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kperko, Sounds like you have tackled just about everything except the IAC valve, the Idle Control Valve. It may be just dirty and needs to be cleaned, or its motor may be bad altogether and needs replacing. Go to YouTube and check out "94 Camry IAC fix" videos, there are several, and possibly this will give you a solution. Good Luck! Here's another step by step for a V6 RX300 that should be similar procedure, from a Lexus Forum: http://www.clublexus.com/forums/rx-1st-gen-1999-2003/358579-diy-iacv-clean-picture-write-up.html

jefewitt, The issues you're having are best diagnosed by a good transmission shop, familiar with Toyota transmissions. You may have a bad solenoid, but are you going to pull the tranny pan and change it? Best let the experts correct this one.

ou1, You are most welcome! And I commend you for tackling the job, but more for the GREAT pics you posted that told the story for you. Most people put up some blurry, tiny pic that doesn't zero in on the problem, and are just a waste to even look at. Good Job!

ou1, Then you're looking for the second generation ES300 models from 1991 - 1996. Any of those cars should share the same tranny wiring harness. And as I suggested, the Camry for those same years with a V6. Good Luck!

oui, Try a wrecking yard for the same generation ES, or the same generation Camry V6. Both cars share most parts and systems.A quick peek and a camera shot should give you what you need, because there are darn few shop manuals out there outside of the Lexus dealerships.

marathiboy, The C0205 and the C1223 codes are related. The C0205 says that your left front wheel speed sensor is malfunctioning (dirty wiring connector/ broken wire/or needs replacing. If you get it working the C1223 code will also go away because it says the ABS system is not working (because the wheel speed sensor doesn't send a signal). The P0440 says that your evaporator emissions control system is malfunction. Yes a bad gas cap will give that code, but with the age of your car you most likely have a split rubber hose from the gas tank to the evaporator canister somewhere. Its possible the canister is cracked from old age as well. As for the climate control, try this that I found on another forum: Look under the driver side of the lower inst panel for a small vent looking thing. Behind this is the "sniffer" for the cabin temp. This item is routinely omitted from being reinstalled properly. I'll bet that it is not attached to the lower panel Good Luck!

kentzo, Your second picture tells the tale. From the center of that rusty circle of metal on the right side, a small black plastic plunger is supposed to be sticking out. When you close the gas door, that plastic plunger catches in that rectangular notch on the black plastic piece in your top picture and locks it into place. Since your plunger no longer exists, the door won't lock. The only fix is to replace the entire plunger cable. You could price it at the dealership, but I don't think it'll be cheap. Not only that but most of the plastic interior pieces on the rear driver's side of the car have to come off to get at it. That's not hard to do, but someone with experience should do it to keep from breaking the trim pieces. You might be able to strip a wreck in a junk yard to get a used one, but it will take time to do. Baring that, you might be better off to just live with it. To keep the door from springing open, take a look at the door hinge in your top picture. That black piece of metal around the hinge rod is what pops the door open when its released. If you can remove that black spring, the door may stay closed on its own. Worth a try! Sorry that I don't have better news for you.

harv5-42, In the past I've had this same issue on a 2004 Subaru. At first I thought there was a brake issue, but a simple topping up of brake fluid to the MAX line, cured the dash brake line issue. I'd sure try that before anything else. Let us know how it works out. Good Luck!

soarer129, Your car has gone into limp mode. The computer has determined that there is a problem with the brake system (ABS and Trac Control) and has changed the engine parameters to keep you from getting up to speed and killing yourself or someone else. Get the codes read to see where it says the problem is located, most probably the ABS sensor on one of the wheels you messed with. Hint: I almost didn't bother answering your post, and I'm sure others felt the same way. I suggest you reread what you are about to post BEFORE you hit the Submit Reply button. You have not used a single period, comma or question mark. Its just one long run on ramble and terribly difficult to decipher. Online forums do not lend themselves to "phone texting" methods and jargon. Get back to us after you get the codes read and maybe we can help steer you in the right direction.

