flanso

I had an intermittent fuel smell in my 2001 ES300. I found it to be the fuel pressure damper that is mounted on the on the driver's side of the fuel rail. Apparently, it dampens pulsations and excess pressure in the fuel rail. Mine leaked only occasionally when high pressure caused the thing to actuate. I discovered the leak by driving until the car was up to operating temperature and then parking with the car idling and observing the fuel rail. It took several repeats of the process before it leaked. The damper is round, about an inch and a half in diameter and covered by a milky colored snap on plastic cap. Sorry, I misplaced the part number but, as I recall, the thing cost about 60 bucks.

$126.95 http://www.amazon.com/Denso-234-9007-Air-F...4636&sr=8-1

On my 2001 ES300, the alternator belt tension is changed by an adjustment bolt on the side of the alternator that is accessible from under the hood. Adjusting belt tension requires that the alternator mounting bolt next to the tension adjustment be loosened slightly before adjusting. As I recall, the mounting bolt on my car is 14mm atf and the adjustment bolt is 12mm atf. I do not know of any way to adjust tension on my power steering belt other than going through the wheel well access panel.

See page 498: http://www.benitomo.com/CATALOGOS/Denso/20...s_Reference.pdf

Several companies make sockets that remove wheel locks. Here is the version from Mac Tools: http://img214.imageshack.us/img214/4080/sc...091104at816.png

I bought the timing belt from discounttoyotaparts.com. I bought a genuine Toyota/Lexus timing belt because an original equipment belt has three marks on it; the TDC mark and one for each of the two cam sprocket index marks. Because the belt is relatively long, having all three marks tells you if you have the correct slack between the sprockets. My car had only 99,000 miles so I replaced only the timing belt and the accessory drive belts.

I found these two sites helpful. On the toyota nation site, the poster uses a 3-jaw puller to remove the crank pulley. Don't use a 3-jaw, it is apt to ruin that very expensive pulley. Using the starter bump method to remove the crank pulley bolt worked very well for me. http://yotarepair.com/1FZ-ME_timingbelt.html http://www.toyotanation.com/forum/showthre...ight=1MZ+timing

I think the bank 1 and bank 2 A/F ratio sensors are the same except for the length of the connector wire, one being about 2 inches longer than the other. The Denso factory website listed the same sensor number for my 2001 ES300, 234-9021, for both bank 1 and bank 2. I plugged that Denso number into Amazon.com and their $126 price was the lowest I found.

I replaced the evaporator and recharged the system on my 1993 MB. The air conditioner on my 2001 ES300 has never needed service. With that limited experience, I'll tell you what I know. I believe that the benchmark for an auto ac working properly is air from the vent closest to the evaporator being at least 20°F cooler than ambient. If your system works but is not cooling that 20°, you can probably get away with buying a recharge canister of R134a; the cans have a rudimentary gauge and instructions. If your system is empty of refrigerant, you probably have a serious leak and if you merely recharge the system, it will leak out again. You can add dye to the system that leaves a brightly colored residue where it leaks out. If you recharge your empty system without evacuating it, moisture in the system will compromise the system's efficiency. For a complete system refill, you'll need a vacuum pump and ac gauges. I bought those tools and then sold them on eBay after I finished the job; doing it that way cost significantly less than have the recharge done at a shop.

I recently changed the bank 1, sensor 1 on my 2001 ES300 after getting the P1135 code. I didn't bother to check the heater circuit resistance because the car has about 100k miles and that appears to be the mileage when these sensors fail. The lowest price I could find was from Amazon.com, $132 for a Denso, which is the brand I much prefer. The problem with the Amazon site, though, is it does not know what sensor fits what. When I searched Amazon by application, I had no luck. I went to the Denso site, found their part number for my ES300 and then searched that part number on Amazon, which they had. By the way, near the firewall on the driver's side, there is an 8 or 10 inch, tubular brace that goes from the intake manifold to the block held on by two bolts with 10 mm heads. Taking off that easily-removable brace gave me a lot more room to get to the sensor and its connector.

I recently replaced the original fuel filter on my 2001 ES300 at 101,000 miles. By all means, use a flare nut wrench; as I recall, mine needed a 14 mm. If you try an open end, you'll round the corners on the fuel line fitting and then it's all over. The difficulty on mine was the bottom fitting was extremely tight. I wore mechanics gloves and wrapped the wrench in a couple of shop towels for more padding. I decided to change mine because a partially clogged filter can cause additional load on the fuel pump which costs substantially more than a fuel filter.

