blake918

I also used American Stitches(last summer); they reupholstered my ES's steering wheel to the tune of $300-pricey is right! Plus, the ES's wheel is smaller than my LS's KW sized wheel, so they might even charge a little more. The leather work was excellent, but I was a little disappointed with the color match. The new cover was much, brighter and vibrant than the old one that matched the rest of my interior. When I got my LS and the steering wheel needed work like my ES, I decided to try something different. I found a wheel out of a wrecked LS that is in excellent condition for $100. Plus, I didn't have the week and a half of down time because I had to mail off my wheel to have it worked on. Here you can see what I'm talking about with my ES: And a very similar wheel for $100 in my LS:

I have a Nokia 3588i right now. Overall, I'm pleased with it. I like the simple, straight foward designs that Nokia incorporates into their phones. I am, however, disappointed with the lack of a quality feel to the phone-the case in particular. I have had a couple random reliability issues: the power button hasn't worked for me--probably 5 times and the color screen severley looses quality when it gets over 105 outside which in the deep south is an issue for me. I'd prefer one of Motorola's flip phones. Other phones I've had: -Kyocera: crap, crap, crap -"Sprint" branded phone: no real issues; I just didn't like the phone's design! I agree with VMF that Motorolas are some of the best because they are simple and have a solid, quality feel. My parents have had them since the early 90's-their first one(and all of the equipment it used) had to be fitted in a bag! I wish Sprint had more than 5 phones to offer which is the main reason why I hate their service.

I'd bet the oil your friend saw was just a little seapage around the oil pan(very common on older LS's). If the car is not consuming an oil(drops, burning oil, leaks, etc.), I would not be concerned at all. If you think the car is overfilled, just do the oil and filter service now. It's a good measure to take with any new car anyways! You'll have to check with the dealer as far as returning the car is concerned. ;) Is the car a Coach Edition or does just have the rims? Here are a few Lexus part sites: http://www.irontoad.com (alias for Thompson Lex in PA) http://www.lexus-parts.com (Sewell Lex in TX) https://www.trademotion.com/partlocator/ind...=20&catalogid=1 (Park Place Lex, Plano, TX)

1) Expect $180+ for a good job. I'm getting my tint done(30%, I'm going to pick the color and all of that tomorrow when I drop it off) tomorrow for $190, but this guy is very professional and only works with lux cars, and I've seen his work, so I don't mind paying a little extra for a good job. Sure, you can find cheaper, but be sure to look over his work(and the make/model of the cars in there since rich people are usually very picky about who does what with their cars) and his work space(as it is usually indicative of the work he does). 2) Most dealers will do tint. Call your "service advisor" for all of the details! lol 3) I've got no clue about the nav!

It looks like we have the same engine trouble code! You should be dealing with P0420 or P0430 depending on which bank is troublesome, but since they're saying you need 2 cats, you're looking at both banks. Did you ask them if they checked the individual o2 sensors for problems, or did they just read the check engine light? Lexus provides the procedures on how to do so. I'm saying all of this because I'm doubtful that the emissions system all went out at once, but it is entirely possible! That price they gave you is pretty decent-$2700 for two cats and 2 o2 sensors(each cat is about $900, and the O2's are about $140 each). To your origional question(!): my car runs perfectly smooth(and gives improved fuel econ!!!! I'm thinking my O2 is bad because of the fuel improvement.) with the check engine light on(either the cat or o2), so like sark said, check out the engine/tranny mounts. Blake 1995 LS400

Cashmere Beige :D and Black Onyx. Cashmere is the best!

My '94 had a similar overheating saga a few months ago-the car would get hot, and the fan would not cut on at the right time, and when it did, it seemed slow. It turned out to be a fried cooling fan relay and bad radiator; all is well now! The relay is under the hood in a covered compartment right in front of the battery. Make sure the p/s resivoir is full too. For the check engine light, take your car to AutoZone because they can read the codes for free. Tell them your car is a '97 because that's when all cars because OBDII, but Lexus was ahead of the game and switched over in '94 on the ES300. After you get the code, post it up on here, and I or someone else with a repair manual witll tell you what it means along with it's probable causes. 167k...that's awesome! Keep up the good work! Does anyone have more than ~170k on their ES?? Mine has 122, 3xx. B)

No problem! I hope it's not illegal. lol Cheap...me too! lol That's the sole reason for my subscription....$12 a year v. $4 an issue at the store! ;) So true about Chris Bangle! ;)

