branshew

Someone please educate me. It seems like a rather inexpensive thing, but what does it really do (if anything)? I thought my car was already grounded.

I have noticed that the suspension on the 97-01 generation of ES300s tends to be more "sporty" (read tight/rigid) than the 92-96 models. It's been a while since I've had a loaner from Lexus, but if I recall the latest generation has a softer feel to the suspension as well. I have never had the suspension in my 95 worked on and it is doing just fine. I usually run @ 30 PSI in my tires. Obvoiusly the more PSI, the more you'll feel the road bumps.

Bummer. It sounds like you may be on for another rebuild. I would look around to see if a local junkyard has an engine available. Anyway, welcome to the forum. We're glad to have you here.

It depends.... I doubt that the thumping from the extra bass would cause it. However if the speakers are in a box that is not securely mounted, it could bounce around while going over a bump and knock into the cd changer

93 Lexuses <<JILL>> indicates in their signature that they have a manual in their ES300.

I live in VB too. I think it's the people and not the beach (No offense geared towards you at all). Unfortunately we seem to attract alot of riff-raff from the surounding cities (Norfolk, Portsmoutn, Hampton, etc...) that want to come to the beach and have a good time. Unfortunately, most of them have no respect for the real tourists nor the residents. The city is working hard to keep it clean, and clean up the undesireables. I've heard that they are going to start pumping opera music out of loudspeakers beginning at 12 AM to help dissuade potential loiterers. We also have facial recognition software & camers so watch out if you're a criminal or terrorist ;) . Anyway, to keep it car related.... Any mechanic should be able to check if the airbags have been removed (i.e. you don't have to pay the dealership diagnostic fees). If so, you could have a case against the dealership since it may be illegal to remove the airbags in your state. I wouldnt worry too much about it being a money pit though. It is, after all, a Toyota. P.S. If you ever drive the Lexus to VB, I can recommend a great independent mechanic that is very reasonable and reliable. He's the only one that has worked on my ES since I stopped going to the stealership and I never have any problems.

You are comparing apples to oranges by comparing the 3-Series to the ES300. Size wise, the ES300 compares to the 5-Series BMW, but price wise it is on par with the 3-Series. Basically you bought a larger car for the same price as the smaller one. From a feature standpoint, the ES 300 is just as nice as the 5 Series with the same roominess, etc (although some BMW snobs would disagree). Plus, the new 5-series styling is hideous compared to previos models. The Lexus is more of a cruising car and not as much of a driver's car as the BMW. You will find that the suspension is not as tight or crisp. There is also a difference in the front wheel drive vs. the rear wheel drive effect. The Lexus is geared more towards a comfortable drive where the BMW is geared more to performance driving. Personally, I like the European dash and control layouts more so than the Japanese. There are a few simple buttons and switches with visual clues as to their functions. Since they are selling their cars across a wide array of language markets in Europe (and the rest of the world), it makes it easier to standardize the controls. I like the minimalistic touch that the European cars have. My Mercedes C280 has this same feel to it (probably similar to your BMW). It is sort of an understated elegance in that you know its a quality car by looking at it - it dosen't have to impress you with a bunch of electronic controls and LCD screens. For the type of driving that I do (mildly agressive), I like my Mercedes (or the 3-series) better so I can zip in and out of city traffic at my leisure and I know that I have plenty of torque on demand. I also prefer the design styling of the European brands (with the exception of most new BMWs). Audis, VW's Volvos, Saabs, & especially the new line of MBs are all great looking cars. The !Removed! do have a great advantage with their reliability though. My ES300 is never in the shop, but my Benz has been in there a few times lately. If Mercedes could design & style the exterior and interior, and Lexus could engineer the rest of it to fit into the Mercedes styling then you would have the best cars on the road bar none. Did you make a good choice? Sure. You have a larger car with the same luxury status and more reliability. You can't go wrong with a Lexus. (Plus, everyone has a 3-series these days.) BTW: I heard on NPR a few days ago that BMW plans to hire an additional 500 engineering employees to address their reliability and electronics integration issues.

