mkeeney

Hi all,

I've got to replace my Turanza LS-Vs, which I put a healthy 65k on over 5.5 yrs. I've read decent reviews on the Hankooks. I wanted V12s, but they don't come in my size 225/55/16. Does anyone have any experience with V4s?

Any other tires you'd recommend? I've read mixed reviews of Toyo TR1s....sticky, but wear quickly and suck in the winter. Any other ones to consider? I live in the desert, so dry mostly with occasional monsoon rain.

Thanks in advance.

We had the LS-V's on our ES300 and really liked them, but then we switched to Kumho and found them to be even better. We've gone through 2 sets of KH16's and now have the Ecsta LX Platinum and love them. The KH16's were only good for about 40k miles, but the Ectsa's are rated a lot better for tread wear so I have high hopes for them.

Bank 1 is against the firewall. Some of the diagrams at the auto parts stores show it as the front bank, but they are incorrect.

This page is from the Lexus factory service manual. My Haynes manual also agrees with bank 1 as the rear.

Emission Control System.pdf

If the foam surround is torn as suggested, do a Google search for replacement speaker foam. Lots of places sell it and it will be the correct material to repair the speaker. I repaired a pair of Infinity bookshelf speakers last year and it was easy and looks brand new now.

Codes 0441 and 0446 are the same thing - charcoal canister system. Since it has come back again, it is likely a leak in your vacuum lines or a vacuum switch or sensor. We have a '97 ES that occasionally throws a P0446. One time a Lexus dealer told me it would cost $500 to replace the charcoal canister. I declined the work, went home and consulted my Haynes manual. I found a vacuum hose that was unplugged and connecting it fixed the problem. The Haynes manual was the best $17 I've ever spent and I highly recommend one. Even if you're not going to do your own work, you can use it to understand what your mechanic is doing. The '97-'01 ES is notorious for throwing the canister codes.

Thanks alot for your help. I still have a couple of questions to clarify:

1)hmmm, so that means that any ES can be opened by any ES remote? Correct me if im wrong

2)Yes I do have a CD changer. Does that mean that I have a pioneer system. I do like the sound system. I just miss not using the CD changer.

3)I do tend to drive over the speed limit but I doubt that it should have such a big impact. I just poured fuel injector cleaner. hope to clean out the gunk and improve gas mileage. I guess points 3 and 4 from my previous post are inter-related. What I meant in my previous post is that in any gear, the RPM is around 2000.

On gentle accel, 1st gear changes at 2300 RPM, 2nd gear at 2000 RPM, 3rd at 1900 RPM and so on. At around 70 MPH the RPM is 2300. Which I think is fine. Mind you that the accel is really slow. I was thinking that cleaning the throttle body might help. Also I will look into the downshift cable. Maybe its stretched over the passage of time.

Thanks again for all ure help

Cheers!

1) No, not at all. The car has to be programmed to accept the remote. It only means if you had two ES's you could program them both to accept the same remote. I only pointed that out because most people misunderstand the programming process. It's the car that is programmed, not the remote.

2) Since you already have the changer why not find an OEM Pioneer head unit to put back in? I've seen them on Ebay a lot. The best deal is one that has the common LCD missing segments problem. It's easy to fix for $100 and you can get an excellent deal on the unit because most people don't bother to Google the solution. I had to replace our LCD a couple years ago.

3) I don't know - what you describe sounds normal. Remember that these are luxury cars. The transmission is programmed to shift smoothly and the engine is designed to be quiet. When Lexus made decisions in the design, they did whatever made the car smooth, quiet, and comfortable. Performance was always secondary.

Hello guys,

This is my first lexus. Just baught it a week ago. Hoping if you can help me with some of the questions that I have. It is a 97 Es 300 with about 230,000 km (143,000 mi) canadian spec. It runs and drives perfectly until now (touch wood)

Here Goes:

1)The previous owner lost the keyless remote.I asked the dealer and he quoted me upwards of $300. I looked online and found used ones for around $70. Im wondering if I can program these used remotes to unlock/lock my car? Are the remotes that they are selling erased or something?

2)I want to figure out which audio system I have. The previous owner took out the OEM head unit and put in a Sony Xplod.I dont like it. It says 'lexus premium sound system'. I looked under the sub on the rear deck, It says pioneer? so im assuming I have a pioneer system not a nakamichi one? Can I install a nakamichi head unit if I have a pioneer system?

3)Im averaging about 12 L/ 100 km. with mixed highway and city driving and with the A/C on. That is a bit on the higher side considering my Nissan Murano with its 3.5L V6 gets about 10 L/100 km. What kind of gas mileage do you guys get

4)I feel that the gear ratios are a bit high. Engine RPM is almost always around 2000 RPM regardless of speed. Is this normal?

