Desperate Need Of Help!

[Ler]

Hi everyone, this is my first post and I feel VERY privileged to around such an overwhelming amount of car care information. You guys really seem to know your crap, and I'm hoping its possible get my car up to par with the rest of your guy's!!! B)

Here's the specs on my ride

1993 ES300, Pearl White

160,000 Miles (ODO reads 111,000)

Unsure of # of owners

Bought for $2700 in Springfield, IL

Current problems: Cracked engine block, blown head gasket, hood won't stay up, Alpine stereo makes loud buzzing noise when on, blown speaker, bald tires, gauges flash, passenger side trim panel is loose, ect.

In September of 05 I bought my 1993 Lexus ES300 two weeks after my sixteenth birthday The price was low because of bad transmission (wouldn't go in reverse). In December of 05 I spent $1900 to fix transmission, spark plugs, exhaust gasket , rear brake pads, p/s belt, alt + a/c belt. After that I began experiencing problems with oil leaking (VERY FRUSTRATING)....

In July of 06 I replaced Valve cover gaskets and oil pan gaskets, replaced power steering pump, and exhaust gaskets (again), and a battery (which lead to me replacing floor mats when the battery tipped over and acid melted the floor mats). Total of $947.14 (not including floor mats or 2 $70 batterys). Even after that, I still smelled the horrid burning oil smell.

In January of 07 My car lost traction (due to bald tires) going around a corner and I ran off the road. I missed a fire hydrant by less then 2 inches! After that I started hearing a squeaking noise which I determined was coming from the alternator belt. On the way to the shop, my car overheated and the block cracked (according to the mechanics).

Since January, I've been jacked around by 2 mechanic shops (probably because I'm "some punk 17 year old kid"). The first one said he was "too busy" after it set there for a month and told me to find another one. I took my car to a different shop and it has been there for a while now, and I don't think he's hardly looked at it. On a side note, people from school have walked by and seen that the car is unlocked, which leaves my $190 stereo vulnerable to anyone who wants it, plus anything else thats in the car!

I discovered this site yesterday, and I'm hoping that you guys could give me some advice because I'M AT MY WITS END!!! Plus, in the meantime I'm stuck driving my dad's 1992 Mitsubishi Mighty Max pickup truck...

Thanks for your time!!!!!!

Ler

[djspawn00]

Speaking from a completly Objective point, NOT subjective it would probably be in your best financial interest to ditch the car as if is only worth about $1000 in working condition.... and its far from working. keep an eye out for a simular model and get that... you can keep the old car for parts or part it out for some extra cash... a cracked engine block.. blown headgasket = pain in the !Removed!. This is all just my honest opinion based on objective cost analysis which doesn't count for much but just thought I'd share.

http://chicago.craigslist.org/nwc/car/294840726.html

[SW03ES]

I agree 100%. You're too young to be underneath such an enormous and expensive task as getting this car up and running. if you were doing the work yourself that would be one thing, but this car is going to bleed you dry. Cut your losses and get something newer and more reliable...

[Ler]

I work all most full time, so I've got some cash saved up to fix the car.

[godfather18]

Ditch the car and buy a newer more reliable ES, thats in better condition

[Lexucan]

Hi everyone, this is my first post and I feel VERY privileged to around such an overwhelming amount of car care information. You guys really seem to know your crap, and I'm hoping its possible get my car up to par with the rest of your guy's!!! B)

Well, despite your numerous car problems, I think you have two things going for you:

1) At least you aren't stuck without any transportation at all while your ES is undriveable.

2) It doesn't sound to me like you are just "some punk 17 year old kid". On the contrary, you sound pretty mature for your age, IMO.

First thing I'd do it pay a visit to the mechanic where the car is now and ask him to make sure your car is LOCKED when he isn't working on it, otherwise he could be held responsible if anything is stolen from it while in his possession.

Cracked engine block / blown headgasket -

Unfortunately these are two very expensive problems.

