Lexucan

I would try pulling your EFI fuse for a few minutes to reset the ECU. The fuse is located in the junction box under the hood, next to the battery. There should be a diagram under the junction box lid to direct you to the proper fuse.

^^ All good points by everyone. My 1993 ES was owned by two ppl before me. The first was the wife of a doctor and I have all her service records from Lexus. The second was a professionally licenced mechanic who I know personally, so although he had no additional maintenance records since he did all the work himself, such as oil changes etc., I know that the car was well maintained during the time he owned it. And as Motoroil suggested, the proof is in the pudding. The car has 435,000 kilometers on it and still runs smoothly. At my last oil change at my local Toyota dealership (much cheaper than taking it to Lexus) my service advisor - who loves my car - said he can see me getting over 600-700K on this engine. And when the time comes, I plan on getting a JDM replacement motor from Japan. They run about $500 and usually have about 70K miles on them, or less. :) Tiger Japanese Auto Parts

It's possible that after the w/p and thermostat were changed, an airlock developed in the system when the coolant was put in. What is the level in the coolant reservoir when the engine is cold? There should be a "Full" mark on the reservoir so you can tell if the coolant level is low. If so, top it up and keep checking it regularly. Did the mechanic put the heat on high in the car when he topped up the coolant after the w/p change? If he didn't, maybe there is an airlock in the heater core. I would start the car when it's cold and remove the rad cap and let the engine warm up. Watch for coolant flowing through the radiator once it's warmed up. If you see coolant flowing, then get your mom to slowly press on the gas pedal (just a little bit) while you watch for air bubbles escaping from the open rad.

The ATF in your picture is Toyota Type T-IV which is NOT compatible with your transmission. Just because it has a Toyota label on it doesn't mean it is ok to use in your particular vehicle. It is meant for newer cars. Your transmission uses Dexron-II/III ATF. You can get it at Autozone as well.

That's called a flush, and I DO NOT recommend it on a high mileage vehicle. The process can, and often does break loose deposits that have built up inside the transmission over years and this can lead to transmission failure in the near future. A drain and fill is the way to go. pete rock: The proper ATF for your car, according to the 1993 owners manual, is Dexron-II/III You are probably thinking of Toyota Type T-IV ATF which is made for newer Toyota vehicles.

Yep, I think "tasteful" should always be a prerequisite when doing mods on an ES. And I agree with you that going thru the hassle of baking the tails to remove the orange lenses doesn't always produce a great result, and can also be risky i.e. warped or leaky taillights afterwards. :( I did a simple but (IMHO) tasteful mod to my front grille. Not everyone likes chrome but I do, and I think my custom chrome grille compliments the other chrome trim and the chrome colored emblems on the car. It all depends on what you like. :)

I think the blacked out strip idea looks pretty cool. It would definitely make your taillights unique looking.

I don't think it resembles the IS350 in any way, shape, or form. It looks more like a Tiburon to me...not that there's anything wrong with that :P

Yeah, it seems like a black interior on the ES was pretty rare back then. I really like the look a lot more than the usual beige interior you see in most of them. My back seats are in pretty good condition (much softer) probably because the windows are tinted so the sun doesn't shine directly on them. But the front seats have taken a beating from the sun over the years through the front windshield. :( I recently purchased one of those foil lined sunshades for it (ordered it from Sewell Lexus) so on sunny days I can prop that up inside the windshield and keep the front seats (and dash) from getting more baked from the rays. it sure helps to keep the temperature down inside the car too. I guess you are familiar with what it's like to sit on black leather on a hot day! :o Yeeeoow!! LOL About the mirror, he ran his wiring for it down the A pillar and under the dash to get power. Did a pretty clean job of it. There's only a small bit of wire showing that goes from the mirror up to the headliner. I think he got it on Ebay for less than $50. It came out of a 2006 ES330 but like I mentioned, they were probably standard before that. But I think the first Auto-dimming mirrors didn't have the digital compass readout. I'd prefer one with the readout. So, whatever you might be able to find in a visit to your local yards would be appreciated. Definitely no rush tho. As I said, this was just on my "wish list". Thanx! :)

