Styling Program for Lexus LS460 by WALD

Japanese tuners Wald are now taking orders for their new kit for the 2010 Lexus LS460 facelift. The car with the styling mods debuted in January at the Tokyo Auto Salon 2010.

Engineers designed a sportier package for the facelifted model than their previous kit. It includes a blacked-out grille ringed in chrome, an aggressive front bumper, and new sidesills. A new diffuser surrounds the dual tailpipes, like the previous Wald kit, but this package has a more squared-off bumper.

The company does not plan to stop here. An e-mail sent to us from the tuner says they are working on a package capable of fitting the LS Hybrid.

Delivery of the Wald Lexus LS460 package will begin in mid-March. The package is also available through select Lexus Japan dealers.

How do you tell if the belt tensioner assembly is bad?

How do you tell if the belt tensioner assembly is bad?

How do you replace it? I am still having some clattering from the tensioner pully after changing the harmonic balancer.

I am stumped again, I installed the dampner, pushed it on good and tightened the center bolt. The pulley appeared to be inline with the others, so reinstalled the belt. Started the engine and ran for 10 min. idling, then went down the road for a mile or two and back. After I got back home, I heard clanking, the belt tensioner pulley was jumping some? I took the pulley off, the bearing seemed pretty good, just a little rough, was able to inject grease into the bearings. I finally replaced the pulley with a new one, then the problem is still there???????

The tensioner pulley jumps erratically with the clanking. I don't know if it is the tensioner assembly or some other pulley grapping the belt at times?

So far the belt is not being damaged yet. The belt tensioner assembly has good tension and strong, with no slack/slop in it but it is jumping on/off as the belt is rotating.

Do you think maybe the pulleys are still out of alignment some kind of way? Is it possible that the dampner could push in too far or does the shaft key stop it properly?

Please send me some help, I don't what to replace a $125 belt tensioner assembly and the problem continues.



RESPONSE:



With the serpentine belt off, the tensioner pulley arm has zero sideways movement when pulling on it. It also has a substantial tension and recoil with the belt off. I just notice that the tensioner groans when raising it and on releasing it when installing the belt, it goes to a point and stops, then you can push it downward by hand maybe another 1/16" at times.

I am eyeing the pulley alignment and had someone with mechanical experience involving pulley drives on heavy equipment, take a look,listen. He thought everything looked normal and was rotating well now, after cycling the a/c compressor clutch off/on, trying to get some tensioner pulley chatter.

So I don't know if I can have full faith in it right now. I will put some miles on the car tomorrow around town and see if it reappears and eats another belt.

I cleaned all the drive pulleys to make sure there wasn't some of the old torn up belt debris/crud in the grooves, either making it prone to jump or grab while rotating, (a long shot effort) ???

After running for 10-15 mins. warming up, so far all is ok, I revved the engine to about 2000 rpm, up/down and no noise at all, no squealing or chattering.

New Chinese policy may force foreign automakers to share intellectual property

Foreign automakers may have to share innovative electric-vehicle technology with Chinese companies in exchange for access to the nation's growing light-vehicle market, The Wall Street Journal reported, citing executives at a group of international automakers familiar with the government's plans.

China's Ministry of Industry is drafting a 10-year plan aimed at making the nation a leader in hybrid and electric-car technology.

The ministry's proposal could require foreign automakers to enter into joint ventures in which Chinese companies hold majority stakes, the newspaper said.

Major foreign automakers fear China will use the initiative to gain control of their intellectual property. China is now the world's largest vehicle market and a major source of sales and profits for many foreign automakers. Under China industrial policy, foreign automakers typically have to establish joint ventures with Chinese automakers to gain access to the market.

At the same time, the country has yet to produce a domestic automaker that can compete globally on the same scale as Toyota Motor Corp., Volkswagen AG and General Motors Co.

Chinese government officials see the electric and hybrid initiative as an opportunity to create such an automaker, The Journal said.

Raising a hurdle

A draft of the Ministry of Industry's electric-vehicle plan includes an investment of up to 100 billion yuan, or $15 billion, in charging stations and other infrastructure.

It also would create three to five globally competitive Chinese car companies with a capacity to build 3 million hybrid cars by 2020, according to The Journal. China hopes the initiative also will produce two to three global makers of core parts, such as advanced batteries and electric motors.

One foreign auto executive quoted by The Journal said the Ministry of Industry's draft "unnecessarily raises the hurdle for our plans for producing an electric car in China." Because China is likely to be a major market for electric cars and plug-in hybrids by 2020, foreign automakers will need to build such vehicles in China, the unidentified executive told the paper.

“The new pending policy would make the process unnecessarily more cumbersome and complicated," he said.

For automakers and other industries, China's importance has grown in the wake of the global financial crisis. But at the same time, Chinese leaders have sought to trade market access for technology to transform the country's industrial base.

In July, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce warned that China's policies are "forcing foreign technology companies to anguish over balancing today's profits with tomorrow's survival."

The Beijing government, according to The Journal, says concerns about the country's investment environment are unfounded.

"China is committed to creating an open and fair environment for foreign-invested enterprises," Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao told global business leaders at a meeting of the World Economic Forum in China this week. "Foreign-invested enterprises in China on the whole enjoy a good environment and have reaped good returns."

94 Olds Delta 88, 3.8L V-6 serpentine belt replacement

My 94 Olds Delta 88, 3.8L V-6 is on a belt chewing tantrum. The old serpentine drive belt was several years old with cracks across the belt ribs. Well, it separated apart, splitting completely along the ribs last week. I replaced the belt with a new belt from O'reilly auto parts, "Master Pro" brand. I installed the new serpentine belt, making sure that the pulleys were clean of any old belt debris and according to OEM belt routing diagram. I have taken the same belt off/on this engine many times in the past so I am very familiar with the belt routing.

Now after several days of using the car for 25-50 miles. I heard clunking sounds and after raising the hood, the new belt has chewed the inner side up and nipped off a 12" long thin piece, like one rib wide.

Since the belt is shaved, it is now riding out of line from one pulley to another.

What is the cause of this belt chewing? I checked/double checked to make sure the new belt was routed and seated in the pulleys correctly.

All pulleys appeared to me ok, rotating well with no (in/out)end play.

The only other thing that I noticed was it put some holes in the under hood insulation padding and the top covering, cloth, I think was hanging down where IT POSSIBLY could have been caught in the serpentine belt, would that throw the belt off line and caused the belt damage/shave?

One other thing I will note is the engine harmonic balancer has a slight wobble but it has had that for quite a long time.

Please give me some advice on correcting this belt monster. I wouldn't want to buy a $40 better belt only to have it eaten too.



Response:

Check your Belt Tensioner out. It sounds as if it is worn out and out of line. These are available at most parts stores for around $50 and have 2 plastic inserts for the water jacket and Heater Hoses. Also most people don't look at them just the pulley. If you can see any of the internal spring, it's worn out.

2005 Ford Mustang GT

2005 Ford Mustang GT, originally uploaded by stecki3d.

SzeptEmber Feszt 2010

SzeptEmber Feszt 2010, originally uploaded by GreenHooligan.

Transmission has no operation, PCS ?

how do i know if my pcs went out? i was driving down the road all of the sudden it was like i was in neutral no forward or reverse.changed fluid and filter,still nothing. there was no noise or any thing when it happened just kind of like it went into neutral no slip or anything



Response:

Your vehicle would have the check engine light on and have a P0700 code referring to a transmission issue. Using a capable scan tool, there will be at least one transmission code that would indicate a failure, possibly the pcs.



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