shonna, The usual culprit is a bad thermostat, an inexpensive fix, but there are other things that could be causing the same issue. Is your coolant tank properly topped up with antifreeze? A collapsed radiator hose, or a plugged radiator will cause an overheating situation, as will a failed water pump (impeller broken on its shaft). The best advice is to let a mechanic diagnose the issue. Unless your mechanic is just down the street, don't drive the car, get it towed to his location. Driving an overheating car will totally destroy the engine to the tune of $5000 or more for replacement. Good Luck!

ou1, Your 94 ES is basically a gussied up 94 V6 Camry, so any info on that same generation will apply almost exactly. For instance, try this link to the following video : http://www.instructables.com/id/One-Minute-Transmission-Swap/ There are a lot of YouTube videos on tranny swaps and rebuilds for the V6 Camry. Search through a bunch of them, as well as Google searches for the same topic. You'll find just about anything you're after on the topic, but it will take some searching. If you don't find all of the info there, go to the Camry forums and search their archives for what you need. You may have to join one to be able to search the archives, but you might find exactly what you're after. Good Luck!

river, A mechanic (not necessarily a Lexus/expensive shop rate one) can diagnose your problem. I alluded to a "dropped valve" as a possibility, but a broken valve spring or broken collets (hold the valve spring cap in place to keep the valve from dropping unless pushed down by the cam lobe) amount to the same thing. The engine would not idle or run smoothly, and would have a miss since that cylinder wouldn't fire properly, hence the noise and the shake. But it could be something else entirely, and to even suggest a cost to fix it at this stage is unwise and impossible. I say again, don't run the engine unless a mechanic is present to do so, to diagnose what is wrong. At this point get the car to a good independent mechanic and let him inspect it. His diagnosis and the possible costs to correct things, the present value of your car, and your situation financially and time to correct the issue will dictate how you solve things. Best of Luck! Hope its a simple, cheap fix.

river, Stop driving the car until its fixed! From the noise and the obvious engine vibrations going on, there are a lot of things that may be the problem, some of them can cause MAJOR engine damage. The timing belt may have stripped a cog or two, putting the cam timing out and causing what appears to be a misfire from the way the engine shakes. Or perhaps one of the idler pulleys has a really bad bearing, making the noise and changing the engine timing slightly. Then again, you could have a bad fuel injector, coil on plug, or spark plug causing the vibration, or you may have dropped an engine valve. One thing for sure, until you track down the issue and get it fixed, you are tempting fate to be running the engine at all. You need a mechanic to read the trouble codes, if any, and then diagnose what the problem is before you do anything else. Good Luck!

nathanwinklepeck, Get someone to lend you a code reader and get the DTC codes from your car to know exactly where to start looking for your problem. But from what you describe I think your security system is shutting down the engine computer. I've had the same issue with my diesel truck a year ago. It would crank, start and die, crank,start and die. In my case, 14 wires were chewed through by a mouse that had made a nest under the fuse box in the engine compartment, where all of the wiring from the entire truck comes together. You may have the same issue, maybe not a mouse, but something is telling the security system to not allow the car to start. Get the codes read, and if that doesn't point you in the right direction, get the car towed to a good independent mechanic who knows his stuff. Good Luck!

jamstyle, Search eBay again. One vendor I found just minutes ago will cut the new key for you if you send them your key code when you order the blank. http://www.ebay.ca/itm/New-Remote-Key-Keyless-Replacement-Case-3-Button-Short-Blade-Shell-For-Lexus-/351413955458?fits=Year%3A2002|Make%3ALexus|Model%3AES300&hash=item51d1e76b82:g:uzQAAOSwpRRWmaRm&vxp=mtr

carrie14, Assuming that the backing plate for the glass mirror has come disconnected from its motorized plate, because two or more of its clips are broken, it is possible to fix it without a replacement. I recently did this on one of my vehicles and it works very well. The trick is moving the mirror glass into the mirror housing such that you can easily see the backing plate clips. Once there, put a small gob of silicone sealant on the end of a thin long screw driver or similar, and deposit it the seam between the mirror glass and the motorized plate about where the clips aren't doing their job. Do this in several places, and allow the sealant to cure over night before using the mirror. Providing this was the issue, your problem should be solved.

