lexusk8

The "30 day no wax" deal is usually what dealerships tell to their customers when they sell new cars. SW03, sorry to hear about the bumper incident. I ran into a similar incident before (back-in parking on an angled spot and ended up rubbing against the cement wall). My rear bumper is already banged up when I bought the car, so I guess I'm not worried so much about repainting it immediately hehe :D

For my '01 ES, the arrows (up, down, left, right) from the power mirror control used to light up, but not anymore for whatever reason

Actually there is nothing wrong with my transmission right now. The symptoms that I pointed out happened before my original transmission was dying on me (because of faulty solenoids, luckily it happened just before my extended warranty expired) ;) I had the fluid completely flushed after a replacement and used transmission was installed, so the fluid has stayed nice and cherry red for the last 18K miles. No hard shifts or any whacked-out behavior, my '01 ES drives like new at 117K miles :D

When I lived up in CT, I encountered the same kind of behavior during the winter time, and it's pretty much normal. Your car would take a little longer to shift from 1st to 2nd, and so forth. However if you see a check engine light on, then that probably indicates trouble in the transmission area, etc.

Actually it's the 1999 ES that started with the VVT-i (variable valve timing w/ intelligence) engine and transmission. However, the 2000 ES came about with a minor refresh of their exterior (new front bumper, fog lights, grille, cleared tailights, different badge location) and interior (new wood trim on the stereo, new optional seat heater switches). Other than that, the body style is just like that from the '97-'99 ES :)

Download this PDF document (Lexus OEM radio removal) and follow the steps listed in pgs. 1-8, 10-13. Lexus_2000_ES300_OEM_Radio_Removal.pdf

Sorry to hear about the incident, and sucks even more that you're found at-fault by the cops and the other party, even though you're not. ES headlights pop up on Ebay every now and then, and some of them are actually sold from junkyards. Their prices are reasonable, but you should seriously inquire about the condition as each of the headlights differ greatly, and some may not be accurately represented on Ebay.

Here are a few places off the top of my head: http://www.lexus-parts.com http://www.irontoad.com http://www.newlexusparts.com They're all based from the parts division of a Lexus dealership. You'll see that the prices are cut down compared to a local dealership. Great deal IMO :D

I'm sorry to hear about that news Senna, even more sorry about the medical issues you're overcoming. But be glad that you're alive and well, and that's what matters the most. I'm sure the $12K (or whatever the final amount will be determined by insurance) check will give you many options when you're planning to replace your car.

Senna4ever, after my car was repaired, my car drives perfect and without any problems with alignment or suspension. Part of the fixes includes replacement of the entire front passenger suspension (i.e. wheel hub and bearing, steering knuckle, strut and ball joint) and an alignment service. Keep in mind that this suspension part is where most insurance adjusters tend to overlook since they usually observe the exterior damage only, so make sure the taxi's insurance note the suspension damage on your car, and get a new alignment done as well. Do you have any leaky fluids? From my accident back in March, my windshield washer fluid reservoir was damaged and had to be replaced, so you might want to take a look at that on your car. One more thing I can tell you from my experience is you're allowed to choose any body shop/service shop to get your ES repaired. I suggest having it done at a Lexus dealership as they will sometimes see new affected items from a damaged car the insurance did not catch the first time, and will pressure the insurance for more money. Insurance companies do not generally like customers having their cars repaired at a dealership, but you're perfectly welcome to do so as you do not want a lowball figure from an insurance adjuster (i.e. low insurance quote = poor quality fix from a shop). That's all I can bring up for now. Please keep us posted on your progress with the insurance, and send me a PM if you have any further questions about this experience. Good luck! :) BTW, if you haven't done so, make sure your taxi's insurance foot your medical bill as they're responsible for any effects with your physical health. This is most critical out of all.

Damn, glad to hear you're OK. I was in the same situation last March. I was driving along on a main road, going around 35 mph, and some girl in a late model Corolla suddenly pulled into my path from the side. It was too late to avoid :cries: But police report, witness report and insurance found her at fault, and her insurance ended up paying about $5,000 to fix the damages on my '01 ES, as shown in the pic below.

Check your battery and alternator. Any service shop (i.e. Midas, Monro, etc.) should be able to do some testing for those things.

