I have a 2000 ES 3000 (bought at close-out in late Sept.).
It does show some, what I call, minor wind noise depending on crosswinds and "driving conditions", but generally it is very quiet for a compact-size car. In short, I have been rather pleased overall.
Gripes include no "one swipe" position on wipers like Hondas/Mazdas have, and after washing it takes about 24h before rolling down the windows won't dampen and smear the glass. Nothing defective noted at all...though carwash (handwash, high dollar "Autopia" place across from Jag Dealer no less) did bust rt. turn signal lens (they paid after trying to hide it first!) Ugggh!!!
It is the best assembled car I have ever owned. Though the frameless windows do remind me a bit of my Dad's long gone 1974 Mercury Montego sedan that I leaned to drive in...
If they can show no air leaks, and other cars that are the same, you are going to have a tough sell in arbitration IMHO.
Also, I live in Walnut Creek, and bought my car at Lexus of Concord. You can email me at mwik@value.net, and I'd be happy to trade telephone numbers to chat on your problem.
Of course Lexus is going to fix something when there really is no problem with the car. All cars have windnoise. It's a fact. There are seams, doors, rubber and that means when the car is travelling there is going to be noise produced as the car cuts through the wind. There is no fix.
I'm sorry, but I don't know how you can expect to buy any car for any price and not expect wind noise.
My parent's $60K 2000 LS400 has slight windnoise, my parent's 95 ES300 has some windnoise, my 2000 Acura 3.2TL has wind noise. There is no way around it.
rolloman,
The bushing price is about $15. And I have found alot of times to replace the bushings, the steering rack does need to be replaced. Still, I would have it checked out by either another Lexus dealer, a Toyota dealer or a local reputable shop that does steering rack installs.
Also if you need to have your rack replaced you may want to have to done somewhere other than a Lexus dealer as they can get you a rebuilt rack-and-pinion unit for alot less than a brand new one.
Had 99 ES300 for year and a half and 22k miles. Very minimal wind noise. I actually never really paid any attention until people here brought the subject up. Now that I paid attention, it is very acceptable. I am pleased with mine.
See my previous posts. I was having a very annoying wind noise coming in through my passenger window. Lexus tried to fix the adhesive backing on the rubber seal at first. That worked for two days. Finally they agreed to replace the whole rubber door seal(The fronts and back door seal is one piece) that fixed the problem of having the wind leak in as if the window was slightly open. The dealer said the same as yours it is normal. I pushed the issue with them and they appear to have corrected the problem. When I pushed the issue the service manager seemed to know exactly what I was talking about and stated that LEXUS replace the Rubber seal as well as adjust the windows to coincide with the new seal I could tell I was not the first person with this problem. I would continue to fight with them until you are satisfied.
So are these compaints due to normal noise or bad window and door seals? I guess I'm one of the lucky ones. My ES is the quietest car I've ever owned. Much quieter than our last 2 MBZs (190E and 300E), although the new E-class is reported to be better than the ES now. That wasn't the case with older E. As enigmaone says, no car will be completely quiet, but the car should not sound like the window is open when it's not either.
I have nothing against Volvo, but I do think you're in the wrong conference. Start a new topic somewhre called Volve S70 vs. Lexus ES300. This conference here seems to be for ES300 owners and potential owners to discuss about the ES300 such as their experience with the cars, their opinions, and advices to be given as you see in the post.
Are we talking about windnoise leaking into the car? if it is I guess mine is fixed (at least for a week or so I have not heard leaking wind even in strong wind.) But if we're talking about wind noise while the car is driven cutting through the wind, that I have plenty. I think it is annoying but doubt that anything can be done about that since there is no air coming in that means nothing is open to be fixed or adjusted anymore. Well, unless the glass will be replaced with thicker glass.
I've been asking myself whether I was so lucky to get a unusually super quiet Corolla or I'm too unlucky to get a noisy Lexus. I noticed how quiet my Corolla was after a week driving an annoying Protege. I could here any engine noise from other cars around me, except from the trucks, school bus or old lousy cars when I was sitting in my Corolla with the windows closed and no radio/CD. but now I can here everything outside while driving my Lexus with/without the radio/CD on. I would think my Lexus noise level is almost as high as the Protege.
I took my car to Lindsay for 30 day service. They told me there is somthing wrong with my engine (I complained that it is loud.) They said something about bearings??. Again, I guess I could use my excuse of being a woman. I had no idea what they were talking about. Anyone has any thoughts on that?
Anyways, they said they don't know how to fixed the probem at this point but will contact Lexus engineers to get their advice on how to proceed on fixing this problem. I'll have to bring it back in a couple weeks. Hopefully, the problem can be fixed then.
Boy! Ain't I a lucky one with this kind of experience with a Lexus like nobody else does?
