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05 ES330, If you have completely compressed the rear caliper piston back, the caliper with the pads in place should slide over the rotor with minimal fuss. Double check that piston. Fully seated it's face should be in line with the caliper opening. Since the pads are chamfered on each end, I wonder if you could force the loaded caliper back in place over the rotor. Place a piece of wood on the rear side of the caliper, and since the caliper swings into place on the stationary slide pin, strike the wood with a hammer to swing the caliper to seat it. Be firm but don't overdo it. You don't want to damage the pads or jam the caliper on the rotor and not be able to get it off. Do you have shims on the pads? Take them off to seat the caliper, and then install them say 5 000 miles down the road? If none of this does the job, sand some material from the pads' braking surface. I've done this before to remove small grooves from slightly used pads when I installed them on new rotors. Good Luck!

technoguy, Don't get ahead of yourself, slow down! The cruise control issue could prove to be very minor, a simple dirty switch needing to be cleaned or repositioned so that it triggers at the right time, or a corroded connecting needing to be cleaned up and tightened. Yes, it could be that the cruise control module needs replacing, but a used one, possibly from the same year Camry, may be fairly cheap from a wrecker. Who knows? Its worth investigating and spending a little money on to see what needs fixing. As for the steering wheel, I think that the link you found will prove to be an answer to your cracked wheel. It may prove as well to be the cheapest solution. It certainly looks good. As for selling the car just because of these 2 issues .... if you wanted a perfect car, then you should have purchased a new ES. But that's not possible for everyone. There will be issues with any used vehicle, Lexus or otherwise. Relatively speaking, neither of your issues are serious. They just need to be investigated further to see what can be corrected. Good Luck!

technoguy, On our side of the pond there is no model of Lexus called a Windom. While yours may be badged as an ES300, there are some differences. Your cruise control switches are entirely different in shape and in location. As well, the cracked section of your steering wheel appears to be made of plastic, evident from the manner in which the plastic has cracked, while ours are of solid wood. I have sanded and polished out several marks and scratches that were on my wife's ES's steering wheel. They came out very nicely with very little effort. In your case, the plastic appears to have shrunk and split from temperature expansion and contraction, as well as sun exposure. In our antique automotive restoration shop we would fill the cracks with a two part panel adhesive, and sand it down to shape and finish. Then we would colour match and spray paint the entire fake wood sections with epoxy paint and polish them. ( Read, expensive unless you are doing the work yourself.) Short of taking that route, you may wish to locate another wheel in a wrecking yard, but be prepared to spend big bucks, as the air bag assembly will most likely come with it. Try eBay? The cruise control could be as simple as a bad fuse (did you check for one?), or a corroded switch. It could also be that one of the two brake pedal switches (one operates the brake lights, the other turns the cruise control off) is not operating correctly. It may be more involved if the cruise control module has a malfunction, or one of your speed sensors. The cruise control throttle cable may be maladjusted. It really is a system that requires a service tech to diagnose, if its beyond a bad fuse. Good Luck!

usvi, The first thing that comes to mind is to ask whether you checked to see if your automatic transmission fluid level is at the proper level. If not, using the correct fluid, get it corrected and see if the tranny starts to behave as it should. If the fluid level is correct, you need to have a service tech check it out before it stops working altogether. Good luck!

That doesn't sound good, but before taking the car to a service tech, check and test all of the fuses for the systems that aren't working. Obviously something else blew as well as the alternator fuse. Check your fuseable links as well as one of them may be fried. Good Luck!

Loriab, Which switch are you using, driver's switch assembly, or rear door switch? If the driver's, did you try the switch on the rear door? Did it make any difference in the result? If the rear door switch operates the window, then your driver's switch assembly has a problem. If neither one makes the window move, you have a problem elsewhere. I suspect that since you hear a click when you press the switch, that the switch is fine, but that there may be a problem with the window amplifier, the window motor or their wiring. You could have a broken wire in the door hinge area gaiter (corrigated rubber tube the wiring passes through), a corroded connection on the motor, or the motor may be seized. The only way to determine the problem is to systematically chase down each of the possibilities, and that's best done by a service tech or someone familiar with car electrical systems, as most of the diagnosis has to be done inside the door itself. Good Luck!

