Lavrishevo

iTrader: (1)

Just a heads up. You do NOT want to do a transmission power flush but a transmission fluid exchange. If you flush it, you run the risk that something will loosen up in their and mess up your transmission. This is the also the recommendations of Aisin, the manufacturer.

The best and safest way to service your transmission is to drain the fluid that is in the pan, replace drain bolt and gasket with new parts, and refill with 2 quarts of Toyota type IV fluid. I seriously would not do a power flush. I think you're asking for problems. This has also been discussed to death on the forum long before I was around. Since the car is 13 years old and probably never had the tranny serviced if it were me I would play it safe. If you repeat every 6 months to a year you will never have dirty tranny fluid.

Don't forget to clean the throttle body. You will notice an improvement in acceleration immediately and if you neglect it it will affect your idle and MPG.I only have 70K on my 99 and I noticed the difference immediately.

Also, replace your differential fluid and it does not hurt to have the power-steering system flushed out with new Dextron ATF. Yes, the PS system uses ATF not power-steering fluid. And if you want to be real smart about it add a bottle of Lucas Oil PS conditioner when they fill with new fluid. Most of the PS problems with our years come from leakage due to worn rubber o-rings. The Lucas products helps reconditions these rubber rings.

HowdyAudi

No worries. I have never been an advocate of power flushing anything because of all the horror stories in other forums. But I better check to see if the dealer's idea of a fluid change involves a power flush just to be safe. As for the throttle body, how hard is it to clean? If I can do it myself without removing any parts I will. Otherwise I wonder what the dealer will charge.

Lavrishevo

iTrader: (1)

It is not too hard but you do have to remove the intake to get to the TB. I needed it done in a hurry and just had the dealer do the TB cleaning and trans drain for just over $200 OTD. You might want to check to make sure the dealer has the drain bolt, gasket, and TB gasket in stock. All three of those don't cost much and are worth it to replace with the service. I bet the dealer wants to do a power flush.

HowdyAudi

Great advice! Thanks for the heads up on the throttle body too. I'll call on my way to work and make sure they know how I want it done.

HowdyAudi

I noticed something today. The rubber trim piece that runs along the top edge of the windshield is missing so there is a big gap between the glass and roof panel. Is this normal or should I be speaking with Lexus about having it replaced?

Lavrishevo

iTrader: (1)

7553150030
moulding, windshield, outer upper

fastegg

Good one for getting hold of an LS400.. series 4 (98-2000) the best one of the lot...
Ive got a '98 model purchased about 18 months ago and i love the car so much i want to keep it until i'm too old to drive (i'm 53).... In standard trim the car is dead silent.... I took the cold air intake scoop off and you get this beautiful intake growl when you pedal it... It sounds great!!! ... mine had 175,000km on the clock and the suspension was very floaty... I fitted a set of heavy duty Bilsteins (the guy told me they were 30% heavier than stock... there is also Bilstein Sport, 50% heavier) I thought HD would be fine but after driving it now for 25,000km's I should have gone the Bilstein Sport... the HD were significantly better but I think the Sports would be optimum... but still not too hard... it's just the HD's arn't firm enough... their still too soft. I dropped a tire size too, I went from 225/60/16 to 225/55/16 ... Kuhmo KU31 directional and oh boy what a difference that made... it had Yokoharma Decibel's which were made for quietness... the KU31's are made for grip... and grip they gave !!!
When pushed, the LS understeers... in the wet in particular.... and has very sloppy body roll... its like a big land yacht.... so i got a sway bar maker in Sydney (K-mac) to custom ake a bigger rear sway bar. I went from 22mm hollow to 24mm solid, 160% stiffer than stock... That mod made a good difference too.... The trouble now is the springs are too soft.... It needs a new set maybe 10-15% stiffer... that would kinda make the whole package work..... The mistake I made is when i bought the Bilsteins, Id never heard of adjustable coil overs.... I'm a motorbike person and the LS is the first car ive really played with the suspension and in hindsight, a set of adjustable coil overs with 10-15% heavier springs, adjustable ride height, adjustable spring pre-load, adjustable dampning/rebound.... and when first taken delivery of them, the dampning/rebound settings, length, pre-load,all settings sould be as per standard LS400 so you have a good benchmark to start with.... that's what I should have done, but as i say, hindsight is a wonderful thing. I replaced the front brake lines with braided stainless steel... The standard brake pedal is VERY SPUNGEY, i mean the brakes work great, it just feels like pushing a spounge. The new SS hoses gave me about 15% more pedal....
However, as it is, the LS drives beautiful... I run 5W-30 full synthetic oil with PureOne or Amsoil Ea filters which i believe a far Superior to standard auto shop filters and will greatly increase the life of the motor.
I replaced the standard battery which weighed in at a heafty 24kg with an Odyssey PC680 which has the same cold cranking amps as the stock battery but weighs only 6kg
... the reason ? was to get rid of the 24kg lead ballast from behind the headlight...
Which is ultimately has gotta be better for the steering/handling...
... Replaced auto transmission and power steering fluids with 100% synthetic....
I also had a 'Start Button' fitted too.... It feels really cool turning on the ignition... then pushing the start button to fire it up.... worth every cent !!
And not to mention waxing the outside and using a good protectorant (Mothers) on the inside and any rubber on the outside... Use 'Dubin' leather treatment on any leather...
Keep it looking beautiful. .. ... ....
Things in the pipeline....
** A Torsen T2-R limited slip diff centre... Out of a Mk4 Supra ..1996 or later will fit... Should make it heaps more fun to drive.. especially in the wet !!!
** Auto transmission cooler and power steering fluid cooler (should increase service life)
** Complete stereo upgrade... I have all the components, speakers, amp and cables... just have to find someone who can install it...
** Maybe remove the centre mufflers to give it some exhaust note... I don't want noise, just a nice purry note.....
There.... there's enough stuff... ... ...

