GuyTelefunken

Downstream Sensor 1 is referred to as Bank 1 Sensor 2. Upstream is before the cat, downstream is after.

To just remove the back, slide the seat to a position where the lower part of the back panel clears the seat tracks. Lift the seat to the up-most position. If memory serves me, there are two screws through the bottom of the seat back straight up. They are possibly recessed and hard to see. You'll probably need a stubby #2 phillips screwdriver to access them. The upper part of the seat back is held on by clips.

Just a thought. Many times squeaking sounds come from rubber/metal contact. Check the bolts on the stabilizer bar brackets (21 ft. lbs) and the links at the ends of the bar (41 ft. lbs.) If you suspect the bushings are worn, especially if you find the mounts to be loose, you can verify any suspected noise be disconnecting the stabilizer bar ends from the links and rotating the bar in the mounts. If you do this before you tighten anything, and you hear the bar squeaking in the bushings, tighten the bolts and/or replace the bushings. Lubricating of rubber parts is not recommended.

Which model Blizzak do you use? I tried the WS-50 last year, but immediately took them off. I felt the car handled so poorly with them on, I couldn't even drive it.

Ashtray, open, grab and pull. This is how mine looks, with the ashtray still installed. To remove the radio, look here.

I just got (4) Dunlop Winter Sport M3s also from TireRack. They look good as well as come highly recommended particularly by others with RWD cars. We'll see how they do when the white stuff comes down. I've had some example of virtually every type of tire over the years, all on RWD cars. To date, the only tire I actually like (and currently use) is a Fuzion HRi made by Bridgestone. It's the first tire I had on the GS (after 10 other types) that I can call quiet enough. They handle well and wear evenly. They aren't made for the snow though. In my experience with RWD Lexii, I feel that they are total sleds in the snow, save for the IS with a limited slip differential. The IS goes rather well in the snow. Knowing this, every winter I try something different in hopes of finding a tire that will allow me to get up the 10% grade from the street into my garage without praying to God. Last year was the Hakkapeliitta NRW. It was good for the first 1K miles. After that, forget it. The year before I cheated and left the BF Goodrich Traction TAs on from the previous summer. Not only are they noisy as hell, the didn't like the snow all that much. All in all, definately go for a snow tire for the winter. After all, all-seasons are a compromise for every season. IMHO, all-seasons should be called 3-season. OK for anything but winter.

Hey, don't go nuts.

Yes, they should be able to tell you. Go here to look up the code if they only tell you the number. It should be a P0xxx code.

Well, if you don't know the code number, you won't know which sensor is bad. Either the Walker or the Denso (Denso is OEM Toyota) both work fine. The last few Walker sensors I got were made in Japan as the Denso is. As long as you get a sensor with the same plug and wire length (see pics on the site) it should be a piece of cake. Basically unscrew and rescrew. As far as the tool, any one of the (3) tools in that set should work. After you figure out which sensor is your problem, look at it to determine which tool will work best. You probably only need one of the (3). Sometimes no tool at all is needed as they can be reached with a standard open-ended wrench. The slots in these tools are made to clear the wires on the sensor. **Note: When you install the sensor, either screw it in first then plug it in or estimate the number of threads (revolutions) it will take to install it completely and twist the wire counterclockwise that many times before you start. This way, when it is fully installed the wire will not be twisted. On your mechanic: If he doesn't want to tell you what's cookin, tell him to go pound sand. Find another one (with the ability to clear the code after you're done.) Most shops have some kind of generic OBDII compliant scan tool. This is all that is required to clear an emissions related fault. In more complicated cases, the Lexus scantool is required. With O2 sensors, the government mandated OBDII (On Board Diagnostics, revision 2) in 1996 so that any shop can fix emission-related problems on any car without needing the manufacturer-specific scantool.

The problem with this is finding a locksmith to cut such a key. The machine required is too expensive for most locksmiths to have. Very few Lexus dealerships even have one. Most dealerships order keys cut from the warehouse. On the programming note. Yes there is a chip in the key and it must be programmed to start the cars. Properly cut, unprogrammed keys can open locks only.

