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thomasmcc

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Everything posted by thomasmcc

  1. Every couple of weeks the "check engine" light in my '98 ES300 (193K miles)comes on, and my code reader indicates P0440. I know it is something in the EVAP system. I replaced the original gas cap with a new OEM cap, but no change. I do know that there is no pressure release when I loosen the gas cap during a fill-up. So I suspect that I have a loose vacuum hose or my charcoal canister is bad. My questions are: Is there a vaccum hose which is more prone to leaking or coming loose? If so, where does it come from and where does it go to? Any other comments would be greatly appreciated! Regards, Tom
  2. The problem is, my suspension is not older and weaker. Most of the suspension (struts, strut mounts, ball joints, tie rod ends. sway bar links) is brand new! That's why I have been so frustrated with the poor handling. I thought it would handle almost like new after the parts were replaced. Something is wrong, and the dealer and I couldn't find it. It would have been better for the dealer to diagnose the problem, even if it was an expensive fix, than to not find anything at all.
  3. No, I didn't go to a front-end specialist. I figured Lexus would be able to diagnose the problem. The springs are original. They seem fine. The suspension seems fine, with no excessive play. I'm going to live with it "as is" for a while.
  4. I appreciate your comment about your high milage car. However, I've exhausted the possiblilites (and my wallet), and Lexus could not find anything out of wack either. Not sure what else to do.
  5. The car definitely drives better since the alignment was corrected. It's not what I would call perfect for a car with 193K on it. But it's better. I guess I'm going to just accept it the way it is.
  6. The dealership just called and said the toe-in on the front wheels was off 1/3 of a degree on each side. Thinking that it was off by the amount of toe-in I added in (I added a 1/2 turn each side), I asked how much of an adjustment that it took to bring the front end back into spec. The technician said that it took approxiamtely 3 turns on each side to bring it back into spec. A rough calculation indicates that the toe-in was off by .156 inch total. Could this be the cause of my problems? I hope so, but I'll see when I get it back. I guess a good rule of thumb is, don't have your tire dealer do your front end alignment. It's like having your oil man tune-up your furnace, or better said.... having the fox watch the hen house.
  7. On Friday, Lexus could not find anything wrong with the steering or suspension hardware. Everything checked out okay. They did not have time to check the alignment, so the car is back at the dealership so they can check that out today. I'll keep you posted.
  8. I run my tires at about 34 PSI. Unless the tire shop totally screwed up my alignment or tire balances, I'm thinking steering rack also. That could get expensive! I'll let you know.
  9. :( My frustration with the cars handling has finally reached the point where I made an appointment with the dealership to see if they find something. I will drop it off tomorrow along with the following: Sequence of events: 2/16/08 - Replaced the two front tires, which were bald on inside. Had “H” rated Michelin MXV4 tires installed. 2/18/08 - Had front-end alignment done. After doing so, it’s the first time I really noticed the erratic handling. 3/3/08 - My suspension was tired, so I decided to replace the struts (front & rear), strut mounts (front & rear), and strut bearings (front). Also, I decided to replace the front tie rod ends, front ball joints, and sway bar links (front & rear) in an effort to improve handling. 3/5/08 - Had the alignment re-done after the suspension parts were replaced. I also decided to replace the other two tires. Handling did not improve after the above work was performed. Quite frankly, it’s scary to drive on a windy day, as the car is all over the road. 3/17/08 – Thinking the problem might be the tires, I exchanged all the tires. This time I had “V” rated Michelin MXV4 tires installed. No change in handling. 3/21/08 – Got under the car, looking for play in the tie rod links (inner), and the steering rack. Everything seems tight to me. I added a little toe-in into the steering to see if it had any effect on handling. No change. I’m stumped!
