ArmyofOne

should i try to tight the bolts on valve cover and see if leakage stop?

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no, they are most likely still torqued to proper specs. i did this on my front one and it made it worse.

to tighten the rear one, you have to remove the intake so you can get to the bolts anyway, might as well remove the gasket and replace it. are you in ft. worth/dallas?

Thank you,

I read on forum for 97 1MZFE

"Common problems with these cars is the idle control valve at the intake . It gets filled with carbon over time and makes it hard to restart your car when it is already hot. To remedy this clean the intake and iacv with throttle body cleaner. After the car will run amazing ,if not repeat until it is fixed.

It also has large deposits of carbon in the egr and bank 1 sensor 1 the rear o2 sensor on the engine.SO clean all of them as much as possible to remove the cel and hard starting hot."

My car have 130000 miles yesterday i replaced PCV valve. it was original and very dirty.

I think i have to check all items which is in above paragraph. if you don't mind please show me the location.

Again, Thanks,

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that PCV Valve is the reason (most likely) behind your valve cover leak.

when that valve clogs the excess pressure inside the crankcase has nowhere to go, so it builds up inside the engien until it blows a gasket, typically ont hese cars, the valve covers are the first to go because thawt where most fo the pressure builds (hence the reason the valve is in the top of the cover.

Sk, i have always wanted to ask someone who deals with this in the winter, does Rhino Liner protect from salt? i wouldnt see why not. and it can be applied to the entire underside fo you car for less than $500, granted thas alot fo money, but its relaly a small price to pay to keep your car looking pristine. and their ability to color match is incredible (at least around here).  they can even make it textureless so its never noticed unless you look for it.

whats your opinion on htis? they never used salt on the roads in alaska (where im from) just sand. it was significantly easier on a cars finish.

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Don't you think heat would become a factor with the Rhino Lining? Plus the lining would spray all over everything and might plug some holes or cover a sensor, like the sensors on the resonator. How would you take the resonator sensor out of the pipe if its sealed up LOL.

Just my opinion.

Chris

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you would tape off these things.

heat may become a factor, yes.

i dont even knwo if it can be done, but i know you can buy enough rhino liner to do it for around $200 and having someone install it woudl be around $300, unless you have to R&R parts liek exhaust.

the OBVIOUSLY wouldnt do the bottom of the engine or anything...

Hello,

I have 1997 ES 300. I think that my car's rear valve cover gasket is leaking. yesterday when i replaced PCV. I saw oil on right hand side CV boot. Mechenic asking  $500 for replace both valve cover gasket. I can do it. but i need some step by step picture to understand.

If you have some guideline pictures, please post or give me the link.

Thanks in advance.

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its pretty simple:

-disconnect the battery

-label all vaccum hoses

-drain oil from engine

-remove intake manifold, and leave suspended from hood with zip ties.

-remove spark plugs and wires

-remove valve covers

-scrape old gasket off

-put new one one (with a coat of motor oil on both sides to help get a proper seal -until it heats up)

-replace valve cover

-replace spark plugs and wires with new ones

-replace intake manifold

-re connect all vaccuum hoses int he correct places

-reconnect battery

-top off oil

-fire it up!

i dont nwo of a tutorial with pics, btu when i do mine, i may take some.

he showed those to me at my house, the look alot worse in person...

This summer I drove from Santa Barbara to LA on US 101 and it was interesting.  Much different from the PCH we took up to SB.  Very unusual scenery (for me).  I'm not use to seeing everything brown.

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the alaska highway

from Wasilla, Alaska to Calgary, Canada: 2,600 miles of road, mountians, plains, snow, and everything else you want to see. but dont blink, you will miss the next gas station...400 miles down the road.

I am a new member and thought I would post my experience purchasing my first Lexus. 

I bought a 2001 LS 430, 34K miles, Certified Pre-owned, from Sewell Lexus in Dallas.  My Salesman, Cooper Johnson, was fantastic!  He helped me buy the car, instead of selling me....The negotiation went very smoothly, he came off a bit on the asking price, and made it worthwhile to trade in our old vehicle.  I used Edmunds.com to educate myself on the values of both vehicles and feel that I got the best deal possible.  I was able to purchase the LS for $6,000 less than Edmunds retail value, only 500 more than trade-in.  They allowed more than I expected for my trade, so we both profited. 

Lexus offered 3.9 percent financing, which was better than my pre-approved USAA financing offer. 

I have been reading, and dreaming, about the LS 400/430 sedans since they started building them.  Seldom does anything live up to the dream, especially cars.  This car is the exception, it is the finest car that I have ever driven!

I highly recommend Cooper Johnson and Sewell Lexus of Dallas.

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what part of the metroplex are you in?

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Allen

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when your post count gets above 10, PM me, maybe we can meet up sometime.

