VGR

The 340 series automatic transmission is also used on Toyota trucks and according to the post below the solenoids can be purchased at bulkparts.com for about $50 each http://t4x4pickup.com/dgroup/messages/10909.html

My '89 Corolla with 241,000 miles has had start up smoke for the past 120,000 miles and it has NOT be getting worse. It still passes smog test with ease and the motor runs like new. This start up smoke issue has been discussed on another Toyota forum owned by Toyota Dealership Mastertechs and the consensus is not to worry or do anything about the start up smoke except change your oil every 3 months / 3,000 miles. The cost of replace the seals on the V6 would probably be way over $1,000 because of the extensive labor required to access and remove the rear cylinder head. And commonly when the engine is torn down in this way the service techs goof something up trying to assemble it back together again so you could end up with new problems you didn't have before. Instead of worrying about the smoke, I'd suggest you spend your money on preventive maintenance that REALLY matters to engine life like frequent oil changes, new genuine Toyota antifreeze, new thermostat, spark plugs, distributor caps, etc.

Momentary blue smoke at start up is NORMAL and unharmful on many Toyota engines of the late 1980's and 1990's after they have reached about 125,000 miles. Changing PCV valves, etc. won't cure it. There is no need to "cure it" because it's unharmful. You can still easily pass a smog test and the smoke is NOT and indication of serious engine wear. The valve stem oil seals just aren't sealing as well as they used to when the engine is shut off. However, they still seal good when the engine is running so that is why the smoke is only momentary and also why engine oil consumption is still low despite the smoke.

Six points 1991LS400: 1. For 10 years there has been lots of R12 available on ebay and the price has been going DOWN in recent years because the supply EXCEEDS the demand. ANYONE can buy R12 and the charging hose on ebay, by simply supplying the seller with a letter stating you intend to resell it or give it to a licensed person to install. No one in government or law enforcement is actually going to track what you do with your cans of R12 after the sale. So in reality, nearly all of the tens of thousands of people who have purchased R12 on ebay over the past 10 years are ordinary do-it-yourselfers like you and me. 2. A week ago your system probably merely needed to be topped off with a can or so of R12. However, since you recently hired a mechanic to get rid of the existing R12 in your system your system is now depressurized, allowing some atmospheric moisture to enter and contaminate your system. So now recharging is going to be a more complicated and expensive affair because instead of simply hooking up a charging hose, the system must first be vacuumed for 30 minutes using a vacuum pump (to remove system moisture) and then 3 cans of R12 charged into the vacuum. And only AC shops have this vacuum pump. 3. Few auto shops will recommend sticking with R12 because they make much more money on R134a conversions and all the system modifications needed to convert (like new barrier hoses, a new receiver drier and special R134a compatible 0-ring seals, the flushing chemical, etc). 4. Unlike nuclear waste, R12 is not going to stored for centuries deep inside Yucca Mountain Nevada. All R12 is going to end up in the atmosphere one way or the other so one should not feel guilty venting small amounts of it to the atmosphere, especially considering it's still legal for millions of people in 3rd world countries to buy and vent R12 to the atmosphere. 5. 1991LS400, if money to repair your slow R12 leak is tight right now, then just get the system vacuumed and recharged with 3 cans of R12. Then if the system ever gets low on R12 again, buy a can of R12 on ebay together with the charging hose and top the system off yourself. Just don't ever allow ithe system to become totally discharged again or else you will have to go through the vacuum pump routine again. 6. If you decide you can't resist the unrelenting peer pressure and auto repair industry pressure to "upgrade" to R134a, beware you will permanently lose the ability to monitor system charge using the sight glass built into your system.

A '02-'05 ES 300 /330 is a cosmetically dressed up and slightly better insulated '02-'05 V6 Camry. You pay roughly a $7,000 premium for the luxury appointments and prestige. Mechanically, however, the ES330 is virtually identical to a V6 Camry so it drives the same.

The valve body just needs to be removed (not replaced) to gain access to all the shift control solenoids. Since the Lexus ES transmission is identical to the Toyota Camry V6 engine, you could take the car to a Toyota dealer and save several hundred dollars total in parts and labor.

The Lexus dealer can give you a printout of all maintenance that has been performed since the car was new. Savvy used car buyers review these records BEFORE buying the car since they know neglected services or extended service intervals can mean expensive trouble down the road. Owners who replace normal wear items like thermostats, oxygen sensors, distributor caps, spark plug wires, etc, BEFORE they are so worn that engine performance and fuel economy deteriorates are rewarded with hundreds of thousands of miles of reliable, troublefree service from their Toyotas. Owners who have a "no need to fix what isn't broken" philosophy about Toyota preventive maintenance and repair may end up having to deal with mechanical problems that cost thousands of dollars to fix.