Sounds to me that the dirty throttle body in your car is the problem. Over time, the throttle body gets caked with dirt and numerous other particles, causing blockage in the passage between the throttle body to the engine, and eventually throws off the air/fuel mixture ratio from the MAF sensor. You need to get your throttle body cleaned up, and you can actually do this yourself without taking it to the dealership. Just buy yourself a carb/throttle body cleaner spray from an auto parts store, get together some old rags, and you're good to go.

Hey khhoang, I actually already placed an order for 2 Xenon Super White Festoon dome bulbs from autolumination.com, which are priced $1.49 each. These will go to the dome and map lights on the ES. I also ordered the same kind of bulbs, but for the door courtesy and trunk lights. This should make the inside of my car easy to see at nighttime, I can't wait for the bulbs to come in :)

khhoang, how is the LED bulb holding up after several months or so? Did you have to install a resistor, or is it just plug and play? I'm thinking of upgrading the dome light in my '01 ES from the wimpy yellow to a nice bright white :D

You can usually find similar wheels like them on Ebay, and at a much cheaper price than $375 per wheel.

I have always wondered the same thing ever since I got my '01 ES a couple years ago. I believe this has something to do with the 'C-BEST' settings implemented in most modern cars (even the PT Cruiser has that), and it seems like the '97-'01 ES does not have that feature. This is probably why we don't have that auto-lock feature.

Did you put iridiums in again Doug? ← Nope Brenden, this is just the 1st replacement of the plugs back in May 2004 (glad I keep a log of all the maintenance work done on my ES) ;) And yes, they are Denso Iridiums. The factory plugs were the NGK brand.

I had my plugs replaced around 86K miles. I purchased a set of them at the local Autozone for less than $80, and my mechanic friend has all the necessary tools to do the job (i.e. socket sets, flexible extensions, etc.) All in all, it took about 2 hours to finish (the old ones were getting brownish), and I rewarded him with a couple of beers :D

Doug, I would suggest you give serious consideration to the Goodyear Triple Treads when the time comes to replace the Toyo's.......they are available in an H speed rating for our size (only one size down from V). Have a look at the tirerack's reviews as they are fantastic & it's what I will be switching too when the time comes. They are simply the B) http://www.goodyearassurance.com/ ← Actually, I've already put in new tires on the ES. They're a set of Bridgestone Turanza LS-H. I've only logged in 1,500 miles on them for about a month, but boy, do they sound quiet and comfortable! :whistles:

Like I mentioned from my post, lubricating the rubber boot underneath the steering column should solve the problem. I took it to a Lexus dealership to do the job for $72 (including 2 days for a loaner ES).

I also got my power steering noise recently fixed on my '01 ES. The dealership lubricated the rubber boot behind the steering column, and now there is no more noise in the morning or anytime when the steering wheel is in use. They were also nice enough to check out the P/S fluid and pump, and they're in good condition :D

Marc, if your budget permits, go with the '99 ES. Like you said, some improvements were made to the engine and transmission compared to the '97 predecessor. Even better is the '00-'01 ES model, which includes a newer and cleaner look (front and rear), and more options for the interior like heated seats, HIDs, and wood steering wheel.

Here are the steps: 1) Open the hood and locate the large black plastic shroud that covers the tops of your headlights and the radiator. 2) Remove the shroud piece by unplugging the 5-6 plastic plug screws. Use a flathead and needle nose pliers for this step. 3) After removal of the shroud, you should be able to see a Philips screw fastened to a white plastic tab directly connected to the corner lamp. Unscrew the Philips. 4) Carefully pull the corner lamp back and away from the bumper. After lamp is pulled back from the car, locate the signal bulb housing and untwist and disconnect the bulb from the lamp. 5) Reverse the steps here to install your clear corner lamps. Good luck!

Hey HMac, I'm right up there with you, 110,700 miles on my '01 ES :D I also experienced the start up problem sometime last year, and the Toyota dealership concluded that the throttle body is very dirty, causing the fuel/air ratio to be improperly mixed, making the ECU confused when the engine is started. The dealership cleaned the throttle body, and it only took them an hour to do it (just paid the labor charge of $88 per hour). I also got the IACV (idle air control valve) replaced via warranty, just for good measure. Since then, I haven't had any start-up problems :) BTW Mac, have you ever encountered any whining noise from the steering wheel (when you turn)? I've been getting that lately, and I'm taking it to the dealership in Greenwich for diagnosis. My guess is that the boot under the steering column should be lubricated, but I'm more concerned about the power steering fluid and its effect on the pump (more expensive to replace).