11Past9

I need a rock solid reliable daily driver that is going to last me a long time on basic maintenance. In my price range I see a lot of 98-01 ES300s which I really like, I think they look great. I am very OCD about my cars though and am freaked out by the whole oil sludge need to replace your engine thing that happened with these cars. Here are my questions...

Is there a way that I can find out if the ES300 I'm looking at is having, had or will have this catastrophic problem?

Is the issue eventually going to happen or is it an "if you don't have sludge you're not going to" type of deal? I take care of my cars so not changing the oil is not something I see as an option.

I just can't handle buying one and then having to replace a motor, I need to be schooled on if buying an es300 is a great idea or a bad one.

hypervish

You can pull the front valve cover to check for sludge.

If the oil has been changed on time, sludge is not a concern.

Look for service records, and make sure the oil was changed on time.

11Past9

So basically if it doesn't have it when I buy it and I change the oil regularly I can get a ton of miles out of one of these?

Are there any key services to make sure were done? I'm looking at ones with 100k+ on them. I'm assuming timing belt and water pump. But other than basic stuff I didn't know if these things were special.

tomf

The 1mz-fe engine is very reliable except for the sludge issue. If you change your oil on a regular basis i don't think sludge will be a problem. Toyota used this engine on several models. Things that are likely to go after 100K miles or so are the O2 sensors, MAF, knock sensors and oil control valve. If you are handy you can replace these yourself. Also the rear valve cover gasket is notorious for failing and leaking oil. It is a pain to replace. I'd check it for leaks. The 98 model has the non-interference engine. The 99 and later models incorporated the VVT-i and are interference. If you buy a 99 and later make sure it has a newer timing belt.

I have 3 vehicles with the 1mz-fe engine. A 95 Camry V6 with 208k miles, and 2 99 ES300's with 150K and 110K miles. They all drive like they are brand new.

Some people have been known to disable the CEL light when selling a vehicle so I'd check to see if there are any error codes. Also some errors require two cycles to activate the CEL. Others require the engine to reach operating temperature before activating which takes about five minutes. You could go on a test drive and not have any error codes, then buy the ES and have the CEL come on when you are driving home. That happened to me.

I would not hesitate to buy if the price is right and the mileage is not too high.

mdbrown

All good advice. For the CEL, when you first start the car the CEL will illuminate for approx. 6 seconds as a bulb check. Look for that when you first turn the key to start. If you don't see it then the bulb has failed or someone has disabled it - walk away.

I have a 2000 ES. At 146k I've replaced the valve cover gaskets, spark plugs, 2 coils and that is pretty much it aside from the timing belt. Car is as quiet and smooth as a new car, there are times I have to check the tach to make sure it's still running. One of the things I look at in these cars is how well the exterior/interior have been cared for. If the car has a well maintained body/interior then the chances are better it has had proper oil changes.

The front valve cover is quick and easy though and I'd pull it if you can as it will tell you what you need to know. Alternatively, you can record the VIN and go to the Lexus website and find out what has been done to it at the dealer.

EEngineer

yup yup tomf mdbrown are right on the spot.
also check for abs light and suspension condition, most car by now need a suspension overhaul. make sure you go over some bumps and listen for any unwanted noises, but honestly...the 1mz engine is smooth and those cars were built with top notch reliability.

Hayk

iTrader: (1)

Yup, pretty much everything has been answered. Also check for working interior lights, lcd screens, and the gauge cluster.

PFB

And don't let ANYBODY talk you into doing a transmission flush.

Phil

rlx101

this is pretty hardcore to disable actual light on the dashboard so it does not light up at all. wow. shady business. Turning off CEL with OBDII readers is pretty "normal" on the other hand, so watch out for that. Although i dont know if there is a way to tell if CEL was turned off before the test drive. The reader wont read anything until you drive for a some number of miles.

MrShim78

I had the same thought 1.5 years ago when i was buying my 97 es300. 20,000 KM later with just oil changes, a sensor change and new sway bar links done (not more than 250 in 1.5 years) the car drives like new.
its got 210,000 KM now and the strut mounts make a bit of noise but otherwise, fantastic car , amazing engine.

question for tomf -> (in case you know) is a 97 a non interference too? this is non-vvti ....i have been trying to find out and it is so hard to get decent info on this..ie if it is or isnt....?

rhds

I am curious about the mileage for a timing belt change. Will it be needed at 90-100K?

OceanView

90K is the recommended interval but you could risk it and go longer on a non interfearance engine.
I am currently at 120K since my last timing belt change.
I haven't had the time to replace the belt myself but will do so in the next few months.

OP: the cars are reliable. find a good one and you should be pretty happy.

80ramirez

I just got a 2000 ES300 with 83,xxx and one owner in Feb. Great condition inside and out. Everything in motor is OEM. Not sure if that is good or bad. Anyways, I just changed out the valve cover gaskets because of leakage but nothing major. No signs of sludge here. Will be looking to change timing belt and water pump but just for maintenance reasons and not because it needs it. I say go for it, they are made to last.

tomf

Yes. The 1MZ-fe engine is considered non-interference. When the VVT-i is incorporated, that causes the 1MZ-fe engine to become interference. Again, model year 1999 for the Lexus ES300 incorporated VVT-i. Thus all prior year ES300s with the 1MZ-fe engine are non-interference. Toyota still used the 1mz-fe engine in other models without VVT-i for several more years. I believe the Camry V6 did not have VVT-i until 2002.

VVT-i is Variable Valve Timing. The variable timing causes the interference on the 1mz-fe engine.

mitmaks

Our 96 ES300 has 180+K on it, it has been maintained regularly, oil changes every 3K miles, timing belt when it had 160K miles, p/s pump replaced with lines (that was most expensive repair) rear main seal was replaced as well.