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Lexus ES Engine Questions

53 messages,  Last post on Jun 07, 2009 at 10:55 AM

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What is this discussion about? Lexus ES 330, Lexus ES 350, Lexus ES 300, Engine, Sedan

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#3 of 53 Evap system problem by sean300 Sep 11, 2006 (10:42 am)
I have a 1998 ES 300 with 123K on it. I got it used in February '06, did all maintenance on it. About three weeks ago the engine light (MIL) began to stay on. I took it to my mechanic who hooked up a scanner and he said that there is a problem with the evap system purging. Also said that it is usually the charcoal canister or solenoid. He reset the engine light and said that if it came on again then we'll have to take care of it. A few days ago the light came on and has been on since. Anybody ever experience this problem? I priced canister and it is expensive (almost $300). Can I use reman parts or used parts? Would really appreciate some help.
#4 of 53 Re: How long does an ES300 last in terms of engine life? [xcheck85] by rcallahan Sep 25, 2006 (6:54 pm)
Replying to: xcheck85 (Aug 26, 2006 2:19 pm) My transmission just went out on my 1999 ES300. It had 110000 trouble-free miles on it. The Lexus dealer whent to Lexus US and got them to pony up a new transmission but I had to play 1200 labor. I traded the car in as-is.
#5 of 53 Re: How long does an ES300 last in terms of engine life? [xcheck85] by ray_h1 Sep 28, 2006 (12:33 pm)
Replying to: xcheck85 (Aug 26, 2006 2:19 pm) )) "I am planning on buying a 2000 lexus ES300 from a family friend with 179,000 miles on it. It had the regular maintanence done on it serviced by the local Lexus dealership." ((   An oil forum, "BobIsTheOilGuy", has quite an extensive posting archive about past Toyota 3L V6 engine problems. Toyota had sludge troubles on that 3L V6 engine from ~1995-2002. The culprits were the recomended 7,500 mile oil change intervals Toyota advised at the time combined with questionably engineered small diameter oil return galleries from the heads (hot oil in the heads tended to remain there too long - a perfect breeding ground for varnish and sludge). At first Toyota denied culpability; but after being threatened with a class action suit by infuriated owners of affected cars whose motors had seized, Toyota extended the engine warranty to ten years, unlimited mileage, as long as an owner was able to show evidence of at least ONE oil change per year. If the car you're contemplating has up to date service records, you should be ok in case of problems - up to and including a replacement engine with all subsequent engineering improvements if necessary out to 2010. As a result, Toyota scaled back the recommended oil change interval to 5,000 miles, and Toyota enlarged the oil return galleries to promote quicker return of hot oil in the cylinder heads to the sump where it would be cooled by under-car airflow. Interestingly, the owners of affected cars who'd grown up changing or having their engine's oil changed at 3,000 mile intervals, and continued with their customary oil change interval in spite of the recommendations in the owner's manual, never developed sludging problems. The only Toyotas of the era that had a snowball's chance in the Sahara of not becoming sludgemonsters on Toyota's original 7,500 mile oil change intervals were those which routinely ran full synthetic motor oils or routinely ran easy highway miles. (Urban crawl is an oil killer - ask any fleet mechanic.) You might wish to inquire of your friend whether he/she opted for synthetic oil at the specified changes.   (Oh, and by the way, with regular oil and filter maintenance, there isn't a motor made over the last ten years, regardless of automaker*, that couldn't make it out past 300,000 miles if driven reasonably. In general, engines and motor oils have now gotten that good.   *with the possible exception of some Korean subcompacts masquerading under GM nameplates)
#6 of 53 Engine Sludge by kumar Oct 22, 2006 (8:16 am)
I own a Toyota SUV, V8 4.7L, and has mileage of 30K. I have routine oil change at 3,750 miles.   The service center tells me that I should pay ~$310 , just to flush the engine and fuel system. They will also charge me the other regular 30K services for about $410.   Do I need to do this kind of service? any recommendation?   Thanks! Replies to this message: ray_h1 (Oct 22, 2006 11:20 pm) kumar (Oct 23, 2006 12:01 pm)
#7 of 53 Re: Engine Sludge [kumar] by ray_h1 Oct 22, 2006 (11:20 pm)
