coolwater

I am thinking about just changing the transmission fluid via conventional method... syringe. But, where can I buy a big syringe? (or is there a better way or tool to change it myself?) Also, how much should I expect to pay for a 4-wheel alignment? (Pepboys? or Just Tires?)

New ES350s are all Made in Japan? I thought my 2000 ES300 was made in Canada (or perhaps in US).

I want to have all flush services done to my 2000 ES300 reaching 90,000 miles. My mechanic's shop does not do transmission flush so I guess I will have to take it to a Toyota dealer--is this a good idea? How much price difference between Lexus and Toyota dealer for following flush services? 1. Transmission Flush 2. Coolant Flush 3. Differential Flush <-- what is this? 4. Brake Flush (Dot 3? or Dot 4?) 5. Power Steering Flush 6. Any other flush services needed??? Thank you!

Hi all! I have two questions: 1. A/C Filter and Cabin Air Filter are the same? 2. Can I ask my local auto repair shop mechanic to change A/C Filter instead of spending $$$$$ at the Lexus dealer? (I intend to order A/C Filter online and take it to my mechanic.) Thanks!

Then, how about the Chevron Techron fuel injector cleaner sold at Costco? It is much cheaper than BG44K. The car manuel says do not use any additives so I worry about any possible negative effects.

Hmmm... that means the single-piece cabin air filter that I brought to the dealer was not even installed and they just threw it away. No wonder the air began to smell right after the visit.....

Most of you must have heard about BG44K. I have searched internet and many people indeed say good things about the product. I am natually hesistant about pouring additives in the fuel tank, but I wonder: 1. Should I worry about carbon deposit for my 2000 ES300 reaching 90000-mile? 2. If yes, can BG44K be an answer? Have a good long weekend, guys!

Is this really the correct part for 2000 ES300? I once purchased a cabin air filter online and had the dealer install it for me and it was a single-piece filter. But, all online parts store pictures show two-piece cabin air filter and I wonder which one is for my 2000 ES... did the dealer just throw away the single-piece filter that I brought in last time and not installed anything???

Thank you so much SW03ES! It will be another couple of weeks until I have time to visit the shop in Rockville. I will definitely PM you my name before I call for an appointment for an estimate--I will greatly appreciate it if you would call them ahead. Again, thank you very much for your help!

Thank you all for your advices! SW03ES, please let me know the contact name and number or email of the shop in Rockville, MD. Would they also fix the bumper itself before painting? Or, should I fix the bumper else where first prior to taking the car to the paint shop? Thank you.

I was very stressed out that day and this is the result of my carelessness. Do I need to replace the whole rear bumper? Or, can they just fix it somehow? How much do you think it would cost? :(

My 2000 ES300 is nearing the big 90000-mile mark. I had stopped the every-5000-mile-dealer-maintenance at 75000-mile and I only do oil changes for my car now-a-days. Ah, I do replace the air filter regularly as well. And, I just replaced the battery at 83500-mile after the car failed to start for third time in one week. Here are my questions: 1. Am I making a mistake not taking my car to the dealer at every 5000-mile for scheduled maintenance? 2. I know I should soon change timing belt and water pump, but what else is to be changed? 3. Is it wise to buy extended warranty now for future major repairs i.e. transmission replacement? 4. Is it too late to buy extended warranty now? 5. How much does extended warranty cost anyway?

Whenever I'm on the road, I can't help myself looking at other cars' tail lights and rate them as nice, not bad, weird, and ugly. I believe no one can deny that a finely and stylishly designed tail lights can make the rear end of a car really look good. I have a 2000 ES and I love to think that the look of its tailights (clear middle) is sill timeless--my ES is 6 years old, but (IMHO) its rear end still looks better than current Camry and many other newer 2000+ year model sedans. Do you have your favorite taillights? (let's narrow the field to family sedans under $100k only) All sedans models of Acura, Lexus, Infiniti, BMW, Mercedes, Jaguar, Saab included.

