Awful coolant leak 1996 ES300, under the intake manifold.
12-13-12, 07:19 PM
#31
I was explaining the back story to Canucklehe.
I tried to tell the lady the first time I seen the car to bail on it. If repairs exceed the value, and it's giving you drivability issues that is forcing you to dump more than it's value in it, it's time to cut bait.
I tried to tell the lady the first time I seen the car to bail on it. If repairs exceed the value, and it's giving you drivability issues that is forcing you to dump more than it's value in it, it's time to cut bait.
12-13-12, 09:19 PM
#32
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once the plenum is removed, can you get at hose then? you don't have to remove VCs to do that job do you ? (I assume you did them since you were that deep).
tough call sometimes on what to do re: fish or cut bait. I just bought my 93 with 140K miles. It was "original owner, dealer serviced". Also said "typical scratches for year". It seemed to drive really nice. Also had $700 in new Michelin Hydroedge tires.
I did notice once I returned to seller's home, a whiff of motor oil. I thought about my 2000 Camry that had leaking rear VC gasket with similar issue. seller told me VC gasket was leaking and pointed to front mess in engine compartment. Also told me front brakes needed replacing.
I also realized that people rarely sell vehicles that are still great and problem free, and after a week or two I'll know the full story. And here I am: "normal scratches".... NOT!! Body is a lot rougher than when I looked at in the dark, when car was dirty. Interior was filthy. Pretty clear seller gave up and walked away from money pit. "dealer serviced" consisted of overpaying for oil changes and taking it to dealer once every year or two.
i spent half a day cleaning it up. Paid mechanic to do the VC job. I changed oil, replaced all 4 corners with new rotors & pads. My RR hub/bearing was lose & I replaced. Get my Tanin refurbed cluster back next week (most of the lights & needles were burnt out, and I later find out from Tanin my tach motor was broken = extra $80 to fix). I replaced the burnt out climate control, replaced chewed up armrest, discovered a clunk that I'm pretty sure is lower/front motor mount, see a helluva PS fluid mess when I remove RF tire, and I still get lesser whiffs of motor oil at idle (maybe oil filter bracket gasket??). Mechanic thinks that odor could be PS fluid, but i thought PS fluid smells like overheated ATF (and my Lexus PS fluid is ATF). Odor still unresolved. Will also need timing belt, pulleys & waterpump soon.
Car feels solid and is nice to drive. BUT.... I'll be into it for $3,000 and I've done majority of repairs myself. I thought $2K for a nice Lexus was a great deal. I feel like I overpaid by at least $500 and the body is rough (no rust, but many scrapes and scratches), plus timing belt expense soon. Also, at this mileage replacing all the struts is nearby. Not one of my more astute investments.
I did research and they are a non-interference motor. I posted some Qs on this forum about it recently and someone gave me a link to one of the belt manufacturers and it had clear, good info to confirm.
tough call sometimes on what to do re: fish or cut bait. I just bought my 93 with 140K miles. It was "original owner, dealer serviced". Also said "typical scratches for year". It seemed to drive really nice. Also had $700 in new Michelin Hydroedge tires.
I did notice once I returned to seller's home, a whiff of motor oil. I thought about my 2000 Camry that had leaking rear VC gasket with similar issue. seller told me VC gasket was leaking and pointed to front mess in engine compartment. Also told me front brakes needed replacing.
I also realized that people rarely sell vehicles that are still great and problem free, and after a week or two I'll know the full story. And here I am: "normal scratches".... NOT!! Body is a lot rougher than when I looked at in the dark, when car was dirty. Interior was filthy. Pretty clear seller gave up and walked away from money pit. "dealer serviced" consisted of overpaying for oil changes and taking it to dealer once every year or two.
i spent half a day cleaning it up. Paid mechanic to do the VC job. I changed oil, replaced all 4 corners with new rotors & pads. My RR hub/bearing was lose & I replaced. Get my Tanin refurbed cluster back next week (most of the lights & needles were burnt out, and I later find out from Tanin my tach motor was broken = extra $80 to fix). I replaced the burnt out climate control, replaced chewed up armrest, discovered a clunk that I'm pretty sure is lower/front motor mount, see a helluva PS fluid mess when I remove RF tire, and I still get lesser whiffs of motor oil at idle (maybe oil filter bracket gasket??). Mechanic thinks that odor could be PS fluid, but i thought PS fluid smells like overheated ATF (and my Lexus PS fluid is ATF). Odor still unresolved. Will also need timing belt, pulleys & waterpump soon.
