bdonkersgoed

Nice links dcfish! I didn't know that there were aftermarket needles available! Awesome! Bryan

First off, I took EVERYTHING out of my trunk (spare, tools, everything!) but the rumble persists. SO I decided to try the top strut mount bolt method. I've got the entire rear seat out of my car, but I don't know where this bolt is supposed to be! I am not really mechanically inclined, and do not know where the top strut mount bolt is. PLEASE PLEASE help if anyone can! My car is in pieces right now, and I don't want to have to put it all together again, only to have to take it all apart again tomorrow! Thanks! Bryan

Thanks bbsal . . . I called Lexus and they said one of those switches is $95.00CAN! That seems like a lot of money for such a little part . . . but then again, it is Lexus :P Anyways, when I first got the car, the passenger side switch was broken and the driver's side was really stiff. On the way home from buying the car, I tried turing on the driver's side heated switch, and forced it too much and it broke like the other side. It looks like I will probably have to buy new switches :( I have got the switches out of the console, but do you know how I am actually supposed to unplug them from the wiring? Thanks! Bryan

I always just go into the Toyota dealer and say that I need a certain part for my '92 ES300. They take care of the rest and give me a price. It never seems to be a hassle for them at all. I think they usually call over to Lexus for a reference number as described by tundra-lover, and they never seem to be bothered to do it :) Regards, Bryan

No prob :) I hope it all works out for ya. Let me know how good the STS is if you buy it . . . when insurance gets cheaper, it would make a really nice winter car :) Regards, Bryan

Sorry, but I don't know what the throttle body is I was able to find the throttle cable (so that I could rev the engine from under the hood) but I couldn't see any screw around there. Is that the throttle body, or is the throttle body somewhere else? I am still trying to find my way around a car . . . Thanks, Bryan

Haha! Yeah, something like that just happened to me! I brought my car in for service at an independant mechanic, and when I checkde my bill, I noticed that they charged me $15.00 to tighten my negative battery cable! I didn't mind though, because it needed to be done and I had never gotten around to doing it. It was so loose that I would have to get out of my car to give it a wiggle once every week or so :) One time, my car even died while driving because the cable came right off :P I had a problem because the battery cables are so short that, when I put in an aftermarket battery with terminals in a different location than the OEM battery, the cables just wouldn't quite reach . . . It seems that the mechanic got it nice and tight, so I gues it si $15.00 well spent :) Regards, Bryan

I have also got a similar setup to Mystic. I just took it to a professional installer, and $50CAN later, I had a working head unit (Alpine deck)! It sounds great with the stock speakers, and unline Mystic, my antennae goes up only when the radio is on. It will go down if I switch to CD. Maybe your installer messed up or something . . . Anyways, the installer just bypassed the stock amplifer and all of the stock speakers are running off of the internal 60x4 built-in amp in the Alpine deck. I also have an amp and sub in the trunk. Regards, Bryan

You kow you have money when . . . . . :P Bryan

The Epinions website is often helpful as well. To find a car, I usually go to Google and type in something like the following: 1993 Cadillac Seville STS Epinions The Epinions website is usually the first one listed. There is one review for the STS there. Regards, Bryan

So it seems as if reliability is more of a priority for you . . . judging from the JD Power ratings, it seems as though it is a pretty well-made car, which is a lot more than can be said of the Catera (one of Cadillac's worst, other than the Allante)! I have no idea what the maintennance costs on an STS is . . . A while back, the STSs were going for pretty cheap in my area, and I told my friend that he should buy one as a winter car. He almost did until we looked at insurance. Insurance on a 300hp car and a young male driver do not go together very well :P Good luck, Bryan

Can't you just find an independent mechanic in your area to do the timing belt? or example, I got a job quoted through Toyota at $1200CAN, but when I took it to an independent mechanic, it only cost $300CAN. That is a pretty big difference! Good luck, Bryan

I have the same problem, in the exact same door! I don't know how to fix the problem. I do know that, if you open up the window just a crack, it stops the rattle. So, the rattle must have something to do with the window pane . . . Regards, Bryan

Hey Lex, You are interested in purchasing just the amplifier? Selling separately would not be a problem . . . How much did you want to spend on the OEM amp (and it is from a 1992 ES300)? You can email me if you want at actuarial.coop1@lombard.ca Regards, Bryan

Hey Lex, Yeah, I know what you mean by the terrible suspension. I had that happen to me in the winter time. I had washed my car and I think water somehow got into my suspension and froze. Driving the car at the time felt like I was driving on my rims . . . absolutely not shock absolbance whatsoever! I got my mechanic friend to look at it, and he chipped off some ice in my suspension and then it was fine again. Anyways, the rumbling is probably my suspension. Do you know roughly how much it costs to replace the shocks and bushings in the ES300? Thanks! Bryan

