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Old Coast, Welcome to the family! First off, enjoy the car. They're great vehicles. My wife's first Lexus was a 97 ES300 and we loved it, loved the 2004 even more, and her present 2011 is the best. That said, your car is 19 years old and with its high mileage there are some things to be aware of, and this list is part Factory and part Lexus Forum Members additions : Every 5,000 Miles: Oil and Oil Filter Change Every 30,000 Miles: Air Filter Change Brake Fluid Change Air Conditioner Filter Change Every 60,000 Miles: Coolant Change Transmission Fluid Change Power Steering Fluid Change Battery Check/Change Every 90,000 Miles: Timing Belt Change Water Pump Change Hoses and Belts Check/Change Every 120,000 Miles: Spark Plugs Change/Tune Up Every 1 Year: Exterior Wax Application Wiper Blade Inserts Change

Izzy, Chances are that the motor that actuates the blend door for the driver's side is jammed, broken, or the wiring from the switch to the actuator is broken, etc. The problem is that most of those all of the problems are under the dash and the center console. The center dash console usually needs to come out, as well as the radio and the HVAC switch assembly in order to get to the door actuators, or from under the dash. It could be time consuming, The other possibility is that the HVAC computer needs to be reset, And that is a job only someone with a factory service or a Lexus tech can do.

sapeluso, The car is 11 years old, and the bushings on the drive unit may be worn enough to have added some slop to the wiper's movement. The only way to tell would be to pull the wiper arms, and the plastic cowl pieces that the wiper mechanism is underneath. Once there you could assess if there are worn parts by feel and by watching the various arms rotate.. Many ES330 parts are the same for the Camry of the same year, and would be much cheaper to buy new, as well as used. I'd check to see if the bushings were worn, and then see if the Camry parts were available and a direct fit. Then again, you could just take it to a Lexus dealer and open your wallet very wide.

LexusGee3000, At idle, when you turn the AC on, does the engine speed up slightly to compensate for the AC compressor load? Under the hood, looking at the AC compressor, whenthe driver turns on the AC, can you see the compressor magnetic clutch kick in? In both cases check your owner's manual for blown AC fuses, and check out that AC relay, it may be bad (even though it usually starts the AC button flashing.

Michael, My Bride's 2011 ES has exactly the same screen as your car, and she has no subscription to XM satellite radio. It makes me think that you've lost your subscription setup from Sirius. I'd contact them again and have them go through your setup as you had to do the first time you subscribed.

sapelsuso, You may not be aware that the ES is blessed with wipers that park (turned off position) in a summer and a winter position. Yours may be in the winter position, and therefore at high speed tend to be closer to the edge of the windshield and slap the A Pillar. Its an easy fix if this is the case. With the wipers parked, grab the thick portion of the driver's wiper arm and firmly push it down the windshield towards the plastic vents under the hood edge. It should move about 3 inches or so and clunk, as it parks in its new summer position.(If it already is in summer park position, there is another procedure that I'll get to in a moment.) In this summer position the wiper should not come anywhere near the A Pillar in its sweep. Test it. The idea with a winter position is that when parked overnight, ice and snow will not lock the wipers down below the hood edge necessitating having to chip them out. If there still is an issue, pop off the plastic cap over the wiper arm pivot point (use a flat screw driver, and you may need to open the hood to get at it.) There is a 14 mm nut to remove and then pry the wiper arm free of its shaft, reposition it an inch further down towards the hood from its original position, reinstall and tighten the nut and test. If all is fine, reinstall the plastic cap. Good Luck!

OU1, Don't be concerned about the cams moving, because you can set them back to where they belong just before you release the timing belt tensioner. Even then you can go back and check the position of timing belt markers to double check. Then , you can go even further if you want even more assurance that all is correct, by turning the engine from the crank bolt through 2 complete revolutions slowly with a long ratchet. The same generation Camry V6 is a twin for your car so watch this YouTube video to see what you're up against.: Basically there will be marks on the engine casing, the cam gears, the crank gear, and the new and your old timing belt. At each you just have to ensure that the mark on the gear lines up with the mark on the engine casing and on the timing belt. You'll see that in the video. I did my 1990 Nissan 300ZX timing belt a few years ago, and while its fiddly and time consuming, its not rocket science and anyone with the tools and mechanical aptitude can do it. The only special tool required is a torque wrench to tighten that crank bolt back up to proper specs. I recall mine only went to 150 ft lbs and that engine required 174 ft lbs, so I borrowed one for the 3 minutes it took to do the job. Good Luck!

webzo, Possibly the HVAC fan changing speeds, or one of the HVAC actuators opening or closing one of the blend doors on the heater box?

webzo, No! The HID bulbs require a ballast assembly (read expensive) as well as they usually come with the AFLS (adaptive front lighting system), meaning motorized headlights that follow the terrain, triggered by sensors on the rear passenger suspension. This all keeps the high intensity beams out of the eyes of oncoming drivers. Do an eBay search for ES350 headlights and bulbs and you'll see what I mean. Do you really want to get into this, for what little results it'll give you?

