steviej

synthetic all the way, especially if you are in any area that goes below freezing for extended periods of time. It has been less than 25°F for over a month now. You bet I've got synthetic in the crankcase. The bit about once your go synthetic you can never go back to dino is a load of hogwash. Simply a false statement started by the manufacturers of synthetic because it costs more and they will stand to make more money. Lexusfreak, just do it already. :chairshot: If you develop a leak, then just drain out the synthetic and immedaitely go back to regular dino. Be prepared and don't get scared. When you replace the oil filter, you will see oil drops for about a week. The oil filter placement is extremely poor and predisposes the 1MZ-FE to oil drops and drips that take a couple days to subside. steviej

synthetic 5w-30 is fine. Think about going with synthetic 10w-30 (high mileage formulation) when you pass 75k miles. Mobil 1, Toyo, and K&N Gold oil filters are all very reputable. register your car on www.lexus.com and they will send you an owners manual free. Find a Toyota shop that is willing to work on your Lex, save a little money. Independent Lex mechanics are around. Where are you located? The 90k service is a big one, so start saving your ducats. steviej

If you were able to remove the door panel easily, then it should be easy to remove the passenger door panel, too. Use the intack door handle assembly in the passenger door for a guide as to where the clip goes in the drivers door. steviej

my guess is that Toyo/Lex designed the fuel light to come on when there was about 2 to 2.5 gallons left in the tank. This way, most people would sramble to add fuel to tank when: the needle was below 1/8, the yellow light came on, and the mileage count down hit 20. Lexus probably found it easier to do this and hope people respond in an attempt to avert constantly replacing fuel pumps and filters that get damaged from running dry. I am with mikey, my "miles to fill up" display is actually quite on the money. If I run it right down to 0, then the tank is going to take ~16 gallons to fill. steviej

I wondered that myself as my ES is the first car I have owned that had this sort of splash guard. I have been told it is 50% air deflector and 50% splashguard. I can only say that the engine bay is much cleaner with it in place. steviej

TwinT, your suggestions and participation in this forum are valued and much appreciated, Thank you. However, on this forum it is considered rude to type in all caps. Please respect the previous request of a management team member and my current request that you refrain from using all caps in your posts. Unless, of course, you are yelling at someone.....and that simply won't be tolerated. steviej

Dodge, particularly the Durango, has had its share of sludging problems. As much as the Toyo V6 is prone to sludging, it also comes down to operator error. Sludging can be avoided if people just take care of their cars. The people that don't.......well they are the ones not frequenting these forums. :chairshot: steviej

actually, I read the 50° and said blake's got himself a heat wave. It hasn't been above 25° here in over three weeks. I think you should take the care to someone that knows (really knows) electical systems. They should be able to hook up some sort of meter and record the drain on the system when each item is on singly and simultaneously with other electical items. In regards to the last incident, did you get a second replacement alternator from Autozone? If so, return it and get your money back. Bite the bullet and get one from the Toyota dealer or try a Lexus wholesaler (irontoad.com, newlexusparts.com, etc). Go with OEM. It may be the remans from Autozone just ain't measuring up. This happens. steviej

have either of you looked at www.alldata.com to see if there is a TSB for IS or GS for this type of rattle. The 02 ES had one so maybe this is an irritation that effects other models. steviej

Anyone seen the TV show called The Division ? It is on Lifetime Television, Sunday at 9PM on east coast. The character of the rookie cop, Stacey, is played my cousin AmyJo and I was just wondering what you all thought. steviej

JPI, techinical questions for you: (I want to draw upon you expertise and experience with sludged engines) 1. the removed parts that are on the bench. Will a simply swim in the GUNK tank take the sludged oil off? 2, Is the sludge present in the engine block too, or does this stuff usually confine itself to the valve covers and camshaft areas? If the sludge builds up in the block, how is that cleaned out or is it dissolved by chemical means? 3. The parts that are functioning in the sludge, do they tend to become more fatiqued due to increased friction and less heat transfer to fluid oil. 4. Do the engines that have successfully had the sludge removed perform well and last a decent amount of time? Or are they more prone to sludging again? 5. I would assume that there are different degrees of sludging and it is variable to when each motor will manifest problems due to sludging, correct. sorry for the quesitons, but my analytical/technical brain is in play today. steviej

