blake918

Tax reasons...my dad has a small business, and the more business expenses he has the better! ;) I'm definantly going to have a little chat with Dell tomorrow. Another thing that really irritates me about this laptop is half of the keyboard sinks in while the other half is nice, and tight. Talk about a LEMON. It's not like I've tossed this lug dow 5 flights of stairs or anything; it just sits on my desk, and if I take it with me, it's in a Dell leather case. I don't know what the deal is with their QC. I hope you have better luck with your ABS! ;) '93, have you made any decisions yet?? As a general note, Norton Internet Security is a must! I haven't had a single pop up in the laess than a month and a half I've had the laptop. I highly recommend the program to everyone!!! :D

The only thing you can really do on ebay is comb their feedback and hope for the best. I briefly read over the first 2 pages, and he gets multiple negative messages for lousey communication, and he sent a few wrong items--no comm=you're stuck with the wrong thing! I'd probably steer clear of this seller...9 neutral/negative remarks from buyers in the past month is not too inspiring. An A/C controller should be easy to come across in between ebay and www.car-parts.com. ;) Ebay is great-I've bought and sold tons and tons of things on there(I even sold my dirty old floor mats out of my ES for $40 to help defray the $125 for the new ones! lol); just be as sure as possible you buy from the right seller. When I buy on ebay, I only read the negative comments; it's good to see in what ways they've mistreated other ebayers! Use funds that can be easily tracked like PayPal, BidPay, Money Order, etc should a problem arise.

Did you double check the wires at the plugs and at the rotors to make sure everythng matches up? Is this on your '91 or '95?

Thanks gentlemen!! :D I emailed the seller, and he also said it has seperate pluges for Traction and heated seats. It sounds like a go!

My ashtray doesn't spring open anymore. I found a trim piece on ebay, but it has trac and heated seats buttons-I don't. Do yall think the plugs are the same? Or worst case, could I remove the ashtray from the ebay piece and put it on my current trim piece?

Same problem here on '95 LS4. I've found that unbuckling the belt will allow the tensioner to tighten everything up; then, I quickly buckle back up. It's got to be something electrical because the second the buckle comes out of the holder, the belt flies back. I should probably look into this because if I get hit/hit someone(god forbid), the airbag would probably punch me in the face.

IMO, nothing rides and looks like a Mercedes. They all feel like they weigh as much as a semi. This characteristic seems to be present in all of the MB cars I've driven: '86 560SL(what a classic! My neighbor bought it brand new for his wife's birthday way back.), '98 C230(or is it 220?), and '97 S420. MB's are probably the best looking cars on the road; the current Sclass(the worst looking ones to me are the G's and new E's.) looks just amazing even at the end of it's generation run. My favorite MB is the '97-'99 E420/30(I hate the factroy body kit on the '00+). The big, goofy headlights and simple body shape are very beautiful. The heavy ride and great looks is where the good ends with MB. The C220 was most unimpressive other than it's looks and ride. The tranny was weird and the 4cyl was terribly unrefined. All three that I mentioned have constant problems. :(

I can't seem to find the garage or gallery. Is it just me? <_< I like the look-it reminds me of the look when I first joined!