Otto, You may have bitten off more than you expected. You need to do some research before you tear the center console apart and try the install. Lexus holds its factory service manuals close to its chest, so the answers will cost you some money. You can get the FSM online from several locations, by paying just for the Navigation system section of the manual. The entire manual in hardcover will be $600 or more. Here's where the issues may be. The nav unit will have an antenna that is up by the rear view mirror. Do you have one? Do you have the wiring harness from it to the nav unit? Then that wiring harness will be under the headliner to one of the A Pillars and go down below the dash, and will find its way to the nav unit. But how is it routed? How much of the entire dash will you have to remove to route it? Is the wiring harness from the main fuse box to the nav unit already in your car, or will you need to buy one, and then figure out how to route it, again by taking the dash apart. And then there is the face plate surround for the nav unit. Its different from the one in your car. I've been wrenching on cars for 45 years, and I can tell you that some things that appear simple to change, sometimes turn out to be nightmares. I've often swapped power seats and power windows into cars that weren't equipped with them, and got lucky, because the wiring harnesses were already in the doors and under the carpet for the seats. But sometimes the swaps couldn't be done cheaply, because all of those wiring harnesses had to be purchased, and then routed to wherever, only to find the the main fuse box had no way to accept the connectors. Personally, I would tackle such a job as you're considering, but only after doing a lot of research first. That, or I have a wrecked car with all of the parts I need already on it, and all I have to do is swap them over. You will find an aftermarket nav unit much easier to install, because everything is in the box, and there will be no surprises. I don't mean to scare you off, but you need to know what you're getting in to before you commit. Good Luck!

Lalo039, http://www.clublexus.com/forums/gs-3rd-gen-2006-2011/680363-diy-replace-headlight-ballast-without-taking-apart-headlight.html

Susan16727, I've searched several forums for an answer, and most of them are "try this, try that" and not very convincing. There is a way to permanently disable the alarm system. There's a small module in the dash (alarm module) that just has to be disconnected and your problem disappears. The only other thing that looked promising was to change the battery in your key fob. Apparently a weak battery can cause this issue. Good Luck!

TheSkipper, The dealership MAY be correct. Several things come into play here. Does your ES have the motorized headlights that follow the terrain as the car moves over it? That's AFLS (Adaptive Front Lighting System). If it does, then on start up you'll see the headlights move full motion up and then full down and then park at the level (about midway) of the car. After start up, the motors take their cue from the rear suspension of the car. My wife's 2011 ES has the headlight motion sensor on the rear passenger side suspension. As the car goes over bumps, and the suspension reacts, it moves the headlights up or down to maintain the same headlight beam distance down the road, and out of the eyes of oncoming drivers. On top of that, if the radiator saddle that the headlight assemblies are attached to is not properly aligned ( meaning straight) but is bent, then the headlight beam cannot be properly aimed, motorized or not. As for using different bulbs, just today I purchased a new H7 low beam bulb for my Subaru. One low beam had burned out. While choosing the H7 bulb, the package back advertised that I had 3 other Sylvannia choices for the H7. Each higher cost bulb was supposed to give more distance down the road. So maybe that is something you could experiment with. On top of that, every car I've ever worked on over the last 55 years had mechanisms built into the headlight assemblies that allowed them to be aimed properly. I assume that your ES has as well. Here's a link to another site that has the same thread, and pictures and step by step directions for what you want to do. I can't vouch for it, but it may answer your issue: http://www.clublexus.com/forums/es-5th-gen-2007-2012/318952-diy-headlights-adjustment.html Good Luck!

stirfryboy, An ES is basically a gussied up Camry and they share a lot of the same items and problems and fixes. That said, I found your issue listed for the same generation V6 Camry on another site. Read through the thread and its posts and I think you'll start to find the answers you're after. Here's the link: http://www.toyotanation.com/forum/155-2nd-generation-2000-2004/206393-p0500-vss-code-vehicle-speed-sensor.html You may want to research even more with a Google search under the same "1999 Camry V6 P0500" heading to gain more insight. Good Luck!

