Lexusfreak

Sounds to me like this guy is an A$$HAT quite frankly! :whistles: :chairshot: His views are very wishful thinking.......Having driven all of them (owned Buicks & my father 2 Caddy's), the General has certainly gotton better, but there not even close to being in Lexus' rear view mirror. When was the last comparison that Lexus ever anounced it was running head to head with either Buick or Cadillac? It's always MB, BMW, Jag, Audi & the like. I'd be willing to bet this guy has never owned a Lexus (or even a Japanese car) in his life. Just goes to show the arrogance! :chairshot: :whistles:

Get the proper size oil plug that fit's your specific car. Get a bunch of oil plug gaskets (or washers they are also called) from the Lexus dealer......I think I paid somewhere between $3 - 4 for a dozen. I change the plug gasket every socond oil change & the car is bone dry underneith. B)

Actually......it is! :whistles: :D ;) http://www.amsoil.com/storefront/atf.aspx

Check local area listings, auto trader, KBB to get an idea of what both dealers & private sellers are asking for similar ES 300's......that should give you an idea of what it's worth. If you want more money than average, give the inside & outside a sparkling cleaning, & do any touch up's (paint chips etc....remember, condition, condition, condition! B) ). Have all service records ready to show a possible buyer to let him/her know the vehicle was taken care of. People will pay a premium dollar for a vehicle if they know all service & maintenance has been performed. Especially with the ES engine gelling issue. Good Luck!

Gray, In my opinion, why not do a drain and fill of the tranny and final drive every time you do an oil change? Change the filter every 30K-50K. I mean why the hell not? Tranny fluid is cheap and the service is easy. I'd rather do it too often than not often enough, personally. My other car is a DeLorean and I change every fluid on the whole car every spring. 2 or 3 oil changes during the summer (stored winters) Andy ← If were talking about the 'filter' as being the transmission filter mesh screen, why in the world are you changing the filter so often? It's re-usable, as it's a mesh screen, not paper or anything. Your waisting your money huge on that replacement. It's like replacing your moonroof glass every couple years.......why? just clean it! ;)

Well said sw! Good products like a brand new car (or well cared for used one) & homes sell themselves. If a customer want to know anything, they will ask. B) More times than not, at least with cars, the well informed buyer know's more about the product than the salesperson! ;) B)

Do a search online for an amortization program.......it's a very easy to calculate depending on the finance rate, & term of the loan. B)

There would be no complaints from me if that was the case SW. B) ;)

Agreed! B)

You can switch to Amsoil synthetic ATF which is compatable with Toyota type IV fluid. No problems reported that I am aware of with smoother shifting & longer drain intervals to boot! B) http://www.amsoil.com/storefront/atf.aspx

Hey sunman, could you email me at nathan.shih@gmail.com? I too would like to do this job but have some questions. Thanks! -Nathan ← I wouldn't suggest doing it like this......take it to a proper shop that has the flushing machine with a skilled tech to do this work for you. The tranny is at least a couple thousand bucks to repair should any damage occur. ;)

I agree with 82D as well. Nathan, if you want to do a complete flush......your going to have to take it to a shop with the proper equipment (unless you have the high pressure flushing maching in your home). B) It has to be hooked up to your tranny lines as it needs to 'blow' the old fluid out of the torque converter and such while at the same time, be replaced by new fluid. Unless you have this expensive machine & skills accordingly, you can't do this yourself. ;)

Yup, a very low frequency hum sound. You hear it when you turn the HID lights on without starting the car right? It's normal. B) ;)

Nope, the plugs should be changed.....how many miles on your ES? Sounds like the plugs are overdue for replacement at least because of the year of your car. Put anti-seize compound on the threads when installing them. There are 2 fuel filters on my ES......one under the hood, the other in the fuel tank. I changed the one under the hood for about $20 if memory serves. B)

Gotcha, thanks sk.....just checkin. ;)

I wouldn't do any wheel & tire mods to the 2006 GS while the car is under factory warranty.....your asking from trouble. :whistles:

Oh no not again! :whistles: :cries: TAGGAR, do a search in these threads, there is almost a weekly debate about dino oil vs. synthetic. Have a look in the Maintenance forum. Amsoil & Mobil 1 are the most popular on this site, I use Amsoil myself after switching from Mobil 1. Good Luck! Just be very careful......these spark very heated debates.

