Lex3486

I had thought previously that the mileage actually may have been wrong if the digital odometer had quit somewhere down the line, but I've grown to doubt this possibility b/c the end of the needle for the speedometer doesn't light up, so I doubt that the cluster is new or else it'd work like new. Plus, it works now so I doubt it'd quit and the magically start workin again. I dunno, how can you ever tell with this digital stuff?! It's nice when it works, but a pain when it doesn't. That's one thing I think the 90-92's have goin for em is an analog odometer.

Yeah, I love the ride-I mean, who wouldn't?! But at the same time, in the back of my mind I've always wanted a smaller more nimble car than even the ES, so...but also in the back of my mind since my family's first ES when I was 13 (and this thought has grown ever since) is that I love everything about the LS-the size, the status quo, the options (unsurpassed in any car I've ever seen...amazing) the attention to detail-it's just simply the best Lexus has to offer and that's alot to be impressed by. ANYHOW, I'm drifting The car; first of all, I'm pretty sure it's sold but I'll get to that. It's a 1994 model, pearl white and silver (beautiful) with gold package, tinted windows and silver wheels. It appears that there's been a little paint work on the driver's side doors-it looks almost as if someone sanded it down with some coarser grain sandpaper and then painted over it with some white; you can see some scratches but they're like under the paint...wierd. Anyhow, barely noticeable I might add. All VIN's match on body panels and it's never been wrecked according to the owner. There is, however, a little doubt in the owner's mind about the mileage, but I truthfully think that's just b/c he's an idiot. Lemme explain; the car was his daughters and she bought it 2 years ago. His daughter has since moved to FL and bought a new ES330, leaving the LS to be sold by her father. The father thought that it had 170 something thousand b/c it had a sticker inside the hood regarding the timing belt that had that mileage on it but Lexus says that the most recent service they've done was in 02 and it had about 100k on it then, whereupon they replaced the timing belt and some other stuff-over 2k worth of work, so they did SOMETHING. He's not sure of the specifics though-obviously not much of a car guy...so that's why he was only asking 5500 for it, so naturally when he found out that it's really got 106k, we were on it like white on rice for that price, but someone else has offered more and he hasn't called us back like we asked him to if he didn't sell it to that guy. The car seems perfectly straight though, and it drives like a dream, although keep in mind that I've never driven another one. The LCD on the A/C works and so does the CD changer and the sub isn't blown. It doesn't have the pesky expensive air shocks, and it doesn't have heated seats or traction control but everything else-CD changer, sunroof, memory seats. As far as how much maintenance other than that in 02, I have no clue. Lexus would know but they don't disclose that info. unless you're the owner of the vehicle. Put it this way though, even if it did have 170k, it'd still be a good buy for 5500. I just don't know if it's what I want, and if it's not what I want, then there's no point in buying it good price or bad. Unless of course I could re-sell it to get enough to buy the dream 5speed SC that I was lookin at that same day...

It seems pretty flawless other than that one thing though, I mean it's just got 106k on it. I did floor it after already doin like 25-30 so maybe it just was goin too fast to downshift. I also tried it with the ECT both on and off and no difference. You really think that I should avoid this one or is that pretty normal seein how it was already underway?

Aw now, let's not jump to conclusions. Neil, does it do anything else that seems slightly suspicious? I was noticing that my mom's 96 (I've been driving it since mine is in the shop) does sorta the same thing. I'm talkin like a very short delay, but a delay nevertheless and I know that its' tranny is fine. I think it's just that the tranny is trying to make the downshift smooth as possible, b/c I know from experience with a blown tranny in an ES that they shift really quick but really hard when they're on their way out. I think maybe what yours is doin is normal but I guess it really depends on how much of a delay we're speakin of here. I'm talkin like 2-3 seconds, just long enough for the gear to shift and the clutches engage smoothly. I'd hate for anyone else ON EARTH to have to deal with what I've had to with Lexus transmissions. <_<

