branshew

They don't call it the "Stealership" for nothing - those prices are through the roof. A Toyota stealer will probably be similarly priced. Are you sure you need your rotors resurfaced? I know the caliper is seized, but there is a chance that it didn't warp the rotors. Get a 2nd opinion from an indeoendent mechanic and don't mention anything that dealership said to you when you ask him to look at those things. I'd bet his opinion would be different and his prices should be about 1/2. Unless you have a warranty, deep pockets, or need a loaner the stealership is the last place I'd ever take my car for repairs. They always try to upsell you on repairs and replace more than they need to just to be "safe". (It's like replacing your entire PC because your keyboard is broken)

I'll kick myself if that's all it takes. I bought some new bushings today and I'll probably put them in on Sat - apparrently w/ a little lube on them.

I think you just answered your own question. My wife's 1st gen went over 160K w/o a tranny or PS pump or alternator or starter, etc... and was one of the least expensive cars in terms of total cost of ownership that we have ever had. My '95 is still going strong and the most expensive thing I've done to it was the Timing Belt/ Water Pump. Some things are wear and tear and would have to be replaced on any car, but for the most part Lexus' are incredibly reliable cars. As to the sludge issue, I would suggest you to check out the following websites: Bob Is The Oil Guy Auto Rx

93 octan....Premium always! (or SUPER Premium at 7-eleven) I pulled the cluster and replaced the bulb but the back light behind the temp gauge still stays off...from what I've read those things are pretty annoying. I was surprised...taking out the gauge cluster is really easy. I might do it again just for the fun of it :-P ← Why did you replace the bulb? If the CEL is onthen you know the bulb is good. Your problem is elsewhere. No need to mess w/ the cluster if you don't need to. There are alot of complex circuits in there, you could bend a pin on one of the connectors if your not careful, etc.. It's also rather easy to mess up your gauges.

A few things here: TRAC or Treaction Control prevents the drive wheels from spinning on slippery surfaces (i.e. water/snow/ice). Driving up an icy slope is likely to cause some wheel slippage which engages the TRAC feature which slows/stops/disengages the drive wheels which prevents you from climbing the hill. I had ASR (TRAC) on my C Class (RWD) and I could never get going anywhere in the snow from a stop (or uphill) until i turned it off. I usually put it back on after I gained some momentum because free-spinning wheels are never good when you are looking for traction. VSC is stability control/skid control where the car senses an impending loss of control and puts the brakes on one or more wheels to try to keep the car from losing control. It is not quite the same as TRAC and it also works on the non-drive wheels. Like you mentioned - even with all those nice features it ultimately comes down to the tires. If your tires are sliding on the ice/snowpack then no TRAC, VSC, or heavy braking would have helped you. Applying the brakes heavily on ice/snowpack probably made the situation worse in that your wheels locked up and had no chance of gaining traction and allowing you to steer the car away from whatever it was that you bumped. You probably would have been better off in that condition turning the TRAC off and dropping the car to a lower gear in hopes of getting some traction and using the transmission (in combination w/ what little traction you could get) as your brake. Heavy braking in the snow/ice is worthless. You could be going strainght at 20 MPH, jam on the brakes, and turn the wheel hard to the L or R and you'd still be going straight. I would suggest that the next time it snows you visit an empty parking lot and play around with the different control system combinations so you will know what to expect and gain a better feel for how your car handles in the snow.

A friend of mine just bought an '02 GS 430 on there last month for about $6000 under list. It came from a dealer in NY, was in great shape, and still under Lexus warranty. My uncle bought a '99 Mercedes Benz SL500 on eBay two years ago and it was also a good car, but it need more done to it than the seller let on originally. Still, he was happy with the purchase and saved alot money - even after making a few repairs. I've been around eBay long enough to feel comfortable buying just about anything. Remember - if the deal seems too good to be true then it probably is. Just ask the right questions, make sure the seller's feedback is good, and always arrange to pick up in person. That way you can withold payment until you get to see the car in person. If you really don't like it then you don't have to pay (worst case you lose your deposit).

True, but since I'm feeling punchy 1st gen ES 300 was 92-96 T belt 01 - I just sent you an e-mail.