I just pulled my September issue of Motor Trend out of the mailbox, and the reults are as follows: 1. Audi A8L 2. LS430(Ultra Lux) 3. VW Phaeton V8 4. Merc S430 5. Tie: Jag Vanden Plas and BMW 745i "Our Take (on LS430) What's Hot: -Excuisite refinement -Abundant conveniences -User friendly demeanor What's Not: -Stodgy design....huh?? <_< -Greasy limit handling -Over protective electronic stability nanny Don't Miss With Lexus mobile phone, calls can be made by selecting address on nav screen. Bottom Line: Masterful quality and comfort for 8/10ths driving and below. An awesome quote: Hard to imagine a more finely crafted, luxuriously appointed driving machine-especially one so attuned to the needs of its occupants. Only wimpy limit handling marred an otherwise bravura performance." -Arthur St. Antoine and MT Editors BMW's down fall started with the iDrive! ;)

OMG, you watch waaaay too much CNN! lol Almost all, entertainers/actors (Barbra Streisand disgusts me) are on the left coast(Pun intended! lol). Lexusfreak, I'm glad you brought up Bill! Everyone likes to glorify his tenure, but I'm glad that you also see that he wasn't as great as everyone likes to think he was. Your(and dcfish!) posts are my exact thoughts! ;) Who am I voting for????? :D This poll is actually pretty suprising to me; I thought there would be a lot more support for the right side since Lexus targets a pretty conservative crowd. I'm voting for GW Bush because I think he is doing a fine job running our country(and don't even give me all of this crap about the economy and it's recessions after a TERRORIST ATTACK because that is the biggest load of sh_t I'll ever hear). This is all I'm saying; I hate arguing politics with people because it's usually a waste of time!

K9, check this out: http://www.irontoad.com/Merchant2/merchant..._Code=1999ls400 . Irontoad.com has the cabin filter for $24! Man newlexusparts really got me when I paid $40 for the same thing! I've ordered from both companies, and both were very pleasurable experiences! :)

Thank you, thank you! :D My ears are burning! What would I be offended by?? <_< ...you say what a good thread it's turning out to be, thank everyone for the info thus far, and say that you understand why I made the origional thread about the 2k rule. Maybe it went right over my head, but I still don't see it! How'd I do it(28 mpg)? It was all highway with maybe 2 miles of stop-and-go city type stuff with clear, very calm weather conditions. I regularly get 21-22 in the city, so 28 on strictly the highway is not to far out of the question. On my drive to work, I have auto pilot set in 59-69mph (for 55 and 65 speed postings), so at 59 mph, I'm hardly turning any rpms. Some days, I go faster purely out of bordem or if I over sleep! lol I got 26mpg 2 weeks ago, and that was with some city driving mixed in. I'll have to make note of things the next time I go 98% hwy. ;) I maintain my car very well which could contribute to my good fuel econ. I have Mobile1 synthetic 5w30, Toyota oil filter, tranny drains with every oil change--refill with Toyota T-IV, a regularly cleaned Toyota paper air filter, Michelins(MXV4 plus) aired up to 44psi, and Shell or Chevron premium gasoline. Also, I've got a completely new ignition: ND iridium plugs with OEM wires, caps, and rotors. I've got to schedule an appointment for a new fuel filter to see what that'll do since I think mine is the origional! You get 17-21 mixed highway...not too bad! You might want to check the air filter, look into a fuel injector service(about $100 at Toyota), maybe it's time for a new ignition(?), and check your tire pressure. I ride on 44psi...always, but I've tried them at 32psi(or whatever it is that the glove box tells you), and I find the ride just as cushy riding on 44psi. With 32, I found the tires looked flat, and the car seemed to wander a little on the highway. Fixing the tire pressure cured those problems, and my cars still rides silky smooth even over big bumps(it doesn't jar you like you'd think) despite the tire pressure. That's not the only thing people have told me I'm full of!! ;)

Happy birthday!!! :D :D

I'm sure you could change the settings yourself, but I could only guess how much the scan tool costs! ;) I asked how much the scanning tools they have in the repair manual go for, and a manager told me north of $15k!!! WHAT???? That's crazy! I'm not sure where they plug the scanner into. Sewell Lex has the valet key for $50...that's a great price! Here's the link(give it a sec. It's slow to open even with my broadband conn.): http://www.lexus-parts.com/partlist.asp?Su...D=22&ModelID=22

