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jragosta

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Posts posted by jragosta

  1. Several times in the past few months, I've had threads shut down. In each case, the record is very clear. I've been discussing something that I have the education, credentials, and experience to discuss and someone jumps in with "I don't care if you have a PhD and spent half of your career studying this and I'm a high school drop out. I don't like what you say, so I'll disagree with it - even if I can support my position".

    I try to educate people with the facts. Apparently, the management of this board doesn't care about the facts. They would rather let people with no education or experience give incorrect information to the readers - which could lead to problems. Apparently, my efforts to educate people with facts that I can support don't count for anything.

    Since the management is more interested in playing the tyrant than in promoting an educated discussion, I'm out of here. I have better things to do with my time than to try to educate people who don't want to be educated.

  2. Si isn't the whole puzzle, but it indicates that particles are passing through the K&N filter - which is exactly what I said would happen. K&N advertises filter ratings which are meaningless. They are simply reporting dirt holding capacity which is not what you want to look out.

    Hint: I spent many years in R&D developing new filtration media and I understand it quite well.

    I feel you are talkig about air filters but you can have high Si levels and it is meaningless. I know very well about your filtering past jobs since you have inlightendc me many times about it.

    For me, I could careless what people have done for jobs etc. Since oil testing in engines is a differet ball game. I even used air glazed filters for years (5) and the Si (some high) do not dictate anything. Even had the oil tests that showed this.

    Again, if you test your oil you will know SI in the great puzzle means nothing. You can have high Si and nothing is even wrong with oil or engine oil. Again, lets see your oil tests that show high Si hurts or means anything.I will ask this, what is SI integral too in oil testing?

    I only know from a few years of testing my oil. Only have done about 30 to 40 tests on various cars/trucks/motorcycles/diesel and gas engines.

    PS. I also use a K&N on my GSXR1100 for the past 10 years. Si levels are lower then my car....

    That's nice. I've done literally thousands of filtration tests. And I'm measuring actual filtration, not simply oil contaminants (which are only indirectly affected). Since we're talking about filtration performance, I'd say that my many years of managing filtration R&D, many thousands of controlled tests, and PhD in chemistry which allows me to understand the fundamental principles involved carries quite a bit more weight than the fact that you've put a K&N filter in one vehicle and have done 30-40 oil tests.

  3. Before installing it, you might want to read the reports on K&N. You'll get a lot of people saying 'I used it and it worked fine, added 50 hp and improved my fuel economy 90%' without any evidence. You'll also get people who actually tested things and found that the K&N filter was dumping particles into their oil (as measured by Si content in the oil). I spent a lot of years in filtration R&D and would strongly encourage you not to use a K&N filter.

    based on the oil filter ratings, I would use it and be happy too. But then again I send $4.75 for my 2 oil filters that last one year (using the same oil)..

    Si is one piece of the pie and does not mean a bad filter. If you oil test, you would know this.

    Si isn't the whole puzzle, but it indicates that particles are passing through the K&N filter - which is exactly what I said would happen. K&N advertises filter ratings which are meaningless. They are simply reporting dirt holding capacity which is not what you want to look out.

    Hint: I spent many years in R&D developing new filtration media and I understand it quite well.

  4. Most dealers have a discount if you buy 3 or 4 ,i get 3 filters for $15 (Canadian)with the drain plug gaskets included.

    So those filters are not much of a better deal after shipping than the dealer.

    For the few cents i would rather go to the dealer .

    I have no clue on the truth behind who makes what to weigh in though.

    Well, I wound up going to advanced autoparts, purchased a K&N filer adn Mobile 1 oil 5W30 did the oil change.

    I also purchased the SeaFoam but wasn't sure where to put it in order to clean the cilinder head and valves so I postponed it for next oil change when I find out more of how to do it.

    Before installing it, you might want to read the reports on K&N. You'll get a lot of people saying 'I used it and it worked fine, added 50 hp and improved my fuel economy 90%' without any evidence. You'll also get people who actually tested things and found that the K&N filter was dumping particles into their oil (as measured by Si content in the oil). I spent a lot of years in filtration R&D and would strongly encourage you not to use a K&N filter.

