monarch

I agree with the service manager, assuming the tires are properly balanced and not out-of-round.

It's routine to see Toyotas and Hondas in auto wrecking yards with between 175,000 - 375,000 miles on them and Lexus is a Toyota. 600,000 - 700,000 miles http://www.saber.net/~monarch/cole2.JPG is also attainable if the owner buys the car brand new and drives relatively gently and performs all scheduled preventive maintenance a little ahead of schedule instead of a little late like most owners do. Most owners also screw up because they think "preventive maintenance" = just "lube oil and filter" every 5000 miles or so. But effective preventive maintenance also means taking care of the cooling, ignition, fuel, emission and exhaust systems as well as the engine oiling system. And taking care of these other systems using genuine Toyota / Lexus parts, filters and fluids instead of substituting auto parts store imitation products.

Putting several thousand dollars into the J30 to keep it running smoothly and reliably is a far, far less expensive proposition than buying a late model RX300, because DEPRECIATION is the true killer expense involved with owning an automobile. The RX300 is not a good beater type car and too many Toyota / Lexus owners treat them as such by neglecting or extending the preventive maintenance service intervals. So unless you can find an RX300 that has been serviced frequently using the severe service frequency schedule, I would avoid buying one because engine or transmission trouble could be looming ahead.

To the contrary - the main reason a friend of mine was able to afford to pay cash for new RX330 is because she saved $36,000 in real estate commissions when she sold her $600,000 southern California house herself. She studied and got her own real estate license specifically to help her learn how to handle the sales transaction. She studied only a month or two - a small investment of time with a huge $36,000 return in her case.

Oxygen sensors, like spark plugs are normal wear items. Delaying oxygen sensor replacement is false economy in multiple ways because a lazy sensor causes the engine to burn more gasoline which in turn worsens the concentration of unburned hydrocarbons in the exhaust stream which in turn shortens the life of expensive emission system components. Owners who delay preventive maintenance like replacing oxygen sensors typically end up becoming entrapped in a vicious circle of ongoing and unending mechanical problems and repairs.

Typical symptoms of a stuck open cooling system thermostat. Get a new genuine factory replacement from a Lexus dealer or irontoad.com. With a new thermostat your engine will reach normal operating temperature in just 3-4 minutes of driving.

I am currently searching for the correct toolkit to get for my 1991 Lexus V8 as well. Hope someone out there knows. The shim removal toolkit for my '89 Corolla has a Toyota part number of 09240-55010, but the kit for the Lexus V8 may be slightly different and have a different part number.

398,000 km is only 248,000 miles which is nothing special compared to what Toyotas can do http://www.saber.net/~monarch/cole2.JPG My 452,000 mile Toyota still has perfect compression too and passes Californias tough smog test with ease even though it still has the factory original catalytic converter http://www.saber.net/~monarch/smog.jpg A large majority of the 500,000+ mile Toyota owners I know did not use synthetic oils or other specialty filters or products. Consumer Reports tested synthetic oil against conventional oil and found no engine wear benefit from synthetic. For all these reasons the real world benefits of synthetic are controversial, not clear cut, and have been controversial for 30 years because in all that time the synthetic oil companies have failed to provide the public with real world evidence synthetic substantially extend the life of engines, transmissions, axles or power steering pumps.

My '91 LS400 with only 104,000 miles has a slow fluid leak too, but I have never let the pump run low on fluid so I know the pump has no major wear. I plan to buy the $21 power steering reseal kit and follow the jzz30 tutorial and replace as many seals / 0-rings as I can, then clean the fluid reservoir screen, the solenoid filter screen and replace the air control valve. Then I will replace all the fluid and add Genuine Toyota Dexron automatic transmission fluid. I bet all this servicing will stop the leak (s)

I've had good and bad experiences with both Goodyear and Michelin tires. My all time favoite tire was the Goodyear Invicta GL and GA, now discontinued and no longer available. These tires delivered superb bump smothering ride and library like quietness. Not just when new but even when near bald. And superb low rolling resistance for high fuel economy and effortless high speed cruising. Nothing in the current Goodyear or Michelin line up compares to the Goodyear Invicta GL and GA, but it the Koreans now make a comparable tire so my next set of tires will probably be Hankook (spelling?) tires. Over the weekend I rented a Camry Solara with Michelin MXV Plus's and the noise level and rolling resistance was a tad too high for my taste, but I was otherwise satisfied with them

Apparently? Find out for sure whether or not these two screens have been cleaned: http://www.saber.net/~monarch/pscreen.JPG http://www.saber.net/~monarch/psclean.jpg Another very common source of fluid leakage is a worn out power steering air control valve (also known as an idle up valve) http://www.saber.net/~monarch/removeairvalve.JPG

Here's what I learned a year ago when I was in the market for a 2004 ES330: $4000 off MSRP is possible in southern California at Longo Lexus and Lexus of Westminster and probably a few others. In nothern Calif. $3500 off MSRP should be possible at Coliseum Lexus in Oakland or Lexus of Pleasanton and maybe a few San Jose area dealers. Your chances of landing a great deal appear to be especially good during the last week of Dec or Jan. Inland in Sacramento, Reno, Modesto and Fresno, dealers are considerably more stingy about discounting.

