82DMC12

Hey guys, I have a 1994 ES300. The car has gotten a little sloppy in the last few months going around cloverleafs, and on rough roads. The tires are nearly new and I replaced the rear struts a couple of years ago (they were totally shot). I also feel/hear a clunking sound from the driver's side front when I am on rough road. I believe this may be the strut mount or bearing or something way up there since all the bushings are ok and I do not see anything obviously wrong when I remove the wheel and poke around. There is no oil leaking from the strut. The 'bounce test' appears to show the struts are 'ok'. If I do replace the struts, I think Tokico is the OEM manufacturer, correct? What is the general consensus on DIY replacement struts? The FSM says nothing at all about replacing the coil springs. I suppose those 'lifetime'. Any suggestions? Andy

Hi group, I have a 1994 Lexus ES300. A year ago I replaced the expansion valve on the evaporator core under the dash. Not long after that I began having a foul odor coming from my A/C. I think I must have disturbed some mold or something under there. I know my A/C drain isn't plugged because it always leaves copious amounts of water under the car whenever I am idling with the A/C on. I have tried using a product called PureAir from Checker Auto, as well as spraying lysol down the air intake duct. It only works for a short time before the odor is back. I have also ran hot water through the vent and out the drain to no effect. What else should I do? I was thinking mixing up some bleach and hot water and pouring it down there but I am afraid of what it might do to things that aren't mold, as well as leaking onto my carpets. Andy

OK sounds good to me. I can handle that. I see from Autozone there is a Felpro intake manifold gasket kit (includes lowers) for like $79. Is there anything else I need? Any silicone or gasket sealant? Should I order this stuff from Lexus or is Felpro just as good? I have had good luck with Felpro parts in the past. Also - Does engine oil go up into the manifold? The last engine I did this on, I didn't have to drain the oil. How about on the 1MZ-FE? The shop I went to said I would an oil change after the job, but I still have a couple thousand to go on Mobil 1. I just flushed the coolant with new Toyota red so I plan on saving the coolant by using the block drain and petcock and pushing a hose onto the spouts so I can catch it in a clean bucket. Andy

Well, I just got back from the shop with the estimate. They did a pressure test on the cooling system and found the intake manifold gasket is leaking. I assume they mean the lower gasket between the manifold and heads. They quoted me $320 parts and labor to fix it. I am not afraid to tear the top end down on this engine during an afternoon next week. I only have two questions: 1. I have the FSM downloaded from this site and it appears to be pretty straight-forward - just a lot of little stuff that has to be removed. are there any special tools or warnings? any reason why I shouldn't do it myself? Luckily I have two cars. 2. Can anyone tell me exactly what the part numbers are for all of the gaskets that need to be replaced are? Or do I just call up a parts house and ask for an 'intake manifold gasket kit' Thanks for the help - Andy

Looks like I spoke a little too soon. This time I parked my car in a different spot and put cardboard under it. This morning, there was two distinct puddles - one was water from the A/C and the other was definitely red coolant. It was coming from the P/S middle of the engine. The weird thing is the coolant isnt leaking while the car is running. It only seems to leak while the car is shut off and cooling down overnight. I still can't see any wetness at all from the top of the engine, so I will just have the shop do a pressure check and I am sure they will find what is leaking. Probably a heater hose. I will post back tomorrow so you all know what the deal is. Andy

Hi Group, I am taking my car into the shop on Friday but I was hoping someone on here could point me in the right direction. My car has been losing coolant and I have no idea where it is going. I have replaced the thermostat and radiator cap. After a few days my coolant is low and needs a couple of quarts, which is a lot as I used to work on cars a lot at a quick lube. I have looked under the car and there is no trace of coolant hanging from the frame or engine. I have used a flashlight to look all around the engine from the top and I see no coolant leaks. The petcock on the radiator is tight and not leaking, the radiator is not leaking. Carpets aren't wet and I don't smell coolant. There is only a slight puff of smoke on start up which I suspect is the valve stem guides but it doesn't continue while the car is running. No smoke on acceleration and no indications of coolant in the oil or on the oil cap. I have no clue where it is going yet I am always adding coolant. Another side note is my hydraulic cooling fan has made an annoying hum ever since I changed my power steering pump last year. It only does it when the engine is good and hot. I will have the shop check the fan, check for combustion gasses in the coolant, and do a pressure test. BTW I only use Toyota Red coolant with distilled water. Any ideas? Andy

Hello Group, Anyone replaced the thermostat lately? Any good tips for me? Have a new one from the dealer coming tomorrow. Thanks! Andy