I KNOW! The LS's ride IS amazing, but it just felt almost as if I were sitting on my living room couch watching a movie of driving down the road-it's SO comfortable that you feel almost "detached" from the road. Now maybe in about 15 years that's what I'll be looking for, but for right now, I want something a little sportier-something that keeps me awake when I'm driving it. I also would've thought that with 250hp that the LS would be more motivated, but the one I drove didn't seem any quicker than my ES and maybe not even as quick. It seemed reluctant to downshift from second to first if I stomped it-reminded me much of our Toyota Land Cruiser. I never thought I'd see the day when I get into my ES and think to myself, "man, this is a sporty car" but that's what I thought when I got outta that LS.

Yeah, I do too sadfully. I'm not one to screw people over (seeing how I obviously know how it feels to be screwed over after all this transmission crap) but I'm in need of a more reliable car. I looked at a 93 SC300 yesterday and I drove a 94 LS400 too-the LS is a FINE car but seems a little too much for me (I've always wanted a sportier car, so I don't think this would be a wise decision for me). The SC however seems absolutely perfect. Just one problem-the LS is priced right and the SC is too expensive...these 2 anyway <_<

Well my transmission went out again two days ago. That's it-I'm done with my car. Soon as I get it back operational, it's outta here. :cries: I know it's not really the car itself but rather the "service" that I've gotten, but nevertheless it's never gonna be right again and I can't afford the time or money to keep it goin now. The search is on for an early model SC300 with a 5speed, or maybe, but probably not, an early model LS400. Only reason I'd consider an LS is b/c I know of one I can get a deal on. Anyhow, no more fwd or automatics for me, but I am remaining faithful to the Lexus name (if I can find one I can afford). I'm gonna miss my baby though. Wish I had chosen a better shop that wouldn't kill my car :cries:

Well if it makes you feel any better MeAndMy92, you should be lucky that those are your only problems with your ES. If you had mine, then I guess you'd probably never even look at another Lexus again Don't get me wrong, I absolutely love my car but it has had some MAJOR issues (i.e. head gaskets, radiator, transmission). It hasn't however, and this is rather surprising, developed those little problems like the antenna (well ok, once but that's a really easy fix-in fact, lemme know if you want to know how-extremely easy) the guage needles (I have 2 backlights out but that's my own fault for taking the assembly out and trying to replace the bulbs with another color-I lost one and the other went bad I guess from all the vibration of having it outta the car) I don't have a CD changer to quit working or I'm sure it would have, and I have no sunroof to make noise (much quiter than my old 92 was and my moms 96 is) and I have cloth interior (VERY cool, I love it) and my struts are just now starting to squeak but no clanking noises yet. All in all, I'd say despite the transmission that it's been a great car. I know there's not too many comprable rides out there for the mere 5500 I paid for mine. I guess cars just get old and little things like your problems are gonna happen, Lexus or no Lexus. Just appreciate all the good things about your car and you'll learn to overlook the imperfections. ;)

Hey and welcome to the club! You're correct about the removal of the cover for the front plugs-just remove the two chrome allen head screws and pull off the cover. The rear ones are much more complicated though. I've heard of people finding some way to get them out without removing anything back there, but I find this to be very interesting because I couldn't do anything back there! The few times I've replaced them, I completely removed the intake manifold, but I wouldn't advise doing this unless you have a Lexus facory repair manual (a real money-saver for these cars-it tells you how to fix just about anything you'd ever need to fix). As for the plugs, I'd go with the factory spec ones. I myself put Bosch platinum 4's in mine and haven't had a single problem, but I hear from others that these aren't really much of an improvement but rather a sales gimmick. I dunno if they're any better, but they look cooler :D (as if you can see them anyhow )

Nice man! Do It Yourselfer's rock! (I'm one myself B) ) Saves money AND is unique.

I've at times noticed this sound too. (93 ES w/a rebuilt transmission, new front motor mount, new axles, new "dogbone" motor mount) Does it sound sorta like something is hitting the firewall right behind the glovebox? Cause that's what mine sounds like. There aren't any motor mounts where mine sounds like it's comin from, so I know it's not that...