Car feels solid and is nice to drive. BUT.... I'll be into it for $3,000 and I've done majority of repairs myself. I thought $2K for a nice Lexus was a great deal. I feel like I overpaid by at least $500 and the body is rough (no rust, but many scrapes and scratches), plus timing belt expense soon. Also, at this mileage replacing all the struts is nearby. Not one of my more astute investments.
I did research and they are a non-interference motor. I posted some Qs on this forum about it recently and someone gave me a link to one of the belt manufacturers and it had clear, good info to confirm.
12-13-12, 09:25 PM
#33
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forgot to mention, I watched for awhile and never saw Lexus' in the $2K price range. Since my purchase, have seen several, all of which I'm sure have better bodies. Sure they also have many neglected things to repair aswell. People walk for a reason, and always have a good story to explain reason for sale.
i think "dealer service" for my seller included being told it was in need of thousands in repairs, and to walk.
i think "dealer service" for my seller included being told it was in need of thousands in repairs, and to walk.
12-13-12, 09:50 PM
#34
^+1 It amazes me how much people lie about their cars. I've seen a couple of people complain about how they're driving such money pits, and then a week later you see a listing on Facebook labeled "good shape, highway miles, regularly serviced, etc."
I bought mine with quiet a few problems, but none of them were a huge surprise. They also never left me stranded. Obviously the repair costs piled up, but I've been doing them over time, so it never really hurt me financially. I look at it as an educational project, so the cost is irrelevant at this point.
I bought mine with quiet a few problems, but none of them were a huge surprise. They also never left me stranded. Obviously the repair costs piled up, but I've been doing them over time, so it never really hurt me financially. I look at it as an educational project, so the cost is irrelevant at this point.
Last edited by Hayk; 12-14-12 at 10:57 PM.
12-13-12, 10:11 PM
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I am very straight up with what I know about my stuff, and my price reflects it. If it needs work, I disclose. my son's Mazda 323 needs head gasket. He never made it home from his purchase. That is the first thing I put in our ad...needs head gasket.
I don't need a lunatic fire-bombing my house.
also amazing how people see the lowest price for a beat up POS and then think that's what they should pay for something well cared for, serviced, repaired, maintained, etc...
I don't need a lunatic fire-bombing my house.
also amazing how people see the lowest price for a beat up POS and then think that's what they should pay for something well cared for, serviced, repaired, maintained, etc...
12-14-12, 05:33 PM
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I had a simular issue on my gf 96 es300 and it was a pain while i was in there there is a cross-over hose that should be replaced as well. but yes it is a very time consuming job. the only warning i have for you is do not remove the yellowish cap piece on the fuel rail instead just undo the fuel lines in that area
12-16-12, 02:31 PM
#37
Why not? That thing poped off while I was putting things back together and fell to the ground. I just pushed it back on. Will that be a problem? I didn't try to knock it off.
Other than that, when I was done and took the car for a drive everything seemed fine. The oil light was coming off and on, not sure why. So I took the car to the lady Friday and asked if the oil light was coming off and on and she said no (not that I expected any other answer). I told her that she needed to get the timing belt replaced ASAP or think about replacing the car. The odo doesn't work so there is no telling how many miles it has. She said it went out in '09. Likely has over 300,000 on it.
So, today I get a text, "call me tonight or tomorrow". I told her to call me so I didn't forget. She calls and told me that the car shut off on her last night. The guy that towed her said it was leaking oil pretty bad. My guess is that the timing belt broke. She thinks it has something to do with oil leaking. I tried to explain to her that the work I did really would not have anything to do with oil leaking because covers really can't leak that much. I asked if she checked the oil like I suggested when I dropped off the car and she said no. Hopefully the thing didn't loose the oil pump or rear main seal. If it's the timing belt she'll have to decide if she wants to proceed with more repairs.