Hi Group, I have a 94 ES300. Last year I replaced my rear struts which were totally shot with Gabriel aftermarkets. I have read on here lately that KYB is the way to go. Now I think my front struts should be replaced as well as the mounts and whatever else is up there. Should I replace my fronts with Gabriels so I have the same brand all around, or is it OK to go with KYB's in the front? Will it really make a difference? At least I think I need new struts - the rear doesn't bounce around on the highway anymore now that I replaced those. The front seems OK when i do the old-fashioned 'bounce test' and I don't see any oil on the pistons, but man this car handles like crap lately, especially when turning or on a cloverleaf. There is also a thunking sound coming from the front end on the driver's side and everything I can see with the wheels off looks OK (bushings, control arms, etc). So I suppose the mounts are bad? No point in tearing everything apart without replacing the struts anyway. Where can I find the mounts and stuff without going to the dealer? I tried ebay but there are none for sale right now. Lexus wants a LOT for these parts!! Thanks for the help - Andy

I know the hydraulic fan is working because it was running while I was adding coolant at the gas station. The hoses feel a little soft on one side but they aren't expanding or cracked. The radiator is rust-free (but its aluminum, right?). The grill is not full of crud or bugs. I really don't see any damage or time-related problems to any of the cooling system components. Luckily today the car is running fine, starts up OK, has plenty of power, and no foam in the oil so it looks like I didn't cook the engine. The thermostat must be on the driver's side of the engine. Any tips on replacing it? Should I get it from Lexus or is one from autozone OK? Is there a gasket or sealant needed? Andy

Hey Group, My 94 ES300 has been overheating the last two days. It has almost 120K on it. The temp gauge is always right below center but yesterday I was just driving around town and saw my check engine light come on and my temp gauge was pegged!! I shut the engine off and coasted into a gas station parking lot and found my coolant was boiling/bubbling with steam in the overflow. Since my work is just two blocks from there, I let it cool down (but still too hot to open rad cap) and then drove to work and shut it off for the rest of the day. Drove it six blocks home after work and popped the hood, added one gallon of toyota red coolant. It was fine until today when I took it to the lakes (about an hour away) and it was running hot most of the way there but not overheating. On the way home it got so hot I had to stop in nearly every town to add coolant or water, whatever I could find. Now my car is in my garage with an engine full of mostly water or yellow universal coolant. I have never had cooling system troubles until now. There is no coolant in my oil that I can tell. Each time I added coolant I ran the engine and squeezed hoses and ran it up to 1500 RPM while adding coolant to try and bleed it. I see no leaks except for where coolant has been overflowing from the reservoir all over the passenger side where the ABS system is. Any ideas on what the problem is? I wonder if my thermostat is all crudded up and is sticking, causing the coolant to boil out. I plan on changing the thermostat and reflushing with toyota red coolant. Any other suggestions? I think the water pump was changed about three years ago and the rad cap was replaced as preventative maint about a year ago at my last flush. Andy

Hey group, I know what you are thinking but I have already done that! 1994 ES300 ------ Here's the problem - my A/C is blowing warm as if it is not cooling at all. The A/C compressor is running and the clutch is engaged but it does not cycle. I have already replaced the expansion valve last summer, then had the system sucked down, it held great vacuum, and recharged. Worked OK all last year, now all spring it has been getting worse. I bought one of those recharge kits with the gauge and the low side shows proper pressure and is 'properly charged'. I also had an A/C line replaced last year at a shop. I checked codes on the HVAC unit - there are none logged. Any other things I can check myself before I take it in and probably get a $1000 A/C job? Luckily I have a 2nd car with great A/C so I am not in a huge hurry. Thanks for the ideas - Andy

Provided fluid has been changed regularly, it should be fine, but why mess with it. keep doing drain and fills...should achieve the same result. just watch the fluid and dont let it burn. Jason (JPImportz) has alwyas said dont ever powerflush a lexus/toyota tranny with high mileage becuase it isnt good for them. had i not listened to him, my 15 year old trans would have bit the dust. instead, its working, nearly as good as new, somewhere here in the metroplex...take it with a grain of salt, but i say with 203K, you must be doing something right. ← Well there are different kinds of 'transmission flushes'. do a google search and learn about them. If you are concerned about dislodging crap, make sure you ask if they mechanic is using a T-Tech brand machine. Those are exchangers and don't use any of their own power. There are other brands/machines that use air power and such to clean the transmission with. I work in the industry and have performed hundreds of T-Techs with no proven problems do to the exchange of the transmission fluid. Then again, I won't flush a tranny that has black or massively burned fluid in it either. Andy

