've never had an issue running like this, other than mentally disliking the setup.
• One of the lenses has a vertical crack. No headlight is bullet proof. It still works fine, and is hard to spot.

CurlyG

$180 is not expensive for a Lexus:
Also, if you replace the front lower ball joint, install the GS430 part, as it does not jump out of the socket when it fails.
Left: P/N 43340-39415
Right: P/N 43330-39535

naluloa

if you restore the headlights with a kit, put clear coat over it to keep it clear longer.

KyleH

iTrader: (1)

Another vote for restoring stock headlights. Chinese crap ebay / amazon $150 headlight kits are nowhere near the quality of what you have on the car, even 25 years later. Polish them up, put a sealant on them (I've had good luck with a $12 kit on amazon - ). Spend another $10 in various grit sand papers and masking tape and about an hour in the garage and they'll look great again.

For better light output, you can look into upgrading the bulbs themselves. I'd recommend sticking with quality halogens. I'm VERY happy with mine. Recommend avoiding LED or HID if you have a halogen housing. The light output is going to create a lot of glare for oncoming drivers, making them overall less safe, and the light output downrange is not going to improve over good halogens for which your housings were designed.

These are 10 watts over stock low beam and with minor trimming on the socket of the bulb, will fit the headlight housing and factory plug. They're brighter than the standard replacements, throw light well for night-time driving, yet not near as offensive to oncoming drivers as new LED lights are these days on new cars.
Good luck!

CurlyG

The $180 Chinese headlights I've been running for 3 years still look great (minus a fine crack), and the crisp, flat projector cutoff line, and insane lumen output of the Chinese LED bulbs shines about %300 better than the factory HID's.
Yes, they're no where near Denso quality, but they look and work far better than the OEM hardware from 25 years ago.
If brand new OEM headlights were $175, I'd still run the newer design and higher performance Chinese headlights.

tulinak

It's good to know I bought (OEM) ball joints for my 2000 gs400 ,same part no. like yours ,Thanks