mb12345

I have a 97 ES300 with 114K miles on it. I have a CEL with P0420 code, catalyst efficiency below threshold. I have replaced the cat twice with aftermarket ones. In both cases, the CEL came back after a couple of months with the same code. So looks like the previous ones were garbage. In earlier cases, I had the mechanic install the cat. I don't know which ones he was installing. Now, I want to buy a cat myself and have him install. For those who have had this problem before, and put an aftermarket cat, can you advice on which is the best aftermarket cat to buy that will work and not bring on the CEL/P0420? I don't want to put a OEM cat from the dealer as it will cost me $1.5K+, so I want to settle down with a aftermarket cat, but of superior quality. Please advise which is the best aftermarket cat to buy. Thank you.

Thanks. That surely helps. Do you also recall if it was the Universal Fit - Standard or the Universal Fit - Premium. The standard costs about $92 at NAPA and the premium costs about $209.

I have already replaced it twice with aftermarket converters but I still get the code. Was it the Walker brand you purchased from OReilly? Was it the universal one or direct fit? Do you remember how much you paid for it?

I am in a similar situation now. I had a P0135, replaced the O2 sensor near the firewall and now I have the P0420. What did you do in your case? Did you have to replace any other O2 sensors or the cat itself?

Hi, I would like to know if anyone can recommend a good mechanic in the Stamford,CT area (or vicinity)? I have a '97 ES300; I like to buy OEM parts online and take them to a mechanic when I need any repair. Currently I go to a mechanic in Queens,NY but would like to know if there is any good mechanic in this area. It would save me a lot of driving. Thanks, MB

The seat belt is extended all the way. I won't be able to do any cleaning on it unless I can take the back deck out. Any help with getting to the seat belt retracting mechanism would be greatly appreciated. Thanks, John I have the same problem on my '97 es300 and wondering if there is a way to fix it myself. On the rear seat, drive side, someone pulled the seat belt all the way, now it won't retract. Can someone point me to any pics showing how to fix this?

My check engine light came back on. So in a matter of the past 2 weeks, the light came on, then went off and came back on. I paid $250 for the flex pipe + converter, and yes, this is most likely a universal converter and not a direct fit as the mechanic had to weld it in. I did take my car back to the mechanic (the light was off that time), he inspected and did not find any leaks. He still welded it again just to close any minor leaks that may be present. The light came back on a couple of days later, so don't think the second round of welding did any good. Other than this, he does not see anything wrong in 'his' converter. What are my options at this point? Do I have to now go and buy a new OEM converter?

Thanks everyone for your insights, suggestions and advice. I just wanted to post an update that my check engine light went away this evening. I did not do anything yet. I went to work in the morning and the light was on. When returning from work, I turned on the car and it was gone. I have made a couple of short trips since then and the light has not come back on. Based on this occurence, I would again have to lean on the experts here to understand what this means, and if it may have temporarily disappeared and could return again. Another problem that I didn't bring up earlier, as I did not want to divert attention from the CEL problem, was that my fuel mileage had dropped since I had replaced the catalytic converter. Previously I would get about 24mpg and after replacing the converter I am getting around 20mpg. I noticed the drop in mileage after replacing the cat and before the fuel injection service. I have to ask this dumb question, but can the replacement of the cat. converter cause a drop in the mileage too (i.e. if I have a bad cat.) ? Thanks everyone for your help.

I have a '97 Lexus ES300 (105K miles) and got a check engine light 2 days ago. I got it checked and it comes up with a P0420 code. The code description says "Catalyst System Efficiency Below Threshold (Bank 1)". As I understand, it could be due to a defective catalytic converter, damaged O2 ensors, contamination of converter due to incorrect sealant, fuel, or fuel additive. I had 2 repairs/services done on my car in the past 6 weeks: 1) I had replaced the flex pipe and the catalytic converter about 6 weeks ago. The flex pipe was leaking and the exhaust was making a lot of noise. My mechanic advised that I also replace the cat. I got the aftermarket (generic) flex pipe and cat. 2) I had a service done a week ago. I got the transmission liquid flushed, radiator coolant flushed and fuel injection service done. My guess is I am getting this code due to something gone wrong in either of the above 2 repairs/services. The most obvious cause would seem to be the first one, but I don't know if I can rule out the second one as that was the most recent one ( a week ago). I would appreciate if someone could help me with this. Could the second service cause P0420 to be set? Or is it possible that I just got a bad converter in repair 1? If yes, then would it take upto 6 weeks for the code to be set? Any additional advice or suggestions would be appreciated. Thanks, -MB

I paid 7800 for the '97 ES with 63K miles.

