lexusk8

Did you install the '00-'01 factory HID headlamps from the ES? Those are a hard-to-get item outside of the dealership parts dept. Please post up some pics! :)

Check your spark plugs (if they haven't been changed in the last 90K miles).

My guess is that the bulbs can be accessed under the hood and behind the foglight assy's, or the lens can unscrewed from the front. Have never seen an ES250 up close to verify.

OK, we're just about 5 days away, and about 30+ Lexus cars have signed up for the Northeast EOS meet :) If any of you guys are interested in checking it out, please post up. I guarantee you that this will be a fun time had by all. What better way than to spend a nice Sunday afternoon being with other fellow Lexus enthusiasts and checking out each other's rides? B)

That's nice that your local junkyard has a '97 ES HID kit at a cheap price, but unfortunately it will NOT (I repeat, NOT) fit into your '96 ES. The bulb holder in your ES requires a totally different connector housing than what the '97 HID kit calls for. From what I have gathered, a 9005 bulb can be made to fit into a 9006 bulb holder by cutting off one or more of the tabs. The light output would be much greater, too great for my needs :D

You should strongly consider bringing your car in for a t-belt change ASAP. Timing belts are relatively replaced every 90K miles. When the TRAC OFF and CEL lights are on at the same time, it usually means that the car is running in safety mode. Kinda like how Windows OS operates in "Safe Mode", the car limits its enhanced capabilities when under operation. You must bring your car in to read out the nature of the error codes and see what can be done to be fixed. Autozone can read error codes for free, or any Lexus dealership will do (costs about $85 to diagnose the errors).

The other non-Internet option to obtain parts for your Lexus is to go to a Toyota parts dept at the dealership. Usually they sell the same parts as in the Lexus dealership, but at a cheaper price (by about 30-45%). FYI, Camry and Lexus ES parts are interchangeable by each model year (e.g. '97 Camry parts <=> '97 Lexus ES300 parts), since both cars share the same chassis code.

On my '01 ES, the factory battery was replaced on Nov. '03 with an Exide battery. The reason for replacement of the 2-1/2 year old battery was that there was not enough CCA's (cold cranking amps) left in the battery, and knowing that the winter would be coming up, I would have a really tough time starting up the car if I were to keep the stock battery. Like Alan has mentioned, it's hard to predict the average life of a Lexus battery, so when you suspect the battery is almost on its way out, better off to replace the battery. I suggest the Diehard battery from Sears. Excellent battery for the Lexus with a great warranty.

Although I don't own a '02 ES, I had one as a loaner some time ago, and from what I remember, turning the light switch to "-" yields only the parking lights being turned on, like shown in the pic below: So if I understand from your post correctly, you are planning to change out those parking lights, right? The bulb type for the parking lights is 2825, not H7. H7 is the bulb type for the halogen bulbs in your low beams, but you have HIDs for your low beam use. So it looks to me that you got the wrong bulb to replace those parking lights, unfortunately. I suggest you return those Sylvania H7s back to Pep Boys, and look into upgraded 2825 bulbs. I don't think they're regularly stocked in Pep Boys or any local auto parts store, so you may have to peruse to online vendors like optauto.com or similar. Good luck :)

$12K for a '99 ES with 82,000 miles seems a fair price (that equates to roughly 16,000 miles driven per year). Try to go $1,500 to $2,000 lower than the asking price if you can. Never take a car at full face value, and negotiation is the name of the game ;) Yes, the engine is a VVT-i, the same for all ES from 1999 to current model year. The ES has the best mileage out of all Lexus models, not to mention that it's front-wheel drive. Since the car in question is at 82K miles, you will have to consider the upcoming 90K service when it reaches the mark. This includes replacement of the timing belt (and water pump if so desired), all fluids, tightening of drive mounts, etc. The service is very important to ensure the long life of the ES, hence the most expensive (ranging from $1,500 to $3,000). Hope I got most of your questions answered :)

You could try browsing on Ebay for a used ES300 CD changer, but have you tried to fix your changer? What exactly is wrong with it? Sometimes the changer can easily be fixed with some internal cleaning, as dust can collect in the components.