Thanks in advance. looking forward to your replies and I apologise if I asked any 'dumb' questions. Never baught such a high mileage vehicle before.

Cheers

1) You can find remotes on Ebay too. The car is programmed to accept the remote. The remote only sends a signal and is never programmed. This means that on cars like yours and mine, multiple cars can be unlocked with the same remote. The programming instructions are on this forum. Do a search, and if you search my username they will come up somewhere.

2) The Nakamichi system wouldn't be able to control your cd changer. Do you have a changer in the glove box? We have the Pioneer system and I've always been happy with it. The subwoofer makes a big difference. Otherwise you should be able to install the Nackamichi system and hook it up to your speakers. The connectors may be different though. This may have been covered elsewhere on the forum, so I suggest another search.

3) Converting from the fruity metric units, you're getting 19 mpg, which is a little low. We typically get 25 mpg, which is around 9.5 l/100km.

4) We'd have to know more about the specific conditions. Under light conditions below freeway speeds, what you describe seems typical.

Sh*t's hitting the fan. Took it to the Lexus stealer.

They want $1700 (including tax) to fix an exhaust leak

off bank 2. They say the leak is throwing off the

sensors.

After they fix the leak (tomorrow), they can then proceed

to diagnose further. They suspect a mass flow meter or

fuel/mixture sensor.

Does this make sense? Anyone out there?

Eli

Hi,

It's a 1998 ES300 with 152k miles. Timing belt was changed

at 150k miles (at least that's what's written on the engine).

I just bought it from a used car lot. No warranty except 1

year power train. I actually bought the car for a friend who lives

in Boston, while I'm in Jersey so I can't troubleshoot myself.

I'd like to avoid the dealer, but can a local shop work on this

vehicle? How about a Toyota dealer? This thing is a Camry, correct?

First day the engine light went on after re-fueling,

code P1153 - air fuel ratio sensor circuit response malfunction

(bank 2 sensor 1).

cleared the code, then the car started bucking, engine light went

back on with codes:

P0300 - random misfire detected

P0302 - misfire detected cyl 2

P0304 - misfire detected cyl 4

P0306 - misfire detected cyl 6

P0171 - system too lean (fuel trim)

I can start by replacing the A/F sensor. Bank 2 is for cyl 2, 4, 6?

Thanks for any assistance,

Eli

I would get a second opinion from a local mechanic. Although everyone likes to think that Lexus is some sort of esoteric specialty car, it is in fact a Toyota product that any decent mechanic is capable of servicing. My experience is that the dealer will fix problems, but they will do more than is necessary and it will cost twice as much. I stopped in at my local dealer when our check engine light came on. They wanted $500 to replace the charcoal canister. I looked in my manual when I got home and found the vacuum hose that was disconnected that was causing the problem.

I think you may have gotten scammed on the car too and you should be talking to the dealer you bought it from. He may have had the check engine light reset just before you bought it. I'd demand some documentation on the timing belt to be sure it was actually done.

Thanks to all who help,I have a 99 es300, had check engine light/track off light come on before. 1st time code was p0771 so i changed the MAF senor and the code cleared. 2nd time i got p0446 so i changed the gas cap. Now the 3rd time i got p0441, can anyone help me with this? Just a note i am a newbie and dont now alot about cars, if anyone rplies please help with detailed instructions,but so far the club has help me with these previous codes and i hope the previous codes are gone forever. Again many thanks who take the time to read and help.

P0441 is the same as P0446 and it's a common problem on the '97-'01 cars. Something is wrong in the evaporative emissions system - the gas cap could be loose, you could have a vacuum leak, or the charcoal canister could be bad. Unfortunately on the '99 the canister moved to under the car by the gas tank. I would suggest getting a Haynes manual for your car- it's actually the Camry manual. It has a very good description of the troubleshooting steps to correct this problem. I'll be doing the same thing this weekend because our car keeps throwing the P0446 code. I have it reset then 3-4 weeks later it will come on again.

Just about any auto parts store can get that part. With the exception of new floor mats, I've never purchased any pars from a dealer.

Guys this is my current situation. I pull out of a stop sign, and rev my engine to around 2k rpm, and it just sounded like my vtec just kicked in. I mean like it scared me, i thought at first i blew a gasket. But had a friend and a mechanic check, it was a flex pipe. I am looking into replacing that flex pipe, because it is just too loud for my neighborhood, and there's carbon monoxide. I am wondering if anyone out there that had this problem previously, and could link me a site that sells cheap flex pipes. Thanks Ben

Have you tried Google? And you don't have VTEC.