Was this smoke from a seized up compressor and belt? Try running the car and watching the A/C compressor. is there still a belt on it? does it turn with the pulley on the compressor? Andy

Group, I am looking for detailed information (not just verbatim from the Mitchell software) on how to remove the power steering pump from my 1994 ES300. It's leaking like crazy and i'm having a hard time figuring out how to get to the mounting bolt. I have the belt off and one of the return lines off. I broke a universal socket removing the pressure line which I will get to tomorrow. But the main mounting bolt seems to be behind the pulley. How do I get to the bolt? Remove the pulley first? Any tips on how to do this? Thanks - Andy

Hey group, Just got my A/C working properly again and now I'm on to the next project - rear struts! I am going to replace my rear struts but I also need to know what else is recommended to be changed with the struts. How do I tell what else needs to be replaced or should I just do it all anyway? Lastly, where can I get the best price for the parts I need? Strut mounts will cost me over $70 each from the dealer. Should I go with Gabriel (my bro gets them cheap thru work) or KYB struts? Thanks - Andy

Group, I am seeking help in getting to my evaporator. I got the underside of the passenger dash torn apart including the fan but I can't figure out how to get the upper and lower halves of the fan housing out. Has anyone on here done this before and could tell me what it takes? I found a few screws but there must be another one WAY in the back that I can't find or feel. This is a 94 Es300 Thanks! Andy

Turns out my next door neighbor in my condo has an A/C machine and is certified. He said he's purge the system for me but I still need to know where the expansion valve is located. He doesn't have any books or info for this car either. Someone on here has to know. I have the Mitchell on-demand stuff on cdrom which is frankly a waste of money. Andy

Careful! the dogbone mount was likely chewed up because the front liquid filled mount is bad. My guess is you will be replacing the dogbone in about 6 months plus the front liquid mount. The dogbone is just easy to spot because when the liquid mount goes, the dogbone takes all the abuse and it is easy to see on top of the engine. Andy

Well I took apart some of the passenger side fan housing parts today and I found the refrigerant lines going into the car. Looks like they go behind the stereo. Is that where the valve and evaporator are? I don't want to tear that crap apart unless I really have to. Been there done that. Andy

Hey group, Tomorrow I plan on finally replacing my expansion valve. I am looking for detailed instructions on how to get to the valve as well as a good way to discharge the freon before I work on it. R134a is environmentally friendly and since I am trying to save money doing this myself I plan on discharging the system myself and then bringing the car to the A/C shop after I have put the new valve in so they can vacuum and charge the system. If anyone can assist me, please write back promptly. I hope to get this done in early afternoon. I meant to post earlier but have been very busy the last couple days (just bought a condo!). Thanks! Andy

LOL - once again, some people have no clue. 1. Do you think Toyota owns refineries and makes their own fluid? 2. Do you think Toyota is trying to sell their own fluid to you and thus hires marketers to make you want to buy it? 3. ExxonMobil is the builder and blender of Toyota fluids. I know a Mobil representative who told me not in these exact words, but it comes down to: Me - "I heard Toyota oil and transmission fluid you get at the dealer is different than what you get at the aftermarket store even if it says it meets Toyota specifications" Him - "HA HA HA!!! Another urban legend! I can't come right out and say it to you but let me say this. You'll have to read between the lines. When we blend an oil or other fluid, ExxonMobil makes hundreds of thousands of gallons. And when Toyota needs fluid, we blend hundreds of thousands of gallons. Catch my drift?" He went into a little further detail and told me that when one manufacturer approaches them with new specifications for a new engine they have and they need an oil that can meet those specifications, they wind up raising the bar on the entire production run and not just for that manufacturer's needs. For instance - Porsche wants to go 30K on a Mobil 1 oil change. Do you think the Mobil 1 you get at the dealer is different than what you buy at autozone? This is one reason why Mobil is changing their oils - in order to provide Porsche and other highly demanding manufacturers what they need. I'm not making this up. This information was given to me after a company meeting while I was talking one-on-one with the rep. There's nothing special about Toyota oil or tranny fluid (well the Type IV is not compatible with standard DEXIII, true). ONE difference that DOES exist is with pre-H-spec Dexron III, SOME manufactures were not using high enough quality base stocks in order to meet GM's 50K transmission service maintenence recommendations. Earlier this year all tranny fluid switches to DEX-IIIH and cannot be called Dexron (a GM license) if it doesn't use the higher quality base stock. This fluid is available and has been for some time now. If you are doing a fluid change, make sure it says IIIH, then you know you are getting the highest quality non-synthetic you can get. Andy