  5. I'm 52 and this is why I have used OEM EVERYTHING since I was in my late 30's

    http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y189/mastertech/add.jpg

    http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y189/mastertech/89.jpg

    I admit that when I was a 16-35 year old I'd cruise the asiles of auto parts stores and wonder what all those cool sounding filters and additives would do for my cars, not realizing OEM parts could take my Toyota up to 600,000 miles. And not realizing that the reason there are hundreds of thousands of Toyotas littering the nations auto wrecking yards is due to owner use of aftermarket store parts, filters and fluids.

    Here we go with the age discrimation..AGAIN!

    monarch- Do you really think most users or memebrs buy what you post? It is so wrong it is funny (but sad). Just compare the ratings on the filters. Toyoto is nothing short of a normal filter. I would not pay over $2.50 for (1).

    I, for one, buy what he says. There is a lot of crap out there that sounds good if you read the marketing but turns out to be useless (or even causes damage). I can think of a couple of products that have been recommneded on thsi very board that have been shown to be bad for your car, but people still buy them because they're cheap - or 'cool'.

    Sticking with the products recommended by the manufacturer is a sound strategy - particularly if you don't have the time to spend the number of ours researching all the alternatives. It's even more true if the couple of dollars extra for an oil filter ($10 every 4 months rather than $3 every 4 months) is less important to you than protecting your $30,000 investment.

    I wouldn't presume to say that this is the only reasonable strategy, but it's certainly a very viable strategy.

  6. first let me say hello as i'm new to this board, i have an 93 es300 and in the summer time i turn on the ac but after about an hour the temp. needle goes up. once i turn it off the needle goes back down. people tell me i can add an extra fan to feep the car cooler so i was wondering is this true and brands or types i should use, thanx.

    It is fairly common for the temperature to go up when A/C is running, but it's usually not a problem. How high does the temperature go?

  7. Ok slim listen up, I talked to these "idiots" today and expressed my concerns. He didn't even know the Toyota recommendation for coolant. This is a Toyota/Lexus repair shop! I told him, "I discussed with you before hand to only use Toyota red coolant." He told me, "uh, we usually just put in what was in before." Well, I guess he must of missed the PINK spray all over the engine bay from my previous radiator blow up! And he must of missed the RED COOLANT on my previous radiator flush invoice. And he must of missed RED COOLANT on the invoice he billed me on this invoice!!! Unreasonable? How many monkeys does it take to flush a radiator correctly?!

    Hint: Get a grip. Your life will be much more enjoyable if you learn to put things in perspective and treat people like human beings.

    The person who did the work is a human being. They may or may not have made a mistake (it's unlikely that they got your instructions - you should probably be complaining about the service manager, not the technician). As a result, he put in green antifreeze which clashes with the pink inside your engine bay. Since both the red and green antifreeze meet Lexus standards, you're getting all bent out of shape, calling names, and losing your temper over the fact that your technician didn't get your instruction about your preferred antifreeze color.

    AND THEY OFFERED TO REPLACE IT.

  8. how long do u thing this job will take, where and what is the power steering rack,is it the rack and pinion steering column or is it something near the pump, as i see it its just leaking at the pump i am waiting for it to get a little warm out there and ill probably do it on sunday

    just to try i still wanna try some of the power steering additives and see if it helps and maybe i can get by it and if it doesnt work ill change the pump.Do u think getting the additive in there is going to be bad for the system in anyway

    For what it's worth, I'm generally opposed to any third party additives. It takes many person-years to engineer a modern car because it's critical for all the pieces to work well together. The car is shipped when the design is complete and everything (including the fluids) works well together (usually).

    Any third party additive is necessarily a compromise. It's not going to be ideal for everything. In fact, it can make things worse. Let's say that the additive makes the fluid more viscous. In some cases, that would have a negative effect on performance.

    And that's not to mention the risk of catastrophic failure. What if the additive causes the system to fail while you're driving down the road at 70 mph? Is that really the time you want to lose your power steering pump?

