93 300Es Several Issues

[canucklehead]

Bought my first ever Lexus today and found this site through google search for trunk release. I have a 1993 ES 300 with 140K miles. So far, seems like a beautiful car. Will be a lot better if I can figure out these issues. I have several Qs, so if a few folks could help me here & there, I'd sure be grateful.

1)Some dash lights not working: the tach light, speedo needle thin red light, and half of the ACC lights not working. How hard to take apart and fix?

-Also, gear indicator doesn't light until I put it in drive. Is that normal? (I thought reverse & neutral would light up too)

2) Heated seats. The high setting I can mildly feel, next to nothing on low. Is this normal? My '05 Ford PU and my brother's '05 Mini Cooper have really warm heated seats. These aren't close to that. Can I improve that somehow?*** I just read FAQ from SK Performance; so does replacing battery & heavier wiring fix this, or do you also need to replace alternator?

3) What is timing belt, pulleys & water pump job like, and what parts should I get (any cheap seller of quality parts?). I've done timing belts on other vehicles, but not sure how ugly this job might be.

- I see timing belt was replaced at 65K, 12 years ago. I think the recommended interval is 100K, so should I wait?

4) Are these 1993 V6 motors non-interference?

5) Previous owner said small leak at valve cover, and I can see a minor amount of oil residue on front valve cover but not ugly. But I get a whiff of motor oil inside. Would that leak cause that odor, or maybe something else I should check? Any known oil leak areas that cause this (on my 2000 Camry rear valve cover leaks onto exhaust pipe and does same thing).

6) AC isn't cold. Simple as a re-charge? Is this type of refrigerant still rechargeable, or can something else replace it?

7)think I need brakes all-round. Do the calipers just press in, or do they need a special tool to turn/twist them in?

8) Any other things to be mindful of, known issues, preventive action now, etc...,

sorry for all these Qs. I'm fussy and like everything to work and like to be ahead of potential problems I can prevent.

THANKS for any help

[chococat]

3) What is timing belt, pulleys & water pump job like, and what parts should I get (any cheap seller of quality parts?). I've done timing belts on other vehicles, but not sure how ugly this job might be.

- I see timing belt was replaced at 65K, 12 years ago. I think the recommended interval is 100K, so should I wait?

5) Previous owner said small leak at valve cover, and I can see a minor amount of oil residue on front valve cover but not ugly. But I get a whiff of motor oil inside. Would that leak cause that odor, or maybe something else I should check? Any known oil leak areas that cause this (on my 2000 Camry rear valve cover leaks onto exhaust pipe and does same thing).

7)think I need brakes all-round. Do the calipers just press in, or do they need a special tool to turn/twist them in?

8) Any other things to be mindful of, known issues, preventive action now, etc...,

Timing belts every 95K miles? Mine was done at 98k and when my car hit 200K miles I knew it was time to change. By the time I finally took the car into the mechanic at 211K miles the belt was loose and tensioner crumbling. So...95K isn't a suggestion...be smart and be proactive. I paid someone to do it, because I don't have a bunch of special tools.(I am just a regular "girl" not some trained mechanic or enthusiast) I paid someone $649 to replace timing belt, tensioner, crank & cam seals, water pump, & thermostat. If you are going to pull your car apart, you mind as well replace ALL those items (except thermostat, mine just went bad).

Valve covers...mine started leaking in 2010 (I have a 2000). I bandaided it untl I got the courage to rip my car apart myself to do the job. (mechanics wanted $600-$800 to do job) I did the top 8 mo ago, the back, 2 mo ago. Cheap parts ($20) but fairly easy job. No more leaks.

Brakes on mine pop in and out, super, unbelievably easy. Never had problems with calipers.

Other items that might fail:

Oxygen sensors. pricey part, SUPER easy to put in. Firewall side a little harder, but small hands & patience help.

Knock sensors. Expensive part, can be done DIY, long job. If you have to replace one, just do both.

Mine is currently out of commision. It runs, but Im afraid to run it for fear of ruining it. I either have a bad oil control valve, bad wiring to the OCV, or my computer is bad. So rather then pay a mechanic to throw parts at it. *I* am throwing parts at it. Waiting for OCVs to come in.

Enjoy your car, hope I helped in some small way. ^_^