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nc211

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Everything posted by nc211

  1. Yep, my radio is starting to do this now. In fact, I'm not 100%, because I was driving in traffic, but I think mine scrambled for a second this morning and read "go yourself"!
  2. In light of your other thread, which won't win you too much help around here by the way... we don't work for you, have no obligation to help you, and quite frankly, you posted this question just a two days ago. There might be that one guy who knows the answer and is willing to help, but hasn't signed on in a few days. You've posted this in the wrong section of the site. You need to post this in the ES section with the other ES owners. Most people don't come to this section to answer car questions, but rather to chat about other stuff. This is our sanctuary to escape the sometimes redundant "this doesn't work, what's wrong" stuff. But, answer me this question; you said you bought the car from a local car dealer. Was it a Lexus dealership? If so, I would think they would go the extra mile to assist you. They're good about customer satisfaction, and selling one of their own badges without the keys to enjoy it, is very very very rare, and probably an oversight on their part. But if you bought it from some other dealer, then your option is to either press that dealer to get the keys from the original owner "if it was a trade in", try and get them to share the cost to get the keys, or simply realize that you're in a corner, put there under the "buyer beware" theory. Yes, it is expensive if you have to replace the system. You can save a little money by buying a master set of keys from the online vendors, usually listed on www.parts.com. I understand your frustration, but if I may offer a piece of advice; don't take it out on us. We're here to help, not hurt. And it's a voluntary service, not a requirement.
  3. That's what always amazes me about the majority of Lexus owners....there is always some explanation to mitigate the problems. Something breaks on a GM or BMW, and the owner is likely to start www.ihatebmw.com, but with Lexus the owners seem to just shrug it off. What's even funnier is that if you come on some Lexus boards and complain about a brand new car that has serious problems that the dealer won't fix, you will get labled as a loud mouth whiner. Now that's loyalty. Ah, quit your bitchin', whiner! Hahahaha.... I completely agree Blake, it's amazing to me how tolerable Lexus owners are. Of all the cars I've owned, the LS has required the most service and repairs, by far. But, also the oldest and most miles by far too. For me, it's not the engine or craftsmanship that drives me crazy. It's the suspension and keeping the car smooth and straight. Thing is built to be so smooth and quiet, that one tiny flaw, one tiny thing out of alignment, and you can feel it, and it drives you mad! But when everything is in line, balanced and right....it's like crack!
  4. I agree... Although does the sound change with the air conditioner on / off? My AC whines like a jet engine, always has since the day i got it, but still ice feakin' cold. So just becuase it makes noise, doesn't necessarily mean it's bad. Got about 50k miles on mine, with 131k total mileage to date. Have you tried a little wd40 on the belt to see if that does anything? I've had to do that to mine every once in a while. I agree with RF though, you probably want a mechanic to stick his head in there for a quick listen. My suggestions are easy ones, but if it is your water pump, then you'd best have that replaced. That's one component that takes no mercy when it dies.
  5. Try white wines that are a bit sweet and aged in stainless (not in an oak barrel) like a Riesling ( my fav. is Richter from Germany). Reds are heavy & at room temp. not a good summer drink. But not doing much alcohol is good - no DUI's, no regrets about saying something stupid, well except for that santa conversation. That's funny! SWO, one suggestion..... Boones Farm. You can find it at your local stab-n-grab, next to the "medical enhancers".... be the best night of your life! If the rule still stands from High School, you're guaranteed to score!
  6. Going to Washington, renting Infiniti G35 sedan, pick up a gutter-hooker and bottle of Jack, and tailgate every single shiny Lexus ES330 I see on the beltline, in hopes to find SWO, so I can pull up next to him, slide the hooker's seat back, and yell out the passengers' side window "Sucka'!!!" as I trow' da' LOC-4-LIFE hand sign, and then blow shards of metal out of the tailpipe as I stand on the gas! Then I drop-kick the ho's as$ off outside of SWO's real estate office, with instructions for her to walk in, ask for "dat' pretty-tricky wit da' Lexus, cause Pimpin' NC said he got game, and a place to shack up, !Removed!!" I then proceed back to Dulles, where I stand in the security line, drunk from Jack, and scream "Steve made me do this! Praise be to Skynyrd! Play it pretty for Atlanta!" And the wife still wonders why we haven't received a Christmas card from him....