I recently had my 2000 ES300 checked by the dealer for 70,000 mile scheduled maintenance. The basic pirce was $250 (invoice says 70,000 mile Class B Scheduled Maintenance) and while I'm enjoying the loaner (2005 ES) they called me and said the Idle Air Control Valve is dirty due to carbon build up and it needs to be cleaned and it will cost another $188. Well, I told them to go ahead and clean whatever it needs to be cleaned. So, the total cost was $436.80 Labor 330.35 Parts 83.33 Misc Chg. 18.24 (I have no idea what this is) Tax 4.88 Class B Service includes: Oil and Filter Change Tire Rotation Air Conditioner Filter (= Cabin Air Filter) Change Overall Visual Inspection Complementary Car Wash (it was raining anyway) Class B Service 28.15 (they charge for the name of the service??) Oil and Filter Kit 19.40 Filter & Accessor 35.78 (I guess this is the cabin air filter) --------------------------------- Total Parts 83.33 Labor 142.35 TSS Shop Supplies 14.24 (Napkins??) --------------------------------- Total 239.92 Plus Idle Air Control Valve Cleaning: $188.00 So, the total is $436.80 Well, basically, the 70,000 mile service is just an oil change plus the cabin air filter change and I paid $239.92 for it. In conclusion, I had a $200 oil change. :chairshot:

With today's gas prices, I really can't afford to get lost and drive around for an hour until I find the way... and I do get lost often. I belive money can cure this problem these days. ;) I've finally decided to apply for another credit card. :chairshot: I don't want to spend over $600 for navigation. Gramin C330 seems ok to me. Any recommendations?

I'm about to get a 70,000 mile service on my 2000 ES300. I was always curious if the dealership really performs the 'road test' as listed in the service maintenance guide. Personally, I wish they do so that the experts can tell me how my Lexus runs. Plus, how easy is it to change the cabin air filter on 2000 ES300? I had tried once before, but couldn't "turn over" the floor carpet....

I have a 2000 ES as well and I too need to replace the turn signal bulb and can't seem to find the part at any online stores. Maybe I'd better buy the bulb from the dealer. BTW, I wrote a new post yesterday about my newly encountered problem with my car's turn signal and one of the forum managers right away locked my post saying that it's a common problem and I should do a search. I did do a search and found some helpful information, but still, I don't think there was a need to lock my post anyway. I had a few never-been-asked questions and that would have led to new answers from fellow Lexus owners. I believe some people apparently think they own this forum and when they see a topic they themselves think it's common, they just decide that it's not worth starting a new post. I call that a dictatorship and if that is the case around here, I could careless about this forum and meet my needs elsewhere or not.

The left hand blinker now blinks twice as fast as the right one--normal speed. What the heck is this??? Anyone encountered the same problem?

I once bought and used Rain-X when it first came out (about 7 or 8 years ago?) and I know it is a great stuff. However, I wasn't driving a car that is worth regular detailing--meaning I hardly washed the car. Nonetheless, Rain-X doesn't last long and I didn't bother to re-apply it on the windshield regularly so the rest of the bottle was wasted unused. Now, I will be using Eagle One's Wax As-U-Dry after each wash and wonder what it will do on the windshield and windows in rain.

I wonder how much they charge for wipers at Toyota or Lexus dealer. Does Denso make genuine Toyota/Lexus wipers? From my own experience on my Honda, Bosch wipers aren't that good. However, Hondas are known for bad wipers--mechanically. But, I did find surprisingly good wipers at Wal-mart and it's called LEXOR. They are of course a few bucks cheaper than Bosch yet IMO do better job in rain. Let's hear from you guys. What do you recommend?

Okay, Woolite it is.. although I recall Woolite is about three or four times more expensive than Tide. Anyway, thanks!

Do you guys recommend to use expensive 'microfiber detergent' rather than just regular 'Tide'? Is that special detergent really essential to wash and 'restore' the microfiber back to its full effectiveness?

But, what's the thing with the a/c? The master cylinder tends to leak only when the a/c is on? Is that the case? As for my Honda (also for my friend's Acura), the 'brake pedal sink' only occurs during the summer--when the a/c is used. Second, it seems that there are two kinds of master cylinders for ES--one for ES with traction control and the other for ES with no traction control. This is why I'm not sure about taking my car back to the Suzuki dealer. Does anyone know how much it would cost at Toyota dealer? The part alone costs around $150 online.

I have the same problem with my Honda and now my ES as well. And, it only happens during the summer--only when I use the A/C. After car stops, the brake pedal sinks even deeper and all the way to the floor. My friend says he has the same problem with his Acura and he says the problem is with the master cylinder. But, my question is... why it only happens when the A/C is used? Okay, then, how much would it cost me to replace the master cylinder? Can I have it done at Toyota dealer instead of Lexus and save some money? Or, can I just use any auto repair shop? I still have 3-month warranty with the Suzuki dealer where I bought my ES. Can I take it back to them and trust that they will do the proper job on my car? (My ES has traction control and I wonder if the Suzuki dealer knows the difference.... <_< )

I believe Denso is one of Lexus' OEM companies--tell me if I'm wrong. Which brand oil filters do you guys use? Do you all use Denso? Is Bosch any good? What about Nippon? Cheers!