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lexus_007, You have an 18 year old car, this is your first post on this forum, you're wanting to dig into the electronics of the automatic transmission to over ride its Control Module, and you readily admit that you don't know what you're doing, and you're asking for someone to suggest how to proceed? Okay, I'll answer your question. Don't do it, leave it alone. Do your shifting with the shift lever if you must, but don't screw around with a good thing. And here's why: An 18 year old car suggests that it has a lot of miles already on the transmission, and the older they get, the less capable they are of accepting abuse. And if you're going to be shifting it yourself, rather than letting the computer make the decisions, then I will lay money down that you will abuse the transmission, which equals .... you'll soon be walking rather than driving this car. An 18 year old car suggests that this is your first car perhaps, and that you also don't have the money to be making big repairs, otherwise why wouldn't you be driving a much newer vehicle? If you fry the electronics in this tranny, it isn't going to be a cheap fix. If its not your daily driver, and its just a toy, the stakes are a whole lot different, but I, personally, wouldn't do it. I've been wrenching on cars for over 50 years, and I wouldn't even begin to suggest that what you're trying to do is a wise move. If you want a car to shift gears with, get a car with an automatic with paddle shifters, or a stick shift, both of which are purposefully designed for what you want to do. But then again, its your car and your money. Do what you want.

xplorer59, There may be a "reset" procedure for the HVAC unit that a dealer can do to correct the problem, or its possible that the control unit needs to be pulled from the dash, and either have that temp button/switch cleaned/replaced, or the entire unit replaced. Good Luck!

AKP, First off, once the car is out of warranty, don't take it back to a Lexus dealership unless you have lots of money. The ES350 is a fancier Toyota Camry, and any good mechanic who can work on a Camry (meaning just about every mechanic) can do the work on your ES .... much cheaper. The key is to find a GOOD mechanic who you trust. Check with your friends, co workers, car guys who you know ... they can suggest an honest mechanic who knows his stuff. That said, some things on your ES will need to go to a Lexus dealership for fixing because they have the expertise for Lexus systems, such as reflashing the software of the transmission, programing a new key fob, troubleshooting the security system, things specific just to that model of Lexus that any other mechanic will not have access to. I suggest after you find that mechanic, have him check the car out. It may simply be in need of a throttle body cleaning, or a new fuel filter. Or it may have a problem with the accelerator position sensor, or even needs a tune up with new spark plugs. The mechanic can read the codes and get to the issue fairly quickly from what you're describing. In future, always state the mileage of your car, because that can lead us to the more common issues that arise as a car ages. Good Luck!

babyduke, Yes and no. It depends on how badly worn your front rotors were, and how long your brakes have gone without maintenance. Typically I pull my brakes apart once a year, and clean and lube the slide pins and the brake pads, and check the rotors and the caliper piston movement. It takes me an hour and a half of my own time in my garage at home. It might do this for 4 years in a row before I need to change pads, or maybe change the front or rear rotors in year 5 or 6. The constant maintenance never allows the parts to get so far gone as to rust and seize. At that point everything may need replacing, maybe even the calipers, and the cost could be $1000 or more. And if you live in a high humidity area where they salt the winter roads, the repairs come more frequently than this. So without actually seeing what your brakes were like, its difficult to say for sure, but if you've neglected them, it doesn't sound unreasonable.

Ray93es, When it comes to wheel size, the way to know for sure is to try fitting one of the es300 wheels on the front of the es330. The wheel has to clear the front caliper in order to fit. If it clears on the front, it will clear on the rear, as front calipers are always larger than the rears. The es330 came with 16 " wheels standard, so fitting a 15 " wheel will put the speedometer out by 3 or 4 mph .... again, if the 15 " wheel will fit and clear the caliper. Presently, I'm running 16 " winter wheels on my 2012 Subaru OutBack which comes with 17 " wheels from the factory. The speedo is out about 5 kmph at 80 kmph (50 mph). I just live with it until the spring when the stock wheels and tires go back on the car. But that's not saying that you will find the same on your Lexus. The only way to know for sure is to try fitting them. Good Luck!