Replying to: kumar (Oct 22, 2006 8:16 am) )) "The service center tells me that I should pay ~$310, just to flush the engine and fuel system. ... Do I need to do this kind of service?" ((   At just 30,000 miles? Not unless you're feeble-minded. (The fact that you're skeptical about your dealership's sales pitch tells to me your wits are very much intact.) Your question would probably have been more appropriately directed to one of the Toyota SUV forums than this Lexus oriented discussion, but I'm going to answer it anyway since I suspect a good number of Lexus' upscale owners get this salespitch from their dealer's service departments, too, and given their affluence and willingness to spend what it takes to keep their cars healthy may acquiesce unquestioningly to service writers' well-honed scare tactics. With your conservative oil change intervals and todays high detergency motor oils, I'd be willing to bet that your engine's internals are already clean enough to eat off of. As for the fuel system flush, gasoline sold in North America is government mandated to carry a relatively high additive content to protect fuel system components from the effects of moisture and corrosion. Additionally, your fuel system has very efficient fuel filtration. The reason automakers go to this trouble is to prevent a partially clogged fuel injector from dribbling or spraying non-uniformly into the intake port area just ahead of the combustion chamber which, in turn, would contribute to excessive exhaust pollution. These augmented dealer-advocated "flushings" with overpriced chemicals of questionable effectiveness rarely come anywhere close to doing what they claim, but they're a very profitable sideline for service departments. (One of the dirty little secrets of dealership service departments is that service writers get monthly bonuses over their salary based on additional make-work service they can pad the service invoices with.) The car dealerships (not just Lexus, by the way) buy this stuff at steep discounts, but charge high prices for it since the exclusiveness of dealership-only availability gives car owners a false sense of assurance in the products. The reality is these products are no better than the buck-seventy-nine supplements sold at WalMart, and maybe not even as good. Then the dealer also adds its customary $80.00/hour flat rate labor charge as a further assault on common sense. If you're using a major brand of recommended API "SM" motor oil and good quality oil filters such as Toyota's own brand at your customary oil change intervals, and major brand gasoline, you're doing all that's necessary for the continued health of your car's mechanicals. If most of your driving through the week involves short trips and/or urban crawling, get the car out on the weekend for thirty minutes or more of driving at legal freeway speed to let the engine stretch its legs to blow out any accumulated moisture and fuel contamination in the oil. In a sense car engines are somewhat like people - getting routine, moderate exercise does more long-term good than throwing chemicals in the mix. Replies to this message: kumar (Oct 23, 2006 12:01 pm)
#8 of 53 Re: Engine Sludge [ray_h1] by kumar Oct 23, 2006 (12:01 pm)
Replying to: ray_h1 (Oct 22, 2006 11:20 pm) Ray, Thanks for providing this extremely information and explaination! I appreciate! I'm not going to spend the extra $310 bucks!
#9 of 53 How to change headlights on a 1999 ES 300 by revs Nov 13, 2006 (10:55 am)
I looked over the Owners Manual to do this myself. Does anyone have a "how to" guide to change bulbs on a 1999 Lexus ES300.   Thank you.   Terri
#10 of 53 1992 - Lexus ES330 Oil changes by prucker Nov 28, 2006 (4:17 pm)
How often should I change the oil and what oil is best for this car? 115K - Thanks Replies to this message: ray_h1 (Nov 29, 2006 4:47 pm) prucker (Nov 30, 2006 1:43 pm)
#11 of 53 Re: 1992 - Lexus ES330 Oil changes [prucker] by ray_h1 Nov 29, 2006 (4:47 pm)
Replying to: prucker (Nov 28, 2006 4:17 pm) I personally won't go over nine months or 5,000 miles between oil and filter changes. As to the best quality oil, the answer isn't as clear cut these days. When your car was new I would've unhesitatingly suggested a full synthetic oil to achive maximum engine service life in whatever viscosity range Toyota/Lexus advised at the time. But current conventional oils have improved so much over the past fifteen years (especially the past six) that they'll easily handle a 5,000 mile oil change interval. If winter temperatures where you live are particularly cold (-20 deg. F. or lower), that would still make the case for a full synthetic motor oil, however. Any recognized name brand in whatever recommended viscosity and in whichever refining method you prefer should suffice. My personal favorite full synthetic is Pennzoil Platinum (watch for sales/rebates). My personal favorite mineral oil, and what I use, is Phillips 66 TropArtic (itself, labled a "Synthetic Blend", by the way, yet priced lower than most other name brand conventional-only motor oils). There are three other identical oils blended and distributed by parent company ConocoPhillips: "Conoco Super All Season", "76 Super", and "Kendall GT-1 High Performance". Generally the particular brand you'll find will be based on regional considerations, though most WalMarts carry the TropArtic. ConocoPhillips also blends and bottles the Motorcraft line of motor oils for Ford for U.S. distribution. Guess what - it's the same goo, too. Only the labeling and in some cases, the color of the plastic bottles, differ. Replies to this message: prucker (Nov 30, 2006 1:43 pm)
#12 of 53 Re: 1992 - Lexus ES330 Oil changes [ray_h1] by prucker Nov 30, 2006 (1:43 pm)
Replying to: ray_h1 (Nov 29, 2006 4:47 pm) Thank you very much for taking the time to answer my question.

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