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gbhrps

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Posts posted by gbhrps

  1. Rafig609,

    Since the original factory tire size was 215/55/17 .... and you already have 235/45/18's installed, the only way to tell would be to mount a 245/45/18 and see if it conflicts with the shock tower and the inner fender well.

  2. Lexuses350,

    This is just an educated guess, but I don't believe in coincidences. You pulled the fan relay and reinserted it ... and then your HVAC issues popped up?

    I'd go back into the fuse box (with the ignition off of course) and pull the HVAC relay and any associated fuses and check them out. Its possible that you have the same issue as with the fans, or they were next door and you displaced its relay?

    Note that many on board relays are exactly the same (number/color) and you can swap them out back and forth in the fuse box to determine which one is bad or good. Good Luck!

  3. Kellz247,

    Check the exhaust system for leaks,   use a catalytic converter cleaner to remove deposits,   fix or replace a possibly damaged oxygen sensor,    or replace the catalytic converter, are all possible fixes that any good independent mechanic can diagnose and correct, usually a lot cheaper than your Lexus dealership.

  4. armcomdes,

    Get the car in the air and then take a dead blow hammer or heavy rubber mallet and start banging around on the entire rear suspension, one part at a time. Check the sway bar end links because they are famous for clunking noises. Grab each rear wheel and shake it up and down, back and forth. Check the rear struts for loose top mounts.

    Get into the trunk and check out everything not tied down, spare, tools, jack, etc.

  5. Barbara H,

    I agree with paying to get another diagnosis, as hopefully you might get an explanation as to why the trunk release and fan speeds are affected with your nav screen issues.

    That said, a recent 2 part YouTube video on a Subaru water leak caused a TPMS failure (module is under the driver's seat in a subie and shorted out due to water flooding) that also caused the radio to malfunction, the speedometer not to work, and a complete communications failure of the diagnostics system for the car. Once the car was dried out and the TPMS module replaced, the radio, speedo and OBDII communications all started to work again. What I'm getting at is that many of your car's systems' issues can sometimes be caused by just one part failure. Maybe they are all related?

    Your best bet after the 2nd diagnosis is a refurbished unit if it backs up your first diagnosis. Its the cheapest route for you on a 9 year old car. (And no, you can't have the one from my wife's car.) Good Luck!

     

    • Like 1
  6. Jacobi,

    Don't know what you mean by "gulf specs", and what steering wheel button you're referring to as the Bluetooth button?

    What I can tell you is that if your car does not have the button for the feature you want, just changing the steering wheel to one that does will not give you that feature. There will be wiring harnesses through the steering column and dash board, and modules that will be required,  as well as a change over to a different head unit (radio/navigation) even. It'll be pretty involved and costly unless you can find a wreck that has the features you're after.

    I suspect that you are referring to a hands free phone feature? If so do an Amazon or eBay search for "Parrot Hands Free" or similar device.

  7. armcomdes,

    Find a good independent mechanic to solve your issue. Obviously your dealership isn't solving the problem, and an independent mechanic will do the job cheaper. You obviously have a leak in the system which a service tech must find first, repair, and then recharge the system. Be prepared for spending some bucks as some of the parts in the AC system can add up quickly if the problem isn't a simple seal. Good Luck!

  8. Natan,

    These similar stains show up on all cars below the door handles as well, and from all outside attachments on all makes of RV's.

    Get to your local dollar store and buy some "L A's Totally  Awesome" cleaner, the yellow container. It is dirt cheap to buy, and it simply can't be beat for removing these kinds of stains in a heart beat. Google  search the name and check out the many YouTube videos for it.

     

  9. Michel C,

    First off, it doesn't sound serious. Sounds like a loose accessory belt (steering/AC belt/etc.)

    Pull the plastic covers off of the engine, and when its cold at start up, look around in the engine bay and see if you can spot where the noise is coming from. It might be the AC clutch needing some lubrication or a bearing starting to go. If you can't tell yourself, with the panels off, take it to a good independent mechanic to find the source and suggest a fix.

    The center cover just pulls straight up, and all of the other panels are held on by push pins. Push down the center of each pin, then lift the entire plug assembly up and out to remove them. When reinstalling the panels, pull up on each pin center, until it sits above the outer ring by 3/16 th's of an inch or so, then place the plug into its panel hole, and push the center of the plug down , only until its flush with the plug's outer ring.

    Take pictures of which panels overlap each other, otherwise you'll get them down in place and find one or two panels you can't get back in place without dissasembling part of what you've already installed. (Ask me how I know?)

  10. boystoys,

    Look carefully at the pictures on the listings (eBay) for the entire lid assembly and you'll see that there are several showing the lock button (about $150) and several without the button (about $30). The expensive ones are for the complete lid, button, skin and all. The cheaper ones are for the leather replacement skin only.

    If the complete assembly is what you need, but the listing is in the wrong colour, buy it and swap your skin on the one you buy. The lid assembly comes apart to change the leather skin. Its not rocket science.

  11. lanalexus,

    First off, always give the mileage of the car because it often points us in a certain direction for a diagnosis.

    For an exhaust to get hot enough to glow means the engine was asked to work very hard (racing), or you have an exhaust restriction (plugged catalytic converter), or similar. You really need to get the car to somewhere and have a proper DTC code reading done. With the runs you are expecting to do shortly, it would be very unwise to neglect the heads up you car is giving you with its symptoms and engine light.

  12. dionj34,

    Always give the mileage in any post. Low mileage eliminates many causes of issues, and higher mileage brings common problems that occur as the car ages.