Way too much bread. Easy enough to do yourself, provided you know which one it is. Any backyard mechanic with an OBDII compliant scantool can turn off the check engine light when you are done. Look here. General Note: Stick with the OE type. You don't want to be crimping stainless steel O2 sensor wire. The differences between the sensors is wire length and possibly plug style. Look at the associated pictures.

Here is my guess. The bulb (one bulb lights both of those switches) has failed. Somewhere along the line, you incurred a vibration that caused the broken end of the lamp filament to touch the supporting conductor inside the lamp, where it is temporarially fused. Sometime in the future, you will be going down the road and hit another similar bump. After this happens, you'll again be wondering how to remove the CCU to replace the lamps. This thought comes from the school of been-there & done-that. The side marker is just a coincidence.

GuyTelefunken is the chosen one! ← A bow of respect to you, deadmilenko. Explaination: I am: a tinkerer. an engineer. a "car-guy". a reader of the service manual. a student of technology.

Aparently you did not search the forums on how to properly remove the radio. If you had, you would have easily seen how the control module comes out. It and the factory radio are removed together as a unit. Look here.

The defroster relay is triggered by ground from the Body ECU #1 (BCM1). The BCM1 contains the timer which turns off the defroster as well as lights the defroster switch lamp. There is no way to trigger it from an outside source. The signal from the defroster switch is sent as serial data via the MPX data bus from the AC Control Unit through the ECM (Engine Control Module) to the BCM. Pin #6 on the BCM1 is grounded to energize the defroster relay. If a circuit including a 10 or 15 minute timer were made to pull this pin to ground when the remote start module triggers the defroster, the defroster would operate. The defroster light in the defroster switch will not reflect the status of the defroster when triggered by the remote start module.

When I ordered the bulbs, they were about $3.00 per bulb. I don't remember how many they were, but it wasn't too bad. Consider they have lasted for seven years (in my case MY1998). I service Mercedes from time to time and the lamps that light the speedo, radio, etc. sometimes only last for 2 months.

Remove the climate control unit and radio, search the forums for how to if you need to. Seperate the CCU and the radio by removing the screws in the side brackets that join the CCU to the radio. The CCU has several lamps in the back to light the controls. They are removed by using a small flat-bladed screwdriver and turning them counterclockwise as viewed from the back. You may have to partially dissessemble the CCU or rear cover to access the lamps. I suggest you remove the unit and count the bulbs. Order enough to replace them all. Chances are, after you disturb them more will soon fail. The lamps are only available from Lexus.

This is not standard.

That's what you need. That's the right price also.

This code is rather complicated. It has to do with the oxygen sensors not reporting correct readings after the engine has reached operating temperature. Since the code seems to point specifically to coolant temperature, I would tend to look at the readings from the coolant temperature sensor with a scantool capable of displaying real-time data. You need to read the temperature from the sensor using the scantool for an accurate reading other than that which is displayed on the dash gauge. As this code also points to one or more of the oxygen sensors not reporting a change from lean to rich after warm up specifications have been met, it is also likely that an oxygen sensor has failed. If you have considerable mileage on your GS (>50K) it is quite likely that an oxygen sensor is the cause. Keep in mind that an oxygen sensor can fail at any mileage. If you can read the data from the sensors (preferably using a graphing scantool) it will be easy to see if one or more is reporting vastly different readings from the others. If you don't have repair experience in this area, I'd recommend a reputable shop to diagnose this.

OBDII Code Definitions

In hondas, the "Maintenance Required" indicator reminds the driver to change the oil, not the Check Engine Light.

What kind of car was that and what planet was it from? :o

The point of the trickle charger would have been to maintain the battery for the last several months that the car hasn't been being driven. A real battery charger with boost/start capability is what you would need to start the car with a completely dead battery. Of course, you might get away with just using another battery to jump it. Wouldn't it be easier to just go buy a new, charged battery, bring it home and put it in; seeing as how it sounds like you are going to replace it anyway?

Call me old-school but I use a torque wrench on every bolt that has a specified torque. Though I generally agree the the drain plug can be tightened just right by hand.