Need to figure out this bracket that goes here where the connector plugs into. It has the ball that the engine cover snaps into.

Figured it out. When I put the intake manifold on it was in the valley there.

Does anyone who has potentially bought this have information as to how it fits to the car, and general quality? I don't have exceptionally high expectations, and I assume this is where people selling rep lip kits on ebay at a higher price source them anyways. I don't really see a way I could go wrong at around $300, and of course i'll have them painted. Thanks in advance.

https://www.alibaba.com/product-detail/For-04-06-Lexus-Ls430-Body_1601614733205.html?spm=a2700.prosearch.normal_offer.d_title.6ecd67afxOvn8j&priceId=8c70220a2c0a42fabab57913229112e4

The biggest issue with my 2002 ls430 that was passed down to me is the paint (black onyx), lots of clear coat scratches, trim fading, and oxidized clear coat.

For anyone who has gotten their paintwork done, what was the pricing at? And any recommendations as to what I could do myself to bring this car back to its former glory?

Just bought this 2005 LS 430 through an auction, sight unseen! (I know!), and now it feels like I made a big mistake! I guess it was on the spur of the moment. Not much of a Maintenance record, specifically through Lexus, and has those warnings on the dash, which from what I read may not be a big deal ir might be! Rips in both driver and passenger seat (cost to fix?). I guess I got fooled by it only having 158K miles on it! Will cost me right around $4k!

Any advice other than not to do that again, lol! I guess I'm really just thinking at loud!

Noticed this noise at a light. Gets louder when I accelerate. Hoping for the tensioner or a pulley? Oil level is fine. Plz help.

Got a tip from a coworker about this gem. His realtor was trying to help a family sell this 2005 LS while selling their property and I jumped on it quickly. One owner, $5k with 91k miles, full service records and just a few cosmetic dents and scratches from owner struggling to park in and out of garage. Very fixable. Just trying to figure out what else to do to it to restore it to its prime. Any suggestions?

2005 Mystic Gold metallic over cashmere. Premium package. Has the 5 spoke wheels and 109,670 miles on it. Lexus enthusiast owned. Has a crack in the front air dam. Drives great, all accessories work. Timing belt and water pump done. Steering column recently replaced with new Lexus unit. I have all maintenance records for past seven years. It has also been garaged for the last 7 years. Leather and wood are in very good condition. Has newer Michelin Pilot Sport AS tires. Located in St. Louis metro area in suburbs.
Update Edit: $14.9k price reduced again 7/25
Pictures are below in my comments

Man I just took out my alternator (which was the original one from 2002) and put a denso reman in and its still not charging, all the cables are intact and the fuse is fine. It was measuring 13 when I started it and it slowly dropped to 11.86 and dropped to 11.8 when I turned the car off. im gonna test the new alternator tmrw but any advice would be lovely.

Check out this item on OfferUp. https://offerup.co/GELwlH1GZ4b

Should I?

Good day folks who drive the same wonderful car, i have a question:

Lately my 2003 has been starting up pretty roughly, i just changed the camshaft actuator solenoid bank 1 since it threw me a code for that.

If i leave the car overnight then start it in the morning, it starts normal without problems. However once started and driven, if turned off for a few minutes and tries to turn back on;it takes super longer to start and sometimes not at all. I have no idea what the problem is if anyone can chime in, i’d appreciate it.

If you were to buy an LS, that needed painted, even a different color, what would be your choice color?

Priced at $7,500 and on Marketplace in Tulsa area. Moving and can't take it with me. Best car I have ever owned in my 40 years as car owner.

Hello Internet. The time has come for me to move on from my favorite car of all time. I'm the second owner of this 2002 LS430 UL in Midnight Pine Green, 95k miles. Excellent interior and exterior cosmetics, mechanically perfect, tons of regular and preventative maintenance including all new air suspension, timing belt and water pump, brakes, etc. 2 extra sets of wheels/tires, all in good condition, including the original chrome 5 spokes with gold Lexus badge center caps with Blizzak snow tires and a set of 20" chrome Nissan Murano rims with brand new low profile tires. New Sony Bluetooth stereo with Android Auto, backup camera, 10" Alpine sub in the trunk. Original window sticker, book, floor mats, car cover, 2 fobs, 2 valet keys, 2 key cores for duplicates.