Thanks....so how about a good used tranny? Is that too big? LOL (j/k) :D My tranny is still running smooooth....which is somewhat surprising given the fact it has 435,000 kilometers on it. Or maybe that is not so surprising, given that it is a Lexus! :) About the only thing I think I might need is a driver's seat cover that is in better condition. The leather on the seat cushion (the part my butt sits on) has some cracks in it, so it's only a matter of time before one of the cracks is going to open up. But that might not be for another couple of years...who knows? But if you happen to spot a 2nd gen. black leather ES300 front seat cover that looks to be in good condition, let me know. I don't know, are they hard to remove from the seat? Couldn't be too hard, I guess. I know they do come off. Anyways, I'd gladly send you the $$ if you were able to find one. Oh - one more item that has been on my wish list is one of those newer type of auto-dimming rear-view mirrors with the built in digital compass readouts. I think they were standard in the 2006 ES330, but maybe earlier models too. A buddy in Sacramento put one in his 2nd gen ES....looked great!

Awesome! Glad to hear everything is working as it should again! I know you must have felt concerned about driving the car and not being able to accurately monitor the temperature. I haven't had that situation but if I did, it would worry me too! :( I guess we're both a bit paranoid that way...lol Anyways, no problem with helping you out. That's what this forum is for, after all. :) And thanks for your offer. It's good to know someone who has quick access to used parts. You never know when you might need something...I'll think about it and let you know. In the meantime, happy driving!

I'd wait until tomorrow and see what happens after you reinstall the cluster. Since you did not remove the needle from the gauge (or did you remove it?) it should operate properly again once the cluster is reconnected. Let me know how it goes.

As far as finding anything broken inside your cluster, I am pretty sure that the only thing that you'll find is that little pin that has broken loose from the face of your temperature gauge. Once it is glued back in place, you should be good to go! And no, there is no need to get in behind the gauge face to fix it. You shouldn't have to pull the needle off either. About the backlighting bulbs: yes, I found little blue booties on my old incandescent bulbs when i replaced them with LEDs. So, removing them should brighten up your gauges a wee bit.

It sounds to me like the little plastic pin that limits the travel of your gauge needle has either broken off or come loose, and it got caught behind the needle and made the needle stick. When you tapped on the dash, it dislodged the pin and it fell down inside the cluster. This should not be too difficult to fix, and should definitely not require you to buy a new cluster. You'll need to remove the cluster and the smoked plastic front lens so you can get to the face of the temperature gauge. You'll find that loose pin in there somewhere. If it has broken off, you can use a spot of crazy glue to stick it back where it belongs. It is there to keep the needle from dropping down below the lowest mark on the gauge or it may be the one that keeps the needle from traveling past the top mark. You'll be able to tell which one it is once you get in there. For info about how to remove the cluster, click on the LED Instrument Cluster Backlights DIY link in my signature below. Just follow the first 5 steps in the write-up to remove the cluster from the dash. Then there are a few screws and some plastic tabs holding the smoked plastic front lens in place. Hope this helps.

On my car ('93) I can tell that the security code is set b/c when the car is started "SEC" appears in the radio's LCD display for a couple of seconds and then goes out, even if the radio is off. If the radio's security system is disabled, nothing appears in the display when the car is started. Not sure if this would be the same on the '97 model, but probably.

Well, I was going to say something but I guess I'll respect your wishes and keep my big mouth shut.

The code is user definable, meaning whatever 3 digits the original owner selected are the only digits that will work to unlock the radio. I don't know what the default code is as set by the factory, but if you use up all of your 10 tries, then you'll have to take your car to a Lexus dealership where they will reset the code so that you can use your radio again. I'm not sure how much that costs, but you can probably be sure it's not cheap. :( Good luck.