    And that brings us to your description. Where is the rattle noise located? At the rear of the car (loose heat shield/muffler), near the transmission (heat shield/broken exhaust mount?) near the starter (loose starter), near the middle of the passenger side  of the motor (timing tensioner), top of the motor (valve train). What does the rattle sound like? Maybe its best to record an audio or video of it and post it in your thread.

    You really haven't given us much of anything to go on.

  13. gabep,

    Lexus/Toyota are one of the most reliable vehicles on the road. An  expensive extended warranty isn't necessary. Save the money and put it into an account for future repairs on the car. If you haven't used the money when you next go to trade, then spend it to pay for the new ride. It makes more sense than an extended warranty you may never use, and will never give you back the money you spent to buy it.

    So if six months from now, after you buy the extended warranty, the car gets totaled in an accident, will Lexus transfer your extended warranty to your next car? I bet you can guess the answer to that question.

    But, its your money to spend as you wish, and if an extended warranty gives you some peace of mind ... go for it.

  14. babyduke,

    First off, you're in the wrong Forum. Click on the upper left title "Forums" and then scroll down the page to the SC Forum section. You may get more responses there to any of your further questions.

    Your car came from the factory with iridium spark plugs, usually NGK's. As for their costs, check around your local area..

    Any good independent mechanic can change them for you if they're familiar with working on Camry's. And yes, its a pain to have to pull the throttle body and intake manifold in order to get at the back three plugs at the firewall. As for price, that's controlled by local pricing in your area (I'm in Canada), so check around.

    Hint: Most mechanics take a very dim view of customers who expect them to install parts the customer has supplied. Most mechanics can buy the parts at wholesale, which  a private person cannot. He then sells them to you at retail, which is exactly what you would have to pay for them if you bought them from the store. So you basically are preventing the mechanic from receiving the 15% or so he would make on the parts if he supplies them, even though there is no savings to you either way. So, let him buy the parts, rather than pi** him off, but be sure to tell him which plugs you prefer.

    That changes of course when you buy specialty parts that you had to source from say a speed shop in California, something the mechanic couldn't source locally at wholesale. It pays to keep a good mechanic happy for the next time you need his help, particularly in an emergency. I have even tipped my mechanic with a case of his favourite beer. It sure helps  me to get an earlier place in the lineup for the next time I'll need his services. Good Luck!

  15. wineluver,

    I tend to agree with your mechanic that you may have one or more bad motor mounts. The vibrations will only get worse and the added stress can chafe wiring harnesses and add wear to other car components leading possibly to failures down the road. It would be best to replace all of the mounts (3 engine, 1 transmission) as they are all supporting the same motor and work in sync with each other.

    While the motor needs to be raised during the replacement of the mounts, I don't believe it requires being pulled from the car.

    I've included an eBay listing for a complete set to give you an idea of cost of the parts.

          

    eBay item number:
    182272643220
     
    But there may well be some other issue for the vibration, so it might be a good idea to get the opinion of a second mechanic before committing to the motor mounts replacement. Good Luck!
  16. bacosta007,

    Two possible problems come to mind.

    The head unit amplifier for those speaker channels has quit working, or ... the connector on the back of the head unit has come loose and is not making contact.

    If you are a DIYer with car tear down and audio experience, pull the head unit and disconnect the wiring harnesses to it (disconnect the battery first, after copying down the frequencies of all your radio presets). It might be just that simple to correct.

    If that doesn't correct the issue, check with a Lexus dealership to see if they have an exchange program for the head unit. Years ago (1986 I believe) I had a radio issue with my wife's Toyota Cressida. Toyota had and exchange program where you gave them the old radio to refurbish and they gave you a refurbished unit to replace it with for like $350 or so (long time ago and the details are fuzzy). Maybe Lexus has something similar? Worth checking. Good Luck!

    • Thanks 1
  17. Emm,

    If the car were a Nissan 370Z, a Mustang, or a Camero, or even a Miata, there would be a miriad of upgraded aftermarket parts for it. Not so with the less than performance orientated ES300.

    Just bite the bullet and and resign yourself to replacing the darn things every few years. That car is pretty bullet proof otherwise. REjoice!!

  18. David Lee20,

    You write that you have an ES350, but there is an LX470 listed under your signature. Which is it?

    From your question I assume that working on cars has not been in your past history. In other words you are a newbie to car mechanics, removing door panels, doing brake jobs, etc.

    My advice in this case is to leave it to the professionals. Otherwise you stand the chance of breaking the locking tabs on trim pieces or scratching them. Then there is the issue of getting the correct wiring harness adapter to match the car and the new head unit. What about the new radio having the navigation ability (if your old unit did) and hooking up the GPS antenna. Will the new unit pair with the telephone module for the bluetooth, and on and on? Do you have the tools for removing the head unit from its mounting bracket?

    Thirty years ago swapping out a radio was a piece of cake that anyone could do. Today ... not so much. If you don't have previous experience ... leave it to the professionals.

  19. Bill,

    Over the last 55 years I've fixed all kinds of window mechanisms in all makes of cars and antiques. Pull the door panel and the plastic weather shield and get a good look at the window mechanism as it moves. You may well see the obstruction or see where the problem is.

    Google "2006 es330 power window images" and you'll see the entire sheebang. Its usually a DIY job to swap the mechanism out after the glass has been removed. Check YouTube videos for the ES330 and Camry's of that same generation. Here's one for a 2002 but yours will be similar.

       

     

  20. Bill,

    There is a reset procedure for ES330 windows after  work on a window system. Google it, and you'll find that you can do it yourself in less than a minute.

    If this doesn't do the job, something is either jammed in the window glass track somewhere, or the window motor/mechanism has a broken gear, bent tooth and needs replacing. Used is the way to go.

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