My buddy is bidding on this gague cluster on eBay right now for his '96 ES300: http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAP...item=2467821130 He is having quite a few problems with lights, etc and he thinks there is a wire or circuit weld shorted out (process of elimination) somewhere inside his cluster. He only has 89K on the clock, but this new cluster has @ 101K on it. Is it possible to reset the mileage on the new one to match the existing mileage on his car? If so, does it have to be done by the dealer? I thought the Odometer reading was stored in the ECU somewhere. If the new cluster is plugged in, will the ECU automatically reset the odometer? He is really nervous about resetting the mileage, or installing a new cluster. He doesn't want a bad Carfax, nor is he looking to cheat anyone if/when he sells his car. I'll admit that it would suck to have the extra 12K on the clock if the miles really weren't there, but he may be stuck with it. Does anyone have any experience with this?

No card for you. I tried your suggestion this wekend, but no luck, All of the nuts on the top of the struts were as tight as possible and didn't allow for any adjustment. The noise continues... On the other hand, it did give me a good chance to clean the interior really well.

Not to argue the point about synthetic, but... He is driving a Lexus, not a Nissan, Mazda, Mitsubishi, or Toyota (although Toyota does make Lexus). I would say go with synthetic. Besides, most long haul trucking companies are using incredibly large diesel engines which is an entirely different beast than our puny 6 cyls. My '99 Mercedes C280 does specifically recommend synthetic oil (Mobil 1 at that) for the engine. All Mercedes from '98 onward with the FSS recommend synthetic. It is my understanding tha newer Audis and BMWs are switching (or already have switched) to recommending synthetic as well for their cars. Our local Lexus dealer in VB recommends synthetic for my Dad's LS 430. Does it dramically extend engine life? That point would be tough to argue since there are many factors involved other than just motor oil. I don't really know one way or the other. I would however say that you could probably go longer between oil changes with synthetic. Again, according to MB, I could potentially drive up to 10K miles before an oil change in my C280. Would I? No. I do think 5K is about right between oil changes w/ synthetic vs. 3K with dino.

Perhaps you've missed the banner ads at the top of the site for Lextasy.com??? You could also try a google search on the internet.

I agree w/ SK Performance. Oil filter sounds like the most probable cause. By giving you that diagnosis, the Toyota dealer basically told you that they have no clue where the problem is. They are just covering their @$$ by replacing everything that could be causing the problem. (It's kind of like the doctor recommending a lung transplant to get rid of a chest cold.) I would seriously doubt that all of those things are leaking. Their tech is either an idiot, or the stealership is trying to hit you with a huge repair. I would be very hesitant to let those clowns touch your car. What they should have done is steam cleaned the entire area so that there was little to no residual oil left and told you to come back in a few days after the smell returned. That way they would be able to determine the source of the leak w/o having to replace everything. For that $2000-$4000 figure, you could have a new engine (including labor). I wouldn't take the report to your regular mechanic either. Just tell him to find the leak. If he replaces something and that does not fix the problem, tell him that you will pay for the part (gaskets are cheap), but that he needs to credit the labor towards the next repair until he finds the source.

Me too. '95 ES300 with 145K with the same problem. I have checked everything in the trunk of the car to make sure that nothing is loose. I even went to the point of taking out the spare tire, jack, CD changer magazine, liners, pad, etc and I can't pinpoint the problem. I'm fairly sure it is in the suspension somewhere, but i just don't know where. It is starting to *BLEEP* me off since alot of the roads around here suck and I constantly hear it.

