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jimbo_lexus, Pull down the inner trunk lid cover to access the locking mechanism. Then try lubricating the latch assembly with a spray can of white lithium grease. Place the shaft of a screw driver in the latch mechanism and push up into the latch to lock it. Then, while someone triggers the trunk unlock switch, pull down on the latch with the screw driver shaft to open it. After several cycles of doing this, you may be able to free up the latch assembly, such that the solenoid may be able to open it on its own when you press the trunk unlock switch. As well, put a multimeter on the contacts of the harness that goes to the solenoid and have someone press the trunk unlock switch. You should get a full 12 volts. If after cleaning the contacts and placing the connector back onto the solenoid, you still can't unlock the latch, the solenoid may be bad. If this doesn't do the trick, because you hear the solenoid click when you press the switch but it still won't unlock, replace the solenoid. I'd get a used one (or the entire lock assembly as well) from a wrecking yard. Good Luck!

barrettlexus, All kinds of strange electrical things crop up when the system is not getting a solid 12 volts from the battery or the alternator. Get that battery charged up and then have it load tested at Pep Boys or similar. It may be the start of your problem. Then, when and if you can get the car started again, get the alternator tested to see if its putting out the 14+ volts its supposed to. It may need replacing, maybe not. I just went through this same dead battery issue about every two weeks with my wife's 2011 ES350 about a month ago. There are a lot of electrical drains on these cars, from clocks, to security systems, to memory seats and mirrors and radio station presets, etc., that can really drain down a battery quickly in the winter. A new battery solved our issue. That said, you may find that some mice have gotten into that warm engine bay the last time you parked it. They make a nest under the fuse box and then start chewing wires when they get bored. I had this happen on my diesel dually late last fall. The truck would crank fire and die. $863 in diesel mechanic labour found 14 wires chewed through under the fuse box in the engine bay. If after you check a few things out that I'ved mentioned, and you still can't get anywhere, you'll need a good independent mechanic to get to the bottom of your issue. Good Luck!

wineluver, The VSC system (vehicle stability control) works with various sensors around the car and the ABS system to control the engine speed (regardless of how much pedal you're using) and the speed of each individual wheel. This ensures that you can steer the car out of trouble when you're going too fast for slippery conditions that would fling you off the road. It is highly likely that the VSC light will likely cause the check engine light to come on as well, as they both work together. Basically the car is telling you to slow down because the VSC isn't able to save your butt in speeding conditions, and the computers have taken over to make sure you don't. (My wife's 2004 ES went into limp mode when the accelerator pedal position sensor went south. It took forever to get the car up to 50 mph. Once the sensor was replaced, everything returned to normal.) Get the trouble codes read for the car before you do anything. It may be that an ABS sensor on one wheel or a speed sensor has a broken wire or its connector is corroded. It may prove to be something simple. I would think that you can still drive the car, but I would certainly be driving much more cautiously until you can get things corrected. Good Luck!

lexbob2, I agree with you wholeheartedly. If the car is to be driven in an intelligent manner and not beaten on, and the car manufacturer only "recommends" mid grade or premium fuel, then you would have no issues with detonation or anything else hurting the engine by using regular unleaded. The engine computer will tune its parameters to match the fuel grade. I've been using regular unleaded in my 1990 Nissan 300ZX NA for the last 25 years, and it runs perfectly well. Then again, I've never raced or fried the tires, as the car is just one of several toys I've acquired over the years. My wife drives her ES350 in the same manner, and we use regular fuel in it as well. Now, if I was going to own a car that I frequently drove hard, used on the track, or one that had a supercharger or turbo, definitely premium fuel is the only way to go.

amir07, Your car was designed to run on regular unleaded fuel and using premium will do the car no harm, but you'll be wasting your money. Here's a YouTube link to a Car and Driver discussion on the issue:

static1646, Give us some pictures and then we can make suggestions.