I did a search on Ebay, and came up with 1 result. This should be it: http://cgi.ebay.ca/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewIt...sspagename=WDVW

C'mon guys, we want the Northeast to represent well with an exclamation point at this EOS (end of summer) meet. There will of course be a BBQ there, and several of us from the CL forum have made reservations to bring along foods and what not for the BBQ. So far, we have at least 25 Lexus owners (and their cars) signed up for the meet, and we definitely expect some more, so join in please! :) The weather is certainly looking good during these last days of the summer (and the beginning of autumn) B) If you have any questions, you can send me a private message (I'm the organizer/planner for the meet). -Doug

HMac, nice to see another fellow member from CT. Where in CT are you? Hey, we have the same model year and mileage too (mine's also a 2001 and it currently has 95,600 miles). I performed the 90K service at Lexus of Westport, where I also did the 90K service for my previous '96 ES. The service of course included replacement of the timing belt and fluids like brake, differential, and coolant. I do my own oil changes and brakes, and I plan to perform the transmission service myself the next time around. The suspension for my '01 ES is still pretty healthy, so no plans to change out the struts and/or springs. Oh BTW, we are having an informal Lexus gathering on Sunday, Oct. 3rd at a park near the Hudson River in Fort Lee, NJ, and we are inviting members from this forum and ClubLexus. The weather has been superb lately, and hope to continue to do so onto the meet date. If you are interested in checking out the meet, please let me know! :)

The volume control for the remote master key is located underneath the steering wheel column at knee-level for all '97-'01 ES :)

I agree with you, but you shouldn't rule out the possibility of a charcoal canister problem on your '00 ES since this occurred in my '01 ES last year. At any rate, if you need more info on the story behind your TRAC OFF and CEL lights, I recommend you either take your car to Autozone (where they can diagnose the error codes for free) or to your local Lexus dealership (where they could charge an $85 diagnostic fee but can give you the most detailed and accurate info).

Perfect fit and finish with the NAV onto your '97 ES. Good work sunman :D Is the navigation from a '02+ Camry? Did you install the navigation signal (or antenna) in the trunk or mounted on the rear windshield?

This issue has been previously discussed for some of the '97-'01 ES models (including myself). Here's one of the topics you can peruse for more info: http://us.lexusownersclub.com/forums/index...showtopic=12223

Seeing burnt out bulbs behind the center console controls is nothing new for the ES. Usually the older the ES, the more prone you are to get burnt out bulbs. Replacement of the bulbs requires you to pull out the climate control and/or stereo head units, and unscrewing the face plates to reveal the bulbs from behind. What year is your ES? I have done the bulb replacement on my '01 ES for the climate control unit, and if the year of your ES is '97-'01, I'll be glad to tell you how to do it :)

I have also seen this rusted fog light occurrence on some of the '97-'99 ES models. Some of them look so bad that you can actually see the moisture and water inside the fog light assembly! :o I'm guessing there may be a bad sealant in the fog light, which causes the rust to form and condensation to settle in. Luckily, the fog lights in my '01 ES are A-OK, although the lenses feel kinda rough and pitted.

I installed a set of Denso Iridiums in my '01 ES a few months ago, during the time when I had 90K on the odometer. Those spark plugs were about $12.99 USD each, and I got them from the local Autozone store. The old ones that I took out were the factory NGKs.

steviej got it right. In fact, I ran into pretty much the same problem in my '01 ES earlier this year (i.e. couldn't start the car after a few turns to the key, and my idle RPMs would be in the range of 0 to 500). To deal with the problem, I took the car back to the non-Lexus used dealership where I originally bought my car, and they replaced the MAF (mass air flow) sensor and IAC valve under warranty. Problem unfortunately came back a few weeks later, so I then decided to take my car to my local Toyota dealership. As expected, it turned out that my throttle body (the portion in the engine body where air flows from the airbox to 2 tubings) is very dirty. Toyota used a special cleaning agent to clean the throttle body, and my car would and now start up every time. No hesitations or anything, and my idle speed would be in the normal range (750 to 850). Toyota charged me just one hour's worth of labor ($85), no charge for the material :D Give Toyota a shot, they are capable of working on our Lexus.

Steve, great to hear everything went well w/out a hitch for the windshield replacement, and that you replace it with OEM :D For those who are wondering, most of the auto insurance companies in the NE offer comprehensive coverage for a $XXX deductible and $0 for full glass replacement. When this is utilized to replace the windshield, it is essentially no charge to the customer, but it is usually up to the insurance adjuster to determine where to have the glass replaced. If the customer politely demands to have it done at the dealership (preferably for quality purposes), the insurance company will listen, most of the time, but we are all aware of the stereotype of auto insurance companies in the U.S. trying to find the "cheap" way out

Explain the accident for all of us? Can't really see the damage well on your car from the picture

sunman, those are a nice set of modifications and add-ons to your Benz. Cool thing about it is that 90% of them are in the interior, so from the outside, a stranger may think the car looks stock :D ;)