I took my '95 ES300 to the stealership the other day to have them diagnose an electrical issue (that turned out to be no big deal fortunately). While they had my car there the scoured over it and came back with the usual list of "Recommended Maintenance/Visible Problems" so that they could pad the service bill. One of the things that the mechanic mentioned is that there is an oil leak on my pan and/or main seal. I asked them why they thought this and the mechanics response was the buildup of oil around these gasket areas. (@ $1400 for both) I am not leaking any oil on my driveway at all, and I am not losing any oil on the dipstick between changes. I think that the buildup is being caused by all of the oil changes over the years. As anyone with this engine knows that it is a serious pain in the @$$ to get to the oil filter. Due to its position, when the filter is removed, it inevitably spills most of the oil left in the filter on to the bottom part of the engine. Personally, I think this is what is causing them to think it is leaking. My regular mechanic has never mentioned anything about a leak to me, and based on the fact that I am not losing any oil, I don't think that the dealer mechanics were correct. Should I have a second opinion, or does it just confirm my theory that the stealership is trying to pad my repair bill by adding unnecessary repairs to it? (Ever notice how nothing goes worng under waranty, but as soon as it expires and you're paying, they find alot of things that should be done???) Anyone else have an opinion here?

In response to your questions... 1) It really depends on one's level of comfort and knowledge. For instance, I am fairly mechanically inclined and was able to replace the starter on my '95 ES300 last year with no training or prior experience. I have no problems changing the oil (although it is a serious PITA to get to the filter, and then it always drips the residual oil over the bottom of the engine ). I bought a jack and stands from Northern last year thinking that I would start doing alot more maintenance myself, but I find that it is just easier and less time consuming to go to my mechanic for most things. I have a slight warp in one of my rotors now and I will probably let the garage take care of that one as well. I also have an O2 sensor that needs to be replaced and I just ordered that so I can put it in this weekend. 2) It sounds like you don't know too much about mechanics, so I would start by buying a basic Hayes or Chilton manual and learn the overall layout of the engine compartment. Know where all of the fluid dipsticks are. Pull up the dipsticks (NOT WHILE THE ENGINE IS HOT) and look at the fluid. Rub it on your fingers and smell it if you want. That way it's easy to tell later what that spot on the driveway is... You should be able to open the hood and look inside to know what most everything in there is, and what it does on the car. Even if you're not going to fix it yourself, it helps prevent getting robbed by a shady mechanic.

Service: If you don't know the official service history of the car and you bought it used, I would always replace all fluids and filters if the car has 50K + on it. You may be able to get some service history from your local Lexus dealer if the previous owner had it serviced there. Check the owner's manual for a full list of service intervals and recommended services, or go to the Lexus website. (I think they have it listed there as well). Synthetic is highly recommended, but switch sooner rather than later. On older higher mileage cars, synthetic has a way of finding any leaks in the system so be ready for that possibility. Air Filter Personally, I wouldn't switch to an aftermarket filter unless you are really looking to add other performance mods as well. An air filter alone will not make a huge difference in the performance overall. K&N filters are not as restrictive in their air intake and let air pass through them easier than a stock filter. They do however rely on a thin coating of oil on the filter to trap many of the particles found in the intake air. This oil coating has a way of eventually making it into your intake and causing problems with the MAS Airflow Sensor (MAS). I have owned several high end cars and have read many posts here and on Mercedes & BMW forums warning of this problem. If you don't mind replacing the MAS or are going to add additional mods that will make use of the greater air flow, then go for it. Just don't say you were not warned...

I wasn't implying that the car couldn't be repaired to good as new condition physically. Just about any good body shop can get it to the point where you could never tell that it has been werecked. Fortunately it is a late model and the paint is still relatively new so you don't have to worry as much about matching the paint (due to fading). But mentally you'll have to live with the fact that it has been in a wreck as well as suffer the loss on the trade in since the accident will most likely have been reported to Carfax.

$1100? Ouch. I hope they gave you some Vaseline on your way out the door. Just because you drive a luxury car doesn't always mean you need to overpay for service. You could have taken your car to an independent mechanic to get the same thing done for much less. Unless the problem is electrical or overly complex and specific to Lexus, the stealership hardly ever sees my car. That point aside, isn't it nice to know that everything is now fresh and new. The problem w/ buying a used car is that you never really know the maintenance history (unless the previous owner is anal retentive like me and keeps all of the records). Now that you have done the maintenance, you'll be set for a while and you'llnever have to wonder if it should be done or not. Feel bad about paying too much, but feel good about taking care of your car.