You'd probably be better off getting a Jap market ES and bringing it to the UK. At least then it would be RHD. If they don't sell the ES in the UK then parts could be tough to come by.

I have to agree w/ what jragosta has said thus far. I would add one thing though and that would be to not buy anything made before 1994. the 1MZFE engine came out in 1994 qnd was a better design. The earlier years are prone to overheating issues. I think you're probably better off looking at a 1st gen ES300 in that price range. If you can find a 2nd gen in your price range it will have really high miles and it will probably be a dog. Chances are it was not well maintained, in an accident, or the engine is about to lock up b/c of sludge issues. If you are comparing same year Camrys to same year Lexus' and they are both in the same price range then something is definitely wrong w/ the Lexus' you are looking at. If the deal seems too good to be true then it probably is. Remember: There's nothing "cheap" about an inexpensive luxury car. I think the 2nd gen was a better car than the 1st gen as far as styling and ride feel, but both are equally reliable and well built. I have a 1st gen and my mom drives a 2nd gen so I have been able to compare both in depth. If you are able to find a nice first gen that has been well maintained then you will have a great car for the money. 1st gen gas mileage in mixed driving has been in the low 20's for me. The 1st gen engine is non interference type, but I think the 2nd gen may be interference type. I thought that I read something somewhere where VVT & VVTi engines were intereference type, but don't hold me to it. Maybe only later 2nd gen are interference?? Someone else could better answer that question. *** On a side note, I have a very nice 1995 ES300 in the somewhat rare Amethyst Mist color that has been imaculately maintained and will be for sale soon. It is completely stock except for a nice window tint. All options except heated seats & heated mirrors. A couple of door dings and other age marks, but NO RUST and overall in really great shape. Everything works and all maintenance is up to date. This was (is) my baby and I took really good care of her. Mileage is good and it's in your price range. Send me a PM if you want some more info.

You're right - it is hard to re-create the noise that you hear w/o driving the car. The weight of the vehicle has something to do with it. I am assuming that you were able to get a good look at the sway bar setup from underneath. If so then you should have seen the links that attach the sway bar to the struts and also the sway bar mounts/bushings that attach the sway bar to the body/frame. The mounts/bushings are metal brackets that hold two rubber bushings that surround the sway bar. The sway bar should have some play going from left to right (or vice versa). It was designed that way to allow for some movement when cornering. That "give" should be in the movement of the sway bar links going side to side. The sway bar helps keep the struts aligned and assists when cornering under force/speed. The play should be from side to side and not up and down. If it is up and down then it is possible that is the cause. Pick one side of the car to start on. Grasp the sway bar firmly on each side of the mount/bushing and push it up and down a few times (towards the bottom of the trunk and then towards the street) using a little force. If you can push up on the sway bar and have it move up and down (even slightly) within the rubber bushings that hold it in place, then that is most likely the cause of the noise. I changed my oil pan gasket this weekend and didn't get much time to look at the suspension, but I was able to put a thin wood wedge/shim betwen the bushing and mount to see if that made any difference. It did. Most of my noise was coming from the passenger side and I put the wedge on the driver's side, but I did notice a reduction in the noise. I will probably put one in the passenger side later to see what happens. (This is in no way an appropriate fix and the wedge will probably work its way out eventually). My bushings are intact so I am guessing that the bushings inside the mounts have shrunk over the years as the rubber has dried out. This allows for play in the sway bar up and down in addition to side to side. I think this is what is causing the noise. There are only four bolts (two each) that hold the sway bar mounts/bushings in place so it should be an easy fix if you wanted to go ahead and replace the bushings and tighten everything back up. The cost of new bushings at my stealership is $14.40 each. I will probably get around to this sometime in the next few weeks, but if you get to it sooner, let me know how it turns out.