BINGO!! lol It's all about saving the premium! ;) I'm sure it helps with the wear of the car, but I'm not all that concerned with that since the engine is bulletproof! Hell, the other day I had the car in 2nd doing 85-90. It was quite exhilerating!! B) I'm glad you tried the experiment! It took me about a week or so to get used to it, and now I don't even need to watch the tach. The real savior is the intelligence on our tranny's because it follows your habbits and shifts accordingly. Maybe your magic number is 2500rpms to give you a little more excitement?? I think Agent99 told me he doesn't rev any higher than 1700! I'm going to have to try that one day! After switching acceleration methods, my gas mileage went up 20% on a bad day! It's a win-win-win situation: better mpg, it goes easy on the car, and it keeps me out of trouble. Yeah...on the freeway, you're free to go however fast you want! lol I had my cruise set on 115 for a while one time, and I still got 22-23 mpg. Haha Below you can see(I hope yall have Excel!) my fuel progess since I started driving my LS in March(I actually got it in Feb, but I had to wait for the insurance coverage and this and that, and then I filled up all of the spark plug holes with water while cleaning, so that was more down time also.): Average MPG since March: 21.6(highest: 28.4 and lowest: 16.4. The 16.4 was when I made like 10 0-60 runs--1uzfe said his beast wouldn't burn rubber, so I had to go out and see if I could get mine to. It did!!!!), miles travled :7,864, and total ammount I've spent on gas: $767.57(WOW-in just 5 months!). All stats as of 7/27/04. Lexus_Fuel_Data.xls

Sorry about that typo. Haha, a '97 that is really a '94! I guess your uncle forgot what year and model car you drive!

'99 with under 50k.....exceptional value is an understatement!!!!!! Buy it if you have the oppertunity and if it checks out ok. B)

Sorry I missed that post above where you say you bought from LexNO. That's great that they are treating you so well and making sure you are satisfied! Do you know what body shop they used? Do you have any pics of the new rig? Enjoy your wonderful new car!! B)

Great tips Monarch! The filter cap wrench is a must since the filter is sooo small. Also, while at WalMart get a pair of Rhino Ramps. Agent 99 recommended them to me, and they are worth every penny. They are low profile, so the LS can scoot(my '95 does atleast, and the '98 is close enough!) right up with out scratching the tail pipes or bumper.

Because In Late November of 1994 is when the Chassis and Engine was redesigned for the 1995 model year (LS400). That's why you haveK0You probably have a slightly stiffer chassis as well, just like on the LS. Good for you. UCF3, I'm kinda confused about the above post(the ES got the new mechanicals for the '94 model year)...the ES300 experts here that have most likely never owned one are telling me that I haven't gotten the OBDII codes out of my 1994 ES300 not my LS(1995) which I find pretty comical. lol Before long, I'm going to have to take a pic of the title and registration to show that I do have two Lexi to show, and it's not some farce! Outstanding, Mr. Khan! Thank you very much! :D Same to you 92Lex! :D Huh?? I don't need to prove anything that is blatantly factual. I know 1000% that my 1994 ES300 is OBDII compliant along with my 1995 LS400. The insignia I was referring to was on my LS that according to the website you found is also not OBDII since it's pre 1996. Lexus Repair Manual authors know which version of onboard diagnostics (OBD) their cars have, and the fact that I've been to AutoZone, received the codes, and read up on the trouble code in my Lex Repair Manual is plenty enough evidence for me, and I'm sorry that senario is not good enough for you as it seems pretty incriminating to me.I apologize for being so rude…truly, but I’m tired of trying to prove something that is factual...factual as in = needs no proving. It's not like I win some kind of prize for having a '94 that is OBDII compliant!

Bryan, no hard feelings here at all!! :D I just wanted to say that eventhough I have two Lexus keys on my key chain, I'm not a spoiled brat, and I can and do work hard! I also see what you're saying about kids with brand new cars not appreciating them at all...quite disgusting! I must(lol), and thanks for sharing! :D

Congrats Mike!!!! :D What dealer did you end up going through? I don't because I dream about the Lexi!! :D

2k rpms on my '95 will get me about 62mph. I follow the 2k rpm limit only in the city--on the highway I typically go 5-10 over the posted speed(Louisiana has really slow speed limits with too many cops...a 70 zone is a treat! lol). I do that strictly for fuel economy reasons.

Hahaha...too funny! :D I presume your birthday was good?? I just read that the LS is finally taking it easy on you, so that's atleast a good start! ;) I could really give a crap about getting old! It's just part of life(and death). No need to fear the inevitable! ;)

I give up on you people. I've PM'ed SKperformance, so hopefully, he'll respond soon. You are all wrong; the '94 ES is OBDII. AutoZone has read the codes for me on their OBDII code reader. I know it's OBDII, and I'm sorry you guys don't believe me. :( AutoZone doesn't read OBDI. I don't know what more I can say. Maybe someone with "management team" under his avator is more credible than me. The ES got a new engine in '94-the 1MZ-FE-3.0 V6 that went out of production in '03. It was the new engine that they planned to keep for a while, so they planned ahead.