I am considering an ES 300 or Acura 3.2TL. Will buy within two weeks. Have not seen any price information on this site. Acura 3.2TL forums continuously update the best deals. Live in Brooklyn,NY but would consider going to N.J. if deal is right. Lexus owners please forward the best negotiated deals that are around. Thanks alot. We have to stick together.
I'd love to help you out, but I bought mine 3 months ago. 2000 ES300 VP and HID for $31328 including fees but not TTL. If you follow this discussion back to the Aug/Sept time frame, there was considerable discussion on internet brokers, costco/priceclub buying programs, etc. Also the Edmunds TVP is a good place to start to set expectations. If you are not in a hurry, the 2001 prices should get some major discounts as late spring and summer approaches as the 2002s will be completely different cars.
Have you tried Ray Catena in Larchmont? If you don't mind driving to Jersey, you may want to check out Ray Catena in New Jersey. IN Jersey, they give the best deals!
I think the outside mirrors may be causing most of the wind noise problems presented in this discussion, except in cases where wind is leaking in. perhaps if lexus redesign these outside mirror to be more aerodynamic/less wind friction, most of the wind noise may be eliminated. in anycase, es300 is still among the quietest sedans, most more expensive than es, on the planet.
cardilemma hope you will find the deal you want. sddlw makes a good point--you may get a good discount on the 2001 model late in the year cuz the dealer would want to make room for the all new 2002 model. 2001 model, like enigmaone said, may be most reliable of latest generation es.
and do you guys know if it's possible to reduce the timing of setting the alarm? currently it's 30 seconds after all the doors/trunk/hood are closed/locked. It would be great to reduce it to 15 or even 10 sec. and to address an earlier concern about the auto headlights feature, mine goes out immediately when the door is opened--don't have to wait 30 sec like some of you have stated. it's great.
Congratulations on an outstanding comparison between the ES300 and Lincoln LS--and thanks for one of the most enlightened postings in the Town Hall in many months. Permit me to add one more comparative observation. Resale value----the LS is a distant second place in this category, by any stretch of the imagination. For a variety of reasons, Lincolns in any model depreciate excessively, and that's sad in a way, because Ford has done a good job with the LS variant.
I had wind noise in my new acura with frameless windows awhile back.
I finally figured out that the car has such a tight seal inside, the air pressure would increase to push the windows out when I closed the windows, and on certain days and when the car was moving.
It sounded like the windows were slightly open.
I solved the problem by re-opening and re-closing one of the rear windows to relieve the cabin of this pressure inbalance, and also closed one side first then the other side, and it worked. It was like "burping" one of those resealable containers
I sold the car last month and the owner called me upset that the car was noisy...I told him how to fix it and he is fine now.
Also, I would strongly recommend looking at the Costco prenegotiated prices if you have one in your area. This was by far the best price I could find or negotiate in San Diego without waiting for an internet broker to try and find a car, and I got it just by showing up. Well, in fact, I got it over the phone, along with 5 or 6 internet broker prices and then started calling around and visiting the area showrooms. Carorder.com seemed to have the absolute lowest price, but they had to go out and find a car once you made a commitment and entered a purchase escrow agreement.
In order to compare all of the various prices, you need to jot everything down and ask a lot of questions because some quotes will include ad and delivery fees, others will not. In the end, Costco was about $4,200 off MSRP and about $500 more than Carorder, but the Costco participating dealer had the car I wanted on the lot (the last one) and carorder was going to go hunting for it, with no guarantee they would find it (at year end).
One thing is for sure. The lot salesmen will start their sales pitch telling you how they cannot discount the price because demand is high and supply is low ..... and for me, Costco already had $4K knocked off the price (if you had this information).
That really sounds like a pretty good price for a 2001. The real discounting shouldn't start for a few months yet, so I wouldn't loose too much sleep over it.
But for those still shopping, I am truely amazed at the Costco prices for cars considering this s a totally hassle free price you get ... just for doing a little up front work and then just showing up.
The internet brokers are intriguing. Some of them are just like your credit union and Costco in that they have pre-arranged pricing with area dealers. Some of them though actually set up an escrow, do the purchase transaction and deliver your car to you. For someone looking for a rock-bottom price, Carorder.com seemed to be the lowest price out their when I was shopping. But they have to find the car, go through an escrow, deliver the car, and you do not establish an initial relationship with a dealer when things are not quite right and need attention. Theoretically, this should not make a difference and any nearby dealer should take car of you, but I think there is something to a dealer having made a little money from you when you show up a couple weeks later and say that something isn't right.
Does anyone have a 1997 Lexus 300 where the driver's seat leather is splitting? It has happened to me twice on the bolster - once in 1999 and again 14 months later after a dealer repair. I would like to hear any other similar experience.
