steviej

Alan, then your question is totally rhetorical. My cousin just bought a 2005 Honda Accord 4 cyl. I got to drive it at Xmas. I was a little suprised that it too demostrated a lag upon hard acceleration. steviej

what is the warranty the dealer is offering you? Make sure you get in writing from them that if the engine is sludged or sludges after purchase that they will replace the engine as per the Toyota 10year/unlimited mileage policy with no arguement. steviej

excellent smithers........another awesome idea. just remember when you do this you are swapping the coils only. Keep the proper coil/cylinder synchrony the same, meaning don't change the wiring. steviej

In 1999 Lexus introduced VVT-i (Variable Valve Timing w/intelligence) to the 1MZFE. I always remember it by: vvt-I (variable valve timing w/INTERFERENCE) steviej

that's how my dad taught me to do it, never fails. steviej

chris, do a search on "debadging" and open the search up to 7 days ago and older. several members have done this. steviej

Start with the codes the car is giving you. I would first check the condition of the spark plug in Cylinder #2. The CEL and TRAC light on together indicate the car is in "safety mode". Over a hundred combinations of codes can trigger this. I do not think it is related to the charcoal canister. steviej

welcome to the club. please take a moment and read the pinned thread call FAQ (frequently asked questions) as yours is one. Also make use of the Search function/button as your problem is one quite frequently encountered, especially recently. Suspect areas for you problem: Dirty or Sluggish Idle Air Control Valve Dirty Throttle Body Failing or weak fuel pump Dirty Fuel Injectors Air Intake hose has holes or cracks in it. These are just a few. steviej

try the button on the bottom that says "Add Reply"

A couple of questions need be asked before suggestions can be made. Will you be changing out your tires for dedicated snow tires on the stock rims or are you looking for a complete replacement set of snow tires with rims? (much easier to swap back to your three season tires) If you get a complete second set, which most people do, then you will need a place to store the winter set when not on the car. Also what is the total expected snow fall for your area and what do you get historically? If you don't get much, present bashing excluded, then look into an aggressive all season radial. Toyo Proxes TPT or Continental ContiXtreme Contacts If you are looking into a complete set of replacement dedicated snow tires then look into the Bridgeston Blizzaks WS50s. You can even get a complete set balanced on steel rims delivered to your door from www.tirerack.com. Price is not that bad. Keep in mind you will have to mount them on the car. However, tirerack can direct you to a partnered service center in your area. Whatever you decide, make sure you outfit the car with 4 of the same tires, not just the two drive wheels. good luck and always give yourself a little extra room in the snow. Never trust the other guy. steviej

Pretty easy to do. You can get instructions from http://www.carstereohelp.com/stereoremoval...vBoxCDChgrR.htm. I have a Nakamichi CD Changer for auction on eBay. I bought the thing not knowing that I didn't have a Nak sound system... [url=http:// Phugoid ← sorry, Phugoid, links to your own personal items on eBay are not allowed. Please re-read the forum rules and quidelines. You will also have to contact your interested party (dirty.martini) via email as the PM function is not accessable to new members with less than 20 posts. Thanks for your cooperation. steviej ES/IS Forum Moderator

no link in your thread. doesn't matter. If it is the Tornado or a chip flash......I would have spent the money by taking my mother to a nice lunch. steviej

that is a common phenomenon with some radial tires especially if some of the belts are rayon. once the tire is spinning for a few miles the flat spots go away. Many people rave about the Toyo Proxes TPT for the ES. steviej

Darren, the first few lines in the instruction post I linked to read: "this is a long process, but heres what you will need your new key a MASTER KEY (one with the remote in it)already programmed to car." what part of that did you not understand. I am not being a wise azz but to many times we post and repost because people don't read the entire initial post. steviej

so does that mean if the t-belt broke on a pre-1999 es300, the engine won't get damaged? ← theoretically, yes, the engine won't get damaged. However, I have rearely seen a jap engine that something doesn't get damaged. May not be a piston head or valve, could be something the broken t-belt gets caught up in. But, again, theoretically the damage should be minimal if any at all. steviej

Then the price you paid hardly applies to what Shirley will run into, agreed!? JPI is a long drive for Shirley given she is in So. Cal. That is why I gave her the ballpark of $500 to $600 for both sides. steviej

this seems to be a constant discussion on the ES and IS forum. try these instructions, here. steviej

don't get confused, when we say drive with TRAC on, that means the TRAC light is off and the TRAC system is engaged. If you see the TRAC or TRAC OFF light on your dash, the Traction Control system is not engaged. Always use the Overdrive position unless you are towing something (highly discouraged with most ES') or you are in a situation where there is a constant load on the engine. the best way for you to understand is to RTFM. :whistles: steviej ps. RTFM = read the frickin' manual

I priced it out from my dealership.........$750 to replace all four sections. I stay with what I got for now. steviej

the same discussion is going on in the IS forum. try the instructions posted here. steviej

Thanks Bren. It just raises my fur when someone tries to reword exactly what I said and then further adds possible confusion to the the whole shabang. Replacing half shafts is one of my favorite DIY repairs to undertake. Done it many times on various makes and models. In every case, it was cheaper and easier to to go the way of replacing the entire half shaft. Army: Shirley's ES is probably equiped with ABS and traction control where your ES 250 is not (I'm guessing here). I allowed for a little extra time in removing the old half shafts without damaging the hub with traction control sensors and the ABS sensors. I also figured that the last thing Shirley would want to do is lug the dirty greasey HEAVY old half shafts from her mechanic to the autoparts store. I figured a little more because her mechanic will order the parts from the same place she is going to and yes charge her a little more, but she then won't be bothered with any of the details. Hence I figured at best: $250 per side = $500.

It's nice to hear that some other part of the country is getting the snow and cold air for a change. Today it was 60°F in Boston. B) Having snow tires and added traction does not mean for you to let your guard down. Be extra cautious when driving in the white stuff. There is always the hidden danger of underlying ice and no tire has traction on that. Keep in mind, the other guy may not have any idea of what he is doing when driving in light to heavy snow. Always give yourself extra room between you and the next car----IN ALL DIRECTIONS. Be safe all. steviej

rmalghan, Are you referring to Lexus of Watertown in Watertown, MA? Or is there another Lexus of Watertown? your demographics state you are in Virginia. steviej

one of my favorite motors. Easy to work on and it takes a beating. I have the Series I 3800 in my SSEi Bonneville. It was guick and growled nice. That engine was virtually bullet proof. One major drawback was when they went to Series II, the intake manifold was made of plastic and leaked ALOT. steviej

it may be all in how you park your car. It the car on any kind of incline with you park it? Do you set the parking brake? And if so, before or after you physically shift into P? Try this the next time you park overnight. come to a stop, keep you foot on the brake pedal and the car in D. Set the parking/emergency brake. Now shift to P and exit the vehicle as you would. The next time you go to start the car and shift to D: start the car, let it warm up for a minute, step on the brake pedal, shift to D, release the parking/emergency brake, release the brake pedal and step on the gas. Does it jump/jerk now? steviej