92-93 Es 300

[P-Funk69]

Hi all,

I just wanted to know about the engine and tranny for 92-93 ES 300. I know that it shares the same platform as the Camry. So is the engine and the tranny the same as the Camry too. Like can i get engine and tranny parts from a Camry and put it in a ES. Is maintance prices the same as a Camry, so i can take the car to Toyota instread of Lexus. I want a really reliable drivetrain and i'm looking for one now, so it's gonna have tons of KM's. I'm kinda new to Toyota's and Lexus I know they are known for their reliablity but i really want to know from owners what are some serious problems and cost that i might have. I don't have lot of money for maintance so i really want to know what i'm getting into.

Thanks

[Lexusfreak]

I own an 01 ES so it's a bit of a different animal than a 92 or 93. However, my boss drives a 92 Camry V6 LE & no word of a lie, it has 575,000 kms on the car! B) Original engine & original transmission! The only major expense he has had was the head gasket was leaking & needed to be replaces at a cost of $1300.00. Other than that, he just changes all his fluids (all synthetic by the way & uses Castrol Syntec 5W 50 grade due to the high kilometers and he does not consume any oil now) & uses quality gasoline (Sunoco is the best in Canada followed by Shell....stay away from Esso & Petro Canada due to it's very high sulphur content). Other than that, he just maintains it well & keep the tires in good shape (he just put a set of Toyo Proxes TPT's on it as well so he's keeping it for several more years yet). B) :whistles:

[tundra-lover]

Yes, same parts!

[Lex3486]

Head gaskets, the occasional crack in the top of the radiator, CV boots, valve cover gaskets (oily smell, nothing more; doesn't hurt performance any) and it seems that occasionally there's a couple out there with transmisison issues, so beware. It would appear that my car, a 93, was one of those. <_< Although there are some problems occasionally, in my case, the car has always at least gotten me home if there was something wrong with it. I've never been stranded. Other than that, one of the best cars out on the road in all respects-balance between performance, ride quality, build quality, reliability, and just darn good looks! Very high feature content for 12 year old cars too. I'd reccommend one to anyone. B)

[SKperformance]

read the FAQ!

[SKperformance]

uses quality gasoline (Sunoco is the best in Canada followed by Shell....stay away from Esso & Petro Canada due to it's very high sulphur content).

shells gas is garbage :chairshot:

[bdonkersgoed]

The ES is an excellent car . . . I have had mine (the rare '92 5-Speed) for about 2.5 years now. Most fo the repairs that I have done have been wear and tear:

- Brake pads and rotors all around

- Emergency Brake shoes and cable

- Hole in Y-Pipe

- Replace Battery

- Leak in Brake Line

Most of the parts are the same as the Camry (which is the reason why I bought the ES in the first place) except for the body and maybe the transmission I think. However, althugh cheap with respect to Lexus (who will charge like 40% more for the same part), Toyota parts are not cheap in relation to Domestic Parts. But I am sure you are well aware :)

As for fuel economy, I get a pretty consistant 10.5km/L (30 mpg).

The only bad thing is rust on an older car (escially in salty road Canada). Mine could use a good body job which will probably not be cheap.

Overall, it is an excellent car. Consumer Reports lists it as one of the best used cars you car buy. But then, so is every other Lexus in Consumer Reports B) You certainly don't see any Fords with such a designation :P

Regards,

Bryan

[SKperformance]

I think your 92 was mistreated before you got it as i know a few Toronto 92-93 owners with no rust on theirs either

[bdonkersgoed]

I think your 92 was mistreated before you got it as i know a few Toronto 92-93 owners with no rust on theirs either

Well, that's probably because they live in Toronto and don't do a lot of highway driving liek I do. Most of the rust occurred over this past winter. Tonnes of salt + tonnes of driving = bad rust conditions :(

I am going to a shop in a couple of hours to get an estimate. You can't let such a nice car as the ES get rusty!

Regards,

Bryan

[SKperformance]

i wouldn;t be suprised if it was repaired before but not properly which caused some parts of bare metal to rust since the original rustproofing was damaged.