noblerare, First off, the codes say #3 cylinder (center one at the firewall) is missing, which could be the plug, the ignition wire to the coil on the plug, the ignition coil on the plug, an oxygen sensor, or a fuel injector. The 353 code suggests that you can eliminate the 02 sensor and the fuel injector to #3 cylinder as the issue. The 353 code says there isn't sufficient circuit voltage to #3 coil (coil on plug). Basically the ignition coil is part of the spark plug boot that goes over the spark plug. The codes don't say anything about a 2nd cylinder. Unfortunately the 3 plugs at the firewall are located under the intake manifold, which has to come off to get at them. Its not hard to do, just time consuming = dollars. The front 3 are easy to get at. As for oil leaking into the cylinders (if this is actually happening), it could be leaky valve stem guide seals, which means pulling the valve train from the heads to replace them. This is time consuming = dollars. The only other way for oil to get in there is a leaky head gasket, and your guy isn't suggesting enough money for that to be done. Regardless, if you're going to pull the manifold to get at back 3 plugs, change all of the plugs to the factory iridiums at the same time for all 6 cylinders, because they are due to be changed at 100 000 miles and you're over half way there. (You'd have to pull that manifold again in 35 000 miles, so do it now and you're good for another 100 000 mi.) If you have any thoughts as to whether you're getting scammed, get a 2nd opinion from another mechanic, before you make a decision to go ahead. Good Luck!

02es300gold, Don't throw parts at a car problem until you know exactly what needs fixing! People do that time and again and they are just throwing money away. Get the car to a good mechanic (one who works on Camry's, which are the younger version of the ES300, so basically the same) and have the problem checked out. A Lexus dealership will cost twice as much. Once you have a diagnosis, then make a decision as to what needs to be done. If the ECM needs reflashing, then the Lexus dealership is where it'll have to go.

darrrel, You have heard correctly .... they are as dependable as houses .... if they have been properly maintained and not beat on. I can't tell you what you should pay for one in your area, as every market is different. Check out your area/state for pricing in the AutoTrader, etc. to see if the pricing is fair. The best advice I can give you is to buy the best one you can afford, one that screams "pride of ownership" by the previous owner. One that obviously has been well treated and cared for. If you can find one with its complete service history is even better. Any good mechanic can service the car for just about everything. You do not have to go to a Lexus dealer to service it, but there are some things that only the Lexus dealer will be able to service, such as recoding the key fob to the car, or diagnosing the airbag system, etc. A good independent garage that services Camry's can do just about everything your car would need. Standard parts, like brakes, alternators, timing belts, water pumps, wheel bearings, etc., can be sourced anywhere, but again some system parts can only be purchased from Lexus (not even a Toyota dealer will be able to get them for you) such as the automatic headlight leveling sensor, the speedometer assembly, door lock actuator, etc. But the good news is that in many cases a good used part can be found on eBay for many dollars less than the Lexus dealer wants. (for instance that headlight leveling sensor is $600 here in Canada, and I sourced a used one from California for $150 shipped to my door in 3 days.) I have owned a 1997, a 2003 and presently a 2011 ES, each purchased as a used vehicle, and have only ever needed to do oil changes, tire changes and rotations, replace wiper blades, that one leveling sensor, and one windshield in all of those years ... period. Other than car washes and interior cleanings ... that's it. That doesn't guarantee that you won't have an issue or two with whatever you choose to buy, but I for sure will purchase another ES when the time comes in the future.

Erik, As this is your first post on this forum, you have to learn to be like a patient seeing the doctor. You tell him you're sick, and he asks how do you know? What are your symptoms? So you describe them and he asks for your previous medical history. Car problems get fixed in the same manner. No one can diagnose automotive problems without having some basic information other than what you've given us, such as: how many miles on the car? has it ever done this before? why was a battery change necessary? do the headlights work? do the dash lights work? when you press the starter button, does the starter turn over quickly/slowly, or do you hear just a click or nothing at all? are you certain the new battery is charged up and is good? are the battery terminals reversed? (better hope this is not the case ... read very expensive fix if they are.) We need more information. Get back to us and maybe someone can suggest a fix.

Martin, Low tire pressures, dragging brakes, plugged air filter, one or two bad fuel injectors, etc. could all add up to poor fuel mileage. If all that you say has been replaced, you need a GOOD mechanic to check out the systems I've listed, and then go over the car with a fine toothed comb. I agree, your fuel mileage is terrible, and there must be a reason.

Gary, I assume you are trying to put an aftermarket radio into your es330, and I assume you're going to use the same speakers that are presently in the car. That said, you need to get a harness adapter to go from the Lexus dash wiring harness to your new radio. Basically you remove your old radio from the car and unplug it from the dash wiring harness. Then you plug the wiring harness adapter onto the dash wiring connector, and plug the wiring adapter into the back of your new radio. Go to the Crutchfield.com and type in the search window "car wiring adapter", then scroll through the products until you find the Lexus adapters. Or call the telephone number listed on the website and they'll tell you what you need to connect that radio. Good Luck!