    Yes, my approach is conservative, but if you're talking about a $30+ K machine which could kill you if it fails, I prefer to be conservative.

  9. :censored: I went to my service guys :chairshot: (under new management) and they put in a brand new radiator that I purchased. I reiterated the importance of Toyota red coolant as opposed to green and verified that was what they were going to put in. Well, I bought a new radiator cap today, removed the old and sure as :censored: , green :censored: coolant :censored::censored: ! I am *BLEEP*ed off! I will chew them out Monday first thing but what can I do now? I heard you are not supposed to mix the two and I want red back in. I honestly do not want them touching the car after that. Does anyone know how to flush DIY. Is this system permanantly residualized with the green coolant now or can I run hose water for an hour thru the system to clean it then switch to red? If so, please link me to instructions.

    Thanx for letting me vent!

    Snes

    All they're obligated to do is to use coolant which meets Lexus specs. They presumably did that.

    If you wanted something different, you should have written it on the service write up. If you did that, take it back and have them do what you requested. If you didn't write it up, you're SOL.

    Like I mentioned previously, I did discuss using "red" with the guy and I figured a verbal was good as gold. In any case, I did call them this morning and mentioned what I stumbled upon and they agreed to flush it and use the red. I have been going to them for years but the manager and master tech that used to work there went to Autonation. So after these idiots flush my radiator (for free), they will never see me again. I am still frustrated though. Do you all think I should have them flush, and then take it for another reflush, or will one do?

    Let's see:

    1. You didn't specify anything in writing. The guy who wrote up your order isn't the one who does the work. If it's not on the paper, it doesn't get in the hands of the person doing the work.

    2. Both colors of coolant meet Lexus specs. There's no reason to think that one is any better than the other.

    3. The shop agreed to flush your system and replace the fluid, anyway. Sounds like they're going above and beyond the call of duty to try to make them happy.

    4. You continue to call them idiots and say you'll never do business with them again.

    Seems to me that you're the one being awfully unreasonable here.

    Well, I have been getting outstanding service there for years. The previous manager and master tech know exactly how particular I am to detail and they have always exceeding my expectations. Both of them have EXTENSIVE knowledge about Toys and Lex's and have serviced them for 15+ years each. The gentlemen who runs the place now claims to have trained the previous manager but appears to posess about 1/10th of the knowledge of him. This place always repairs/maintains my vehicle to manufacturer spec and only Toyota brand parts. My vehical specifically calls for "red". For me even to verify with him initially shouldn't be necessary but like I said, I am particular to detail. So I do not think I am being unreasonable. They are not going above and beyond, they are simply correcting their mistake. Business is business.

    Good day sir,

    Kenny

    Let's say you're right. They made an honest mistake and are now correcting it.

    You're bad-mouthing them all over the place and calling them idiots - and taking your business somewhere else.

    Again, you're the one being unreasonable.

  10. :censored: I went to my service guys :chairshot: (under new management) and they put in a brand new radiator that I purchased. I reiterated the importance of Toyota red coolant as opposed to green and verified that was what they were going to put in. Well, I bought a new radiator cap today, removed the old and sure as :censored: , green :censored: coolant :censored::censored: ! I am *BLEEP*ed off! I will chew them out Monday first thing but what can I do now? I heard you are not supposed to mix the two and I want red back in. I honestly do not want them touching the car after that. Does anyone know how to flush DIY. Is this system permanantly residualized with the green coolant now or can I run hose water for an hour thru the system to clean it then switch to red? If so, please link me to instructions.

    Thanx for letting me vent!

    Snes

    All they're obligated to do is to use coolant which meets Lexus specs. They presumably did that.

    If you wanted something different, you should have written it on the service write up. If you did that, take it back and have them do what you requested. If you didn't write it up, you're SOL.

    Like I mentioned previously, I did discuss using "red" with the guy and I figured a verbal was good as gold. In any case, I did call them this morning and mentioned what I stumbled upon and they agreed to flush it and use the red. I have been going to them for years but the manager and master tech that used to work there went to Autonation. So after these idiots flush my radiator (for free), they will never see me again. I am still frustrated though. Do you all think I should have them flush, and then take it for another reflush, or will one do?

