Bought my first ever Lexus today and found this site through google search for trunk release. I have a 1993 ES 300 with 140K miles. So far, seems like a beautiful car. Will be a lot better if I can figure out these issues. I have several Qs, so if a few folks could help me here & there, I'd sure be grateful.
1)Some dash lights not working: the tach light, speedo needle thin red light, and half of the ACC lights not working. How hard to take apart and fix?
-Also, gear indicator doesn't light until I put it in drive. Is that normal? (I thought reverse & neutral would light up too)
2) Heated seats. The high setting I can mildly feel, next to nothing on low. Is this normal? My '05 Ford PU and my brother's '05 Mini Cooper have really warm heated seats. These aren't close to that. Can I improve that somehow?*** I just read FAQ from SK Performance; so does replacing battery & heavier wiring fix this, or do you also need to replace alternator?
3) What is timing belt, pulleys & water pump job like, and what parts should I get (any cheap seller of quality parts?). I've done timing belts on other vehicles, but not sure how ugly this job might be.
- I see timing belt was replaced at 65K, 12 years ago. I think the recommended interval is 100K, so should I wait?
4) Are these 1993 V6 motors non-interference?
5) Previous owner said small leak at valve cover, and I can see a minor amount of oil residue on front valve cover but not ugly. But I get a whiff of motor oil inside. Would that leak cause that odor, or maybe something else I should check? Any known oil leak areas that cause this (on my 2000 Camry rear valve cover leaks onto exhaust pipe and does same thing).
6) AC isn't cold. Simple as a re-charge? Is this type of refrigerant still rechargeable, or can something else replace it?
7)think I need brakes all-round. Do the calipers just press in, or do they need a special tool to turn/twist them in?
8) Any other things to be mindful of, known issues, preventive action now, etc...,
sorry for all these Qs. I'm fussy and like everything to work and like to be ahead of potential problems I can prevent.
THANKS for any help
