General Es 300 Info/help:

Lexusfreak · January 22, 2004

General ES 300 info/help:

Hi everyone,

Brand new to this website & I just purchased a 2001 ES 300 (I pick it up closer to the end of January 04') from a Lexus dealer in Richmond Hill, Ontario. The car has 72,000kms (43,000 miles), one owner, still under full factory warranty, factory adjustable suspension system, & I also purchased an extended "Lexus" warranty as well good till 180,000kms. I have all service records & the car is in fantastic condition.

I have some technical questions about the vehicle. Any help is greatly appreciated. My questions are:

- What type of "factory" spark plugs come with the car? IE: platinum or iridium? and who makes the spark plugs for Lexus? IE: NGK, Denso? Are they difficult to change? (I can't seem to get a straight answer to these questions).

- What (if any) accessories can I put on the car to enhance the appearance, performance without spoiling the vehicles style? any & all suggestions please I'm personally thinking about tint, sunroof wind deflector (Lexus part) & a K&N air filter. I will be using Mobil 1 5w30 full synthetic oil along with the Mobil 1 synthetic oil filter & Mobil 1 synthetic automatic transmission fluid.

- What suggestion(s) for "all season" performance tires in the factory 205 60 16 size? (V rated) Toyo Proxes TPT, the Michelin MXV4 (originally came with the car) etc.

- Any trouble spots / problems I should be aware of with this car so I can keep my eye out for them should they occur?

- What type of engine coolant should I be using when it comes time to do an coolant flush?

- What other parts should I replace when I do a "complete tune up" (I have not picked up the car as I said & do not have the owners manual at my disposal).

- I assume that the "Lexus" oil filter for this car is the identical filter as in the Toyota Camry or would I be mistaken? And if I am, what exactly is the difference(s)? I prefer to use the Mobil 1 oil filters (M1-102) but I am just courious.

- I usually replace the oil plug gasket every second or third oil change.......does the Lexus use a metal ring around the plug or a rubber type gasket? Am I changing this item on time or too early or late? I didn't see it even mentioned for the maintenance listings on any of the Lexus websites.

- Does the car require a "lube" or just an oil & filter change?

Looking forward to many years of reliable service & appreciate all of your comments! Very happy to be apart of the Lexus elete.

Thanks!

:)

Latoilette · January 23, 2004

camry V6 filters = es300 filters. i got mine on ebay for 5 bucks a piece shipped. they sell them 4 at a time. (genuine toyota filters)

just oil and filter change.

if you buy genuine filters, they come with rubber gaskets.

trouble issues: needle in the dash board dies

major service 100k service usually means:: accessory belts, timing belts, seals, water pump, thermostat, etc..etc..

spark plug : platinum

i don't know who makes them.

K&N filters are just noisy which defeats the whole purpose of having a quite car.

tires: i have yoko es100s and i am very happy with them.

coolant: manual tells you to use or not use ethylene or some weird chemical. If you get prestone or name brand coolant, it will say on the bottle "this doesn't contain ethylene"

gbhrps · January 23, 2004

Welcome to the Lexus fraternity! Aint it great to own a car that makes you feel so super, and to know the other guy in the car along side has a little drool going down his chin? Mods....my two cents worth....tint the windows dark, if you are prepared to be illegal in Ontario. It saves on the air conditioning, sun and snow glare and bleaching of the interior colours, but be proactive...look very carefully when making turns at night, because it does impair side vision. I almost ran over an old lady walking her dog during a rain storm one night while turning left. And when you get pulled over by our finest, put all the windows down on the driver's side of the car before he gets to your door. Don't give the officer a reason to have to squint into the back seat and nail you for the tinted glass s well as whatever he stopped you for in the first place. Winter mods...save your mags and get some grip. Buy a set of steel wheels and wheel covers and a darn good set of winter ice grip tires. It'll take the white knuckled driving out of winter, give you a set of mags that will look great for years, and extend the life of your summer tires. Might even save some sheet metal bending as well. Other mods....don't.... you have a classy car already. Save the dough for your insurance, maintenance, and the NEW Lexus you'll buy next!

SW03ES · January 23, 2004

I wouldnt use the synthetic transmission fluid, I would stick with Toyota's fluid. Also only use Toyota's coolant.

Welcome to the club!

Couple changes to make to Lat's post:

The 01 has Iridium plugs, no idea who makes them.

And you dont have to worry about the needles burning out on the 01, they use different needles than his 95.

steviej · January 23, 2004

if you buy genuine filters, they come with rubber gaskets.
spark plug : platinum

i don't know who makes them.

K&N filters are just noisy which defeats the whole purpose of having a quite car.

coolant: manual tells you to use or not use ethylene or some weird chemical. If you get prestone or name brand coolant, it will say on the bottle "this doesn't contain ethylene"

Welcome to the LOC Lexusfreak. I caught your post on CL, too.

1. the gasket you refer is the little one on the drain bolt/plug in the oil pan. The gasket that was on my plug (put there by the dealer was rubber). Sometimes I forget to put one on or just reuse the one that is on there and have never had a problem. They cost pennies at the dealer.

