The LS430 thread. The quest to find a car I don't find boring after 5 minutes

[DirtyDaily]

 

After selling my A6 le mans 3.0tdi jobbie (which I'm slightly unsure if it was such a good idea letting it go now) I replaced the very next day with a Lexus LS430

I'll put a link to the advert for your perusal.

TL;DR

Upshot is Ultra luxury package, 211k miles, broken things/things to do are:

Up/down motor for electric steering column

Rear tyres need replacing

Exhaust needs patching

Needs a timing belt (last one done 100k miles ago and 16 years a go... gulp)

Cam cover gaskets need resealing

Sunroof opens randomly (think this might be a slightly weak battery causing CAN to throw up some dodgy signals)

Heat shield needs removing for exhaust as its rattling.

Other than that it's a very solid motor especially for the miles, something you would expect to be on 100k miles if it was a euro example.

Think I'll need to get on the lexus forums for some advices.https://cloud.tapatalk.com/s/638478c328212/20221127_175829.mp4

 

[Bradders59]

Thats lovely. I would sell my beloved Omega Elite if it was being replaced by one of those.

It will be a very different car to the Audi though.

I believe the steering column motor is a very common issue. 

[DirtyDaily]

https://r.tapatalk.com/shareLink/topic?url=https%3A%2F%2Fretrorides%2Eproboards%2Ecom%2Fthread%2F223523%2F&share_tid=223523&share_fid=106189&share_type=t&link_source=app

[grogee]

 

[DirtyDaily]

Thats lovely. I would sell my beloved Omega Elite if it was being replaced by one of those.
It will be a very different car to the Audi though.
I believe the steering column motor is a very common issue. 

Very different. A6 being the le mans was quite firm and direct. The lexus is anything but! I find that the lexus is doing everything in its power to make you relaxed. It doesn't really accelerate hard unless you put it in to "power" mode, but in power mode it does have a bit of hustle !

[grogee]

Lovely car, good luck with the fixerating. Sounds like fairly standard stuff to fix, apart from the steering column motor - but as @Bradders59 says, I'm sure there will be a blow-by-blow fix guide on Lexus forum.

I really like these, will treat myself one day. 

[Captain Slow]

I wrote the above feature. It was a very pleasant machine.

[DirtyDaily]

So the exhaust leak has finally tripped the EML again. Looks like it is probably effecting the mpg looking at these codes which if I'm being honest I'm actually quite glad about as it is supping the fuel so an improvement will be appreciated!
The sunroof opens randomly which I believe may be down to a faulty circuit board in the sunroof ecu. In order to not get caught out with the roof staying open I have removed the fuse for the mean time.
I am really enjoying it though, makes a great growl (not sure how much of that is blowing exhaust) and is supremely comfortable. For 211k miles the amount of the cutting edge gadgets still working is very impressive. Can't wait to get stuck in to replacing cam cover gaskets and getting the timing belt done etc. Will be taking the exhuast to a shop though to sort out sooner rather than later.

Eta. Ignore the brake lamp error. They work and nothing doesn't work because of it. Didn't come back when I cleared it too. Weirds.

[Macscrooge]

Great cars. A bloke I know has had all sorts- Jags , Astons, Mercs (many from new) etc. But he keeps coming back to Lexus and reckons the 430 best of the lot. 

[Spottedlaurel]

Obviously I'm happy to see this. I don't see too many in use around here.

Not sure I'd be brave enough to take one on myself, it'd have to be cheap enough to dispose of if something expensive happened.

[DirtyDaily]

So car is booked in with a custom exhaust shop on Saturday for sizing up and doing the work on Wednesday. Hopefully that will solve the o2 codes I am getting.
I noticed in the invoices in Feb of this year there is an invoice for a new denso o2 sensor so I have a sneaky suspicion that it's been blowing for a while and previous owner thought it just needed a sensor. To be fair it's still very quiet even with the blow.
I am also ordering new cam cover gaskets and spark plug hole gaskets etc. Along with new pcv valve and grommet to refresh all that side of it.
GOOD NEWS!!!!!
I found a lexus invoice showing a timing belt change at approx 100k miles in like 2004/5 and I thought that was the last hence my slight concern for this. Upon reviewing the service records I can see in mid 2015 on 202k miles it was replaced again so got a few years left in it so no rush in that.
With the exhaust sorted and oil leak done it will be purring very nicely. Other thing to check will be the sunroof opening randomly (very common fault by all accounts) which could either be a faulty circuit board or dying battery. I'll check the battery first of course.
Secondly the keyless entry only works intermittently. The puddle lights always illuminate so I think this is a fault with the actuator sending an incorrect signal saying it is already open. When that happens the keyless entry mechanism doesn't try to open the car again but when you press the unlock button it then unlocks it fine.
With those things sorted I think it will be operating as it should be! How very lexus of it! I'm not too frightened of anything expensive breaking as my first port of call will be the breakers where I can pickup parts relatively inexpensively and I will fit myself. Thats the theory anyway!

