coolwater

Obviously, Costco is not a gasoline company, therefore Costco gasoline is not uniform across the nation like other premium brands such as Amoco, Shell, etc. I assume each regional Costco office has its own arrangements with its own regional suppliers. So, chances are it's just your neighborhood Costco premium gasoline that is not up to the quality standard, I think. My ES doesn't seem to have problems with Costco premium. I wonder how your cars did not like Costco premium--any obvious signs or results? I have used Techron injector cleaner on my high mileage Honda a few times, but I'm yet to use it on my Lexus. Even though I trust the name Chevron Techron, I'm not even sure if those injector cleaners or other additives do the job as they claim to do. Some even say those additives may even be harmful to your car. I'm just not sure.... Unless those additives are made by Toyota itself, I will be very cautious to use them.

Hey... thanks for the tip, gbhrps! 90 300ZX? Nice! :)

Thanks, lexusk8! My local Toyota dealer's services include <Express Lube> according to the Toyota website. Does Express Lube mean no appointment necessary? I mean, do you usually make an appointment for an oil change at your Toyota dealer? $22~$25 with genuine Toyota oil and filter sounds very good. :D

My 2000 ES has been maintained by Lexus dealer every 5K mile and my car now has 53K. I will probably bring it to Lexus dealer at 60K and let them do whatever they usually do for a 60K mile car. However, I have a few questions for you guys. Q1. Can I bring it to Toyota dealer instead of Lexus dealer and get the same quality service and save some money? Q2. Instead of just changing motor oil for every 5K, should I just keep have my car checked by the dealer every 5K? Q3. If I just want to do oil change, will Toyota dealer do the same job as Lexus dealer? And, at what's the price difference between Toyota dealer and Lexus dealer for an oil change?

I envy you, too! $500 for one complete set of headlights, right? Not just for two HID light bulbs, right? LOL I have bad night vision, so maybe I will consider switching to HID headlights if one of them goes out someday.

Okay, I've heard enough about synthetic oil. Now, I have 2 new questions. 1. I see "High Mileage Oil" from most brand names these days. They say 75K is time to switch. They also say the oil is designed specifically for cars over 75K. Should we all consider switching to "High Mileage Oil"??? (I guess this doesn't apply to synthetic users) 2. Most brands also have Synthetic Blend (full synthetic + conventional) Motor Oils. If the Full Synthetic causes leaks, would Synthetic Blend be safer against leaks? In summary, we basically have 4 choices. 1. Conventional (stick with 5W-30, then you're ok) 2. High Mileage (is this a must???) 3. Synthetic Blend (if I'm worried about leaks, can this be a good option?) 4. Full Synthetic (I've heard enough, but I will probably hear more about this) (more choices include: Winter Synthetic Blend, Synthetic Blend for High Horsepower Engines, etc.)

I drive a 2000 ES. The noise seems to come from the inside of the tape deck/radio. At first, I suspected the tape deck opening, but evidently it's not it. What am I supposed to do about it? Does anyone have the same problem?

Yesterday, I wrote Costco an email asking about the quality of Costco Gasoline. Today, I got a reply. It's pretty lengthy, but let me just quote one sentence. "All Costco gasoline is fully guaranteed to meet or exceed the standards of the major branded outlets."

My 2000 ES300 now has 53K miles on it. I've read many posts regarding synthetic oil and many have said it often causes a leakage if you switch too late. I don't think 53K is too high for Lexus standard, but what do you think?

I am considering "inching up" my current 16" on my 2000 ES to 17". Regarding Tirerack.com, they ship you pre-balanced tires with wheels. Does that mean I can just order them and change them myself at home? I read something about "lowering" when you go for bigger wheels. Is that really necessary? Would changing the wheel size affect the odometer reading?

I used to like Amoco Ultra 94--don't know if they still have it after Amoco merged with BP a couple of years ago. Anyway, I only go to Costco for gas nowadays... only because Costco gas is cheaper than other premium brands and I usually trust the name Costco on whatever they sell at their warehouses. Although I'm quite satisfied with Costco gas in general, I am curious about the quality of gasoline they sell. They only have Regular and Premium--no mid grade. Does anyone know how good (or bad) Costco gas is compare to other brands? I wonder if they do any quality control on the gas they buy from their supplier(s). PS. I will never buy gas at Wal-mart ever again. I think the gasoline brand name was Murphy. I once put its regular gas in my Honda and the car was having a very hard time accelerating, really.

I've searched and read most of posts on the air filter and the cabin filter. I did find many posts on changing the cabin filter... yet, I did not find a single post on changing the air filter--other than what kind of air filter should be used. Is it because it's too simple to do? I have a 2000 ES and haven't done DIY(Do It Yourself) on the air filter, yet. I used to drive GM and Honda and I only needed to unscrew 3 or 4 bolts and open the black box or the lid and replace the filter and done. But, under my 2000 ES hood, I see 2 clips and some wires attached to the black box and I wasn't sure if I can just go ahead and unclip those two clips and open the box. Is that how you replace the air filter? Or, is there anything else I should know about? Is it really just unclip and open? Please, let me know~

Thanks for the tip lexusk8! Now, I've found how-to pictures in the manual.

I believe it's located "inside" or "behind" the glove box in current ES330s. Therefore, I assume it's located at the same place for my 2000 ES300 as well. But, the problem is there is CD Changer in my 2000 ES300 glove box and I do not know how to get to the cabin filter. Does anyone know how to do this job?

I own 2000 ES300 Platinum Series and one thing that still bugs me about the interior design is the shift knob and its base (you know where it says P R N D 2 L) First, the shift knob is wrapped with dirty beige leather from top to bottom and it just does not look cool at all. I want to change the shift knob but I don't know what I'm supposed to do with the O/D button. I know there are some after market shift knobs with O/D button, but I'm not sure if I want to mess with it. Second, its base looks as bad--black plastic. The shift knob base (don't know what it's called)... I really want to have a cool looking chrome cover where it says [P R N D 2 L]. But, Lexus ES 300 being not the most popular car for modifications, I don't think a mod part even exists. Anyone shares my thought?

After going through reviews over at Corvette Owners Club regarding best leather conditioner, I ordered Pinnacle Leather Conditioner via internet today.