P0135 has nothing to do with the heat as in the temperature inside you car or the coolant system.

P0135 is a faulty O2 sensor, specifically, Heater Circuit Malfuntion. 

The O2 sensor in question is located at Bank 1 Sensor 1.  This is the O2 sensor that is between the firewall and the engine.

Solution: 

1.  Replace the O2 senosr.

    - the dealership will charge you and arm and a leg.

    - the OEM O2 sensor can be had at www.sparkplugs.com for $89.49.  It is not 

      hard to replace.  You will need a special socket (at autozone for about $15).

2.  Get a motorvac and see if that doesn't clean your current O2 sensor for the time being.

steviej

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there sint anything in the coolant system that will trigger a CEL i dont think...only a low coolant light. O2 sensors are fairly easy. on mine they are a piece of cake, im just waiting for the dya when the o2 sensors go, so i can fix the hole in my flex pipe while im in there...

2001 ES300 CPO 22k miles here again.

Battery has been going good. But I have been making a point to drive it good at least once a week so...

Anyways, I've been noticing some "jumpy" feeling when accelerating.

For instance, today, I was stuck in traffic on the highway, so it was pretty much stop and go at low speeds.

This is the symptom:

I take my foot off the pedel. It's doing like 1000rpm's presumably in 1st gear(???)...then I GENTLY press on the pedel, gently, since there is traffic...so the RPM's go up to around 1500, then I feel this "jump" and I think it's kicking into second gear at this point. If traffic allowed it, I would continue to increase pressure on the pedal. Sooner or later it would kick into 3rd gear, but "normally"...as in I don't feel the little jump  or kick that I feel between 1st and 2nd gear.

No matter how gradually I press on the pedel, it seems like when it hits 1500rpms, it jumps/kicks (not very bad...but point is I can feel the gears shifting...which doesn't feel like the other gears...just from 1st to 2nd).

This doesn't seem to happen in normal driving conditions where I can accelerate quickly or normally...only happens when I need to be sensitive with the pedal hence giving the car more time to shift from 1 to 2...at 1500rpm.

I should note that under normal driving, I think it's kicking into 2nd around 2000-2500rpms.

I was wondering if this is inherent in the ES300...or is acceleration supposed to be "silky smooth"?

Sometimes when I am accelerating, it seems to be "laboring" a little bit. It'll take a little while to kick into next gear...sometimes it will go close to, but not quite into the 3000rpm area.

Any ideas?

Thanks!

Nick

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this seems to be a common problem with the ES's, even mine does it and its a rare first generation. it seems to be most prevalent on 2001-2004 models. i have driven an 03 ES330 and its quite annoying...

whie it doesnt seem to be the same as the tranny hesitation, thats an entirely different feeling to my butt...and i hate that part to. thast why i will never own one, my next lex will be a GS/SC/LS

The "Liquid Leather" as seen on TV does not work.  I tried it on my old car.  Eventually due to summer heat, it just peels right off.

Unfortunately, now that your dash has a crack, further cracking and drying of the understuff will accelerate due to exposure to moisture and air at the crack.

Find an auto upholestery/vinyl repair guy in your area and get a professional consult.  Just be seated when he tells you the price.

steviej

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probably good advice...is it cheaper just to replace the dash myself? it cant be that hard on this car to do that, there isnt much to the dash, no airbags, and i coudl do the heater core while im in there...it is behind the dash right?

and actually, i asked the dealer guy that drove it on its last visit (the one before the tranny replacement) and he said he noticed it was a little faster thanusual, but couldnt put his finger on it.  they couldnt see anything, so it must have been a factory freak...:whistles:  B)

next time, ill take you for a spin in it...see if you feel the difference... :D

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lmao

I bet she's a lot of fun!! B)

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she is, but i have *calmly* decided that my next car will be an LS400/430. why? because even at nearly a quarter of a million miles, i can still hear you talk in the car at highway speed. not a whistle, rattle or otheerwise intrusive sound in the entire car. simply stunning. if you want me to take a look at that paint, next time you are out i can see what i can do. you said you have tried everything, but i have a few tricks up my sleeve. i refuse to believe that it cant be made ot lookat least a little better.

and take that car back to the body shop and tell them to replace the door, it still dosnt look up to snuff! <_< props on the interior and the ride, but the bodywork peopel need to be fired man. those guys dont knwo what they are doing. you dont use bondo on a 10K car, period...unles syou absolutely have to.

when i repair peopels cars,i walways look at it from this perspective: what would i want if i were the (sometimes) paying customer? i would only want the best. thats what you and your lex should have gotten.

Ouch... I'm glad your brother came out fine though.  Yup seeing a wrecked SC or a Lexus for that matter is never a pretty sight.  Hopefully the insurance company gives you a fair price for the car.

