imherenow

finally switched to synthetic oil. the car has approx 120,000 miles or 193,000 kms. but i did pour in 1 qt of conventional oil and rest full synthetic. Kinda blend. Have heard bad stories that it can cause leaks. Went with Valvoline full syn. And honestly after changing it i went to for a long drive and mann what a difference i could feel. its smooth yet quick.. I dont know what it is but i am loving it. will keep an eye for any leaks (hope not)

brucelee1

iTrader: (2)

Syn does not cause leaks. That said, given the number of miles on your car, I would suggest M1 high mileage oil for your next fill. It has seal conditioners and at the age of your car, I would think this will help avoid a leak.

My car has 130K and I am making that switch at the next oil change.

imherenow

well its just that the Valvoline full syn was on sale for just $18.88 so i bought 2. M1 are hardly on sale. But if i see one ..will stock up

imherenow

did few things today:
1) LED key ignition (pic below)
2) ordered more LED for glove box. Right now the glove box light has yellow T10 type . Did some mod but yup i made a T10 fit it there. (check the pic)
3) changed driver and passenger wipers with rainX . wow what a difference.
4) changed the look of engine cover and fuse box (far right). Went with Rustic Mist.
And was at the lexus/toyota dealer for motor vehicle inspection and noticed 2001 ES and newer ES. The 2001 ES was the lexus service manager. Pretty much stock except for 17" from ES330 rims.

seyelabrev

iTrader: (2)

Removed rear spacers due to extreme rubbing. From +15 to +40 now.

speedkar9

Was it just a replacement bulb? Which one? Seems like a nice mod.

I see your enjoying the independent fog light mod there eh...

01LEXPL

iTrader: (10)

^ #74 bulb, same as glove & floor shifter. I did mine years ago, looks great at night.

imherenow

yup..like 01LEXPL said. I had LED in the glove box so i removed that and put in the ignition and now i have no led in glove box.
but i already ordered more 74 type leds .
One thing i didnt like is the location of the glove box light. its localized just to one area only ( left side) so maybe i might put a small length strip led. to evenly lit the glove box.

oh and the installation for the ignition is really simple. just remove that cut out entire plastic piece (carefully) revealing a screw and the bulb housing can removed with a twist and turn.

imherenow

Love it to death and all thanks to you. Funny thing before i went to get the motor vehicle inspection i switched off the fog light and plugged the DRL connector ( driver side only) back into the socket, making it look like OEM again. Did this because didn't want the dealer to say " oh the DRL is not working and needs to be on or else no inspection sticker" or something like that.
Once all done i reverse everything back. took me few seconds.

RXGS

iTrader: (2)

After not being able to find a 4runner, i have decided to keep the es300, and it is going into the shop next week for new timing belt/ tensioners, power steering pump, emergency parking brake shoes, and spark plugs. Hopefully we can go another 2XXk

seyelabrev

iTrader: (2)

I used to drive a 2000 4Runner before I had my ES. It lacked power (although it was the non-4WD type) and a major gas guzzler when it came to commuting to work even if it was for 20-25 miles w/ light traffic. It used to be a real pain merging onto the freeway..

Perks of it was the extended trunk/cargo space after folding the seats, and the extra head space for someone six feet tall.

You probably have your reasons, but I'm happy and satisfied I purchased the ES.

//EDIT: To stay relevant; I applied touch-up paint, received more bulbs from VLEDS, and bought 15mm spacers for the rear.

RXGS

iTrader: (2)

^I used to drive a 1999 sport during the winters and it was just rugged haha, it felt like it could go through anything , it just wasn't very "polished" very different from the es300. I was looking for 04-06 because it made more sense financially than a new/er but i couldn't find one. If i do, well i guess the next owner of my es300 will be glad all the work has been done haha

speedkar9

^ Did you get that bumper boo boo fixed? How'd that turn out?

RXGS

iTrader: (2)

I'm not going to fix the bumper, I just spent 2k for everything else haha. I guess I'll just deal with it.

imherenow

well i haven't changed it yet but i bought a D3 oil filter. its taller than D1 ( is what the car requires). Tis he same price as well so gonna give it a try. Has anyone tried a D3 on their cars.
Was reading online and other forums that :
"he D3 is same width as the D1, but is slightly taller and has 27% more filter media area, giving better flow and longer service life"
Plus there was not negative consequence on using one or the other.
so.....