Maybe I should change the title of this thread to "The Cronicles of a Lexus ES300 that has been neglected".
On another note, I'm not sure why people feel their cars are worth any more than a jy would give them. My nephew, with the help of his dad and mom, purchased a Malibu with a blown head gasket. Figured it out 100 miles after the purchase. The seller told them the car was find and that they would take care of anything with 30 days of the purchase. Well, they did not, of course. So they took the seller to small claims court and won. Not sure if that did any good, they have not collected a dime from the judgement.
I have given away several cars that were over 10 years old. Cars that you could stick a key in them and go 1000 miles without a worry. I service them before I give them away and baring normal used car stuff that may face anyone with a car over 8 years old, every car should have easily lasted more than 4 years. A year and a half ago I gave away a Nissan Maxi with 63,000 miles on it ($245). The rad started leaking and the owner let it run out of water and blew the head gasket. SMH. I was trolling cl the other day and seen a Camry on there with over 300,000 miles for $1,500. All kinds of comments of not having needed any work. All that add told me was they didn't do a darn thing to the car and now wanted someone to pay $1,500 for a $300 car that needed everything.
My take on buying used cars is simple. Do a www.NADAGuides.com value search on the car and look at the clean retail value. Then back off the needed repairs/service/improvements (retail dealer cost) and offer that. If they don't bite, walk. Test drive them long and hard, make sure the warning lights work, act sympathetic when negotiating.
Other than that, when I was done and took the car for a drive everything seemed fine. The oil light was coming off and on, not sure why. So I took the car to the lady Friday and asked if the oil light was coming off and on and she said no (not that I expected any other answer). I told her that she needed to get the timing belt replaced ASAP or think about replacing the car. The odo doesn't work so there is no telling how many miles it has. She said it went out in '09. Likely has over 300,000 on it.
So, today I get a text, "call me tonight or tomorrow". I told her to call me so I didn't forget. She calls and told me that the car shut off on her last night. The guy that towed her said it was leaking oil pretty bad. My guess is that the timing belt broke. She thinks it has something to do with oil leaking. I tried to explain to her that the work I did really would not have anything to do with oil leaking because covers really can't leak that much. I asked if she checked the oil like I suggested when I dropped off the car and she said no. Hopefully the thing didn't loose the oil pump or rear main seal. If it's the timing belt she'll have to decide if she wants to proceed with more repairs.
Maybe I should change the title of this thread to "The Cronicles of a Lexus ES300 that has been neglected".
On another note, I'm not sure why people feel their cars are worth any more than a jy would give them. My nephew, with the help of his dad and mom, purchased a Malibu with a blown head gasket. Figured it out 100 miles after the purchase. The seller told them the car was find and that they would take care of anything with 30 days of the purchase. Well, they did not, of course. So they took the seller to small claims court and won. Not sure if that did any good, they have not collected a dime from the judgement.
I have given away several cars that were over 10 years old. Cars that you could stick a key in them and go 1000 miles without a worry. I service them before I give them away and baring normal used car stuff that may face anyone with a car over 8 years old, every car should have easily lasted more than 4 years. A year and a half ago I gave away a Nissan Maxi with 63,000 miles on it ($245). The rad started leaking and the owner let it run out of water and blew the head gasket. SMH. I was trolling cl the other day and seen a Camry on there with over 300,000 miles for $1,500. All kinds of comments of not having needed any work. All that add told me was they didn't do a darn thing to the car and now wanted someone to pay $1,500 for a $300 car that needed everything.
My take on buying used cars is simple. Do a www.NADAGuides.com value search on the car and look at the clean retail value. Then back off the needed repairs/service/improvements (retail dealer cost) and offer that. If they don't bite, walk. Test drive them long and hard, make sure the warning lights work, act sympathetic when negotiating.
12-27-12, 07:19 PM
#39
The lady called me a couple of days before Christmas, I was to busy to check it out then so I tried to go Christmas eve, she was not available. Long story short the motor is locked up. I guess the oil pump went out and that was the end. How much would it have cost to have an oil pump replaced? It's behind the timing belt/crank correct?