[bdonkersgoed]

i wouldn;t be suprised if it was repaired before but not properly which caused some parts of bare metal to rust since the original rustproofing was damaged.

You have psychic abilities SK :P

You are indeed correct. I knew that it had a little ding in the front fender when I bought the car, but I didn't mind. The hood and front fender has been repainted, and not done very well. The paint on the hood was never glossy like a Lexus should be.

I took my car to a shop in Brampton where we had work done on my Dad's S-Class Benz. They work primarily on higher-end cars (Mercedes, BMW, Lexus, Infiniti, Porsche) and do really good work for really cheap. He wuoted me at $2500CAN to redo the ENTIRE car, fixing all rust and sanding down to the bare metal. He said the car would look absolutely mint by the time he was through. I am considering this offer . . . I feel it is a pretty reasonable price. I do have quite a bit of rust that needs repairing . . . Plus, if I get the entire car repainted, then I could get the plastic trim painted to math the rest of the car :)

Does anyone know of any other reputable body shops in Ontario that do good work for a cheap price?

Thanks!

Bryan

[Lexusfreak]

Shell gas is better than Esso & Petro Canada at least sk! They did a study on the big 4 gas companies a while back & found that Shell is indeed a fair bit back of Sunoco but in second overall nontheless........I wouldn't read too much into the problem some were having with their fuel pumps going bad after using shell gas. I always used the 91 with that brand & the problem was occuring with the regular 87 octane.

[SKperformance]

I do my own research

i get much better milage and performance since i dropped using shell consistantly on all my cars

the only thing i have left with shell is my jerry can for my lawn mower

and soon that will be done 2

[Lexusfreak]

Fair enough....to each their own. I do my own research as well........I've tried them all also & I know that my Riviera, Maxima and now my ES all had no problems running on Sunoco & Shell........major performance & very rough idle issues with Petro Canada especially, plus they are partially owned by the federal government which I have a serious problem with considering the state in which this country is runned (it will be time for a new government come the end of this month lol B) ). I did & still do get the best gas milage with Sunoco bar none. What brand do you use on a regular basis?

[bdonkersgoed]

I have always gone to Shell, mainly because they offer AirMiles, but also because of the quality. Maybe I should give Sunoco a try? I only use regular 87 octane fuel, as my ES doesn't call for premium. Does yours?

Regards,

Bryan

[P-Funk69]

How about Chevron?

[SKperformance]

don't have chevron in Toronto

i used shell because of airmiles

now i use shell or pioneer/sunoco

don't use petro though

[Lexusfreak]

The owners manual says for "best performance" they suggest using 91 octane or higher, but 87 octane is OK. When it's cheap I use the Sunoco ultra 94 & I do use pioneer once in a while too......they are either owned by Sunoco or they are supplied with Sunoco gas. B) On my recent trip to Florida, I used nothing but high octane because it was cheap.....I say cheap because compared to the price we pay up here it would cost us about $3.80+ for a gallon (for regular!) compared with $2.20 a gallon for high octane! B)

[SKperformance]

yah pioneer is just a small buisness who buys from sunoco and sells for less plus gives you coupons to return for cheaper gas everytime

[Lexusfreak]

Only problem is I'm in Scarborough & the closest one is in Richmond hill lol There use to be several in Scarborough but now they are used car lots or parking lot's.

[SKperformance]

true, the one behind my house closed down on Mississauga road !

[Senna4ever]

Hmf....no Sunoco here in Vancouver....never even heard of it. Guess I'll try Shell.

[Lexusfreak]

You have never heard of Sunoco in BC? :o Your kidding? what major brands of gas do you have there besides Shell, ESSO & Petro Canada?

[Lex3486]

SO ANYhow, back to the topic of the post...PFunk, waddya think? You gonna buy one or what?

[P-Funk69]

Yup i'm gonna buy one, it's hard to find a good one. I saw one, it had 170km's full load and well maintained it was a 92. He wanted $8500 i think it's only worth $8000, and it had an accident over $2500. That was the first one i saw, so let's see what else is out there. If i can't find anything this week, i'll call him and give him $8500 if he still has it. I don't want to jump at the first one i see.