About to purchase a 1999 ES300
05-13-12, 09:45 PM
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About to purchase a 1999 ES300
Hey CL, I'm about to pick up an 1999 ES300 for my dad's daily driver and my weekend car. I just had a few questions.
We test drove it today and it felt/looked great for a '99 with 118,000 miles on it. There were just a few concerns.
1. AT a complete stop, we felt a SLIGHT vibration. Just enough to make us wonder if it's anything serious. Is this common at all? It was about the same with the AC on and off. Nevertheless, acceleration, and idling was steady and smooth. No jerks, fluttering or inconsistencies.
2. He stated that the timing belt was done @ Northwest Arkansas Toyota. He said theres not too many Lexus dealerships in the whole state so Toyota usually does the maintenance. Theres no record of the timing belt done (although he showed me papers) on Lexus Drivers database. If a lexus was mantained @ a Toyota dealership, would it show up on the Lexus Drivers database?
That's about it. he wouldn't budge on the price since it's the first day it's been up but my dad really liked it and it's perfect for his 50 mile commute/day. Here's the link to the Autotrader listing and a screen shot of the Lexus Drivers page. (Note the gap between 62k miles and 110k miles. that's when the car was in Arkansas)
http://www.autotrader.com/cars-for-s...21559306&Log=0
We test drove it today and it felt/looked great for a '99 with 118,000 miles on it. There were just a few concerns.
1. AT a complete stop, we felt a SLIGHT vibration. Just enough to make us wonder if it's anything serious. Is this common at all? It was about the same with the AC on and off. Nevertheless, acceleration, and idling was steady and smooth. No jerks, fluttering or inconsistencies.
2. He stated that the timing belt was done @ Northwest Arkansas Toyota. He said theres not too many Lexus dealerships in the whole state so Toyota usually does the maintenance. Theres no record of the timing belt done (although he showed me papers) on Lexus Drivers database. If a lexus was mantained @ a Toyota dealership, would it show up on the Lexus Drivers database?
That's about it. he wouldn't budge on the price since it's the first day it's been up but my dad really liked it and it's perfect for his 50 mile commute/day. Here's the link to the Autotrader listing and a screen shot of the Lexus Drivers page. (Note the gap between 62k miles and 110k miles. that's when the car was in Arkansas)
http://www.autotrader.com/cars-for-s...21559306&Log=0
05-14-12, 11:43 AM
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The Carfax showed that the timing belt was done at 90,000 miles. So I think I'm going to pull the trigger on the car and be part of this community! Thanks everyone for your help. I'll post pictures once I get the car tonight
05-15-12, 08:08 PM
#6
To give some insight on your questions,
1. That gen ES does actually have a very slight vibration at a complete stop...again just confirm the condition of the motor mounts.
2.Toyota and Lexus dealerships aren't connected. They are separate data bases.
1. That gen ES does actually have a very slight vibration at a complete stop...again just confirm the condition of the motor mounts.
2.Toyota and Lexus dealerships aren't connected. They are separate data bases.
05-15-12, 08:49 PM
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Thanks for the responses.
The mechanic confirmed it was a normal vibration. There is a leak in the back of the engine. The mechanic said these engines are notorious for having valve gasket leaks so it's expected after 100k miles, unfortunately he also said if the cam seals? were not replaced when the timing belt was done, it could be that also. I talked the guy down to $6,100 to split the cost to replace the valve cover gasket since everything else was in tip top shape. I figure I can fix everything, drive it for 3 years or so and still get ~$5,500 if it has less than 150k miles. Heres a pic! I'll take some more in the future after I do a detail.
The mechanic confirmed it was a normal vibration. There is a leak in the back of the engine. The mechanic said these engines are notorious for having valve gasket leaks so it's expected after 100k miles, unfortunately he also said if the cam seals? were not replaced when the timing belt was done, it could be that also. I talked the guy down to $6,100 to split the cost to replace the valve cover gasket since everything else was in tip top shape. I figure I can fix everything, drive it for 3 years or so and still get ~$5,500 if it has less than 150k miles. Heres a pic! I'll take some more in the future after I do a detail.
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05-16-12, 06:26 AM
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05-16-12, 05:29 PM
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Thanks guys. Totally understand. Hopefully the California markup will help me out if I ever have to sell it. My dad loves the car so it'll be a long while before we sell it, unless I can afford a 3rd gen GS within the next couple of years.
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