Walnut

Hey all,

Can you tell me what's the deal with rear windows that bang on the way down? Both sides do this.

There is only one key. It has a remote function on it. How do I get another key and how much will I need to spend? I'm also concerned with this talk about master and valet keys - is this a factor with the '92? What does it mean?

A little bit of oil burn at startup. I'm concerned about the sludge scare. The 92-93 use the 3VZ-FE engine, so am I ok with this? (120K miles)

And finally...I've been driving a Volvo 740 for 7 years. They are fantastic cars that people are always fixing. Please tell me I'm not setting myself up for more self-abuse and endless expense here. How much should I expect to spend on annual maintenance? The car is exceptionally clean and well maintained it seems. Hopefully only one careful lady driver...

Thanks in advance!

California Walnut

Pheonix

There are forum sponsors here that are dealers that will give a better deal cutting keys than in person. Check them out.
Any engine that does not have it's old changed often enough will roast it's oil period. There are an endless list of ways to get rid of sludge. I recommend running it around with some seafoam in it & changing the oil, or doing a diesel/kerosene flush right when you change the oil. Look up past directions on those.

Oil burn at start-up is nearly always (In any engine) caused by old, leaking valve-stem seals. It's an inconciquential problem, the replacement parts for the entire engine cost about $3-$4usd, and the labor required to change them is ALOT unless you are comfortable with basic mechanics. Not difficult., but you have to take the upper intake air chamber off, the valve covers, take the camshafts out of the car. Pressurize the combustion chamber so the valves don't fall all the way in, pull the buckets, pull the retaining hardware off.
*Then* you get to fish the valve stems off & replace them.







Annual maintenanace? IDK, never thought about it. Once you get the typical big drop of maintenance you spend on any used car out of the. It's not much unless you're go to a Lexus dealer. When something does break, mechanically it's a Toyota Camry so... It's not like parts are hrd to find, or killing anybody.





Basically... We've outlined things you oughta do when buying on previously. Just look them up. There's a nice long list of things that should be done & it applies to buying virtually any new car. I would take it to a mechanic & pay them to do a compression test tho just to see how the rings & headgaskets are doing.
First thing I would do when you get it would be flush the coolant system, replace both pressure caps & the thermostat. Before changing the oil even.
Then changing the transmission fluid, & doing an oil flush, ect.

Pheonix

What do you mean about the windows bang? Do you mean they like physically make alot of racket when you put them down? I've neither of heard, nor encountered that.
If you're use to really old-school cars, then you may not know it's been the law for what? Around 20 years now that rear windows can NOT roll all the way down. On the ES, instead of rolling straight down like a normal car, they sort of dip the front to look cool & grab some extra airflow. <cough> Really they just had to fit a big window in a little door. I just like to tell myself they did that to be cool.<cough>

Choas

[QUOTE=Pheonix;2218094]
If you're use to really old-school cars, then you may not know it's been the law for what? Around 20 years now that rear windows can NOT roll all the way down.QUOTE]

Actually its not a law that the rear windows can't go all the way down it mostly has to do with to with the shape of the door. That is why ours go down more in the front to allow it to get lower. For example of cars that the windows go all the way down in the back is the Kia Amanti among other cars i have been in.

Walnut

Thanks for the responses!

See this review for a similar experience with the rear window bang: http://www.epinions.com/auto-review-...3A4ACC56-prod3

Here's the pertinent quote:

Pheonix

Can't help you. Take the door panels off & see is my only thought.

Walnut

Hey Folks,

I want to go ahead with this purchase. Is there a list somewhere on this site (or another site?) of things that should be checked before purchasing, things that are specific to the 92 ES300? Would it be unwise to allow a neighbourhood repair shop to do a pre-purchase inspection?

Thanks in advance!

Pheonix

Good idea.
Check the compression / do a leak-down test with the engine warm
Check the transmission fluid
CHECK THE COOLANT
Make sure it aint leaking anything at the bottom of the car
Check the CV joints & mounts & everything.


Just... If it's rubber, check it, because rubber only lasts abot 10-15 years before it is probably <hurl>.

Walnut

I've been reading about overheating in the 92-93 but I can't get a handle on exactly what the problem is. Assuming the rad is clear, some say it's the fan solenoid and some say the high pressure power steering hose. Or are both a possibility? I understand solenoid failure, but not the hose. What goes wrong with the hp hose, and how does this cause overheating?

Pheonix

It's a load of bull****.
From the mid 80's through the mid/late 90's depending on the OEM, all head gaskets were weaker & prone to leaking (externally) too.
With the mass of the older iron blocks, they can overheat on early cylindres in the cooling loop & easily cool the coolant back down by the time it exists the block, heads, & lower manifold to the coolant temp sensors.
Now as far as the overheating. What happens with the fan, is it's powersteering pump driven (Hydraulic). Like the 1uz-fe, and then the jz-ge blocks where for abit because they move huge amounts of air & are quieter.
What happens, is that it's alot more reliable than eletric fans. No fusing, relays, wiring, or motor to burn up. The thing is, you have dumb *** mechanics that will knock the plug on the powersteering pump off, and the fan will not spin up to high speed. (It has two speeds, slow, and mother F hurricane.)

As far as prone to overheating, or blowing their headgaskets? No. They are no more prone to doing it than any other engine from that time period. The 1994 1mz-fe has the same problem. (It also used the hydraulic cooling fan). The 95-96.5 will also warp (unseat the heagasket) and blow it when hot.

Where the stigma comes in is that the SOHC 3vz-e v6 from the trucks (1987-1995) has a horrible problem with them because of cooling problems in the head, and the crossover pipe that results in eventually burning the #6 exhaust valve which warps the head, and blows the headgaskets.


The 3vz-fe does NOT share anything with the 3vz-e that the other v6 engines do not. (Bearings) When in actuality, the 3vz-fe gained those components shared frist, then the 1mz-fe, then the last minor generation 3vz-e, then the 5vz-fe.
It simply has the stigma leftover from it - undesirvidly so.






It's simple. If you don't overheat a non MLS engine. You won't blow the head gasket. It's that simple!

















The non MLS head-gaskets never solved the head blowing. Nor did they solve the fact that most Toyota head gaskets were prone to external leaking. Which is odd... The 3vz-fe was not included for that... They just blow them apparantly! LoL!