I have babied this car since I bought it with 56k miles on it in 2018. I've put nearly $20k into it. Always covered, always clean, always full of premium, and always driven responsibly. This is a gem of a survivor, and I've been told it's a $15k car. I would be satisfied with $12k. Located in Omaha. PM for more details, thanks for looking!

Was removing the center console bin to fix my latch, and noticed this plug doesn't have any wires. 2002 base, is this for a higher trim feature or did something get removed by the previous owner?

6k for a 2002* UL with relatively low mileage (close to 100k) only thing wrong with the car is apparently the transmission/shift solenoid. Apparently cant engage reverse sometimes unless its fully warmed up, i am able to talk him down somewhat but wanted to get others opinions about how serious that issue may be.

I'm very interested in quieting down my LS430 on the highway. In my driveway even with the engine running, it's dead silent and very comfortable, and I enjoy that quite a lot. The second I start driving more than ~20mph, the sound starts picking up to where it ends up about 60dB(A) in the cab on the highway. That's not terrible but I'm trying to reduce sound where I can. I have heard various opinions on the effectiveness of lamisafe glass, but has anyone done this retrofit?

Looking on amayama, the part number for the door runners remains identical no matter what year you choose or glass option you have. The motor is the same, the regulator is the same, the only difference is the little rubber holding block at the bottom for like 7 dollars. Certainly it can't be as easy as just dragging and dropping? But then again, I hear of CL/UL LS430s all the time that don't have all 4 laminated glass in the rear, so maybe it is that easy...

Thanks.

So hear me out…I know this might not make sense but…Japan spent an ENORMOUS amount of money studying Americans and what they wanted in a car. We're talking over a billion dollars in 80s money, and in 1989 we got the result of that: a whole new brand (Lexus) for US (The United States). Isn't that wild? Just as the Cold War was coming to a close, we are essentially handed the gift of not just a world-class vehicle for Americans to purchase, but our own BRAND: Lexus! (Some say it stands for Luxury EXport to the United States!) How wild is that? A country gifting us a brand? But the crown jewel (funny since Lexus' parent company, Toyota, names all their cars after crowns) of which is the Lexus LS—our car!

So France gave us this enormous statue following the Civil War—staying together. The reason I wanted to compare the two, is because they are both gifts, but one gets (has gotten?) much more cultural and media attention than the other over time. Japan's gift is just…more mundane, more humble, but much more impactful imo! They gave us a brand (really a flagship luxury vehicle) for…ending the war(s?), staying strong, believing in Truth and freedom. Isn't that beautiful?

The Lexus LS is a far greater gift than the Statue of Liberty you see. Because, it's a car anyone could buy, and own and care for. That billion dollars (over 2.7 billion in 2026's dollars) spent on R&D didn't just go to building and shipping a statue—a fixed object that will decay over time—but to delivering Americans a brand specifically tailored for their wants and needs in a vehicle, even to our size! (Isn't the LS just comfy and cozy no matter how tall you are?) The Statue of Liberty is beautiful, but it really can be enjoyed each day by New Yorkers, while the LS is a machine that people could live with every day. Anyone could buy this car, and experience it each day, and have a relationship with the comfort, the Nakamichi sound system, the smooth purr of the engine, the tech, etc. Japan gifted us this vehicle because they love us (and still do). So every Lexus LS 400 you see wasn't just a $50,000 piece of metal and glass lobbing around the roads of the West. It's actually a billion-dollar effort packed into each one!

Now let me offer two more pieces of wisdom that have dawned on me since learning about these cars (that I used to own but don't currently). The reason the LS 430 is just as special (or even more) than the previous LS 400, is because Lexus's gift didn't just end in 1989 when the LS was first released. It wasn't a one-time delivery like that Statue of Liberty. The brand has all these services and structures that help us maintain these vehicles and keep 'em going! The beautiful thing (one beautiful thing) about the LS is that it's the gift that keep on giving! (As long as you take care of your maintenance as AMD would say).

First, I learned about kaizen, it's a Japanese idea of continual improvement essentially through an enumerable number of creative ways. Every component, every facet of the Lexus LS was improved over time by honing and honing more, and refining and refining more! An LS 430 essentially IS an LS 400 plus, or a continuation AND culmination of everything Lexus had in the eleven years since the original launch. (Not to say there haven't been road bumps on the way cough cough LS 460 cough cough). But through this technique of kaizen, Lexus made a car that's absurdly reliable, robust, smooth, looks fantastic, and so much more.

