ArmyofOne

the door can be fixed by opening from the inside, removing the door panel and peeling back the SDM (Sound Deadening Material) and inspecting the mechanism. chances are you will have to remove the outer halde to repair. it sounds as if the cable has snapped or a lever has come loose somewhere, depending on which system this car uses. as for the creaky rear, get under the car and look for anything obvius, worn bushings, heat shileds rubbing, anything that could make a squeak.. mine does this when turning, and its body flex, the car is old. but if you wouldnt have any idea what you are looking for, take it to a mechanic. for a nominal fee, they can diagnose it for you.

i'll see what can be done...i dont want to abuse this...

got the hookup on lexus parts, saved almost $450. thanks for the compliments!

Stevie, we were kidding. ask people here who have met me (blake918 for instance) im a very...how do i say it...lively person? i just like to laugh an djoke around. no hard feelings right guys? and uh, lexusfreak, i looked at the outdoor thermometer i have today when i got home from work...it was 78 in the shade... B) care to come visit? i feel for you...really... sipping margaritas by the pool, yours truly, Josh. ok im sorry, but i just HAD to do that. i knwo what the -50 f() is like. been there and done that alot of my life, minus the last 2 years. alaska is fun. :D

How is your cap and rotors? Fuel pressure? Crank and cam sensors wave? Have a qualify lexus tech check this vehicle out before you spend money on parts that you don't need! JPI ← there is an easy way to diagnose the ignition sytem without hurting the car... -start car -remove plug wires with car running 1 at a time. -if you remove one and the engine doesnt change the way it runs, either the plug, the wire or the cap is not firing at that particular plug. place the wire next ot the valve cover, if you can hear the "pop of the spark, then its sparking, the problem is the plug. sorry abotu the misinfo, i must have been alseep. there are, in fact, many things that can cause these symptoms.

the rear main seal on the engine is the seal between the engine and trasnmission. will cost between $800 and $1,200 depending on labor in your area. all that is labor, the seal iteslf costs ~$12 IIRC. The rack and pinion on an ES is a PITA without a lift. i imagine the LS is different as it has a bit more room to work (the entire drivtrain is sitting in a more confined space than the LS's engine is sitting in). R&P quotes on my ES (with all new parts) will cost $1,500. im getting it done through JPImports here in dallas for alot cheaper. give them a call. 214.221.3135. maybe you can make the drive up there. call him and see what he can do for you.

The fuel filter, and the fuel pump were both the problem. also could be the injectors in that mix too. replace the fuel pump and go from there. your fuel pump probably went bad, working double time, as it was trying to push fuel through a clogged filter. i need to do my fuel filter here shortly too.

Some of you know i have been having issues with my rack and pinion. Jason (JPI)was STRONGLY encouraging me to go Lexus rahter than aftermarket due to issues with reliablity. So i made everyone happy. I get parts that will last longer, and my mechanic doesnt have to install aftermarket parts. I just got a KILLER deal from (you all are never gonna believe this)... my local Lexus/Toyota dealer. The rack itself, brand new is $786 from Lexus/Toyota. I got it for $367. I saved $419 The Ball Joints were $49 from Lexus/Toyota. I got them for $30.97, Saving $18.03 So i saved a grand total of: $437.03 by shopping at a STEALERSHIP. see, they arent all bad! all parts from LEXUS...NEW. Not remanufactured. i will have Jason install these parts next week probably. Big thanks to an undisclosed frined, who has a friend, who happens to be the Manager of Parts and Service at Toyota of Irving TX.