Andy you're not alone. I have a '95 w/ similar mileage and I have the same problem. I don't think it's the struts. I had the noise problem before getting my rear struts and strut mounts replaced and I still have it. It sounds ike a series of med/low pitched "thunk/clunk" noises that ususlly occur when you drive over some rough road, RR tracks, etc. I'm guessing that it is probably more frequent/pronounced at slower speeds (around town) than when on the interstate? My rear suspension was legitimately shot on the passenger rear side and I was hoping that the new struts would take care of the noise problem as well but they didn't. My mechanic suggested that I replace the rear sway bar links when I had the suspension work done. He was able to get one from the dealership, but he had to wait a few days before he could get the other one so I drove around town for a few days with only one side of the sway bar connected to the strut via the sway bar link. I noticed a significant change in the level of noise when going over bumps (less noise) with one side disconnected. Once the other link was connected again the noise returned. I'm not familiar with the "isolator" that cruznroadking is speaking of unless he is referring to the strut mount (cup that goes on the top of the strut assembly). I have taken everything out of the trunk (spare, jack, CD magazine, etc.) and driven around with no success. I am considering selling my car soon so I was going to take a hard look at it this weekend (weather permitting). I'll probably take out the back seat and just make sure that the rear deck isn't rattling around, but I don't think that's it. I have already checked to make sure my rear speakers are in tight (and they are), so I know that's not it either. I am convinced that it is something in the sway bar assembly somewhere, but I haven't had the time to isolate it yet. I'll try to post back on this thread after I get the chance to look at it. (I probably won't want to sell the car after I get the noise to go away.)

I posted this inthe ES forum but got no response there so I decided to try elsewhere since most Lexus clusters are essentially the same. BTW: I did trace the backlight problem back to the printed circuit board somewhere. I swapped just about everything and that was the only thing that made the difference. Oh well. Back to my search for a another cluster w/ similar mileage.

OK - Here's the update as of 11:00 AM Monday. 1) Replcaed all bulbs for backlighting w/ type 24 bulbs as indicated on the Lextech site. When doing this I bent all of the contact wires off the bulbs just slightly before I inserted them into the holders to make sure the contacts would be good. Then I did the same thing to the bulb holder contact points to make sure they make solid contact w/ the ckt board. I cleaned the contact points on the circuit strip as well as the bulb holders w/ rubbing alcohol. 2) Checked & replaced both 15A fuses in the interior fuse panel that were related to the cluster/ecu. Neither fuse appearred to be blown, but I repaced them both just to be sure. Result: The left half of the cluster (tach & temp side) are fine with good backlights and all needles working. The right side of the cluster (fuel & speedometer) has no backlights. The needles for the speedo and fuel gauge work just fine - just no backlights on that side. I replaced the fuses after I swapped bulbs and it made no difference. I may try swapping the power/circuit strip that feeds the lights next. Then my last step would be to swap back the circuit boards w/ the chipset. Can anyone tell me the best way to remove the needles from the cluster - I may need to go that route in the end.

The indicator lights for warnings, airbag, CEL, P, R, N, D, 2, L, etc are the type 74s. They are inserted into gray or black plastic removeable sockets. The backlight bulbs are inserted into green plastic sockets. I tried using a 74 type and it is definitely not the same as the original. I also tried a 73 and a 32, but none of them fit in tightly. There was considerable play with the fitment on each. There was another type of bulb (number twenty something I think) that looked like the wedge base would fit perfectly, but the bulb size itself was considerably larger than the factory. Gas & temp gauges are working fine so I left them as is. Is there a clip or something that holds the needles in place? I was afraid that I would break them if I tried to pull them off so I didn't mess with them. I'm wondering if the problem is in my circuit bord since the new cluster was OK except for one backlight. Then I switched the circuit board and the new cluster exhibited the same outtage pattern as my original? ... Or the switch over caused more bulbs to go out on the replacement cluster since they hadn't been lit in a while (old bulbs). ... or they are wired in series (doubt it). ...or I blew a fuse or two (less likely, but possible) I'll start w/ the fuses and then go to a bulb replacement if that doesn't work Process of elimination will hopefully get me closer. I know that some of the LS problems were on the circuit board itself & was just wondering if anyone has had that same problem w/ the ES.