Does anyone know how many other cars have the same features as my 2000 ES300? For example it seems like my car is the only one on the road with out a crank up antenna. Also do most new cars have the one touch windows? I appreciate any comments. I'm just curious.
I got a 2001 that does not have one touch windows which really puzzle me. Even my 99 Corolla LE has that one touch capability, how can a 2001 luxury car that's made from the same manufacturer does not have that function? I thought that's weird. I thought there must be a disadvantage for having a one touch function (?????) that's why Lexus decides not to build the car that way (???)
alexs95,
your antenna is built-in inside the rear window which I think better that way. Why would you want a crankup antenna?
The Lexus ES300 does have one-touch auto open and close windows for both front windows(front driver & Passenger windows) and the moonroof has a one-touch open and close feature. All ES300s since 1999 have had one-touch up/down front windows with pinch protection. If you press the window button all the way down and release it the window will lower all the way automatically, and if you pull the switch up for either of the front 2 windows, the windows will raise automatically, all the way.
alexs95,
Most of the newer cars don't have power antenna's anymore. Every year less and less cars are coming with a power antenna mast. Every Lexus save for the SUVs and IS300 have no antenna mast. All 3 antennas are embedded in the rear windshield(2 for stereo and one for cellular phone).
THe features available on your ES300 are basically all available on some others cars sold.
not trying to sound harsh or anything but a lot of the features of the car and how they operates can be found in the owners manual that came with your car. I personally read mine word for word.
yeah, I was thinking about looking at my manual but have been lazy to do so, and if nobody posted the same thing I would have looked at it tonight. I thought the ES300 one-touch function works the same way as my Corolla, thus, didn't think it is necessary to look at the manual but now I don't think it does. I remember pushing slightly (not all the way down) on the button and releasing it after a second (for the Corolla) would initiate the one-touch function. I tried to do the same with the ES300. I don't know...I could remember wrong though.
Did your salesperson go over the features with you? I would think if you also need to find out how anything works, you should go back to the dealer and ask him/her to show you. Personally, I always told each of my customers to screw the manual and come back to me if they needed to figure out how anything worked.
turbotc, I never read the manual or go back to the dealer, I find its kinda cool to just figure stuff out as you go. Kinda keeps owning a car interesting.
I was wondering - do you all take your cars to the dealership for oil changes (paying a much higher price) or do you go to a place that specializes in oil changes (Jiffy-Lube, Wal-Mart, etc.). My car is still under warranty ('98 ES300), but I'm not sure if this affects it. Thanks!
You read EVERY word of the owner's manual? You must have an abundance of free time.
I've seen yellow pages not as thick as some of these auto owners manuals.
I'm with Enigmaone. Half the fun is stumbling onto a new feature. Itsatisfies the "explorer" in me. Three cheers for unecessary options!
Have a good one!
Kelnshe---I wouldn't recommend dealer oil changes unless part of complimentary (even though it's included in price of car) first 20,000 mile service that some Lexus dealers offer.
Why pay inflated prices just to sit in fancy waiting room? I take my Lexus to my Goodyear guy and get a free rotation to boot. Of course, I don't get a free car wash, but I'd rather wash it myself anyway.
I would only recommend warranty work at your Lexus dealer. Find an honest, dependable mechanic and save big $$$.
If it's acceptable to change a Camry V6 or Avalon oil outside the dealer, then it should be no biggie to change ES300's oil at non-dealer shops. Afterall, they have the same engine and tranny.
Well, I didn't actually read word by word but I went thru the whole book and read the things that I found interesting and skipped over things like how to pump gas into the car and how to start it etc..... What else was I gonna do for a 6 hours flight from Boston to San Diego? Sleep? No way not when I am afraid to fly. But I was trying to program my garage opener and took like 1/2 hour. I got fed up and was gonna call my dealer when I decide to look at manual and came across the rolling-code topic. I folled instructions and within 5 minutes it worked beautifu. Thats how to I came to decide to read the manual.
I change my own oil. Toyota dealer near me always let the oil drip off the oil filter and I would get a small puddle in my garage the next day so I do it myself now. Bosch oil filter at Autozone for $5 and Pennzoil 5w30. lexus dealer is an hour away. by the time I get there, I would have been done doing it myself with the satisfaction I did it right my way.
From going thru the salesman orientation, perusing the owner's manual, and just plain experimenting, I've found several little features on the ES300 (mine's a 2000) that are useful and/or fun.