I would consider the good advice of the other members about whether or not there is any value in spending more money on this vehicle because a LOT of it would need to be spent to get these two problems fixed. But if you have the cash and are determined to do so anyways, all I can tell you is to ask relatives and/or friends who they deal with for car repairs. Word of mouth recommendations are valuable. Better than just picking a place at random out of the phone book. And one thing I've learned the hard way is that sometimes it's wiser to pay a little higher labor rate at a reliable shop than save a few dollars up front at a cut-rate shop and end up later with more problems than you started out with.

Hood struts -

This one is relatively inexpensive. The cheapest method is to use a section of wooden or steel rod to prop your hood up and keep it in your trunk when not needed. I did this for months until I bought some new struts on E-bay (for about $25 a pair) and replaced the old ones...simple job you could do yourself.

Stereo noise / blown speaker -

Check your ground connection to the stereo. Replacing a speaker is fairly cheap as well.

Bald tires -

Replace 'em! LOL

Flashing gauges -

If you mean your gauge needles are flickering, that means they are on their way OUT! They will eventually die out completely. This is an all too common problem with the 2nd generation ES. For an inexpensive solution to this problem, check my signature.

Loose trim panel -

I'd take it to a body shop and just ask their advice about how to secure it. You might be able to do it yourself.

Maybe you and Shayan (another young LOC member who has had numerous ES problems) should compare notes! :P

But again, I would consider putting your money into a car that is in better condition. The ES is a great car, however everything has its life expectancy, and perhaps your ES has passed its "best before" date....

Good luck!

[Ler]

Everyone, I want you to know this is REALLY helping! However, I'm not TOTALLY satisfied yet.

I don't believe scrapping the car is a practical option for me. At this point in my life I'll be going into college soon, and I need to SAVE money instead of making car payments (yes I know fixing it will be costly).

Due to my price range, if I get a different Lexus, it will have to be another high millage fixer-upper. Or, if I get another brand, it will have to be something thats cheaply made with low miles.

Remember: My ES300 is in EXCELLENT shape out side of the block/head gasket, and these few minor problems.

I guess what I'm curious to know now is: How much do you really think I'd be spending to fix this? Does anybody have a block for sale? Would I be able to get a used block? Would I better off get a new one? Or should I go with what the majority is saying and junk the car (against my better judgment)?

I really appreciate all your input!! I've decided to go to talk to the mechanic tomorrow to try and here what he has to say.

Thanks for everything so far LOC members!!

Ler

PS. Prom is in 2 months... Who here had the opportunity to drive your date to prom in a Lexus? ;)

[JPI]

Everyone, I want you to know this is REALLY helping! However, I'm not TOTALLY satisfied yet.

I don't believe scrapping the car is a practical option for me. At this point in my life I'll be going into college soon, and I need to SAVE money instead of making car payments (yes I know fixing it will be costly).

Due to my price range, if I get a different Lexus, it will have to be another high millage fixer-upper. Or, if I get another brand, it will have to be something thats cheaply made with low miles.

Remember: My ES300 is in EXCELLENT shape out side of the block/head gasket, and these few minor problems.

I guess what I'm curious to know now is: How much do you really think I'd be spending to fix this? Does anybody have a block for sale? Would I be able to get a used block? Would I better off get a new one? Or should I go with what the majority is saying and junk the car (against my better judgment)?

I really appreciate all your input!! I've decided to go to talk to the mechanic tomorrow to try and here what he has to say.

Thanks for everything so far LOC members!!

Ler

PS. Prom is in 2 months... Who here had the opportunity to drive your date to prom in a Lexus? ;)

Hey Ler,

We have work on hundreds of ES300. I would suggest that you have the entire engine replaced. Depends on the condition of the donor engine but it could range from $500-$1500. Labor would be around $1500 to install. You would need to replace valve cover gaskets and all the seals. So after said and done it would be around $4000 plus. The vehicle would be down for 2-3 weeks. It wouldn't be a smart move to invest in something that is very old. As you can see the 92-93 models, have many many problems with blown headgeskets. Also it is very important that you have a written estimates from the repair shop that you are dealing with. I do understand things could happen when you are dealing with an old lexus. They need to contact you if there is any additional cost arise during the repair. Or you can ditch the vehicle, put that money toward something newer. If you are looking for something cheap, I go take look at the civic. They are cheap, reliable and easy to work on. Your date wouldn't impress if the vehicle break down on the way to your prom. Best of luck sir.