  7. it sounds like to me that you need some seafoam. I'd do a search for "seafoam" and read up on the intake cleaning, oil, and gas. The reason why I say seafoam, is that it sounds like the initial start, when the engine is cold, and cold "dense" air is being introduced to the engine, it's fine. But after the engine is hot, especially the EGR system, it's rough. Which makes me think the intake is probably dirty, and the egr system is dirty. Seafoam through the brake booster line, as described in several other threads, should show you some possitive results. Also, how is your air filter? Might want to change it out too. The thing about buying these from "old" guys, is that you either have one that was taken care of at the dealership, or you have one that was owned by the mentality of "it starts, it runs, it's fine". But, to me, this sounds like a heat issue, and one thing that can really make a car run rough is bad air. I would not, I repeat, I would not, mess with the plugs until after you seafoam the engine. It very well might foul a plug or two. Infact, I would probably put your old plugs back in for the seafoaming, then replace them afterwards with your new ones. At that time, if you want, you can replace the wires. But, I would think if your wires were bad, you'd know it from the beginning, as cold hampers electrical current moreso than heat does. Or, being in Seattle, you might have a moisture problem on the distributor caps...
  8. Do I really need to respond? :whistles: :D
  9. Weren't those the ones that had to have the engine removed inorder to replace the spark plugs? I always like the marketing campaign of the Nova...which translates in spanish to "no go".
  10. What???? You work at Sears and have a discount???? How did this information get over-looked???? I need more tools man!! I'm a bribe'n guy, and love Subaru's too! Only cool people drive Subarus, it's an elite club of the greatest guys on Earth.... In fact, I think Jesus drove a Subbie, just like you!!! Outside of the Dyson, the only other advice I can offer "as my appliances are originals from 98'" is that we have a GE microwave, that has a button that cooks the food by itself, with temp sensors. No need to time anything, just hit "reheat". And, it actually works! So if you see one with that option, it's not a gimick, it really works. And for a kitchenly-challenged guy like me, has helped me realize the newlywed "Tubby-Hubby-Twenty".
  11. I'm closing in on 130,000 miles, that's all. It was a one owner car, purchased at 84k miles from the Lexus dealership, that sold it originally. It was well taken care of, as I have every single work order ever issued on it, some 40+ pages. If the stereo display went out "it did around 35k miles", the previous owner had Lexus put in a new one all together. It was a corporate car "I later learned" that a commercial real estate mortgage banking firm had, a small shop, in the president's garage. The title is clean as can be. No issues. What wore me out however was the engine computer issue with the off-throttle-shock syndrome. Replaced the computer "on lexus' dime", but still had a wierd wobble to it.... well, you know this story Jibby.... I basically went from Raleigh to Miami, via LA. Replaced all suspension parts to cure it, when it turned out to be the drive shaft itself, thanks to years of that off-throttle-shock. Basically, what should have been used for normal repairs on any older car, was shot in one wad for stuff it didn't need anyway. I agree, it's a bullet proof tank of a car. But nothing from here on out is gonna get fixed under my ownership that costs more than $100 bucks. What I've found, and SWO will most likely agree, is that even though the 95 LS is one of the best cars ever built, it's still 12 years old, and getting older. I'm finding that technology in many cases "not all" has caught up to the industry, and a new Camry is smoother and quieter than my ole' LS these days. True, the LS is smoother and nicer than many other's out there, but age is age. And this shade tree mechanic is worn out with fixing it up. I've accepted the fact that it floats, wanders about on bumpy roads, a/c sounds like a turbine engine, etc... if it's nothing more than cleaning a solenoid screen, or a fluid change.....it ain't gettin' fixed. I've decided that for every dollar needed to fix something, will be put into an interest bearing account and used as a down payment for something new(er) later. Honestly, I like driving my wife's Mazda 3 more these days... it's lighter, easier, and quite frankly, a lot more fun! As evidenced by my 67 in a 50 mph speeding ticket of recent, within the first week of ownership. To me, my LS is like one of those old Mercedes you still see driving around the town that get's handed down to the 16 year old later on, and Dad gets a new ride! I don't have kids, so it's gets handed in. I'm not knockin' the LS at all, it's world class, especially the engine! Has to be the best ever, especially after a few cans of seafoam and proper fluids. I've gotten rid of cars for far less hassle than my LS has given me over the years. But you've got to admit, I'm one member on here that has earned the right to complain about the dirty-bird every now and then! There are times where I just want to yank that wheel and floor it through a field just to beat "that" vibration, smash that shimmy! Hahahaha!!!
