monarch

Lots of questions: http://www.saber.net/~monarch/solenoid.JPG

Last year I was in the market for a base model 2004 ES330 (but I ultimately decided on a used LS400). I got price quotes from numerous dealers in southern and northern California. Lexus of Westminster in Long Beach was by far the most aggressive dealer trying to get my business and offered the lowest price of $29,995 on a new ES330 with a MSRP of $33,114. At one point in desperation they even came down to $29,500. This was in March of 2004 My second choice would be Longo Lexus of El Monte. They have 3 times as many Lexus's to choose from than any other dealer in the whole USA, but are more stingy on price so you'll likely have to pay $500-$1500 more for an identical car at Longo than at Lexus of Westminster or some of the other eager-to-deal LA region dealers like Keyes Lexus.

Then you have nothing to be worried about. If you are still concerned, have a mechanic remove onw od the engine's valve covers to inspect the valvetrain. Chances are the valvetrain parts will be very clean and it will be immediately obvious to you that "flushes" or "engine cleaner additives" are not needed because there is nothing inside the engine that needs to be cleaned up.

If your engine is consuming about 1 quart of oil per 1250 - 3000 miles then it is still not worn too badly and therefore does not need a thicker oil to help control oil consumption or to help cushion worn valvetrain parts. Toyota engines are famous for lasting over 500,000 miles or more on conventional oil so there is no compelling practical reason to use synthetic except maybe in subzero winter climates where it offers slightly easier starting.

Sorry I forgot about the Toyota Supra model and how it may use the same calipers and pads as the SC. With regard to Autozone pads, Toyota and Lexus warn that using aftermarket pads can cause rapid rotor wear, brake squeeking in humid weather and unsightly brake dust deposits on the wheels.

Follow the manual unless you like to live on the wild side and take unnecessary risks

That's normal behavior for Toyota / Lexus vehicles. No matter what car you drive, you should only drive at moderate speeds for the first 3-4 miles in cold weather

Maybe you changed the oil every 3000, but the previous owner didn't and that's when the sludge developed and why it developed.

No Toyota model is like the SC300 so it's very unlikely a Toyota dealer stocks brake pads that would fit an SC300. Also, Toyota parts usually have different part numbers so it's difficult for a Toyota dealer to try and match parts with any Lexus. So if you are serious about finding compatible Toyota parts YOU must do the research .

A good way for you to see, feel and hear the differences is to examine both vehicles closely at an auto show. Close the front and rear doors of both cars. Notice how the ES330 has quieter doors. That's because the ES330 has a sound absorber inside the doors and because there are supplementary door seals on the ES330 that are lacking on the Camry. Lots of little refinements like that on the ES330. If you live in a big city, Camry's are steeply discounted, Lexus's subtantially less so. So that tips the balance in favor of the Camry. But then the Lexus has substantially better resale value. I personally love the 4 cylinder Camry. It feels remarklably peppy and responsive yet is quiet and refined and gets 34 MPG at 70 MPH with the new 5-speed automatic. The Camry LE model looks and feels spartan compared to an ES330, but in big cities you could purchase a 4 cylinder Camry LE for $16,000 whereas a stripper ES330 (without navigation) would run $30,000. The Camry V6 XLE with leather is priced midway between these two extremes in a big city.

You said: "routine maintenance has been consistently kept up." Do you have every service receipt? If even one oil change has been stretched out beyond 12 months / 7500 miles the engine could have some sludge. If the transmission fluid hasn't been changed about every 30K miles or sooner, the transmission may be moderately to heavily worn. If the coolant is anything but reddish in color then the radiator may be slightly to moderately semi-clogged by mineral deposits. Was the engine timing belt changed? It's due Were the spark plugs and plug wires ever changed? They are due. What kind of driver was the former owner? If a easy going grandpa / grandma type owner, that's great. If an aggressive, hard charging, type A personality business executive, that's mnot so great (worn suspension, engine mounts, transmission mounts, etc).

I'm curious to know what was the MSRP on your '05 RX330 that sold for $39,900?