    Let's see:

    1. You didn't specify anything in writing. The guy who wrote up your order isn't the one who does the work. If it's not on the paper, it doesn't get in the hands of the person doing the work.

    2. Both colors of coolant meet Lexus specs. There's no reason to think that one is any better than the other.

    3. The shop agreed to flush your system and replace the fluid, anyway. Sounds like they're going above and beyond the call of duty to try to make them happy.

    4. You continue to call them idiots and say you'll never do business with them again.

    Seems to me that you're the one being awfully unreasonable here.

  11. :censored: I went to my service guys :chairshot: (under new management) and they put in a brand new radiator that I purchased. I reiterated the importance of Toyota red coolant as opposed to green and verified that was what they were going to put in. Well, I bought a new radiator cap today, removed the old and sure as :censored: , green :censored: coolant :censored::censored: ! I am *BLEEP*ed off! I will chew them out Monday first thing but what can I do now? I heard you are not supposed to mix the two and I want red back in. I honestly do not want them touching the car after that. Does anyone know how to flush DIY. Is this system permanantly residualized with the green coolant now or can I run hose water for an hour thru the system to clean it then switch to red? If so, please link me to instructions.

    Thanx for letting me vent!

    Snes

    All they're obligated to do is to use coolant which meets Lexus specs. They presumably did that.

    If you wanted something different, you should have written it on the service write up. If you did that, take it back and have them do what you requested. If you didn't write it up, you're SOL.

  12. My 1993 Lexus ES300's battery just died on me. I was wondering if it requires alot of work to replace the battery myself. Or should i just jumpstart the car and take it to NTB or something?

    If i do it myself? What kind of tools would i need? Would normal socket ranches do for this job?

    TIA!

    I'm not very mechanical, but I can do it. It's fairly easy. Just make sure you get the right battery.

    Always disconnect the negative (black) terminal and make sure the black lead is well away from the terminal before touching the red lead. When reinstalling, connect the red lead first.

    Good luck.

  13. Thanks!

    Is starter pretty easy to change? Also can I just buy one from discount auto parts, or should I get an official toyota or lexus one?

    I wouldn't suggest running out and buying a starter based on my wild guess.

    Go to Pep Boys or whoever offers cheap testing of the electrical system. That way you'll know what is broken rather than guessing.

  14. * ? :|

    I made some progress in diagnostic:

    I was playing with it and when I turn the key in.. I can't go to CD player, only TAPE and AM/FM !!!

    Could this mean a fuse or low battery?

    I can't imagine how a low battery would make the car shake.

    Bad starter (or bad solenoid, perhaps) would be my guess.

  15. Hi,

    I had a accident and right know I've a problem to bay body parts for ES 300 (1996). I live in Poland and as I know this model ES was design for US market (there is no parts for this model in Poland only for GS and other models) . My question is: have GS 300 and ES 300 the same parts (I mean if the doors and glass are the same) or is possieble to use other makes parts (I mean Toyota camry or other toyota model).

    Thax for any help (and sorry for my english).

    Best Andy from Poland

    :(

    Get rid of it. Even if by some miracle you can obtain the parts (I doubt if GS parts will work) and get them shipped to Poland, that car will never be right again. You're looking at major structural damage.

  16. Unless I'm mistaken (and thats more than possible) replacing the ECU with one from a Canadian ES would do the trick.

    The question would be what would that cost, and would it void the warranty (a lot, and yes).

    That was an option suggested back on page 2 or so of this thread. When I looked into it, the cost of the Canadian ECU was over $1750 USD in 2003. The other problem was at the time the car was under warranty and Lexus would have voided the at least the emissions warranty should I have opted for this. The car would now not be or may not be ULEV compliant and they would not stand behind any unknown failures in any emissions testing that I had to have performed nor would they be responsibe to cover any failed part under warranty. I had taken this as maybe they haven't tried it and didn't know what would happen if you simply did a swap.

    Of course, it wouldn't be necessary to change the ECU if Lexus would let US dealers install the programing from the Canadian ECU into the US vehicles.

