disillusionist

Hey, care to share the model # of the Pioneer you went with? I'm having trouble confirming whether various models will fit my 97 ES.

I was hearing a strange sound from the front axle of my '97 ES300, and after having it checked it out by a private shop was told that my transmission valve body needs replacement. The shop is recommending usage of a salvaged unit at an estimated cost of $600-800, instead of a new unit at roughly twice that. I would appreciate any advice on the wisdom of using a salvaged part, esp. something as complex as a tranny valve body. This car has only 94k miles on it and I hope to be driving it for many years to come.

Follow-up: Just got my ES back from a full-service autoshop near my home. In the end, I spent over $1900 on service, but I got a lot of work done. Here was the breakdown: 90k service, including: - oil change & tire rotation - new air filter - new timing belt & tensioner - new p/s belt & alt belt - new water pump - new thermostat - new platinum spark plugs - flush & repl of coolant, tranny fluid, & brake fluid Total cost before tax: $1202.50, almost $400 less than Lexus wanted. (Thanks 1990LS400, for giving me something to compare this with!) I also got the following work done: - fuel injector cleaning ($90) - valve cover gasket replaced & engine cleaned ($347) - new fuel filter, PCV valve, repl faulty rear brake lights ($155) A lot of $$$, but it's an investment that I hope will pay off over the next 90,000 miles. Thanks to all for your input!

I'd first like to thank all the contributors to this forum. I just found this site a few days ago, and have already learned a ton about how to keep my Lexus running well. I have a '97 ES300 that just turned over 90,000 miles. I just called my local Lexus shop--there's only one dealer in the entire metro Kansas City area--and received a quote of $1,587.50 (not a typo) for a 90,000-mile service. This included the standard interval service w/ replacement of all major fluids, as well as replacement of timing belt, water pump, and spark plugs. After picking myself up off the floor, I called a Toyota dealer who said he could do it for $380, but this would not include timing belt, water pump, or spark plugs. He thought that the timing belt and water pump could be a $700 job just by themselves, and I understand from searching this forum that the labor involved makes it prudent to do both at the same time. But still, I have to wonder: Is this quote reasonable? Am I missing any other recommended work that Lexus might have included? It would seem that the time has come for me to develop a relationship with my friendly neighborhood full-service auto shop...