The isolation is something that I find to be both good and terrible. On my way to the beach last week, me and my friend were driving my mom's ES, doin about 90-95, and my friend all of a sudden exclaims, "wow! feels like we're doin 70 man!" I've done the same thing many times myself. Lucky that a cop isn't the one that pointed out to me how fast I was actually going! I don't however like the degree of isolation when I'm on a twisty road because it can get you in trouble; the ES definitely has it's handling limitations and sometimes you can be going into a turn doing way more than you should be and won't realize it till you're about at the point of no return...this car just takes some gettin used to but I love it! ;)

Well in my opinion, the "chick" or "guy" factor when talking about the car itself, as far as the ES goes, really has to do with the color. For instance, my first ES, a 92, was a beautiful red and gray. I personally think that this color could go either way. Now, my second one on the other hand, is black on black and I think there's no two ways about it-it's a "guy" car. My mom's is a 96 that's champagne w/a gold package-now THAT'S a chick car in my opinion. I feel wussy driving it But I feel like I own the streets in mine. I think too that the generation has alot to do with it; 92-96 I think can really be either, 97-99 I'd say is more of a chick car, and 99-01 more of a guy car (b/c the body lines are a little more "edgy") and the new ones I feel once again can go either way. I know that there are only 2 ES's other than mine at my school and both of them are white 92's; one driven by a guy, one driven by a girl, but both look pathetic next to mine b/c they've not been taken good care of whereas mine's like brand new. B) Geez I love my car :D

Not to spoil your good hopes or "burst your bubble" (ha..ha...ha, sorry had to say that) that's what my car did when the head gasket went; you could drive it for totally random amounts of time (sometimes 10 minutes, sometimes closer to 30 or 40) and it'd start overheating and bubbling out of the overflow tank. Also the radiator cracked (b/c of the excessive pressure in the system). I hope that's not what's wrong with yours! But then again, it isn't uncommon on the 92-93's...

Hey guys! Long time no see. Well I know you're all on the edge of your seats just eagerly anticipating what is going on with my poor car, here it is My dad went ahead and paid to have it fixed while we were on spring break and I got it back last night. It drives better than ever. We're still gonna get a lawyer to get our initial 1200 bucks back, but we went ahead and paid the new guy to actually fix it so everything's back to normal. B)

I'm sure same goes for a 93 model...? I noticed (in the short amt. of time that I had my car back and it was actually functional before I had to take it back to the transmission shop) that my wheel is no longer on center, but the steering didn't seem to be affected much...Also, I noticed when I go over a big bump, I can feel a slight jerking in the wheel, as if there's some component loose such as maybe a strut? I could also hear the movement. Think it's just that, a strut tower bushing perhaps?

It's not neccesarily a question of "can the amp handle the speakers" but rather, will the sound quality be any better, in which case they may be nominally better in sound quality, but more than likely not enough to warrant the cost of replacing them with high end speakers. Now the rear speakers are a different story b/c they actually do recieve more than just bass input, so a good 3-way speaker will actually improve the sound quality, whereas most speakers you could put in the front will sound no better than stock. Also, the stock amp almost certainly isn't capable of making the most of the speakers' potential b/c the speakers that you'll buy more than likely will be an improvement upon the stock units. I'd once again suggest either replacing everything altogether, or replacing with OE speakers and getting your bass from somewhere else-a set of subs in the trunk. Just my 2c though B)

Well, technically the name has changed (he covered up the "Quality" on the sign-it now only says "Transmission") but as for legal changes in ownership, I have no clue. The only paper trail that exists is our original bill and it's in the car <_< But see, we don't really wanna get into the whole small claims court thing b/c it's gonna cost us more in the end than if we'd just walk away and suck up the loss (you gotta consider court costs, lawyer, detective work, etc. etc.) I really just have no clue what to do at this point...