2. The spark plugs are irridium and made by Denso. These get changed at 60k miles unless you got problems. Front three are easy, back three are a b@#ch but doable if you have the right flex attachments for your socket wrench.

Gap is 0.043 in.

Forgive me, I am in the states and I speak miles and inches not kilometers and mm.

3. K&N cone filters or CAIs will increase the noise. However, the K&N drop in filters didn't change the noise on any of my cars cause they still go in the airbox. (K&N vs stock paper/fiber filter has been a heated topic of discussion on this forum, too)

4. Coolant: You must use an ethylene glycol based coolant.

They come in two flavors: traditional green and long life red. If you got the red in there now, stay with it and just use the Toyota brand. Flush and replace the coolant every 30k or at least every 2 years. I know Toyota/Lexus states the long life coolant is good for 5 years or 60k but I have been told by Lexus that they are not trusting it for this length of service or time. Be safe and change it out at 30k.

You must NOT use an alcohol type antifreeze or water alone.

This is on the back page of you manual. If you don't have a manual, get one. Register your car on www.lexus.com and you can request one free.

5. Like SW03ES said, go with the Toyo T-IV tranny fluid. Don't go synthetic on this one. But I'm with you on the Mobil 1 5W-30 and the Mobil 1 filter.

again, welcome to the club, sit back and enjoy the ride. Don't be afraid to ask anything.

steviej

Lexusfreak · January 23, 2004

Thanks for getting back to me everyone! Hello again setviej :lol: are most Lexus owner's members of both clubs? lol One question about the automatic transmission fluid:

- Although I have no problems using the Toyota type trans fluid, I prefer the synthetic (Mobil 1 synthetic ATF), why is it not a good idea go with the Mobil 1 and stick with the Toyota ATF? Won't the Mobil perform better in the long run? :o

I will be putting a medium darkness tint on the vehicle (20% all around) and like gbhrps mentioned, if I do get pulled over, the front windows will be rolled down lol as the law states we can't use anything more than 35% on the two front windows.

Geez, the K & N issue is a very touchy subject for both LC & LOC eh? :whistles:

the dealer is replacing the air filter (Lexus part) before delivery as well as factory original Denso Iridium plugs so I guess I have a while to make up my moind on the air filter.

SW03ES · January 23, 2004

As I see it about the K&N theres nothing dangerous about it. I don't read CL's forums but let me guess, somebody over there has told you it allows smaller particles through its matrix than a paper filter? If you were driving a formula one race car that would be a problem, not a problem on the ES300. I've never gotten one because I don't think I'd like the added intake noise. I say get one, if you don't like the noise they'll let you return it. One thing you'll quickly learn about CL is that its their way or the highway, and a simple discussion like this can quickly downspiral into a huge snafoo resulting in a closed thread and banned members. That doesn't happen here LOL. We don't allow it, but really our membership is so respectful of each other our site really moderates itself.

Generally the Toyota transmission fluid is expressly designed for the Toyota transmissions. Its a very good, high technology fluid that is long lasting. If you have transmission problems down the road you'll always be in better standing with Lexus if you've used the Toyota fluid. I remember several cases of members encountering transmission and shifting irregularities after switching to the synthetic fluid...

steviej · January 24, 2004

One thing you'll quickly learn about LOC is that its their way or the highway, and a simple discussion like this can quickly downspiral into a huge snafoo resulting in a closed thread and banned members. That doesn't happen here LOL. We don't allow it, but really our membership is so respectful of each other our site really moderates itself.

Steve, you meant to say CL, right???!!! :rolleyes:

steviej

Lexusfreak · January 24, 2004

Actually, the K & N air filter subject has been a bit mixed on the LC. Warnings about the mass air flow sensor because of the oil type filter, no horsepower gain and the like. So even now, I'm not sure if I should go and purchase one for my ES. However, as I mentioned in the LC forms, I put one in my 01' Maxima SE & put over 30,000 miles on it without any problems at all......although I never really noticed any significant gains in overall performance or fuel economy (perhaps so small it barely registered?). I'm more concerned with keeping more of the dirt & dust away than anything else......seems that the oil gauze filter would perform better than paper. I have e-mailed K & N but have yet to get a response so that decision is still up in the air... :unsure:

You guy's have talked me into sticking with the Toyota type ATF. I have purchased the "Lexus" extended warranty (good till 120,000 miles or 180,000kms) and the last thing I want to do is put the wrong ATF in the vehicle (synthetic or not) and get a suprise should I ever have any transmission issues. The Toyota ATF like you mentioned, is designed & engineered by Toyota (Lexus) to perform in those vehicles so why mess with a good thing. Not to mention that Toyota ATF will most likely be a lot cheaper than the Mobil 1 synthetic too. I will purchase the ES tranny filter & gasket as well. Thanks for all the advice everyone!

:cheers:

SW03ES · January 24, 2004

One thing you'll quickly learn about LOC is that its their way or the highway, and a simple discussion like this can quickly downspiral into a huge snafoo resulting in a closed thread and banned members. That doesn't happen here LOL. We don't allow it, but really our membership is so respectful of each other our site really moderates itself.

Steve, you meant to say CL, right???!!!

steviej

Yes I did! LOL oops, all fixed ;)