92ES300

I did not have anything else to use to pry off the vent, so I used the flat head. And yeah, when I first started prying, the vinyl was getting little dents in it, but then it just regained its form , and now there is no problems. Everything looks fine. The other tool is probably safer though.

The struts that hold up the hood are pretty much gone. The hood barely stays up, and if it does it only stays up for like a minute. So I am going to get a replacement pair. How hard is it to change the struts? Does anyone know of how to change them, or a tutorial?

lex- To take the vent out, I tried a very archaic method. I just got a flat head screwdriver, and pried out each side by side. Luckily, the leather on the dash is forgiving because I was denting the leather a lot when I was using it as leverage. To get started, I pried the sides, not on the tops and bottoms. One side popped out pretty soon, but the other was a little harder. Also, make sure that when you put the screwdriver in between the vent and dash, that you don't have it in the vent. There is a little slot in the vent that I accidentily put the screwdriver into and it made it look bad. Also, be prepared to have the vent be a little looser than before you pried it open because you will be forcing it. Pretty much only you will know it is loose, as it will fit in fine, but it will be a tiny bit loose. Once you get that off, it is a piece of cake. To put it back on, all you gotta do is poip it back in the slots.

bbsal- How much was all that, without the sub, and do you notice a big difference? Was it worth it?

Yeah, you're right- it is just black... my fault.

so stevie, you are saying to get a new motor? Should I get a new regualtor as well, or do these go hand-in-hand?

Do you mean the little wood grain piece that is curved at the bottom of it? If so, it should just pop off. There are no tricks, there are two clips, one on the left and one the right, all you do is put your fingers on the underside of it and pull each side evenly and it pop off. After that, there are two screws farther in. You can unscrew those now, or later, it doesn't really matter. If you do unscrew them now, you can see that it is still held in by the screws behind the A/C vent. Also, when you take the vent out, mine didn't have any wires or anything connecting it to the system, it was just a piece of plastic. The metal covers in the vents are some wierd things. I tried removing them to get to the screws before I took off the vent, so i didn't get a great view, but basically each clip is horizontal, with a small hinge in the back of it. The whole clip is like 1/4" X 1/4". What I did was put a screw driver under the clip, then pushed it as far up as it would go, then pushed it back down as far as it would go, and kept doing this until the hinge broke, and the clip fell off. I am not sure, but maybe you can take the vent off first, and then take the screws out without removing the clips?!? I am not sure though.

I asked this question a while back, and someone said that the fronts are 5 1/4" with 1" tweeters. Also, I just found out that the system that is stock is tuned perfectly to sound real nice with a minimal output. THe amp ans speakers are rated low, and as soon as you put in a new set of speakers for the old ones, the sound quality diminishes. You can look at the post "92 ES radio Q's" for more information

The key thing under the volume knob does light up if you try and enter a code. I have a 92, and I have a code for mine. If you have your manual, you can look in the back and it says instructions for arming your system. Only after it is armed will the "key" light up. Also, if you change the head unit, there will not be any problems getting in the new one or putting in the old one into a new car. I replaced my 92 with a 94-96, (not sure which one), and both work fine. If you need any detailed help about replacing the sytems, you can pm me. I did mine like 2 weeks ago, so it is fresh in my head...

Sk- what about the pads. I think it may just be the pads needing to be replaced. Do you know what the minimum width is for those? Or does it depend on the brand/manufactuer? When I bought the car, in late April, the front and back rotors were 5 mm and 7 mm respectively. I am not sure if they have worn down to the limit yet. I think the guy at the dealership said the min. was 3 mm. But I know it is coming from the back, so I know it is not the rotors, because I would hear the front before I would hear the back ones.

I am hearing squeking from the brakes, whenever I push lightly. I am not sure if it the front or rear, and I do not know if it is the pads or rotors. Can someone tell me the minimal sizes for the front and rear pads, as well as the front and rear rotors? I am going to have a look this weekend, and I want to know what needs to be changed, and where. Also, this is my first brake job that I am doing on my 1992 ES300. I have changed the rotors on my 90 Mercury Cougar. Is there anything of note that I should be aware of before or while I am checking the brakes? I do not have a repair manual, as I am pretty confident in my skills, but I am not sure how much more complex these brakes will be as compared to my old Cougar... Thanks, Brian

Yeah- What kind is it? Where did you get it, and for how much? Do you know if it fits a 92?

sk- I am using this forum as a way to find DIY solutions. Even if it is hard, I am willing to try it. This includes fixing and adjusting the window. I can ahve someone hold the window while I adjust if that is the main problem. Also, I can try to jump the motor. Would it be easier to get a new one and just replace it? Is there a step by step guide or tutorial for how to adjust or jump the motor? If not, can you give me instructions? Also, the window was working again today, but was getting stuck still. This is an improvement-For the last two weeks, it did not work at all!