ABean, A 15 year old car with 175 000 miles on it is sure to develop some issues, but I wouldn't panic just yet. You don't say whether the tranny will eventually shift into 3rd or then into 4th. I found this post concerning your issue: At higher mileages, (125,000-150,000) the automatic transmission may not shift correctly. This can be caused by the throttle position sensor being out of adjustment or a shift solenoid needing to be replaced. Typically the transmission does not need to be completely overhauled. You need to find a good independent mechanic who can diagnose the issue for you, before you start throwing money away. Good Luck!

johnvu62, Go with the non adjustable if you wish. No big deal. I suspect that the dash lights on cars of this age still used removable/replaceable bulbs for each warning light (unlike the soldered LED's of today). Should a warning light pop up after the strut change, simply pull the instrument cluster and pull out the offending bulb. Or pull the panel and put a piece of black electrical tape over it if one lights up. Been there, done that, not a big deal.

David, This is a no brainer ... get an independent mechanic whom you trust to check the car out. It may be simply bad sparkplugs, or ignition wires, or a fouled fuel injector or similar. It sounds as if you have a misfire condition. Most of these are dead simple to diagnose, and most are fairly inexpensive to correct, most even are DIYer type tasks. Good Luck!

mizzwize, Just looking at the pics you provide says no. The original will not come out of park unless you step on the brake and depress the lock button with your thumb. The Ls units require the foot on the brake, but the lever must be moved to the right before you select a gear. In other words, the shift linkages to the transmission are completely different. Now, anything is possible, if you are willing to open up your pocketbook. How deep are you willing to go? Save your money for insurance, tires and repairs. After all, your 99 is now 16 years old. But its your money to spend!

xstrike393x, There are all kinds of Japanese Domestic Market (JDM) engine/tranny suppliers who buy containers full of older Japanese car engines and trannies, have them shipped to the US and Canada, and then install them or resell them for exactly your purpose. All of the larger centers in the US and Canada have such suppliers. Look in the auto trade papers/magazines for Japanese used engine suppliers. Here's one we have in Toronto, Canada: http://www.jdmtigerjapanese.com/

xstrike393x, I say again, take the car to a reputable independent mechanic and get the problem properly diagnosed. Your tranny issues may be related to your VSS. If the ECM can't tell how fast the car is going, it won't shift the transmission to the proper gears at the proper times. Or your ECM is bad. Or some wiring, or ...... I can appreciate that you want to fix as much of your car related issues as you can yourself. I do the same. I have 3 antique cars, two daily drivers, a diesel dually, a 5th wheel RV and two garden tractors, and I do all of my own maintenance myself. I'm a backyard mechanic who has been in the back yard a long time, but even I know when I'm in over my head and need an expert. I'll change a motor or a tranny myself, but for me to rebuild either one myself? Its not going to happen! " A man has got to know his limitations." (Clint Eastwood in Dirty Harry)

xstrike393x, So now its the transmission causing all of your problems? Pardon me, but you have 6 codes .... all of which refer to engine systems ... and you're being told that your transmission is the problem? There are about 35 possible transmission codes, and you have not posted about any one of them. I don't see the logic here!!!! Now, it is possible that your ECM is going screwy, and its the culprit for absolutely everything that's gone wrong with your car, so how will you diagnose that? As I explained in my previous posts ... you are in over your head trying to get to the bottom of your issue with the expertise you presently have. You need to take the car to a trusted independent mechanic and spend some money. Again I say, " Good Luck!"

