HID lighting was standard in 2001 on the LS. THe conditon you mention....a few thoughts. First if the bulbs have 2 colors then 2 possible things here. 1- possible discoloration variances in the lenses, I have replaced headlamps (reused same bulbs) on these and other Lexus/toyota cars and the headlamps project 2 different colors at night. 2- the bulb, I always replace HID bulbs in pairs, they are never the same color if you replace just one, this car may have had 1 bulb or lamp replaced. As far as the light sometimes going out....first check to see if moisture ever appears in the lens area, the headlamp control ECU is inside the headlamp and moisture causes big issues here, if the lamp is dry then plan on replacing a bulb soon, this is a indicator that the bulb is nearing failure, these bulbs are several hundred dollars each and in my experience the Genuine Lexus supplied bulbs have the longest life.
Back to the brakes, there is a slide pin that holds the brakes in place on each caliper, you need to be sure that pins can be moved aroudn a little and is not rusty on each caliper, if corrosion/rust forms it can inhibit pad movement and cause all sorts of odd brake issues. Also be sure that the pads are still thick. Caliper failure does not happen on these cars, solid aluminum construction. I would also highly recommend you drive a 2001 to 2004 LS to compare this to, I am not saying you do or do not have an issue here but the brakes on this car are hard to get accustomed to, they are very soft, thsi car was designed to be comfortable for a elderly owner with minimal braking effort.
Former Lexus Master technician
Master Certified with lexus, 6 years experience
Ok a low mileage LS!
You can purchase a cheap scan tool from any auto parts store for around $40 but it won't read data list, just codes. If you want to keep this cheap then what I want you to do in the morning is find a large auto parts store such as advanced auto/auto zone/etc....most of these large retail chain parts stores now offer a FREE code check service in attempt of selling more aftermarket junk parts. If you can get a free code scan then get the 4 digit code #'s and relay them to me. We can better address this from there.
Thank you for the reply. This is a somewhat "common" failure but usually does not happen until high mileage, the code is for a heater failure in the 02 sensor on bank 2 sensor 1. Your car has 4 sensors. Yes this is the pre-cat sensor on the passenger side.
THe sensor will need to be replaced.
2 recommendation I have here on this repair.
1- purchase this from the dealer, I could give you 100 reasons why but just follow my advise on this one
2- soak the sensor threads down with penetrating oil such as PB blaster or wd-40 and let it sit for at least 4 hours before you attempt this repair, for some reason the sensor 1 sensors love to seize and cross thread in these manifolds.
Sorry I got a little absent minded there, this problem can likely be directly related to acceleration issues, the sensor controls air/fuel mixture and causes some rich issues with this code. Get the sensor fixed first and disconnect the battery for about 10 minutes to reset the memory and this should help the omputer to relearn drive patterns. You could possibly have some issues with carbon buildup in the throttle body or slightly low MAF readings but I advise tackle one thing at a time with a code stored.
Part #- they supercede these #'s all the time, call the Lexus dealer in your area and tell them you need a bank 2 sensor 1 and give them your VIN#, they will give you the correct part # and price and should have this part in stock. No this is not a good part# with Toyota so you will have to get it from Lexus. Thank you.
This is a new problem you have thrown on top of the other issues we are currently working with on your car that I have not been made aware of before.
First you don't have to remove the battery to reset the tail lmap indicator, this resets everytime you cycle the key.
First you need to determine if this is a brake or parking lamp issue, the monitor watches both. Take the key out and turn the headlamps to the "off" position. Start the car (don't hit the brakes) and then turn on the headlamps, see if the indicator comes back on, if so then cycle the key and turn lamps off, now hit the brakes with the lights off.....what I am trying to do here is establish if the monitor recognizes a brake lamp issue, a tail lamp issue or BOTH. Once the monitor recognizes a brake light issue it stays on until the key is cycled and the problem is noticed again, with parking lamps the indicator is supposed to turn off when you turn the lamps off. We may need to open another question here.