  10. Justin, The new struts, and all the other parts I discussed are already installed. That is why I'm so frustrated with how the car is handling. The only thing left is the steering rack, unless I'm missing something else. Tom
  11. I've been chasing an problem with my car, which has 190K on it. When cruising on the highway, the car feels like it is all over the place......almost as if I'm being wind blown the way you sometimes are when you are behind a tractor trailor. In concert with needed repairs like new struts (KYB) and new tires (Michelin MXV4's V rated), I decided to replace the tierod ends and ball joints in the front end. I did this all myself and then brought the car to a dealer to have an alignment done. While the car ride much smoother now, it still handling the same way on the highway. I actually had the tires replaced twice (thinking it was a bad tire, plus I went from H rated tires to V rated tires) and had the alignment checked twice. The only other component I think it could be is the steerring rack. Could a worn steering rack cause my problem? Does anyone else have any ideas? If it is the steering rack, is it hard to replace one? I can get a rebuilt one for around $200. Regards, Tom
  12. I had the new tires installed in pairs. The first set was installed on the rear, and that was prior to the new suspension parts being installed. An alignment was also performed after the first pair of tires was installed. It was after the first two tires were installed and the alignment done that the car seems more erratic on the highway. I assume that the tires were balanced, though there are no balancing weights on the outside of the rim. I had the second pair of tires installed after the front suspension work was performed. And they re-did the alignment for me at this point. The front tires do have balancing weights on the outside of the rim.
  13. My ’98 ES300 currently has 190K miles on it. I bought it when it had roughly 90K miles on it. I’ve been having a handling problem. My steering has been rather erratic on the highway. When I say erratic, I mean that it feels like I’m directly behind a tractor trailer and I get the sensation that the car is buffeting around or wind blown. Hopefully this makes sense to you. My front suspension was getting pretty tired (clunking a lot), so I decided to replace it. While I was at it, I decided to replace some other front end components in an effort to rectify my handling problem. Accordingly, I changed the following: New front struts (KYB) Strut mounts Struts bearings Strut bumpers Lower ball joints (Moog) Tierod ends (Moog) I needed new tires (Michelin Primacy MXV4) Then I had an alignment done After all this, the car ride smooth, it tracks well, but I still get this buffeting sensation. My rear suspension appears to be fine, but it is probably original. What am I missing? Are there other components that I should look at? Thank you! Regards, Tom
  14. Considering all fuses are good, what is the most likely reason why one of my side view mirrors ('98 ES) does not heat up? Tom
  15. I lubricated the door pins, and checked the trunk light. Still, the alarm has a mind of its' own and goes off by itself. My daughter says it only goes off if the car is left unlocked. I can't be sure of this. Anyone have any other ideas? Is there a separate fuse that is only for the alarm system? If so, I could just pull that fuse. I know........out of sight.....out of mind. I'm not sure if this is related, but the heating system is acting up when it's real cold outside. On Sunday (very cold morning) I started the car, and put the heater control on manual while still cold. The control unit would not stay on. I could hear the motors in the dash moving the dampers, but as soon as I took my finger off the control button the heater would go off. Same thing happened when in auto position. I decided to take the radio and heater control unit out. I took the control unit all apart, cleaned it all up, and re-installed it. So far, so good. If it acts up again, I plan on swapping out that control unit with the unit in my '98 ES. Again, I'm not sure if the two issues are related. Could a bad ground be causing both? Regards, Tom
  16. Thank you for the reply. When you say "door pins", are you referring to the switches on the door jams that activate the dome lights?
  17. I have a 97 ES 300 that I bought in September 2006. It has the factory security system installed. Recently the alarm system has been going off by itself while the car is sitting idle. Does anyone have any idea what might be causing this? Thanks! Tom
  18. I hoping someone can answer this question. I have a used '97 ES300 that needs a new y-pipe, which includes the catalytic converter. I live in CT, the car was originally bought in Boston. Based on the VIN number, Lexus informed me that my car has California emissions. There are two different y-pipe configurations for this car, depending on if you have CA emissions or federal emissions. I'm finding it very difficult to find an aftermarket pipe for this car. Walker doesn't sell one, though the lesser know brands do provide one. Question: What is the main difference between these two pipes? Are they interchangeable or not? Thanks! Tom
  19. I hoping someone can answer this question. I have a used '97 ES300 that needs a new y-pipe, which includes the catalytic converter. I live in CT, the car was originally bought in Boston. Based on the VIN number, Lexus informed me that my car has California emissions. There are two different y-pipe configurations for this car, depending on if you have CA emissions or federal emissions. I'm finding it very difficult to find an aftermarket pipe for this car. Walker doesn't sell one, though the lesser know brands do provide one. Question: What is the main difference between these two pipes? Are they interchangeable or not? Thanks! Tom
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