For example, do you all know that: --there's a tilt feature to your steering wheel? --there's a knob to make the beep heard when you lock or unlock the doors with the remote louder or softer, or silenced altogether? --there's a button to turn on or off your traction control or Vehicle Skid Control? --there's a dandy little outside temperature gauge on the dash? --double-clicking the door closing button on the key remote when it's dark outside turns the headlights off instantly? --pressing and holding the door closing button on the remote for more than 2 or 3 seconds activates the very loud, beeping, anti-theft alarm? --pressing the moonroof button forward raises the rear of the moonroof several inches for fresh air in rainy conditions? --leaving both the headlight switch and the fog light switch in the full-on position means you never have to turn your lights on or off because of the auto-on/auto-off feature? --there's an emergency pull cable in the trunk (left hand side) that opens the gas cover door in the event that the remote button on the dash doesn't work? --there's a nice first aid kit in your trunk, as well as the very important wheel lock socket?
Most of you probably know all this and more, but some may not have come across them yet. I'm sure there are a number of others little things that I've either forgotten or haven't discoverd yet.
I change my own oil on my '97 at 4000 mile intervals. I use synthetic oil (Mobil 1 or Castrol Syntek) and Fram filters from K-Mart or Target. If you do it your self, you can rest assured its done right.
Here's one that I don't believe is in the maunal. When locking your car, if you hit the lock button twice in rapid succession, your lights will turn off instantly, without the 30 second delay.
Where is the sound control knob for the lock/unlock feature?
My wife and I have a 98 ES300 and until I started perusing this board, I was not aware that the lights stay on when you turn the key off. We have ours set for "auto??" (we bought it as a CPO Lexus and it must have already been set), and the lights always go off when we open the door. A couple of weeks ago, someone was asking how to make the lights go off before the 30 sec. delay. Shows you how "uninformed" I was. There really is good information on this board. Thanks everyone and a Happy Holiday Season (whatever way you celebrate)!
Yes, it worked. I think I tried to push the button all the way down too. but now I figured that it didnt work because it kept my finger on the button too long. Now I just push the button and let go right away. The window rolls up-n-down like "a charm." But it didn't work for the back widnow like you said.
By the way, I didn't know that salespersons participate in the conference. I hope my salesman did not see my previuos postings. I was just angry with him, not intending to sabotage his reputation or business. I did not sending in any complaints like I thought I would and did not send in the customer service evaluation form either.
Anyways, he did his best to make my anger go away, by keep calling to follow up with any problems that I have with the car and sending me Lexus gift, a sweatshirt and a cap to make me happy. I was going to send them back but see no point why I have to spend money to send them back so I kept them. At least I know he knows his fault and apologized. But no matter what he does it will not change my mind about that dealership's service. I will never bring my car there again.
My salesman did explain alot of features, though not all. I did not go there for the orientation to learn more about other features that I didn't know about. I don't remember he explained how the one touch works. Maybe the feature is too basic that he thinks I could easily figure that out myself and not worth mentioning about which I don't blame him.
I'm much happier with my car now. The engine noise is now lowered considerably after Lindsay's tech. fixed it for me. I still hear outside noise more than I expect in a Lexus but it's not that annoying as before the windows are fixed. I could be just picky and expecting too much in Lexus. Besides, what can they do about the outside noise?
Turbotc, If you have to read patent applications and issued patents all day long like me, you would not want to read anythign else when you get home. I'd rather talk on the phone or watch TV after work. But, you're right, reading manual is the good way to do it when you already tried for a long time without success and there is nobody readily there to tell you how to do it.
I thought having your oil change at other places other than Lexsus dealership would affect your warranty. Lexus will not pay for your repair if one is needed. Don't you have to bring your car there for complete checkup, tire rotatition etc...
Assuming that your car is fairly new you won't need to do any maintanance for while. Basically you want to change your fluids when they are due such as transmission, coolant and most importantly the oil. I always make sure my cars's fluids are changed when they are due, tires in good shape and inflated properly, belts and hoses and brakes are in good condition, spark plugs and wires changed when they are due. To make the long story short if you maintain your car well you should be in good shape winter or summer. Although you are more likely to have a dead battery during the cold months but usually battery is replaced when they are dead anyways. Your warranty should not be void if you have your car serviced at places other than a dealer, but if you plan on not having dealer service it, you should bring it some place that's reputable. But there are some things best to have dealer service as well.
Here's how to find the knob to raise or lower the volume of the beep you hear when you press the lock, unlock, or trunk unlock keys on the remote of a late model ES300:
When sitting in the driver's seat, lean toward the right so you can see the ignition lock. If you follow with your finger straight down from there about 8" or so, following the curve of the dash, you'll find the push button to toggle on or off your traction control or VSC. Then keep following with your finger for another 4" or 5" so that your finger is out of view under the dash, then move it to the left about 2". You should feel a small round knob that controls the "beep" volume. All the way to the right is maximum volume, all the way to the left is silent, anywhere in between varies the beep volume a bit.