Okay guys, I finally got around to opening up the door and looking at the motor and regualtor and everything else. I was looking at it for like and hour, and I got nothing from it, as far as what was wrong. I wasn't exactly sure what I was looking for, but I noticed some things of note. First, the window it self has a lot of play when I push it down. When it is all the way up, I can pull it up like an inch, but then it falls back down. I was comparing it to the other side, and I noticed that the "security notice" sticker on the passenger side window was about 1/4 up, but on the driver side, it is not ar far up. Also, I can make the window rock back and forth, as if it was on a hinge. As far as I could see, the switches were fine, and the main thing that stuck out to me was the metal part in side the door at the top, that is screwed into the window glass it self. That was what was rocking back and forth when pushed. Please ask any questions of things that I saw when I was looking in the door, so you guys can figure out this problem some how. Summer is coming up, and I would like to be able to roll down thw window!

SK- So do you think the best thing to do in order to get better output would be getting a new HU? If so, which one do you recommend? I would probably get one that reads mp3s.

I have a 92 ES and I want more power! I was wondering if I was to get an amp from another model and/or year, if it would be better than getting a whoel new and different amp (different brand). Would an amp from an LS be good? I have also heard that the whole system is put together so that everything sounds perfect. Does this mean that if I do get a different amp that the system won't sound good? What is the output to each channel from a stock 92 ES Pioneer amp?

I have heard that some parts of the ES and camry are interchangable. This thought really intrigues me because it is a much cheaper alternative, one that I can probably afford. Does anyone know the years of Camry that are interchangable for a 92 ES? Also, does anyone have a list of the parts that are interchangable? I have heard that the antenna, maybe window motor/regualtor, as well as some others, but I want to e sure before I go out and buy a part. More specifically- the window motor and regualtor, because I may buy one (if it is needed), but I am not sure which to buy Thanks, Brian

Does anyone know where to get a window motor and/or regulator for a 92es?

Sk- So if I replace the motor, it won't do anything? What is the cheapest thing I can do, and how do I do it? Also, the window goes down fine, but it has trouble going up, if it goes up at all. Thanks

Yeah, I am having the same problem, my driver side front power window has stopped working. The motor was going rel slow, and then stop working totally. I have a 1992, and I really want to do everything myself, including buying and replacing the motor, or whatever needs to be fixed. Someone said it might be the hands on the motor, but I think I will just replace the whole motor. So far, I know the screw for the door in in the handle on the door, but I do not know of any other screws or how to take the door off. I took the door panels off my 90 Mercury Cougar, but I am sure a Lexus will be much more complicated. It is getting annoying for me to have to open my door or use the driver side rear window for drive throughs...

$7,000 is a little much. I got a 92 with 120,000 for only $5,500. You should look around more. Go to craigslist.org, and find a place near you. They always have a lot of cars. When you look over the car, check the dashboard, and check the arms to make sure they are not flickering. Also, check the vloume knobs. These two things were messed up in mine.

so I should just use plyers on both sides, and pull little by little one side at a time? Or, should I pull the tops, then bottoms? I just want to be sure, so I don't mess anything up.

I am trying to take out my HU from my 92 es. I took off the trim under the HU, then removed those screws. I tried to take out the two screws inside the ac vents above the HU, but I cannot get the screwdriver lined up right, because the screw is pointed up, not straight out. So, I need to remove the vents, but how?? I was told to pry out the vents, but I am not sure how they will get back into place if I do that? I really need help because the knob is getting loose, and I am afraid it will stop working all together soon.

So... would you guys reccomend getting one?

I keep seeing strut bars for cheap on e-bay and people are saying they are a good mod for cheap. Is this true, and what do they actually do?