Heh, no its not...There is 3 or 4 years of oil leak sludge on the outside of the motor, i just keep the top clean. LOL but thanks though. BTW, total bill on the rack and pinion, ball joints and outer tie rods is going to come to $1,042.97. This is using aftermarket parts everywhere except the ball joints and maybe the tire rods. Jason was very hesitant to agree to install these on my car, because they are aftermarket. I can understand this, but after a few times of reassuring him that i wasnt going to sue him if the parts failed (unless they failed due to improper installation, which wouldn't happen, but IF (a big if) it happened because of that, he would fix his mistake im sure, even then i wouldnt sue him.), He agreed. I understand Jason, its your business, your hobby and your life on the line, and i thank you for making an exception. I only need it on long enough for me to afford the one from lexus, (but even that one is remaned ). Lexus wants $789 for the remaned rack only, I would still have to buy the inner tie rods at $100 a pop, the pinion gear for $250 and then i would have to pay Jason to install them still. the Aftermarket rack is $270.99, and after core return, its $165. And it comes with inner tie rods. So the better deal here is that route, for a year or so, till i can rip into her and change it myself... As Jason was looking, i heard the words: "man, i would park this car Josh...till you can come back to fix it". The tie rods are about to break. As a result the car will be parked, and i will use the concorde daily for a few more weeks. (the parts wont come in for awhile) i will also bike to work, i need to get back into shape before my next physical ;) (i'm in shape, round is a shape, ) also, the leaks seem to be holding steady. *Knocks on wood* maybe Valvoline Max Life works after all? I saw 2 other ES250's on the way home, both white and gold, one was beat to *BLEEP* and had beige leather, and was blowing smoke out the tailpipe, wrecked pretty badly at both ends, and one had Navy blue cloth interior and the outside was IMMACULATE minus a few door dings, the inside however, had a dash worse than mine, apparently, dash warp is common on these cars.

you are only as young as you feel... <_< and something tells me you feel 60... :D ahh, i love it here, the atomosphere is great! LOL. ← Sorry junior ;) I actually do feel younger than my actual age (28) & I'm 'technically' still on my honeymoon :D ;) Nice try though :whistles: :P :chairshot: When you own pretty much ever George Carlin stand up album (not even sure you know who he is ) you had better have a good comeback. ← LOL.... to think this all started when somebody asked if Lexus used real wood trim :D ← I know......what are ya gonna do ya know? ;) :whistles: ← i know who george carlin is. LOL. im 20, your 28, whoo-hoo, 8 years :D im a Blue Collar TV guy. ;)

Unfortunately i have not ordered the Dash Cover yet. i need time to call them and see if they even make one for my car. The one for the camry wont fit. pix are uploading and resizing as we speak...they will be along in a minute. B) EDIT-PIX: Ziptie Rig!: 2.5 Liters, 156HP of solid Muscle! Interior Shot, worthy of a Lexus Brochure...minus a few things, can you spot them? Restored Paint, when i bought this car, the only wax it ever got was from the touchless carwash. Dont mind the paint bubble...it was repainted in 1994 due to hail damage, but not very well... most of the pix were taken at my University, therefore there are events in the pix that are beyond my control (hence half naked person running in the background...) in this pic, you will have to excues my friend Jake's prelude, its wayyyyyyy faster than my ES250, but wasnt fast enough to move its red !Removed! out of the way of my pic!! A decent pic of Lexi, however, if you look close, you can see how toed-in the front wheels are, thanks to the wonderful worn rack and pinion, lower ball joints and tie rods...

you are only as young as you feel... <_< and something tells me you feel 60... :D ahh, i love it here, the atomosphere is great! LOL.

if its highway miles i wouldnt worry too much about anything wearing except maybe the suspension. and blakes car had 247,000 miles when he came to DFW to have his car fixed a couple of weeks ago, i sat in it, i drove it, and i LOVED it. even with 245K its an EXCELLENT choice IMO.

whats the difference between an IS20 and the 300 we have here int he states?

yeah, the ball joint think isn't anything major, i mean its just regular maintence on these cars over time....any car for that matter. but the rack & pinion thing, if its doing that, then you REALLY need to get that taken care of man, that is very dangerous, thats not something you can put off, like the ball joint deal ← it will be taken care of ASAP, as o fright now, car is parkeduntil tomorrow, i will take it to JPI for an exact diagnosis of everything i need. since you seen knowledgeable in the R&P of this car, do i have one with the Electronic Variable Orifice? (see thread in ES forum titled: 2 Rack and Pinion Options; WHA???)

i will take new pix when i go to school tonite. sheas a beaut. i was consideringit. but since i have owned this car i have only seen 3 others, and they were all beat to hell. if you cinsider where i live (one of the biggest cities in the US), you will see that 2 cars in 5 months, with ~2.5 million people in 1 area, they are pretty rare.

