steviej

without trying to seem like I am prying into personal finances, I am curious to what the dealer charged for parts and labor to change out an EGR. steviej

Poppi, I fixed you multiple/duplicate postings. When I was typing "the fix" I was quoting Lexus and not you. I revieved the same letter and had the same converstions with the same pertinent parties at Lexus Corporate too. As for the Avalon, I am curious if it has the same electronic throttle system present in the ES and RX. That may be the difference. steviej

No, you are reading it backwards. OD is a last gear so to speak. It usually has a very low drive ratio. The engine rotates less than one complete revolution to the drive wheels complete revolution. This creates a situation where it takes less power/fuel/and effort from the engine to make the car move. OD is not "Hyper Drive", it is not for speed as in racing. It is for lowering the engine RPM at faster rates of speed. This conserves fuel and allows for less wear and tear on the engine and drivetrain. OD is NOT for towing, nor is it for when there is a load on the vehicle. During thsese situations, the Tranny may want to go into OD, but as soon as it does any variation in speed or engine demand will cause the tranny to shift out of OD. I simply turn the OD off so that it is not an option and I avoid alot of unecessary shifts in and out of OD. Chris, do you follow me now? steviej

I forget if it was here or on CL where a guy was complaining about a hissing sound under the dashboard. Evertime he turned a corner the hissing started again. Upon inspection, it was his bottle of Dr. Pepper under the seat. The cap was not completely on tight. steviej

the bigger question you might want to consider pertaining to the AVS is what will it cost to repair when the warranty is up? It won't be cheap. The premium sound system is actually very nice and I listen to all sorts of music (from Handel to Heavy D and the Boys). I really haven't had a chance to listen to the ML system for extended periods of time, so I won't comment there. Can you get the ML/NAV without the AVS? steviej

lexusk8, I edited you post because the http address of the pics you posted were for the full sized picture and they were huge. Too much scrolling left and right as well as up and down. This way they fit in the frame left to right. Hope you don't mind. As for the shine.....totally awesome!!! When can you do mine? steviej

my first thought is that it was the TRAC/ABS pressure modulator resetting itself upon start up. Open the hood in the morning and have someone start the car. Pay particular attention the box near the windshield washer fill. This box has four metal hoses coming out of the top and about 2 inches from where they exit the box, they make a right angle bend. See if the noise comes from this box on start up. my second thought because you say it makes the sound when the car is in motion would be to look at motor mounts and/or suspension bushings. steviej

leave it on and don't think about it. That way it is there when you need it. The only time I ever take the OD off is when I am towing something with my truck or if I am driving under severe load conditions (regardless of what I am driving). steviej

For what a 1/2 shafts costs today, it's more beneficial to just replace the shaft. If you hear clunk clunk clunk then metal is already meeting metal. It only get worse from there. This is something to put on the "in the next few weeks" repair list. If you do the work yourself and get the 1/2 shaft at Autozne or the equivalent it will cost you less than $100 and about an hour and a half of your time. The key to to know what you are doing or have someone with you that knows what to do. It is a very simple procedure, but knowledge is the key. If not any good independent shop can do it for less than the Lexus shop. steviej

that is common practice for most car makers. If I take up my center console, I will find the harness for the rear sunshade and ECT. I have neither or these installed. My fuse box has a location for a fuse for the moving pedals. My car is a 2002, the moving pedals wasn't an option until the 2003 model. Here Lexus is planning ahead. steviej

when in doubt, always get a second opinion from a second source. also ask them that if the EGR replacement doesn't solve the problem, will they credit you the money? The starting problem sounds more like a dirty or sluggish IACV or a dirty throttle body. steviej

the back actually is very similar to a Honda Accord. I'm not surprised. I am very interested in the AWD system and whether or not there will be any carry over tranny problems. time will tell. Maybe I go test drive one, for the hell of it Tuesday while my car is being worked on. Acura is right next to my Lexus dealer. steviej

people will flame me for this answer but her goes. Brenda, I at first was concerned about the hesitation. I have overcome the hesitation problem by adapting to its presence. Don't floor the car, 3/4 throttle will give you the acceleration you need. Use the throttle to control the tranny shifting. If I were in Denver I would be more than happy to demonstrate. Many of us have learned how to do this so much that it is just instinctive. I realize it is not the way it should be, but it is the way it has to be for this electronic throttle/tranny combination in my car. I never had the reflash of the ECU and do not plan to do that either. Lastly, I have also become a much more defensive driver and don't put myself in situations where the hesitation will come into play in a panic. That is not the norm in Boston where offensive driving is the rule of the road. The car has so many more benefits that far outweigh the hesitation problem. If that is not the answer you were looking for, I am sorry, that is the best I can do to help with your frustration. Other than that, like jrag. stated a lawyer and a class action suit may be the next step. But I am not aweware of any fatalities or major accidents due to the hesitation so a class action suit would be hard. steviej