Yeah, in order to make a fair comparison, we would need the actual cars to compare. The STS and the ES300 are very different cars, so personal taste will play a huge role in the decision. Cadillac doesn't offer the prestige that a Lexus offers either, even though it cost almost double the ES300 when new! I belive the price of a new STS is around $80000CAN where as the price of a nwe ES300 is around $42000CAN . . . What are your priorities? Reliability? Maintennance costs? Aesthetic appeal? Prestige? Economy? And the list goes on and on . . . Regards, Bryan

I haven't rode a dirtbike in a LONG time . . . I think it has been about 10 years or so . . . Ever since I was a kid, I was always fascinated with motorized vehicles. Anything with an engine that moves, I wanted to try driving it :) Even if it was a riding lawnmower :P First, when I was little, I drove a little 50cc minibike, then a small 80cc dirtbike. Then when I was 14 I made my first big purchase ever (I was an avid saver) and bought a 1993 Artic Cat Lynx Snowmobile. The Snowmobile was SO MUCH FUN, especially for a kid my age. You could take a saftey course and then ride on the trails all over Ontario (which are quite extensive). Then, when I bought my first car when i was 16 (1993 Mazda MX-6) the snowmobile sadly had to go so that I could afford the car. That car was loads of fun and I drove it for two years until some stupid kid hit me and totalled my car :( However, it was for the best, because with the insurance money I was able to get my ES300 B) Then, a couple of years later, I got my 1999 Kawasaki Ninja 250R, which is cheap to run, and so much fun! You can drive the snot out of it and still get a consistant 75 mpg! I basically drive my bike whenever I can, and take my car only if I must. It saves so much gas money (especially now), and is so much fun! And the little Ninjettes are cheap to buy too Anyways, to all you Lexus owner out there, I suggest to buy a bike . . . it is the perfect compliment to any E300 B) And Lex3486, you should make your dirt bike licensed for the road. . . that would be awesome B) Regards, Bryan

It seems as thought the STS gets pretty good reviews, and the depreciation on the STS in the first couple of years is MASSIVE, so picking up a used one could be a pretty good deal. The nearly 300hp V8 could be fun too :D Just be aware that this car will use more gas (although they seem to be rated pretty close), and will cost more for insurance than the ES300. Also, style wise, I don't think the Cadiallac is quite up there with the ES300 . . . the Caddy looks like an old man's car (in my personal opinion). Regards, Bryan

1992 Lexus ES300 Reviews Rating 9.9/10.0 Review: owned from 90k to 140k 1997 to april '04, sold today for $4450 but wanted to pay homage. catal converter failed last year. replaced motor mounts to pass inspection for sale. pwr antenna broke at 100k and one window had to be reset in track last yr.. otherwise all maintenance has been routine. best car i ever owned! Rating 10.0/10.0 Review: I purchased the car for only $6,000 with low miles. What an exceptional car? It drives smoothly, handles the road well, and it hugs you just like it was meant for you! Favorite Features: The radio console Suggested Improvements: the power windows roll up kinda slow Rating 10.0/10.0 Review: excellent vehicle. highly recommended! probably the best used car you could buy. Favorite Features: 185HP for a 1992 vehicle! its a bullet! Suggested Improvements: should have standard cd player. Rating 9.5/10.0 Review: I gambled on Toyota's reliability when I bought this car with 192,000 miles on it. Now my ES 300 has 228,500 miles on it and it still runs well. Favorite Features: 11 years old, 228,500 miles, and there is not one squeak or rattle to be heard when driving. 6 CD changer sounded great until it died three times. Body style still looks good. Suggested Improvements: Watch out for repair costs. A new gauge cluster (burned out needles) was ~$600. They want $500 for a new leather steering wheel! (not including the airbag) Rating 9.6/10.0 Review: This is now the second used car that I have purchased. My first car was a Mazda, and within the first year of driving it, I had spent over $2000 CDN in repairs! The ES300 on the other hand has not given me any major problems at all for the year that I have owned it. All that I have had to fix was a leak in the exhaust ($50) and a dead battery ($60). This vehicle has the same engine as the Camry of the same year, so repairs should not be too expensive and used parts should be easy to come by. Overall, it is an awesome car! Favorite Features: Extremely reliable, great appearance, very comfortable leather interior, gadgets (such as the power sunroof) that don't actually break down, and the way people always ask, "You own a Lexus?!" Suggested Improvements: It would be nice if the car was a a little bit better on gas; however, considering the car's size, its not too bad. I consistantly get about 600kms on a 55L tank. Hope this helps, Bryan

