blake918

Hey guys, I just wanted to see if any of yall know what this squeaky sound is in the video. It seems to only happen at low speeds, and only when I'm turning, but I can't duplicate it on demand--it's very random. I last had the car aligned about two months/5,500 miles ago, and they said that one of the tie rods has a little slop in it. My rack also has some slop in it. I've never heard a sound like this before, but I'm guessing it's steering related. http://members.cox.net/bchata2/squeak-1.MPG Wow, I need to clean the car this weekend! :whistles:

I was, but I'm not saying that my views are the right or wrong ones. ;)

Your '03 looks so much better than the 350. ;) The exterior is ok, the ugly rear end notwithstanding, and I still can't get over the weird, semi-circle a/c vents inside.

It looks awesome, just tell them to dress the wheel wells next since they stick out like a sore thumb on such a clean car! ;)

I paid ~$50 to have a key cut once at a locksmith's, so I guess $65 isn't too out of line. Since you are dealing with a nonremote key, why not order one from Sewell? http://www.lexus-parts.com/partdetail.asp?...ubCategoryID=91

Bill, you definantly don't need to go to the dealer for a cell phone install. It's really easy. ;) IMO, there is no need to chop up the Lexus cell phone to try and integrate your Moto with it since when you can remove that old analog cell and just install your Motorola. There is a harness at the back, driver's side of the console that lets you wire up an automute which is probably the best feature of the car phone! A hardwired iPod is going to be a custom hack job likely involving the loss of your cd changer. ;)

No duh, that's why I said "probably" and not "that's the only reason people buy them." Out of their mind? Please don't tell me how I think. In no way do I think hybrid drivers are out of their minds for buying them. I suggested that you do the math IF you are buying a hybrid to conserve gas just like KO suggested because it takes a long time to pay off the hybrid premium that their strictly ice cousins don't have. Again, I never said anything of the sort. In fact, I admire them for going green since it's not on my list when looking at other cars. Just because I would buy a diesel over a hybrid doesn't mean that I think hybrids are wrong. 90% of my miles are on the interstates or in small cities; if I lived in a big city and sat in traffic for hours, I'd be all over the idea of a hybrid, but I don't, so that's why I'm not all in to it. Too, I don't race from stop light to stop light, so the extra performance does nothing for me. If I wanted a real sports car, that's what I'd buy.I like diesel power better than hybrid. It's just me. I don't care if I have a traditional tranny or a cvt, nor do I care if I can get to 60 1/2 second quicker either. In my mind, a hybrid is about saving gas; it's just me; it's my opinion. Buy what ever makes your little heart content. Craig, I'm sorry for jacking this thread.

I beg to differ on that one. Saving gas and/or pollution are probably the biggest reasons for buying hybrids. Enlighten me as to the point of buying a Civic Hybrid, Insight, Camry Hybrid, Prius, etc?? There are certainly better looking, better driving, faster, etc. cars in each of their price classes. If only I had a dime for every time I read how happy a new RX hybrid owner now is after trading in their gas guzzling Expedition or Tahoe on a 400h or how much gas their co-workers suvs drink.... It's not about gas? We don't do emission testing now, and in a state like LA, probably never will. LOL Maybe for some people, but I haven't walked away from driving a car with a CVT mesmorized enough to say I'm only buying a car with that kind of tranny. Just me though. LOL only in California. j/k Seriously though, VW makes some remarkable diesels, from a test driving stand point that is....I don't know how reliable they are in the long run. MB makes a mean new E320 CDI too...27/37 mileage in a car that weighs nearly 2 tons.

It looks great! I love silver cars! The last picture is especially nice with your ES sneaking in the picture! B)

The GS450h doesn't get significantly better mileage than the GS300....25/28 for the hybrid compared to 22/30 for the 300, and the 300 is almost $10,000 cheaper than the 450h. You know how many years you are going to have to drive the hybrid to recoup the price premium? One has to drive their RX400h 10+ years before they start saving from the hybrid system, and by that time, I'm sure the batteries are getting tired=$$$$. IMO, diesel power is a much better alternative to hybrids, but most Americans immediately pass diesels off as noisy, smoke blowing engines that belong more in a Freightliner than their daily driver, and it's a shame because they perform nearly the same as hybrids and are nowhere near as complex. I've driven a Beetle TDI, and you have to struggle to hear its little turbo diesel engine create its 45+ hwy mpg. Too bad we don't get the IS220d. :(

My '95 is up to 285k miles and some change....still running/driving well.

The Lexus dealer in Houston (Westside I believe) that did this TSB on big50daddy (My aunt now owns his car.) charged a tad over $100 for every 10k miles over 90k. He paid a little more than $250 which isn't a bad deal considering what the ecu goes for.

No offense, but are you sure that your figures are correct on that 32mpg? The best I've ever gotten in my '95 was just over 27.5mpg with the wind at my back and going only 55-60 mph. Normal interstate cruising going a few notches past 80 always returns 26mpg and some change while short 5-10 minute city trips yield a meager 15+/- mpg.