Lavrishevo

iTrader: (1)

Great looking LS. Need to work on the formatting of that reply though. Yikes...

Anyway, I really don't think you're going to benefit from a transmission cooler unless you are towing. Our tranny's are not known to have any problems with heat. Same thing with the power-steering. The PS problems are mostly related to rubber o-ring failure and leakage. Not heat related; they just get old and brittle. Personally, I had a PS leak that was "diagnosed" as being the high pressure line and it turned out to be a crack in the rubber hose that connects the reservoir to the pump. I flushed the pump when this was fixed and added some Lucas oil PS conditioner with the Dextron III. She has been great even since. Just my 2 cents.

fastegg

Yes Lavrishevo... your right.. my formatting is terrible come to think of it.... I'll work on it next time...
... And thanks for tip on the auto & PS fluid coolers... maybe it doesn't need them...

PureDrifter

iTrader: (10)

Actually I would add a trans cooler if you plan to drive the car hard/in traffic in hot climates/drag race. And an external oil cooler too, with thermostat. But a PS cooler may be overkill, though if you were retaining the OEM radiator there's probably a way to use the internal trans cooling loop with the PS circuit if you want to do some clever plumbing.

cooler core fluids make for a happier engine, longer lasting trans, and less problematic steering. But under exceedingly average useit will probably be fine.

fastegg

Yeah well i just happened to have an oil cooler 280mm X 180mm lying around and it fits nicely in front of the air con radiator so i thought id hook it up as a transmission cooler...
And i also had a small one that i'll put in place of the standard tube PS cooler....
I thought the 'engine start' button was a nice touch.... its more fun starting the car.... I know how ridiculous that sounds... but it is....

Lavrishevo

iTrader: (1)

Another issue to consider is that you are introducing another element that could fail. More so the cooler. If the cooler malfunctions, a line breaks or your spring a leak you will kill the whole transmission. Not that I am say this will happen but you should weigh the benefits vs drawbacks. Also, why not see what kind of temperature you transmissions heats up to over the course of a month. I believe you are in Winter right now in Australia right? It is the hottest part of the year here in Puerto Rico and the temperature stays between 27 - 38 C or 83 - 99 F. With that said, I have never noticed my transmission to be especially hot or the fluid to be suffering.

I purchased the car about 5 months ago with 67K and I just did a 2 quart drain and refill. The first time the transmission has seen new fluid in 13 years. The fluid was not dark. It was not as light as the new stuff but it did not look bad. I called multiple Lexus dealers in the states to get advice in regards to flushing and what they do and they all said that they don't even start to look at the transmission till past 100k miles. No way I am going to wait that long so, I did the 2 quart drain and refill and will do it again in another 6 months and every 6 months for the life of the car. If properly maintained Aisin transmissions are lasting 300K - 400K miles without problems. It may not be smart to do anything but keep that fluid clean. Just something to consider.

PureDrifter

iTrader: (10)

you realize that the LS comes with a factory trans cooler right? it's a single loop built into the bottom of the radiator.

as long as you use a high quality setup you're at no more risk than stock. the only way you're going to "kill your trans" is if you run it bone dry for more than a few moments.

