steviej

Vicki, I have to stick up for your hubby. I do the same thing. It is not lazy.............. ...........................its conservation of our biological resources. :whistles: steviej

if you like the quiet and no dust, go with Toyota OEM. semi-metallic and metallic will squeal when very light pressure is put on the pedal and then goes away when you step on the pedal. These will last a long time. Organic are good, expensive, last a long time but wear the rotor down faster. steviej

lexusk8 nailed 1,3 and 4. regarding number 2 there is reprogramming which is usually a flash over of the ECU and that can take up to an hour and a half for total rewrite. Why on earth that would need to be done on a simple MAF sensor replacement is beyond me. then there is resetting which is simple and takes a few minutes either by disconnecting the battery or by pulling the ECU fuse (preferred way). Most sensors when replaced start sending the correct signal to the ECU and then the ECU updates automatically. No reset or reprogramming needed. Your best bet is to call around to several Toyoto/Lexus service shops (corporate and indepenent) and get several opinions. If you find that a reprogramming is not needed then call the customer service rep at the dealership you went to, explain your findings and ask for a refund or service credit. Also, many service centers I know do not charge by the minute. Once the clock starts ticking into the next hour you get charged for it. You might be able ask for an exact time for the repair and get them to refund a partial price of the last hour. Mark this one up to experience and next time you will be a little more penny wiser. steviej PS. personally I think the 02-04 16" ES 9-spoke wheels or the 05 ES 17" 5-spoke wheels would look totally awesome on a pre-02 ES. don't you agree lexusk8?

I get 23-24 mpg around town and 28-30 mpg all out highway. I fill up and the trip meter resets to about 330-350 miles based on the previous mileage averages. The little light comes on if I am lazy enough to let the trip meter drop to 20 miles. There will be about 2 gallons left in the tank when the little light comes. It is designed to do this as a precaution so we don't run the tank dry. Not a good idea with in-tank fuel pumps. Rule of thumb, never let your tank go below 1/4 of a tank. The running average meter and the overall trip meter are not as accurate as direct calculation, but it is close (~1-2 mpg). steviej

try http://www.newlexusparts.com These will be new parts. when you go into the selection criteria, make sure you click on Collision and not Mechanical to get to tail lights. you can try http://www.car-parts.com this will be salvage yards that have obtained the lights. steviej

you didn't give any listing of "who" the guy is or how to contact him. If you tried to put a link in the thread to the ebay site or person, it didn't work. PM me if you need help or instruction. steviej

there is not full-proof way to tell if the oil present is synthetic or dino. no worrys if you want to switch now or at your next oil change. 5W-30 Mobil 1 or Amsoil are the two brands most recommended by members for your car and area. You will also see most members recommed a quality oil filter (Toy/Lex OEM, K&N, Mobil 1) and change BOTH out every 5000 miles. However, there are select members that have different opionions and experiences. The choice is always up to you. enjoy your new ride and this awesome site. steviej

a what? why do you need a magnetic drain plug? steviej

it may be easier and the same price just to have yours re-upholstered. steviej

Army, I made and pinned a Poll for you. here is the link to Army's Poll. steviej

Help a fellow member out and let ArmyofOne know what you think he should do with his 1990 ES 250.

give JP Importz a call. They are in Garland and are a sponsor on this site. here is a link. steviej

jahon, please explain your comment, I am not following how it fits into this thread. steviej