  17. More evidence that you are right can be found in recent Consumer Reports owner surveys which list the transmission of the ES330 (and Camry V6) as a trouble spot - not because of transmission failure, but because of throttle lag. Soon the April 2006 annual auto issue of CR will hit the newsstands I'll post photos so everyone can see what owners reported to CR. As I have mentioned before, it is interesting that the 5 speed automatic in the '05 and '06 Camry 4 cylinder doesn't exhibit an annoying degree of lag. Only the 1MZ-FE ans 3MZ-FE V6's do.

    Another interesting fact is that the 4 speed automatic in the '04 Camry 4 cylinder had a zero lag cable operated throttle instead of drive by wire and yet it still met Partial Zero Emission standards (in California at least).

    In addition, Canadian vehicles are not known to suffer these problems......due to the different emission regulations between our 2 countries.

    :cheers:

    Exactly. Lexus should allow US ES owners to choose the Canadian Transmission settings if they wish. Lexus could no longer claim the vehicle as ULEV, but that only matters for new vehicle sales. Once I own the car, I can modify it within fairly broad limits.

  18. I also still question the number of people that actually are bothered by the lag, for instance I know MANY people that drive 02-06 ES cars (in real estate all most everyone has one) and I have never encountered anyone who complained about the lag when we were discussing the car. The only place I've heard of it is in some reviews and online, all from ca enthusiasts who are more critical of things of this nature than the buying public.

    So my question is what % of owners actually find the issue a problem, my guess is not much, hence why they don't focus on a solution. Remember, that you can adjust your driving habits to compensate, you guys just don't want to because your fury over this issue has made you not want to enjoy the car.

    Go to nhtsa.dot.gov.

    The throttle lag problem is the #1 problem on the ES330. There are dozens of complaints. Given the small number of people who bother to complain, you can bet that the number is huge. Virtually every review I've seen in magazines and newspapers mentions it.

    Read the threads in this board. There are a few complaints about the cup holders. A small number of complaints about a few other things. And many hundreds of complaints about the throttle lag.

    Just what (other than a blind 'Lexus can do no wrong' attitude) can make you think it's not a significant problem?

  19. What irritates me the most about this is Toyota's denial. USA Today reviewed the 2007 Toyota Camry and saw the same hesitation problems. He contacted Toyota and they said that it's a problem that doesn't occur in production vehicles- ignoring the fact that there have been dozens of complaints to NHTSA and thousands of complaints online.

    THAT is why I won't buy another Toyota vehicle and will recommend to my friends that they don't buy one. Also, my company will not buy any Toyota vehicles for its fleet.

    The 2007 Camry / ES350 / RX350 has the same all new 3.5 liter V6 as the 2006 Avalon. I havn't heard of complaints from 2006 Avalon owners about hesitation problems nor have I read about any such complaints in auto road test magazines. I'm guessing the hesistation problem may have been largely resolved.

    I've got oceanfront property in Arizona to sell you, too.

    1. Toyota has claimed that the problem has been solved over and over and over - and people still have problems.

    2. The USA Today reviewer said he experienced the problem.

    3. Go to nhtsa.dot.gov. There's already one complaint about the 2006 Avalon with 3.5 and automatic.

    Doesn't look like it's resolved any more than the last dozen times they claimed it was.

  20. The 2003 ES300 that my wife is in love with is a pile of trash as far as I am concerned. Honestly, it is one of the worst driving (handling), riding and performing car I have ever owned, and I've owned 35 different cars and two pickups during the past 54 years. Worse than any Ford or GM product, with the exception of a 1991 Nissan Maxima. I couldn't get rid of that thing fast enough. Lost a ton of money to get rid of it. I would sell this 03 tomorrow if my wife would consent.

    :cries:

    What irritates me the most about this is Toyota's denial. USA Today reviewed the 2007 Toyota Camry and saw the same hesitation problems. He contacted Toyota and they said that it's a problem that doesn't occur in production vehicles- ignoring the fact that there have been dozens of complaints to NHTSA and thousands of complaints online.

