amf1932

WD40 is a lubricant also. I used it on my '94ES for the 9 years I owned this car and it always worked very well. Raise the staff and spray the WD40 onto it. then raise and lower it a couple of times. Wipe off any excess. ;)

Here's a place for DIY Steering wheel leather

I was waiting for somebody to pipe in about the Optima battery, and sure enough somebody did. :D In my opinion I don't think that a dealer would put in this OVERPRICED battery! Besides, I got 6 years of excellent service from the Diehard Gold before it crapped out. I think that it would have lasted longer, but somebody in the carwash that I went to flipped the dome light switch into the 'ON' position. I didn't use the car for 2 weeks after that so it deep discharged the battery and it was stone dead. I was able to charge it, but I think that this caused the battery plates to sulfide enough to shorten it's useful life. One other thing......I have heard plenty of horror stories concerning the Optima line of batteries, both yellow or red types. <_<

To replace a battery on your car is a 5 minute job. The cost of the battery is another thing 'cause the range of prices varies, but an OEM(Original Equipment Manufacturer) should cost the dealer no more than $50. As an example, I replaced my original battery on my '94ES with a Sears Diehard Gold for about $75. This is supposedly their best battery and it came with a 7 year warranty which was pro-rated after 3 years of use. As I said before, the dealer should replace your battery FREE of charge! ;)

Listen to what steviej said in the previous post. The guys at Best Buy are definitely NO rocket scientists and I believe that they're the ones that screwed up your shifting mechanism! ;)

If the car in question was bought as a "Certified Pre-Owned" vehicle, then the battery should be replaced if it proves to be defective! From the description it probably is. That's the exact same situation that happened to my friend. The dealer replaced the battery without any questions ,and on top of that, they apologized for the inconvenience! BTW: The dealer was Bay Ridge Lexus in Brooklyn, NY

Do you mean to set up a garage in your home? If your intentions are to do maintenance on your car then you'll need some sort of mechanical/hydraulic lift as the first thing.......but you'll also need an area that has the proper ceiling height to raise the car fully. Next, you'll need a pretty decent set of mechanics tools. Last but not least is your ability & knowledge to do these maintenance or repairs yourself. This will give you an idea as to what's involved: Auto Lift

eman_be_lexin- Look at the chart I put up on page 1 of this thread. You're mixing up octane number with Research Octane Method. This is in the Owners Manual for a '03ES. You CAN use 89 octane fuel in your car. If you hear pre-ignition(pinging), than go up to a higher octane. ;)

A constant hum CAN destroy the voice coil of your loudspeaker(s)! This is because of too much heat generated from this hum. I would definitely check out where it's coming from.

SmoothRide- What year car are you talking about, and how many miles on the engine??? <_<

Your transmission is completely normal. The delay in shifting when cold was programmed into the computer in the original design.

I would take my car to a professional body shop and get a price for this repair, unless you have the experience of doing this type of job yourself. Working with plastic bumper covers is not that easy.........I know 'cause I once tried doing it and I wasn't very satisfied with the results. ;)

There is the possibility of the back plate, behind the rotor, being slightly bent. This will make a grinding noise as the rotor turns.

I spoke to the Autoparts Authority and was told that their listing for Bilstein 1996 Lexus ES300 V6, Strut Assembly Touring Class, Rear - Right is INCORRECT! They do have the normal replacement struts (KYB) for the '96ES though. Once again, as I said in a previous post: I found out that Bilstein does NOT make any aftermarket struts or shocks for any model ES's! They do however make shocks for certain years of LS, GS, and IS Lexus's. ;)

branshew- The link on your previous post is dead!

Yeah.......This board is acting a little flaky for the last couple of days. .....and I'm using a blazing broadband connection. Any moderators or the powers that be, have any answers??? :(

Hi Linda, You posted this in the wrong forum.......maybe one of the moderators could move it into the RX forum. You're now in the ES forum.

This is from the '03ES Owners Manual. The octane rating & the octane research number are two different things.

I agree with SWO3ES 100%. I was considered an excellent map reader, but the NAV system adds a complete new dimension when locating all types of destinations, whether they be addresses or Points of Interest. Try it you'll like it. :)

I found out that Bilstein does NOT make any aftermarket struts or shocks for any model ES's! They do however make shocks for certain years of LS, GS, and IS Lexus's.

The Bilstein(Touring Class) replacement strut for the ES has slightly different valving then the standard OEM Lexus part. It'll give you a firmer ride.

One other thing: With the equipment that you got on your car the dealer usually throws in the cargo net and the trunk mat even though they are considered options. My dealer did. I think you have a lousy dealer. I learned that when you're unsatisfied with your dealers performance you should call the Lexus Corporation and register a complaint. They like to make their customers happy. Tel# 1-800-255-3987

All Lexus's from '02-'04 have the pegs put in at the factory, whether you buy the cargo net or not. I think they started putting in the pegs on the '98 ES's. All you need to buy is the net, and that's all. You can buy it here for $18.00. It's a genuine Lexus part. Cargo Net

Believe me, if I ever hear knocking I'll go up to the next higher octane, but so far in my '03 and also my '94 I NEVER heard it, even with putting the engine under tremendous loads. ;)

Maybe his method of disabling the DRL 'caused problems, so he took off the link.