I think ACT/SATs aren't worth the paper they are printed on. I can think of a several dopes that I went to high school with that got 27s or 28s on the ACT and had gpa's below 1.5. Yeah, that's a good measurement of their intelligence. Those boring practice coruses and books really helped me to take the tests better. If you have ADD/ADHD/other issue, I know you are allowed to take the ACT at a much slower pace. A friend of mine has dysgraphia, and ACT allowed a teacher to give him the ACT during his lunch period. I think almost all public schools are subject to some form of a std. test from the state. I've seen the one that LA public schools take (the LEAP), and it's a joke--grade school level testing given to high schoolers. I'm glad that I went to private schools becasue we never had to bother with that rediculous test. LOL I know exactly what you mean. Most of these left-wing nuts in the class rooms aren't worth fighting with since they can't hold a decent debate without it turning personal. It really is a shame to hear about what middle and high school teachers are doing to these young kids. I heard about one on the news the other day, that made the kids say "John Kerry is the best" (something along those lines) regularly. I'm not sure if that was the same teacher that was showing the film strip calling some of the more popular conservative figures very obscene names. Apparently, anyone can be a teacher these days....

Hey Bill, I ment to attach this to the last post, so here's the color match issue I was talking about: If you go to car-part.com, you should be able to find one since it's a network of salvagers. If AG is offering a two year warranty, it sounds like a safe deal! I think my experience with AS was one of few since their are so many happy customers out there.

Yep, like Steve said, American Stitches really screwed up my wheel. Right off the bat the color match sucked, and then, the leather started developing these ugly white markings. I have to share some of the blame since I let them get away with that hack job; I should have sent it back as soon as I got it. When it came time to do my LS's steering wheel, I found one on car-part.com. It was $100 shipped, and it still looks brand new and was about 1/3 of the price I paid American Stitches. So, if you can find one at a junk yard by all means go for it....they're cheaper, no down time while having it recovered, and you can find ones that look just as good as new.

I'm gonna have to agree with all of your comments, Glen! ;) There are few things about MBs that Lexus just can't touch-their looks, comfort factor for those over 6', the bank vault like weight that you feel when you ride in them, and prestige. I'd love to have a S or CL class, but I'm afraid of the fact that I might get on first name basis with the flatbed driver! LOL

I guess it all depends on what you are wanting done.....ignition componets, filters, fluids, others of that sort should be fine for them to do. I'd save the more complicated work for a more experienced mechanic.

I find it odd that this would start after they changed the mounts. You didn't notice it before you bought the car? You are by no means alone with this issue which seems to target mostly the 95-97 cars. Come commiserate with us here: http://us.lexusownersclub.com/forums/index...wtopic=9048&hl= It's my personal belief that it's some mechanical (although their are different schools of thought.) issue with the tranny, torque converter, or differential causing this problem. Just the other day, I saw that the tc is listed as a possible cause in the repair manual for this. <_< One day somebody will figure this out and be heralded a saint.

This seems to be fairly common. I know some members persuaded Lexus in to changing their belts for free. I had a Lexus shop in Dallas change my driver's side belt (before I knew you could corner Lexus in to it) for something like $200 or $250. I travel alone mostly as did the PO of my car, so the driver's belt was the only defective one in my car...I'd actually have to feed it back in the the tensioner when I'd get out of the car. It's great to have a seatbelt that works!

I'd go back and make them do what you originally asked. This is the same song and dance that I had with my car as far as the cam and crank seals are concerned. They looked fine when we changed the timing belt the first time. About 15k miles later, I had wicked oil leaks. Those seals need to be changed; they are one of those items to expect to fail. It's not a question of if they will leak, but one of when will they start leaking. Your car is 11 years old, and those seals are brittle and old. I have never ever heard of a Lexus dealer not lumping the timing belt, tensioner, pulleys, water pump, and oil seals all together in the big 90k service, especially since the prices of those parts are negligible in comparison to the labor costs. It sounds like your advisor had good intetions, but if he/she has been working there for more than a week, they would know that of the very few issues on a LS, those seals are in that group. It's not like you were asking anything unreasonable of them like rebuilding a good tranny or something like that. I could see an experienced dealer tech changing the seals, tensioner, and idler pulleys in an hour +/- after the timing belt is fully exposed. Will you end up on the side of the road one day because of them not changing the requested parts? It's not likely, but you asked them to change those parts, it's a very reasonable request, and they should have done it for you.

What kinda southerner drinks Pepsi though?? That's a misdemeanor in some parishes here in Looze-eeeeeee-annna! I thought you only drink Pepsi if you say "ya know" and "you guys," and you drink Coke if you say "yall" and you live in a trailer park?? hahahaha Jeeeeezus, those are sad looking ball joints! What kind of improvements have you noticed?

Jeez, you're just now turning on the ac (I'm not sure I ever turned mine off this year! LOL)?? haha Anyway, that foam is insulation from the vents. As you can see in the pics below, that foam is on the vents, inside and out. My LS will spit some of that foam out occasionally as did my old ES300.

I LOVE that '65 Goat...what a beauty!!!

I'm sure it would fit, but the electronics won't work. Try ebay, there are many engines on there. ;)