mizzwize, We've had several ES's over the years, and I recall the 97 have adjustable shocks (rotate a console switch from Sport to Comfort). Do your homework before you spring for the air shock route (especially OEM) because the parts for these cars go up dramatically every year. Don't know about the spoilers but I think it would spoil the looks of the car. But its your car, your money, do what you want. Some of the option parts are insanely expensive ... our last ES (04) had the APPS go bad. Its the 6 pin sensor that's attached to the gas pedal that signals the throttle opening. The only way to purchase it was as one whole assembly because the car was optioned with the Power Pedals that moved. The whole assembly, bracketry, pedals, motors, flexible drive cables and brake and accelerator pedal (plus the little sensor on the side of the pedal) was $1100. The trigger sensor for the Terrain Following Headlights (moves headlights up and down to keep the aim on the road and out of oncoming driver's eyes) is attached to the rear passenger side suspension. That little sensor (half the size of a Zippo lighter) is $600. So, as I've stated, Lexus uses a lot of specialized parts that you can't even get from a Toyota dealership, and it charges big time for them, because you can only get them from Lexus. Be careful. The best bet is used in many cases. (That APPS I got off a wrecking yard in California for $150 including shipping.) Keep in mind that the V6 Camry for 1999 was basically the same car, and many of the parts were shared and (the Camry's parts were cheaper to buy), but not all. Be careful to ensure the part is a direct fit. Tire Rack will zero in on the tires you need (even if you don't buy from them). Go online and give them the year and model, and state whether you want long mileage, smooth ride, good grip, etc. They've tested each tire they sell in all categories, and take the guess work out of it. Frequently if the Trac control light is on its saying that a wheel ABS sensor is bad, or similar. Get the codes read on the car to track down the problem. Or do a Google search for "1999 ES300Ttraction Control light" and see what other people with the same issue have found as a fix. Its all here on the Internet somewhere. Good Luck!

misswize, I appreciate that you aren't offended, because the original question you asked is asked a lot on many of the forums I follow, and I have given the same response I gave you. The followup posts by many of the thread starters were less than kind. I mean. " how dare I give them my opinion?", which ended up being not what they wanted to hear, particularly when they asked for an opinion. "Save your money for repairs, because you can't afford to mod it, and do the required repairs on the paycheck you presently have. If you could afford to do the mods, then you would have purchased a new car, and the right car that can be modified to begin with." (The guy buys a $1500 Corolla and then spends $2200 on fancy wheels and low profile tires?) Mod a Mazda X5, or a Subaru Imprezza or WRX, or a Mustang, something that was designed to accept modification, but modding your only car, your daily driver, is asking for disappointment unless you have deep pockets to accept the bills coming your way. I've just read too many of these posts to be silent anymore (and I guess I'll get a more hate posts because of it.). In the case of your ES300, any mods that can be done to improve the car are few. It was designed as a luxury highway/commuter/cruiser and there are no aftermarket or even Lexus performance parts made for it. Sure you can experiment at custom bending stronger anti sway bars to get it to corner better, or slap a turbo on it and cross your fingers, but the parts already there will be over stressed and the car's reliability and value will be depressed. Save the money and spend it on refinishing the wheels when they start to corrode, or spend it on getting the entire car detailed, or all of the belts and hoses replaced. Keep the classy ride classy. Apologies for the sermon.

anthonyaragon20, Several threads on this issue for your generation ES point to slipping clutches and failed solenoids inside the tranny. Its best to get the tranny codes read by Toyota/Lexus as they have the scanner needed to pull the tranny codes. At that point you'll know whether the tranny needs a rebuild or replacement. Depending on the mileage of your car, a used one might be the way to go. One person with much the same symptoms found that a transmission filter change and a complete fluid flush fixed his issue. Good Luck!

gaszamon, That wiring is to one of your fuel injectors and should be perfectly fine to be fixed, without replacing the entire harness, which will not be cheap! The key is to use the same gauge wire as Toyota did and solder the connections and then use a shrink wrap on the repair. If you find there isn't enough wire at the connector to make a proper repair, then get to a wrecker and cut off the last 6 inches including the connector from a wreck for the same generation as your car, and splice than into your original harness. I went through this a year ago on my diesel dually. Mice made a nest under the fuse box in the engine compartment and chewed through 14 wires. After the repair, all is again well with the world. Unfortunately in my case it took 5 hours at $138 and hour to find the 14 chewed wires, hidden as they were, and just 1.5 to fix it. Good Luck!