93, Thanks for the clarification on the processors and the compliments! :D I know nothing about them! I use it mainly for internet, MS Word, Excel, Money, and watching DVD's. The wireless card is probably my favorite thing about the laptop(the 1920x1200 screen is most amazing). It works great. All of the most popular spots on my campus are covered with wireless, so it's great to be able to surf just about anywhere even some outdoor locations. I find that the wireless is very fast. I'm a long time DSL user, and I have no speed complaints whatsoever. If you get a laptop, wireless is an absolute must! ;) Laptop v. desktop...hmm. The laptop is surely more portable(lol), but they are a hell of a lot more expensive than a desktop which translates into a slower performer. With so many places now having wireless coverage, it surely gives laptops an advantage. It is great to be able to pull up your professors power point and follow along in class rather than having to jot everything down. However, with a desktop, you will get um-teen times the computer for the price(and just download the notes when you get to your room). IMO, I suggest a laptop, but I know you love gaming and what not, so a desktop(since you can get more machine for the money) might suit your needs better? I had a desktop for the first few weeks while waiting for this computer to come in. The laptop is better because of its portability. If I wanted to show someone something on my computer or bring it to class, I just unplug a few cords, and I'm gone. With a desktop, I would have had to burn it on a disk or something since I can't pick it up and carry it with me. I LOVE wireless internet, so a laptop is a must for me! IMO also, my Dell is overpriced, but I did get a lot more performance than I would have gotten at Sony. After a month's usage, the case creaks and groans miserably when I pick it up or close/open the screen. Also, one of the external speakers developed a buzz, so I had them send me a replacement set, and come to find out the replacements are refurbished. The left speaker has a huge dent, so they are going to make me send these back again. Who would have thought that something so simple would turn into such a big hassle. I think that is extremely tacky on Dell's part. Shame on Dell for such poor support on a computer of this caliper. No more Dells for me. Is it worth the money?? I'd say probably not. It's best features(screen resolution and wireless capibilities) are not Dell exclusive, so I recommend that others shop else where. I hear that IBMs and Toshibas are supposed to exude the best quality.

I had something similar happen to a corner lense(the one next to the headlight) on my '95. The plastic arm through which the screw passes just cracked off-it was severly dry rotten. The part that broke basically turned into dust. Was I upset to pay $65 for a new corner lense assembly? Yes, but like Steve said these cars have gone through 10 years of southern wrath(heat and pot holes mainly). I am very proud of where my LS is for it's age and mileage-9.5 years and 235k miles respectively. With age and miles one has to come to accept some things breaking/annoying oneself; it took me a while! My car has some soft sounding rattles in the headliner and clunky suspension(what I refer to as annoyance problems, but what's Lexus Premium Sound for?? lol!), but the engine is ghostly silent, consumes no M1 Super syn 5w30 ever or any other fluids, the tranny is smooth, and the entire interior looks brand new other than some soiled carpet(which isn't Lexus's fault). Lexus did an alright job by me! B)

What I find easiest is to let the LOC Gallery take care of it all, and I post a lot of pictures(they make posts a hell of a lot more interesting.)! Pictures direct from my digital camera are about 1.5mb a piece, but when I upload them to the gallery, it compresses and resizes them...it's a great feature! :D Secondary software is not needed...just use the gallery. ;) I'm on a T1 network, and I had time to go do a few things!

Wuzzy, us guys with '95-97's have a plain key and a seperate remote--not the all in one configuration that you have. ;)

Yep, my '94 does have the ECT PWR switch; I think they did away with the switch in the '02+ ES. I never use the PWR mode though. I'm cheap, and I drive a lot of miles each year-about 20k, so I try and conserve as much fuel($$) as possible. I have used the PWR mode before, and I have noticed the gear holding...it's pretty neat. For a lot of fun, turn the PWR switch on and O/D off! lol Also, if you change all of the bulbs and the malfunction light is still on, you might have a bulb that is on its way out, but it's not completely dead yet. I had one of those for about a month before I broke down and spent $35 at the dealer for all of the bulbs in the rear end of my LS. $35 for 8 bulbs is indeed insane, but I quickly found my sanity after that light went out in the dash! :D

The orange car with the marks behind it means that you have a burnt or almost burnt tail light(check 3rd brake light too). ECT PWR(stands for electronic controlled transmission power) is a much debated button as to whether it does anything or not. It is meant to give a sportier feel by holding the gears and upshifting more often. BTW, if you register at Lexus.com owners section, they'll send a brand new owner's manual your way free. ;)

You can't really diagnose the check engine light yourself unless you have an OBDII coded reader. However, your local AutoZone will read the code for you for free. Then, come back and post the code on here, and someone with a repair manual can give you Lexus's list of problem areas.