How about some advice directly from Lexus? I copied and pasted the stuff below directly from Lexus's website: Automatic Transmission Fluid Question: What type of automatic transmission fluid is used in Lexus vehicles? Answer: Please check the inside back cover of your Owner's Manual for the type of transmission fluid your vehicle uses. If you Owner's Manual specifies, T-II, you may only use T-II or T-IV. If your Owner's Manual specifies, T-IV, you may only use T-IV. If your Owner's Manual specifies Dexron II, you may only use Dexron II or Dexron III. If your Owner's Manual specifies Dexron III, you may only use Dexron II or Dexron III. Power Steering Fluid Question: What type of power steering fluid is used in Lexus vehicles? Answer: Dexron III transmission fluid is used in Lexus power steering systems.

There's no other car maker in the world that can match the overall reliability / durability of Toyota / Lexus. From time to time over it's 40 year history in the USA, Toyota has underengineered a model here and there, but overall a large majority of its vehicles have had a steller record of reliablity and durability compared to European or American makes. If you stray from Lexus, I would suggest you look at another Asian car maker like Acura or Infiniti if reliability and durability is a top priority. Hyundai is a rising star in this field as well.

I guess different people notice different things. Like look at the padded dash of your Dad's LS430, and then your ES300. Feel it, pound on it. Yep it's the same material on both cars. Now feel and pound the dash of a 2002 on up Camry. Yep same dash material. Standardized across many Toyota / Lexus models I agree with you the first generation LS was pretty unique, sharing little with existing Toyotas at the time

Well mechanically a Lexus IS a mostly a rebadged Toyota. Just like a Scion is a mostly a rebadged Toyota Echo. Most of the differences are in body styling and interior furnishings. But even there a considerable number of parts carryover. Lexus does tend to use more durable paints. Same deal at Infiniti. In fact, at a recent car show I noted the front door panel of the $55,000 Infiniti QX56 was absolutely identical to a base model $22,000 Nissan Titan pickup except for a few wood inserts and small details like that.

The main reason alot of cars are FWD is to reduce car manufacturing costs / increase car maker profits. Otherwise FWD cars offer less secure handling and braking control and have more fragile suspensions and drivetrains.

i'd sell the whole car because if the former owner ngelected it enough to cause engine sludge, then the transmisson and other componets could soon fail too. And the "new" engine your getting isn't really factory new. It's a rebuilt by an american rebuilder using american car quality parts, gaskets and fit tolerance standards.

1000's of Sacramento people ride the Amtrak trains between Sacramento and their Bay Area jobs. I say take the job if it will help build your career because you will eventually find a way to live cheaply in the Bay Area (share an apt. or rent a room in a private home).

Since 1975 Toyota electric fuel pumps have lasted 500,000+ miles IF the fuel filter is changed every 60,000 miles and the owner doesn't habitually let the gas gauge get down to the empty mark or below. I have 451,300 miles on my '92 toyota pickup fuel pump. American car and aftermarlet "upgrade" fuel pumps do not deliver that kind of awesome durability.

Since 1975 Toyota electric fuel pumps have lasted 500,000+ miles IF the fuel filter is changed every 60,000 miles and the owner doesn't habitually let the gas gauge get down to the empty mark or below. I have 451,300 miles on my '92 toyota pickup fuel pump. American car and aftermarlet "upgrade" fuel pumps do not deliver that kind of awesome durability.

Maintained cosemetically and maintained mechanically are two wildly different things. Face it - the car has NOT received anywhere near all or most of the required preventive mechanical maintenance listed in the owners manual or else it would be selling for $3000 or more. But if you still think the car is in great shape, the most cost effective way to evaluate the condition of the engine is to have the tailpipe emissions measured at a smog test shop. HC, CO emissions on a well maintained '90 ES250 should be far below the legal limits; i.e. closer to zero than the legal limits.

So then why isn't anyone using the appropriate size open end wrench to unscrew the solenoid (instead of beating on it with a chisel)? And when reinstalling, why is everyone pounding the solenoid back on (instead of !Removed! it back on)? What is really securing the solenoid anyway? Threads? The "O"-Ring seals? Or is it a press fit?

A cheaply priced 15 year old luxury car is probably the worst possible choice you could make. Instead, you should consider a low mileage original owner grandma driven early '90's Corolla or 4 cylinder Camry that has extensive service records and is selling for an above average price because it was well maintained. Buy from a private seller, not a car dealer.

I'm still puzzled about how the solenoid is attached. Some say it unscrews, implying that it's threaded. Others say it must be pryed off with a chisel (implying it isn't threaded) And no one has explained how to separate the electrical connector.