Autozone offers 2 different Rack and Pinion Setups for my vehicle. 2 different parts. here is the link: http://www.autozone.com/servlet/UiBroker?U...RACK+%26+PINION do i have the one with the Electronic Variable Orifice? and what the hell is that?

**No offense intended, this is only a joke!** This is why math is taught in school. I was driving to work yesterday when i observed a female cut off a pickup truck on the interstate, forcing the driver of the truck onto the shoulder to avoind a collision. This evidently angered the driver enough that he hung his arm out of the window and flipped the woman the bird. "man that guy is stupid" i thought to myself. I always smile nicely and wave in a sheepsih manner whenever a female does anything to me in traffic, and here's why: I drive 48 Miles to work each way, every day. That's 96 miles a day. Of these, 16 miles a day are bumper-to-bumper. Most of the bumper-to-bumper is on an 8 lane highway. There are 7 cars every 40 feet for 32 miles. That works out to be 982 cars every mile, or 31,424 cars total. Even though the rest of the 32 miles is not bumper-to-bumper, i figure i pass at least another 4,000 cars. That brings the number to something like 36,000 cars that i pass every day. Statistically, Females drive half of these. Thats 18,000 Women Drivers!!! In any given group of females, 1 in 28 has PMS. That's 642. According to Cosmopolitan Magazine, 70% describe their lovelife as dissatisfying or unrewarding. That's 449 According to the National Institute of Health, 22% of all females have seriously considered homicide or suicide. That's 98. 34% of those decribe men as their biggest problem. That's 33. According to the National Rifle Association, 5% of all females carry weapons, and this number is increasing. This means that every single day, I drive past at least 1 female that has a lousy love life, thinks men are her biggest problem, has serioulsy considered homicide or suicide, has PMS and is ARMED.... Flip one off? i think NOT!!!

your ball joints are shot too ← probably so, as well as the rack and pinion, since i cant get the steering wheel to center except at freeway speeds. and then she doesnt respond until the steering wheel is halfway through a rotation

sorry steve, you set yourself up for that one... :D and i am almost 21 years old, do i have to be 80 befor ei will not be called "youth" or, "kid"? :whistles:

Most of you here know the legacy of my ES250, some may have wept ( ;) ) when you were told/saw how she was neglected. Well, not anymore. She now has a caring onwer, one who is willing to put forth the time, effort and money to bring her up to speed. Thus far i have completed the Following repairs: -Front Brakes; Rotors and pads -Air filter, PCV valve, oil changes. -CV Joints and Axles; left and right. -Rack and Pinion (soon) -Lower Ball Joints (soon) -Control arm bushings (soon) -Fuel Filter -Cleaned Throttle Body -Replaced A/C Compressor (previous owner did it) -Power Steering belt (a P-I-T-A). -Serpintine Belt -Fixed Broken Headlight aim mechanisim (right headlight couldnt be aimed, spring broke, thank the Lord for Zipties!) -Fixed broken window switches inside car, on drivers door. -Turned tire around (thanks discount tire ...idiots) -New Windshield Wipers (arms and blades) -New Front tires (a condition of me buying the car) -Replaced all rear bulbs and liscense plate lights. -Fixed warped center console -Replaced light bulb in shift indicator on shifter. -countless hours on paint restoration I really have done alot to this car. But the work is not finished yet. Just wanted to give special thanks to all who have helped make this possible, JP Imports and all the hlpful members of LexusOwnersClub, ClubLexus, and ToyotaNation, Thanks. You all keep giving me info I need to get things done. Thanks ESPECIALLY to JP Imports for the excellent service and prices. They cant be beat! The plan thus far is for me to have Jason replace the Rack and Pinion and related components. Then i will let it leak until i return from Active Duty. I will buy another (newer) more relaible car when i return, and i will do 1 of 2 things, pull the engine and tranny and buy a rebuild kit for $600 and rebuild them myself, or take it to JP Imports and let Jason have a go at rebuilding the Engine and Transaxle. THEN i will keep the car for many many more miles, and start restoring the exterior with paint, new plastic cladding, etc, etc. I'm thinking this will be a fun project car. Anyways, I just thought I would update you all on the progress. As usual, comments and questions are welcome. i have gaind a sort of shadetree expertise as it were, because the ES250 is a forgotten car, and i have been tinkering nonstop since i got it, learning the ins and outs...feel free to ask questions... Questions/comments are appreciated.