Has the thermostat and thermostat gasket ever been replaced? They should be replaced about every 5 years using exact factory original replacements. The temp needle should read a little below the half way point on the dial. Alot of owners and independent service shops install aftermarket thermostats and nearly all of them are rated to open at 195 degrees F which is too hot for a Lexus and will cause higher than normal temp gauge readings.

I don't know any website that rates rolling resistance. So you have to go largely by the tiremakers claims or you can check to see what kinds of tires car makers install on their most fuel efficient models like the Toyota Prius / Honda Civic Hybrid, etc. Two tires which are well known to have low rolling resistance are the Michelin MXV4-Plus and Goodyear Viva 2 (the latter is available only at Walmart) I've had considerable experience with both these tires and I'd rate the Michelin better for highway directional stability, a vibration free highway ride and wet weather traction and the Goodyears a bit better for low noise and road bump absorption. The Goodyears are also half as expensive as the Michelins.

The owners manual covers this subject extensively. The owners manual recommends using overdrive at all times except in certain rather rare situations. Like if you are driving up a hilly highway in the 30-70 MPH range that causes the transmission to repeatedly shift in and out of overdrive, then the owners manual recommends turning the overdrive OFF and letting the engine run continuously at a comparatively high RPM. Locking out the overdrive in a situation like that saves wear and tear on the transmission and is also less stressful for the engine. Also, if you are decending a long highway grade in the 30-70 mph range and need to brake frequently to control the car's speed, the owners manual recommends turning the overdrive OFF to let engine braking assist in controlling the car's speed. Locking out the overdrive in a situation like that helps prevent brake overheating which can lead to brake fade and warping of the brake rotors).

If you want to save money and potentially get a better car, consider searching the private party ads at cars.com, craigslist.org. etc. When you buy from a private party you have to opportunity to find out about the driving habits of the owner and find out if the owner has a legitimate reason to sell the car. You also have the opportunity to review the preventive maintenance service records to make sure everything was done on time and preferably with genuine Toyota parts and fluids. Fast, aggressive driver = considerable mechanical wear and tear Missed maintenance services or stretched out service intervals = considerable mechanical wear and tear. This "considerable mechanical wear and tear" is not something that is necessarily easy to detect - even by a Lexus technician - and that's why buying a CPO car is no guarantee you won't be faced with serious mechanical problems at some point down the road.

Yep, mechanically the '97-'01 Lexus ES300 & Toyota Camry are identical, so you can buy all your routine maintenance items at a Toyota dealer and save 50-75% !

15-16 MPG could be about normal for city driving in a city like Sacramento with thousands of streetlights. Out on the highway mileage should be in the low 20 MPG's. If not, returning the engine to near new mechanical condition is the answer to restoring gas mileage. This could involve: 1. New set of factory original spark plugs 2. New set of factory original spark plug wires (if car has more than 60,000 miles) 3. New factory original air filter 4. New oxygen sensor (if car has more than 80,000 miles) 5. Manually cleaning the throttle body http://www.lexls.com/tutorials/EFI/throttlebody.html 6. Install a set of low rolling resistance tires like Michelin MXV4-Plus or Goodyear Viva 2. The cost of all the above could top $500. However, many owners balk at the thought of spending $500 just to return a car to boring factory original condition and may find themselves drawn to cool and exciting sounding advertizements and websites that promise cheap bolt on power.

Reminds me of a time, about 13 years ago, when the fuel pump went out on my bosses near new (3 years old) Chevy pickup. When my boss realized the pickup bed would have to be removed to access the pump, he was so angry about the situation that he got out a big metal cutting saw and started drilling a hole in the bed to get to the fuel pump !! The company secretary looked on in horror as the company truck was being butchered, just to replace a fuel pump !!

Genuine Toyota air filters could be the best, but since Toyota doesn't hardly spend any money advertizing them in car magazines or on internet websites or package them in flashy, exciting looking packages many owners won't give them a second thought. For those that care to know about factory filters, here is some info.: http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y189/mast.../airfiltera.jpg http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y189/mast.../airfilterc.jpg http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y189/mast.../airfilterd.jpg

Toyota electric fuel pumps have a reputation of lasting roughly 30 years / 500,000+ miles if the fuel filter is changed once in awhile (a restricted filter could theoretically cause the fuel pump to work harder and hotter) and if the owner doesn't drive with the gas gauge on the Empty mark alot (gasoline helps cool the pump). About the only Toyota fuel system component that may fail at high mileage is the fuel pressure regulator. And in the road salt / rust belt states corrosion may lead to problems with the wiring or relays in the fuel system

I'd get rid of the car. Since the prior owner ruined both the engine and transmission via maintenance neglect or abusive driving, chances are high the rest of the mechanical components of the car have alot of wear and tear as well. If you need reliable transportation you need to find a used car that doesn't have alot of mechanical wear and tear. This means you need to find a used car that received all its scheduled preventive maintenance on time and preferably one driven gently by a middle or senior aged person.