Of course you could contort way down and look for it under the dash, or crawl under there from the outside, but it's just as easy using your finger to trace it, and much safer when you're driving!!
That volume knob for the keyless entry on 98-on ES300s is almost vertically aligned with the steering wheel, but under the dash. It is a black knob and is after the underneath of the dash ends. It's quite easy to see the knob if you lean under the dash a bit in bright light.
can I have a stupid question? I can see why one wants to deactivate the airbags but I don't understand why the VSC or traction control should be deactivated. Isn't it supposed to be there for your safety (not like the airbag which can kill you if it is not used properly)? why would one want to turn it off?
turbotc, when you say a service is "due" you mean at 5K or 7.5K recommended by Lexus? I planned to have my car service at 5K but a service advsior told me I could just have an oil change at mid-way of 7.5K and then have a complete service at 7.5K.
According to the owners manual, you can use any grade of fuel. (87-92 octane) Whatever your wallet says. I have a 99 ES and I use reg (87) since I bought the car a year ago this past Sept.
Regualar is fine. Premium unleaded would be fine also and you will probably see a bit more power from the engine. But regular will do no damage to the engine.
liev,
The VSC/Trac has a off-button because sometimes you need to turn it off. The problem with Traction control/VSC is that it takes power away from the drive wheels by applying braking power and/or reducing engine power going to the wheels. And if you drive in the snow, sometimes you know you need tire spinning to get out of a stuck situation! Turning off VSC/Trac allows you to spin wheels if you are stuck in snow and therefore allows you to get a rocking motion going so that a car can get out. Leaving VSC/Trac on would not allow you to do that. Also, some people prefer to turn VSC/Trac off sometimes because it does intervene alot during aggressive driving and therefore some feel it takes the "fun" out of driving, which it does.
Airbags do not have a on/off switch because that is the law. The only cars/trucks that can have a on/off switch from the factory for passenger side airbags are cars with only 2 front seats or rear seats incapable of holding a child seat.
I too have used only regular unleaded gas (87 Octane) in my 2000 ES300 since new, and I've yet to hear a ping or any feel any hesitation or loss of power. My dealership salesman and the service advisor both said that regular was just fine.
I think you would be OK changing your oil at every 5k miles. When I first got our 99 ES300, I had oil changed every 5k miles or so. But now it has 23k miles and as the ehgine gets more mileage into it the oil seems to get "darker" quicker. At the very 1st oil change at 5k miles the oil looks almost like new. But now after 4k miles or so the oil is definitely darker. Anyways I change my oil every 4k miles or so and plan to continue doing so. I do it myself anyways since dealer is an hour away. Total costs less than $15 for parts. I just feel better with 4k miles as I am planning to drive it to the ground anyways.
As far as the 7.5k service. I think it is just a waste. All fluids are too new to be changed. They say they will check out your car but the car is too new, do you think they actually will "check it out"? I don't think so. Besides you got warranty so just bring it in if you discover anything. I believe they also rotate your tires too. Total cost probably at least $90 or so. I have my tires rotate and balanced at local Toyota dealer for $19.
As far as gas. I use premium 91 octane. I know I could use 87 and most likely new have a problem. But being that I only filled her up with premium since new. I rather continue doing so. besides $1.55 for 87 and $1.71 for 91. Not a big deal for me anyways.
My car does not seem to pick up its speed well enough. Every time I push the gas pedal after a stop at a traffic light my car would not go. It was even slower than a 4.0 liter Honda Accord stopped right next to me even though I intentionally intended to beat it one time after a stop at a traffic light. Sometimes the car waits about .5-1 second after I push against the gas pedal then jerks back before it takes off. I had the feeling that the car takes a lot of effort to pick up its speed, the same feeling as I had with my Corolla except the ES300 does a lot better job going uphill. First I thought maybe that's how the car is. but now I suspect there is something wrong. A V6 can't be like that because I remember driving a V6 Ford Taurus and Acura 3.0CL that I borowed from my family members, they didn't feel like that. Any opinion anyone? does any experience the same problem with the ES300?
Also, I had my tire pressure adjusted to 30 PSI in order to achieve a softer, smoother ride. Now it is colder (30's), according to some previuos postings, the air pressure drops, it could be at around 28 PSI now. do you think I should bring the tire pressure up or 28 PSI should be OK?
1 - You didn't say what year your ES300 is. If it's still under warranty, take it in to Lexus. If it's not under warranty, take it in to Lexus, Toyota, or any reputable garage for a check, probably a tuneup needed or perhaps a clogged fuel filter. No car should run as you describe, let alone a Lexus!!