Gtfourever, The best advice anyone could pass on to a backyard mechanic, is to never throw parts at a problem, unless you know for a fact the original parts are bad and the cause of the issue. Certainly, read the codes to identify the problem area and have an idea of what you are up against. But then before buying parts, check with a good independent mechanic you trust, to verify if this is the issue, because something else could cause the same symptoms. I did some research and found several people with the same model, year and issue, who filled the gas tank with premium fuel and ran it. In both cases after about half a tankful of premium the CEL light went out and the cp0325 code disappeared. Others used a hack fix, by pulling the connector that carried the wiring from the two knock sensors to the ECU. They cut the wire to the bad knock sensor and taped it up, and then spliced the other end of the same wire to the good knock sensor wire where it enters the connector to the ECU. Essentially the one good sensor would supply the info the ECU needed for the two knock sensors. There was a pictorial about the hack fix, and cheaper Toyota parts that had a Lexus sticker over the Toyota one and cost much less as well. Unless someone else has the ultimate answer for you, you need to do some research. Good Luck!

Lexus562, Your problem may have been fixed, but unless the DTC (diagnostic trouble codes) are erased and the system reset, the codes may still be there, and its possible that the ABS and Trac lights will still be on. Try disconnecting the battery for 2 minutes or so to reset the computer, and then restart the car and see what you have. If that doesn't do the trick, there may be another issue that needs addressing by a good mechanic, not necessarily a Lexus one. Good Luck!

Ena, This is a step by step pictorial for what you asked, taken from another Lexus forum. Click the link and follow the posts. http://www.clublexus.com/forums/es-1st-to-4th-gen-1990-2006/486545-2002-es300-cup-holder-r-and-r.html Good Luck!

jacertheracer, This is going to be awkward to do from the passenger seat, but not impossible. First off, you live in California, so there will lots of this generation ES330 in wrecking yards, and I suggest you start looking for one with the same colour interior. You may have to destroy part of your existing door panel in the process, so you'll need a used one in good shape. Here are the door panel removal instructions for an 05 ES330 (same as yours) I copied from another site: This isn't as difficult as it sounds, and best of all, there's not much grease involved. It helps to get a body molding tool at harbor freight for a few bucks, but in a pinch you can use a screwdriver w/ tape on the end. I can tell you from experience though, the molding tool will not break nearly as many plastic pieces as the screwdriver, and works a lot better on push pins. Buy the tool first, you can always open the door by dropping the window. First remove the door latch bezel. This is the plastic cup behind the door latch. Pry out this piece, pushing it rearward and lifting the tongue/latch after it's loose to pull the bezel forward and off. It's easy to break the clips on this piece (mine was already busted and glued in w/ some silicone). Next remove the piece of gray fabric deep in the armrest hand grab, remove screw. Pry off a plastic cap in the concave area of the the front of the door panel and remove the screw under it. There are two push pin clips on the back vertical edge of the panel -- push in the center w/ a pen or similar pointed instrument, then pry up the cap. The panel is now almost ready to remove, but first you should go along the bottom edge and pry the panel up, noticing a pop every time you losen one of the 4 clips. Now just lift from the bottom edge, the top should move off the door frame lip fairly easily. There'll be several connectors, one for the courtesy light, two for the door and window switches, then the panel is free. Peel off the plastic from the top and discover what lever is disconnected from what. Fix that and reassemble. It's a little tricky getting the top edge hooked back on but w/ some consideration you'll see how it's supposed to go. Note that with the door closed, some of the door panel is in behind the door opening frame of the car, so it is inevitable that some of the panel will be destroyed when you force/cut it off. I know that it'll cost a whole lot less to replace the inner door panel then the entire door. When you get your used panel, make sure to get the pin fasteners as well, and you can decide whether to use your switches or the ones from the used panel. I would really talk to the head service tech at a Lexus dealership first, to see if they have a sure fired way to open the door, and get a quote. On an 11 year old car that quote and their method of attack will tell you whether you let them do the job or you go the DIY route and save a lot of bucks. I feel your pain! Good Luck!

spraychaser, Its been a few years since we had our last ES330, but if its anything like our present ES350, don't worry about it. It'll be like removing an inner door panel. Once you pull all of the fasteners and the screws at the pull down handle recess, the panel will fall away far enough for you to reach in behind the panel and undo the cable or rod to the trunk lock mechanism. The emergency handle will stay with the inner finishing panel for the trunk. I can't say for sure .... but with all of the cars I've had apart and repaired over the years ... I'd bet money on it. Good Luck!