i should have been more clear, i am a manager at Motorola. i oversee the refurbishment of phones. and while i understand that cellular telephones are not car parts, i also can tell you that 99% of our final product is 100% rebuilt with new parts. the only thing that isnt replaced is the main circut board, which is completely erased and updated with the latest software. i can only expect the same from auto parts manufacturers. ← I see. That's the problem. While you're doing it the right way, there are a lot of shops who don't. You can buy 'refurbished' parts that are simply parts taken from the junkyard and cleaned off. I agree that if it's done properly, a refurb can be OK. But a huge percentage in the auto business are not done properly. And the ones that are won't be as big a savings as the cheapo ones. ← Yeah, i guess maybe my definition of refurbished is a little skewed. I asked my dad what is done to a rebuilt engine, (i thought i already knew this, and every engine i have ever rebuilt for anyone has had ALL new parts) but heres what he said: Take apart engine, inspect parts that are removable, replace heavily worn/bad parts with either new or used parts. :chairshot: DOH that will do it. I was always taught to strive for the best in everything i do, but apparently alot of people dont think like that. Oh what a sheltered life i have lived...LOL. i understand there can be bad ones, but i didnt knwo they only replaced bad parts. In my defintion, parts should be replaced whether they are bad or not, thats what "refurbished" means, both to me and to Motorola. but then it would have to mean that to Motorola, because only then can they get away with marketing Refurbished Cellular Phones as "New", and actually, we dont do that, the carriers are responsible for the marketing, we only do a small bit of advertising for our company.

as blake mentioned, your ball joints are shot. ← Mine are on there way out. If I turn the radio off and hit a big pot hole, I can hear a very, very remote tap, but it is nowhere near what the strut rods were doing-I'd say like 5% of the volume the s rods were making though.....it's a tap rather than a BANG. ← you can wiggle my wheels toward the front of the car and toward the rear, not up and down.

Lexus have the rebuilt PSP kit for $15. They used to offer this service but after many rechecks and upset clients. They stopped it in 2000, at least Parkplace Lexus did. The success rate on this is 7 to 10. It's very time consuming and many special tools are needed. The hardest part about the rebuilt is to make sure you have the vanes back in it orginal position. Otherwise, it will make a lot of noise. We trust lexus parts and that is the only thing we put on our client's car! Autozone parts are lifetime warranty but you will have to replace 4 or 5 times before getting a right or good part. JPI ← you put those aftermarket CV joints on my car no questions asked. i understand you reccomend lexus, and i see why. but i (and some others) do not have the $$$$$ to fork over for lexus parts right now. refurbished will have to do in some cases. there will always be people who cant afford the bestpart, but need their car, so they get one that will "do the job".

i should have been more clear, i am a manager at Motorola. i oversee the refurbishment of phones. and while i understand that cellular telephones are not car parts, i also can tell you that 99% of our final product is 100% rebuilt with new parts. the only thing that isnt replaced is the main circut board, which is completely erased and updated with the latest software. i can only expect the same from auto parts manufacturers. when an engine is refurbished, for example, EVERYTHING except the very core parts (pistons, although sometimes these are replaced too, and block) is replaced with NEW parts, not used. refurbished does not mean rebuilt with used parts. it means rebuilt with NEW parts. a SMALL portion of our product goes out and comes back, but then we wouldnt have a job if it didnt, and we cant catch everything. but we do catch 99% of it. sorry for the confusion, and im not tryingt o jump down anyones throat. im just saying new parts are not neccesarily better.