Dannyjmck

1. Hello, after about a years search I have purchased my first Lexus LS400(1993) Spent a lot of time looking for one that was well taken care but also fitting for my budget( so I can have money set aside for repairs parts and whatever else). It is fairly high mileage at 182k miles but when I saw this gentlemens collection of cars and how much him and his family cared for them I had a good feeling

about it. Not a spec of rust on the body ( I live in canada ) and undercoated since day one . Timing but elt and water pump done 20k miles ago and done before accordingly as well. Rear struts replaced , an entirely brand new exhaust system , ball joint and control arm done and oil changes done religiously as well as any other maintenance. The car looks great and runs well too. I am aware of the ECU issues these cars can have and I am worried it is only a matter of time. He had not had any and it does not seem to have much going on with the dash aside from the speedometer occasionally not reading at low coasting speeds , say 15 mph or less. Once gas is giving it works fine and I have only seen it once or twice . It does have a small power steering leak which I know can be a problem for the alternator but it is very small and has slowly leaked for years. I know I should look into it before my alternator goes. This is a quite ranting paragraph but I am very excited to have this car it drives like a dream and better than many newer cars I have driven. My concern other is that the car seems to throw a fair amount of heat. The gauge does not indicate overheating though and it slowly climbs as the car warms up so it seems to be working . But when I get out of the car it does seem pretty hot. Just wondering if anyone knows much or can relate to this. It's very hot and humid here in the summer so maybe that's all it is.
Any info or tips on this or other information about these cars would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks, Danny

Superfast1

Congrats on your newly purchase & owning such a nice old automobile as they don't make too many of these anymore. Since you already know the location of the alternator which is located right underneath the PS pump, make sure to find out where the leak is, the sooner the better. If you're lucky, the leak could be from the small rubber o-ring at the bottom of the PS reservoir where it's plugged into the pump. The reservoir can be removed via 3 small bolts. Go buy an o-ring from the dealer & make sure to suck the fluid out of the reservoir before you disconnect it. Place a rag or a plastic bag underneath the pump to prevent PS fluid from dripping/pouring into the alternator. Once done, re-fill the reservoir w/ the correct PS fluid (Dexron III or equivalent) then keep an eye on it for a few days. If it's dried then you've found & fixed the problem, otherwise eventually you'll need to replace the pump w/ a new one. Since the car is so old & if you can't afford to spend a lot of money on a genuine pump, you can look into a re-manufactured pump with a lifetime warranty from one of the local auto part stores. Enjoy & take good care of it then it will last for a long time.

Superfast1

In regards to the heat, if the temperature indicator's needle on your dash stays in the middle & doesn't move once warmed up then you're ok. If it's fluctuated during stop & go traffic then you could have air in your coolant system. The way to purge the air out is to open the coolant reservoir's cap once car is warmed up i.e. after driving but be very careful as it's under-pressured so place a towel over the cap & open it slowly. Do this a few times & that should fix your issue. If it doesn't then it could be your thermostat starts going bad as it's not fully open to allow the hot coolant from the engine re-circulate via the radiator. If you're going to replace the thermostat then make sure to get one w/ the correct temperature & a new gasket. Check the fan to make sure it's operating normally before you do any of the above. Good luck.

Legender

As far as the ECU... heat and humidity, think Florida, play a big part in the premature failure of the capacitors. You may not see total failure based on your location. Congrats on the purchase and you may have found a good. Enjoy the ride and continue to take good care of it.

Dannyjmck

thanks for replies and info, cooling system seems to be working fine and fans run etc. I guess I'm just not used to such a big engine that throws a little more heat.. LoL

Dannyjmck

The leak is unfortunately coming from the main seal but it is very very minimal. There is never any on the ground after parking it for a while and i cannot see any after driving and looking underneath. I was also able to get a good look at the alternator and it looks fine at the moment. Would I be able to get away with running it for a while? I would like to put a refurbished pump in a eventually. What about stop leak for the timing being? Or is that a no no in your opinion ? (Would just be a temp fix) I know some people don't mind the stop leak but others hate it.

Dannyjmck

Thanks again for the reply , much appreciated

Legender

As a personal preference for cars I intend to keep I don't take shortcuts to solve problems, i.e.: stop lead products. I've got a reman pump from O'Reilly in my 1998 that has been working fine for a couple of years. Personal recommendation if it's a keeper is to fix it right by replacing the pump. It's a little work but with basic auto skills you can do it yourself. I did mine. Good luck.

Dannyjmck

When you put the remanufactured pump in did you change any other components in regards to the ps?

Legender

Nope, just the pump... well all new rubber hoses up top. And be sure you use hydraulic hoses. The others will not last. I did not change anything else but the fluid.

Dannyjmck

okay thsnk you

Dannyjmck

Hey, quick question though if you have experience with LS400 PS . I know stop leak is a band aid but shouldn't I put it in if I don't take the pump out for a few weeks. Like I said the leak is harmless now but could turn anytime.. maybe I'll wait it out and do the pump in 2 weeks or so as planned.. Is the stop leak even worth it if it's such a minor leak for a bit. Keep in mind it is my daily driver so nice to drive .. I will be checking it and I do plan to put a reman in for sure.

Thanks,
Danny

Legender

In my experience, the pump can leak for months until it actually does damage to the alternator. Even so, when you remove the pump, I'd take the alternator out also and have it cleaned up at an alternator/genarator shop and then drop back in. I would not leave it as it is with PS (transmission fluid in the case of Lexus) in it. It really needs to be cleaned up to prolong it's life. And since you're already there, might as well take them both out.
I would not put stop leak in at this time. I would surmise you'll continue to be fine for a few weeks...purely a guess on my part.
You'll know when you're alternator goes out as all kinds of lights will start coming on, on the dash and your vehicle will start acting funny. Then you know you've pushed it too far and will have to rebuild the alternator also.

Dannyjmck

Thanks, hopefully it doesn't come to that. I have a found a remanufactured pump just need to pick it up. It is an ACDelco I believe. Now to find the time .

Dannyjmck

Is there a reman. brand that you would recommend? It seems the ACDelco and A1 cardone are similar price while the maval is about 100$ more.