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A friend of mine lent me his 1994 ES300 "Winter car" for a little bit after my vehicle died. I fell in love with it and found a 1998 that I recently purchased. It's really clean insude and out with only 122K on it. there's a couple of things I would like to get done before the snow flies (I'm in Chicago) I want to replace the rotors and get new brake pads put on, and put new struts on as the rear has that "clunk" when I hit a rough patch (go figure...rough roads in ChiRaq....
I am not going to be able to do the labor myself , but want to acquire the parts for my guy to use. DO you have recommendations for the full assemby struts and new rotors? This is my commuter/everyday car and I'll run it up to about 200K before I consider what to do next. I;ve been trying to find a fix for the bad LCD screen on the radio...but it looks like I am SOL unless there's a new source for a replacement part. Also, my clock doesn't work, I bought a replacement module and that one doesn't work either, is there something simply I am missing?
Appreciate any expertise you can lend, hope to be in this forum for a long while.
Glenn
Last edited by ghahn; 09-09-18 at 04:36 PM.
Reason: picture did not post
Just bought my brother's 2001 ES300 with 163,000 miles. It is white pearl over silver with the tan leather interior. It is the first used car I've bought that I actually know the history. About the only thing I will change will be to use Mobil 1 instead of Castrol GTX and lengthen the oil change intervals from 3000 to 5000 so it will be the same as my other vehicles. The only repair planned is to fix the driver's power seat to restore the up/down function so I can plug the under-seat harness connector back together and thus restore the cruise control function. This car is a bit more complicated than the '53 Ferguson tractor I restored a few years ago - I just hope it is as reliable.
Been meaning to join the forum since last year when I bought this rare beauty. I'll have to make a separate thread with some more pictures and some information about the car, but this is my 1991 ES250.
Wow--- so weird!! I have the same pretty car... less pretty because... well, reasons (see below)... but I have the same "clunk" --- unavoidable no matter how slow I go over dips/bumps.... I'm assuming it's struts... and the LCD on my stereo doesn't work either! I just search out the stations and get them set on my presets, and curse and swear and do it all over again whenever I have to disconnect the battery for whatever reason.
** "Reasons" -- I had an awesome 1996 ES300 that I loved, I loved working on it, and it was just-- it sold me on Lexus for a reliable used car. I was just about to fix the....garsh now I can't remember--O2 sensors... and I got smacked by an uninsured idiot who turned left into me and totaled my poor Alexi (yes I named him). I had just minor injuries, but apparently the stress of the neck, shoulder, back, hip, and mostly concussion, exacerbated and brought to light a long-latent and undiagnosed illness of Multiple Sclerosis. Good times. So, before I knew about the MS, I really wanted to get into another Lexus and didn't check out the 1998 ES300 that was available right then, well enough, and the gents that owned it prior didn't take great care of it. Lots of "oh my gosh has no one ever changed this?" issues. And me with about 95 percent less energy or ability to work on it. I hope to be able to do more with this one now that it's getting cooler.
I'll be following this one for ideas and learning from your pain lol
Hey guys, new to this forum. NOT new to Lexus. LEXUS CERTIFIED TECH 6+YRS
2000 ES300 -GRAPHITE GRAY PEARL-3RD OWNER
are you still in texas and work on lexus?
you could be a great resource as I just to moved to texas and am looking for somebody as I have a 99 es that I plan keeping.
Hi. New to the list, but have had my 1998 ES300 for about 7 years. Bought it second-hand (obviously) and have had very little issues with it.
White with tan interior. Stock. Haven't done anything to it but DRIVE it. New tires as you might expect given that it has 205,000 miles on it.
Very dependable, which is why I bought it for my daughter. Somehow, she got to upgrade to a 2007 RX330 and I got the 98 ES300. What we dads do for our daughters.
Pic below (and engine is running; no smoke!)
Lately have had a perplexing issue with RED oil light; have posted in another thread. Hope I can keep this car for another 200,000 miles.
I share your circumstance. son got promoted to Passat after he had put 80K on our 99 es.
I have now inherited it as nobody would buy it. I have given it some love and it is giving a lot of love back. it just turned 200. I am using as my daily driver, about 70 hwy miles to and fro work. hopefully can cross 300 !
Hello, I recently just bought a 97' Lexus ES300 for $1100 dollars, it has 130k miles and runs great. My plans are to keep it simple and clean. I have some small modifications already and I have a set of IS300 wheels + tires on the way. I picked up the wheels and tires for 400 bucks. I can't wait to keep up with the forums and share my progress with everyone. This is my first Lexus and I'm in love.
Hello,
Please accept me as the junior most member of your club. Just now I purchased one car, yes Lexus. Not new, its old, very old. 2000 model, es 300 platinum. The current shape of it is like this.
I bought it because I loved this model long before. Now only I could make a purchase. I paid around $1000. (So, I spend a lot less than all of you to be a member here)
It need new tires, paint, fix the central lock etc. Now sitting in the work shop. I want to make it right.
I may be in need of your advice, help and guidance.
I hope you will.
Just bought 1999 ES300 a couple of months ago. 2-tone with tan interior. Coach Edition, I guess, not sure what that even means! But it had 203,000 miles on it. Previous owner took good care of her, except for the paint. I am by no means a car mechanic but I learn fast and have done a few DIYs from here and trusty youtube. Hoping to get this car sufficiently reliable to let my teenage daughter drive her. Having what seems to be a typical problem- CEL and "TRAC OFF" lights on simultaneously. Codes P1153 and P0420. I have been advised that the VVT solenoids should be replaced as most likely culprit. I also have plugs and coils I got from a prior ES300 owner who gave me some insight. I'll be sure to share my progress. Also have small oil leak from what looks to be in the vicinity of the power steering pump/timing belt area. not bad enough to worry about yet.
So far-- New cabin air filter (denso, off amazon) there wasn't one in it! Changed alternator (Denso), Hood struts (generic, amazon), Top engine mount (generic, Amazon), Oil change (conventional 5W30, considering going syn, but I don't think there's even been syn in it, so I'm thinking that's perhaps a waste at this point (especially with the leak). Plan is to drain/fill trans fluid every oil change to eventually get new fluid in there. making sure to do it cold and put EXACTLY the same amount of fluid in it as taken out. Got the OEM Trans oil at local Toyo dealer for CHEAPER than Amazon/auto zone, etc. Only $75 for a case of 12!! Who says the dealer is a ripoff for everything? haha
anyway, love the forum, this is awesome being able to work on cars myself!
I have a 99 es with similar codes that I have not tackled. what did yo do to fix them? I needed steering pump replaced to fix the leak.
New here, just picked up this 2000 ES300 Platinum with 90k miles for a daily driver to keep the miles off my other vehicles. Love this thing so far. Factory HID's and all the other goodies. So far I've put new tint on it, brought it up to speed with a double din touch screen head unit so I could get bluetooth capabilities, and swapped to LED's inside. Wanting to find some newer lexus wheels for it for an OEM+ look. Other then that I'm just going to commute in it and enjoy it.
I need help finding the reverse signal wire location on a 2003 Lexus ES 300
My car is 2003 lexus ES300, I want install backup camera into factory GPS navigation, I need help finding the reverse signal wire back of HU. Can someone point me in the right direction? Thanks
Wife got tired of 97 Mustang GT and wanted "Nicer" car. This car has 127K and was garaged and well maintained. I'm still a muscle car guy but have to admit Lexus rides nice... Has leather that is flawless and other than a non functioning drivers window, looks and runs great. Will post pics soon.
09-09-18, 04:20 PM
1998 ES 300 new to Forum