You said a mouthful right there! :D It boggles my mind how someone could even THINK of doing something like that to their new car. The Lexus brand is all about class, style and refinement, not being "slammed" to the ground with huge, funny looking wheels on it! Unfortunately, it seems that these days, that's the first thing a lot of ppl think of doing to their car the moment it's driven off the dealer's lot. It makes me :cries: when I see a thread where someone has just bought their new Lexus and have proudly posted pics of it, and they get all these comments like " nice ride, now let the modding begin" or "looks okay except you need to drop that baby and get rid of those stock rims", etc., etc. So it's a relief to know there are at least a few classy young guys like Kyle left in the world who recognize an elegant design when they see it, and don't immediately want to destroy it by SLAMMING IT! and throwing on bigass rims and spinners!! I recently saw a video on Youtube made by some "auto-design" shop featuring what they had done to a brand new black LS460 to supposedly "upgrade" its look. It was lowered nearly to the ground, had ugly huge black rims and extremely low profile tires on it that looked like black rubber-bands, a cheesy looking body kit, and all the taillights were blacked out. It was just disgusting!!! Lets leave that sort of B.S. for the Honda Civic crowd, shall we?!? :chairshot: In my opinion, Lexus dealerships should make new owners sign a legal document stating that they can never resort to such acts of tastelessness, otherwise the dealership has the right to come and take their car away from them!

Nice pix! Looks so much better without the bra! And yeah, that creepy old house looks like something outa Blair Witch or something! When you checked it out inside, did you see any1 in the basement standing facing the corner?? :o

If you can't find an "ES" emblem for your car, why not replace your "LEXUS" badge with a "CHRYSLER" badge and you're good to go...you know....CHRYSLER - 300 ? Oh, but then you'd also have to swap out your whole interior and replace it with hard plastics, cheap vinyl and fabrics, ugly "bin box" knobs and switches, electronics that don't work, and parts that don't fit right. So, on second thought, just keep looking for another "ES" emblem.

I don't know why that would happen either. Maybe there is some sort of blockage inside the dipstick tube? Perhaps next time try warming the ATF a bit (submerge the container/s in a bath of hot tap water for a few minutes to warm it up) just before you pour it into the funnel. This might help to thin the ATF a little so it will flow down the tube easier. Might be worth a try. Just make sure you don't get any water in the container/s and be sure to dry the outside of the container/s off with a towel first so there is no water that could drip into the funnel as you're pouring.

So I did a little survey of this thread. The most common thing mentioned in this thread that ppl hate about their car is: the cup holders. I've read about that same complaint in other forums as well, and not necessarily Lexus forums. It seems that a badly positioned, poorly designed, or the lack of enough cup holders can be a real deal breaker when it comes to buying a car these days. Remember back in the day when there was no such thing as "cup holders" in ANY vehicle? I do. Back then, your "cup holder" was the space between your legs! I LOVE the cup holders in my ES. Admittedly, I hardly ever use them, but when I need one, there it is! The only thing I don't particularly like about my ES is its profile from a distance of 20 feet or more. I like the way it looks from the back, from the front, from above, from the left or right front quarter panel view, and from the left or right rear quarter panel view. It's just straight on from the side from a distance that it looks a little odd to me. I don't know why it looks odd. I can't explain it. I just does. So, for that reason I try to never approach the car from the side. And if I have to, I close my eyes and grope my way blindly until I get right up to it. Then it's all good! :D

Yes - just be gentle but firm when pulling the needle off the gauge. It might come off easily, or it might be (as some have found) a PITA to get off. ;)

I agree. From what I've learned, the second gen. ES is pretty prone to airlocks. After I had my timing belt replaced, it seemed to take FOREVER to get all the air out of the cooling system.

Remember, this is actually an illustration of a '93 ES front bumper assembly, but hopefully it will help. :)