cdunca647

255k dd. Gonna drive it until the engine or tranny go. Hopefully well past 300k!!

The good: rides like a dream on smooth roads. Quiet. New single din hands free Bluetooth head unit was the best $150 I've spent in a long time. Great gas mileage (30mpg).

The bad: the usual shocks and struts issue. Would love to see a write up in this with sourcing for affordable parts.

ecm is throwing P0441 EVAP Emission Control System Improper Purge. I'm not overly concerned with emissions since we live in a county that doesn't require emissions testing, but I do want to keep emissions low as a morale issue and I'd like to keep the check engine light clear.

top layer of paint is peeling all over the body.

driver's side windshield fluid nozzle is clogged up. Passenger's side not much better but usable.

driver's seat belt clip locks up in the cold and won't accept the buckle. Works with some jiggling to loosen it up, but that will fail eventually.

driver and passenger seat control panel broke off and sits on carpet between the seat and the door. Buttons still work, so just unsightly.

We got the car for free so I'm determined to keep it super cheap and run it for as many miles I can cheaply coax out of it!

Hayk

iTrader: (1)

Get a sewing needle and poke inside the windshield nozzles to get the junk out of them. I had the same issue on the passenger side, it works beautifully now.
The seat control panels and the seat belt buckle can be sourced at a junk yard. In terms of struts, I would look at Monroe Sensatrac to stay on budget.

cdunca647

Thanks MrBooby (lol). The needle trick worked like a charm. I used a few clear zip ties to secure the seat control panels and now those are good as new as well. Great tip, thanks for that.

I just took the Lexus in to a shop to get a full inspection to give my wife a little peace of mind as it's her daily driver. Aside from the shocks and struts, I'm looking at a leaky rear main (already knew that), a leaky cv boot, a possible leaky water pump and timing belt has 175k miles on it according to the sticker so that's getting replaced ASAP. It's still in overall good condition and he gave us thumbs up for keeping it as the daily driver. I think the death knell will be when that rear main seal goes - probably not worth the work to fix it. But I'm still hoping it hits 300k!

Anyone else out there on this journey??

Leo007

I have 150,550 miles on mine runs great with mobil1 synrhetic

hophead114

I have a 98' LS400 with 320,000 miles on it and it still looks and runs amazing. Im trying to do some PM to it as I dont know when the last time the coolant or the transmission fluid has been replaced. Would you guys suggest flushing the coolant and/or the transmission fluid? Im not having cooling issues or transmission issues, I just want to keep this vehicle running as long as possible!!

RXGS

iTrader: (2)

Coolant flush, transmission drain and fill.

Oro

Yes, certainly do those! How long have you had the car, and do you know the last t-belt service date?

For the Tranny, I would do a full flush refill if you suspect it has been a long time. It is not terribly hard with some tubing and doing it via the cooler lines. Like this:

http://www.toyotanation.com/forum/10...lush-pics.html

I would use Maxlife. I would also get a pan gasket and drop the pan and clean it out. Old fluid will drop contaminants out of solution. New fluid will then pick it up and get contaminated much faster. I think the filter on yours is like others of that vintage and only a loose wire mesh. Clean it off, but no need to replace it.

For the coolant, two drain/fills in short sequence would be more than adequate. Verify it still has the correct fluid in it (Red color). Zerex makes an asian fluid that is premixed and cheap at Walmart. Concentrated OE is at Carquest in additon to dealers, and Pentofrost A1 is the same and widely available (concentrated).

I would also change the brake and PS fluid.

Going forward, a drain/fill on the AT (not the whole flush) and radiator every 30k is simple, effective interval. At that interval, I also siphon out the brake and PS reservoirs and refill with fresh (again, not flushing whole system). Bleed the brakes every 2 years. This is not a demanding service schedule and it will take all those systems out to VERY many years and miles. PS pumps and coolant hoses are, however, wear items so you have to be prepared to maintain/replace those, also.

Brandon593

Wow 300k - very impressive. I have a 2003 ES 300 and I just hit 96k. As for what to get next, it really depends on how much you want to spend. You can get a pre-owned GS 350 (2013-2015) with relatively low miles for somewhere between $30-$38k. My mom bought a 2013 ES 350 new. Lexus refreshed the car for 2016 and it's much nicer (a little more refined and excellent color combos available). I've driven the brand new ES many times as a loaner. It really is an amazing car and is not just for old people! Plenty of pep and the car tightens up if you put it in sport mode. It's still no race car, however. I'd get a pre-owned GS because I personally like the additional pep/sportiness compared to that of the ES. Also, I like the AWD option on the GS (depends on where you live whether or not the AWD is relevant). No other car brand even comes close to the dependability and reliability of a Lexus (aside from Toyota, perhaps). If you plan on keeping a car for almost 20 years like your current ES, I'd just bite the bullet and spend the money on a brand new GS 350. A pre-owned GS would be just as good 2-3 years old and would definitely be much cheaper. Good luck!