Would a Philips HID($470) setup be worth the extra $200 over the McCulloch($290)? Do these aftermarket ballasts work as well as OEM? Do they level when you start the car and that kind of thing? On eBay: Philips: http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAP...&category=36476 "McCuloch:" http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAP...me=STRK:MEWA:IT

I had a P0430 code in early August-about 233k miles at the time. I thought I was going to have to shell out big bucks for the cat. I read in the repair manual that a Heated O2 sensor could be at fault also. I was hoping that a piece of garbage or something was on a sensor, so I locked the car down in second gear and brought it up to about 75mph so that the engine was turning many, many rpms. Sure enough, the next day, the check engine light went off. :D I was kind of sad to see the cel go because while it was on, I didn't get anything under 26mpg. I look foward to hearing how the new O2's effect your car! I wouldn't be suprised if mine are origional either.

Welcome to the club!!! :D 138k is hardly high mileage. I'm at 235k miles, and the damn thing just won't quit on me! B) Look foward to a trouble free and pleasurable ownership. Once you have a LS, you will never go back to any other car! The comfort, ride, build quality, quietness, unbeatable powertrain, and conservative, timeless styling are just a few of the things that make you love the car so much! B)

She looks great! Congrats! That is one rare machine. The interior still looks brand new! Nothing to complain(not that you are! just an expression.) about at all for a car that is almost 15 years old! ;) Enjoy her and have fun putting tons of miles on her. B) What do you think about the car itself(comfort, power, ride quality, etc)?

I have no doubts that Mike's story is true since Lexus of New Orleans is a sad excuse for a Lexus dealership-especially the service department. It took them two seperate trips to figure out that my ES300 had a dead alternator. I'm glad I'm at LSU right now because LeBlanc Lexus is an excellent dealership. Who is your service advisor at Lex of NO? Not to name any names(but this narrows it since there is only one lady in the dept), I've dealt with the only female advisor there, and my wanting them to service my car was some sort of inconvience to her. I politely asked for my keys, and that is the last time I've been in that dealership. Their parts department has nothing in stock...not even beige floormats! :o I'm sorry you have to deal with that dealership. You should drive up to BR and let LeBlanc Lexus take care of it. I've used them once, and it was a completely different(...and pleasureable) experience from NO eventhough they do have the same owner. Do you have your car, or is it still at the dealer? I think they should save the money they are spending on the gym that's going to be in the new facility(that's what a saleswoman told me when I test drove a RX) and hire some decent service personel.

Did you happen to notice the rpms while you are getting the vibration? I've noticed a slight problem when I park or turn the wheels at a stop because my car idles really low arround 550-600rpms. My car feels like it has stiffness in the steering wheel movement-kinda like the p/s pump is out. Can you describe your vibration further? Does it feel like a hand message/pusling, stiff feeling/hard to turn, etc? To test my theory, I reved the engine to 700-800rpm, and the problem was gone. It's a really long shot...just a thought! ;) I see you've found a replacement car...have any pictures?

That will be awesome!! :D I believe someone in LOC(but I can't remember who exactly...I believe Agent 99) said the fuel filter is up high, above the differential.

Mr. Larry, it's great to see that you finally joined us! :D :D I love hearing more and more of these stories that the new fuel filters don't make any improvements! What mechanic do you go to? Bob, my '95 runs like a top, and the quad cam V8 goes like a bat out of hell at any given second! I too was planning to change it as a maintinance measure, but I didn't when I found out that it wasn't. I checked my Lexus repair manual, and the fuel filter is NOT in the maintinance schedule nor is it in Price LeBlanc's schedule. It took me a while, but I did find the fuel filter removal procedure in the repair manual; they give a lengthy procedure where they want you to take out the back seat-->fuel pump-->filter. I believe it is covered in the fuel pump removal(I don't have the manuals in front of me at the moment.). I don't know if it's just me, but you have to be very creative when you search for some things(other than big topics) in the Lexus repair manual.

When using these for the first time, use the utmost care and delicacy so that you can get a feel for how they work because they can sand the dye right off of your seat. It happened to me when I was doing it(you'd never see it until I pointed it out. It only happened once, and luckily, the little abrasion is really, really small.); I think I was pressing a little too hard since I had such dirty seats, but the end result was nothing short amazing! :D My highest recommendation. ;)

I find it easiest to spray the seats directly and message it in with my hands. I let the car run with the heater on high until the majority of it is absored. Then, I get a towel and message the rest in(...into the towel most likely! lol).