steviej

nice looking car. I toyed with the idea of the SC wheels in all chrome, but that would have been too much bling bling. I really like the look. As for the rubber, I am running the 235/45-18 so it is very similar. You will feel the road surface more as there is less sidewall to absorb the vibrations from the road. The noise will be higher too. Watch out for potholes and road grates, hopefully the Kumho's have reinforced sidewalls. I didn't see any change in mpg but in my case the overall outside diameter of the tire didn't change. Lastly......loose the washers immediately! The rims were meant for the entire mounting surface to sit flush against the hub. By putting washers in instead of one large spacer you have dramatically reduced the amount of surface area that is actually making contact. This is a very dangerous situation. Lugs may snap. Under such pressure and forces the washers may crack, break, compress or even flatten. This sets you up for a loose lug(s) nut that will further complicate things. Mount the wheels properly for your own safety as well as anyone that rides in the car. steviej

I'm kinda wanting them back now. No, no i'm just kindding. Steve, don't use laquer thinner, it takes the silver off AND takes the amber off. You will be left with a clear bulb. The best thing I found to thin it, was to spray it again with the same paint and wipe immediately. Brings me back to high school chemistry. Like dissolves like. steviej

ok, now I am thinking it is in the tranny or torque converter since you say it doesn't vibrate in park but is does in drive with your foot on the brake. I wonder if a tranny mount is suspect, since the engine mounts checked out ok. As for comparing to the Volvo, unless you were actually driving the Volvo, I would put it out of your mind. The Volvo may have had the same or a whole different rattle. Remeber your angle of sound is different to the Volvo than to your rattle when you in your driver's seat. steviej

piggy, try http://www.lexus.com go to the owners section. you might have to register with your email address. Plug in you VIN and is should give you the factory color it was registered in. you can try 1-800-25-LEXUS and actually speak to a human. Same idea, give them the VIN and have them look it up. your local Lexus dealer parts guy should be able to look it up with the VIN also. You also might be able to get it off carfax.com given the VIN number, too. good luck. steviej

burnt out needles are the most common complaint of older ES's. Do a search on "needles" or something like that. As for the radio, you could try a repair shop that knows Pioneer. Or you could try scrap yards or ebay for a new head unit. sj

my cousin Amy Jo is moving back to LA. She is going to be on the show "The Division". Never watched it but now I think I have to check it out. She was on "Felicity" a couple of years ago for the first 3 or 4 seasons. When she is settled, I will come out to LA. hopefully there will be an LOC meet going on and i will get to meet some of you westies. steviej

don't forget the glass and bumpers have to meet US DOT specifications, too. These might have to be replaced too. my first responce to the question "How do I get my ES to the states?" would have been: a big box and a whole mess load of bubble wrap. steviej

yup, I agree with Alan. either that, or you developed one big air bubble in the lines. get them pressure tested to find any leak and/or refilled and bled. Don't be messin with or skimping on the brakes! steviej

unfortuneately PIAA does not make anything marketed in the US in the H7 format. This would be an international market. Sylvania Silverstars don't come in H7 either. However the Cool Blue do. I have read posts of the Silverstars in H7 being available from Europe via the web. I am running the 9005 PIAA Xtreme Whites in my highs.....WOW! It turns night into day with the help of the HID which stay on when I turn on the highs. This will not be the case with the 97 ES. When highs go on, lows go off. good luck. steviej

I think it is inevitable but it is time. The ES 300 forum should now be the ES 330/300 forum. gotta keep up with the times. steviej

it has been reported in some instances that switching to synthetic has produced leakage in cars with slight sludging problems. The sludge formation may fill in extremely small gaps in the seals and gaskets. An engine flush removes the sludge and leaves these extremely small gaps now open. The synthetic oil will seep through the gaps more easily thus producing a "leak" or drip. Dino oil supposedly will be less apt to leak. Here is what you do: Have the engine flushed to remove the sludge. If you do not, it will only get worse. Then change your oil to a 10w-30 (high mileage formula). Those have additives to help rejuvenate the gasket seals. You can go synthetic if you wish. Park the car on a large piece of clean cardboard or clean white sheet. Each morning, inspect the board or sheet for oil spots. If you get any, replace the oil with a slightly thicker synthetic or go back to a 10w-30 dino oil. If you don't get any spots, good for you. You can use dino oil, it is not harmful. Failure to replace the oil and filter on a regular basis is. good luck. steviej I am having some thoughts on your vibration problem too, since you posted the amplifier thing. I can't help but think maybe the harmonic balancer (don't know Lexus's name for it) may be out of whack. The part is the pulley that that is attached to the crank shaft outside the engine block. It is the drive pulley for all belts and thus drives all the external pulley driven parts (PS, AC, Alt.). I had one go on my SSEi and it sounded like someone put rocks in my crankcase. But in that case, it just went, no vibration, no forwarning. I could grab each side of the pulley and give it a half turn without the motor even moving.