I'm looking for a good Lexus mechanic in the Charleston SC area. My ES300 cooling fans wont turn off. If I don't unhook the battery post, they'll run the battery down. There are no lights on stating a problem. Read a little about it possible being a temp sensor but I really don't want to just change parts. I'd rather a mechanic look at it. Any suggestions?

You don't need a Lexus-specific mechanic. Any capable mechanic will be able to diagnose your problem. Ask around the area and find out who other people use. I like to use small independent places where the guy in charge is doing a lot of the work. I stay away from places like Pepboys and Sears. Google is great because it will often have reviews of businesses in your area. In the meantime it there may be a connector you can unplug to the fans instead of disconnecting the battery and erasing all your settings.

This question may have been answered before but I am having trouble finding answers searching the forum. I want to know my options. Gonna change a girl I know's lexus es300, still having her find out if it's using regular oil or synthetic. So if you could let me know what types of oil for both I would greatly appreciate it.

Thank you,

Lee

It really doesn't matter whether it's synthetic or regular oil. Don't let people tell you that you can't switch back and forth. If she doesn't know, then she's probably been having it changed somewhere and it's regular dino oil. I use 5W30 dino oil in our '97 ES with 238,000 miles. The only reason to spend the extra money on synthetic is if you're going to use extended drain intervals, in the 10,000 - 15,000 mile range. You really need to get a used oil analysis done to determine the proper change interval if you're going to go that route. It doesn't sound as if you're that invested in the vehicle though.

Where do I buy a reader?

I took my wife's 1996 Lexus ES300 to the dealer for CEL the other day.

They charged me $130 for labor and $203 for an oxygen sensor.

I am sure I could have it done for a lot less if I had known how to do it.

So, I am thinking of buying a reader.

The scanners are available on Amazon starting at $29. For as often as you might need it, you can get away with having the codes read at Autozone or Advance, or whatever parts store is prevalent in your area. The next thing to do is buy a Hayes or Chilton manual for your car. That will tell you what the codes mean and what to do about them. That $17 book has saved me thousands. The sensor is ~$120 at Autozone, and it's pretty easy to change.

Wife's mint 98 ES300 with 50K and the CEL comes on yesterday. Car has been meticulously maintained by Lexus (previous owner up to 45K). I went to AutoZone today and thier code readers won't communicate with the ECU. Any idea what is up with this? I really don't want to visit a Lexus dealer if I can figure it out and fix it myself.

Thoughts? They tried several of their code readers too.

Thanks,

Tony

Have you tried another store/chain? That would be my first step. I definitely wouldn't take it to Lexus for a CEL.

Hang on a minute guys. Are we talking about the timing belt or the accessory drive belts? You cannot see the timing belt when you open the hood. It may be possible to check the condition of the timing belt by loosening the upper timing belt cover, but you wouldn't be able to see much - definitely not enough to check the condition of the teeth. In order to remove the timing belt covers and actually inspect the belt, you have to remove the accessory drive belt and crankshaft pulley. Midas definitely didn't do that in 30 minutes. They probably just told you that based on your mileage and tried to alarm you so you'd get it done immediately. The timing belt should be replaced based on mileage. If it has never been done on your car it's time to do it with 135k miles. It should be much cheaper than $1100 though. You have a non-interference engine so if it breaks it won't do any damage.

give me some listens mom how can i be so much like you

HAHAHAHAHAHA

OK, I actually have nothing constructive to offer this thread but... but that seems to be the point :-)

But all I have to say is that they must have some high quality chronic in those parts...

Maybe English is not his native language?

you really dont understand we're not in the 80's B) anymore do you? hope you pick up a newspaper and check the dates good luck to you sir

Look, yeah, the guy and his group were really popular in the '80's. However, the photo is from 2008, and he's touring right now. I'm going to see him later this week. I'm actually impressed that you know who it is.

I don't know why you keep bringing up the '80's since I haven't once mentioned anything from then. I guess you're just a troll. You'll likely be gone soon when the mods have had enough of you.

:P :lol:

Well if it isnt the 80's MTV superstar B) you right that aiiint workin,... money for nothing chicks for free... do you get any chicks mr 80's mtv superstar B) unlike that conservative that thinks people are beneath them you 'out of time' wanna be celebrity, you need to get in your time machine and come to the future my friend. I see you mind set is still of the 80's, sorry Reagan's not President anymore I bet you're shock huh. 1st up i'm not on here to 'extract benefits' as you say but merely on here for entertainment. I work, I get bored, I blog... is that o.k with you Mr *80's star B) and you seem to stress i must communicate to be successful successful? didnt take it that serious like this was a career move or something lighten up man get out the 80's mindset it's 2010 we do things way different then what you was use to we have black president, we dont use 8 tracks anymore, and chicks for you may not be free :P

You really don't understand avatars, do you?

Good luck to you. You're going to need it.

