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chadmg7

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About chadmg7

  • Birthday 07/07/1984

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  • Lexus Model
    1997 ES300

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  1. I had a "parasitic draw" on my battery cable which was draining my battery. Sounds like the same symptoms.
  2. If I lived that close to any of my destinations, I would walk or bike and save the fuel for longer trips.
  3. Sounds like you did have a dud vehicle, but here's to hoping that gas prices don't increase any further. A visit to the pump is getting to be mighty expensive with my 97 ES... I can't imagine how much it must cost to fill up the truck. Good luck to you.
  4. Lexus replaced the spark plugs (I assume they would have replaced the wires if they were present or needed replacing) for about $200 last month. Air filter was replaced at 120k mile maintenance a couple of months ago. PCV valve and fuel filter I'm not sure about. What function do these two parts provide (aside from the obvious) and do would you happen to know about how much they cost to replace? Thanks a lot for the info! This is really helpful. :D
  5. Hey there, Thanks for the tips. Yes, the timing belt was changed at the 90k mile maintenance at the Toyo dealership. The throttle body was also cleaned at the same time (90k miles, about 3.5 years ago I would say). What do you mean by major tune-up? :o
  6. Hey guys, Would anyone happen to know what this might indicate? Some mornings when I start my car (in the garage), it starts up but about 2 seconds after starting, the RPMs sort of dip down a little bit and then return to cold idling speed (2,000 to 2,800 RPMs). What does this mean? Could it be the water pump? I have a 97 with 130,000 miles and, I believe, the original water pump. Should the water pump have been replaced by now anyway? Thanks! Chad
  7. Parasitic draw on the battery? (Perhaps the cable?) I had a problem with that. If my car sat for several days, it would not start. Although, I only tried starting it a couple times, as not to cause any potential damage. So, not sure if this could be it?
  8. Thanks for the reply. I think the coolant was flushed somewhat recently, but I should check when it was last changed. Not sure about the second one.
  9. Does anyone know why the engine fans would be running more than usual? 97 ES300 with 127k miles. It is very intermittent and I can't figure out what causes it. Sometimes, I'll start my car and they won't be running. Other times, I'll start my car and they'll start running right away. When I pull into the garage or the parking lot, I can hear them running. Lexus dealer thought it could be a bad thermostat or a short, or perhaps something wrong with one or both of the fans. I suppose this has been happening for several months, but it happens so intermittently that I don't notice it that often. Any advice?
  10. I am not a car savvy person by any means. I know tech specs and such, but I don't know the first thing about fixing them. I, too, was a bit nervous to install a new display on my 97 ES (also had the scrambled character problem). It took me a little longer since I was being extra careful. The main things to be careful with are A. making sure you are holding onto the screws/bolts so they don't fall behind the dash.... this didn't happen to me, but if I hadn't been careful holding onto them, it could have and B. putting down a thick cloth on the shifter. I didn't do this (stupid me) and the metal from the head unit made a few marks in the shifter leather. Not hugely noticeable, but it still bugs me. If you have questions, let me know and I can send you my email address. It's really not a horrible task. Took me about an hour or so, but it's SO worth it to have a readable display... and the replacement only cost me about $80. Good luck!
  11. I bought my '97 in 2003 with 86k miles. It now has 122k and I haven't had to put too much money into it over the past four years. It's been a GREAT car and I wouldn't hesitate to buy another Lexus at 80k miles. Check the maintenance records, if available. The main thing is whether the car was taken care of. Lexus builds solid vehicles so I wouldn't shy away from a Lexus with higher mileage. Good luck with your decision!
  12. Hi, I tried searching the forum for keywords "transmission" and "whine/whining" (a couple of different keywords) but nothing came up about my problem. I thought for certain this would be a common tranny problem. Can anyone ease my mind and tell me that it's normal for my 97 ES to sound a bit like it's whining when it accelerates? I know that sounds bad. But if I turn down the stereo and turn off all the ventilation systems, I can hear a slight whining when I accelerate. Unfortunately, the whining sounds like it coincides with the transmission shift and/or how hard I push the accelerator. When I let up on the gas, the noise goes away. I believe my car has done this for quite some time (2-3 years at least) and I thought my old mechanic said it was nothing to worry about. But on my old car (not a Lex), the planetary gears started going out on the tranny and it sounded like this, but worse. Can anyone give me some insight? Could I need a tranny flush? I fear that it's the transmission, but I realllly hope not. Thanks.
  13. I did the 90k maintenance right around 90,000 miles. Water pump and power steering pump have not been replaced, but the dealership says they do not need to be replaced yet... they're just "seeping." Timing belt was replaced at 90k. Tranny fluid was done last year around April, I believe. Rack-and-pinion was replaced about 2 years ago, if I recall. As another member questioned, why would I want to "stray" from Lexus' recommendations? Because I want to know what needs to be done versus what would be nice to do. I don't want to spend hundreds of dollars if I don't need to. I'd like to replace/maintain the items that are most important.
  14. Why do you think that what you "should actually do" is different from the maintenance requirements documented in your owner or maintenance manual? Because what auto manufacturers suggest is often unnecessary to actually do. That's why. Do you mean to tell me that you follow Lexus' recommendations for maintenance to the T? I doubt there are many who actually have the time/money to do this.
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