blake918

Wow, it's amazing that you did all of that for $1,000! It's lookin great! B)

If you are in a hurry, order from Sewell. They are usually the most expensive (unless they are running a special on something), but your order will almost always go out the same day, and their website allows you to enter a part number to see if it's in-stock which is a nice feature. Sewell cut and shipped my remote key the same day I ordered, that's fast! Carson usually has the lowest prices, but none of my orders ever get processed quickly--usually 3-4 days before it ships....it's like super saver on Amazon, if you can wait, you'll save money! LOL

Unless it's an iPhone!So true. My iPhone is the reason I haven't put a carphone in my 99 since there are always new bluetooth problems with every firmware release. I'm thinking about getting a CK7Wi (which has bluetooth and pop-port hook-ups) so that if/when the iPhone and bluetooth don't work, I can get a pop-port Nokia that will, and it won't be a total waste of money!

Well, there ya go, that's why they don't want to talk to you! Did you tell them you were going to bring your own punch to the annual meeting too?? Just buy it directly from the Amsoil website, that's what I do. My 6 month preferred membership was $10, and it paid for itself on the first order. I'll order my oil and filter for my next oil change before the membership expires to really utilize the $10 membership. When ordering online, the membership will become active as soon as you add it to your cart. $40 for the membership?? That's insane. According to the Amsoil website, it does not look like Amsoil makes an EaO filter for your IS250. They offer a Wix filter instead. Paying for the cheapest ground shipping they offer, my oil arrives in about 3 days from the day I ordered it; I've got no complaints about their customer service.My LS400 is a completely different animal than an IS250, but it doesn't consume any oil (and if it does, it's not enough to show a change on the dipstick).

I've changed the valve cover gaskets on my '95, and it is not a difficult or time consuming task (about 2 hours total). I was looking at my '99 since they need to be changed, and it's not going to be an issue either. It looks the same as the '95 except I have coil packs to unbolt instead of ignition wires.

There are no additional details on the back other than the service intervals which are 25k miles for normal service, and 15k miles for heavy service (short trips, a lot of idling, etc.). I think we've already all agreed that if your car is still under warranty, you need to do whatever it takes to keep the warranty valid. I'm not talking about tank to tank; I should have better worded my original statement (although it probably wouldn't matter in this witch hunt anyway). I did a 95 mile test loop with the Mobile1 syn that was already in my car, and I went out and did the exact same 95 mile loop right after I put in the Amsoil. I don't know how much more objective it can get than that. My hwy mileage continues to be higher than it was before I switched. I made a point of checking my mileage before and after because Amsoil claimed better mpg, and their claim was accurate. So, yes, mathematical data has convinced me that I have benefited from switching. I love how I'm one of the ones who is working off of conjecture, perception, and imagination when I have actually used the product we are discussing here. Smooth, everything you wrote is all well and good, but did you forget that I (and anyone else who uses this oil) have something to gain by sharing the facts of this oil and getting people to join the Amsoil Cult?? LOL

Smooth, my LS only has 175k miles, she's a baby! I'm a preferred member (I don't know why they don't just call it a discount card), so I only pay $6.95 (instead of $8.90) for ASL and $12 (instead of $16) for a filter. I over stated the dollar amounts in my first post since I forgot that I bought 2 extra quarts of oil and an extra filter, so to change the ASL and filter in my car (takes 6 quarts), it's only $42 + $12 + $13 (for tax and shipping) = $67. Too, if I lived in a larger city, I could pick up the oil directly from a distributor and skip the shipping fees.The gaurantee?? It's right on the bottle.....

Thanks for the overview, Steve! I love the MKS too. I sat in one the other day, and I was really impressed! It's stylish and well built. I like car models who dare to be different like the MKS, new Maxima, and TL (it's surely a love it or hate it car, and I love it!). I'm glad I'm not the only one who thinks the current Camry is crummy--picking the Accord or Sonata would be an easy choice! LOL The interior is a just awful, in looks and quality, and that's a shame since the exterior looks great.

How many miles do you go between oil changes? Randy, the oil is guaranteed for 1 year or 25,000 miles, whichever comes first. I usually do about 25k/year, so it works out perfectly!

I wouldn't buy either of them. The hybrid payback period is still way to long for me to consider buying one over a similar sized, less complex car like a Civic LX. Only if gas is $5/gallon will the Civic Hybrid pay off the hybrid premium in less than 10 years. No thanks! I have to admit that the new Ford Fusion is extremely appealing, until I heard that it is $7k-$8k more than the base I4 model. Wow.