did he replace just the front valve cover gasket or both front and rear? Any smoke from the engine bay when the temp is hot? The front one is easy, the rear one is a PITA. If he didn't do the rear, it may be leaking on the rear exhaust manifold. Have a peek. A friend has a constant smell of plastic/rubber burning, it was a plastic shopping bag that got caught up between the exhuast and the floor board and was slowly meting on the hot cat/pipe. steviej

stand in front of the car with the hood open. have a friend beep the horn until you find it. unplug that one. repeat process to find the other one if it is there. not trying to be a smart azz, but that would be the easiest way if you don't have a manual. steviej

does the car just do this in the morning or does it do it when she comes to the car after work or any other time the car has sat for a period of time. several things come to mind: 1. battery. go to Autozone and have the battery and alternator load tested for free. 2. fuel pressure. but that would cause problems even after the car was running. 3. dirty fuel injectors. same as #2 4. lazy or dirty Idle Air Control Valve and or throttle body and throttle body sensor. same as sk's responce. again, when does the car act funny, what does it do, sound like and how often does it do this. just in the morning, after a long period off, or everytime you go to start it? like the others, more infor is required for any educated guesses. steviej

I guess I did not look around enough but thought this is something all members should know about An advantage for club members & people who read this post. ← what sk meant was you didn't look around on this site first, right? No harm done. We have been telling members this for over two years, but thanks for the input. It is nice to know Lexus Corporate is still offering that service. steviej

no, it does not make sense to put 2 snow tires on your ES. It makes sense to put a full set of 4 snow tires on your ES if you are in an area that is prone to snow. Even though the drive wheels are the front 2, the rear two tires contribute to traction and stability, especially in the curves. Mounting the same snow tires there will dramatically improve handling in snowy, icy and wet conditions. Bridgstone Blizzaks are moderately priced and highly rated as well as Michelin Alpins (more expensive) and Goodyear even has some decent dedicated snow tires. However, to eliminate the mounting and remounting of tires in November and March, a quality all season high performance radial may be all you need for the entire year. Suggestion: Toyo Proxes TPT. (see related threads) steviej

metaspace, a quality 5w-30 will be fine for you in NC. You could even go 10w-30 if the winters temps don't get into the teens often. Just change it and the filter on a regular basis. As for the rest of us. If this thread becomes a rehashing of synthetic vs blend or dino oil: I WILL shut it down. This age old arguement is growing tiresome and we all know what each other's opinion are. For new members: use the search function to find out more about synthetic and conventional oils as well as discussions about change intervals. There are plenty of previous threads related to these subjects. We Don't Need to go There Again. steviej

a week and a half going downhill!!! just kidding. try going to motortrend.com or Road and track.com or Car and Driver.com and see if you can access their archives. You might be able to find the original test article(s) that would have that info. 15 year old car facts are scarce on the web. Maybe you could find someone with an sales original brochure. Try Ebay for that. Last try, contact www.lexus.com and see if they don't have it in their archives. just some suggestions. steviej

I hate the plastic ones from the dealer that displays their name. I ain't using it unless they pay me for the mobile advertising space. I did get the subtle chrome frame with the black Lexus name for the back--$29.95, and the plane chrome frame for the front--$19.95. steviej

I have 18"s and 16"s on my ES (6 months each size). I agree with you and do get more feedback from the road with my 18"s when driving. However, regardless of the tire/wheel size, there is absolutely no vibration in the steering wheel with either when braking. This is not confused with road feedback. steviej

Are you sure it is not code P0141? There is no code P1410 listed for the 1MZ-FE. If it is code P0141, then that is for O2 senosr Bank 1 Sensor 2. This is the one that is in the curved section of the exhaust pipe. Raise and support the car safely. Use a O2 sensor socket to take the old one out. Follow the wire up to disconnect. Replace with new. These sensors can be had at Toyota or on the web (www.o2sensors.com) for less than the Lexus parts counter. This sensor is $89. here is the link 1998 ES b1s2 O2 sensor I have attached a pic to show you the sensor. It is the spark plug looking thin in the curved seciton of exhaust pip. Under the imposed word "pan" good luck. steviej

It depends on the dealership and the cause of the problem. Case in point: The 2002-2003 ES 300 had a rotor/brake pad material mismatch when they first came out. There was a TSB that replaced the pads and rotors with new ones of a different material combination. This was covered by Lexus. 12,000 miles after that TSB work but still under the 4yr/50k mile warranty, the steering started to vibrate again upon application of the brakes on my ES. It was the same sort of buck and vibrate as noticed before the TSB work. The service writer tried to tell me it was the way I braked and he said that rotors and pads are usually not covered under the warranty because they are expected wear items. I pointed out that it didn't make sense that the TSB replacements started vibrating quicker than what they replaced. The service writer was willing to resurface all my rotors and write the labor time off to the orginal warranty. I guess what I am saying is ask your dealership. If they won't replace them under warranty, see if they will resurface them under warranty (assuming the rotor will remain within specs after the resurfacing.). steviej

have you used this site or are you affiliated with it? steviej