You might want to get another set of identical Dunlops. Alot of people base their tire choices on the ratings given at tirerack.com, BUT those ratings are biased because owners tend to overrate the virtues of recently released tires and underrate the virtures of older tire designs. I just learned this the hard way myself. I recently bought a set of Goodyear Comfortred tires for my LS400 because tirerack gave them super good ratings for quietness and ride comfort. But I found the quietness was only a trifle better than my antique Goodyear Eagle GA's and the ride on good roads was worse because the Comfortreds transmitted every tiny road imperfection (although they absorbed big bumps well). Directional stability on the highway was also worst with the "state of the art" Comfortreds. And gas mileage had dropped 2 MPG because the Comfortreds have high rolling resistance. So I'm really mad I just spent $350 on a set of tires that have actually deminished the overall ride quality and driving enjoyment of my Lexus. I think tirerack should be renamed tireracksucks.com

Most Toyota and Lexus owners let their American mechanics and Bobistheoilguy type websites talk them into using aftermarket lubes, fluids, filters and parts. Then after 15 years or so these owners find out the devastating consequences the hard way http://www.saber.net/~monarch/coolantcorr.jpg

Periodically changing the brake fluid assures that all the expensive hydraulic components of the brakes system (ABS, brake calipers, master cylinder, etc) will last for many decades and many hundreds of thousands of miles (452,000 miles and counting in the case of one of my Toyotas). In other words, periodically changing the brake fluid and other fluids and lubes prevents owners from getting stuck in a rut where theyare faced with a choice between paying for expensive repairs (that can cost more than the car is worth) or selling the vehicle. Toyota dealers sell Genuine Toyota DOT 3 Brake Fluid in one pint bottles which is the same fluid that was originally installed at the factory. It is an extra high quality fluid that does a superior job of preventing componet corrosion and wear and owners should use it instead of an auto parts store fluid, if they want to minimize any chance of harming the potential life of brake system components. Owners who trade their cars every 1-10 years or 125,000 miles and don't plan to ever pass it down to another family member can skip changing the brake fluid without any serious consequences. Owners who want to find a way to change the brake fluid easily and thoroughly might consider getting a Motive Power Bleeder on ebay for about $60.00. This bleeder works like a pump up garden sprayer and pushes old fluid through the system and doesn't require the brake pedal to be repeatedly depressed like most other bleeder devices. Also useful for changing the clutch fluid on manual transmission cars.

Hay Monarch... If you read this. I have a question for you but the system would not let me PM you....If I take the car to a locale mechanic to pull the reservoir and give him the print out from this forum. How long should it take the guy to do. Also what "parts" would he need to replace??? Like O rings or??? The guy here is a good mechanic, but I have the only Lexus in this town, so he really does not know the car. But If I bring him the "how to" info, it seems to go O.K. That is how I keep my 84 Saab running in this small town. ← I'm not a trained mechanic so I found it necessary to remove the radiator, serpentine drive belt and air filter housing to gain access to the power steering pump and alternator. That job was rather time consuming because the coolant had to be drained, etc. But I've heard some mechanics know how to remove the PS pump and alternator without removing the radiator. The Reservoir lifts off the pump after 3 x 12mm mounting bolts are removed. There is a seal of some kind where the bottom of the reservoir attaches to the pump, but it appears to be a reusuable seal rather than a fragile rubber 0-ring type seal (but I don't know for sure.) Other than that, there are no seals that are involved with removing either the PS pump or the Reservoir from the pump. Getting the PS return hose disconnected from the Reservoir is rather difficult for some do it yourself owners, but shouldn't be too hard for a seasoned mechanic. I have not heard of a "third" filter in the PS system. I don't think an auxillary filter would be good to install until after the reservoir screen had been cleaned out. On other toyota forums it has been mentioned by seasoned Toyota mechanics that it is vitally important to clean the screen inside the reservoir if the power steering system exhibits symptoms of lost assist or erratic assist. Also important to use Dexron II or III automatic transmission fluid

L3-ES you did absolutely outstanding and we all appreciate you sharing the experience. Clearly the Lexus December to Remember Sales Event is more than just hype, but a great time for bargain hunters to buy. And I am really encouraged to hear that Longo Lexus is willing to meet or beat the price of the local competition since they have the best selection. One little reason a perfectionist might want to buy from Lexus of Westminster in Long Beach is that Lexus cars arriving from Japan are loaded off the Toyota ships in the port of Long Beach and Lexus of Westminster is just a few miles away from the port. So Lexus cars arrive at Lexus of Westminster in pristine shape - they havn't suffered through all the bumps and bruises of extensive travel on the highways aboard semi-trucks.

