steviej

tire pressure sensors are very common on many lines of cars. Most chain tire stores are knowledgable about them. Toyota uses the same sensors as Lexus, so you could go to them as well. your are not required to go to your Lexus dealer for new tires. steviej

online, $140 for the key fob, $61 for the small key. It comes NOT PROGRAMMED, you will have to have it programmed...at an additional cost. HERE Call you Lexus dealer to see what they will package it all up at. steviej

if they are chains, then that means no major service replacement around 90k, correct? steviej

She doesn't have too, that's what your Lexus Roadside Assitance is for. My aunt once drove 100 miles on her run flat (maximum recommended). Couldn't be patched, had to be replaced, balanced etc. Total bill was upwards of $350 for one tire. Another reason for me to dump the RunFarts and put a spare in the trunk. steviej

Yes sir! Best move I made on this car. :) me three. B) sj

Oh thank God, I'm not alone. sj

I find it quicker to use the lock button on the smart key as I am walking away from the car provided the smart key is in my pocket. Habit has gotten me into using the smart key because at night I like to know the lights shut off so I usually hit the lock button twice on the smart key. Don't ask me why, I guess I want to see the lights go out. I have this stupid fear that something will screw up and the lights will stay on all night. Minor OCD maybe. steviej

What's in your wallet? ;) What are you looking to spend or not spend? Do you see much snow in the winter? If not, then I suggest a good all season radial for that part of the country. I am thrilled with the Michelin Pilot Sport A/S tires currently on my GS right now. I had Michelin Pilot Exalto A/S on my ES and totally loved them too. I had a set of dedicated summer performance tires for me ES as well, these were Goodyear Eagle F1 G3-DS and were totally awesome but I wouldn't use them in any kind of snow. I hated the Bridgestone RE92s that come on my ES (worst tire ever!!!) and the Dunlop Sport A2s that replaced them were good but become very loud after about 15k miles. Use the TireRack link that SW posted previously. They have a good decison tree that can also help you. steviej

I had what was thought to be rear strut noises on my 2002 ES and it turned out to be two $10 rear sway bar bushings and I was able to do it myself so no labor costs. All the noise was gone. The noise I had from the front left strut was actually the strut nut being 1/2 loose. Tightening took that noise away. Are you sure the struts are bad?, does the car bounce more than 1x or 2x when you jump/push down on the bumper forcefully? Lexus/Toyota struts are KYB struts. I would get a second opinion from an independent mechanic that is not trying to push parts. steviej

I guess. I don't get to picky here. It does the job and thats what I wanted it to do. steviej

there are hundreds of codes that could be setting the CEL off. go to Autozone and have them read the codes....it is a free service. Event though your car is a 95, it has an OBDII hookup for the scan tool. Get the codes from the tech and post them up here. We can't help until we know what the trouble codes are. steviej

I have used GUNK brand and CRC, I get them at Autozone. I really don't think it matters. The trick is to spray it on and don't wipe it off or a few minutes, let it penetrate the rubber. I used to spray it on a rag and wipe the rag on the rubber, but this didn't quiet the creaks for long. Now I spray it on the gasket liberally and let is soak (don't wipe it off) for at least 5 minutes. I do drape a shop towel to catch overspray and drips below. When I do it this way, the creaks stay away for 6 months at a time. steviej

I didn't think so either. I know my new spare doesn't. I only bought the steel wheel and a tire. steviej

have you tried reinitializing the TPMS system. Instructions are in your owner's manual. steviej

stemkin, is your screen name on ClubLexus, 3rdplzr? I am just wondering because 3rdplzr on CL, has the same car and the same problem but more details are noted there. For example, there are some wires that are cut on his system, maybe due to some installed non-OEM equipment being removed. steveij

It helps if you mention all the problems before condeming the car. Anywho, Toyota had a rash of bad air/fuel sensors from 2001 until about 2004. Even local papers in my area (car column, etc) mentioned it occasionally. I got hit with two and these buggers ain't cheap. Luckily I only had to pay for one and installed it myself. I do hear your concerns with a used car. Sometimes we feel like we bought someone else's problems. I know, I have been there. We have no idea how the previous owner maintained, or worse yet, didn't maintain the vehicle. good luck. steviej