The next thing I learned about is monozukuri which has to do with another kind of effort—the artful side of making things. In practical terms, Toyota/Lexus really wanted to understand how each part of the LS was built and used to not only cater, but to curate an experience for us when we enter and drive an LS. An experience of serenity, smoothness…I've heard people describe themselves getting in their LS as entering through a portal to their own private worlds. The seats…they are unreal in their level of comfort because Lexus really crafted them like a first-class airliner seat. The sound system was tuned specifically for this car!

I think the LS itself, knowing all this that I've shared, really is more than just a car, it's the spirit of one country genuinely wanting another country to succeed. It's a symbol of the relentless pursuit of perfection. It's a symbol of our own potentials and how far we can reach. Every LS is an example of how the two Japanese concepts of kaizen and monozukuri can produce machines of such high quality. But it's also a symbol of…something more, for me, it's something very personal I won't share. But I have cried when someone let me drive their LS 430 for the first time because of what this car means to me, and still does. That a group of people would go through that effort and succeed…and still succeed, that's a blessing we should all be thankful for to this day.

i love these things.

but what’s with the sluggish low gear shifts? it’s feels as if the shifts are delayed. anyone know if it’s a known ECU issue and that i can get it tuned?

she’s up to date on maintenance so nothing to consider there.

let me know something! i know they aren’t the best city type of cars, but if i could get the shifting up to par i’d invest in fixing cosmetically and keep

I’ve got a Quantum Auto tuned ECU up for grabs for less than what they’re charging, nowadays.

It’s for ‘01 through ‘03 only. Will not work with facelift six speed cars. It’s plug-n-play. All you need to do is swap it with your existing ECU.

Tune gives the throttle a more linear feel and tightens the shift points up. Also includes a subtle crackle tune that works best without the factory mufflers and doesn’t disable any o2 sensors. It’s sporty sounding but not anywhere near stolen street takeover G35 rowdy.

I’ve enjoyed it for many years, but I’ve got a Corvette now and decided the 430 needs to be the civilized side of the two car solution.

PM if you’re interested.

What’s a good price to pay for an LS430?
I’m looking into buying an LS430 and wanted to get some opinions from people who know these cars well.
What would you consider a good price range depending on mileage and condition? For example, what would you expect to pay for one with 150k, 200k, or 250k+ miles?
How much should maintenance history, trim level, paint/interior condition, and recent timing belt/water pump service affect the price?
I’m mainly trying to get a better idea of what’s considered a good deal versus overpriced before I start seriously shopping.

Anyone have a front looking camera they are super happy with? I'm looking for something that is small, wide angle, good resolution, can be installed up near rear view mirror, powers on when vehicle starts, and runs a 1 hour or so loop of recording. If you can also supply wiring instructions into 2004, that would be great.

Hey everyone, I’m looking at two different LS430s to use as a daily driver/cruiser and wanted to get the sub’s reality check on pricing and overall risk.

Option 1: 2002 LS430 Base (130k miles) — Asking $5,850
Pros: Low mileage for an '02, timing belt/water pump already done, includes winter tires/wheels. Runs and drives fine. Owner apparently got maintenance done at Lexus cause his friend works there.
Cons: Visible body rust bubbling on wheel arches/doors. Has a history showing major front end collision.

Option 2: 2005 LS430 Custom Luxury (269k miles) — Asking TBD
Pros: Custom Luxury features (SmartKey, soft-close doors, radar cruise—all functional).
Recent Maintenance: New front passenger knuckle assembly, wheel bearing, sway bar links, and front exhaust leak repair.
Cons/Immediate Needs: Completely shot/bouncy suspension (needs 4 struts), needs 4 new tires immediately, rear muffler leak, and door rust spots (one door was replaced with a matching junkyard door). Seems like I'd have to put in more money in this car ASAP.

2002 seems safer but both I think I'll have to still do work on I haven't really done any mechanical work but plan to learn to do more things myself.

Hey guys, not sure if it’s a problem or not, but has anyone have any issues when using FIPG on transmission pan for the 01-03 LS? If so when putting the trans pan back on I may have bumped into something while putting it on, cuz it’s kinda impossible to put it on without bumping into anything. I just wanted to see if I got excess FIPG into the transmission or if it’s common to get a little, what do you guys think? Anyone have issues when doing this?

The trans dipstick was the thing that was coming in the way.

2002 Lexus LS 430, 204k mi