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i hate car wrecks, at least you are ok. take it from a guy who got diddlyy from his car wreck (i didnt even get anything for my car, i had to replace it at MY expese) luckily for you you dont have to do the same.

good luck,and if i can be of any assistance, dont hesitate to ask.

to all ye who said/think it cant be done...think again...

http://www.seanhylandfocus.com/

:D

Dude , that was supposed to be a secret LOL .  since it is a dealer installed option it didnt void any warranties. like the sig says, a few go fast goodies...  :D

glad to have you, hopefluuy next time we wont be remodleing and you can see the upstairs of the house!

tell em blake, the pool is kickass, next LOC meet at my house! LOL.

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They don't know how it makes that much hp though...still a bit of a secret!!

Yep...the pool was definantly kick !Removed! with all of the rocks and jacuzzi!! B)

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ill take some pix as soon as my digicam gets adjusted by my boss, i dont knwo why but the pix are all nasty.

and actually (since you asked), i asked the dealer guy that drove the concorde on its last visit (the one before the tranny replacement,) and he said he noticed it was a little faster than most, but couldnt put his finger on it. they couldnt see anything, so it must have been a factory freak...:whistles:

next time, ill take you for a spin in it...see if you feel the difference...

next time, ill take you for a spin in the concorde......see if you feel the difference and can tell me why it says what it says in my sig :D

After I left JP Importz, I paid Josh(ArmyOfOne) a quick visit-always a good time. I drove his ES250, and I was really quite impressed with the way it rode and functioned for all of the problems it has, truely a remarkable car for 16 years and 145k miles.

I'll have pics of the old strut rods tomorrow... 

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glad to have you, hopefully next time we wont be remodleing and you can see the upstairs of the house!

tell em blake, the pool is kickass, next LOC meet at my house! LOL. oh BTW, sorry if i had to rush you off in a hurry. i had that dentist appointment (that was over before you even got to the edge fo Ft worth!). it was a pleasure to have you blake, feel free to come over anytime. i may do the same before i leave for ADR.

Thank you all for the inputs. The spark plugs were all changed about 3 months ago, so I'm sure they are still good.  I will check the coil, fuel pressure and double check the plugs. Thanks again for the input everyone.  Can anyone confirm if 2,4,and 6 are the ones in the back.

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dont be so sure about the plugs. i have seen 2 day old spark plugs crack. especially when they arent replaced with ones as good as OEM (for instance, champion, bosch, etc...bosch is ok for most cars, but lexus/toyotas generally hate them...i wouldnt put a champion in a lawnmower though.

My 95 lexus ES300 is idling really rough and the check engine light was on, so I took it to the automotive store and had them run the code reader for me.

These are the code I got from the reader.  Codes are: P0302 (Cylinder 2 misfire), P0304 (Cylinder 4 misfire), P0306 (Cylinder 6 misfire), and P0170 ( fuel Trim Malfunction Bank 1).  How do I fix this problem? Why is it only on head 2, 4, and 6?  Any help will be appreciated.  Thank you.

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it is only on 2, 4, and 6 because you only have 1 bank of sylinders misfiring, i bleieve 2, 4, and 6 are on the back bank (the one closest to the firewall) thos plugs are no fun to change, but with a few pivot-racthets and a 3/8's inch drive it can be done.

I have a 1997 es300, and the CEL light just came on. I went to Autozone, and found that the error code was PO135.  This is a heat issue.  However, I haven't really had any issues with my heat.  The heat appears to be working fine.

I need some suggestions as to what I should do.  Do I need to take it to a dealer or could my neighborhood mechanic take care of this.  Also, what might I expect to pay for this sort of repair.

Thanks.

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its not a heater issue, but an issue with engine temperatures.

135 i believe is a bank running lean, or an o2 sensor i cant remeber which though...

I am a new member and thought I would post my experience purchasing my first Lexus. 

I bought a 2001 LS 430, 34K miles, Certified Pre-owned, from Sewell Lexus in Dallas.  My Salesman, Cooper Johnson, was fantastic!  He helped me buy the car, instead of selling me....The negotiation went very smoothly, he came off a bit on the asking price, and made it worthwhile to trade in our old vehicle.  I used Edmunds.com to educate myself on the values of both vehicles and feel that I got the best deal possible.  I was able to purchase the LS for $6,000 less than Edmunds retail value, only 500 more than trade-in.  They allowed more than I expected for my trade, so we both profited. 

Lexus offered 3.9 percent financing, which was better than my pre-approved USAA financing offer. 

I have been reading, and dreaming, about the LS 400/430 sedans since they started building them.  Seldom does anything live up to the dream, especially cars.  This car is the exception, it is the finest car that I have ever driven!

I highly recommend Cooper Johnson and Sewell Lexus of Dallas.