xstrike393x, Your codes 1 through 6 most likely are all related and the cause of one or two faults. If the fuel trim (po170) is off, the O2 sensor codes will be thrown for both banks (po130, po133, po150, po153) and may be caused by any of the following: Faulty Front Heated Oxygen Sensor Bank 1 and 2 - Front Heated Oxygen Sensor Bank 1 and 2 harnesses are open or shorted - Front Heated Oxygen Sensor Bank 1 and 2 circuits poor electrical connection - Inappropriate fuel pressure - Faulty fuel injectors - Intake air leaks - Exhaust gas leaks - bad MAS sensor And since your po441 code is in there too, there may be a problem with the Evapoator canister system. I'd be willing to bet that just one or two of these issues is throwing all of the codes. Look for broken vacuum hoses, an intake leak, bad MAS sensor (clean it?), or your Vacuum canister system has a hose, solenoid or wiring problem. After that I'd look at your ECM or its wiring. I very much doubt that your O2 sensors are the issue, but that something else I've listed is upsetting them. If you aren't the DIY backyard mechanic type and don't know where to go next, I'd suggest taking the car to a good independent mechanic you can trust. He should be able to diagnose the issue quickly. Good Luck!

bigsky64, Oops, my bad! Had the opportunity to do some searching on eBay and came across MANY LED light assemblies for headlights, but ... they're all from China, and ...... who knows how good they are, will they fit, will they work with onboard Lexus electricals? If you're willing to gamble, check them out.

plp, It can take a ten minute drive above 20 kph for the TPMS system to reset. I'd try lowering and then raising each tire back to 3 or 4 lbs above the recommended pressure (do the spare as well), and then do the drive section again. If that resets the system, then lower all 5 back to their suggested settings. If that doesn't do the job, you may have a bad battery in one of the transmitters (supposed to be good for 10 years), or some other issue. I'd lean on the tire dealer to use their TPMS monitor and see if there is an easy fix. If the issue showed up before you bought the new tires, you may be on your own. Good Luck!

LED's require a ballast be placed in line with the bulb to draw enough current to satisfy warning systems, flashers, etc., when used in many automotive applications. Search for automotive tail light LED bulbs and some sites will explain how to hook the bulbs and ballast up to prevent issues. Since your ES uses the low beams as DRL's (I believe) you will have difficulty finding an LED to fit the headlight housing, let alone give off enough light to be of any use as a DRL safely, and be of any use as a low beam at night. Good Luck!

evanferguson1982, The most expensive way to fix anything is to throw parts at it, without knowing what the problem is to begin with. Get the car to a good independent mechanic, and have him diagnose what the problem is. You obviously don't have the expertise to solve the issue, so find someone who does. An igniter system failure is just too vague. You may well have needed most of the parts you've replaced at this mileage, but don't make any more decisions until you absolutely know what has gone wrong.

lkn4trouble, The DIY solution for someone without the high priced code readers is to disconnect all of the wheel sensors and clean them with electrical contact cleaner spray (both the male and female connectors) and reconnect. Check for broken wires. Test to see if the problem still exists. If that doesn't do it, you'll need to find somone with a reader capable of identifying which wheel sensor is bad, and then replace that sensor, or if the car is so equipped, the tone ring (depending on what your generation ES used in 98). Today's sensors come as part of the entire wheel hub, meaning the entire wheel hub would need to be replaced to correct the issue. Good Luck!

gotalexus?, I've torn apart a lot of car electronics over the years and the fixes that commonly correct what you are describing usually track down to about three problems. The only way to correct them is to remove the unit from the car and take the case apart and look for the obvious, and then test from there. The CD mechanism runs on motors and pulleys driven by rubber bands and gears. Frequently the rubber bands dry out and break with age or the gears break. Ocassionally a motor will die. The control panel with the buttons is tied to the circuit boards that power the unit with ribbon cables. Ocassionally one mini wire in the ribbon cable will lose contact. Sometimes just unlocking the ribbon cable and reinserting it in its connector is all that is required. The most common problem is a dirty switch that needs cleaning or replacing. Sometimes electrical contact cleaner is all that is needed. On top of all this is a switch on the control board that has a cold solder joint. It could be many issues, but usually comes down to something simple. Myself, I'd tear it apart and see what I could find. You on the other hand, have to decide whether to pay to have someone dig into it, or look through the wrecking yards for a replacement. Toyota used to have an exchange program for these units. Give them the old one to refurbish and they gave you a refurbished one for say $200 exchange. Maybe they still do. Worth checking out. Good Luck!

