Bykfixer

Wow!! That is crazy!!! Glad you found the issue. The steering sensor being off causes brakes to self-engage? Never would have guessed that was the reason. What caused you to check the steering rack?

Moved to 06-12 thinking perhaps more folks there can see it. https://autopartsearch.com/ Maybe try this.

Perhaps it would be best if you post your request in the 06+ section not the 93-05 section.

Concusions

I started this thread to see what dilemmas I face with a 2004 GS300 with 252k miles on it. The display on my 04 goes dim from time to time but I either listen to a local jazz station as background music or pop in the cassette adapter with mp3 player cord so I really don't need the display. Today's modern car stereos don't appeal to me so I'll stick with the factory set up as long as sound comes from the speakers. When that quits I'll get some kinda razz-a-ma-tazz thinga-majig contraption to replace it and probably upgrade the speakers.....or maybe not.

Baselball

It's under the hood in a fuse panel near the battery in my GS. Popping the top off of the panel isn't so hard. The problem (again with a GS) is the fuse is held down by a 10mm screw on the UNDERSIDE which is quite a pain to get to. After that I put red tape on the + wire and painted the top of the + post red with a sharpie

What? 😁

It's an unfortunate normal as it looks awful but the rust rubs off when braking. It's kinda like railroad tracks. If they sit idle a few days a film of rust forms but once a train rolls over them the surface is nice and shiney.

https://mechanicbase.com/transmission/shift-solenoid/ this might help ease the grief.

My son had a leak that did not drip but did allow air into the system. See, air can enter or exit places fluids cannot. If you re-used squeeze clamps it's probably that. Try replacing the clamp(s). On my sons car he replaced a squeeze type clamp with a screw down type and the issue was resolved. Squeeze type btw is the kind you grab with pliers to "squeeze" the ends to make it loose. Screw down is the kind you use a screwdriver or 8 or 10mm socket to tighten. Squeeze type are considered 1 use only so sometimes they don't re-tighten when re-used.

Oh yeah. Especially when they'd suck up to my dad who didn't like cats. But "daddy's little girl" got to have cats.

Dew eet!! Now!!!

When driving in the mountains in far western VA at night the sides of the hills look like a Christmas tree from all of the stil fires going. If you mean the official factory? Got me. The good stuff comes from the "unofficial" factories.

Keep it unless you just want more modern features.

My sister always had cats when we were kids.

The battery numbers you see like 675 cca is "cold cranking amps". In extreme cold weather the oil is thicker too, which makes the work to crank the engine more difficult with a reduced cold cranking amps. Perhaps have your battery "load tested" to make sure the cca isn't below spec. But keeping the motor and battery warm will definitely help. Especially as the battery ages and cca is reduced.

I've never had any last more than 60k miles but it's usually age that killed mine. With that said I looked up the question and found lots and lots and lots of folks asking the same question. Nissan, Polaris, Ford, etc. It's universal that CV boots seem to be tearing more frequently. Or so it seems. But why? Well that question was largely unanswered. Some users had modified vehicles and the extra stresses would be a cause, or constant off road use. But a Lexus GS would probably not be in that category. One guy said worn motor mounts causing excessive quiver of the boots may expand/contract them more frequently resulting in tearing sooner. Another said if they weren't install correct they trap air when turning and a burp causes a tear. That was about the only two logical answers I saw. I chalk it up to "they just don't make things like they used to" given so many varying vehicle owners are asking the same question.

Acorn

I'm surprised it doesn't chirp, beep, vibrate the seats, sing cucaracha.... something by default. Hell, even Fords do that these days.

You are right to be alarmed. May be nothing to be worried about but your logic is sound. My thought would be maybe the thermostat is not opening/closing like it once did so coolant may "seem" hotter at a sensor until normal flow resumes.

Often times when parasitic drain is ruled out it turns out that it's a ground wire issue. Spotty connection at the contact point to the car or sometimes the wire itself at the connector. Being spotty, it shows up unexpectedly. Many expect a check engine light to light up but if it doesn't affect emissions the light does not light up. When my brother kept complaining about his battery being dead at random times he eventually figured out he wasn't running the engine long enough to recharge the battery so after a few weeks his battery would not have enough juice to start the engine. He began driving on the interstate for 30 minutes at 3000+ rpm's once a week and the issue ceased. All of the computer stuff in the modern automobile takes a lot of power to run them. Combine that with alternators not much more powerful than it takes to keep all of that stuff going and you end up having dead batteries at odd times because instead of recharging the battery in 15 minutes like before it now takes 30-45 to put back the juice it took to crank the engine. It takes a lot of electricity all at once to run the starter motor to crank the engine. Most "technicians" at dealerships anymore paint by numbers when it comes to fixing problems. If the book doesn't spell it out they are stumped. If the book left out a detail they have no clue. Oh, they'll charge you a fee and say they fixed it but many times they have not. It's sad that cars have gotten so complicated it takes a book with step by step instructions in order to make common repairs. A Lexus is a fancy Toyota, so you find a local repair shop that fixes numerous brands and you'll most likely get a correct diagnosis.

I don't like hurricanes when the roof is coming off the house but the sky sure is pretty after it's gone.

Charcoal