Buying/Inspection Advice - 2001 Lexus LS 430

prabhpreet · 11th November 2010, 13:22

So here's an update:

Deal settled at 9.5 l if the car turns out as promised after an inspection at Galaxy. Plan to pick her up sometime early next week.

The guy mentioned that they have been getting their car serviced from lakozy Motors, Okhla or from some Rajiv in CP. Ever heard of them anyone?

And here is the estimate he got from Lakozy for the car in it's current state:
- Front/rear shockers: 10k, 10k = 20k
- Tie rod end: 3k + 4k = 7k
- Suspension arm: 18k + 10k = 28k
- Bush kit: 3k
- Wheel bearing: 7k
- Radiator leakage: 3k (repair) OR 14k (new Taiwanese) OR 42.5k (new original Toyota)
=====
around 70k (with radiator repair)

However, the list was missing any repair/service for the "Engine Check" sign that showed in the MID. I asked him again. He evasively said - "Oh! that would just require a scanning of the engine and it would be fine".
But, I thought something like scanning (not sure what it is) would just diagnose the problem and not fix it???
Scepticism creeps in ... This part is making my decision to go for the vehicle a bit shaky. Also, I am not sure how much of a thorough job Galaxy Toyota would be able to do in checking up the car. Should I take it to Lakozy instead? Thoughts??

mura · 12th November 2010, 12:46

I take it the car you have seen has no Air Suspension?

The Air Suspension is the only weak point in the car and is known to give a lot of problems.

Does it have a Touch screen for AC/Audio controls?

If you have the Full VIN no you can find date of build and options on the car.

All the prices Lakozy has quoted is ok.

Do include a Timing belt/Idler/Tensioner with that list. Should be 12k.

You can try to reset the ECU by removing the battery cables for 10min. If the Check engine light repeats again you can read the code and find out what is causing it.

I had a 2002 LS sometime back and now have a Toyota Aristo(Lexus GS).

gaurav_chopra04 · 12th November 2010, 22:00

Hi prabhpreet,

My uncle had a 1996 LS 440 in UK, it was Japan import. When I was in UK from 2004 to 2008, not once did I see the car give any trouble at all. The lexus are very reliable cars and especially the LS is super Luxury. Get the car checked properly and go for it.

The only thing I'd be worried about the engine check light, if its a code, it should go after scanning, but if it doesnt, try to get hold of the problem before you commit for the car (most probably the scanning should show what the problem is). The suspension is a normal wear considering the number of kms the car has done and the car's age. Auto part shops in Khan Market should easily be able to source parts for the LS. I believe galaxy toyota should be have no problem checking the car. You may want to visit Lakozy in future as they may know about the car, but dont take the car to the same for checkup.

Regarding the radiator, it depends where its leaking from. I'd recommend you get a new taiwanese one. A repaire job on radiator may lead to heating issues in future.

Lastly, I believe the 9.5 is without repairs..or is it with repairs?

Quote:

Originally Posted by mura

I take it the car you have seen has no Air Suspension?

I think the LS had an air suspension... I may be wrong though.

Does it have a Touch screen for AC/Audio controls?

To add to it.. is the language on the screen English or Japanese?

prabhpreet · 16th November 2010, 11:20

@mura thanks for the info. Will surely try out the ECU resetting bit.

Quote:

Originally Posted by mura

I take it the car you have seen has no Air Suspension?
Does it have a Touch screen for AC/Audio controls?

I'm not sure but I think this one is without the air suspension. Doesn't have the navigation system/touch-screen, no sun-roof, no rear-seat adjustment. Guess all this came with the ultra-luxury pack.

Quote:

Originally Posted by mura

If you have the Full VIN no you can find date of build and options on the car.

Asked the seller for this number. Said he had to give a number to Lakozy also to find out about all repairs as the car came in different models - should be the same.

Quote:

Originally Posted by mura

I had a 2002 LS sometime back and now have a Toyota Aristo(Lexus GS).

Cool! How was your experience. Hope you didn't get rid of it because of something negative about the car?

@gaurav_chopra04 Thanks gaurav. What you quote from your experience sounds really comforting to me

Quote:

Originally Posted by gaurav_chopra04

The only thing I'd be worried about the engine check light, if its a code, it should go after scanning...

Help me understand this part better. What you are saying is the engine check light is an indication of a problem. Scanning will reveal the exact nature of the problem by means of a code. The signal should go away after scanning but the root cause (the problem) revealed by the code has to be rectified. Am I right? Pardon my little knowledge on this.

Quote:

Originally Posted by gaurav_chopra04

The suspension is a normal wear considering the number of kms the car has done and the car's age.