spierce7, Been there, done that. My wife's last ES330, a 2004, had the same issue. When the APPS goes bad it puts the car into Limp Mode, meaning it takes forever to get to 50 mph and it will not let you go any faster. Lexus is really saying, don't drive the car any distance until its fixed. If your car Doesn't have the Power Pedals feature, you have an easy and relatively cheap fix. The APPS is bolted right to the accelerator pedal on the floor. It has a wiring harness plugged into it and the two bolts. Unplug the old sensor, remove the two bolts, and put on the new one, clear the DTC code and you're back in business. Be sure to look at your APPS. It may have 4 pins on the connector, or it may have 6 pins. Most parts suppliers can get the 4 pin one, but not the 6 pin. The 6 pin version comes with what I've written below. However, if you have the Power Pedals feature ........ get ready to spend A LOT OF MONEY! The only way Lexus will sell you the APPS ... is with the entire new Power Pedal assembly attached to it. That's right, new brake pedal, new accelerator pedal, the new sensor, an entire new bracket assembly for all of it, plus the motors and flex drive cables for everything. It comes as all one piece. Here in Canada .... priced at $1200. And the pain doesn't end there. The dash and the steering column have to come out of the car to take out the old system and install the new one. I found a parts dealer in California that was able to sell me the entire new pedal assembly for about $350. I removed the accelerator pedal (with the sensor still attached to it) from the new unit and just installed the new pedal in my car. Total fix time was 20 minutes in my driveway, ... and then I threw the rest of the Power Pedal assembly away. This was 4 years ago, and when finished, the car immediately ran like a top. We traded the 330 6 months later for her present ES350. My advice would be to get a good independent mechanic to verify that the sensor is indeed bad, and then I'd search eBay and wrecking yards across the US and Canada for a wrecked ES330 with the Power Pedals feature and try to buy the used pedal and sensor. There's just one bolt and one nut that hold the entire accelerator pedal to the Power Pedal assembly. Awkward but simple to remove and replace. Good Luck!

jacertheracer, The lock actuator (really a small motor that turns some gears to move the lock lever) has jammed for some reason. The only way to fix it is to remove the inner door panel and remove it from the door locking mechanism. Then either take the lock actuator apart and try to fix the jam, or just replace the lock actuator. I have done several of these over the years and would tackle this in a heartbeat. But you have a couple of things going against you. The first is that the door must get open to remove the inner door panel, and Lexus has constructed their door lock mechanisms to prevent thieves using a jack bar to quickly get in. A GOOD locksmith MAY be able to get the door open, but they will have problems unless they have the tech manuals for your car. The second is that removing and opening up the old lock actuator takes some mechanical aptitude, someone used to taking small things apart, figuring out what went wrong, and then fixing the problem and putting it back together. If you're not that person, don't even think about it. A new actuator will cost you BUCKS ($200 plus, just a guess) because it's a Lexus. A better solution is a used one from eBay or a wrecking yard. A quick look at eBay shows that used ones are going for $80 US and up. And then, the problem may not be the lock actuator, but a bent rod from it to the lock mechanism, or the lock mechanism is jammed and needs replacing. You just don't always know what you'll find until you actually get in there. And I'd guess that the dealership will want $500 or so to do the job. You have some research and decisions to make. Good Luck!

marathiboy, Check that the ECU-B fuse under the hood is good.( Found this similar problem on another Toyota product from the same generation and a replacement fuse cured the issue. Maybe it will work for you as well?)

willyinnv, If there is no noticeable engine vibration that is erratic, at that age and that mileage, I'd tell the dealership to try another fantasy and maybe that one will be believable. While its not unheard of for motor mounts to go bad, it is rare, and usually only on high mileage cars. And why would you service a 14 year old Lexus at a dealership, at their prices? Any good independent mechanic can do the work on your Lexus at much lower prices. The car is basically a Camry, which just about anyone can service.

Clo, I have this same issue (but I don't find it annoying) on one of my toys, a 1990 300ZX, and its the electric fuel pump pressurizing the fuel system when I turn the key to start the car. I would wonder if this is the issue you have, its perfectly normal, but in your case its harmonics are louder. If it bothers you that much, take the car to a good independent mechanic you can trust (check with your friends for who to go to) and ask the mechanic to listen and give an opinion. It shouldn't cost you a thing, but the dealership will want to take the car to the service area, and I guarantee there will be a bill. In future, update your signature to include the year, model, and mileage of your car. This info will quickly point out where we should be looking for a solution to any issues you may have. Good Luck!

dtwillis, 1990ls400 is correct. If you have water in the front and rear floor pans, and you haven't used the AC, then its getting in from your sunroof drains, which are either plugged or have split from their drain openings at the roof, or the front or rear windshields have lost their seals and are leaking. Its a toss up as to which is the culprit, but track it down and get it fixed before you have to deal with mould and rusted out floors and electronics under the seats going bad.