Sometimes it hits you all at the same time. First, let me say that all of the REPORTED needs are related and will affect tire wear and safety. But do you really need all of them? If a Lexus dealership made the analysis of what your car requires, you may be further ahead to get a second opinion from a good independent garage. And you do not have to use Lexus parts. There are lots of aftermarket suppliers that can give you just as good struts as Toyota, and maybe for less money, particularly in your case where you won't be putting a great deal of miles on the car anymore. As for the control arm, a good used one from a wrecker may save you some more. The links most likely will have to come from Toyota, I'm not sure. As for tires, save some more by getting a decent tire with less of a guaranteed mileage than say a Michelin would cost. With some careful searching a purchasing, you may be able to get everything done for a lot less than what you've been quoted. You may even find that the second opinion may eliminate some of what you've been told needs replacing. In closing, let me convince you to not forgo the struts, if they are needed. They, the links and the control arm, (if required) will destroy a new set of tires in very short order if they are not replaced when they needed to be. You have a 13 year old car, that has how many more years of dependable driving left in it? Let that help determine just how far you should go when making expensive repairs, but don't let it be the sole determination either. There are a lot of factors to consider. Good Luck!

Congratulations on your new ride! First off, here in North America we have a ES330 for 2004 instead of a 300. If your 04 is a 300 and not a typo error on your part, you may have the same equipment as we do, or you may not. I guess it depends on how Toyota equips their vehicles for various markets. That said, my wife's ES has the full navigation package. There are no provisions for inputs for iPods/USB/etc. There is a 6 Pack CD changer in the center console, and a single DVD player behind the flip down Nav screen (for the Nav updates), as well as a single CD player. As for speakers, there is enough oomph in the Mark Levison speakers/woofer to make people deaf in the next county. There would be no reason to change them. However, your car may not be so equipped. As for the sunroof, unless you are talking about having a manual flip sunroof installed, the cost to retro fit a factory electric unit would be astronomical. It could cost you more than half of what you paid for the car by the time you were done. In our shop we have installed a factory unit into non sunroof car, but the cost when done was unbelievable. In that case we found a front end wreck/writeoff and cut the entire roof off of the wreck and grafted it to the customer's car. By the time he paid for the wreck, the grafting, rewiring and paint, he could have purchased a new car. If you really want a sunroof car, sell yours and buy one, because it'll be cheaper. Good luck with your new ride!

It is dangerous to run improperly sized tires on any vehicle. Properly sized tires will not rub any part of the suspension. Yours should all be the same size and the same make, and should be the same as what is written on the label on the edge of the driver's door or on the B pillar below the lock pin. Driving on any other sized tire will make your speedometer inaccurate, and could possible adversely affect the handling, especially in an emergency situation. If I read your post correctly you "lifted" the suspension? If so, any time you change the geometry of a car's suspension from factory specifications without the advice of an automotive engineer, you make it worse, for tire wear, bearing failure, etc., as well as for safety.

VMB, I share your pain, but I think the air filter on one of my other toys, a 90 Nissan 300ZX, is far more of a nightmare.

We do these time to time in the shop, and for the most they are not a big deal to exchange. NOTE: Air bags, as well as some seat belt lower anchor points have an electrical capacitor that stores enough electricity to fire them, even if the battery is disconnected. This is provide the ability of the systems to still work, even if the battery is damaged in a collision upon initial impact. Wait at least a half hour after disconnecting the battery before you attempt to do any work on either system. The charge will leak down to zero in 20 minutes or so, but if you accidentally have one fire before, an airbag could kill you, and an explosive bolt could cost you an eye or a finger. Usually removing the glove box gives you access to the bolts that secure the airbag assembly to the frame of the dash. You may also have to pry up the dash section that hides the airbag. Once loose, you disconnect its wiring harness (watch for the yellow lock clip and remove it first) and wiggle the unit out of the car. Installation is just the reverse. Good Luck!