JPI

[juno_reaction]

After I had spent close to $3000 on my car I thought it would run great for a while. It turned out that when I was backing up in reverse the transmission seemed to die, read my previous post, lol. I could be looking at alot more to spend on my car. It just sits in my garage now...no transportation to anywhere, school or otherwise, it just sits there, collecting dust for the moment until I decide with what I'll do with it. Currently I'm transcending back to my original love of motorcycles. I figure that a new bike would cost as much as a new transmission (or at least a downpayment for the bike), and I could be bennefitting greatly from the use of bikes such as better gas milage, for example. However, this doesn't stray me from the fact that my next car will without a doubt be a Lexus.

If you're looking for engines, search here: http://www.asapmotors.com/jdm-engines-lexus-c-219_230.html

They have everything you need. Go around local shops and ask for their rates. Installing the engine will not be cheap.

[SW03ES]

I work all most full time, so I've got some cash saved up to fix the car.

Thats beside the point, the fact that you have some money saved up and you're going to college is precisely why you need to dump this car. Do you really want to sink all your cash into this thing? What if it breaks down AGAIN after you're already at school? I'm not advocating getting car payments, I'm just saying to get something cheap and simple like a Civic that will cost a whole lot less to maintain. You're going to have much better things to do with your money than pour it into a car.

[mrbutz1]

Thats beside the point, the fact that you have some money saved up and you're going to college is precisely why you need to dump this car. Do you really want to sink all your cash into this thing? What if it breaks down AGAIN after you're already at school? I'm not advocating getting car payments, I'm just saying to get something cheap and simple like a Civic that will cost a whole lot less to maintain. You're going to have much better things to do with your money than pour it into a car.

Agreed. You can certainly find a '93 or '94 in very good condition with high miles (I have one, perfect condition save for the still as of yet unexplained insatiable gas thirst everyone here knows about) for a very reasonable price. But the major problems you describe are going to cost you and in the end you're still left with a running, but fourteen year old car going on 200,000 miles.

I remember very well being seventeen and that first car...oh man, you would do anything to not have to give it up. Unfortunately, sometimes you don't have a choice.

By the way, I drove a 1982 VW Rabbit and was expecting to have to take that to my senior prom (1989) but instead my rich neighbor just up and offered his jet black with red racing stripe 740i to me for the night. Sadly, my girlfriend gave me the let's just be friends line a week before the dance, but that she would still go with me. Happily, I had the car and truly couldn't have cared less about her. What fun!

Anyway, thanks for letting relive my youth and best of luck to you with your car!

[djspawn00]

My intial response was to save you money. I was in your shoes before and now I have a car I spent $4000 fixing just sitting in my driveway with no chance of running. Goodluck, as a recent graduate I know what you're about to be running into.

[lenore]

For that much money to fix it, dump it.... Get a Honda or Toyota for $3000 to $4000 and drive it while in college and then step back up to the LExus or car of your choice, I know when you are young we are passionate about our cars, but unfortunately we tend to not use good economical common sense (been there with my love of British sports cars) Dump it, go to school and then buy the passion of your dreams....

[homemechanic]

Hey,

I know how you feel about the prom coming up and all. You did spent a lot of $ on the car and you think it might be a waste to just dump it. But I have to tell you that your engine is really really messed up. I used to work in a shop when I was in college. A lot of students don't know how cars really work and take good care of it. They all just yell when car stops in the middle of the street. At the very least, you know what's going on with your car and I applaud you for that.

To be very honest, many mechanics would not take the time to overhaul your engine. The time and parts involve is not worth it. They all recommend putting in a donor engine, but no one can guarantee the donor will be good. A lot of mechanics say they will look at your car, but I know what they are thinking. I used to work with a bunch of them. They know you probably wouldn't pay that much to fix it, so they just keep your car around for a while. They are actually waiting for another car to come in and urge you to sell them your car to use a part donor. If that doesn't work, they will simply say too expansive and sorry can't help you.