Lavrishevo

iTrader: (1)

Most vehicles cool the tranny through the radiator do they not? I guess one benefit to a separate cooler is that you don't run the risk of leaking coolant into the transmission.

HowdyAudi

Greetings folks,

I figured I would revive my old thread since there is always someone who complains when a new thread is created. I just wanted to to give you guys an update on my Lexus ownership experience which has been fabulous so far.

A few weeks ago, I took my LS in for the transmission service which typically takes a couple of hours (and is way cheap compared to European cars) and I mentioned to the service writer that I had to push back my trip to the lake because I was going to wait at the dealership. She smiled and said, "oh, well let's give you a loaner car for the weekend then." I was blown away! I knew they had loaner vehicles but I didn't think they would give me one since my LS was only being detained for two hours. But sure enough, after a four minute absence, she returned with the key to a 2010 ES350 which I had until the following Monday. My partner was so impressed. He is a BMW fan like I was but he is slowly coming around.

Having the LS has definitely spoiled me. This is the first full size luxury car I have had and I just love they way it glides down the road. Not to mention the space! I am 6'2" and I once thought that I fit just fine in my Audi A4 and BMW 330i but now I realize how cramped I was in those cars. I have upgraded from coach to first class and I am never going back.

As is the norm for me, I've already started to investigate what car I am going to get after my LS400 so I went out to test drive the other "luxo barges" to see if I should stick with Lexus or try another brand. The first two cars I tested were both 2006 models of the Mercedes S500 and the S65 AMG. Frankly, I was NOT impressed. The interior of both cars had so many cheap touches everywhere and the buttons on the dash were already breaking off. To add insult to injury, the ergonomics in those cars is appalling. I am no stranger to German design and engineering so I usually have little trouble in deciphering how to work the radio and climate control systems but I was so baffled that I just gave up and drove the car with no AC at all. Of the time I spent behind the wheel of the two big Benzs, the only part that genuinely impressed me was starting up the V12 of the S65. The sound of 12 cylinders igniting to life is one of the most intoxicating symphonies ever to please my ears. And the bark from the AMG tuned exhaust caused a stirring in my pants that would make my partner jealous. But beyond the pageantry and cache of the three pointed star, the W220 S-class leaves much to be desired. The ride was unimpressive and the handling did not exceed far beyond what my LS delivers and neither one was nearly as quiet at speed. A good way to sum up my experience with those cars is to say that there was underlying feeling of worry and discontent because I was literally afraid something was going to break. And on a car that $90k-$110k when new, that is not acceptable.

The next car I drove was a 2002 BMW 745Li. It was better built than the Mercedes, drove better, rode smoother and quieter, and inspired confidence at all times. Nothing about that car made me feel unsettled about its ability to get me from point A to point B whenever I needed it to. But I would NEVER own one. It took six minutes of fiddling with that infernal iDrive **** to convince me that we have reached and exceeded the tipping point in automotive technology. There are far too many features which can only be accessed with that **** and way too many screens and menus to be filed through just to complete a one simple command. Give me a touchscreen or a sea of buttons any day because as I learn the layout of the dash, I can complete a simple task such as changing the radio station with fewer steps than would be required by iDrive; even after I had committed the user manual to memory. What a disappointment.

Finally, I drove a 2007 LS460. The exterior was beautifully restrained and elegant. A lot like what Audis use to be. The cabin materials were assembled with obvious precision and every switch, dial, and **** operated with a soft fluidity which seemed to be the car's way of telling me that it will work consistently and reliably for the next ten years without any issues. While starting the car doesn't have the same thrill factor the V12 Benz did, a shortcoming which could be minimized if you could hear the exhaust burble of the V8, the engine did not hesitate or show any strain in arousing itself. Somehow Lexus engineers managed to incorporate the solidity and composure of a German sedan without compromising the serenity of the legendary Lexus ride. The car did not exhibit the waterbed sensation I get in my LS400. Body roll was kept in check through the corners. And the steering was tight and weighty with decent haptic feedback. All of this and the car was still smooth over bumps, quieter than the city morgue, and felt competent at all times. There is no question that an LS460 is in my automotive future.

Just to be sure that I haven't overlooked a diamond in the rough, I am going to investigate all possible avenues. Which is why I will be test driving a 2006 Jaguar XJ Super V8 and a 2005 Audi A8 L today.

I hope you guys find this comparison interesting if not helpful. I'll be posting my opinion fo the Jag and Audi soon.

Cheers!