Alright easy answer first; yes the ohms matched. I bought 220watt Pioneer 3-ways and they went in perfectly. Now for the more complicated answer...I actually messed up my stock amplifier a while back b/c of a stupid mistake-it no longer gives output to the rear speakers...SO what I did was spliced the output for the front woofers from the stock amplifier and send it also to the rear speakers through the stock speaker wires, and also hooked this same input up to the high input jack on my amplifier. Now although this is straight-forward "jerry-rigging", it actually works quite well b/c all that the amplifier is hooked up to is subwoofers in the trunk, and seeing how the input it's recieving is supposed to go to the front woofers (only bass), it sounds nice. My only complaint (which I aim to fix by finding another stock amplifier) is that the nice 3 way 6x9's are only producing bass b/c that's all the input they're getting from the stock amplifier. Before, they sounded awesome-definitely a huge improvement in sound range from the stock 2 ways. Someday I'll get another amp, but until then, I'm just tryin to make due with what I have! B) But it thumps for sure-I hardly ever turn the bass past halfway unless I'm tryin to show off, and the front speaker setup provides enough treble and mid to balance it all out, so all things considered (mostly stock with a blown amplifier) it sounds pretty darned good.

Well, we tried to strike up an offer today-$500 to fix it but he turned it down. Don't know what to do now-it's not worth payin a lawyer for only $1200 invested, but that's also too much to just suck up and walk away from...any suggestions anyone?

I tried this once after blowing one stock speaker. I tried Pioneer 2-way 180watt 6.5" speakers and it sounded terrible; nowhere near as much bass as stock, and as you said, no need for 2 or 3-ways b/c those speakers ONLY get bass. Now I guess that if I'd spent a lil more and got, oh say Polk Audio or maybe Rockford Fosgates or something like that, maybe even Infiniti Kappas, it woulda sounded good, but not neccesarily any better. My suggestion-go with all stock speakers in front, some decent 6x9's in back and an amp and subs in the trunk with input from the stock amp and head unit, like I did B) Sounds really really good and still has that neat stock appearance.

I recall someone here swappin their auto for a manual. Anyone know who that was, how well it worked, what all it involved etc?

Paid in cash (d'oh...) It was cheaper that way, guess I know why <_<

Welcome to the club! Your radiator problem is a common one on ES's. Same exact thing happened to mine. Your best option is probably to replace the radiator-you can repair it with such products as JBWeld, but this usually only provides a temporary fix to the problem. Being that you claim to know nothing about cars, it would stand to reason to believe that you don't do any work on them yourself, or else I would tell you how to replace the radiator, as it is actually quite simple. Since that isn't the case, I'd suggest taking the car to a local independently owned Toyota/Lexus shop (that is, one that specializes in Toyotas and/or Lexuses but is not a dealership). If you can't find one of those, then I'd take it to any other reputable radiator shop or just general automotive repair shop in your area. The radiator itself isn't very expensive-if I recall correctly, mine was little over, if even $200. What I would suggest though is to attempt to replace it with one which has a metal top, as they are less prone to cracking as yours has done. If not, a plastic topped one will work fine, just perhaps not as long, but we're talking in terms of years so you really shouldn't have any more worries as far as the radiator goes if you replace it with either plastic or metal. As for your ABS, from your description of how you can actually tell that it's about to malfunction, it sounds as if the ABS is coming on when it doesn't need to and is triggering the warning light b/c of this malfunction. Personally I've had no problems with my ABS ever, so I can't really help you with this problem, but I'm sure someone here has an idea of what to do. Hope I've been of some help, and sorry about the lengthy post but I figure it's best to be detailed rather than concise ;)

Glad you asked actually. See, the reason we took it where we did is b/c they had the best price-$1200 parts and labor. SEEMED like a good deal, but I guess you get what you pay for. Well, now the "new owner" is asking for another grand to fix it b/c apparently the money that we paid the other guy went towards something else (probably his drug habits). We're talking to our lawyer Monday. ;)