P_M_G

Back again....

So I'm jumping out of the lex to grab some 7-11 java this morning (cuz I can't justify $4 for starbucks)...and I hear a strange 'ding ding ding ding' as I'm getting out.

You know the sound, it's the one that usually happens when you open the driver door without taking the keys from the ignition...or maybe it's the one when you turn the key to ACC instead of OFF.

Either way, it only happens when I turn off the ignition, remove the key, then open the door....


2nd...I noticed that the right rear door doesn't seem to have any effect on the illumination of the interior lighting. Meaning, it's dark, and I open the rear right door first, the light doesn't come on. Or if the other doors are open (then closed) and the right rear is the last one still open, the interior light goes out...

3rd...I'm beginning to notice on cold starts that it takes several minutes for my temp gauge to hit the normal spot just a hair below center. During that time, acceleration is abyssmal. What seems odd, is that if I stop for a cuppa joe before it 'warms up' - when I start it up again, it's right where it needs to be almost immediately. Now, realize that I'm in southern California and a 'cold' start just means it's been sitting in my driveway all night and it's the middle of the hottest summer in history here (some nights staying well into the 70's).

4th...and this is just a ***** because I felt stupid - I had new tires put on and did the alignment shortly after I bought this car in '05. I'd driven a total of about 11k miles and never rotated them. I noticed that the fronts had worn down to the steel while the rears looked nearly new. My wife's Accord had the tires rotated even less frequently than that (she is notorious for poor car maintenance habits) and it was never that bad. The tire guy gave me a story about the Lex being significantly heavier and harder on the tires as a V6 vs the Accord's V4. Add to that, my alignment needed adjusting and they had to take 3 tries to get it right - some bs about weight and load with passengers vs empty since the first 2 tries showed spot-on to spec. Is this just a line of BS? Or am I a fool for going to a tire specialist instead of Lex/Toyota to have that work done?

I'd appreciate any/all comments and suggestions on all these issues!

Slooooooow

iTrader: (1)

Sunroof open, or tilted? Mine dings to let me know that my sunroof is open/tilted.


Opening, or leaving the rear doors open on my '92 ES do not affect the dome lamp (or any other interior illumination either).

Pheonix

Werd. Sunroof, my rear doors too.

nymviper

This was my case too.....just look when u open the door on the door body jam....take out the button wit i believe a 7mm socket play wit it till it works...replace

dangtong

Check your headlights and the switch

P_M_G

ok...I win the "de de de" award for the week....it was the sunroof. Somehow I guess I hit the slide switch just enough that it was tripping the sensor.

AzNMpower

1. I don't seem to have the sunroof sensor do I don't have issues with the warning chime. Besides the fact that its the most goddamn annoying chime ever.

2. The door ajar sensor for the rear door might be not working properly. Basically, when you shut the door properly, the switch is pushed down and the car recognizes you've shut the door. When you open the door, the problem is that it still thinks the door is closed, so it doesn't do anything. I attached a photo of what the switch looks like; play around with it since chances are it's not broken.

3. It takes roughly a mile or so of easy driving before my ES warms up to the point where it will shift out of 2nd gear. For it to reach the normal point right under halfway, it takes about 2-3miles. During this time, shifts are quite clunky and presumably accel isn't as good, although I've never dared accel hard with a cold engine. And by the way just because its 90F outside, doesnt mean the engine will stay warm. Engines operate at very high temperatures, and 90F really isn't anything. I just wish Lexus could have found a quicker way to get the drivetrain warm. My bimmer's automatic runs a more aggressive shift pattern to warm the engine up quickly.

4. I rotate the tires every 5k miles when I give it an oil change at the Lexus dealer and ask them to rotate/ balance. If there's excessive wear, check the alignment although it looks like you had it done (?). I run on Yokohama AVS dB S2 and with it's relatively soft treads, the front does wear out quicker since its front drive and there's a weight bias towards the front. I have to rotate vigorously, and the tires are usually shot by 15k miles.

ssmoked

1. it definately the sensor for the rear door. mine does the same but only the left one.
2. get a remote engine starter to warn up the engine if you dont wanna wait for the engine to do its business
3. try let some air out to 32psi or so. i rotate my tires every 3000 miles with my oil change and it still weared out the sides much faster. but after the air was let out, magic, less and even wear. oh yeah take the corners easier Earnhardt JR!!

AzNMpower

Haha you talkin to me? I like to corner fast as ***** even though I know the car wasn't designed for it. Corner + throttle = understeer on my ES though

But corners are what my Bimmer X3 is for........handling on that thing in the dry is amazing.

P_M_G

thanks to all!!