thermostat
 

how much should I expect to pay in labor to have a thermostat put in for a 99 es300

It is about an hour worth of labor and also need to change the coolant out on this one.

thanks
my mechanic was saying that on this model the starter needs to be removed to get to it. so he has to charge extra. I have not heard that before.
is he right?
duralast from autozone is $12.
OE from Toyota it is $27. any suggestion?
also it gets pretty hot in summers here. duralast has a model that opens at 170 rather than 180F. wouldn't that offer an advantage in hot weather?

I had to remove the starter to get at the thermostat and have room to maneuver. Do go for the 170, I have nothing but praise for using the low-temp t-stat, my coolant gauge is always in the middle.

Use the OEM thermostat no exceptions. Putting in a lower temp unit will gain you nothing except increased fuel consumption and more susceptibility to sludge. The temp gauge in the cluster is buffered and interpreted by the ECU, it is not a real time indicator. Meaning a different thermostat will show little or no difference in the gauge but the engine will run colder.

also note the location of the jiggle valve. Attached is the positioning for 2002. I am not familiar for your specific year.

my new thermostat went in yesterday. I don't think the mechanic would have cared for the jiggle valve position. how critical is it? mine is a 99. how can I find out what is the jiggle valve position for my year?

Its designed to help in removing air from the system. The Lexus Service manual for 1997 shows a very similar position as 2002.

As mentioned above, use real OEM thermostat.

I always suggest using OE parts for engine parts. to me, its worth the extra cost to know you are getting good parts. and stick with OE temps. the 330 is 82 deg C.

I just picked up an 05 rx330 with 80k on it. the owner before said that he replaced it with aftermarket twice and he was still having issues with car getting to operating temps (stuck open). i replaced it with OE and the vehicle warms up normally.

sludge is typically due to heat and not changing you oil on a regular basis. this is especially on the rx300. Same motor on the es300. one of the bigger differences between the 300 and the 330 motors are bigger water jackets.

Sorry, I am not familiar with the proper position for the '06.