I ran into a stuck bank 1 sensor 1 on my 2001 ES300. I resolved it by first removing the short tubular brace that goes between the intake and engine to get more working room. I sprayed the sensor with penetrating solvent and let it sit for a couple of hours. Then I disconnected the sensor wire and threaded it through a long handled Snap-On 7/8 inch box end wrench until the wrench was squarely over the sensor's hex. The bit of extra room along with the box end on the sensor plus a pair of gloves gave me the confidence to really exert some force on the end of that wrench until the thing finally broke loose.

Take a look at the attached parts diagram. It appears there are two different types of mirror assemblies, one with memory and the other without. Incidentally, the glass and internal parts of the mirror are available from Lexus separately; do you really need the entire assembly?http://www.toyodiy.com/parts/p_U_2002_LEXUS_ES300~330_MCV30L-BEAGKA_8701.html

On my 2001 ES300, the bank 2, sensor 1 and the bank 1, sensor 1 have different original part numbers, 89467-41040 and 89467-41030 respectively. But when you cross those two number to Denso part numbers, they both equal Denso number 234-9021. Apparently the only difference is one has a wire about two inches longer than the other. The 234-9021 has the longer wire and can be used for either bank 1 or 2. If your car is the same as mine, you'll be okay as long as the mechanic didn't throw away the good sensor he replaced. Here is a diagram with part numbers for your 1998: http://www.toyodiy.com/parts/p_U_1998_LEXU....html?hl=89467B

If your 2001 ES300 is like my 2001 ES300, you'll find the cabin filter accessible through an opening on the driver's side just to the right of the accelerator pedal. As I recall, I had to depress the pedal to get it out of the way so I could remove the filter.

The grinding noise is gone. There must have been something wedged between one of the pads and its disc. Thanks for the helpful posts.

The replacement pads are originals from Lexus. The vibration absorbing layers on the back of the pads are intact as are the the metal shims over that material and the wear clips. Since my original post was made, I have removed all the pads and thoroughly inspected the calipers and pads. They're in great condition. I also looked for a slight groove on any of the rotors thinking a stone might have wedged between the pad and rotor but found none. I've not driven much since the disassembly but I'll post the results when I determine if the grinding is still there. I appreciate the advice that has been posted.

On hard stops, just before the car comes to a stop, I can feel a very subtle grinding. It is similar to what is felt when a brake pad has worn through and the pad's metal backing has just begun to rub on the rotor. Today I removed the pads from all wheels and found them all to be evenly worn with at least 3/8" of material left on each. The rotors are smooth and only slightly worn. The car has 98k miles and I replaced the pads a couple of years ago with original equipment ones from Lexus. Any suggestions where the subtle grinding might be originating?

Many tire stores have locking lug nut removers, a reverse threaded, tapered socket that grips the circumference of the lug nut so that it can be removed with an impact wrench. Locking lug nuts are a great idea with today's expensive tires and wheels and McGards are considered by many as the best. If your tire store doesn't have one of these sockets, you can buy your own less for than $25. http://www.thetoolwarehouse.net/shop/LT-40025.html

Thanks, BillyShaft.

I have noticed that the rear muffler and intermediate pipe are hanging a bit low at the rear of my 2001 ES300. The culprits seem to be the stretched oval rubber ring that supports the muffler and the one that supports the intermediate pipe, also stretched. But I cannot find these parts in the exhaust section of the on-line Lexus parts catalogs. In what Lexus catalog section will I find exhaust hangers? Thanks, Frank

On my 2001 ES300, the engine cover is held on by the turning Lexus emblem and three cylindrical fasteners. The three fasteners are threaded in one end and have a female hex in the other end. I do not think that a standard nut will fit in the recess in the engine cover; you may need to get the fasteners from a Lexus dealer.

I recently replaced the timing belt on my 2001 ES300. To remove the crankshaft pulley bolt, I put the socket on the pulley bolt in such a way that the attached 1/2" breaker bar rested up against the lower control arm and then flicked the key for a split second. It worked like a charm.

Got it! Many thanks Kashi and Lexucan.

flanso1@mac.com Thanks.