amaterasu

Well everyone i've stepped up to the world of lexus and i need some reassurance lol. So here is what i have purchased... a 1999 es 300, with 78,800 miles im the third owner and its had all the maintenance done including replacing the front struts at 60k new air conditioning unit and tires about 25k ago. All this for $6800 so how did i do? I must be honest, love the car so far but i am nervous about all the goodies? traction control , abs anti-slip, do all these things hold up over time? timing belt has not been replaced should this be done? thanks for you thoughts guys, shawn

llcoolpass

timing belt do aroudn 90K miles, and that includes the "Hydraulic Tensioner" and water pump [use high quality one].

the electronic parts you mention hold up well.

change your oil, use expensive stuff[I rec mobil 1 extended service 5w-30 in your engine] oil and filter, and change every 5K-7K miles. sadly, the engine is somewhat of a weakspot on your year&model cars [sludge]. keep receipts of oil changes in case you have to go to lexus/toyota to get engine work.

mmlex1987

I think you got a very low mileage ES for the money spent. It sounds like a good deal to me. With the proper maintenance as posted above I think you will have many many more miles of enjoyment with the vehicle. Its hard to find an 11 year old vehicle with less then 100K miles!

angmedic91

iTrader: (5)

Wow, good find bro. Have fun with it and I would get the timing belt changed. Feel free to ask question, we're all here to help in anyway possible.

97'ES

Yeah change it at 90k like he said. If the car has been well serviced and you run the mobil one EP as coolpass mentioned you won't have any problems. They do run hot for emissions reasons so keep the cooling system well maintained as well. I go with 5k -7.5k intervals on the M1 EP myself with an M1 filter.

Overall if the car is in good shape I'd say you got quite a good deal. The ABS has been rock solid for me and I personally hate the traction control and drive with it off most of the time unless it's snowing or raining, I actually think it can be a bit dangerous as it stays engaged too long if you need to pull away from a stop fast and can force you to take your foot off the throttle completely, tends to prevent any wheelspin at all which i don't personally like.
Anyone else notice this issue? If you don't drive as agressively as I do it shouldn't be an issue. Just wish i didn't have to stare at the yellow light on the dash all the time.....

PDXLex

I think you did well on that buy, considering the LOW mileage! I wouldn't worry too much about all the 'goodies' not holding up over time. I have a '97 ES300 and everything mechanical and electrical works as good as new, except for the blacked out LCD on the radio (which seems to be a common problem on these cars!)...Enjoy the new ride and post some pics!

bnizzle87

much agreed. more importantly it was well maintained. the electrical should all be fine, but with any older vehicle, make sure to deal with it as soon as the problem arises. the ES is a very good car at any stage whether it be new or old. it was actually the first car i paid for when i got my license ('92 es300). from my experience, the only problem that occured was the fuel pump. hope you enjoy your ride!

Limen

I say good buy...

You know, im not sure I will ever sell our ES300....ever....

dpgc562

You really don't need to use expensive oil. The engine uses unleaded gas and it's the same as a V6 camry motor but with VVT-i and 10 extra horses. Anyway that is low mileage for the ES and it is a great car.

imherenow

dunt be afraid ..show off ur ride with pixs..

James_Bond

he doesnt want to

llcoolpass

"the only problem that occured was teh fuel pump"
yeah more likely the problem was the fuel quality or habits of refueling

llcoolpass

amaterasu, you really should be using premium in that engine

97'ES

I don't personally use 87 the last 30k or so but i did for a long time and the car runs just fine on it. Its right in the manual. 87 or higher, 91 for improved performance(it doesn't improve **** but i do it anyway due to contaminant and quality concerns, also the lack of ethanol in high test at some places).

If there was a problem with detonation they would have made it mandatory so evidently the knock sensors are more then up to the task with no seat of the pants power loss in my case, or noticeable mpg for that matter. Not another one of these threads please......

The expensive oil is well worth it with these cars IMO. Granted, the sludge problem has been way too overblown, a few thousand out of millions(don't make me start whippin out research again i've done it once already), but why risk it when the M1 gives you peace of mind in any temperature or operating condition and allows the convenience of extended intervals.
5 quarts for 30 bucks compared to 15 for cheap ****???? Why?

mmlex1987

Are you recommending we all should use premium in our early model ES's? I personally have never used premium in my 2000 ES. Thanks