Lextech2k3

JPI is right...company policy is to replace brake parts under warranty...however 99 is no long under warranty....and NO your rotors shouldn't warp again after turning..the only reason this would happen is if the tech took off too much material or if you are made to make an extremely sudden stop like Lexo had too. most people after having thier rotors simply turned go 40-60K before they need it done again....my own dad's LS400 '96 has just had the rear rotors replaced this week after 189K the fronts were finally replace after 175K a few months ago...this car is mostly highway driven though....but that doesn't seem to make much difference from what i see come through the shop...however if you drive your car like you mean it (or like it's stolen whichever phrase you prefer) you should go with a really heavy duty set of aftermarket rotors (probably drilled and slotted if you can find it) and some good brake pads (EBC makes excellent pads for these vehicles) but if you drive your car like a sain person you should have no problem with the stock rotors...turned or replaced....hey if you couldn't turn them and not have problems...we certainly wouldn't do it!... -Tyler

well my year end goal (04 not 03) is 350rwhp through my stock auto trans...later down the road i'll reinforce that and go for 640rwhp....but i think anything more than that and my car will be incapable of being a sleeper anymore (keeping my car looking stock at a stoplight is my ultimate goal)....besides how much power do you really need on a daily driver..right??? ;) ....btw speaking of starting small...anyone know a really good sounding exhaust that won't be restrictive once i throw all this power on it? Oh. and a question for down the road....is there such a thing as an aftermarket head for one of these that flows better maybe? i don't know that it has a problem in that department.... and that may be why i've never heard of one.... but i'm just wondering if such a beast exists..

Thanks guys...when i get some cash (some time maybe next century, maybe :( ) i'll make sure to look into turbo charging it....however i want to ask a personal opinion of you guys....single or twin? i'm told that if i put twin on my engine i'll likely blow the bottom end out when i bottle feed it....is this true? I've heard round the campfire that you can put roughly a grand of rwhp under the hood of these things with the stock bottom end....dunno if it's true...(and i call myself a toyota guy :chairshot: )....well hey thanks ahead of time for any answers you can give me. I really do appreciate the help! -Tyler

try replacing the batteries anyway...if they are the originals they are due to be replaced just the same.

have your mechanic check the front control arms on your vehicle....there is a rubber bushing on those vehicles that wears out...if this is the case it will usually cause a loud thump going over bumps..but not always....it is possible that one of these has worn out on your car.

the camry i believe is still using a 4 spd trans where the ES is using a 5 spd....other than that it is just a dressed up camry. but it will hold it's value better too.

ok here is the pros and cons..and some alternatives you'll want to look at SC430 PROS quick as lighting lets you forget its a car best sound system on the market excelent fuel econ fairly good looks CONS one round of tires will cost an avg of $1600! you need two sets of tires one for summer one for winter..there is not way around this unless it's only a summer driver. the tires only last 15000 miles if you are lucky...the avg i see is about 10,000 the tires chop severely about halfway through there life..making a very loud groan while going down the road. EVERYTHING on this car is expensive to fix this is the highest maint' car lexus has ever made on a scale of 1 to 10 (10 high) sportyness 9.9 comfort 6.0 reliability 9.9 maint' (both amount of and overall cost) 2.0 fun factor 10.0 (but remember you pay to play) ES330 PROS a vast improvement over the older models very very quiet bigger engine than older models with little additional weight new 5 spd trans inexpensive to maint' overall CONS slow and clumsy when sporty drive is desired doesn't have the best ride it could due to an obselete style of suspension (though very well done) new 5 spd trans shifts extremely slow and tends to jerk (there is a software update for this but we still get complaints) it's slow overall (my personal opinion) 1 to 10 scale sportyness 3.0 comfort 8.7 reliability 9.9 maint' 10.0 fun factor 2.0 Other vehicles you may want to check out. IS300 this vehicle as previously mentioned can be turbocharged to get increased performance...however it is rather cramped inside the vehicle for anyone around or over 6' tall (however i'm 6'4" and i fit in the car). GS430 this car must be special ordered in most cases but is extremely driver friendly and has a ton of room...it is very sporty especially for a sedan and has enough room in the engine compartment for upgrades if you wish to do so...however it doesn't "need" any to put you to the back of your seat. GS300 the more common "little brother" to the GS430...it uses the same engine and trans as the IS300 but also weighs more taking away from the sportyness and acceleration of the vehicle...but it can also be turbocharged. LS430 this car has been nearly perfected this year...with a starting price under that of the SC430 i would strongly recomend taking a look at this car...total luxury...you just have to pay for the little extras. as far as the SC400 you listed i wouldn't get that vehicle...i would definately be looking at a late ninety's..you can pick up an excelent 98 SC400 for about 14,000-16,000 depending on options and that is a very nice car for that money. However if you decide to go new i would personally go with the GS430 it is in my opinoin the most well rounded car lexus makes....i honestly think they made it special order just so the LS430 would sell better. Hey i wish you good luck with your search and i really hope this posting helps you decide...if you have any questions about anything here please PM me, Tyler

