Lacebug Sydney

Guys

Just found out thatwhile replacing the wheel bearing in my gorgeous ES300 (2000 model) the mechanic snapped the steering knuckle. he claims it's just bad luck and that i should have to pay for it. To make matters worse, it's a genuine Lexus part, which is;

a) Expensive.

B) will take two weeks to arrive in Sydney from Japan.

My question is this: Should I have ti pay for the part? And should the mechanic's insurance supply me with a courtesy car?

:cries: Stephen

Guys

My gorgeous ES300 from the year 2000, needed a new wheel bearing in the front left hand side hub (passenger side here in Australia).

I took it to a !Removed! tyre place instead of Toyota (to save some $$$). God i wish i hadn't !! The idiots cracked the hub getting the wheel bearing out. Now they cannot find one to replace it. they said it will take 3 MONTHS to get a genuine one from lexus Japan. They also said a Camry one won;t fit (something to do with the lugs where it connect to the front end).

Please help me. Is it true a Camry front wheel hub won;t fit an ES300?

Stephen

Hey guys, my 2000 model ES300 is two tone charcoal (ie, the main panelwork is lovely dark charcoal, while the plastic panels on the lower doors and around the bumpers are lighter grey). Has anybody ever had their lexus resprayed and got rid of the two tone effect? I think my car would look sleeker if it was finished in the all dark charcoal of the body.

Any opinions? Images?

My 2000 lexus es300 is now due for its 90,000km service. (i think that's around 60,000 miles??) Anyway. According to the owner's manual this service is basically just an oil change and a new oil filter. lexus wants to charge me $380 for this!!!

Do any of our forum members do this themselves and if so, are there any handy hints that I will need to know? Will I need a special tool to remove the filter?

Cheers

Stephen

Sydney.

you know you have an ES300 when...

the needles on your dash don't light up.

people are impressed when your 19 and you drive a Lexus

you take pride in owning a car with 2 names [ES300 / TOYOTA Windom]

everyday you find something new about your 15 year old car

you know you have an es300 when...

you have a fight with your wife, because she refuses to refer to it as a limo...

Hi guys

I have finally found my dad a decent car (he's been driving around in a crappy 1990 Camry). anyway it's called a Toyota Vienta, which you yanks would know as a fully up-spec Camry. It's a 1998 model with the works - sunroof, electric seats, climate control a/c, woodgrain inserts etc etc. I can get it for around $5,000 Australian dollars. it has 179,000 kms on the clock (a little over 100,000 miles). It's in excellent condition and is owned by a friend of mine who has always had it serviced.

any ideas as to how i can lexify the Vienta a little? For instance, could i fit ES300 fog lights? or extra soundproofing? Any suggestions???

Cheers

Stephen

Sydney.

Hey guys

Because I'm a Sydney journalist, Lexus just sent me their media pack on the new LS460. Wow, what a stunning car! They say they'll give me one to drive for a week, so I'll keep you posted, but one thing's for sure. When I come into some money, I'm buying me one of these gorgeous machines. If aliens landed on earth and asked to see our pinnacle of technological achievement...this is what I'd be showing the little green men!

In Australia we find that making out with your mistress gives the rear seats a jolly good conditioning.

I'm wondering if any of these units can be used with the factory changer? (98-01 generation for me)?

I was looking at Avic-D3 today, and I was told it's impossible to use it with the stock changer.

Would it be possible to get a genuine Lexus sat nav for my 2000 model ES300. I live in Sydney. And what happens to the stereo - CD/tape deck/radio head unit?

Cheers

Stephen

If you want gold exhaust tips, it's not terribly expensive to have them plated. Check the yellow pages for metal plating.

Tom

in sydney, the only people who have gold badges fitted are Chinese teenagers.

Personally, I find them a bit tacky.

Stephen

If you found the link on this website......make sure you're logged in. This website was recently updated and some members have inadvertently been logged out. They're working on this problem.

Good luck and welcome. :)

Keep checking on Ebay. There are often owener's manuals for sale, often in the original leather case.

Something strange is happening recently.

First, the driver's seat heater went kaput (light comes ON, no heat though, passenger side OK). Then, the passenger seat heater started overheating, and eventually quit as well (light comes on, no heat!).

Then, the console AC adapter (cig lighter) died.

And most recently, the armrest AC also stopped working!

I've checked the fuses under the steering wheel, none of them are blown...

I'm really lost as to what could have happened. All 4 seat heater elements died over the course of a month? What could possibly break the AC adapters?

What do you think, is it just my horrible karma?

<_<

Frankie B Huh? This obviously false name isn't fooling anyone. You wouldn't happen to be a certain Mr Shayan would you? Because this broken seat thingo sounds exactly like the kind of problem that happens to him each morning, just before the cylinder head cracks, the transmission blows apart and the rear axle falls out on the road in a shower of sparks.

The Avalon is also larger than the ES and the Camry. I personally prefer the ES to the Avalon because Lexus' fit and finish is that much better, real wood, better plastics, carpeting, and leather etc. I do however have a coworker who traded her Avalon for an ES330 and she preferred the Avalon so its all a matter of personal taste.

Plus when it comes to NVH (noise/vibration/harshness) there's just no contest. The Lexus wins hands down. Take one for a drive and you won't believe how quiet these cars are compared to the (roughly) equivalent Toyota. There's just a lot more soundproofing for a start.

hey guys

I have a friend who owns a 1998 lexus GT SC400. I could probably buy it from him for a good price. I'd like to get it for my father. Are these cars any good compared to my gorgeous 2000 lexus Es300? Are they as reliable etc?

