blake918

Hmmm <_< ...but the tranny still shifts buttery smooth, and the lurch is greatly minimized after it is warmed up....very confusing!

I wouldn't be too alarmed by this unless you can pin point the oil leak or ooze. On the ES, the oil filter is up high right under an exhaust manifold. It is very possible that you are seeing oil from a prior oil change. I have the Toyota dealer change my oil, and smoke(spilled oil that is burning) is always coming from under the hood when they pull it back around. Having any kind of mount/bushing/ect. changed is normal on an older car. For $10k, you could find a nicer, slightly higher mileage '97+(I test drove a '97 w/ 90k going for $9500 when I was looking for a second Lex.). I'd maybe consider $8k for a perfect 95-96 with under 100k; $10k is just way too much-warranty or no warranty. Also, you might want to check out a '94 too. IMO, it's the most special year for the first gen. ES300; it's got the 1MZFE like the 95-96 with the looks of the 92-93 and the few updated features inside that are only in '94+. It's got a little from both model runs. :D

Hehe, 1,000,000 me too! Realistically, I'm hoping for 400k-500k. I'm at 231k right now; I expect the engine will go on forever, but I have a feeling that the tranny will go around 300k(I do regular fluid changes, and shifts are very smooth, but the hard lurch is not a promising thing.)

RCT20, that quote seems in line with the quote I got for my '95 LS. I was quoted $2800-$3k to get the entire car painted. He said that the price is so high because there is a lot of labor time to remove the lower grey clading on the car. Too, top notch body shops charge top prices! ;) This body shop did work on one of our Mustangs, and it looked incredible. If I had the money, I'd drop my car off tomorrow to have it done because I know it'd look great. I might look into the hood, roof, and trunk lid since the sides of my car still look good...I could probably swing $700 for that! What's wrong with your paint, 93?

Mustangs are great cars! I guess that's why we have 2...lol. :D One convertible Cobra and one slow 6 cylinder hardtop. I'd gladly add more Fords to our stables! :D

90LS, I've raced my high mileage LS a few times! I'm more worried about law enforcemnet than breaking the LS! I've been to 6k or 6100rpms a few times. The most recent was when 1UZFE said his car couldn't burn rubber. I was doubtful that the LS could burn rubber at all, so I went out to a back road to try it out. I did 0-60 probably 5-7 times. As my reaction time decreased, I was able to get some burning rubber! Wow, Lexus builds cars that can still burn rubber and get 20/27 fuel econ. even after 231k miles; I'm duly impressed!! :D Man, you need to go past 4k rpms just for the sound! It's sensational!!! B) I only "race" my engine about 2% of the time; the other 98% is spent not going over 2k rpms-put-putting along getting great gas mileage! My '95 redlines at 6200rpms. I'm sure the first gen is very similar. I made a post about my LS's tranny quirk a while back, and VMF and several other 95-97 owners reported back with the same problem(I don't know if their jerk is as sever as mine though.). The quirk is a jerk into D or R when the engine is cold, but it smooths out once the car is warm. By jerk, I mean my head snaps back, and if I had a cup of coffee in my hand, it would certainly spill all over me and the dash! This is no exaggeration whatsoever; it's bad. I just don't think this is a "normal characteristic" of the tranny on a flagship Lexus. Could the mounts be a culprit?? BTW, the tranny is silky smooth...this only complicates the trouble shooting process!

You are right...O/D off does give you more power because you are locked down in 3rd gear. I, like many others, opt to go into 4th for gas saving reasons! ;)

I always leave my car in overdrive-4th...here is my shifter--'94+ have no O/D off switch: Some people I know have heard rumors that always running in O/D is harmful for the tranny, but I think that's a load of crap. For the other cars on hills thing: you're probably thinking about towing where you want the O/D off to give the car/truck/suv more power by leaving it in a lower gear. Leave it in 4th for better fuel economy! ;)

90LS, after I changed my oil this weekend, I noticed the same thing on my car. I don't quite have the seepage that you do, but it is there nonetheless. I got depressed for a second, but then, I remembered that I don't burn or leak(as in drops in the driveway) any oil, so why sweat it?? Plus, I think we have oil iddiot lights if it gets too low. BTW, I'm at 230.5k as of today! :D

Precisely! Looks like I'm going to have to go buy new tires to get these Michelin MXV4's(good tires though!) off of my LS!