  12. Oh, I've moved on amigo...gone are the days of "what is that rattle?" if the car rattles, it rattles, if it thumps, creaks, squeaks, etc.... then so be it. as long as it gets me to and from, all i'm going to do to it from here on out is change the oil, and the occasional alignment/balance/rotation. No more parts, especially the real expensive ones! When what's on there now wears out beyond control, the car gets traded. I'm waiting for some new residential development to finish that I encounter on my commute to work. They've torn up the roads "country roads", which has taken a toll on the car. Once they're done and repave the roads, then I'll be more prone to trade in the 95 for something else. It takes the roads well, and isn't a rattle bucket, but certainly on it's way. I figure best to subject a 12 year old car that isn't worth much to those roads, than a 2 or 3 year old car. But moved on? Yep, the air hammer is idle at my house, and money spent on parts has been redirected to home improvement projects.
  13. I'm torn on this one, as I've had a few that had some problems, including my current LS400 and all of the nightmares of the "wobble". I'd have to say, the car that required the most input from me is the LS400. But the worst car I've ever owned was a 94' GMC Jimmy 4 door SLT. It was the most comfortable driving position, and a true 4x4 tank. I didn't want to get rid of it actually, but after body rust at 32k miles, leaking door seals all around, broken internal seat support, squeaking leaf springs and more rattles than a nursing home....it went bye bye for a 99' Outback. Worst car....Jimmy Second worst car.... 95 LS400 Nicest car......95 LS400 Most frustrating car...... 95 LS400 Favorite car..... 95 LS400 I've decided to not sell my LS400, but rather wait a bit longer and blow it up at the Lexus dealership I bought it from when I'm done with it! Just to say "screw you $3,500 wobble!"
  14. HAHAHA!!!! Another victim of "what's mine, is MINE...what's yours, is mine, and what's ours, is MINE too!" Well, guess you better do as I did, get wireless internet and a laptop for the garage, so you can communicate to the outside world from your only "man-land" workbench....well, that is until she starts her flower planting...then you're screwed!!! Hey LexusFreak, I'll be up in your neck of the woods in July for the Canadian open "financed the course last fall"....kegger at your new house? Party party party!!! Hey, I'm the perfect friend man, come into town, give you an excuse to buy that 62in HDTV 1080p turbo Plasma, chug a case a beer, introduce yourself to the neighborhood as "I'm steve, and this is my mildly mental brother-in-law rob, who is peeing on your bushes". HAHA!!! PARTY AT 420 FREAKY FREAK LANE!!!! JULY!!! Seriously though, your question.. I don't have consumer reports, but I have checked out www.epinions.com for reviews. Infact, just bought a new king size simmons bed this past weekend, and read a bunch of good reviews on it from that site. If you need a vacume cleaner, I can vouch that the Dyson Animal "purple" is well worth the obscene price tag! It rocks!!
  15. Oh you just wait Dens.... you'll make even a bigger fool of yourself in college with the ladies, if you're doing it right! It goes from "like, totally, thanks for the ride home from school, hate riding on the yellow looser-cruiser, wanna come in and play nintendo?"....to "but you said you loved me, i think i want to hold my boom box over my head blaring some song from some movie outside your apartment window"....followed up a few hours later as the sun rises...."I was drunk, my bad"..... then for a few months, usually during your pledgeship into the Sig Ep animal house, it's all "Bro's before Ho's"......followed up 6 months later after all Playboy Magazines have disappeared in someone's blackhole of a room, usually tagged as the Zoo, with...."I totally love you too, third base here I come".....followed up with...."But you said you loved me? I think I want to hold my boom box over my head blaring some song from some....wait, this sounds familiar....ah screw it....peace out' bieatch!" Then, on your last semester of college, you'll meet some total hottie who knows the clock is ticking down to graduation, feel the need to finally try out the DensManDude, and will play you like a violin, and you'll go through this all over again... get a job, hit the social scene within your career, have some fun, buy a car you can't afford, rent a town house in the cool neighborhood.....and then you'll meet your wife....buy a house, want a wagon, sleep in your favorite chair on friday nights, and be happier than all pig-sh*t. End up on some car website, giving advice to some other teenager who just got led around by the nose from some dingy teenage girl, and realize that you did A-OK through it all.... if you're lucky! Which I'm sure you will be Just don't get caught, don't forget to wrap it, and for God's sake, don't wreck your credit.....and it'll all be good!