On my ’95 ES 300 I had some burned out backlights in my instrument cluster (Cluster A) as well as a bad needle & another on the way out. All backlights but the light(s) at the top of the tachometer were out. I bought a replacement cluster (cluster B ) to swap for w/ better needles & backlights, but the mileage was off on the replacement cluster by a significant amount (over). Today when I was going to do the swap, I plugged in the replacement cluster (cluster B ) to test it and all of the backlights but one were working (the one by the fuel gauge was off). I removed the replacement cluster (cluster B ) and swapped out the circuit board (w/ the chipset on it) with my original one (from cluster A) to keep the odometer reading the same. I also swapped a bulb from cluster A to cluster B to fix the one non-working backlight in cluster B. When I plugged cluster B back into the power to check it again, the Odometer was indicating my original miles (due to the circuit board swap), all needles were working fine, but instead of no burned out lights (or only 1 as before), I had the same light(s) on above the tach and all others were out just like my original cluster. This was somewhat puzzling unless the lights are wired so that one bulb out would affect the others like a strand of X-mas lights. Are the backlights wired so that if one goes out it would affect the others? Is it possible I have a problem in my ckt board that powers the lights? When I swapped bulbs, I swapped the entire housing unit and not just the bulb. I wouldn't think that would make a difference unless something was daisychained together. It was getting dark and I didn't have the chance to switch everything back. My first thought was to go ahead and replace all of the backlights with new ones just to be on the safe side (plus they're 10 years old anyway). I went to Advance, Autozone, & NAPA and nobody could tell me what bulb type I need for the backlights. I found the type 74 bulbs for the black & gray inserts (bulbholders) that control the indicator and warning lights, but I couldn't find a bulb that matched the bulb for the backlights (green holders). Anyone know the correct size? I have my original cluster installed now w/ the replacement ckt board (wrong odometer) until I can get the other one squared away. (I may just need to send it in for a repair). Any help would be appreciated. Thanks.

Not sure if they'd fit, but I think they would look good.

On my ’95 ES 300 I had some burned out backlights in my instrument cluster (as well as a bad needle & another on the way out). All backlights but the light(s) at the top of the tachometer were out. I bought a replacement cluster (cluster B ) to swap over to, but the mileage was off on the replacement cluster by a significant amount (over). I plugged in the replacement cluster (cluster B ) to test it and all of the backlights but one were working (the one by the fuel gauge was off). I removed the new cluster (cluster B ) and replaced the circuit board w/ the chipset on it with my original to keep the odometer reading the same. I also swapped a couple of bulbs from cluster A to cluster B b/c I thought that would fix the backlight in cluster B. When I plugged cluster B back into the power to check it again, the Odometer was my original miles (due to the circuit board swap), all needles were working, but instead of no burned out lights, I had the same light on above the tach and all others were out. This was somewhat puzzling unless the lights are wired so that one bulb out would affect the others like a strand of X-mas lights. Are the backlights wired so that if one goes out it would affect the others? Is it possible I have a problem in my ckt board that powers the lights? Should I just go out and buy all new lights for the new cluster w/ the working needles? I went to Advance, Autozone, & Napa and nobody could tell me what bulb type I need for the backlights. I found the type 74 bulbs for the black & gray inserts(bulbholders) that control the indicator and warning lights, but I couldn't find a bulb that matched the bulb for the backlights (green holders). I have my original cluster installed now w/ the replacement ckt board (wrong odometer) until I can get the other one squared away. (I may just need to send it to LLS). Any help would be appreciated.

Does it do it when you are in Park as well as Drive? Before you go on a wild goose chase checking all of the vacuum lines, look to see if any of your motor mounts or tranny mounts are cracked or broken. If you're at idle and a motor mount is broken then it allows the engine to move (in place) more than normal which causes the excess vibration you are feeling. If they are OK then I would start looking at the Vacuum lines.

In my recent hunt for a new Lexus I have been looking at both LS and GS models (first gen). From what I have seen looking at both it appears that when comparing a GS to a same year LS with similar mileage on both cars (within 10K) that the GS has the same or higher sale value. I would have thought that the LS would command the higher premium. Is it because there were fewer GS produced? Any thoughts?

I am looking into purchasing a 1st gen LS 400 (probably 93 or 94) to replace my ES 300. I have read the buying guide links above and in the process I have heard several things about an EGR hose being a PITA to fix. What would I look for/listen for when examining/driving the car to know if there is a potential problem? What are the effects of a bad EGR hose? What should/could I expect to pay for a timimg belt change from a reputable independent mechanic. (My mechanic charged me $450 for a TB & WP on my ES.) - or what have you paid at someone other than the dealer? Thanks.