I watch this show occasionally, it is one of those "if you gots lots of money to spend, here is what you can do" type of shows. The cars that are deplicted are absolutley incredible. Thanks for the heads up on the IS. steviej

sunbeam, what is cancelled? sj

does it die if you start it up and shift into D? I realize the shift level has to pass through R to get to D. Does it die when the level goes through R or only when you shift from P and stop in R. If you go from P to D without stopping in R, does it die? Can you move the shift to N, start the car, then move it to R.....does it die then, too? If you start the car in N, then move to D, does it die then too? I have an idea, but your answers to these scenarios will help. steviej

The Dunlop Sport A2's were installed today. So far, not bad. steviej

the colors sound very palettable, but I don't like the idea of chrome emblems mixed with black pearl emblems. I'm an all or nothing kind of guy. I do want to see the wheels. steviej

This was posted by a Lexus Dealrship member on another site. "For the first time ever Lexus is making a '04 ES330 SportDesign. Here's the information: Production: February until June 2004 Colors: Graphite Gray Pearl, Thundercloud, and Black Onyx. For those of you not familiar with Thundercloud, it is a lot like a slightly darker silver with a faint rose hue. Very nice color and it was on the IS300 SportDesign last year. Very sporty color and everyone who saw it just loved it. Interior Colors: Light Charcoal or Black Leather Features: Channel spoke 16" wheels, Black Bird's Eye Maple (including steering wheel), SportDesign badge, Black Pearl emblem on rear, chrome emblem on front, and brushed metal strip on bottom of trunk lip (which is NOT confirmed)." steviej

LUCK!!!! :D sj

ask them to totally repair the damage, and if they will not you should contact your insurance company immediately. This is what you pay your insurance for...let the insurance company and the dealership battle it out in court. Since the car was not in your possesion at the time of damage, you are not at fault so get your deductible waived and there should be no surcharge to you. Most dealerships have a bodyshop or work closely to a body shop. They should take care of everything. You have every right to have you car returned to you in the condition it was handed over to the dealership before the repair. steviej

Uhnfortunately, Lexus is not known for picking the best tires to ship the ES out with. Yes, there are reports of the Toyos on the ES having problems. I forgot the specific model but there is a J in the tire name/number. As amatter of fact, I though there was even a silent recall on these tires if effected. The 2002 ES's were shipped with Bridgestone RE92. What a sad excuse for a tire. Even consumer reports crapped on this one. Poor/acceptable in rain, crap in snow, but quiet on dry pavement. The 2003 ES was shipped with Toyos or Michelins Energys. The Toyos were prone to cupping and the Michies were expensive and gave/give an unsafe feeling in the rain. I don't know what is on the 04. Work with the dealer and get the customer service rep involved. You have complained to them enough times and customer satisfaction is their goal. Keep on them. steviej

What kind of tires on your 03, Michies or Bridgies? some tire brands have softer sidewalls than others and tend to "bulge" more. It also depends what the tire is parked on. For example, I have a rain lip on the edge of my street to usher the rain towards the the grate. When I park and get one tire partially on the edge of this lip, the tire looks really flat. keep a tire pressure gauge in the glove box. When in doubt measure it cold. steviej

it is the finesse of being a lexus junkie. B) It's a beautiful thing. steviej

I knew about it, I just wish it had a picture. I would like to see what the new wheels will look like. steviej

1. if you are talking the red "BRAKE" light then most likely the brake fluid reservoir is low on fluid. Pop the hood and look for the brake fluid holder. It is a clear plastic container with a black rubber cap. They are usually round. There will be a MAX level line and a MIN level line on the side of it. On the cap it will say something like USE ONLY DOT II (or DOT III) Brake Fluid, Once you find this, make note of where the fluid is. Go to any autoparts store and get a new bottle of DOT III brake fluid. DOT III is the rating not the brand name. You will find several brands. Doesn't matter which one you get. On a level surface, open the hood, open the brake fluid cap and poor a little fluid in so that the liquid level is just under the MAX mark. you should be good to go now. Toyota/Lexus has very sensitive level switches and even though the liquid level may be above the MIN mark on the side of the container, the switch that illuminates the "BRAKE" on the dashboard will get triggeres. 2. The light that tells you a brake light bulb is out is the yellow light that looks like the back of a car with eyelashes. 3. Register your new ride on www.Lexus.com and they will send you an owners manual free. If you ebay, then look there. They are always being auctioned. Sometimes you can even get the leather pouch and supplemental owners manual too. good luck steviej ps, your new lex is six years older than mine and has 6,000 miles less than mine. Nice find.

thanks to you too silvermate. Every bit of info helps. If they can't get my Contis by Saturday, then the A2's go on. Too bad, cause it just started snowing here. steviej