2 - Check your tires with a good air gauge and bring them back to 30-32 PSI. Cold weather does lower the pressure by about 1 pound per 10 degrees of temperature drop, so if you had it at 30 PSI when it was in the 70s and now it's in the 30s, you may be down as low as 26 PSI or so.
Comments
It does show some, what I call, minor wind noise depending on crosswinds and "driving conditions", but generally it is very quiet for a compact-size car. In short, I have been rather pleased overall.
Gripes include no "one swipe" position on wipers like Hondas/Mazdas have, and after washing it takes about 24h before rolling down the windows won't dampen and smear the glass. Nothing defective noted at all...though carwash (handwash, high dollar "Autopia" place across from Jag Dealer no less) did bust rt. turn signal lens (they paid after trying to hide it first!) Ugggh!!!
It is the best assembled car I have ever owned. Though the frameless windows do remind me a bit of my Dad's long gone 1974 Mercury Montego sedan that I leaned to drive in...
If they can show no air leaks, and other cars that are the same, you are going to have a tough sell in arbitration IMHO.
Also, I live in Walnut Creek, and bought my car at Lexus of Concord. You can email me at mwik@value.net, and I'd be happy to trade telephone numbers to chat on your problem.
Of course Lexus is going to fix something when there really is no problem with the car. All cars have windnoise. It's a fact. There are seams, doors, rubber and that means when the car is travelling there is going to be noise produced as the car cuts through the wind. There is no fix.
I'm sorry, but I don't know how you can expect to buy any car for any price and not expect wind noise.
My parent's $60K 2000 LS400 has slight windnoise, my parent's 95 ES300 has some windnoise, my 2000 Acura 3.2TL has wind noise. There is no way around it.
rolloman,
The bushing price is about $15. And I have found alot of times to replace the bushings, the steering rack does need to be replaced. Still, I would have it checked out by either another Lexus dealer, a Toyota dealer or a local reputable shop that does steering rack installs.
Also if you need to have your rack replaced you may want to have to done somewhere other than a Lexus dealer as they can get you a rebuilt rack-and-pinion unit for alot less than a brand new one.
I've been asking myself whether I was so lucky to get a unusually super quiet Corolla or I'm too unlucky to get a noisy Lexus. I noticed how quiet my Corolla was after a week driving an annoying Protege. I could here any engine noise from other cars around me, except from the trucks, school bus or old lousy cars when I was sitting in my Corolla with the windows closed and no radio/CD. but now I can here everything outside while driving my Lexus with/without the radio/CD on. I would think my Lexus noise level is almost as high as the Protege.
I took my car to Lindsay for 30 day service. They told me there is somthing wrong with my engine (I complained that it is loud.) They said something about bearings??. Again, I guess I could use my excuse of being a woman. I had no idea what they were talking about. Anyone has any thoughts on that?
Anyways, they said they don't know how to fixed the probem at this point but will contact Lexus engineers to get their advice on how to proceed on fixing this problem. I'll have to bring it back in a couple weeks. Hopefully, the problem can be fixed then.
Boy! Ain't I a lucky one with this kind of experience with a Lexus like nobody else does?
Have you tried Ray Catena in Larchmont? If you don't mind driving to Jersey, you may want to check out Ray Catena in New Jersey. IN Jersey, they give the best deals!
of the wind noise problems presented in this
discussion, except in cases where wind is leaking
in. perhaps if lexus redesign these outside mirror
to be more aerodynamic/less wind friction, most
of the wind noise may be eliminated. in anycase,
es300 is still among the quietest sedans, most
more expensive than es, on the planet.
cardilemma hope you will find the deal you want.
sddlw makes a good point--you may get a good
discount on the 2001 model late in the year cuz
the dealer would want to make room for the all new
2002 model. 2001 model, like enigmaone said, may
be most reliable of latest generation es.
and do you guys know if it's possible to reduce
the timing of setting the alarm? currently it's
30 seconds after all the doors/trunk/hood are
closed/locked. It would be great to reduce it to
15 or even 10 sec.
and to address an earlier concern about the
auto headlights feature, mine goes out immediately
when the door is opened--don't have to wait 30 sec
like some of you have stated. it's great.
Permit me to add one more comparative observation. Resale value----the LS is a distant second place in this category, by any stretch of the imagination. For a variety of reasons, Lincolns in any model depreciate excessively, and that's sad in a way, because Ford has done a good job with the LS variant.
I finally figured out that the car has such a tight seal inside, the air pressure would increase to push the windows out when I closed the windows, and on certain days and when the car was moving.
It sounded like the windows were slightly open.
I solved the problem by re-opening and re-closing one of the rear windows to relieve the cabin of this pressure inbalance, and also closed one side first then the other side, and it worked. It was like "burping" one of those resealable containers
I sold the car last month and the owner called me upset that the car was noisy...I told him how to fix it and he is fine now.
