Lexusfreak

I highly suggest Amsoil synthetic ATF for the PS & Amsoil diff fluid. Grab yourself a diff plug gasket when you do the fluid change too. B)

What year did Lexus install the de-powered airbags?

Coffee

Water

Nothing wrong with an 07 OB Ltd gbhrps. ;) I appreciate the info. I'm going to wait until the weather gets better & in the spring I will have the dealer repaint both sides (under warranty). B)

I've been told by several sources to stay clear of Lucas products (their specifications come nowhere near the products I use). If you use a top quality engine oil or tranny fluid for example (in my case, both Amsoil synthetic) there should be no need for any additional 'additives'. As for the fuel system.....using high quality gasoline should be sufficient along with proper maintenance. Once a year (on a long drive) I will use a bottle of Redline fuel system cleaner, and that's it.

The new start page for LOC looks fantastic Steve! :D

Sounds like it will be well worth the trip though. B)

Tires like that (The Nokian All Weather Plus comes to mind) are great......except, be prepared to listen to quite a bit of road noise from those tread designs in the summer months.....fuel economy will drop too.

Bingo and filter WAY better per cap and eff ratings. It looks like Amsoil is got the market on oil filters and air filters currently. Funny thing.....my previous 2 vehicles (including my 2001 Lexus ES) had this air filter......I went to look up the one for my 2005 ES & they don't make it for the 2002 - 2005 ES models......figures!

Is their much difference price wise between the ASL 5W30 & the ASM 0W20? And is it really that noticable? I'm due for an order of Amsoil soon......was going to order the ASL, but I will consider the ASM......Just seems really thin to me....I've never had a problem with the ASL.

First off.....welcome to the club! :) Quote # 3 does not suprise me at all. Did you try getting a quote from a Toyota dealer? Or perhaps buy the OE Toyota parts from one of our online vendors & take it to the shop of your choice (and pay a reasonable price for the labor only). Have you dealt with this Midas shop in the past for routine & major servicing? They are charging $93 an hour labor.....my local Lexus dealer charges $94.....the Lexus dealers in Toronto are $115 an hour.

About the same or slightly better than the domestics.....Still not up to the Japanese levels however.

Lol sky! And the Lexus plant tour that SK mentioned is pretty cool. B)

Dan....Quebec has a law that makes it mandatory to drive in winter on winter tires correct?

Speak with the service manager directly about this & have it documented. I beleive they can reset things for you to see if that helps. Suprisingly, the Canadian ES models are not effected by this problem due to the different emission regulations. Welcome to the club btw. B)

Avenue

Another vote for drain & fill only. But agreed, try a search.....lots of info on the subject. :)

The exterior 'B' pillar mouldings on my 2005 ES are slightly pitted & de-oxidized (quite common as this was also the case with my 2001 ES). I just got off the phone with the service manager at my local Lexus dealer......he says that the B pillar mouldings on this generation are actually part of the door frame itself & not seperate parts that can be removed & corrected. He wants to have another look at the problem and said that repainting them might be our only option. Anyone else have this problem with the 2002 - 2006 ES? I have to take the car in for replacement of the passenger side mirror & steering knuckle issue anyway. Please advise.

I definately agree with dc.....get yourself a nice set of winter rubber. Where abouts in Toronto are you dssnosher? I have several tire contacts still in the big city & could help you out if needed.

I was gonna ask the same question ;) Nice to see ya back on the forums Josh!

Yup, I remember you sharing that with us a while back :) Hard to beat a Subaru for an excellent center of gravity. I wonder if Toyota will use any of Subaru's components (engines aside) in the upcoming Venza with AWD? That would be nice! B)

Fries

So ultimately, what do you think you will go with when the time comes for a new (newer) vehicle? :)

The 'search' tool is your friend. ;) The synthetic oil subject has been covered in great detail. Follow the maintenance schedule that Lexus recommends for the drain intervals for warranty purposes. What work did you have done exactly for your 20k service?