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what part of the metroplex are you in?

i knew it was only a matter of time before my dashboard cracked. a few days ago i noticed a 6 inch long crack down the center of my dash running front to rear. do those repair kits you see on tv work? or are they just a waste of money?

if they dont work, can an upholstery place fix mine? i think it might be the same as a camry dashboard, so if replaceing it is the only option, any good source for parts?

also, how do i stop the crack from spreading further? would drilling a hole at the end of it work?

Did you need a press or something to R&R the ball joints.

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As I stated in my original note, I 've not yet R&R the ball joints. I've only removed & reused the TieRod Ends. Regardless, when I receive the new lower Ball Joints & TieRod Ends, I will have to use the 'pitch fork' type tool again to remove the lower Ball Joints & TRends. Unless there's a Tie-Rod-End Pulley-type tool available I will again have to use the pitch-fork type tool. And I really hate using this tool as once you use it, it destroys the rubber part of both the Ball Joint & TieRodEnd. Hope that answers your question. Thanks!

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you want to come do the ones on my ES250?? LOL.

i need the R&P/BallJoints/TieRods myselt. greenleaf in Ft worth has the R&P for $89.99.

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Hey ArmyOfOne, if you were here in Houston (Katy), I'd be more than happy to do the job. I'm grateful that I've got the skillsets to do the job as I save alot of money by doing it myself. When I was quoted 1500. to replace the Rack&Pinion, I said No way!! Besides ,women love men that work cars, especially theirs!! B) Thanks to everyone who replied with comments & tips. This Lexus forum is VERY cool!!

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i might just be willing to drive to you to do it. LOL. i'll keep in touch. probably wont be for a few months. the car is not dagerous in its current state, as long as one doesnt act stupidly with it. it just requires that you turn the wheel a little farther before the car repsonds. i am used to it and i now can handle it without a problem. but the first time i took a cloverleaf exit ramp and i turned the wheel, the car kept going straight!! it scared the beejesus out of me.

when/if i get a truck, i may rent a uhaul and tow it there, and let you work on it at your leisure. after i get my oil leaks fixed, because thats top priority. B) thanks for the offer. i will keep in touch and let you know.

i agree this site is great!

i myself was quoted <1300 to do it and i decided right then and there that i wasnt ever going to get it done as its my only car that i can drive daily without a hassle for a long period of time. i can use the concorde or the F-150, but it will create a problem after a few days.

my ball joints are so far gone i will probably need new LCA's too. i have the knowledge and the ability, just not the time!

Sk, i have always wanted to ask someone who deals with this in the winter, does Rhino Liner protect from salt? i wouldnt see why not. and it can be applied to the entire underside fo you car for less than $500, granted thas alot fo money, but its relaly a small price to pay to keep your car looking pristine. and their ability to color match is incredible (at least around here). they can even make it textureless so its never noticed unless you look for it.

whats your opinion on htis? they never used salt on the roads in alaska (where im from) just sand. it was significantly easier on a cars finish.

If they are OEM Lexus chromes, meaning they came from the factory then you can use anything on them you can use on the paint as they are clearcoated ;)

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a product called Zoop seal. works great!

Did you need a press or something to R&R the ball joints.

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As I stated in my original note, I 've not yet R&R the ball joints. I've only removed & reused the TieRod Ends. Regardless, when I receive the new lower Ball Joints & TieRod Ends, I will have to use the 'pitch fork' type tool again to remove the lower Ball Joints & TRends. Unless there's a Tie-Rod-End Pulley-type tool available I will again have to use the pitch-fork type tool. And I really hate using this tool as once you use it, it destroys the rubber part of both the Ball Joint & TieRodEnd. Hope that answers your question. Thanks!

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you want to come do the ones on my ES250?? LOL.

i need the R&P/BallJoints/TieRods myselt. greenleaf in Ft worth has the R&P for $89.99.

I have a 90' es250 and my cd player is not working. It keeps rejecting my cd's and I've used one of those special cd player cleaners. I was wondering where I would be able to get a new or used cd player for my deck. Also, where is the best place to get new or used parts for my Lexus. And anybody know how to take off the dash to get to the deck? Thanks.

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i was told by bestbuy that the only thing that can be put in there is a custom setup. an aftermarket HU will blow the speakers in your dash, and they are an odd size, so no aftemarket ones are available. they need to completely rewire the stereo system, install the aftermarekt HU (there is a dash install kit available, but im not sure where).

the factory amp has to be bypassed/replaced. the modulation it uses will blow an aftermarket HU or something to that effect. you cant connect the aftermarket HU to a factory amp. the rear deck peakers are easily found, but dont blow the ones in the dash, they are not only a PITA to get them out, but you will never find a higher rated replacement, it simply doesnt exist.

to take off the dash do the following:

remove the wood trim around the HVAC controls with a flathead screwdriver wrapped in a towel. once removed, remove the one over the shifter as mucha s you can. the remove the screws securing the HU in place.