Esmark

I can't help you with the wood trim--I was wondering about that myself--but for any important glass cleaning, I highly recommend iKlear (www.iklear.com). It's 100% ammonia- and alcohol-free. It's actually designed for cleaning computer screens and high-end optics. I've used their stuff for years on LCD, CRT, and digital camera displays. Great stuff, and well worth checking out. (I have no afflliation with the company other than being a very satisfied customer.)

Those who guessed bad battery are the winners for this round. Did a jump start and it fired up. Drove it to a mechanic who tested the battery. It was kaput. (It was also the original 1997 Lexus battery which is pretty impressive really. That's got to be a lot of start-ups between 1997 and 2003.) It pulled enough amps to run all the other electrical systems but not enough to start the car. Now with new battery, the Lexus is running fine! Thank you to everyone who responded! I'm happy to be on the road again! :)

Just wanted to send a quick note of thanks to everybody who has replied. I'll try jumping the car tomorrow (carefully following the instructions in the owners manual). If that doesn't work, I'll have it towed to the shop. I'll post again once I have a firm diagnosis from the mechanic.

Thing is, I have full power everywhere else. Lights, alarm, etc. all work. So I don't think it's a battery thing. The multiple click machine gun-like sound when I try to start is, I think, the battery trying to get the engine to catch but the engine isn't turning over at all. Does that sound like a starter problem? I'm pretty far out of my league here. :( Thanks again.

Well, not even 2 weeks after I bought it, my 1997 ES 300 won't start. Was running fine up until now. When I try to start it, I get a machine gun like clicking. Engine doesn't catch. Is this a starter issue? Any ideas from folks on solutions or things I can try? After all the adventures with my Mazda 626, I bought the Lex for reliability. Geesh. Anyone with suggestions or ideas? I'm not a mechanic but it'd be good to know what I might be up against. Thanks in advance!

There is something seriously wrong with your license plate. Great picts, great looking car!

Thanks for the recommendations. When you say Poorboys on the wheels, do you mean the Poorboys EX Sealant? Or are you referring to a different Poorboys product? Follow-up question about the sealing/waxing: I read on Autopia that after sealing you should wait 24 hours before waxing. True? What's your take on this? I guess I had figured that it was going to be just one step after another 1-2-3 (unless my arms gave out). If I'm supposed to wait 24 before using the P21s, should I keep the car garaged and not drive it in the interim (so as not to get any dirt on it)?

Run my own Internet and Mac computer consulting business. Part-time musician/singer/songwriter with dreams of getting a CD out the door. Amateur genealogist. Full-time husband and dad.

OK. I'll try the Meguiars Scratch X instead. Thanks for the recommendation. Thanks also for the heads-up on the sealant/wax order (I'd hate to spend all that time just to mess it up at the end) and the note about the dawn wash. Only use when removing wax. Got it. :) I was thinking of getting some Novus plastic cleaner for the headlights since one of them is pretty hazy. Sound OK? Not sure yet what I'm going to put on the tires and the rims. Anyone have product recommendations for those?

I bought my dark green Lexus ES 300 last weekend. I'd like list out the steps I plan to take in caring for it and have some more knowledgeable forum members confirm that I'm not about to do something that I'll regret. I've read through previous posts (swiping ideas and some phraseology liberally from SW03ES in particular--Thank God you're here to help people like me!) 1. Using water, a sheep skin mitt, and Dawn dishwashing liquid I'll wash the car. 2. Using Clay Magic bar (www.clay-magic.com) and using the carwash as a lube, I'll soap a panel, clay it, and rinse until all the ground in dirt is removed and surface glass smooth. 3. Using Meguiars Swirl Remover (www.meguiars.com) I'll spot remove any large scratches. (How is this applied by the way? Microfiber towel? Sponge?) 4. Using P21s Concours-look Carnuba Wax (www.p21s.com) I'll wax the car and buff it using a microfiber towel. 5. Using PoorBoys EX sealant (www.poorboysworld.com) I'll try to lock in all the work I've done above and hope that it'll last me for 6 months when I plan to do it again. [is that correct? Wax then sealant? Or should it be sealant then wax?] 6. I'll be using Invisible Glass by Stoner (www.invisibleglass.com) on the windows. How does this sound? Will this turn out OK? Any recommendations/changes/additions? Also, what do you recommend for the rims and tires? How about the headlights and tail lights? And what about the metal bits--it'd be nice to have that Lexus symbol really sparkle! B) Thanks to everyone in advance!

I called two Lexus-certified master mechanics this morning. Neither one had heard of any onboard computer problems with the 1997 ES 300. Both said that as long as the car has been regularly serviced and maintained, there's no reason to pay $1600 for an extended warranty. I will be cancelling the extended warranty and saving the $1600 bucks (maybe for mods, who knows?). Thanks to everyone for their responses and help!

That's good to hear. :) Really? That's sort of distressing since the dealership business manager who sold me the extended warranty said she used to work at a Lexus dealership and they saw lots of ecu warranty repairs. Do you think she was blowing smoke just trying to sell me something I didn't need? <_< Nope. I bought it from an Acura dealer. It was a trade-in. :whistles: The warranty is a 60/40 1 month/1000 miles without the extended warranty. In other words, in the first 1 month or 1000 miles the dealer pays 60 percent of repairs and I pay 40 percent. Repairs under this warranty happen at the Acura dealership unless they can't do the work. Repairs under the extended warranty can happen at any ASE certified mechanic of my choice. "This Contract does not cover any failure from not maintaining the manufacturer's specified levels or capacity of fluids, lubricants, refrigerants or coolants." OK. Thank you very much for your response. I appreciate it! :)

Hi everybody! I just bought a 1997 ES 300, my first Lexus. :D The car has 104,500 miles on it. The dealer I bought it from wanted to sell me an extended warranty of 24,000 miles/2 years (whichever comes first) for $1600. The dealer said the Lexus engines were fine but that it was all the onboard computers that really required a warranty of this nature. He said that if just one computer goes down, the warranty can end up paying for itself right there. I tentatively agreed to purchase the extended warranty, but I can cancel it within 30 days for full refund or cancel any time up through the two year period and get a prorated amount back. Questions: 1. Should I get the extended warranty or not? 2. How often do 1997 ES 300 onboard computers go down and what do they cost to replace? I'm thrilled to have a Lexus! This looks like a great club. :)