Jimynutz, Read this thread on another forum: http://www.clublexus.com/forums/is-1st-gen-2001-2005/527740-help-me-code-p0120-p0121.html

leroy, Check this link out: http://www.clublexus.com/how-tos/a/lexus-es-how-to-replace-serpentine-belt-366263 It explains everything. Note that the Camry video is the exact same motor etc. for the Lexus ES350 of the same years. Good Luck!

pj8708, Thank you for your kind words! Most appreciated. I've been blessed with the resources to have 6 vehicles and the time and place to do most of the work on them myself. I have relied on specific forums for each of them (several of the cars have two forums that I follow) in order to keep each of them on the road. What I found is that the make up of the forum members is vastly different for each type of car, and I based my comments on that. There are very few Lexus owners with a lot of mechanical knowledge who work on their own car. The same can be said for the 1955 - 1957 Ford Thunderbird forum I followed. The most wrenchers were on the MG T Series cars , TC, TD and TF. All of those guys were hands on. The Subaru OutBack forum members are about half and half. The 1990 - 1996 Nissan 300ZX forum guys all wrenched, but most were into mods. and the problems they created after they did them. And the Duramax Diesel forum people are about 50/50 for big turbos, jacking the truck up, and actual fixes for issues. I'm sure that a great deal of the lack of knowledge in this forum is because Lexus holds its service manuals and propriatory systems so close to its chest, ensuring that owners will be forced to go to the dealership to fix their car. It would be so beneficial to everyone if the service manuals were readily available, rather than $600. Having one allows you to study it and decide if its a fix you can do yourself, or one that the pro's need to do, but at least you are armed with the knowledge to see through the BS that the dealership might toss at you. Some are pretty predatory.

Mamas boy, You are in over your head, and I don't say that unkindly. Throwing parts at a car is just a waste of money, which you've already found out, unfortunately. After the first pair of Knock Sensors failed to solve your issue, you should have bit the bullet and taken the car to a GOOD independent mechanic who could properly diagnose what is causing your problem. It may be that the knock sensor wiring harness needs replacing, or something else entirely. Chances are its the age of the car and heat related, since the parts are buried under the intake manifold on top of the engine.. There aren't many wrenchers on this forum who have a lot of experience. I follow 12 different forums for the 6 vehicles I own and the two garden tractors, and this forum has the least experienced backyard mechanics who really know what they're doing. Personally I've been wrenching on cars for over 45 years, and if my wife's ES had your codes pop up, I'd be off to see my independent mechanic to ask his advice. He's done loads of Camry and ES repairs and knows their issues. Based on his advice, I would then decide whether it was an issue I could correct myself, or as Dirty Hairy says, "a man has got to know his limitations", whether I just turned the repair over to him. I've waited a day to respond to your post, to see if anyone would respond, and they haven't, because tracking down this kind of an issue takes a great deal of past knowledge. Anybody can do a brake job, or change a set of spark plugs, or do a timing belt change. There are pictorials and YouTube videos on all of them. What you're into doesn't fall into that category. Seek some professional help.

Roba360, You are most welcome! Power steering fluid tanks level readings can be taken when the fluid is either cold or hot, as there are markings for both. Simply put the fluids expand in volume when hot. That's why taking a tranny fluid reading when the engine has warmed up is the way to go. It gives a much more consistent/true measure of the level, and prevents overfilling.

LXK, Go to the 2nd page of this forum (bottom of the first page, click on the 2) and then scroll down to the post titled "Navigation Install" and read the 4 posts. You'll have an answer to your question there.

Roba360, Typically transmission fluid level checking is done at idle with the motor up to temperature. I'm curious as to why you added fluid to a car you just purchased? It is possible that you read the fluid level incorrectly and then over filled it, in which case it may well have burped the excess fluid out the dipstick tube. As suggested, get the engine warmed up, put in park at idle, and take another reading. As for the dipstick not going back in all of the way, try turning it 180 degrees before placing it in the tube.