Cheers

Stephen

My guess would be that your dad would perfer an LS a lot more than an SC with only two doors.

As a matter of fact my bet would be that an SC is YOUR choice, not his.

I actually prefer the ES, and you're correct, so would my father. It's just that I can get the SC at a good price and its got to be better than the 1990 Camry he's currently driving. I really wanted to know how reliable these cars are? Don't any of our forum members know?

hey guys

I have a friend who owns a 1998 lexus GT SC400. I could probably buy it from him for a good price. I'd like to get it for my father. Are these cars any good compared to my gorgeous 2000 lexus Es300? Are they as reliable etc?

Cheers

Stephen

I got a 92 ES when they first came out. Drove it a long time & never had it in for any repairs just normal maintenance. Sold it to a friend who is still driving it. My wife had a LS400 and drove it for 130,000 miles. same story, never had a problem. Now her sister has it & wouldn't trade it for anything. She just had a new power steering unit put on it for the first real expense to repair the car.

Have you considered buying Shayan's ES300? I hear it's going cheap! :D

Yes and overall cabin volume, its less than the ES. Not a huge amount less, but enough to be noticable when sitting in the car.

Would you consider the " Noticability " due to ones height and weight ?

I've heard the GS are really thirsty?

Why not buy a RX300 or 350. I had one as a loaner while my Es was being serviced and it's the most comfortable car i've ever sat in. Plus, if you have kids and all their gear, it certainly makes a lot of sense.

3.09 for 93... cheapest 93 in my area... 2.90 for 87.

You guys are so lucky. Here in Sydney, petrol (what you guys inexplicably call gas) is $1.30 a LITRE. It costs me around $80 to fill up (because i use the expensive Shell V-Power which is $1.35 a LITRE.

Cheers

Stephen

heres a link to my famous world wide known es300.

Have at it!!!!

http://www.thriftynickelads.com/ad_detail.cfm?adid=62697033

mmmmm.....

How can I resist...

Wow, so we have an international celebrity in our midstz !! LOL

Congrats Lacebug!

I'm really looking forward to seeing the pic/s when they're published.

You must have really poured on the ES's praises (which of course is not hard to do!) to win the contest.

I think maybe you owe your "sexy lexy" some special treatment now for being a winner!

How about a complete interior and exterior detailing? .....sort of like a day at the spa for your lucky Lexus! :)

I may just drive around it her naked. She likes that.

Hey guys

Just wanted to tell you some great news. I replied to a request from Australia's biggest selling newspaper - The daily Telegraph (a crappy Murdoch tabloid) to write in if you own a Lexus ES300. So I did, singing its praises, raving on what a great car it is blah blah blah. Anyway; they sent a photographer out this morning to shoot me with the car for the cover of this week's Cars Guide (its the motoring insert of the paper). I'll direct you to the link when it comes out. I'm a star and so is my gorgeous sexy Lexy!

Sounds more like valve stem seal leakage...or depending on the year of your car, it might be a defective cyclone seperator.

A 'new member' huh. You wouldn't really happen to be Shayam would you???? :chairshot:

It's a cable + electrical system, the dual system got axed shortly there-after (or shortly before I forget for once). Change the wheel speed sensor.

Shayan

Mate, you've really got to scrap this car of yours. Get it over-insured than lave it with the keys in it in a dodgy area. Or let the hand brake off while parked near a slope close to a large body of water. Honestly. You're a nice guy and all, but you're giving the marque a bad name. In fact. I reckon if lexus HQ read your posts, they might even offer you money to keep quiet.

You're paying $150 for services & $600 to rent a car for afew hours. That's not very smart if you ask me.

Services rendered? They put a can of BG44 in the tank, changed the wiper blades, changed the oil & powersteering fluid. Then wrote checks by some parts.

Then they have somebody getting paid $7.50 an hour to "clean" the vehicle? Ew. Those are the same guys that use rotary buffers with year old wool pads on them to "wax" a car.

Hey just because I make $7.50 and hour to wash your car with gray water and dish soap doesn't mean I don't know what I'm doing. :D I agree that lexus service is overpriced, but to many its worth the satisfaction of knowing the had lexus brand air put in their tires. Anyone that needs that service done here can see me, I'll only charge you $599 and I'll even throw in a little tree air freshner!

Hey guys I thought the price was quite reasonable when you consider they:

* Removed my driver's seat to reattach a piece of trim that had been kicked off the back of it.

* Changed the oil and filter (okay, I supplied the oil).

* changed the power steering fluid.

* tightened the drive shaft bolts

* replaced the engine coolant

* replaced air conditioning filter.

* replaced the brake fluid.

* replaced front differential oil.

* replaced the windscreen wipers

* carbon cleaned throttle body, oxygen sensor, intake manifold, fuel lines etc.

* adjusted the handbrake

* Rotated and balanced the wheels.

* Checked just about everything.

* Carried out a digital brake test and road test.

* Supplied a brand new RX350 for the day.

* picked up and returned my car washed and vacuummed.

* FREE CHOCOLATES!!

Okay, Just got the car back. It ended up costing $985 Australian dollars (I suppose that's about $800 ish in your money) so I'm pretty happy with that, ewspeically considering that they also removed the front seat to replace a piece of trim.

I think for smaller services I'll just take it to my local Toyota garage, but all in all a good experience.

Cheers

Stephen

PS: As they used my damn expensive Mobil 1, do I need to change it as often???