Do you think the car would have handled 130K kms without a replacement of the suspensions yet? I was guessing this would be the second round of repairs??

Quote:

Originally Posted by gaurav_chopra04

Lastly, I believe the 9.5 is without repairs..or is it with repairs?

yes, 9.5 is without repairs. Reasonable?

ciao!

ACM · 16th November 2010, 16:48

Check Engine Light is the only thing to worry about.

Galaxy should be able to tell you the reason for that after scanning.

Suspension work rates from Lakozy seem fine.

Basic spec trip also means that less can go wrong.

the 2001 Merc S320 is a nightmare in terms of all that keeps going wrong with it - various control units, the air suspention lifts, the pneumatic doors etc..

Power of the V8 would also equate to 3kmpl - hope you have factored that as well.

Rates are roughly OK.

A third buyer would not pay more than 5-6L even if you resell immediately, and would have questions in mind about the urgent resale.

prabhpreet · 17th November 2010, 11:43

Oopsie Daisies!!

I'd thought the fuel economy would be low, alright, but 3 kmpl? Thanks for highlighting this, ACM?
But, how about all these reviews claiming a 16 to 20 mpg city fuel economy for the 2001 LS?

Gas Mileage of 2001 Lexus LS 430
2001 Lexus LS 430 Review and Specs
Used 2001 Lexus LS 430 | Used 2001 Lexus Sedans - Yahoo! Autos

After looking at these I was hoping for 5-6 kmpl at the very least, 16 mpg factoring in 10% drop due to quality of Indian fuel and 10% due to age of vehicle (it could actually get better with age). Am I missing something? 3 kmpl would need serious thought, or would rather be a simple "no go" I guess.

Another thing I wanted to bring up - The seller is able to produce, after much insisting, the last 3 year service history from Lakozy for the vehicle. Says, neither we, nor Lakozy, keep records beyond that.
Something to loose sleep on?

mura · 18th November 2010, 14:48

What was done in the 3 years service history?

No need to worry about the FE, you can easily get 6-7kmpl. If you notice the autobox shifts to 5th as early as 40kmph with a light foot. I did get that figure, i had the car for about 6months and drove 5k kms.

I had one with the Air suspension and touch screen, sold it to get something faster.

@ACM, you say it can only be sold for 5-6L , ok, find me one for that price and i will buy it now. BTW i sold mine for 14L.

prabhpreet · 18th November 2010, 16:48

@mura words of comfort

. Needed some more bit of info before taking the plunge. Have sent you a pm. Appreciate the help

I phoned up Lakozy and also asked them what their expectation was for an LS 430. The guy said 5-6 kmpl.

GTO · 19th November 2010, 12:07

A humble 4-cylinder AT Accord or Camry get 6.xx in the city; a V8 will deliver 4 kpl. Sure, if you drive with an ultra-light foot, you'll manage 5 kpl tops. But driving a V8 for fuel economy is like eating a double mac cheese burger to lose weight. You need to get your priorities in line. Do you want the power & refinement of a V8, or the economy of a four-banger?

As I've posted on several threads on this forum, there's more to life than kpl.

octane1002 · 19th November 2010, 12:18

@prabhpreet:In terms of resale, selling this over 7 is gonna be real tough as pointed out earlier.Autobox(resulting complex repair/low FE) is the killer here.Buy this only if you are sure you're gonna keep it for some time to come as I said before.

prabhpreet · 19th November 2010, 13:50

I know guys - the FE can never be the first thing on my list, rather the last. I get flustered when people with budgets in crores talk about FE's. For godsake, such a thing would be costlier standing still!

Nevertheless, it's there on the list. I can live with a low FE. But, you know not everybody in my family is an auto-junkie. I can explain a 7, a 6, maybe even a 5 kmpl to them ... but it's not simple

"This is impractical, go and buy a new Civic. That's such a nice car ... yada yada yada, they go"

And when it comes to resale, I know I can sell this only to somebody to whom the V8, and not the FE, matters. Getting the right value won't be a problem - The problem would be finding a discerning buyer

Unrelated but I have to share the experience I had yesterday while TD'ing the Jaguar XF:

My family was along with me. We went for a spin. Now this thing is a beast with a 5 litre V8, 385 ps and 515 Nm of torque under the pedal. So what do you do ... push it hard? ... and be serenaded by the engine's roar? ... Wrong!

That's exactly what I tried doing and had the entire family screaming at me ... instantaneously:
"We're not buying this for the engine. Keep it to a gentle cruise. It's a status symbol, not a race car"

Status symbol alright, but it's the engine underneath that's costing a bomb. It's like asking to savour the beauty of a seagull after tying it's wings.