Don't even bother to take a guess if you're still under the warranty period. Jut call up the dealership and have them arrange a time for you to pick up your loaner. Unless you've made some mods that void the warranty, I would just let Lexus deal with the problem. besides, there are too many reasons to list as to why the light would come on without more info.

That's a complete bummer. I was expecting the worst, but it didn't appear too bad from the pictures. As long as you're OK tat is what matters. On another note.... what are you going to do about the car? Obvioulsy you'll get it fixed, but will you then trade it in. If you're like me, you know that the car will never be the same again - even when the repairs make it look normal. Also, the damage will most likely turn up on a Carfax report sometime if the insurance companies get involved. Personally, I would trade it in on another '02, '03, or even new '04 model. I would also talk to the guy's insurance company about compensating you for the loss in resale or trade in value since the car has now been in a wreck. My Dad's '02 LS 430 had some serious paint and window damage from a parking garage roof that collapsed on it dring a hurricane last year. They had to replace both of his headlamps, every window and front and back windshields on the car, and completely repaint the entire car. Fortunately there was no serious body damage (other than some serious paint scratching). After he got it back he sold it and bought a new one. He made the Parking garage's insurance company compensate him for the resale loss in addition to covering the repairs.

I absolutely love the current GS look and I will hate to see it go. I agree with what has been said about the comparison with the new Nissans. The '05-'06 GS looks strikingly similar to the new Maxima - so much so that I am turned off by it in the pictures. I don't think that Lexus had any intention of copying Nissan's design, but I wouldn't want to pay $50K to drive a car that could be mistaken as a Maxima at first glance. It will be even worse when the Maxima blows the Lexus off the line since it's lighter and has a more powerful engine. I wish that they had kept the rounded headlights. Even though this idea was borrowed from Mercedes' E Class, it really looked good on the GS and gave it a unique appearrance from the other Lexus models and their swooping lights. In new car design in general (with the exception of Mercedes), it seems that rounded curves are giving way to blocky angular design. I don't particularly care for this, but I am not a designer so what do I know? I'll have to wait and see it in person. Regardless, I'm sure it will be an excellent car and far superior to the Maxima. Besides, it could never be as ugly as the new BMWs.

Parts & Labor on my Wife's '00 Pathfinder was @ $550 for the front drivers airbag. Make sure you go to the dealer or a reputable shop and get a NEW airbag. Don't buy a used one or one of shady nature off of eBay or some other website because you never know what you'll get. Remember, this could potentially save your life so don't skimp. Keep in mind though that the using the dealer network could potentially report the airbag deployment to Carfax.

Mine's getting old and brittle. I have a seam in the back window that has split open due to it becoming so dry and shrinking. I was just wondering how much it might cost to get both front seats and the back bench redone.

That sounds like alot of money for that car. $4500 would be the most I would want to spend on that model ES. That's about the avg $ for that model in Southeast VA. I really don't see alot of the 1st generation ES out there anymore and I guess its because most have died out. Even though I love my Lexus, I would suggest that you look at a 190 E Mercedes from that same time period. It will probably run @ $6K +/-, but it will last longer and it will have better resale when you finally get rid of it. Maintenance may be a bit more expensve though. Even though the mileage is low, you will still have to contend w/ age related problems on any car from that period. Save another grand and buy a newer model ES. It will be well worth it. If you do get the ES250 at a lower price, buy a warranty on it.

Did it happen when you tried to start the car? Usually heat combined with a low water level in the battery will cause this. I don't know if your battery was "maintenance free" or not. If your new battery is not, checking the water level every oil change doesn't hurt - if any water needs to be added, use ONLY distilled (not spring) water to fill it.