actually the order is Toyota->Lexus->Scion but yeah it's all the same stuff....hey if i were you i'd just take the thing to autozone or the dealer..they will both read that code for free. btw what did you mean by you "cleaned out your exhaust" i've never heard of that. the most common problem we see on those cars are the O2 sensors going out...don't skimp on this item..buy it from the dealer...they charge you out the nose but it is important that it gives the computer an accurate reading...if not your engine could go lean (less fuel than usual) and literally cook itself. you should know that only about 1 in 10 of the O2 sensors are intermitent so there is still a good chance of there being other problems. good luck with it, Tyler

DANG THAT'S A LOT OF INFO..whew thanks guy...well i think i'm gonna start learning turbos...and some computer tuning it sounds...hey as far as the superchager for a 1uz i've seen it done with a centrifugal supercharger like they put on the rouche mustangs..(i don't know if that car was ever exported but if you are from the states you should know what that is)...either way the smaller supercharger can be front mounted i believe above the power steering pump somewhere....the one i saw run just simply screemed down the track too....turbocharging that engine is basically pointless...lexus never put more than a few inches on either side of that engine on anything it went into... hey if anyone has any links that will help explain the in's and outs of turbocharging..whether it's lexus/toyota specific or not..i would be very greatfull...and if anyone has any mechanical questions about any toyota or lexus they have PM me and i'll see if i can answer them. Thanks for all the good advise, Tyler

i have never used a topsider but i can't think of any reason why you wouldn't other than you have to get under the car anyway to change the filter.

without knowing which model of GS you have i cannot give you an accurate amount over... however i can tell you that the GS300 takes only 1 1/2 qts when just draining and filling the transmission. and i believe the GS400 is 2 1/2qts but i'd start with 2 and go from there as i'm not 100% sure. as for the 430 i have no idea as they are extremely rare where i am sorry..i would still assume to start with 2qts and go from there. i do have one question for you though...do you have the engine running when you check your fluid? you are suposed to with the transmission...i have no idea if you knew that or not but just in case..it does make a big difference as a trans that is at exactly the right level can look to be overfull.

just that hose....that's a common leak for those vehicles

here is a list of fluid specs you should know engine oil.. type: 5w-30 - 10w-30 Semi-synthetic depending on engine wear (mine has 189K on it and just started with 10w-30 about 6mo. ago) Capacities.. gen I: 5.9qts (90-94) Gen II: 5.9qts (95-97) Gen III: 6.2qts (98-00) Gen IV: 6.2qts (01-03) Gen V: 6.2qts (04- current) btw you only need to take the two back bolts on the driver side loose to access the oil filter. trans.. i unfortunately will have to ad details to this later as i am not 100% sure of the capacities...for now i will say that for a standard drain and fill start with 2 qts and go from there...make sure the engine is running when you check the fluid level. rear axle the rule of thumb is to fill it up till it comes out of the fill hole and then wait until the flow out has stopped....it is very important that you do not imediately plug the diff when the oil starts coming out as when it expands from heat it can blow seals. coolant.. use only toyota red coolant (it doesn't cost that much more and it's designed for toyota engines) the LS takes about 2qts of 50/50 mix....have an old washer fluid jug handy so you can mix the coolant DO NOT ATTEMPT TO POUR HALF A GALLON OF COOLANT THEN HALF A GALLON OF WATER IN THE RADIATOR AT A TIME...IT RARELY IF EVER WORKS OUT TO BE THE RIGHT MIX. FILTERS ENGINE FILTER (EVERY 15K) to replace the air filter you must first completely remove the ram air plenum located right on top of the radiator. to do this you will need to take up the small plastic cover in front of the battery then using a 10mm socket you will need to take the bolt loose underneath that cover...there are a couple more at the other end of the plenum....you will need a long extention to get one of them...once that piece is out you just need to release the metal ring around the main air box to access the air filter...replace the filter and then reverse the steps above to reasemble the airbox and plenum. A/C FILTERS (EVERY 15K) to replace the cabin a/c filter...open the glove box and empty the contents down about half way...then remove the trap door at the top back of the box...it lifts strait up and out..then you will see a big white plastic box behinde the glove box...there will be two tabs about even with the bottom of the trap door you removed..pull up and out to remove the access panel to the a/c filter...with that out of the way you will see a black tray..pull it down and out...in that tray is the a/c filter...DO NOT THROW THAT TRAY AWAY..YOU MUST REUSE IT!...remove the a/c filter from the tray..and then install the new one...then just reverse the steps above to reinstall everything. NOTE: if you have an LS430 with rear air you have a second a/c filter located in the trunk...it's in front most panel (furthest side of the trunk from you) on the right (passenger) side behind a black plastic rectangle..just pull that off and it's behind there. PCV VALVE (EVERY 15K) to replace the pcv valve remove the engine cover (Gen I may be able to get away with not doing this) look at the driver side head...(right side as you are looking at the front of the car) look for a black hose at the front of the engine that goes to the intake...it's about 6-8 in. long...at the side that goes into the head is the pcv valve (look at the part you are replacing it with to figure out what to look for) now this part..depending on the year...will either pop out and pop in...or you may have to unscrew it with a 17mm wrench...either way it should only take about 5mins max to replace it. wiper inserts.. just take it to the dealer...they likely wont even charge you for them. and if they do it's not enough to worry about if you have any other more specific areas you want me to cover please pm me or email me and i will be sure to post them up on here...( no sense in cluttering this up with requests). HOPE THIS HELPS! Tyler

