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Thanks guys. The car has 176k miles on it and I've never cleaned it before. So worst case scenario I have a clean throttle body! Just hoping all of the gaskets hold up during the change! Thanks again for the advice. Really appreciate it!

Ok... found the post. Not for an ES but still great... http://us.lexusownersclub.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=30723 But here's another question. To clean my throttle body is it necessary to take the entire thing off, or can I just disconnect the air intake valve, spray some carb cleaner in there and go? Or do I need to go through the entire process? I'm just trying to get a little pep back into my car's step. Don't have any idling problems or anything like that. Any advice/suggestions would be great. Thanks!

There used to be a post on here that gave step by step instructions and pictures on how to clean the throttle body for a 99 ES300. I finally have time to do this tomorrow and I can't find that post anymore. Does anyone happen to know the link for that post? Thanks!

I had this same problem. I went to Auto Zone and had them run a diagnostic on it while the check engine light was on. It came back as a few different possibilities. Long story short, I ended up replacing the Mass Air Flow sensor and it eliminated the problem. You might be able to see if this is what you need to do by performing a simple test. Disconnect the battery for a minute to let the check engine light reset. When you start the car the light should have gone away. Get on a stretch of road where you can try to accelerate quickly. If you push the gas hard and after a moment the check engine and VSC lights come on together you have your answer. MAF it is. Hope that helps!

Is there a post on here that gives the diy instructions for that? Thanks guys!

Hello everyone. I have a '99 ES300 with 165k miles on it. Still runs great but as the years go by I'm getting slower and slower. I have replaced the spark plugs and the Mass Air Flow Sensor. I change the oil every 3k miles with high mileage oil and filter. But I'm wondering what other things I can do to tune her up and make her respond a little better. I know I'll never have the engine of a new car again, but anything you can offer that would help her purr a little better would be appreciated. I have noticed that it gets worse in warmer weather if that helps you offer any other advice. Thanks everyone!

My 99 ES300 is leaking oil from somewhere and I can find it so I'm looking for help in where to look. I've checked the pan plug and I've checked around the spark plugs but I can't find it. It's not leaking much at all, maybe a few drips every day. But when I stop and idle for more than 30 seconds I can smell it really heavy in the car. So it's burning off somewhere. I am a novice at best in car repairs. I've done rotors, brakes, and replaced my spark plugs. So please help me figure out where to look to see what the culprit on the oil leak is. Thanks in advance!

This was actually happening long before I had the incident with the injectors. I'm pretty sure I did everything correctly when putting those back together. So if I took it someplace like Christian Brothers they might be able to tell me exactly what the problem is instead of the ambiguous "lean" and 5 different possibilities that I got from Auto Zone? I really appreciate your help more than you know!

As far as I know the fuel filter hasn't been changed since I stopped going to Lexus for the services about 4 years ago. I've just started within the last year working on the car myself. Changed the brake pads and rotors, changed the spark plugs, and by accident had to change all of the "o" rings on the front fuel injectors. So bottom line is the only thing I know how to do on the list of things that you mentioned above is do a cursory check of the hoses. Did that today when I changed the oil and didn't see any visible cracks when checking from the top. So I guess I should take it to Lexus, have them diagnose the problem and then fix it myself if I can?

Where can I find a good replacement steering wheel for my 99 ES300? I've looked on Ebay and they have them from time to time, but wanted to know if anyone here has dealt with a place that is trustworthy. Thanks

Sorry I didn't put year. I have a 99 ES300. Oddly enough the Check Engine, VSC and VSC OFF lights all come on at the same time. (More details about this below the update) ****UPDATE**** Went to Auto Zone and here is the Code that they came back with... Troubleshooting Code: PO171 OEM Brand: Domestic Definition - Fuel trim bank one condition Explanation - The powertrain control module uses the oxygen sensor to calculate air/fuel ratio of the engine. The computer has recognized a rich or lean condition on one engine bank only. Probably causes... 1. If bank one and two codes set together suspect fuel pressure or MAF (Mass Air Flow) Sensor 2. Oxygen sensor defective 3. Ignition misfire - repair 4. Fuel Injector problem **** Maybe this will help explain a little more so someone can help me diagnose correctly the first try! Before I replaced the battery terminals I had a bad connection that made me have to go and jiggle the terminals every once and a while to get them to connect and get juice flowing again. Every time that happened it reset the Check Engine light. So when I would get on the road again and hit the interstate and accel quickly, the first thing that would happen is my VSC and VSC OFF lights would come on. Then I would reach my destination and turn the car off. The next time I drove it, without fail, if I had to accelerate again, the Check Engine light comes on with the VSC and VSC OFF lights.

I would just cut the wires off the old terminals. As far as the second wire for the positive termianl, use a crimp on terminal and hook it to one of the two clamp bolts. I would recomend soldering the terminal to insure that you have a good connection. Thanks... that's what I did and it worked out. There was one snag though and it was that the positive side cable, once cut, wasn't long enough to reach the terminal that I purchased. So I went to Auto Zone and got a cable extender and attached it and all was fine. No more "no starts" for me! Thanks for your help!

Went to Advanced Auto yesterday and had them run a diagnostics check. It showed up as "lean" which the guy said he's been confused on. Some people say it's an air leak, some people say it's the 02 sensors and some say it just needs a tune up. Anyone have any more info on that?

Can someone tell me the best way to get the wires out of the battery terminal? The factory has them stuck so hard I can't figure out what to get in there to pry the teeth loose. Also, I got this type of terminal http://www.partsamerica.com/ProductDetail....396&PTSet=A for my batter and I'm not 100% positive where I put both of the wires from the positive side. There is one wire that goes into the part that you clamp down on, but on the original terminal, there is another wire that goes on top. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

What tools do I need to reach the three rear spark plugs in a 99 ES300? Is there a flex ratchet that would work for this? I was using a 1/2" rathcet with a 7" extender for the front that fit perfectly but that's way too big for the back. Any suggestions?