If a significant amount of motor oil or other petroleum substance like that was ever added to the brake system then the Lexus dealer is correct that all the expensive hydraulic componets of the brake system might be ruined and have to be replaced. Personally I would buy 4 quarts of DOT 3 brake fluid and flush the brake system out myself and hope that the new fluid restores brake system performance. To do a real thorough job you should try to suck a quart of fluid out of each brake bleeder valve located on each of the 4 brake calipers. You might want to also check the other lubes and fluids in the car too (coolant, engine oil, transmission oil, power steering fluid) for signs of accidental or intentional contamination / sabotage.

The door swings open both ways: Lexus could say "customers should care about their cars a little more and be willing to change the inexpensive auto trans fluid every 10,000 miles because the AWD transmission tends to overheat the fluid." And Lexus could say: "If we spent 50 billion dollars replacing and reengineering 300,000 AWD transmissions to make them run cooler it would be a monumental waste of time, money and resources as compared to the simple, inexpensive individual owner solution of replacing the transmission fluid more often."

The friction surfaces of a dry (unlubricated) clutch like a manual transmission clutch are huge in size and thickness. An unlubricated clutch must be huge to last. The friction surfaces of a wet (lubricated) clutch like those inside an automatic transmission are small (fit in the palm of your hand) and thin (less than 1/8 inch thick). They will last 200,000 - 500,000 miles if and only if they are properly lubricated and cooled by clean, unburnt automatic transmission fluid. Toyota / Lexus car transmissions have not had bands since 1976.

Toyota (Nippondenso) starters are built tough enough to last the life of the car. Only the $20 contacts need to be replaced every 150,000 miles or so. There are tutorials for doing this on the internet. Do a google search for "toyota starter repair"

Neither car sounds good. Instead of buying from a used car cealer, buy from a private party owner. Best situation is a one owner car with extensive Lexus dealer maintenance records and under 120,000 miles. Price should be around $6000 - $12000 depending on the odometer mileage and maintenance records. 95% of used car buyers ignore this advice and are totally obsessed with getting a "steal of a deal" like the $4995 type cars you are looking at. These buyers are, quite frankly, living in a fantasy world if they expect a $4995 LS400 to be reliable and durable. Sometimes these buyers can't afford a $6000 - $12,000 Lexus and if that is the case they should buy a well maintained, low mileage mid-90's Camry, Avalon or early 90's ES300

Don't buy any car that has been driven abusively like that. Granny & Grandpa driven used cars have hardly any mechanical wear and tear because they were gently driven If I was in your shoes, I'd shop for a Granny & Grandpa driven 2WD RX300 because they don't have transmission durability issues like the AWD models do. Put a set of Bridgestone Blizzak WS50 snow tires on the car in winter to get the traction an AWD model provides.

The 3000-5000 oil change interval and OEM factory oil and air filters have a proven 450-650,000 mile track record http://www.saber.net/~monarch/cole2.JPG http://www.saber.net/~monarch/smog.jpg You wont learn thngs like this by following the Bobistheoilguy forum The Bobistheoilguy forum is owned, administered and moderated by a bunch of specialty lube, filter, fluid and additive salesmen . These salesmen don't have to physically travel around a sales territory anymore making sales calls because from home, they can now just sit at the keyboard and run the Bobistheoilguy forum to generate their sales and income. These salesman use amazingly effective and clever methods (e.g oil analysis) of convincing the public that the factory original lubes, fluids and filters are of marginal quality and therefore limit the potential life or reliability of the engine, transmission, power steering, etc. The public, as a result, developes a "miracle in a can" mentality in regard to preventing and correcting mechanical or drivability problems. Thus, the loyal followers of the Bobistheoilguy forum become, in effect, specialty product and oil analysis Junkies. Example: If ticking noises develop in a Lexus V8, the engine needs a valve clearance adjustment. But the Bobistheoilguy Junkies will immediately start adding $25 a bottle gasoline and oil additives or switich to specialty synthetic oils like Royal Purple, Amsoil or Red Line or install specialty oil filters like K&N, Amsoil, etc. in an attempt to "clean away" or "cushion" whatever is causing the ticking noise. And the Bobistheoilguy forum owners, administrators and moderators will be laughing - all the way to the bank.

Sounds like multiple problems: 1. Wrong transmission fluid causing temporary or permanent mechanical problems. 2. One or more Transmission shift control solenoids going out, due either to high mileage or use of the wrong fluid. 3. Transmission overheating that may have already done permanent damage to the internal clutches and brakes inside the transmission (if the fluid was blackish in color) Remove transmission oil pan to check for heavy metal shavings on the magnets and a semi-clogged filter screen due to a buildup of non-magnetic wear particles. If there is alot of wear debris, it may not be worth it to buy and install new solenoids because the transmission won't last much longer anyway. You midwesterners need to learn to use Toyota brand fluids and parts if you want long troublefree service just like the Japanese would need to learn to use GM and Ford parts and fluids if they ever started importing Buicks LeSabres and Ford Crown Victoria's