Just bought a 95 ES300. Love the car, but am wondering how to determine whether there was a keyless entry system (didn't get a fob with the car) and whether I can get a fob from someplace other than the dealership? Thanks - great site!

 

Yes the ES does have a keyless entry system. For your year model, the master key fob has a tiny black oval-shaped button located around the perimeter of the plastic flange. Pressing it will automatically lock/unlock the car and turn on/off the factory security system, and also yields a beep tone to indicate car being locked or unlocked.

If you want to get it done right the first time without hassles, I suggest getting the key fob from the parts dept of your dealership. Similar key fobs do show up on Ebay, but most of the time they are either uncut for your car, or they are not programmed for your car's ECU. Hope this info helps

BTW, welcome to ClubLexus!

 

Thanks for the helpful information - I went ahead and ordered the key, bringing up another question. I've found several how-tos on programming the key (patterns of locking/unlocking along with key operation). These seem straightforward; the dealer wants $68 to program the key! Since it's a VIN match for the unit in the vehicle, shouldn't I be able to do it myself (saving the $$) by following those instructions? Great site, by the way!

 

If you do find key programming instructions that coincide with the year of your car, then you should go ahead and do it; in general, most of the Lexus key programming can be done yourself unless the master ECU has been replaced. I had to order a spare valet key for my '01 ES and saved myself a trip to the dealership by programming that key fob using instructions I found from this forum

As a side note, you will find that the search engine in this forum works wonders