I've replaced several antenna masts over the years, and have even opened up the drive assemblies to clean and relube some of them. Its pretty straight forward. Yours suggests that the clutch assembly is not disengaging, and may well be corroded and gummed up. It sounds as if its pulling the whip down, but is not slipping as it should when the mast assembly fully bottoms out and is all wound up. The most difficult part of this job is if the motor assembly is riveted together, rather than bolted. The bolted units are easy to get apart. The riveted ones require the rivets heads to be cut off with a drill bit, and then upon reassembly, to use either small diameter machine bolts or self tapping screws. Most of what you'll find inside will be hardened grease or corrosion. Both will be a tip off as to whether you clean it up and get it working again, or replace it with a used Camry unit or similar. Good Luck!

That's the way to do it! Why buy new when you can fix the old for just a little of your time? Good Job!

Shocks/struts that have bad mounts, are bent, have lost their rebound, etc. will absolutely affect your alignment, not to mention the safety of the car to respond in emergency situations. I have a 35 000 mile 1990 Nissan 300zx that's just a toy and started wearing the inside tread on the rear tires. No adjustments could be made to change the wheel geometry to fix the wear, because adjustments were at limits, and the springs had sagged over the years, causing the problem. Nissan factory springs on all 4 corners were astronomical price wise. By buying aftermarket I was able to replace all 4 struts, all four springs, as well as add adjustable camber segments at all four corners of the car, for a little over half of the cost of the factory springs alone. I was able to do the work myself, which helped for sure. After an alignment, my wear problems were gone. As I suggested, have the car checked out by a reputable independent garage. They'll be able to supply a good, better, best level of parts that'll reflect the same in cost, low, medium, expensive. Have the ball joints and tie rods checked as well. When all of those are up to snuff, then get a good shop to do the alignment. Its a 13 year old car, and the number of years it has left should be one determining factor as to how much to spend to correct the problem as to good, better, best. By the way, the best tires should be on the rear of the car, so that the rear doesn't break free in an emergency stop and swap ends with the front of the car. As for the coolant smell, get that checked out and traced down. If its the heater core (inside the car) you will see the windshield fog up when the defroster is put on, or coolant on the passenger floor. If its in the engine compartment, it could be a leaking hose that needs tightening, or replacing if cracked and aged. It could be that radiator needs to be recored. Or it could be an external leak of the head gasket. Any one of those could spell doom for the engine if left unattended, and if they let go and overheat, you could blow the engine. Good Luck!

I found a power window switch assembly with the woodgrain face plate on eBay. From the picture of its underside, you should be able to fashion a metal bracket that could replace the broken tab and give you a tight fit upon placing the switch assembly back into the door panel. I've worked in an antique restoration shop and have fashioned just such a fix for several similar switch assemblies over the years. We usually used thin gauge steel plate that was used for replacing rusted floors, door panels, etc. You could use tin from an ordinary can of beans if you wish. Cut the steel with tin snips in the shape of a fat capital "T", with a much longer tail piece that hangs down. Drill 2 holes to match the screw holes of the mounting screws for the switch assembly to the wood grain, in the top "T". Then bend the tail piece down to match the depth of the switch assembly to the wood grain piece. From there bend the remaining tail piece into the shape required to form the broken off tab section that hooks under the door panel opening. With a little experimentation, you should be able to make up a unit that will secure the switch assembly, and outlast the life of the car. All it'll cost you is some time, ... and a can of beans. Good Luck!

