dannyypk

My ES 300 1996 has the engine on this morning.....

It has 128K mil on it.

I want to pull up to the dealer to check it ...

Can anybody tell me what is the problem and what will be the price in dealer and other shopS?

I guess it is cause by the spark plugs or the Oxygen sensor.

If so, Can I change the sensor and spark by myself?
any people can show me how to do it?

and after I change those stuff, will the light go off?

Pls...Thank you very much~

spray004

It could be a number of things. The easiest thing to do is take it to the dealership and blow a ton of money. The economical way is to either A) go to Autozone and have them use their engine scan tool on your car or B) take it to the dealership and pay them to tell you whats wrong first. I just save a little over a $100 by replacing the O2 sensor in my sister's lexus that took all of 10 minutes. Here are some pros and cons. Pros: dealership will most always tell you exactly whats wrong without being wrong Con: They'll charge you $80 or so to tell you whats wrong and more if you get your car fixed.
Pros of Autozone: Its free to get your engine scanned and parts are way cheaper
Cons: Autozone can make ya chase stuff on their diagnostics.

Depending on how mechanically inclined you are, I would try the free option first and see what they say. If its an upstream O2 sensor then they are simple. If its the spark plugs, then I would hesitate because the back ones I'm sure are a pain in the a$$. Dealerships are way over rated, I'd take it to Goodyear service center or another repair shop and get the same service for half the price. Saved $500 on a power steering pump replacement at Goodyear vs. Lexus dealership.

flipside909

Welcome to CL, like Spray explained, it could be one of many things that could be causing your CEL to go off. Your best bet is to get the diagnostic check at a garage. Then they can pull the code and tell you what it is. Usually, when it's your CEL involved, it's mostly emissions related i.e. sensors, egr equipment, etc etc.

dannyypk

However, Autozone cannot scan the code because the Car is made in 1995 although it is 1996 model.

Can I try to disconnect the battery to cancel the code and give him another chance?

spray004

You can try, but 99% chance that'll come back on. If it came on once, it was for a reason. Yes in '96 all manufacturers were supposed to start using OBD II. Try Goodyear or another known shop, they'll be able to scan your engine regardless of whether the light is on or not.

flipside909

That doesn't make sense since the ES was OBDII compliant when they first used the 1MZ-FE V6 in 1994. It was the first engine in the world to be OBDII compliant.

spray004

Most ppl that work at Autozone are people that have no knowledge of cars at all. I worked at a chain parts store one summer when I was in college. Besides the two guys that were ASE certified in parts, I was the only one who knew a damn thing. They'll hire anyone that will work.