1992 Lexus ES300 Ratings Midterm Reliability Ratings (1-3 years) Mechanical Reliability 4 / 5 Body & Interior Reliability 3 / 5 Feature and Accessory Reliability 5 / 5 Long Term Dependability Ratings (4-5 years) Mechanical Dependability 4 / 5 Body & Interior Dependability 4 / 5 Feature and Accessory Dependability 4 / 5 1992 Lexus ES300 Specifications Type: Midsize Sedan Where Built: Japan Length: 187.8 in. Width: 70 in. Height: 53.9 in. Wheel Base: 103.1 in. Curb Weight: 3362 lbs. Front Head Room: 37.8 in. Front Shoulder Room: 56.1 in. Rear Head Room: 36.6 in. Rear Shoulder Room: 55.1 in. Front Leg Room: 43.5 in. Rear Leg Room: 33.1 in. Luggage Capacity: 14.3 cu. ft. Maximum Seating: 5 Base Number of Cylinders: 6 Base Engine Size: 3 liters Base Engine Type: V6 Horsepower: 185 hp Max Horsepower: 5200 rpm Torque: 195 ft-lbs. Max Torque: 4400 rpm Drive Type: FWD Turning Circle: 36.7 ft. Fuel Tank Capacity: 18.5 gal. EPA Mileage Estimates: (City/Highway) Manual: 19 mpg / 25 mpg Automatic: : 18 mpg / 24 mpg Range in Miles: (City/Highway) Automatic: 333 mi. / 444 mi. Manual: 351.5 mi. / 462.5 mi.

1993 Cadiallac Seville STS Reviews Rating 9.8/10.0 Review: This has been the most reliable car we have ever had. It is ten years old and we haven't had any problems with it. We get our standard oil change and that's all. It still looks great and drives great! Favorite Features: The best design. Pure class. Rating 9.6/10.0 Review: I purchase my STS in Sept. 98. It had 93,000 mile now has 153,000 miles. I did the first tuneup at 120,000 miles. I have always followed the dealer service recommendations ( except the tuneup, the car was running greatbut got a little rough at 120K so did the tuneup) They are not cheap. Replaced the radiator at 140,000 miles. Other than that all other repairs were normal maintenance. Great car. I plan on purchasing another this fall. Favorite Features: Great driving and handling. excelleration is fantastic. That Northstar engine is a dream! I love the interior. Has a great european fell without the price. Sound system is beautiful. can't say enough about all its features. Suggested Improvements: Need more room in back seat. Trunk is also limited. Not a car you can travel with another couple on a long trip. Rating 8.9/10.0 Review: Great riding car I enjoy the powerful motor. But the fuel injection continues to explode. And cadlilac tech could not tell me why but they charged me $1800. to put some type of kit on the fuel injection housing. But it still back fires while starting. Favorite Features: The strong ride performance and the interior design is great. The car has a a beautiful design inside and out. Suggested Improvements: Find some one who can tell why the fuel injection sytem continues to back fire and cracks fuel injection case. I had to pay $1800 twice before they came up with some kind of kit. Was I ripped off or was there a recall that i paid for.

Check out Edmunds for lots of information on car specs. Here is what they say: 1993 Cadillac Seville STS Ratings Midterm Reliability Ratings (1-3 years) Mechanical Reliability 3 / 5 Body & Interior Reliability 3 / 5 Feature and Accessory Reliability 3 / 5 Long Term Dependability Ratings (4-5 years) Mechanical Dependability 5 / 5 Body & Interior Dependability 4 / 5 Feature and Accessory Dependability 3 / 5 1993 Cadiallac Seville STS Specifications Type: Large Sedan Where Built: United States Length: 204.4 in. Width: 76.4 in. Height: 54 in. Wheel Base: 111 in. Curb Weight: 3721 lbs. Front Head Room: 38 in. Front Leg Room: 43 in. Maximum Seating: 5 Base Number of Cylinders: 8 Base Engine Size: 4.6 liters Base Engine Type: V8 Horsepower: 295 hp Max Horsepower: 6100 rpm Torque: 290 ft-lbs. Max Torque: 4400 rpm Drive Type: FWD Fuel Tank Capacity: 20 gal. EPA Mileage Estimates: (City/Highway) Automatic: : 16 mpg / 25 mpg Range in Miles: (City/Highway) Automatic: 320 mi. / 500 mi.

Hello Everyone, My '92 ES300 idles very low when I am waiting at stop lights. It idles at about 500 rpms, and because it idles so low, it gives that deep sound that bugs my ears. Is there any way to adjust the idle? If I give the car a little gas while waiting at the lights (until it reaches 100 rpms or so), then the car sounds much better. Thanks for the help! Bryan

I'm not sure about Virginia Beach, but I am pretty sure that here in Ontario, Canada it is illegal to drive with your parking lights on . . . Regards, Bryan

Is the stock stereo in a '92 the same as in the '96? I have the head unit, changer, and amplifier for a '92. Are you looking to purchase just the stereo head unit, or the head unit, changer, and amplifier? Regards, Bryan