May not be your problem, but you never know!
Bubba
In order to compare all of the various prices, you need to jot everything down and ask a lot of questions because some quotes will include ad and delivery fees, others will not. In the end, Costco was about $4,200 off MSRP and about $500 more than Carorder, but the Costco participating dealer had the car I wanted on the lot (the last one) and carorder was going to go hunting for it, with no guarantee they would find it (at year end).
One thing is for sure. The lot salesmen will start their sales pitch telling you how they cannot discount the price because demand is high and supply is low ..... and for me, Costco already had $4K knocked off the price (if you had this information).
About windnoise, I'm pretty much happy with my car now because I don't hear any leaking wind anymore.
I did try to do the same thing bubba70 did, but it didn't work.
But for those still shopping, I am truely amazed at the Costco prices for cars considering this s a totally hassle free price you get ... just for doing a little up front work and then just showing up.
The internet brokers are intriguing. Some of them are just like your credit union and Costco in that they have pre-arranged pricing with area dealers. Some of them though actually set up an escrow, do the purchase transaction and deliver your car to you. For someone looking for a rock-bottom price, Carorder.com seemed to be the lowest price out their when I was shopping. But they have to find the car, go through an escrow, deliver the car, and you do not establish an initial relationship with a dealer when things are not quite right and need attention. Theoretically, this should not make a difference and any nearby dealer should take car of you, but I think there is something to a dealer having made a little money from you when you show up a couple weeks later and say that something isn't right.
I've never heard it called "burping", though
alexs95,
your antenna is built-in inside the rear window which I think better that way. Why would you want a crankup antenna?
are you a Lexus saleslady? which dealer do you work for?
alexs95,
Most of the newer cars don't have power antenna's anymore. Every year less and less cars are coming with a power antenna mast. Every Lexus save for the SUVs and IS300 have no antenna mast. All 3 antennas are embedded in the rear windshield(2 for stereo and one for cellular phone).
THe features available on your ES300 are basically all available on some others cars sold.
So the auto up/down feature works now?
Did your salesperson go over the features with you? I would think if you also need to find out how anything works, you should go back to the dealer and ask him/her to show you. Personally, I always told each of my customers to screw the manual and come back to me if they needed to figure out how anything worked.
turbotc,
I never read the manual or go back to the dealer, I find its kinda cool to just figure stuff out as you go. Kinda keeps owning a car interesting.
I've seen yellow pages not as thick as some of these auto owners manuals.
I'm with Enigmaone. Half the fun is stumbling onto a new feature. Itsatisfies the "explorer" in me. Three cheers for unecessary options!
Have a good one!
Kelnshe---I wouldn't recommend dealer oil changes unless part of complimentary (even though it's included in price of car) first 20,000 mile service that some Lexus dealers offer.
Why pay inflated prices just to sit in fancy waiting room? I take my Lexus to my Goodyear guy and get a free rotation to boot. Of course, I don't get a free car wash, but I'd rather wash it myself anyway.
I would only recommend warranty work at your Lexus dealer. Find an honest, dependable mechanic and save big $$$.
I change my own oil. Toyota dealer near me always let the oil drip off the oil filter and I would get a small puddle in my garage the next day so I do it myself now. Bosch oil filter at Autozone for $5 and Pennzoil 5w30. lexus dealer is an hour away. by the time I get there, I would have been done doing it myself with the satisfaction I did it right my way.
For example, do you all know that:
--there's a tilt feature to your steering wheel?
--there's a knob to make the beep heard when you lock or unlock the doors with the remote louder or softer, or silenced altogether?
--there's a button to turn on or off your traction control or Vehicle Skid Control?
--there's a dandy little outside temperature gauge on the dash?
--double-clicking the door closing button on the key remote when it's dark outside turns the headlights off instantly?
--pressing and holding the door closing button on the remote for more than 2 or 3 seconds activates the very loud, beeping, anti-theft alarm?
--pressing the moonroof button forward raises the rear of the moonroof several inches for fresh air in rainy conditions?
--leaving both the headlight switch and the fog light switch in the full-on position means you never have to turn your lights on or off because of the auto-on/auto-off feature?
--there's an emergency pull cable in the trunk (left hand side) that opens the gas cover door in the event that the remote button on the dash doesn't work?
--there's a nice first aid kit in your trunk, as well as the very important wheel lock socket?
Most of you probably know all this and more, but some may not have come across them yet. I'm sure there are a number of others little things that I've either forgotten or haven't discoverd yet.
Anyone care to add to this list?
Al Finegold
Where is the sound control knob for the lock/unlock feature?