The insurance savings was really more of a perk than anything. I wiill have some savings now that I am down to 2 cars. My thought was to get rid of both smaller cars and to get something a bit bigger. Ideally I would like a V8 engine (I know the 1st gen GS doesn't have one - but it is a bit larger than the ES), but I'm not set on the V8. I think the problem is that I kind of have the "bug" for something different. The Lexus has been constant over the last 5 years and I have traded out my other car a coupe of times just to have something different. I could keep the Lexus and still get another ride to replace the C, but I just don't see the need for a third car anymore. I'd also like to have something with fewer miles, and if I hold on to it too much longer the ES will have 0 value left (not that it's worth a fortune now). I agree about the potential of buying someone else's headache and that's not what I am looking for. I'm in no hurry so I could wait it out until I found a one owner w/ full service detail. I expect that no matter what I buy I'll have to have some service done to get it up to my standards. I don't know what I'm going to do yet, but I appreciate the input.

I'm not 100% sure yet, but I think I'm going to sell the ES. With the newborn I find less time to work on/play with the rides these days, and it would shed some off the insurance premiums by not having 3 cars on the policy. I just sold the C Class Benz and I'm pretty sure I'll sell the Lex and put the combined returns towards something else. I'm thinking mid 90's S Class, GS300, or LS400. It's been a great car and I'll definitely miss it. The car has been very reliable Anyone know the realistic market value for a well maintained 3 owner '95 ES300 w/ 120K on it? I've owned it for 5 years and have complete service history. Anyone interested?

Are you a delivery driver? Why all the short trips? 5.5 gal/60Mi. is terrible. In addition to the above mentioned items.... Have you checked to make sure you don't have a leak in your tank or a ruptured fuel line? Do you smell gas around your car? Do you have a CEL on right now? On occasion a bad O2 sensor, bad MAF sensor, problem w/ Cat Conv. can cause poor mileage. You could be running too lean

As far as I know, Pioneer has always made the base stereo systems for Lexus. I think the Pioneer in my '95 sounds excellent compared to alot of the new systems that are in cars these days. My wife has the VW "Monsoon" stereo in her new Passat and it sounds terrible. I think speaker placement has alot to do with it, but overall the sound quality isn't that good - especially when listening to FM. Monsoon is appropriate because any time it is overcast there is so much static on the FM channels it sounds like it's raining. I don't know what the cost difference between the Mark Levinson and the base Pioneer is on the new ES, but I have listened to the ML in my dad's LS430 on many occasions and I don't think it's anything special. I've had alot of success w/ Pioneer in general. I have an old Pioneer stereo amp & cd player (15 years old) that still has great sound. I recently put it in my garage when I upgraded to a Pioneer Elite surround sound setup for my den. Now if I could only get the Plasma...

I recently purchased my wife a VW Passat wagon to replace her SUV that I rolled/totaled prior to Christmas. (It's actually a great car and fun to drive - even w/ the 4 cyl turbo). While doing some homework prior to purchase I found out that a VW/Audi technician (with alot of computer programming experience) was able to decode the OBD II and Proprietary VW/Audi diagnostic and maintenance codes via an interface that he made that links between a car and the diagnostic machine. He has created his own software program know as VAG-COM. There is a free shareware version of VAG-COM as well as a more robust "paid" version ($99) and all you need is a standard OBD II connector for VW/Audi and a PC to run it. From this interface users are able to perform the usual diagnostic work from OBD II as well as read Audi/VW (also Seat & Skoda if you live in europe) proprietary codes/information that you can't get from OBD II. You can also change some settings for the electronics, engine and transmission. For example you can put the tiptronic tranny in "sport" mode and change the shifting pattern, you can turn on and off the 10 MPH auto locking door feature, advance or !Removed! engine timing, program the car to recognize a new transponder key, etc... I would imagine that if someone had done this for Toyota and/or Lexus we would have known about it by now, but does anyone know if something like this is available? I realize that anyone can get an OBD II, but I was interested in more of the proprietary things.