[DirtyDaily]

Update today.
Exhaust has been thoroughly looked at. Apparently they find the y pipe coming from the down pipes are always pretty bad and this was no exception. Pin holes everywhere and LOTS of repairs. Whole new custom section going in whilst retaining the cats.

Swung by lexus for some oil and coolant for top ups and also the valve cover gaskets and spark plug gaskets to solve that leak. I also removed one of the heat shields for the back box as it was falling off and creating an awful lot of noise as you would expect. There is still something making a noise though I have found when going over bumps. Kind of sounds metalic but kind of sounds like a groaning Bush all in one. Very strange... I have been pushing and pulling and rocking the car to mimic the noise while stationery to try and locate it but no joy. I suspect its something clanging about over harsh bumps rather than softer undulations. I will find it, I have to as its so quiet otherwise its all you can hear.
Also picture outside lexus because must. Even next to the new shite, this old shite is a considerable lump!

[DirtyDaily]

Update on the above.
Closed the door and heard a rattle coming from the rear near where the exhaust heat shield was. Pretty confident it's in that general vicinity so I will probably jack the car up, take the wheel off and have a better look at some point. I'll be happy once that's cured!

[2flags]

Lovely old barge, very brave of you to take something like this on. Well done.

[Ianlea73]

Love an old Lexus. Here's mine.

2003 Gs300. 3litre 2jz, few mods & still ongoing. Bizarrely is clean air zone compliant too.

 

[DirtyDaily]

Love an old Lexus. Here's mine.
2003 Gs300. 3litre 2jz, few mods & still ongoing. Bizarrely is clean air zone compliant too.
 

Lovely things. Nearly bought the ex alicante one on here but I was too late. Always wanted a lexus so I'm happy to be in one!

[DirtyDaily]

New exhuast day. Sounds MUCH better now. Still has a deep growl and no horrible blowing noises. Also no EML which is nice.

Still need to locate the rattle at the back but after work it's too cold to be outside underneath a car. Maybe this weekend!

[Spottedlaurel]

Nice one. Hopefully I'll be getting something similar done to my 400 after Xmas, if it gets through the MoT without to much bother.....

What sort of cost may I ask?

[DirtyDaily]

Nice one. Hopefully I'll be getting something similar done to my 400 after Xmas, if it gets through the MoT without to much bother.....
What sort of cost may I ask?

350 GBP.

Not the cheapest but a thorough solution to a common problem whilst retaining all cats seemed a good to me. Decat pipe and fitting myself wouldn't have been much cheaper and wouldn't of been as good quality.
Exhibit A:

[Schaefft]

Yeah, don't install decat pipes. You only open up another can of worms there. I think those 350 quid were a good investment into a very solid car from what I can tell.

The Alicante GS300 is doing well btw if you haven't seen it in my thread yet. There's a reason Lexus and Toyota are so highly desirable in the states. If fuel prices weren't as high in the UK these would be much more highly regarded here as well.

[DirtyDaily]

Yeah, don't install decat pipes. You only open up another can of worms there. I think those 350 quid were a good investment into a very solid car from what I can tell.
The Alicante GS300 is doing well btw if you haven't seen it in my thread yet. There's a reason Lexus and Toyota are so highly desirable in the states. If fuel prices weren't as high in the UK these would be much more highly regarded here as well.

I have been lurking on that thread and cursing you for beating me to it!
Cracking deal and a really smart looking car. I'm enjoying this LS430 alot and saw a post on the ls page on Facebook where everyone was posting their miles that the car had covered. This on 211k is a spring chicken compared to some of the numbers on there. A few in excess of 400k miles. Makes me feel better about mine!

[DirtyDaily]

So having driven the car the EML returned with codes for bank 1 sensor 1 O2. Cat efficiency code has gone so not like the exhaust didn't need doing but slightly annoying it didn't fix the primary o2 sensor codes but not surprising. New Denso sensor has been ordered so I will get that on ASAP as it does smell a tad rich while it's running still. On the other hand I'm quite pleased it's still needs the o2 sensor as the MPG hasn't been great! I'm sure that'll get a few more MPG's for me.
I'm correct in thinking bank 1 is nearside/passenger side aren't I?