Definitely get a second opinion from an independent garage, using NAPA or PEP BOYS parts or similar. For sure, an alignment is a waste of money unless the foundation is sound. Also check out the ball joints, etc. You may be able to correct her problem for half of what was quoted. As for the valve cover gaskets, unless there is a substantial leak, requiring the addition of two quarts of oil or more between oil changes, it would be cheaper to just live with the problem. This would require the driver to faithfully check the oil frequently, perhaps each day, or several times a day during a long trip. After all, it is a 13 year old car. The other side may be that she has to park on your interlocking brick driveway, and you would rather not see the car claim its territory. Good Luck!

You are most welcome! Enjoy your car!

I had another thought. If the window is just a hair off from sealing, its possible that the bolts that hold the entire motor/crank assembly to the inside steel panel of the door may have come loose enough to have allowed the glass to settle a bit. I'd check that as well.

Absolutely! I've done many of these in the restoration shop. An ES should be no different. With the inner door panel off, you'll find 2 window stops (typically within 2 inches of the top of the steel inner door), one at the front of the door and one at the rear. By loosening the bolts, and sliding the stops up a bit, and cycling the glass up, you'll find a position where the fit of the glass to the seal is correct. At that point tighten the bolts and cycle the glass up and down several times to verify, reinstall the door panel, etc., and pat yourself on the back for a job well done. Good Luck!

A stock replacement windshield should have no effect on the automatic rain sensing wipers. I believe the sensor is located inside the car (either on the back of the rear view mirror, or on the dash pad) and does its scanning through the glass.

way2007, The code checks out as EVAP emission control system vent circulation malfunction. Sounds like something in the carbon canister or its plumbing to or from the fuel tank has acted up. Don't know for certain, but I'd start looking there. It may be related to your erratic idle problems. Then again, your IAC may have its plumbing blocked somewhat. You really need to see someone who has more expertise in these matters. Good Luck!

Loud exhaust noise at the firewall suggests that the exhaust manifold gasket has gone bad, or the exhaust manifold is cracked. Misfires can be caused by man things, bad coil pack, bad ignition wires, etc. You need to have a good service technician check things out. Good Luck.

lexi95, Chances are that you are down on refrigerant due to a leak in the system somewhere. Its fairly easy to diagnose and may be fairly cheap to correct, providing your compressor or the cooling radiator inside the heater box aren't where the leak is. Most good garages can do the diagnosis for you. Good Luck!

A special puller isn't needed for the rear rotors. The factory provided two threaded holes in the rotor for that job. Usually the rotors can be removed with a light tapping on the edge with a hammer. But if they're rusted on, you put a suitable bolt into each hole and tighten them. They'll bottom out on the hub and force the rotor off. I've only ever needed to do that on one car over the years, one of my wife's early ES's, and I believe I used one of either the front or rear caliper mounting bolts to do the job. Just be sure not to destroy the bolt by stripping it, and then find that you can't use them to remount the caliper you took it from. Good Luck.

A first timer can remove and replace both front pads and rotors in little over an hour. Pull the wheel, remove the slide pins on the caliper and remove caliper (hang it from the coil spring with some wire so the rubber brake line isn't stressed). Then remove the 2 bolts holding the caliper mounting bracket to the hub assembly. Slide the rotor off. Clean the pad ends and middle groove in the pads. Clean the chrome runways that the pads slide in on the caliper mount. Push the caliper piston back into the caliper using a large C clamp or water pump pliers. Lube the slide pins with silicone grease. Optional, ... lube the chrome pad runways with antiseize compound, but don't get carried away. Reverse the entire procedure. Then pump the brake pedal until the pressure holds the pedal from the floor, then disassemble the second front wheel and do the same to that side. The rears are similar, except that there is only one slide pin/bolt to remove. Then you swing the entire caliper up until you can slide it off the upper slide pin towards the centre of the car. Remove the caliper mount, and pull the rotor. Your emergency brake shoes will be visible and should only need cleaning with a spry bomb of brake cleaner. Don't be concerned about how thin the shoes are, as they are only 4 mm thick when new, and should last the life of the car. Rears should take about an hour as well. Good Luck!