Far from being a tire store or muffler shop mechanic, I think it's obvious mehullica has had state of the art Toyota training + hands on experience and that makes him a true Toyota guru. On ebay I bought a 2001 Toyota Technician Engine Control Systems I Training Book and it validates what mehullica has been saying: "VVT-i eliminates the need for an EGR valve. As a result of increasing the valve overlap in which the exhaust and intake valves are both open, the exhaust gas is able to flow to the intake side. Diluting the air/fuel mixture with exhaust gases reduces the combustion temperature and the production of NOx. Also, some of the unburned air/fuel mixture present in the exhaust gas will be burned."

First determine the part #'s for all the parts you want to buy. Then enter the part numbers here https://www.1stToyotaparts.com/part_number.html to get an instant price quote. If you get a reply that says "no parts found" then it means the particular part you want to get is exclusive to Lexus and is not shared by any Toyota model. However, if the part is shared, you will get a huge discount off of any Lexus dealer price. Example: Lexus dealer price for the 1990-1994 power steering air control valve is $212, but at https://www.1stToyotaparts.com/part_number.html the same exact part is only $62 If the part you want is NOT shared with any Toyota model then go to irontoad.com and email them for quotes on particular parts that are exclusively Lexus parts.

...60 mph, you'll get about 28.4 mpg ...65 mph you'll get around 27 mpg ...at 70 mph, you'll get in mid 25s ...at 75-80 mph, you'll get in upper 24s Actually, these figures for the RX400h are significantly worse than what a Camry 4 cylinder can do. A Camry 4 cylinder gets (based on almost a dozen I have rented and driven thousands of miles): ...60 mph, about 34 mpg ...65 mph about 32.5 mpg ...70 mph, about 31 mpg ...75-80 mph, about 29 mpg The Toyota Highlander is about the same size vehicle as the RX400h and is available with the Camry 4 cylinder engine and so probably gets the same or a little better gas mileage than the RX400h. A 4 cylinder Highlander can only accelerate 0-60 in 10.5 - 11.0 seconds, so the RX400h is alot more powerful.

es300 1997, instead of taking chances with transmission flushes and "universal" type synthetic fluids, you could care for your transmission the way the Toyota engineers recommend. They recommend: 1. Just draining and refilling the transmssion oil pan with Toyota's own premium Dexron fluid http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y189/mastertech/atfb.jpg http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y189/mastertech/atfc.jpg http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y189/mastertech/atfa.jpg Since your existing fluid is on the old side, you could have the pan drained and refilled at eash engine oil change for 3-4 times in a row and then return to a more typical 15,000 - 20,000 mile drain and refill interval. There is no need to remove the transmission oil pan and clean the magnets or filter screen until the car has about 150,000 miles on it (and even at that mileage the screen will likely still likely be quite clean and unrestricted)

wwest, For decades, every car maker has generally had just one engine oil and transmission oil maintenance schedule for all its engines and automatic transmissions even though the oil deteriorates at different rates in different engines and transmissions and in different models using those engines and transmissions. Owners who want to play it safe should change the motor oil every 3 months / 3,750 miles and the transmission fluid (drain & refill the pan) every 15,000 miles. Takes 30 minutes and some pocket change for the oils. Owners who don't want to play it safe can hours of time writing to the car companies pestering them to explain why the oils deteriorate at different rates in different engines and transmissions and why they don't have a 15K change interval for one transmission and a 60K interval for another. This is just a waste of time because for obvious legal liability reasons no car company is going to publicly admit the oils deteriorate at different rates in different engines and transmissions. The chronic complainer type owners are shooting themselves in the foot in multiple ways: 1. Their letter writing efforts to the Lexus Customer Satisfaction Dept are a waste of time because they will just get form letter type responses. 2. Their failure to change the lubes frequently means they won't ever be members of the Toyota 400,000 mile club. 3. Their consumer activist activities such as telling reporters the drive by wire system is a safety hazard lowers the resale value of their cars. 4. Their next car will likely be a non-Asian car such as a Jeep Grand Cherokee with a much worse reputation for reliability and durability.

Scoobie, could you tell me what So. Cal dealer gave you that deal? Thanks

Niko said his mechanic overfilled his transmission 1/2 inch above the Hot Range marks. Now what if Niko's mechanic had underfilled his transmission 1/2 inch BELOW the Hot Range marks ?? Do you also believe underfilling 1/2 quart "won't make any difference"?

At the 60,000 or 90,000 mile services, Lexus dealers everywhere seem to be telling LS400 owners they need new lower ball joints. One dealer tried that with me even though my car has no play in the steering and and the car tracks securely even over bumpy surfaces. I know actual suspension wear must be minimal because the car has always been driven gently and almost always on smooth roads.