Those LS430 rims look terrific on your car! B)

What codes did AutoZone pull from your car? VSC is what turns off (and it chimes too) when the CEL comes on. ;)

My '99 makes a noise mostly only when I turn too. Here's the sound that mine makes: http://s520.photobucket.com/albums/w322/bc...nt=MVI_2935.flvIs that the same sound you're getting? I've changed lower ball joints, tie rod ends, and strut rod bushings to no avail (the parts improved other ride characteristics, but they didn't silence the noise that I get when turning). I think I'm going to change the upper control arms next (I can't help but wonder if the ball joint is bad).

Superior lubrication is not the only reason people buy expensive motor oil. I HATE changing oil, and I don't trust anyone (quick lube) locally, nor am I going to drive 70 miles to pay Lexus $100 to change it for me. So, switching to Amsoil was an easy choice. Now, instead of changing the oil at least 5 times per year, I change it once. It is so nice. Also, my fuel economy has gone up 4%. I picked up an additional 1 mpg on the hwy after switching (yes, same driving style, speed, climate, traffic, terrain, octane, etc.). It saves money too. An oil change with Mobile 1 (and conventional oil is not much cheaper) cost me roughly $35 * 5 changes/year, so I would have spent $175/year on oil changes. Now, I spend $100/year on an Amsoil oil change. Saving time solves my problem. Saving money with improved fuel economy and less oil and filters to buy is just an added bonus. :)

What Mel did is a beautiful thing. New members are always great, but a new member who actually uses the search feature, WOW!! Welcome aboard Mel!

You've probably gotten the fuse removed already, but if not, here's how you do it: You remove the nut on one end of the fuse block, and there is a snap on the other end that you need to unclip (that was quite difficult to deal with on my car) which will release the fuse block. After you get the fuse block released, you can easily access the other side to remove the little bolt. I marked them in red in this photo....

Be sure to check the alternator fuse under the hood. When it's blown, the car will run, but almost none of the electronic accessories work.Here's a similar thread: http://us.lexusownersclub.com/forums/index...c=54252&hl=

Yep, I bought one (round switches) for my driver's seat. I can take pictures of mine if you want to see what the componets look like in real life. I rigged it up the other day just to make sure it works, and wow, it gets hot instantly. I haven't had the time to drop the seat off to the upholstery guy for installation, but he told me he wants $130 to install the heater in the drivers seat (I'll do the wiring myself).http://www.leatherseats.com/section.asp?sid=7 As for my bling, I hardwired my X50 radar in. I get a lot of compliments on it since it looks so much better without the dangling cord...

Adding rear seat heaters wouldn't be much trouble. Seat heaters are about $120 per seating position + whatever your upholstery guy would charge to put them in. I'm thinking about tinting my windows, but 40% on the front windows is what's legal here, and that's just not dark enough for me. Then again, it probably would be good for protecting the interior.

You get to it in the wheel well. I'm referring to the bracket that attaches the shock and spring assembly to the lower control arm (I probably should have been more clear).This is what I'm referring to, see how the strut rod is blocked in by that bracket....

haha :D I figured at 250,000 miles it really wouldn't matter which model! I have always held the philosophy that any car that runs and has good air conditioning is worth $2000... :whistles: To me it would. The only Lexus I'd consider buying with 250k miles is a LS400 since the majority of them last 300k-500k without major issues. I had a '95 LS that I sold at 315k miles last summer (for more than $2k :P ), and it ran and drove like a new car--which is a vastly different experience than I had with my ES300 (...from hell).

What model is it?

I'd have to go with the GS. I've had a GS300 as a loaner before, and I really liked the way it drove except for the power. I'm not a racer, but the 6 banger didn't seem to have enough oomph (especially low end) for the car, maybe it is because I regularly drive a 400. I probably wouldn't go for the Q45. The gatling gun headlight projectors are cool, but the rest of the exterior doesn't do too much for me--the interior looks pretty nice though. I have to wonder about the Q45; I wonder what it is about the car that has made it such a sales failure (fewer than 1200 units sold in the year of 2005)? I think I've seen more Ferraris than I have Q45s. Is it a good car but over priced (like the current Acura RL)? Or something else? Oooh, that's a great suggestion! I've always really liked the refreshed 3.5RL; it's such a sharp looking car.....

PM me your email address, and I'll send it.

Sewell, Park Place, Carson, Irontoad (aka Thompson Lexus in PA), Lexus Parts Mall, etc. shop each of them and buy from whoever is the cheapest. Unbolt the shock mount (some unbolt the shock too; I find that unnecessary), mark the alignment washers on the strut rod, and then unbolt the strut rod's nuts and bolts. It's a very easy job.