hmkim, One has to understand the Dealership Rational on problems. They will tell you about every little potential problem that could arise, in the hopes that you will OK the service work, and help them make a profit. They are in business to make money, lots of it, and a great deal of it comes from really unnecessary service work that uninformed owners agree to. So, to your issue. You say that you can't find any oil on the garage floor, so the leaks are minor. Most people, myself included, would not bother fixing these kind of leaks unless you are made of money and an absolute fanatic about perfection. When it gets to leak badly enough to show up on the garage floor, which it may never do, then it depends on how bad the leak is, and whether its worth the money to correct. If it leaks half a quart of oil between oil changes (oil costs $3.00 a quart) is it worth $900 to fix? How many quarts of leaked oil will it take to equate to $900, and how many years to get there? Will you still even own the car? Each of my 70 year old antique cars leak oil, and I just put a drip tray under them, and check their oil levels frequently. It isn't worth the money to me to correct the situation. I have seen some cars that leak a quart of oil in a week. Now that's a situation that needs addressing before something nasty happens to the tranny or engine. As cars age, seals and gaskets dry up and start to weep oil. Its a given. Only you can decide how much of an oil leak you're willing to accept, and if its absolutely necessary to correct. But from what you have described, I'd tell them "No!", but I'd keep an eye on the situation, and check the garage floor to ensure its not getting worse. Good Luck!

jaredmac11, Have you scanned for any codes? Its possible that one or more codes may lead you right to the culprit.

amir07, My wife's last 2003 ES330 and her present 2011 ES350 are recommended to use premium fuel, but have only had regular fuel put in them since their purchase. Both cars ran flawlessly on the regular fuel without a hitch. Any time I have been behind the wheel of her car I have never heard any preignition under moderate to hard acceleration, nothing, nada, not a hint. The computer recalibrates for the octane reading of the fuel and adjusts accordingly. That said, if my wife or I were to be beating on the car everytime we got behind the wheel, I would demand that she put premium in the tank as a precaution. Or if the engine was turbocharged or supercharged, again I would use premium fuel. If you drive like the average driver and not like someone doing the Indy 500, you'll be just fine using regular fuel. Here's another take on the topic from another source: "The main advantage of premium-grade gas is that it allows automakers to advertise a few more horsepower by designing and tuning engines to take advantage of premium's anti-knock properties. But auto engineers generally agree that if you use regular in a premium engine, the power loss is so slight, most drivers can't tell. "I go back and forth, and I'm hard-pressed to notice" whether there's regular or premium in the tank, says Jeff Jetter, principal chemist at Honda Research and Development Americas. He drives an Acura designed for premium. Import brands, especially, use premium fuel to distinguish their upmarket models. Most Toyotas, for instance, are designed to run on regular or midgrade, while the automaker's Lexus luxury brand prefers premium. Same with Honda and its Acura luxury line. "Generally, the more expensive the vehicle, the higher the expectation for performance and the more the customer is willing to pay for fuel," says Pete Haidos, head of product planning for Nissan in the USA. Actually, the price debate is nearly worthless. At 20 cents more for premium, pumping 20 gallons of it instead of regular would cost $4 more. Annually, that's a difference of $171 for a vehicle that averages 14 miles per gallon — as some big sport-utility vehicles do — and is driven 12,000 miles a year. Gasoline retailers and refiners like high-test because it's more profitable than regular-grade gas is. The retailer paid about 8 cents more for the premium you pay 20 cents more for — though that margin can swing wildly. Refiners make a few cents a gallon more on premium than on regular when they sell to wholesale distributors." If you drive 300,00 miles it may make a small difference but I normally trade in at less than 100,000 miles. The fuel debate is nearly as active as the oil change interval, brand, type etc. It is all interesting to discuss."

Austin, I'm thrilled that it worked out for you! And at $50 for what is involved, that is unheard of!!!! I've personally done sunroof swaps and fixes over the years, and none of them are particularly hard to do, but they take so much time to remove all of the headliner attachments, A, B and C Pillar moldings, seat belt anchors, etc. and then replace them again. Here in North America, dealerships can charge as much as $150 an hour labour, let alone the parts. Sunroof repairs typically are estimated at $2500 CDN, because of the time involved. You made out like a bandit! And since your car is out of warranty, why would you go back to a Lexus dealer if you have that independent shop to go to. Great find! Keep us posted on your ES350 journey. Gene

PeterE, You are most welcome. This is one of the reasons that we have a forum. I'll send you my address so you can send a bottle of Chivas Regal. (Just kiddin, I couldn't resist.)

lexususer07, Don't panic! Others have been there before you and its not as bad as it may seem to you. There are some YouTube videos on just this kind of problem and the end results were not the end of the engine. Yes, get everything drained out of the tank and fuel lines, change the fuel filter, and do it soon! I would tow the car to the mechanic, rather than drive it, but that's your call, not mine. I think you'll be fine once everything has been attended to, simply because you've caught the issue so early. good Luck!