By the way, I didn't know that salespersons participate in the conference. I hope my salesman did not see my previuos postings. I was just angry with him, not intending to sabotage his reputation or business. I did not sending in any complaints like I thought I would and did not send in the customer service evaluation form either.
Anyways, he did his best to make my anger go away, by keep calling to follow up with any problems that I have with the car and sending me Lexus gift, a sweatshirt and a cap to make me happy. I was going to send them back but see no point why I have to spend money to send them back so I kept them. At least I know he knows his fault and apologized. But no matter what he does it will not change my mind about that dealership's service. I will never bring my car there again.
My salesman did explain alot of features, though not all. I did not go there for the orientation to learn more about other features that I didn't know about. I don't remember he explained how the one touch works. Maybe the feature is too basic that he thinks I could easily figure that out myself and not worth mentioning about which I don't blame him.
I'm much happier with my car now. The engine noise is now lowered considerably after Lindsay's tech. fixed it for me. I still hear outside noise more than I expect in a Lexus but it's not that annoying as before the windows are fixed. I could be just picky and expecting too much in Lexus. Besides, what can they do about the outside noise?
Turbotc,
If you have to read patent applications and issued patents all day long like me, you would not want to read anythign else when you get home. I'd rather talk on the phone or watch TV after work. But, you're right, reading manual is the good way to do it when you already tried for a long time without success and there is nobody readily there to tell you how to do it.
I thought having your oil change at other places other than Lexsus dealership would affect your warranty. Lexus will not pay for your repair if one is needed. Don't you have to bring your car there for complete checkup, tire rotatition etc...
Do I need to winterize my car?
When sitting in the driver's seat, lean toward the right so you can see the ignition lock. If you follow with your finger straight down from there about 8" or so, following the curve of the dash, you'll find the push button to toggle on or off your traction control or VSC. Then keep following with your finger for another 4" or 5" so that your finger is out of view under the dash, then move it to the left about 2". You should feel a small round knob that controls the "beep" volume. All the way to the right is maximum volume, all the way to the left is silent, anywhere in between varies the beep volume a bit.
Of course you could contort way down and look for it under the dash, or crawl under there from the outside, but it's just as easy using your finger to trace it, and much safer when you're driving!!
Hope this helps.
Al--
turbotc,
when you say a service is "due" you mean at 5K or 7.5K recommended by Lexus? I planned to have my car service at 5K but a service advsior told me I could just have an oil change at mid-way of 7.5K and then have a complete service at 7.5K.
Regualar is fine. Premium unleaded would be fine also and you will probably see a bit more power from the engine. But regular will do no damage to the engine.
liev,
The VSC/Trac has a off-button because sometimes you need to turn it off. The problem with Traction control/VSC is that it takes power away from the drive wheels by applying braking power and/or reducing engine power going to the wheels. And if you drive in the snow, sometimes you know you need tire spinning to get out of a stuck situation! Turning off VSC/Trac allows you to spin wheels if you are stuck in snow and therefore allows you to get a rocking motion going so that a car can get out. Leaving VSC/Trac on would not allow you to do that. Also, some people prefer to turn VSC/Trac off sometimes because it does intervene alot during aggressive driving and therefore some feel it takes the "fun" out of driving, which it does.
Airbags do not have a on/off switch because that is the law. The only cars/trucks that can have a on/off switch from the factory for passenger side airbags are cars with only 2 front seats or rear seats incapable of holding a child seat.
As far as the 7.5k service. I think it is just a waste. All fluids are too new to be changed. They say they will check out your car but the car is too new, do you think they actually will "check it out"? I don't think so. Besides you got warranty so just bring it in if you discover anything. I believe they also rotate your tires too. Total cost probably at least $90 or so. I have my tires rotate and balanced at local Toyota dealer for $19.
As far as gas. I use premium 91 octane. I know I could use 87 and most likely new have a problem. But being that I only filled her up with premium since new. I rather continue doing so. besides $1.55 for 87 and $1.71 for 91. Not a big deal for me anyways.
Also, I had my tire pressure adjusted to 30 PSI in order to achieve a softer, smoother ride. Now it is colder (30's), according to some previuos postings, the air pressure drops, it could be at around 28 PSI now. do you think I should bring the tire pressure up or 28 PSI should be OK?
1 - You didn't say what year your ES300 is. If it's still under warranty, take it in to Lexus. If it's not under warranty, take it in to Lexus, Toyota, or any reputable garage for a check, probably a tuneup needed or perhaps a clogged fuel filter. No car should run as you describe, let alone a Lexus!!
2 - Check your tires with a good air gauge and bring them back to 30-32 PSI. Cold weather does lower the pressure by about 1 pound per 10 degrees of temperature drop, so if you had it at 30 PSI when it was in the 70s and now it's in the 30s, you may be down as low as 26 PSI or so.