I personally like the parking break. Problem is it not functional on either of my cars. =(

 

Why wont I use it?......I don't want to fix it again.
I've had problems with my E-brake adjusting too far and seizing up on the passenger side and too much rust on the driver side where if I do use it, it might snap. I only fixed the passenger side cuz it's such a pain in the *** to get the hold down pin out to change the shoes. It sucks with age and disabilities that I can't do what I used to so I do as little as possible.

Parking on hills?;.......The hills aren't too bad here to where it requires an E-brake. Park is good enough.

 

Man, excellent guide!!

I had been looking for an LS400 intermittently for a couple months. I also looked in earnest 8 years ago before we decided on an SUV.

About two weeks ago I took our 200K Saturn Vue into the shop. Mostly for oil and trans changes but there steering has gotten progressively looser and I knew I needed to replace the muffler, too. Had my mechanic give it a head-to-toe and it needs more steering and suspension work than the thing is worth.

It’s a shame because I’ve always maintained the engine, trans, and all the fluids meticulously.

It’s just not worth it to put $2K into a Saturn SUV with 200K so I’m again looking for an LS400 in earnest.

Your guide will be a huge asset!!

Mileage and how they’ve been maintained aside, is it just better to get a ‘98-00?

 

Its good to hear man. You will love the LS400 regardless of the year. Are you looking to spend 2k or less? If you ever have to do suspension work on it you could easily find yourself paying more then you paid for the car though. The 98-00 is like a space ship.

 

just a correction, 95-00 front brakes are not straight bolt on to 90-94. You need lower ball joint at the least from the 95-00, possibly something else (I can't remember but the info is out there). Also a 16inch wheel will clear the brakes as that is the size that came on the car.

Great write up though very useful info

 

A link to the original write up composed by "ItalianFlyer" approx 4 years ago- https://www.reddit.com/r/Lexus/comme..._buyers_guide/

 

The original poster "IalianFlyer" wrote the guide very well except the part "The LEDs on the needles" at the ELECTRICAL section. Those needles use not LEDs but CCFLs. CCFLs require about 1000V or more to start to emit the light and the high voltage circuit sometimes fails before the CCFL fails. CCFLs also fail as aged and the emission becomes less and darker.

I personally would like to add about ECUs some more. It is true that 98-00 models less fail compared with earlier models but when they fail, most of the initial failure can be noticed by the rough AT shifts. Another ECU issue for early productions of 89-90, those electrolytic capacitors were not Nichicon's PF or PR series and did not contain the QAS. They don't leak but loose the capacitance as aged in accordance withthe Arrhenius equation. 30 years is long enough to be not fully OK.

 

Thx but it's not mine I found it a while ago I just don't remember where. I copied and pasted it to save it