SW03ES

Which Dunlop SP Sports? I've had experience with the 4000s and the 5000s, and the 5000s were very quiet, moreso than the 4000s but they weren't loud by any means. My only issue with dunlop is that they wear SO quick... I'm getting ready to replace the wheels and tires on my ES, and am deciding between the Dunlop SP Sport A2 and the Bridgestone LSH, the top two on the ride quality and quietness ratings on Tire Rack. I'm leaning towards the A2 because they're cheaper, and they've had more miles reported (meaning the survey data is more valid).

So what does everyone think? I'm liking the LS wheels the most I think. I dont know why but I really like machined finish wheels, then chrome, then standard painted. If I go the chrome route it would probably be because I could not find the wheels machined. The factor comes down to whether or not the LS wheels will fit. If the GS wheels do, I dont see why the LS wouldn't, and I've seen GS wheels on the 02-03 ES before. Plus the LS wheels are only 1/2 inch wider than the ES wheels, while the GS wheels are a full inch. Anyone know the offsets of these wheels? I believe the GS and LS is +50, how about the ES?

And those wheels in chrome

The picture might be handy... :P

These are the GS300 wheels.

These are the same wheels in chrome

These are the LS400 wheels machined, I really like these too.

These are the same wheels in chrome:

Okay, I can stand the stock 03 ES wheels no longer, so I've been photoshopping some possible changes. I want onlt Lexus wheels, I was told by AAARims that the LS wheels would not fit, but someone else assures me they will. The same person at AAA told me that the GS wheels WOULD fit, and that makes no sense to me if the LS ones wont, since they're the same offset (aren't they?). Here are my choices: This is one of my top two favorites, these are the LS430 16 inch wheels, but they;re the 2000 platinum edition version so they're machined.

Does it vibrate when idling in a forward gear? If so then it very well could be a motot mount that is fairly common on the old LS's. If it vibrates while at speed, then get that wheel replaced. They sell Lexus wheels all the time on Ebay (I'm waiting on a good deal on a complete set of GS300 wheels in chrome to replace mine) so they're easy to come by. The LS is so smooth that any type of imbalance in the wheels will cause some really bad vibrations. Get the wheel replaced ASAP also because it will ruin your new tires quickly. Feel better though, you're not pouring money into a lost cause. The LS is barely getting started at 83,000 miles.

Looks to me like that quote is rather low for a Lexus dealer servicing the V8 engine. You might want to see if you can find a Toyota dealer, prices are lower and whether they service Lexus cars is up to each dealer.

Ah! I get what you mean now. That's a great idea.

An LOC plate?

I've found for easy drying, use a leaf blower to blow the excess water out from around door jambs, emblems etc much like a carwash does, then just follow up with a microfiber towel.

Hey everybody, just wanted to get the traffic moving a little bit in the detailing forum. I wanted to start this thread up and give everyone a place to share those little tricks of the trade they've picked up over the years. Please, post away!

Welcome Xenon! I was wondering when you'd stop over. As for CL, I really bear no bad feelings, the people I delt with were just jerks, people are what they are. CL's a great site. Fortunately for us, and the rest of the Lexus community, we're going to build an even better site right here.

I run mine between 27-29 for optimum ride.

6k is definately going to put you in a first gen. The second gen came out in 1997.

Actually some people prefer it because you can steer the car with the throttle. If you aren't experienced this way however, be very careful. Snow tires and sandbags can make almost any RWD car much easier to drive in the snow.

Probably will yes, thats the annoying part. I'd try ECT PWR first if you haven't already.

The GS has whats called a drive by wire system. That means that there is no throttle cable everything is electronic. This is what creates your delay, and it cannot be helped, it is the way the car is. There are some things you can try to help though, try driving the car in the "ECT PWR" mode, this helps to smooth things out somewhat, you can also routinely disconnect the battery and reset the computer, which I've heard helps. In all honesty, you get used to it yourself and you learn instinctively how to use the pedal so the hesitation goes away. Its just part of using the system.

Welcome! I believe that they actually replace the whole hard drive, so I wouldn't be concerned about the space.

I've never driven a GS in the snow, but from hearing what others have to say and driving my dad's RWD LS in the snow, its not going to be good at all without snow tires. Most GS3s have the premium package, which has the heated seat, leather etc.

Well...I'm not sure how well you're going to like the change. It all depends on what you like the most about your car, and whether or not the ES shares those attributes. The ES (especially older ones) don't have that vaultlike feel that your MB has. My favorite Lexus is the LS, which has that faultlike heaviness that the MBs have. When I set out to choose my Lexus several months ago, I drove all of the cars in my price range, the ES, the Acura TL, the Lexus GS, the benz E320, C320, the BMW 3, Audi A4 etc. My goal was to find something that had as close to that vaultlike tomblike ride, the closest by far was my ES. However, when I drove some older ES (2001ish) that vaultlike feel wasn't there, the car felt much lighter. My feeling was they were advertising the ES as the "Baby LS" now and they engineered the car to feel more like the LS. My father has a 98 LS, and they drive, sound, and feel very similar. The closest in feel beside the ES was the E320, and it was significantly more expensive and very outdated. The moral of the story is, you may be more happy with a early era LS400 than the ES, but you'd be hard pressed to find one at your price range. Go drive a few, see if the difference in dynamics really matters more to you. The Lexus will definately be cheaper to operate and repair, not to mention insure for a 16 y.o. As for the snoot effect, you get plenty of that in the Lexus too, ESPECIALLY being young. In fact, I get just as much in the ES as I did when I drove my dad's LS, people see the badge and they don't care about the cost or the age. Honestly though, thats their problem. I work hard, I'm an entrepeneur, and I drive a Lexus. If they don't like that, they can give me all the hell they want. It just comes out of jealousy.

No, it doesn't. I can't think of any car company that does, that should be covered through your insurance company. Think about it this way, why should it be the carmakers responsibility to pay for you running over a road hazard, thats not because of a defect in workmanship or anything they have control over. Thats what insurance is for. Be careful though, most insurance companies will file that as "collision with the road" and it will be at fault which means your insurance can go up. Hang on, I think I get what you mean, the TIREMAKER doesnt warranty the tires, thats a different story. First of all, most tiremakers dont really warranty tires that come new on a vehicle like tires you buy in a store. Bridgestone for instance has a 30 day test drive policy (your tires are Bridgestone I'm sure, or Dunlop) that if you dont like the tires you can bring the car back and have the tires replaced free of charge. This is not usable buy folks like us that buy cars with Bridgestone tires already on them. Dont pay Lexus for tires, the markup is unreal. Try www.tirerack.com. If you have the 16 inches then you probably have the Dunlop SP Sport 5000. It retails at $110 at tirerack. If you have the 17s (which I assume because of the incident, the 17s are more likely to have that problem) then you either have the Bridgestone Turanza ER33 at $140 or the Dunlop SP Sport 270 at $219. If you have the Dunlops, then I'd go ahead and have the dealer do it to save the aggrivation because with TireRack the tires have to be installed.