Hello All, I recently bought a '97 ES300 with 63K miles on it. Bought it from a private party. The car wasn't driven much in the last 2 years. It was driven only ~100 miles in the past one year and about 2000 miles in the prior year. I have some repairs lined up. I took it to the fairfield, CT lexus dealer for an estimate. I need your advice on the cost of these repairs. I would also like to know which of the work mentioned below should be done at a dealership vs an independant shop. 1. Front calipers have seized. Even though the spring moves freely, the calipers appear stuck, most likely since the car wasn't drive much for the past one year. I can feel that my brakes are not good. The brake pads have 70% lining remaining. The dealership cost to replace the 2 front calipers and resurface rotors is $1100. 2. The axle boot on the driver side is cracked. The inner joint is losing grease. Cost for repair $400. 3. There is a gasket under the engine that is leaking oil. The leak is very minor and I might have some time to replace it. Cost for replacing the gasket valve $550. 4. The power steering pump might possibly need replacement. I would know only after replacing the gasket. If it needs replacement, cost would be $550. 5. The rear suspension might need replacement in the future. I have the adjustable suspension (AVS). While driving in sport mode, I can hear a "thumping" noise coming from the rear passenger side. While in comfort mode, the car doesn't hold too steady when going over bumps. The dealer said the struts are not leaking, so they are safe to drive. They may be getting weak, but don't need replacement now. In future, if I do need to replace them, how much should I expect to pay at a dealer vs an independant shop. Would it be much cheaper if I replace all 4 struts with standard ones. I need to do the front brake job immediately. The dealer estimate of $1100 to replace calipers and resurface rotors seems too high. Please advice if I should get this job done at the dealer or a local shop. How much could I save at a local shop? While I am replacing the calipers, should I just replace the rotors and pads? If I do it at a local shop, should I buy the OEM parts from the dealer? Does anyone know of a decent shop in fairfield county, CT or westchester county, NY? Thanks in advance. Appreciate your help.

Lexusk8 -- I took my '97 ES to westport dealership this morning. Since I just bought this car from a private party, I wanted to do a full inspection and oil change. They were pretty good. They did the inspection in quite detail. I already knew about what was needed on my car, and the inspection just confirmed it. But they are extremely costly if I have to take my car there for regular repairs :) They gave me a price quote of $1160 to replace the front 2 calipers and re-surface rotors, $550 to replace the valve gasket since there is a minor oil leak (I can still go for another year or two before I fix this), $400 for passenger side axle boots. Not sure yet whether the power steering pump needs to be replaced, but if it does need to then it would cost another $550.

← ← Lexusk8: So which place do you go to for the servicing? I just bought a '97 ES300 and need to find a place where I can take it regularly, for preventive maintenance as well as for anything else that comes up. Your advice is appreciated. I live in lower Fairfield county. ← My preference for Lexus service: Lexus of Westport. Have gone there for service of my previous '96 ES and current '01 ES, did 2 separate 90K services w/out major problems or issues, and these guys really know what they are doing. I believe Westport has also extended their service hours to match with those from Greenwich, so you have flexibility when servicing at Westport :) ← Thanks Lexusk8. I will take my car to Lexus of Westport next week and see how it goes. Which part of fairfield do you live in. I am in Stamford.

Call 301-738-8839 ← Any good shops in Westchester county, NY or Fairfield county, CT area ? Thanks!

Is there any other decent place in the fairfield county CT where I could take my ES300 for servicing? cheap and honest ? ← Lexus of Greenwich is the only other dealership in Fairfield County. Although I've never taken my car there for maintenance, I have paid a visit for parts purchases and some quick maintenance advice from the service advisors. The nice thing about this dealership is that they are open M-F until 11PM (long enough to cater the hard-working crowd) :D ← Lexusk8: So which place do you go to for the servicing? I just bought a '97 ES300 and need to find a place where I can take it regularly, for preventive maintenance as well as for anything else that comes up. Your advice is appreciated. I live in lower Fairfield county.

Is there any other decent place in the fairfield county CT where I could take my ES300 for servicing? cheap and honest ?