Quick question.... so you saying that i should be like you not like myself..right i should like you is this right? I mean i didnt know i had to be like someone else to be in a group so sense you want me to be like you so bad give me some listens mom how can i be so much like you i'm so sorry i cant be myself on a thread to be part of a group and i thought this was America, but i was wrong i think were in 3rd world country so please tell me how to be like you

Look, I'm going to try to help you out, and I am honestly trying to help you, not put you down. I seriously have not made it more than halfway through any of your posts. It's so difficult to read that I just stop and skip it. I suppose I could try to sort through them, but my time is more valuable than that. You're coming here trying to communicate with us about Lexus cars. You want to tell us about your car and you want to get information about it. That's the reason every one of us is on here. However, there is a standard way to communicate here and that is the English language. Nobody is going to bust your chops for making spelling errors or making some grammar mistakes, but your posts have to be written well enough for us to understand what you're trying to say. If you don't want to communicate in an effective method here, that's your choice, but you won't be able to extract any benefit from this forum unless you do. All of the rest of us are communicating using a common language structure and it works very, very well. It works well enough that we use it in our daily personal and professional lives and it makes us successful because we communicate effectively. If you want to be successful here, and everywhere in your life, learn to communicate in the way those with whom you wish to interact communicate. If you always get mad at people who say they don't understand you instead of learning to communicate with them, you will always find yourself unable to accomplish what you want or need. You have gained nothing from being here because none of us understands what you're trying to say. It's up to you to change that if you want any information here. Remember, you came here looking to interact with us; we didn't seek you out.

Well this thread is obviously going nowhere fast. With any luck it will fade away into LOC's cavernous database of threads under the category of "USELESS" and never see the light of day again. :whistles:

Can I get an AMEN?

Between the grammar and the smileys I can't focus long enough to make it through even a single post. No idea what he said.

Ok, got the codes checked again. Its misfiring on cylinders 1,3, & 5. Mechanic replaced the coils for those and it didn't resolve the problem. Any ideas??

When our car threw a misfire code it was the MAF sensor. The sensor was $90 and it took about 5 minutes to change myself.

It could also be the engine control module (ECM), but you'll need to rule out some other things before that. It's unlikely that you had three coils go bad at the same time, so I think your mechanic was going the wrong direction. Do you have a Haynes or Clymer manual for the car? Knowledge is power.

I would go with the 2007 ES350. That mileage is nothing on that car, especially now that they have gone to hydraulic lifters and a cam chain. That removes a big maintenance hit in replacing the timing belt and having valves adjusted later. We put about 20k miles a year on our '97 ES - it's up to 234k with no major problems. It still runs like it's new.

Hard to imagine that no provision was included for mounting a front license plate/tag, as is required here in the 'Commonwealth'....but, I see no punch-outs, etc.

Is there something I have failed to note/find...?

Thanks.

You're probably not missing anything. I bought our '97 ES used in Texas and brought it back to Georgia where no front plate is required. When I removed the front bracket I found it was just screwed directly into the front bumper cover with sheet-metal type screws. I had to have the holes filled and repainted.

Hi all,

I have discovered a wierd problem with remote and central lock of my ES300 (98). While driving sometimes, the door locks start to open and close themselves. Right after it happens, the central lock stops working. Driver side lock opens but doesn't go close (with remote or with front door switches, if inside). After the car is still standing for more than 12 hours, everything starts working again but don't last too long...

My first thought was to reprogram the remote. But if remote has the problem, the front door locks should work properly. So, I am in desperate need of a solution. Please help me to solve this out.

Thanks in advance!

I don't think it has anything to do with the remote. Something is making the locks cycle while the car is moving, but the remote can't operate the locks while the engine is running. I think there's a problem with the door lock circuit in the car - a bad switch or a sticking relay or a short. You'll need to check the circuits while the problem is happening. You'll need to use a multimeter to find out what's making the locks cycle and why the locks aren't operating after you have the problem. I've attached the pages from the 1997 FSM to get you started.

Wiring Diagram.pdf

Welcome! If your car has had proper maintenance and you continue, it will serve you for a long time.

We have a '97 ES with 233,000 miles on dino oil. Unless you're going to use extended drain intervals in the 10k-12k mile range, there's no reason to use synthetic. I'm in Georgia and I use 5W30 in our car year round. As long as you change your oil regularly, you're never going to see any oil-related issues unless you use something like 90 weight oil in it. I did see a slight bump in gas mileage on the highway when I used synthetic, about 1 mpg.

The recommendation from Lexus probably has a lot to do with the fact that many Lexus owners get their oil changed at the dealer. If they recommended synthetic there wouldn't be as many oil changes for the dealers to overcharge on.

How many miles are on your car and do you know if it has had the timing belt changed?