Group, I am planning on replacing my cam seals on the timing belt side of my 1994 ES300. I am losing about 1/2 qt oil every 3000 miles because of it. The timing belt was replaced by the dealer I bought the car at before I took delivery of it but they cheaped out and didn't do the whole job with cam seals. I am not afraid to tear this sucker apart but I want to know what I am getting into. Do you need any special tools or an oil seal arbor? Has anyone done a write-up on how they did it? Any other parts I should replace while I'm in there? Car has 110K on it and the waterpump and timing belt have already been done. Thanks! Andy

Gray, In my opinion, why not do a drain and fill of the tranny and final drive every time you do an oil change? Change the filter every 30K-50K. I mean why the hell not? Tranny fluid is cheap and the service is easy. I'd rather do it too often than not often enough, personally. My other car is a DeLorean and I change every fluid on the whole car every spring. 2 or 3 oil changes during the summer (stored winters) Andy ← If were talking about the 'filter' as being the transmission filter mesh screen, why in the world are you changing the filter so often? It's re-usable, as it's a mesh screen, not paper or anything. Your waisting your money huge on that replacement. It's like replacing your moonroof glass every couple years.......why? just clean it! ;) ← My mistake. Like you said, I meant clean the screen, not actually replace it with a new one. It's been a little while since the last time I was inside the pan on my ES. As for the DMC, I drive it from around April until October. I don't have to worry about power steering because it doesn't have it. But I do change the brake fluid, coolant, and clutch fluid at LEAST every other year, if not every spring. Only fools let this stuff go forever. I saw one guy's DeLorean who said his brakes were soft - I popped open the brake reservior and it was full of water and chunks of black gel. That wouldn't have happened if he had serviced the car from time to time!! For tire care during the winter I don't put the car up on jack stands because that can cause the bushings in the suspension to flex unnaturally. I air the tires up to max PSI and roll the car a couple times each winter. I've never had a problem with flat spots in the spring and even if I did, I'd rather replace $800 worth of tires than do suspension work!! LOL And yes, Porsche 924's are major pieces of crap. Did you know it was slated to be a VW originally? Kinda reminds me of the Cadillac Cimmaron! Andy

Gray, In my opinion, why not do a drain and fill of the tranny and final drive every time you do an oil change? Change the filter every 30K-50K. I mean why the hell not? Tranny fluid is cheap and the service is easy. I'd rather do it too often than not often enough, personally. My other car is a DeLorean and I change every fluid on the whole car every spring. 2 or 3 oil changes during the summer (stored winters) Andy

You guys have no clue. It's not the FLUSH that ruins the tranny, it's the owner's ineptness with following the maintenence schedule that does it. How is the flush going to ruin a tranny? Do you know how they work? The machine doesn't flush anything. It simply takes the old fluid and exchanges it by volume with clean fluid. No pressure, no electrical plug in, NOTHING. purely mechanical. A transmission flush done at the proper intervals (15K-30K depending on what year you have or owners manual recommends) will in absolutely NO circumstance ruin, 'clog', etc ANY transmission on the face of the Earth. What happens is this: stupid owner has never changed his transmission fluid. He has 100K on it and it's 'starting to shift funny'. The fluid is 'discolored'. So he wants to flush because 'he's heard it might do some good'. He takes it to a tranny shop, they flush it, and two months later the tranny stalls out and he blames 'that stupid rip-off flush'. Well what happened was the fluid was so crappy in his car that it was leaving major varnish and deposits. Once the good clean fluid was installed, the cleaning agents were replaced, and it loosened up the crap left in the tranny and THAT is what eventually gummed it up, NOT THE FLUSH'S FAULT! If you would have drained it and refilled it 3x in 2 weeks you would have the same result. Kind of like how synthetic oil will loosen debris in a neglected engine that was keeping leaks from being apparent. It didn't CAUSE the leak, it EXPOSED IT!! So what is the lesson here? This talk of "don't flush Toyota's/Lexus" is completely stupid and urban legend. There's absolutely nothing to worry about as long as you change your fluid BEFORE it gets dark/discolored/burned-smelling. Why change it if it's not bad? Because once it's bad, it's too late!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Yeah there is a filter too. Change it every other time. Why not? It's not expensive and takes 10 minutes. I hope I don't hear anymore on here about how flushing a Lexus is bad/not recommended. It's all myth and legend. I work in the industry and I know how this stuff goes. Andy Lien