mizzwizz, I know you don't want to hear this, but you have "champagne tastes on a beer budget" and you can't have both. The car is 17 years old, is at an age where you can expect to have to replace shocks, belts, wheel bearings, window motors, etc., and the ES was never built for enthusiastic driving but rather for smooth, relaxed commuting and cruising. And you want this car to last 5 to 10 years? It can certainly last that long with good proper maintenance and sensible driving habits. 500 000 miles is doable. But to modify one to increase its performance and gas mileage is a lost cause. Sure you can replace the spark plugs with iridiums, but as for messing with the intake/larger injectors/exhaust/cam timing, etc., you are throwing money away for the gains that you might make, at the expense of gas mileage, and for spending on the things the car WILL need down the road. I would advise that you'd be better off doing the preventative maintenance as per the Owner's Manual, driving sensibly, enjoy the car and you'll easily make your 5 to 10 year expectancy without throwing money away. If you wanted an performance car, and one you could modify, you'd be better served with a Subaru WRX or even an older Lexus GS, or a newer car than your 99, and all of that says more money than you should spend on your present ride, considering what its really worth in the market. Do the maintenance, forget the mods. Sorry, but you asked for opinions. As for the speaker upgrade, pull a door panel and remove a speaker. If it doesn't have an onboard amplifier at the speaker (as a 1990 Nissan 330ZX has on each of its 4 speakers), then match up the size and OHMs resistance with a newer speaker if you wish. If there is an onboard amp at each speaker, the entire system has to be changed, unless you're an audio tech with some experience and know of a work around. As for tires, do a TIRE RACK search for your ride and use their recommendations. Going to a performance tire will be throwing money away (unless you have gobs of it) since they will wear out MUCH sooner than a more conventional tire that the car came equipped with. Good Luck!

sweetchik79, Throwing parts at a car hoping to find a fix never goes well, and empties your pocketbook in a hurry. Sure, test the battery, the alternator, the starter, but buying a new relay when you haven't tested the old one, and the same with the ignition switch? When as many systems go wrong all at once it points to something major, as opposed to a simple element, and it screams that the car needs to be in the hands of a good independent mechanic who can systematically check out the systems and narrow down the culprit. Recently I know of three such strange goings on in vehicles , all similar to yours. One traced down to a bad Body Control Module, another to the engine computer, and on my personal diesel dually ... a mouse family that made a nest under the fuse box in the engine compartment and then chewed 14 wires so that none of the truck's electrical systems could talk to each other. Most good mechanics will have seen a similar set of circumstances as yours, and will have a good idea of where to start. It'll cost you some money, but maybe not as much as all of the parts replacement you could do, and it'll be a lot less frustrating in the long run. Sorry for the long speech, but there are times when taking the car to the experts just makes the most sense. Good Luck!

andrew, 1990ls400 is correct. The fix is usually an intermittent screen connection at its ribbon cable, or a screen replacement. Check this YouTube video:

ckeener, This is a pretty common repair on all cars since the late 90's. It involves replacing the the entire hub assembly with a new one, or removing the hub and pressing out the old bearing and pressing in a new one with a 10 ton press. Some people access a hub puller/ bearing grappler and do the bearing change with the hub on the car. They don't remove it. It isn't a repair for a first time DIYer, but a backyard mechanic who has been in the backyard a while certainly could. To arm yourself with an idea of what your up against, watch some YouTube videos on "hub replacement/fix" on several different cars of the early 2000's. The entire hub is available from many auto suppliers, and bearing suppliers can get you just the bearings, if you go that route. Any good independent mechanic can do the job for you as well. Good Luck!

ml30306, That sounds like the heater fan motor. Either something has gotten in to the squirrel fan and is rubbing up against the squirrel cage itself, or you have a bad fan bearing, or the vibrations its causing, is causing a wire or electrical connector (or similar) to vibrate in harmony with it. Check out the YouTube vids on replacing the heater fan in a 2004 Camry (a close cousin of your car), which will be very similar. They are easy to change out, but yours may just need to be pulled and cleaned of debris. The worst part is working under the dash. It may be easier for you to pull the passenger seat out first. just to get some room for your body to work under there. Then again, you may be smaller than me. Good Luck!