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Lexus ES 300/ES 330
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Comments
Every 3,750 Miles:
Oil and Oil Filter Change
Every 30,000 Miles:
Radiator Coolant Flush/Change
Air Filter Change
Transmission Fluid and Differential Fluid Flush/Change
Brake Fluid Flush/Change
BG MOA Oil Additive
BG 44K Fuel Induction Additive
Every 60,000 Miles:
Spark Plugs Change/Tune-Up
Power Steering Fluid Flush/Change
Fuel Filter Change
Battery Check/Change
Every 90,000 Miles:
Timing Belt Change
Water Pump Check/Change
Every 1 Year:
Exterior Wax/Detail
Interior Leather/Wood Cleaning and Conditioning/Detail and Carpet Shampoo
Wiper Blade Inserts Change
The computer part number is "89666-33442 Engine Computer". I had to wait about a week, but the replacement took about 12 minutes.
Thanks akw3 from Canada for the advice from an earlier message. (I think we both bought our ES300's from the same batch at Don Valley in Toronto).
I was told by a tech that the behavior of the "lazy" transmission was an after-effect of Lexus wanting to meet certain emissions standards (ULEV I believe) with the new ES. Perhaps they consider this fix temporary because it no longer makes the car ULEV-compliant. Not a concern for the car owner, but isn't something that Lexus can roll out as a permanent fix as it would void their claims of the new ES being ULEV-compliant.
That's my guess.
The character of the ES300 has been changed by the new computer.
Will continue to provide follow-up.
I love the es 300 but i don't want to buy a lemon. It seems taht both 02 and 03 have had trouble with the transmission, right?
thanks
optimist2
Man, I miss my 99 honda accord v6!
Q1: It makes a ticking sound from frontright part of the interior. The sound is like as if some plastic part is lose. And I can only hear it whenever I drive over rought surface. Do any of you have similar problems?
Q2: my leather seat is beginning to crack. Is there any way to prevent it from getting worse?
Thanks in advance for the help!
A2: Did you get a car care kit from your dealer when you bought you car? If so, use the leather cleaner then the leather conditioner. If not, then when you got in for the above, check out the parts dept. and see what they recommend for your leather seats in the way of cleaning and conditioning. See this site for proper leather seat care tips:
http://www.properautocare.com/propleatcar.html
Instead of using an applicator, apply the leather conditioner with your bare hands. That way you won't waste any into the applicator. Do this treatment at least once a year, twice is better. The Pinnacle products they mentioned are pretty good, but you might also want to check out a conditioner product called Connolly Hide Food. Learned of that stuff when I owned my POS Jaguar X-Type. ;-)
OT - speaking of Hendrick Lexus - also during my recent routine service visit I mentioned the increasing road noise coming from the Toyo Proxes J33 OEM tires. They replaced them with new Michelin Energy MXV4 Plus tires, under "customer goodwill". Wow, what a difference these new tires make! And talk about customer satisfaction!
I even told them my windshield wipers were streaking and they replaced them at no charge, too! Can't say enough about my dealership!
My dealer has been working hard to determine the source. We are reasonably certain it is coming from the A-pillar. However, after replacing the cover, I'm still hearing it. I have another appointment to try again. If your issue is resolved, be sure to share the details. It is driving me crazy, so I'm anxious to find a fix.
Should you find that there is in fact a problem, the seat belts carry a lifetime warranty (I think) and shouldn't cost you anything to repair.
Sounds like you're installing a car seat. Good luck.
just a bit at times to the left. 5) “Click” sound coming from back a couple of seconds when first pulling away. Sounds like an auto door lock but it doesn’t lock the doors.
I returned the car one week after purchase about the alignment; the other issues I’ve noticed since then and will be discussing with dealer soon. Overall I really enjoy the car. It’s quiet, smooth and quick. Thanks in advance for any advice and suggestions that you may have!
Usually in cold morning, it resists and then shifts roughly into 3rd. But when the rough shift occurs, it's usually just once, never more than twice. Regarding (2), the engine starts rather vaguely and the exhaust note is not so obvious. I used to have difficulty in determining when to release the turn of key. That may be the reason.
Heck, as I mentioned in another post, I complained to my dealer (Hendrick Lexus, Charlotte, NC) about my Toyo Proxes J33's excessive road noise - after ~7,000 miles. They replaced them with Michelins at no charge under "customer goodwill". Now that's a GREAT dealership for ya!
You referenced a clicking noise when first pulling away. I noticed a similar noise in my 01 when I first got it. I took it back to the dealer only to learn that it is quite normal. It has been a couple of years so I don't recall the exact explanation, but it has something to do with the brakes adjusting themselves. Every RX300 loaner that I have driven makes the exact same noise, and it is even more noticeable than the ES. After 2 years and 30k miles, I still have the noise. You need not worry about it.
mrrogers:
I echo neuroguy's assertion that the dealer will swap tires. When I selected my car, it had Bridgestone tires on it. I simply told the dealer that I wanted the Michelin. They swapped with another car. No resistance, no discussion, no problem.