I have an 05 330 with the same thing. It's the intermediate shaft in the steering column. Sometimes referred to as the knuckle. Fortunately mine is under warranty still and scheduled to be fixed in two weeks. There is a TSB out on it # ST001-05 for mine. Good luck. Thanks I called on is and was told the warranty is 50K I'm at 60 so $400.00. Guess I'll try to get used to it. Wonder how hard it is do? The part can't be that much. Thanks again Dmocman There was a TSB for the 2004 ES330 for this issue as well, ST001-05 APR 05 Steering - Clunk/Pop/Knock Noise Turning . It would be in your Lexus dealership's best interest to at least meet you half way on the price. If they would l ike to retain a service customer given the problem is known and there is a TSB on the issue they should cut you a break. Consult with the service manager and tell them you will take your business elsewhere. They stand to loose money not that you car is infact out of warranty and the big money scheduled services are coming up. You could also try calling 1-800-255-3987 and see if customer service can be of any help. Lastly you could call another Lexus dealership and see if they will help you out. It may mean they pick up another customer. steviej

just reinitialize the sunroof. run it through the entire travel: open close front to back and tilt up and down. It should pick up the programing again. You might have to do it twice. steviej

If all the tires are up to pressure and none were low, you could also try reinitializing the TPM system (page 444-445) of the owners manual. steviej

Yes, I have the exact car with the same problem. The closing the sunshade completely eliminates it, but that defeats the purpose of letting light into the cabin. I start to notice the wind noise around 55 mph. One thing you will find with the GS is that the road/engine/wind noise (from the side windows anyway) is so muted that you will pick up on every single other squeek, rattle, creak, rustle that gets masked by other cars. let us know when your dash starts creaking and rattling like a 84 Chevy. most of them do try lubricating the rubber gasket with some spray silicone. When the gaskets get dry, they get noisy. Direct sun and car wash detergents promote drying and cracking of the rubber. It is not a Lexus thing, it is a natural enemy of rubber thing. There is a TSB on the dash board creaks. They remove the windshield locator pins. steviej

I am surprised it took that long. This is probably the most well known "issue" with the 3rd generation GS next to the cold weather dash noised. Supposedly it is caused by a failure of the plastic gears inside. Poor design results in the only solution being replacement of the whole mirror. Sometimes what looks great on the drawing board proves unsatisfactory in real world use. steviej

It should tell you this in the owners manual and it is also stated on the cap of the power steering reservoir. Just add, you don't have to flush. If you find that you constantly have to add, then you may have a leak and need to get it checked out. When was the last time you had it flushed? I suggest at least every 30k or every two years. steviej

then you fell for the oldest trick in the car repair business. The battery most likely was all right. Before replacing it, I would have taken it to Autozone and had a free load test done. Then I would have replaced it if it had tested suspect. Are you serious? You condem a car brand becasue of one part failure. Set your anxieties aside and enjoy your ride. Just becasue it is a Lexus does not mean you are exempt from routine car repairs or troubles. I had a Pontiac SSEi and had to replace the alternator almost every other year due to a poor GM design. I had a 2002 Lexus ES300 for 6 years and never had to replace the alternator or battery let alone have any problem with either. I did have to replace two Air/Fuel sensors, one under warranty, one out of warranty. A Lexus it may be, but when you come down to it, it is a compilation of electronic and mechanical parts no different than the next. I will say the altenator was most likely made by Denso, which makes most parts in the Toyota and Lexus line up. Again, they are subject any number of outside influences. For example: maybe a mechanic tightened the accessory belt a little too tight, this will cause premature failure of an altenator, maybe something got splashed on it (ie, washer fluid, motor oil when an oil change was done, coolant when the system was flushed, water splashing up from a deep puddle or rain storm, etc). Other manufacturers are subject to parts problems, too. For instance in 2002-2003 25% of the Acura TLs had transmission failures in the first two years. The list is long. steviej

I have a 2006 GS AWD (premium sound system, not ML) and find it to be quite good. I think it is acutally a little better than the one that was in my 2002 ES. I would be suprised if it were the same system components, though. What is it exactly that you don't like: tone, bass, is it static, lack of features, sound quality. Be a little more specific than "the sound quality is horrible." Have you tried adjusting the DSL, ASL, have you varied the % of sound to each speaker, etc. What types of music are you listening to, that can make or break a sound system as well. steviej

Not much use if they are mounted and balanced. Did you call TireRack to see if they send any kind of written documentation with the ID numbers? Or call your Toyota dealer and see what/how they can be programmed if already mounted. I don't know if there is a sensor tool that can electronicaly pick up the signal from each sensor and capture all pertinent information without opening up the tire. This is not an unfamiliar item to Toyota dealerships as many of their vehicles are equiped with sensor too. steviej