OK! I gotta stop here before I get carried away with my ramble about how I sometimes, in comparison, feel like a lunatic with the insatiable love for these things with wheels on them.

(Wanna know what I do when I feel like that? Log on to team-bhp for some company!

)

GordonGekko · 22nd November 2010, 23:09

If you want the details of a honest and reasonable mechanic who is an expert in lexus (he works on my w124), just pm me and i will send you the details.

Akshay1234 · 22nd November 2010, 23:30

Quote:

Originally Posted by GordonGekko

If you want the details of a honest and reasonable mechanic who is an expert in lexus (he works on my w124), just pm me and i will send you the details.

As GTO says, post it on the forum. More can benefit.

GordonGekko · 22nd November 2010, 23:42

Quote:

Originally Posted by akshay1234

As GTO says, post it on the forum. More can benefit.

The reason i didn't want to post is because i didn't want it to look like i was advertising.
His name is ashwani rana, he is well known in the sbk circuit.

Used to be in satya niketan, now shifted to gurgaon. Been in the trade for about 20 years. A genuine guy. number 9212007560.

Akshay1234 · 22nd November 2010, 23:45

Quote:

Originally Posted by GordonGekko

The reason i didn't want to post is because i didn't want it to look like i was advertising.

Dont worry my friend. It would have been obvious if you were advertising, the mods are sharp enough to notice

Thanks for sharing.

11th November 2010, 13:22	#16
prabhpreet BHPian Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: New Delhi Posts: 40 Thanked: 0 Times	So here's an update: Deal settled at 9.5 l if the car turns out as promised after an inspection at Galaxy. Plan to pick her up sometime early next week. The guy mentioned that they have been getting their car serviced from lakozy Motors, Okhla or from some Rajiv in CP. Ever heard of them anyone? And here is the estimate he got from Lakozy for the car in it's current state: - Front/rear shockers: 10k, 10k = 20k - Tie rod end: 3k + 4k = 7k - Suspension arm: 18k + 10k = 28k - Bush kit: 3k - Wheel bearing: 7k - Radiator leakage: 3k (repair) OR 14k (new Taiwanese) OR 42.5k (new original Toyota) ===== around 70k (with radiator repair) However, the list was missing any repair/service for the "Engine Check" sign that showed in the MID. I asked him again. He evasively said - "Oh! that would just require a scanning of the engine and it would be fine". But, I thought something like scanning (not sure what it is) would just diagnose the problem and not fix it??? Scepticism creeps in ... This part is making my decision to go for the vehicle a bit shaky. Also, I am not sure how much of a thorough job Galaxy Toyota would be able to do in checking up the car. Should I take it to Lakozy instead? Thoughts??
	() Thanks

12th November 2010, 12:46	#17
mura BHPian Join Date: May 2006 Location: Coimbatore Posts: 219 Thanked: 108 Times	I take it the car you have seen has no Air Suspension? The Air Suspension is the only weak point in the car and is known to give a lot of problems. Does it have a Touch screen for AC/Audio controls? If you have the Full VIN no you can find date of build and options on the car. All the prices Lakozy has quoted is ok. Do include a Timing belt/Idler/Tensioner with that list. Should be 12k. You can try to reset the ECU by removing the battery cables for 10min. If the Check engine light repeats again you can read the code and find out what is causing it. I had a 2002 LS sometime back and now have a Toyota Aristo(Lexus GS). Last edited by mura : 12th November 2010 at 12:50.
	() Thanks

16th November 2010, 16:48	#20
ACM Distinguished - BHPian Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Mumbai Posts: 4,767 Thanked: 4,502 Times View My Garage	Check Engine Light is the only thing to worry about. Galaxy should be able to tell you the reason for that after scanning. Suspension work rates from Lakozy seem fine. Basic spec trip also means that less can go wrong. the 2001 Merc S320 is a nightmare in terms of all that keeps going wrong with it - various control units, the air suspention lifts, the pneumatic doors etc.. Power of the V8 would also equate to 3kmpl - hope you have factored that as well. Rates are roughly OK. A third buyer would not pay more than 5-6L even if you resell immediately, and would have questions in mind about the urgent resale.
	() Thanks