You have saved up some money, which is good because you will need that in college. Here is something I can advise you from several experiences. I never had a brand new car. I always buy used cars. In fact, my first car was a used car. Afterward, my current and previous two cars are salvaged. Many people think salvage cars are unsafe and not mechanically sounded, but they run just fine. I drive about 150 miles and five days a week to work. You can imagine how many miles in put into the car every year.

The bottom line is that if you find a trustful and reasonable shop (mechanical or body) they might have salvage cars up for sale. Since I bought my 99 ES300 late last year, I put in close to 15K miles without a single problem. I spent $1K for tune up, tires, timing belts and other preventive maintenance before I started to really drive it.

Just be wise with your money. You might need that some day.

[Ler]

First of I can't thank you guys enough for the incite. I'm listening to EVERY opinion I get.

We went and talked to mechanic yesterday. He hadn't been called back yet on price for new block yet, but he called while we were there and got a price of $900 plus ~$150 to ship from California. He said he thought that it would take him 10-12 hours to pull engine and put the new one back in @ $40 an hour. 12 x 40 hrs. = $480 to save you the math. Final estimate of about $1530.....reasonable????

Also, I got my stereo faceplate and key out of my car, then locked it. The old girl is being guarded by 2 big !Removed! dogs....so I'm as worried about thieves or vandals anymore.

The mechanic was very helpful. His guess was that previous owners didn't change oil like they should. He also said he didn't want to have to do this for me again so he wanted to do it right...and said it in a sincere way. Nice guy, and he's done work for my family before. Also, we live in a small community, so he can't afford to loose his good reputation.

Ler

[SW03ES]

Well its your call, just remember that we've all been there before. I'm afraid we're going to be telling you we told you so...

[homemechanic]

First of I can't thank you guys enough for the incite. I'm listening to EVERY opinion I get.

We went and talked to mechanic yesterday. He hadn't been called back yet on price for new block yet, but he called while we were there and got a price of $900 plus ~$150 to ship from California. He said he thought that it would take him 10-12 hours to pull engine and put the new one back in @ $40 an hour. 12 x 40 hrs. = $480 to save you the math. Final estimate of about $1530.....reasonable????

Also, I got my stereo faceplate and key out of my car, then locked it. The old girl is being guarded by 2 big !Removed! dogs....so I'm as worried about thieves or vandals anymore.

The mechanic was very helpful. His guess was that previous owners didn't change oil like they should. He also said he didn't want to have to do this for me again so he wanted to do it right...and said it in a sincere way. Nice guy, and he's done work for my family before. Also, we live in a small community, so he can't afford to loose his good reputation.

Ler

Alright, you saw many opinions or experiences from this post. You are the one making the ultimate decision and wish you the best of luck.

Since you have some intentions of going with a replacement block, might as well give you a few pointers instead of trying to talk you of out dumping the car.

You said new block for $900??? Double check that.. . I haven't seen any around here for $900 and is new.

Did the mechanic ask where the block is from? from a salvage car? or from a car with many many miles?

I would be very careful if the block is from a salvage car. You have no idea if the block got rocked pretty hard during the accident and might end up with some internal damage. It's kind of hard to test the block without putting it in the car and actually drive it for a short period of time. Testing it on the stand for a few short minutes is just for functionality sake, not for traveling sake.

Did anyone overhauled the block???

[vstolyarov]

I had swapped jdm(japanese domestic market) low miles engines in 2 nissan nx2000, let me tell you 4cylinders are pretty easy to swap, as long as you label it yourself and follow haynes manual, and have a dad to help you. v6 might be a little challenging and time consuming.

Now you should look on the internet and find good company closed to you, ship it to a business address and not you home since you will pay more shipping.

jdm engine usually have different egr systems and you will need to swap that over.

if you are going to let someone else do it labor might cost you ~$800 since its a v6 3.0l

and a lot of hoses to disconnect.

if i had extra money i would buy new jdm auto transmission depends on your miles and condition... B) the tranny is only ~$400 extra

The labor price your mechanic offeres is very, very cheap so go with it.

your car is 93 so if you are putting 93 engine ~$550 plus shipping ~100 on ebay and 30 day warranty, try find a reliable company like soko

http://www.soko.com/ (the prices are probably in the 900 range but you get quality product with warranty)

and i bought mine from alljapaneseengines in florida.

i would try to put the latest year possible with like vv-t search around if someone else did it, you will probably need to get new wiring harness and ecu(computer). if you get 93 all you have to worry about is egr. and sometimes different header, just swap yours over.

look it up to see whats best for you budjet

[Ler]

How much money would I get out of it if I sold it as is?

