jakemj8402

I was hoping to get your opinion on what kind of brakes I should get. I need all rotors and brakes replaced. I went to a trusted shop and and they told me that it would be better to use cheaper aftermarket rotors with O.E.M. pads. It seems to make sense. He also tried to get me ceramic pads, which he says are cheaper and they won't squeal. My main priority is that my car stops well and doesn't squeal when I apply the brakes....that drives me crazy. Any advice about how to go about this would be greatly appreciated. -Thanks '97 ES300 93,000

I would definitely go after that guy big time. If you had it inspected and they didn't tell you about rusted out break lines, I would be absolutely enraged! I've never lost the brakes in my car before, but I could only imagine the shock of pressing the pedal and getting absolutely no response. He's lucky you weren't hurt, I would serve him with the bill and if he refuses to pay, I'd take him to court. I don't know anything about law in Quebec, but I would definitely go after him. Good Luck.

Exactly, haste makes waste. Lexus makes an excellent and most reliable automobile. However, before buying an car you should always get it inspected by a mechanic, who might have saw the rusting brake lines, or inspected the A/C system. That alone would have saved you thousands. Your car is thirteen years old, what you're paying to have replaced is just what you would expect to replace on a car of this age (which is just about anything). Buying a certain brand doesn't guarantee that you'll be problem free; it simply increases your odds of getting a reliable automobile. Good luck with the stereo.

Hey, I'm ordering some lexol for my seats and I wanted to know what you guys thought about vinyl protectants. I hate that junk at Autozone that leaves a cheap and greasy look, so I'm pretty sure I want a water and not a silicone based protectant. I've seen two products so far that claim to have no silicone in them, Aerospace 303 and Klasse (really long name). Do any of you use or recommend these products (or something else)? Thanks. -Jake

Thanks guys, after Alan's experience I'll to get moving on this, the last thing I need is to be stuck! -Jake

Hi, I have a '97 ES with 75,000 miles on it. When ever I start the engine up when it's cold, or after it's had some time to cool off, it starts and runs fine. However, if I shut the car off for a minute and start it back up (the amount of time it takes to run into a store, grab something, and get back into the car) it stalls. To get the car to start when its warmed up, I have to rev it to almost 2k RPMs, then it lowers to idle and everything is fine. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks, -Jake

The weather-stripping still keeps my car sealed up well; however, it does look a little pitted/warn when you inspect it more closely. Have any of you replaced the seals in your car (or had any problem with leaks)? Is it an easy DIY project or dealership work? Thanks! Regards, Jake '97 ES 300

So let me get this right, you went into your dealership for, and agreed to several orders, one of which was an inspection that included the cooling system. Upon leaving the dealership, your check engine light came on, you went back into the service area, they checked your car, and they told you something was wrong with the cooling system, correct? My first response to the service manager, (you are speaking to him, right? Everyone else is just a middleman) after having an aneurism, would be to question the credibility of him and the entire dealership. You paid for a service that was not preformed properly at all; what is the probability that an entire inspection of any system was completed, given a clean bill of health, and before leaving the driveway "fell apart"? Possible, sure. Possible, but highly unlikely. I would urge him, if he has any interest in customer satisfaction at all, to agree to a complete repair of the cooling system free of charge. Why? He (the technician, that is) failed to perform the inspection that could have stranded you miles down the road; that is what an inspection is supposed to prevent in the first place! Good Luck, keep us informed.

The bulb out warning for the rear deck came on; so I checked, and the passengers side rear tailight was out. I started look for a way to get into the bulbs and found what I thought to be screws, when they were actually just those plastic retainer things made to look like screws. After messing with those for a few minutes, I popped them out. I checked the bulb, and it was still good (dirty socket), then I went to put the retainers back in, but they won't hold. Are they just for a one-time use? Do I have to drive back to the dealer to get new ones (The Lexus dealer is an hour and a half away)? Thanks. -Jake P.S. BTW, whats the best thing to use to clean those electrical contacts? Thanks Again.

I just had my '97 in not too long ago for the same creaking noise. It turned out that the top bearings on the struts had gone bad. I'm not sure what the dolphin noise could be. The best way to get your problems fixed is to ask the service manager to go in the car with you while you recreate the noises, this way they can't say there isn't anything wrong. Good Luck.

Thanks everyone for your help. I'm glad I have someone to ask questions every now and then. Again, Thank You. -Jake

I just bought a '97 ES300 w/ 56,000 miles. I assume that it has an interference engine since it is a Toyota, when should I get the timing belt changed? Also, I can't find in the manual when you are supposed to change the transmission fluid. Any input you can provide will be greatly appreciated, thank you. -Jake