93 LS 400 is sluggish

[cgvegas]

Out of the blue, my 93 1/2 LS 400 is driving real sluggisly, for lack of a better expression. Its not running hot, oil levels are normal, however when I accelerate, its as though it is in a low gear. One mechanic states it just needs a good $560.00 tuneup, but I wanted to check around before I spend the loot. Anyone ran into this problem before? :feedback:

 

[Lextreme II]

CG,

Welcome to the forum. A tune up will help alot. Personally I would change the followings:

Ignitors
Rotors
Distrubutors
Spark Plugs
Spark wires
Air Filter

These parts should help. I am sure someone will jump in and help out.

 

[cgvegas]

Preciate the quick reply. The mechanic who quoted me $560.00 recommended the same changes, except for the air filter.

CG,

Welcome to the forum. A tune up will help alot. Personally I would change the followings:

Ignitors
Rotors
Distrubutors
Spark Plugs
Spark wires
Air Filter

These parts should help. I am sure someone will jump in and help out.

 

[Lextreme II]

The work is very simple and you can do it yourself.

 

[stevechumo]

The work is very simple and you can do it yourself.

Exactly. You can do all those work by yourself and save the $$$ for the good quality parts instead of paying that for someone's labor. If you've done some mechanical work before like a brake pad change, and once you know about the brake, you can do the tune-up. It's just more work and that's all. However, just to be sure, get some CD repair manual on Ebay for $15 and you'll be good to go. David (Lextreme) has many discounted parts on this forum. He'll surely help you out.

 

[jibbby]

Can't hurt to Carb spray and clean out your throttle body too...A dirty throttle body can make the car sluggish...

 

[stevechumo]

Can't hurt to Carb spray and clean out your throttle body too...A dirty throttle body can make the car sluggish...

A dirty throttle body can even make the car stall at idle. However, if the car is old, I'd recommend to have a major tune-up. That's an investment for a reliable car. Although this engine is durable, it still needs tune-ups no matter what.

 

[Death By Bass]

my car has also started to be sluggish just a few days ago, and seems to change gears at the wrong times.

it needs a new air filter, I know what, and I'm guessing a full engine/transmission service wouldn't go astray either.

 

[jibbby]

A dirty air filter will not make the car sluggish unless it does not pass any air... Tune up...

Try changing

Spark plugs
Spark plug wires
Both Caps and rotors..

other trivial stuff -

clean fuel injectors
check for vacume leaks and clean the throttle body
Change out the stock mufflers and cats, those can clog and possibly make the car sluggish on high mileage older Lexus cars...
Battery Ground wire replacement might help too
Ecu could have issues too... but if check engine light is not on it is probably a tune up that you need...

 

[Death By Bass]

A dirty air filter will not make the car sluggish unless it does not pass any air... Tune up...

haha, I think my air filter element used to be white, it is now black.

a guy at work, said that if you hold the element upto the light, and cant see light shining through it, its time to replace it.

I held mine upto the cars headlight, on high beam, and saw nothing.

haha

 

[Loroh]

LMAO

 

[jibbby]

Damn, what is that the orignal stock air filter in your car???? Maybe it is time to change the air filter, for sure....

 

[Death By Bass]

Damn, what is that the orignal stock air filter in your car???? Maybe it is time to change the air filter, for sure....

yes, it could very well be, its a Denso brand, same as half the parts on the car, so it may very well be original...

I'm intending on replacing it with a pod filter, in a home made air box, because, to buy the genuine part here in Australia, it will cost me about $AU100, and I can do a decent custom setup for that much.

 

[jibbby]

Oh my......that looks pretty blackened and old from the pic......I would still be suprised if the car ran right after an air filter change...Let us know....

 

[Death By Bass]

Oh my......that looks pretty blackened and old from the pic......I would still be suprised if the car ran right after an air filter change...Let us know....

I'm not even the thread starter, I just took it over haha

edit: BUT, the car was running reasonably well a few weeks ago, but a few days ago, it decided to get sluggish.

guess we'll see.

it always hesitates at startup, and I disconnected, and reconected the AFM once, and the next time I started her up, she REALLY didn't like it

 

[Death By Bass]

guess this should be better than the dirty old filter

 

[Zuffen]

The pod filter will be better than the dirty old filter but not as good as a nice new white Denso.

The Denso will filter air to a finer degree and most likely pass more air as well.

It won't sound as good as the pod filter.

Additionally pod filters usually suck in higher temp air from under the bonnet with the resultant performance loss.

The stock filter is very good and reasonably priced for what it does and how long they last.

 

[Death By Bass]

my car doesn't run well on startup at all now...

it was alright to begin with (with the new air filter) but for the past week or so, its very sluggish to fire up, (gotta crank it for a fair while) and then, when it does start, it'll run very rough, and sit at like 500rpm for maybe 10 seconds, then fire up, and sit at 1000rpm...

oh, btw, this is when its cold... when warm, it runs fine...

I have recently replaced the petrol filter, put a full tank of 98 octane fuel in it, aswell as a bottle of injector cleaner...

what happened!??! lol

 

[jibbby]

Try spraying out your throtlle body with Carb cleaner and that may solve your sluggish and or idle problems...

Zuffen is right, the pod filters suck in more engine heat and dirt which robs horsepower as apposed to the stock setup...You could be losing more power with that setup.......Check BFI intake designs at planetsoarer.com..