17th November 2010, 11:43	#21
prabhpreet BHPian Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: New Delhi Posts: 40 Thanked: 0 Times	Oopsie Daisies!! I'd thought the fuel economy would be low, alright, but 3 kmpl? Thanks for highlighting this, ACM? But, how about all these reviews claiming a 16 to 20 mpg city fuel economy for the 2001 LS? Gas Mileage of 2001 Lexus LS 430 2001 Lexus LS 430 Review and Specs Used 2001 Lexus LS 430 \| Used 2001 Lexus Sedans - Yahoo! Autos After looking at these I was hoping for 5-6 kmpl at the very least, 16 mpg factoring in 10% drop due to quality of Indian fuel and 10% due to age of vehicle (it could actually get better with age). Am I missing something? 3 kmpl would need serious thought, or would rather be a simple "no go" I guess. Another thing I wanted to bring up - The seller is able to produce, after much insisting, the last 3 year service history from Lakozy for the vehicle. Says, neither we, nor Lakozy, keep records beyond that. Something to loose sleep on?
	() Thanks

18th November 2010, 14:48	#22
mura BHPian Join Date: May 2006 Location: Coimbatore Posts: 219 Thanked: 108 Times	What was done in the 3 years service history? No need to worry about the FE, you can easily get 6-7kmpl. If you notice the autobox shifts to 5th as early as 40kmph with a light foot. I did get that figure, i had the car for about 6months and drove 5k kms. I had one with the Air suspension and touch screen, sold it to get something faster. @ACM, you say it can only be sold for 5-6L , ok, find me one for that price and i will buy it now. BTW i sold mine for 14L. Last edited by mura : 18th November 2010 at 14:55.
	() Thanks

18th November 2010, 16:48	#23
prabhpreet BHPian Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: New Delhi Posts: 40 Thanked: 0 Times	@mura words of comfort . Needed some more bit of info before taking the plunge. Have sent you a pm. Appreciate the help I phoned up Lakozy and also asked them what their expectation was for an LS 430. The guy said 5-6 kmpl.
	() Thanks

19th November 2010, 12:07	#24
GTO Team-BHP Support Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Bombay Posts: 71,815 Thanked: 321,380 Times View My Garage	A humble 4-cylinder AT Accord or Camry get 6.xx in the city; a V8 will deliver 4 kpl. Sure, if you drive with an ultra-light foot, you'll manage 5 kpl tops. But driving a V8 for fuel economy is like eating a double mac cheese burger to lose weight. You need to get your priorities in line. Do you want the power & refinement of a V8, or the economy of a four-banger? As I've posted on several threads on this forum, there's more to life than kpl.
	() Thanks

19th November 2010, 12:18	#25
octane1002 BHPian Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: kolkata Posts: 411 Thanked: 869 Times	@prabhpreet:In terms of resale, selling this over 7 is gonna be real tough as pointed out earlier.Autobox(resulting complex repair/low FE) is the killer here.Buy this only if you are sure you're gonna keep it for some time to come as I said before. Last edited by octane1002 : 19th November 2010 at 12:19.
	() Thanks

19th November 2010, 13:50	#26
prabhpreet BHPian Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: New Delhi Posts: 40 Thanked: 0 Times	I know guys - the FE can never be the first thing on my list, rather the last. I get flustered when people with budgets in crores talk about FE's. For godsake, such a thing would be costlier standing still! Nevertheless, it's there on the list. I can live with a low FE. But, you know not everybody in my family is an auto-junkie. I can explain a 7, a 6, maybe even a 5 kmpl to them ... but it's not simple "This is impractical, go and buy a new Civic. That's such a nice car ... yada yada yada, they go" And when it comes to resale, I know I can sell this only to somebody to whom the V8, and not the FE, matters. Getting the right value won't be a problem - The problem would be finding a discerning buyer Unrelated but I have to share the experience I had yesterday while TD'ing the Jaguar XF: My family was along with me. We went for a spin. Now this thing is a beast with a 5 litre V8, 385 ps and 515 Nm of torque under the pedal. So what do you do ... push it hard? ... and be serenaded by the engine's roar? ... Wrong! That's exactly what I tried doing and had the entire family screaming at me ... instantaneously: "We're not buying this for the engine. Keep it to a gentle cruise. It's a status symbol, not a race car" Status symbol alright, but it's the engine underneath that's costing a bomb. It's like asking to savour the beauty of a seagull after tying it's wings. OK! I gotta stop here before I get carried away with my ramble about how I sometimes, in comparison, feel like a lunatic with the insatiable love for these things with wheels on them. (Wanna know what I do when I feel like that? Log on to team-bhp for some company! )
	() Thanks

22nd November 2010, 23:09	#27
GordonGekko BHPian Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: gurgaon Posts: 263 Thanked: 25 Times	If you want the details of a honest and reasonable mechanic who is an expert in lexus (he works on my w124), just pm me and i will send you the details.
	() Thanks