~$48 online, here is the link. steviej

I thought it was really funny. I actually saw this a while back when Dubya's daddy was elected. he ain't regarded much up in these parts either. steviej

as a matter of fact, I got my poppy today. steviej

the road force is not a test it is the name of an superior tire/wheel balancing system by a company called Hunter. Find a tire shop that has this machine and have them do the balancing. Several thing can be done with this system that are not possible with conventional tire balancing equipment. 1. the tire/wheel is balanced while spinning but a force is applied to the rotating tire similar to the pressures and forces imparted on the tire from the pavement or road surface. (balancing during near actual conditions) 2. the rim is checked for trueness (out of round, bent, etc.) and balance solutions are given to the operator so that they can rotate the tire on the rim compensate for the bend (if not to bad) without having to use alot of weights. What causes a bent rim you ask? potholes, construction grates in the road, severe bumps, etc. Other possibilities could be: -a slightly bent axle shaft -a tire that has belts in it that shift at certain speeds. When they shift, they throw off the balance at certain speeds. -inconsistent tire inflation. One tire may be different for the others. Check you air pressures. -improperly tightened lug nuts. Loosen and retighten correctly. Here is a simple solution to try to pinpoint the problem and you can do it in your driveway. Take you spare and mount it in place of each tire one by one. After each replacement, go for a ride and hit the speeds that you see the problem. If the problems goes away, the the problem lies in the tire that was replaced. This works if your spare is balanced, inflated properly and mounted correctly each time. let us know what you find out. steviej

Lincoln or keep shopping. nuff said. steviej

sorry, I have 2002 ES on the brain. I believe you are right, it is a separate fill. here is a link to a tranny thread with pics that was just put in the ES forum by another member (mxl4729). check it out, it may help you alot. steviej

could be the wheel bearing on that side, too. Can you shake the wheel if you hold it at 6 and 12 and push/pull the top and bottom and see if you feel/hear any thumping in the hub. and yes, it could be a lazy caliper and one pad is dragging. is there abnormal wear or unever wear on the pads? ps. AWESOME DIY post on the tranny. steviej

if it is under warranty, keep bringing it back until it meets your satisfaction. steviej

the aftermarket ones are usually remanufactured while the ones from the Lexus parts counter are most likely new. Does it make a difference physically?.....absolutely not! go with the remaned shaft and save a month's pay. It doesn't make sence to replace the boots alone. You don't know what damage has been done to the knuckle and it takes more time deboot, clean, reboot and repack than it does to remove the old shaft and put on the new shaft. It is actually a very easy job to replace the shaft yourself if you have the right tools. One of those tools has to be a buddy that has done it before. steviej

I will tell you the same thing I told you on CL. Just replace the 1/2 shafts yourself. In the long run it is cheaper. You can get them for less than $65 each. The Haynes manaul for a the same year Camry should be the same for this operation. From a simple drain of the tranny without dropping the pan, 3-4 qts is about right. The overall volume is about 3 time that but most of this volume is in the torque converter and doesn't drain out unless you pull the converter. Several simple drain and fills over the course of the next 1-2000 miles should bring your color back. The diff and the tranny are filled throught he dipstick. good luck. steviej

I just had the moonroof TSB performed on my 2002. Not because of whistles but because of creaking. The new weatherstrip (63251-48030) is much better than the one that came stock and makes a really nice seal.....no creaks no whistles, no leaks. Push for them to replace it. The TSB number is: NV005-04 MAY 04 Body - Rattles/Squeaks From Moonroof steviej

first off, lexus doesn't make an ES3000. Given you only have 10k miles, I am guessing you have a 2002 or 2003 ES. If so, there is a TSB for the moonroof gasket. They will replace it with a new one. If you meant to type 100k miles then I would guess it is an older model. The gasket around the moonroof has become dry and brittle. A tight seal is not being made around the edge of the moonroof. Three solutions. 1. Have the gasket replaced. The TSB takes care of that on the 2002-2004 models. If not it will take about 2 hours for the labor (~$90/hr) and about $30 for the new gasket if one is available for your year car/moonroof. I have heard that in some makes you have to replace the entire glass to get a new gasket....doesn't make sence to me. 2. Adjust or reposition the moonroof itself to make a tighter seal where ever the air is getting in (ie, leading edge, trailing edge, right side, left side). This may tighten the seal on a particular side but may cause a new one on the opposite side. 3. Try some spray or gel silicone on the gasket. This may revitalize the aging rubber. Mind you this is only a very temporary fix. steviej