  16. Thanks to a subscription service to Google Earth, check out the sat. photos of the Tahara, Japan plant where the LS, GS & GX are made and shipped. Pretty cool! I couldn't get good enough resolution for the other plants in Kyushu, Kanto Jidosha, Araco or Cambridge-Ontario. I can sort of make them out, but not very well. But this one is quite clear! Look at all of those BRAND SPANKIN' NEW LEXUS RIDES!! And I can't afford a single one :cries:
  17. well that's about $1,700 saved, so really if you look at it in those terms, you really only paid about $18.3 for it, which is pretty good. Lexus dealership's are always on the top end of full retail. But the fact that you bought it there, they did the servicing there, you can feel better about the top retail pricing due to the fact that if the car is a lemon, you have the simple fact that you bought a used lexus from a certified lexus dealership, who just so happened to be the one servicing the car. Lexus dealerships will typically stand behind their used lexus inventory far better than most, I'm a living testimont to that. You have a good service department behind you, plus their desire to retain you as a car buyer down the road. It's a whole different story if you buy a used lexus off of some used car lot somewhere else, it becomes a problem, and you complain to the lexus dealership. They'll say "what do you want us to do about it? We didn't sell it, we didn't inspect it, a car is a car". And, Lexus Corporate won't be as much help under that scenario either. They're much more prone to help a lexus dealership's reputation, than just a used lexus car owner from somewhere else.... so, i'd rest easy man, i think you got a pretty good deal. Probably paid a little more than normal, but you're gaining the dealership's backing, and that wopper 90k service. Good choice
  18. was the 90k service done? Including the new timing belt and waterpump?
  19. oh man, have i been on here for a long time, searching my own posts from years ago... ah.. aging sucks.... here are the part numbers amigo! http://us.lexusownersclub.com/forums/index...527&hl=rack www.lexuspartsonline.com has them for $17.83 each....
  20. Oh, so you have been to Southern California! Those IDIOTS on motorcycles do that out there like there is nothing to it, and it freaks me out! Out there, it is actually legal for a motorcycle to move between the cars, but only during a traffic jam. It was made legal because at the time, most motorcylces were air cooled, and having them sitting in the traffic jam would make them over heat. So they said it was ok if they wanted to wiggle between the lanes. BUT, and I can personally attest to this from last summer's journey up the 5 from Tiajuana back to Newport Beach, those idiots think 80mph IS a traffic jam! Those guys would come screaming up at 100mph+ between me and the car right next to me, inches from our mirrors. There are actual motorcycle dealerships out there that will not sell you a bike if you haven't had proper training, due to the average life expectancy of 32 days for a "newbie". True story... Newport Beach / Laguna is the millionaire's playground. One guy in the office went to buy some Ninja-type 1100 as his first bike, cash in hand, literally. Dealership refused the sale, said it was unethical for them to allow him to buy the bike from thier shop, knowing there was a 90% chance it would kill him by the end of the season. If you're reading this, and you're one of those guys flying around on your bike out there between cars that are already going 80mph+, clock's tickin' on you.. Nevermind whoever is flying across the border, you gotta' watchout for us Nascar types "tourists" who aren't familiar with the CA driving style, and switch lanes a lot. Basically, here's yer' sign... DOA
  21. Oddly enough, my wife's 07 Mazda 3 does not have them, and I wish it did. I find it strange that a car manufactorer will put in heated seats, traction control, auto rain wipers, tire pressure monitors, 8 air bags, and NO drl? Not to mention, the head lights do not turn off on their own either when you shut down the car and get out, they buzz a warning tone in the car to remind you to turn them off. I thought that was just strange
  22. We're about the same here too Blake. Ohhhh do I long for the days when $1.50 was too much! Like, 36 months ago :cries:
  23. I am actually for them. They're designed to add the same kind of safety feature as they do for motorcyclists....aka...make you NOTICE them. They're not for the driver's benefit, but for traffic's benefit. Your eyes tend to register brighter spots in your vision. With a pack of cars coming at you that has their lights off, you're more opted to notice the one that has their's on. Now when they start blinking like the newer motorcycle's do, that's when I'll start driving around with my hazards on. The one thing that bugs me about them is on the GM trucks and SUV's, how only one seems to be working, no matter which side is on, or how many people are in the truck, it seems like only one works. Rarely have I seen both on at the same time, which I don't understand. GM quality "shining" through again, or is it for a reason?
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