[NeiLtYmE]

hey Ler,

From my experience in college, as i just graduated last year, is that its pretty hard managing school work, work life, and hobbies all together. Now add-in a car that has a real fat chance of being on its feet again. At the same time its also a pain maintaining those car payments while in college as well. I bought my 96 ES during my freshman year of college. It was a good choice at the time because i had to spend only a little amount of money to maintain it.

Now i'm in graduate school and having fun with saved up money and living car-trouble free (cept my alternator just gave out!!!) anyways, i suggest that if your really inclined in getting a nice car, you get something newer and more reliable. It may cost you some right now but in the long run you will be happier and have less expenses (if maintained right) as opposed to you 93 with 2XX,XXX miles on it that will only be alot older when your getting through college and ended up sinking $$$ into it while not having a car to drive quite frequently. excuse the run-on sentence.

I know how you feel though, its a tough decision. But the bottom line is that college is too important/involving to worry about a stupid car all the time. You gotta draw the line somewhere. As far as selling your car is concerned? finding a buyer going to be hard. Not many people are going dip into a car that old which is ready to be junk-status. Your better off junking it yourself. Try ripping out some parts and selling them, you may make a good load of money from that.

I wish you the best of luck.

[homemechanic]

How much money would I get out of it if I sold it as is?

Not a whole lot to be honest. If you have some good handyman skills, you might consider whip the car apart and sell it as parts.

Put the tires and wheels on eBay = $200 or more if in good conditions

airbags, the computer module . . . .can fetch you some money.

if you sell the car "as is" now, probably not too many takers because your engine. unfortunately, scrap it for metal will not get you much either.

by the way, if u do go with donor block, try checking the prices at partsamerica.com or the dealership. the overhauled/rebuilt the blocks to the factory specs, so it's much safer by paying a few hundred bucks more than buying a used engine with no history. plus, timing belt, waterpump, tensioner, oil seals and all that stuff are replaced during the overhauling process. one less big job to do for 90K miles ahead.

good luck!

[Toysrme]

http://www.tigerjapanese.com/

Has been sued thrice by MR2 v6 swaps for JDM 3vz-fe's in the mr2 community rescently. With three good results. I won't speak for them personally, but that's the by far best/safest/most confirmed thing going right now.

Right now $550usd for a jdm 3vz-fe, $290 for an A540e. Cheap shipping.

The shipping cost you ( $ 120 USD ). Remember it is a limited time offer: free tax, free handling, free custom and duty charges for USA and Canada customers only, free broker charges for USA and Canada customers only, free lift gate at your place for USA customers only, free residential delivery for USA and Canada customers only. To get a shipping cost for the front clips and all other parts please call us.

Not going to beat free residential delivery with a free lift gate. Pay you some extra money for a cart, or rent one & wheel those SOB's from the gate to the driveway.

Killer deal... Get a set of nitroseal head gaskets, and a general gasket rebuild kit & reubild them both for about $200 in your driveway so they're 90% fresh. Then swap them in.

Probably talking $1200 for a re-gasketed engine & transmission to your door. If you can do the swap, I dont' see why you couldnt' do it for $1500usd. if you were paying someone, I dont' see why it'd cost more than 2 grand.

At 2grand if you drove the car for 6 months longer, it'd average out to being almost identical to a base line Camry LE payment 2-3 years old at your age, with your credit & having someone co-signing with you. (good luck getting a sub $300/m payment as a teenager on a late model car you could actually get a real car loan for!).

Tell that mechanic you have a better source for a complete engine & transmission. and that he can rebuild it when he gets it. You'll give him a new set of headgaskets to go in it & he can use whatever else he wants. Timing belt & water pump should be replaced at that time if you've got another $150. Along with the pressure caps & thermostat. Check ther adiator while the engine is out... God fobrid it's clogged & you ruin a new engine.