The tune up parts already mentioned earlier. One problem you might run into is the back 3 spark plugs are a pain in the to change your self. Plugs, air filter & fuel filter & you should notice a significant increase in fuel economy. Don't forget tire pressure. B)

Let us know your findings mburn. I'm sure you will be able to get a proper gasket that seals & the oil pan is good as new. B)

Name (first name & last initial): Brenden H. (Bren) State / Town: Toronto, Ontario Age: 28 s*x: M Car Make Owned: 2001 Lexus ES 300 1. Are you single or married? Married almost a year now! :D 2. If yes to number 1 do you have kids? If so how many? None yet. 3. What type of activities do you do for fun in your leisure time? Golf, Baseball, Tennis, watch movies, swim, detail the Lexus. B) 4. Do you consider your self liberal or conservative? Conservative. 5. Describe you feelings towards the importance of money v. family? There's nothing more important than Family, not even in the same league as money. 6. Do you feel that luxurious possessions improve your social status? Somewhat I guess, but I'n not concerned what others think. 7. Please rate the following on a scale of 1-10, 1 being very low, 10 being very high and 5 being average: Mercedes-Benz: Quality 7 Value 2 Fit/Finish 7 Performance 7 Lexus: Quality 10 Value 8 Fit/Finish 9 Performance 8 Toyota: Quality 8 Value 9 Fit/Finish 7.5 Performance 7 Acura: Quality 7 Value 7 Fit/Finish 6 Performance 7.5 Audi Quality 9 Value 4 Fit/Finish 10 Performance 8 BMW Quality 7 Value 3 Fit/Finish 7 Performance 9 8. What do you feel the most important feature in a car is (Price, Safety, and Style etc.) and why? Reliability & safety. Simply because what good is a Luxury car if it's always in the shop getting fixed? :whistles: 9. Describe your general feelings toward the Lexus brand? Luxurious cars that have classy styling with near bulletproof reliability & very high re-sale value. What's not to like? B) 10. What words come to mind when you think about Lexus and their brand image? Army summed that up well & I have to agree. :) 11. How do you view Lexus v. their main competition (BMW, Mercedes, etc.) in quality, value, fit/finish and brand image? Lexus trumps the competition in all those categories mentioned & I would buy another one before I even consider the others. 12. What is the main purpose you use your luxury vehicle for? (i.e. work, travel joyriding etc.) Pleasure, driving vacations & back & forth to work. 13. If you do not own a Lexus would you consider purchasing one? Why or why not? N/A 14. On a scale of 1-10, 1 being very low/no commitment, 10 being very high and 5 being neutral, please rate your commitment to the Lexus brand. 10 15. What factors/incidents would cause you to switch brands of cars? If I take care & maintain the car as per Lexus recommendations & the car is constantly giving me grief, then I would consider either another brand or another Lexus......the jury is still out on that.......so far so good however. OR if the styling of their cars get's rediculous.....think Pontiac Aztec. B) Tom, don't forget to share all the results after you complete your project, we would love to see them! ;)

Lol :P well that's partially......I won't be able to afford on brand new anyways. :whistles:

cam, nobody is saying that conventional ATF is going to cause a breakdown or your tranny to fail. Were simply saying using a compatable synthetic (in my case Amsoil synthetic ATF...which is also fine for Dexrom III) will give you better shifting performance, last longer & protect that much better is all. ;)

The 98 calls for Dexron III fluid right? ;)

Cool, let's have a look Tom B)