well i'm sorry it didn't work out for you man...but i'm glad to know now.... thanks for the info!

go buy yourself a can of PB Blaster....best rust penetrant known to man...no joke eat that stuff off in 2 mins flat!....i use it daily at work.

ok the one thing that everyone is missing here is that when fluid gets hot it expands...hence the reason for the min/max lines....the true test to see if you have any air is to take loose the 14mm or 10mm alen bolt at the top of your thermostat housing....that is the point that the block bleeds the air from when you flush the coolant system....chances are that if there is any air at all in the system it's there. Btw on an ls the top hose gets hard because it's feeding the thermostat which is usually mostly closed...especialy at idle. you probably don't have a problem at all if your car is not running hot...i'd just say to top the coolant off and be done with it...btw make sure you use the same color coolant that you have in it when you top it off....or else you will have some major problems.... P.S. if you want to know if you have a blown head gasket check to see if the car makes thick white smoke at startup that smells sort of sweet...(note: obviously if it's cold out when you start your car it will make white smoke anyway cause of the steam it creates...but it will not smell).

SW03ES I never thought about that aspect of the 430 being classed as a ULEV...however the 04 is also ULEV rated and it does in fact do 160....and in regards to the the picture being fake..i agree i have scene a lot of bogus pictures...and if it wasn't the guy i work next to that had it...and the fact that it says kodak on the back...i probably wouldn't believe it....i'll see if he wont let me get my hands on it to let me post up here....i doubt he will let me though.... cpr_carpenter CPR we are just now starting to see the air ride systems begin to go out on the first gen vehicles....i'm betting if you are in the market for a late nineties LS that you will not own that vehicle long enough to have problems....however should you have problems it is common practice to simply convert the suspension over to a standard spring system....it's half the cost and just as easy for the tech to do. hope this helps...and hey...just so you know if you get the nav system it's 600 bucks every time you want to update it, cause that nav system works off of a hard drive rather than a dvd. just something to consider when negociating the price. you may want to get an update included should the car have a nav system.

go to autozone they will read your codes for free....also a lexus dealer will check them for free....as far as what your problem is i have not heard of that one....but those cars have very few problems so that does not suprise me.

actually it doesn't matter if you get your air filter changed if an R.O. (repair order) is written up for it it goes into the national system. Pretty cool huh?

ehh i'm looking to not have any lag and not have to put nitrous on this thing...i've heard rumour of a centrifugal kit for 4500 or so but i don't know where from....you supose a kit for an IS would work...you'd think i'd know that answer but i really don't.

and as for the sticker not being there....ehh..yaknow like you never forgot somethin'....it happens..unfortunately

trust me i just did one today....

ok this is kind of a uh duh type thing but did you bother trying to replace the bulbs?

yeah well i'm a technician and i couldn't tell you the hp on half of the vehicles lexus or toyota makes let alone any of the torque ratings or towing capacities...but i do know that those new LS's !Removed! 'n' Git. I have absolutely no reason to make this up at all...now if i was the one driving the car maybe then...but i saw a picture of the gauges so i believe the story behind it...besides i work next to the guy who was in the passenger seat so i trust my source.

i'll have to check but i think the ls didn't get an interference engine till the 430's were released i'll look into this and report back later