Never ran across this issue myself, but after some online research I came across these solutions for the same car and the exact same problem. Hope one of them worksd for you. “It turned out to be a loose connector between the main box and fuse box under the dash. There was a burn mark around the contact lug; great Toyota design that did not give a totally snug fit between spade and lug, causing a minor PITA. Geez, it would have been at least a grand to fix it at the $tealer$hip. Anyhow, all is fixed and I am happy again with this first gen ES300. “ “The problem with the car was that the 30amp square with clear view plastic top was blown. to get to it you must remove the lower dash panels and reomve the floor vent ductwork. there will be three fuses next to the driver's side fuse panel, 2 40amp and 1 30amp. that fixed my problem. hope it helps someone else out. “ “Answer the problem is that the 30 amp fuse that on the junction block #1 has blown. j/b #1 is located on the side of the fuse panel on the drivers side of the interior. You'll need to remove the lower panels that are under the steering wheel and move the floor vents ductwork out of the way. You see three different fuses(the square type with the clear view covers). Two are 40amp and one is 30 amp. That should fix it. Also make sure that you check the 20 amp fuse in the engine compartment box if the interior lights are out as well.”

bubba1, In the last year I replaced the battery in my wife's Es350 and had to reset the clock and radio presets. I don't believe anything else was affected, but then again that was quite a while ago and the grey matter isn't what it used to be.

hooopes999, You said it, "it scares the *** out of me". That means leave it to the pro's to diagnose. Yes, it may be that the two solenoids are at fault, but there may be many other issues that can cause them to glitch. Don't throw a bunch of money at the problem and still have a transmission that acts up. There is no history that I can find on line that shows this is a common issue on these trannies. Hence, there aren't any common solutions that pop up. I did just such a job on an 03 Ram pickup recently, and it was a breeze with excellent results. But, there were several videos on YouTube and on line that described the exact same tranny problem I experienced, with the same codes, and step by step pictures of what to do and how. This was a well documented issue with that tranny on that truck, and there were lots of people who had already done the fix in their driveway. Not so in your case. Take it to a good shop, or better yet, talk to the shops that do Toyota trannies and give them your story. Then decide. Unless you are a wrencher, and have done a bunch of them, you may wish you hadn't tackled doing it yourself.

topgun129, The following list applies to the trouble code you have. When more than one cause is listed you are ill advised to just jump to the conclusion that swapping out a single part can cure the issue. You may well have changed out a part you didn't need to. Obviously one of the other causes listed is the one that needs to be addressed. If you're not capable of tracking down and correcting any that are listed, you need to save money by taking the car to a qualified mechanic who can. Good Luck! Possible causes for a Lexus P0171 code: - Intake air leaks - Faulty front heated oxygen sensor - Ignition misfiring - Faulty fuel injectors - Exhaust gas leaks - Incorrect fuel pressure - Lack of fuel - Faulty Mass Air Flow (MAF) sensor - Incorrect Positive Crankcase Ventilation (PCV) hose connection Read more: http://engine-codes.com/p0171_lexus.html#ixzz3Hf4CoOEX

mymini1, You have an unique situation where I don't believe you'll find the answer you can trust online. You don't say whether "your mechanic" is a Lexus tech or not, I'm betting not, and like you, I'd be suspect about what you've been told. That said, I'd be contacting several different Lexus dealerships and ask for their lead service tech and ask your question. Regardless of what answer you get either way, having two or more give you the same answer should verify your next step. Be aware that while changing the ECM is fairly easy and takes little time, the same can not be said for changing all of the door locks (interior door panels have to come off and getting the locks out is a pain. The same can be said for the ignition key. It will take time, and at present labour rates it adds up. Good Luck!