born outside of Boston, grew up just south of Boston, spent summers on Cape Cod (just like Patty's song), lived in Boston for 12 years, now living in the house I grew up in south of Boston and doing the commute thing (aka battling the "Big Dig"). Don't get me wrong, I love to travel the world and have. I guess you can't take the boy out of Boston and you can't take Boston out of the boy. ok, maybe I could live in South Beach. I have friends that live on Plantation Key in FL. I could retire there. Can you retire at 40? I would like too. steviej

piggy, for some reason I have always gone 4lbs below max. My stock 215s say max 36, so I run them at 32. The book calls for 29. My low profile Toyo FZ4s max at 44, so I run them at 40. They are both wearing fine and even. In an attempt to preanswer your tire questions. I would say, look into the Continental ContiExtremeContact tires. Probably available at many tire shops. Should run you around $80 per tire. Now, what was done to your Lex that has made you so very happy? What was fixed, what was found? Does this mean no more **sniffles**? I was kinda liking them, very cute. steviej

amanda, Mobil 1 is very good stuff. The main reason why I use it is for our Northeast winters. The synthetic oil stays more liquid at lower temperatures. Remember last winter......very very cold. Staying liquid at lower temps means less potential damage to moving parts upon cold start ups over time. It also allows a slightly longer change interval so a potential savings is possible. I change every 5k with synthetic (I would change every 3k with traditional oil if used). To save you from asking, the Toyota OEM filter is one of the best you can put on, so go with the filter from the Lexus dealer you choose. As for the snake oil additive, my guess is you grabbed ZMax. Three triangular shaped flasks. Each has a colored liquid: one clear, one pink, and one purple. Return it and get your $49.99 back. Don't be puttin this stuff in your Lexus. Spend the $49.99 on your next oil change. steviej

was the car hot or cold when it was put on the scope? Check the laws in you state to find out your options. You can do some of that stuff yourself. Can you bring it to another facility? I used to change the oil and filter, run it on the highway for 30 minutes then drive right to the testing garage. Never a problem. But then again, the cars are always maintained under my ownership. I would not trust the garage that wants to do a shotgun approach. The should be able to pinpoint the problem. Start witht the cheapest and work up. O2 sensors and EGR failures trip a CEL code. Have the car tested hot at another facility. If it still fails then start with fresh oil and filter, new PCV ($5.00), new plugs and have the car tested hot again. steviej

I just had to go reread my '02 manual, pg 231-235. Mine says that "the vehicle skid control system is always activated, even if the traction control is turned off." So you are telling me that in the '03 you can turn off the VSC? You have a button that says TRAC OFF and a button that says VSC OFF? steviej

three things come to mind, 1. idle air control valve 2. if it is an auto tranny, the lock up torque converter is not unlocking quick enough. 3. fuel pressure problem. on #2, try this on your own. get it up to speed, drop it into neutral, then hit the brakes hard and see if you stall then. on #3, you don't indicate how much fuel there is in the tank when this happens (not that any of us would have mentioned it). If the tank is low, the gas may slosh fowrward and the fuel pump may be tired enough that it can't get fuel to the rail and injectors quick enough. Long shot I know, but the ultimate could result in a pressure problem. just a couple of quick thoughts. Then again, if the car is a manual, I would say you forgot to step on the clutch. :chairshot: steviej

first off, you fail to mention the year of your ES so this forum has no idea of how old the car is. When it is not raining and water is not coming in, do you hear wind coming in at high speeds? Being under constant sun, the gasket around the glass in the moonroof can become aged, dried and cracked. This limits it's ability to seal properly. Several solutions (ranging from least expensive to most) 1. Try rejuvenating the seal with a silicone spray. 2. Have the moonroof checked and adjusted, it may not be the seal, it may be that the glass is out of whack and not putting enough pressure in one area. Not enough pressure so that water gets past the seal. 3. Replace the glass, since the seal is supposedly not a replaceable item. steviej

we cannot turn off and on the VSC. It is the TRAC Control that has the on/off switch. I have tried the car without TRAC, it breaks a tire loose very easily. I'm in MA and the VSC came in very handy several times last winter. Probably this winter, too. We shall see. steviej

I do. chivalry is not dead.....it is just sleeping. steviej

amanda, do you have an NTB store near you. (National Tire and Battery).. Big blue and yellow sign. This national tire store is in partnership with Sears. You might try taking there and see if they will correct the work misperformed at Sears. just a thought. steviej

it is not whack. It is very nicely explained in the manual that no one reads (even me). The button is there so if you valet the car, you 1. put your personal stuff/valuables in the trunk 2. open glove box, engage trunk lock out button 3. close glove box. 4. lock glove box and rear seat access to trunk. 5. give valet key to the guy parking the car. The valet key does not open the glove box or the rear seat trunk access. Your stuff is safe from valet theft. Down side, the button is easy to engage/disengage when stuffing things in the glove box. Many cars have them. My mom's 96 Intrepid even has it. steviej

one CL/LOC member had this similar situation. It was his disc in drum parking/e brake that was rusty and stuck. Midas charged him very little to inspect and clean. Noise gone. mp2c is right, get it inspected. At 54k I would not think you got much left. steviej

1. coat hanger, your car is pre 2002. It will be easy slip it in between the rubber seal and the window. Snag the unlock button. Of coarse your car alarm will sound, but open the door, grab you imprisoned keys and shut off the alarm. Takes some finess but can be done. 2. do you know any valets. Most managers of valet companies have the illegal "slim jim". If not a valet, fire deparments and usually the cops have them too. 3. AAA sometimes has them. After is all said and done, please enlighten us as to how this came to be. :whistles: :chairshot: good luck. steviej

in addition to the already suggested battery cables, check the seating of the main fuses. Ove may be jostled when you hit a big bump. steviej