    THAT is why I won't buy another Toyota vehicle and will recommend to my friends that they don't buy one. Also, my company will not buy any Toyota vehicles for its fleet.

  21. Hey guys - just wondering if anyone has any thoughts for me here.

    I have a 1994 es300 in mint condition. Everyone who sees it thinks it's a 99. It has 135k on it tan w/ all options. The trade in on it is $3,250. A dealership owned by a friend will give me 4k for it no questions asked - and I am heavily considering a loaded 1998 BMW 740iL with 52000 miles on it for $12,995 with a clean car fax history. Is this a good decision? I don't think I'll have another chance to get that kind of cash for my car...any bad experiences with 7 series anyone? Thanks guys

    Does the BMW have a warranty or can you get one for a reasonable price?

  22. Ohay, how do you know that there are not two "forms" of engine/transaxle delay/hesitation? One form which Toyota has deemed "normal", to protect the drive train, and a second, extended one, causing delays of one of two seconds are more.

    I can fully and easily accept Toyota' explanation that there is an intentional delay in allowing the engine to develop a substantial level of torque as the downshift is completing. I often drive a stickshift and I do not wish to be replacing the clutch prematurely. So I am careful to not apply gas inordinately quickly as I engage the clutch after a downshift.

    So I can fully accept Toyota explanation that the delay is to protect the drive train. But just how long a delay are they talking about? Certainly one that would be noticeable if one were in an especial hurry to accelerate.

    But clearly, that wouldn't be 1 to 2 seconds as is being complained about, a few hundred milliseconds, maybe.

    So, ALL of Toyota's electronically controlled transmissions with DBW are exhibiting some level of downshift delay. Enough of a delay that any driver having experience with previous, non-DBW transmissions, will definitely notice when quickly returning to acceleration circumstances.

    So, what if the anomalous "extended" delay only occurs on vehicles with Trac, or even VSC.

    Look at the contention between the parties, posters, involved, some say the delay is hazardous. In my opinion a 1 to 2 second unpredictable delay might very well put one into an unsafe condition. But many who claim to be experiencing the delay contend "no way" to the unsafe or hazard issue, and often further dispute the 1 or 2 second amount.

    Good, logical evidence that there may be two forms of the delay/hesitation.

    Except that you keep ignoring the facts in dreaming up your silly scenarios.

    My car does not have Trac. It does not have VSC. It is a standard 2004 ES330 without either of those options. Yet I experience the severe, long 1-2 second delay.

    It has been pointed out to you over and over again that you don't know what you're talking about. Just accept it and learn.

  23. "....move on to something else...."

    Okay, what about the Trac firmware, or even the ABS firmware having a flaw?

    In almost all instances described in the TSB it is highly likely that the driver just removed their right foot from the brake pedal to the gas pedal.

    Let's see. I don't have any idea what you mean by 'Trac', but as for ABS firmware, please explain how ABS firmware would cause the following:

    When pulling onto a freeway, your foot is on the gas as you move down the ramp. You see an opening in the traffic and step harder on the gas. The car sits there for 2 seconds thinking about it and then takes off.

    You really have some strange ideas.

  24. Okay, so what's the harm in trying..??

    Other than wasting energy and throwing up clouds of confusion in chasing a red herring?

    If one is really interested in determining the cause of the problem (and eventually a fix), one has to look at it scientifically.

    VSC has been eliminated as a potential source of the problem. Move on to something else.

    I didn't say, haven't said, that the problem doesn't occur on RWD vehicles, just that complaints of this type are rarely posted for RWD.

    What I've noticed after renting alot of '04-'06 Toyotas and other Asian cars recently is that the duration of the hesitation on the Toyota / Lexus 1MZ-FE / 3MZ/FE V6 is greater and long enough to be annoying. The duration of the hesitation in the other Toyota engines and other Asian cars is less noticable and not seriously annoying.

    Yep.

    It just looks like Lexus was a little too aggressive in pursuing ULEV status. For whatever reason, getting ULEV on the ES required really pushing the limits - and driveability suffers.

    Personally, I'd rather give up an MPG or two and have the car more driveable.

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