dougeefresh

Great advices. Yeah I couldn't care less about it being "quality." As long as I can get by several years and stay queit, I wouldn't ask for more. Thanks. smooth1, 430rwhp sure does sound nice!

Went to a local shop for exhaust work. Numerous leaks and rust being an old car in Chicago (1992 ES300). I got quoted for $1200 (whole exhaust) and $900 (exhaust with a straight pipe in place of a cat). I thought these were basically Toyota Camry replacements = cheap. Will a pro muffler place (ie. Meineke) be better in this case? Thanks.

Thanks, guys. I am gonna check it out and report back.

Hello. I was driving yesterday and the temp gauge rose very close to the top of the gauge. I was on my way home so I just drove home. This morning, I decided to drive to work (about 6 miles) and when I was about 2 miles away from home, the needle was pegged at the very top of the gauge so I drove back home. Yes, stupid me... When I got home I could see the radiator fluid dripping on to the garage floor and white smoke from the engine bay (just a little). The reservoir was empty. My initial guess is that one of the hoses gave out. So my questions are: 1. How much damage could I have done and how can I find out if I had blown a head gasket/warped head? 2. What is the basic procedure to diagnose the problem before taking it to a mechanic? It's 92 ES300 with 156K and when I bought it 1.5 years ago, I did a flush and never had any problem with overheating. Thanks!

I read somewhere that to do it correctly, you have to take the compressor out, disassemble it and clean it thoroughly because the oil in there is not compatble with the R-134 system. This makes the price much higher than just simply replacing nozzles and such. How much did you conversion cost and do you know if they took the compressor and cleaned it? '92 ES300 is filled with R-12 - hard to find and pricey when you do find some. My '93 had the same problem a couple of years ago (no/little cold air), no A/C repair places would recharge with R-12 because it's illegal now (here in Canada, anyway). I didn't want to buy one of those R-12 recharge kits on ebay, so my only option was to convert from R-12 to R-134a refrigerant. I wasn't sure how well this would work, had heard (and read) some stories about this conversion, opinions were both good and bad. I just went ahead and had my ES converted - new refrigerant, receiver-drier, some new o-rings, and that was it. Not expensive (can't remember how much, but I was surprised it wasn't more $$), the shop gave me a warranty and 2 or 3 free visits to check that there were no leaks or problems. AC worked fine after conversion, back to normal. AC still works great, no problems at all. If I had it to do over, I wouldn't mess with trying to find R-12 and recharge it. Just go to a good shop and convert it to R-134a. tck...

I am more than willing (and somewhat capable) to do this myself! Is there an instruction on how to do this and where I can get parts? After getting screwed by the online used parts stores (and their incompetency to get the right parts), I am reluctant to go back there.

Thanks, at least that gives me some hope!

So I finally took the car in to a local Firestone. They called me and said it needs a new dryer & receiver, a line to accumulator, and recharging with R12. They quoted $849.73 :( So my question is, what are my options? How difficult is this as a DIY job? Will I save money by buying parts online (assuming it's possible, where?) and bring them to a mechanic to get them done? Or, would it be better off to bite the bullet and have Firestone fix it? Thanks Doug

Nothing's flashing so I hope it's not serious. Is there a way to check the expansion valve without having to take it to a mechanic (or before have it recharged)?

Cool. Thanks!

I was rotating the tires and the lug nut key broke off. Where can I get one? Do I have to buy a full set of lug nuts or can I just get the key? Thanks.

Thanks, guys.

I turned the air on yesterday in about a month and it's blowing warm air. It wasn't very cold before either but I was able to tell that it was working. Now it's just warm air coming out. There's no light on the dash to indicate anything's wrong. What can I diagnose what's causing the problem? Thanks! PS. It's 92 ES300.

Thanks for the reply. Is there a way to find out what parts I need to replace for sure? I suppose I can check and see if they sawy bar bushings and end links are bad? Thanks.

Hello. I just got a 92 ES300 with 138K miles. I noticed that the rear becoems bouncy/wobbly/loose when going over bumps as if the tires have too much pressure and bouncing like a basketball. I checked the tire pressure and it seems fine (30psi, cold) Will the new struts fix this? Also, if I have to get new struts, I want to do other preventative repairs. What else should I change regarding the suspension? Mounts, busshings, springs? Thanks!

Thanks and sorry about the FAQ. Looks like I will need to do some check-ups asap. :whistles:

Hello. I just joined the community so go easy on me :) I am about to purchase a 92 ES300 with 138K miles on the clock for $3500. I know it's kinda old but I already looked at the car and the exterior/interior is in very good shape. No noticeable rust, tears, dents, stains on the exterior/interior. Engine seems to start and run fine. When shifting up, I can feel a jerk, a bit harder than usual and suspension feels loose. According to the seller, it has been "well maintained." I am thinking that rather than paying the same amount of money for a domestic car or a compact car with less mileage, I would be better off with Toyota reliablility... I hope I am right :whistles: OH, and I love the color (Pearl White)! So are there any things to watch out for when looking at a car this old? I just want a car that will run without problems for about 2-3 years. I would appreciate any tips. Thanks! B)