WOW! :o Only 23?!?!? I'm shocked! I know where you're comming from though. No one ever believes me when I say that I'm 17. People say I look atleast 24-25. LS430, we need more pics of that FX_5!! :D

I figured that just after I submitted. I interpret the " :D " as you've got some sort of shocking age for us, so your age has to be either 25-30 or 50+! Future guessers, 30-40 is out(unless you're 34. It could take days for a number that precise!)!! lol I shall remain on the edge of my seat!

It's the solar sensor for the climate control. If it senses a lot of sunlight, it kicks the a/c down to a lower temp and vise versa. Ambient temp is under the hood I believe, and the MCV10 doesn't have automatic lights. ;)

I know! Who gives a crap?? Who cares if you're old(we'll all be old someday, so who cares? It's a fact of life!)?? An '03 ES owner is in his 70's, and we love him just as much as members that are 30. We're all here for one thing-to talk about our Lexi and develop friendships. That's it! :D I've never once felt descriminated by my young age here! Steve's right; LOC has some great people. :D Take a look at other online car clubs. For ex., I looked at a Mustang Cobra club(since we have one). Wow, was I amazed. The people are so childish, and all they do is argue and insult each other about frivolous things. LS430, that is a gorgeous FX! Doesn't vvt-i use hydraulic lifters to !Removed! and accelerate the opening and closing of the valves to maximize low end hp and torque--fuel econ.? Steve, I say 35-40 years old. <_< I do know what your screen name means! lol There was a post from a long, long time ago that seemed to disappear that had everyone explain their LOC handle.

Who is this? :whistles: Anyways, I hate to spoil the post, but I've already been pulled over. The funny thing is it wasn't for speed! It was for my inspection sticker that ran out 5 months ago. I know; I know; I should have taken care of it(my car is fine; I just never got a round to it!)! The whole situation was for nothing because I had a friend in the local PD take care of the ticket for me! :D muhaha 1UZFE, your theory(about the punks) is very right! The cop that pulled me over asked who the car was for with the implication(maybe I did misinterpret, but I'm extremely doubtful.) that it had to be my dad's or mom's. It is very rude, but I've been driving Lexi since I was 16, so I'm used to all of the nasty looks and stares from other people. Suprisingly, I get the worst treatment from my dealer the 3 or 4 times I've been! My service advisor has a real problem with my age for some reason which is quite suprising since Lexus dealers are supposed to be so wonderful. Having the Lex is well worth it though...you take the good with the bad! B)

I work at a small engineering firm that custom fabricates automation devices. I work both in the field helping techs install them(most of the time) and in the office doing paper work(creating drawing indexes).

Sheesh, $40k for an Explorer! If you wouldn't mind, could you email me those black LS pics? I'm going to order the PC either today or tomorrow...probably tom. since I have to go somewhere in a second.

I knew someone would say that, so that's why I excluded it...see parenthesis! Yeah, the interior was neglected, but the previous owner must have done something right with the mechanicals of the car because she runs like a top! :D However, my ES that has 115k of city driving has trim pieces inside that rattle and annoy the hell out of me. BTW, didn't you already have warranty work done on your '03 ES in the back door to eliminate a rattle??? All that I'm saying is that problems on foreign cars are somehow accepted more than problems on US cars. Maybe it's just me that sees this...I dunno! :chairshot:

I wouldn't put a whole lot of credibility into CarFax. For example, my cousin backed his F150 right into the front of my mom's Cobra causing a mere $3k of damage. The funniest part is Carfax has no idea of the existance this accident as we settled w/o insurance! My cousin paid for the repairs from his own pocket, and that was the end of the whole ordeal. The best way to detect changed body panels(wrecks) is to look for the VIN stickers. Most auto makers put VIN stickers on the body panels to show that they are the origionals. If you see them, it's a good sign, and if not, keep looking. ACF, The Land Cruiser looks really nice, but the monster truck wheels would have to go! ;) lol Furthermore, I can't help but wonder why the LS too small for you, your wife, son, and future child? One could easily stack a couple of strollers in the trunk along with some baby bags and other luggage. Just my $.02, but I'd keep the LS, and if you truely feel that the space is insufficient for long trips, rent a suv or van that better suits your needs for the road trip. Since it sounds like you really want out of the car payment, I'd dump the LS for a Expedition, Explorer, or 4Runner. Everyone likes to bash Fords, huh? Why's that?? Sure, they rattle and some pieces feel cheap, but both of my Lexi-LS(230k) & ES(115k)- rattle too, and that sould be a federal offense for the class of car these are in(ok, we'll exclude the LS...lol). lol A $30k Expedition can in no way be compared to a $55k+ LS like some are using for quality comparison; it's just not the case. The point is, ALL cars are going to have problems, and ALL cars will experience mechanical failure at one point or another. It seems like anytime us Lex owners have a problem-burnt LCD's, suspension bushings, engine/tranny mounts, power steering pumps, dead needles, lower ball joints, crazy tilt/tele wheel motors, antenna mast and the list continues-, it's ok because it's a problem that everyone has, or it's deemed as a "maintinance item." Believe it or not, Toyotas/Lexi are not bullet proof. Buy the car that YOU like and feel comfortable with, not what this group of Lexus loyalist is telling you. ;) Don't worry, I'm not a hypocrite, so I'm guilty as charged with loving the Lexi and doing all of the above!!! :) Glenmore brings a very interesting point to the post! The dreaded Mini Van! IMO, most don't want to drive the Mini Van because of the image they project, but how is that(mini van) image worse than being seen in some wussy, 4 banger, spec sized mini SUV??(Please, no offense mini ute owners!) Here's a prime example: http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAP...2482029962&rd=1 . '00 Oddessy EX, power doors, traction control, auto climate, satelite navi system, and that awesome disappearing 3rd row for $13.5k. Best of luck with your decision ACF...ha-humm, cough... keep the LS!!!! :D

I chose the 5w30 only because that's the viscosity Lexus(?) engineers recommended on the filler cap. My brother has a Tacoma with 140k, and he decided to go up to a much higher viscosity. Needless to say, his fuel mpg went down by 2-4mpg, and I don't think his engine is protected that much more than when he used a thinner viscosity. To me, it seems like it would be easier for the engine to move around in water(5w30) rather than molasses(10w40)! lol Man, I love my LS! :D I don't plan to ever get rid of her. The other night I dropped off a friend after a band rehersal. The funny thing is I punched the gas to hard, and I burnt the hell out of my Michelins!! B) Tire burning power still available with 230k on the clock is nothing short of incredible!....I'm a lifetime Lexus loyalist now!!!

Tom, I put in Mobile 1's 5w30 w/ Toy oil filter; I also live in the deep south-Louisiana. I use what's printed on the oil filler cap. No problems here! I too can appreciate what a fine auto the LS is...that's why I'm not ever going to sell it. :D

Well, I just got in from completing the TSB work. It worked!!!!!!! :D :D My tilt/tele is no longer psycho! I'm sooo happy to have that fixed, and it took well under 30 min. to do it(we put and pulled the key 10x to see that it worked). :D MB, go do this service now! The TSB has step-by-step instructions; it's terribly easy! ;)

Tom, I switched to Mobile1 syn in my '95 LS4 at 225k miles in March. Now, 4k miles later not a single leak.....ever. I plan to refill with syn in 1k when the oil change is due. The car purrrrs! B)

Try Steve's post here: http://us.lexusownersclub.com/forums/index...showtopic=9362& . He spells out every step. I don't know why they don't pin this. <_< He listed all of the products, and Matt added where to buy them. I think this should get you started, but if you have more questions, ask them!