12-28-12, 12:18 AM
#40
The lady called me a couple of days before Christmas, I was to busy to check it out then so I tried to go Christmas eve, she was not available. Long story short the motor is locked up. I guess the oil pump went out and that was the end. How much would it have cost to have an oil pump replaced? It's behind the timing belt/crank correct?
12-28-12, 01:08 AM
#41
My guess is that the motor locked up due to lubrication starvation, in that case the motor can not be salvaged.
After I did the coolant hose I test drove the car and seen the oil light going on and off. When I gave it back to her, I asked her if the light was doing that and she said no. I told her that it either had a bad sensor or the oil pump was going out. From what I can gather she drove the car for about 150 and it just quit. I tried to get the motor to turn and it wouldn't. So I'm pretty sure it locked up from oil starvation. In that case, the cams could be damaged and a piston is likely seized, at either rate the entire motor would need to be replaced. A motor from a junk yard would cost less than $200, it's the labor that would kill her.
My point in asking what it would cost to do the oil pump job would be to try to comfort her in knowing that she likely would not have put the money into the car due to the cost of a new oil pump on top of the labor. I think most oil pumps are behind the harmonic balancer which would require the timing belt to come off so a new timing belt job would be included in the cost. My guess is that a dealer would charge $1,100 just for a new timing belt job. Toss in the oil pump and that'll add another $300 at least. If it would have been done at an independent shop the total cost would still be at least $900 I'm guessing. Am I right?
After I did the coolant hose I test drove the car and seen the oil light going on and off. When I gave it back to her, I asked her if the light was doing that and she said no. I told her that it either had a bad sensor or the oil pump was going out. From what I can gather she drove the car for about 150 and it just quit. I tried to get the motor to turn and it wouldn't. So I'm pretty sure it locked up from oil starvation. In that case, the cams could be damaged and a piston is likely seized, at either rate the entire motor would need to be replaced. A motor from a junk yard would cost less than $200, it's the labor that would kill her.
My point in asking what it would cost to do the oil pump job would be to try to comfort her in knowing that she likely would not have put the money into the car due to the cost of a new oil pump on top of the labor. I think most oil pumps are behind the harmonic balancer which would require the timing belt to come off so a new timing belt job would be included in the cost. My guess is that a dealer would charge $1,100 just for a new timing belt job. Toss in the oil pump and that'll add another $300 at least. If it would have been done at an independent shop the total cost would still be at least $900 I'm guessing. Am I right?
12-28-12, 01:17 AM
#42
$900-1100 at the very least. RockAuto sells an AISIN oil pump for $150. I honestly have never heard of any issues with the ES300 oil pumps, so this is an odd one - must be a direct result of poor maintenance. Most problematic cars seem to always come from the least caring owners.
12-28-12, 05:59 AM
#43
I'm not really pointing fingers but anything with over 250,000 is allowed to have anything go, IMO. Not sure how many owners it had but there was some sludge in the top end when I took the covers off. Oil pumps rarely go bad but they do, maybe less than 5% of the time. At any point in a cars life, someone can skip a few oil changes and wear out all kinds of parts. This car had a bad odometer so there is no way that the lady knew when she was having the oil changed. Just a gamble with a high mileage car.
03-07-13, 11:47 AM
#44
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same leak
I am new to the forum and just now read your post. I am sure you have fixed it by now but if not re-post and I will tell you what I had to do to fix it.
03-07-13, 12:49 PM
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hey Donmc, you found it!! this is exactly the post I was referring to. Mr. Booby posted some excellent pics and a link. RSpi also gave good info.
was this the same hose you replaced? I am puzzled by the Toyota engineers putting a rubber hose where it would be really hard to see and reach, and wear quicker due to the enclosed area/heat.
did you also have to buy the factory hose from Toyota? it just looks like something you could use a section of coolant hose, but RSpi said NOT!
was this the same hose you replaced? I am puzzled by the Toyota engineers putting a rubber hose where it would be really hard to see and reach, and wear quicker due to the enclosed area/heat.
did you also have to buy the factory hose from Toyota? it just looks like something you could use a section of coolant hose, but RSpi said NOT!