When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
Goodness gracious that is a clean car! It is an extraordinary good find, and it will certainly serve you a while..
About some issues:
It seems like the PS pump itself is wet, it is a common issue on those cars (mine is also leaking, yet I have a 3rd gen, so it is not that difficult to replace). You can also test questionable hoses just by removing them and filling them with some plain water..
About the switch - try removing the driver's switch panel and checking the continuity of the switch. It is relatively easy to do and definitely worth the shot.. Here is how to test those switches
And with the noise - as annoying as it seems, yes, you would probably be better off waiting until the noise would get worse, since it is excruciatingly hard to find a noise like that..
And also, are there any future plans for this car, mod-wise? Maybe something like heated/cooled seats (I know that this generation came stock with that), maybe even a stock navigation head unit? That pretty much exhausts my list of ideas, I am more about the 3-rd gen, but I am sure that if you will look around the forum, you will find a ton of other ideas!
There is only one favor - whatever you do, please keep this car as close to stock as possible. It is a really good find, and you may just ruin the car with some aftermarket junk. I know for a fact that there is nothing good about some aftermarket mods, since when I've got my car, I've spent two whole weeks trying to combat all the aftermath of a new head unit and new interior lighting, including the removal of the dashboard, seats, and parts of carpet. So now I am fed to the teeth with that.
That's a good buy. Good job on doing the maintenance; I'm the same and do all my own work. I agree with you that this car can be a pita to work on, items are packed in tight and not very easy to get to but, they are great cars to drive and not much goes wrong so, that's a plus. You could try jumping wires on the driver's door window plug, switch pops right out and unplug and jump the power wire to the rear door wire and see what happens, pretty simple to diagnose. As far as the power steering leak, I would clean the areas as good as possible and add fluorescent oil dye to the power steering system, any auto parts store sells this and it doesn't cost much, a cap full will work and then use a inexpensive black light to trace leak. This system works great, guaranteed to find the source of the leak. As far as the howling noise goes, I would either live with it or change the hubs, I would also check calipers to make they are working properly along with the ebrake. This might be far out but, years ago a buddy had a similar issue and it turned out to be his rear bumper cover was loose and the faster he went, the more it bowed out and made a howling noise. Anyways, that's a beautiful ES and good luck! Welcome to the forum! and yes, a bmw 3.0 is easier to work on compared to the Lexus, including the vanos or cooling tubes under the manifold....lol. I know the pain!
And do two drain/fills on the PS reservoir. The ester oil base will condition hoses and seals and help a lot with the leaks. Better yet, do both. It works.
Rear Door - There is a well-known idiosyncrasy that the regulator will sense an over-run condition and cut-out the power. The cure is to hold the button in the down position and slam the door a couple times. This actually works. Google/search for it to get the exact procedure.
Wheel Bearing - if you spin the wheels and grasp the spring, you can feel any bearing issues vibrating through the spring like a tuning fork. Try that. Also, have someone else drive the car and you sit in each empty seat and listen/feel, even roll down the windows and stick your head out. I missed a bad RF wheel bearing for a LONG time because the only clue was a slight vibration on the RF side of the car you could feel in the floor pan. I never rode in the front passenger seat and then one night I did. All that said, 120k is awfully early for a bad bearing here; they are quite robust and usually don't go out until MUCH higher mileage.
Coincidentally, recently we got a 2003 civic for a step-son who is just getting licensed. I've been driving it a bit, commuting some days with it, in order to find all the little flaws and fix them before he gets it. Let me say, the difference in your comfort level/relaxation is going to be very, very big commuting in this car instead! In fact, after all these years, I still like driving this car as it is stable, comfortable, roomy, quiet and relaxing to drive. I don't drive it daily as it's hers, but I do like driving it when I can. I took ours on 1,000 mile road trip the first week of September before school started with two kids. Enjoyed every mile, even the offroad ones...
Any particular reason you recommend adding it to the transmission as well?
Totally agree on the HUGE difference in comfort. Every time I drive my Civic after driving the ES, I feel like I'm off-roading.
It is actually a transmission additive, but it works just as well in the PS system. As notorious as these PS hoses are for leaking/failing (the placement of the pump is really, really bad for heat and I think that's what kills the hoses), using seal conditioners is smart.
RE: offroading - I get it! In fact, I was putting a new sounds system in my SUV. I picked up a lot of acoustic dampening material and was going to deaden my doors and floor pans. I'm going to do his Civic as well to tame that NVH. Otherwise, I do agree - easy to work-on car and good starter. It's a 2003 so with the revised torque converter to avoid the early problems. I treated the AT with chemtool, then changed fluid over to Lubegard ATF. MASSIVE difference in performance; really better driving now (182k). Apparently the valve body seals in the Honda AT's soften prematurely and they really didn't use high-quality enough o-rings and seals on the solenoids, etc. I think Honda has learned and it's not a problem the last 10 years or so.
RE: bearing - I wold not go changing any more bearings, for three reasons:
a) you are "just throwing parts at the problem," and that's an expensive path to take and a bad habit to learn.
b) There are many other potential causes, like a bad control arm bushing, bad shock, bad coil, worn upper strut mount, etc. that can cause this.
c) Bearings are just not a common problem on these cars with that mileage, so it's really lower down on the differential diagnosis list.
Invest more in learning how these suspension/steering systems work. Get jack stands and learn to go around and diagnose the parts, etc. Then you will find the problem and fix it directly and much more quickly and cheaply.
Another good find and into capable hands also. My SIL has a silver 2015 ES, but she and I both like the sedan ride of my ‘05 ES better. The 350 engine and vastly improved transmission of her car was fun and made me imagine that hook-up in my car, but some of the other changes in eight years left me yawning.
And yes, welcome to ClubLexus and thanks for sharing this and by all means feel free to help us out when you can. My only suggestions for continued success with your Lexus are to stick with Genuine OEM parts unless you check with us here first (lol) and burn 91+ octane gas like your Owner’s Manual recommends.
Oro, we have the same color car and I don’t see many like it. Beautiful scenery also.
Last edited by Richardsr; 01-05-20 at 07:32 PM.
Reason: Info
[QUOTE=Richardsr;10699001]My SIL has a silver 2015 ES, but she and I both like the sedan ride of my ‘05 ES better. The 350 engine and vastly improved transmission of her car was fun and made me imagine that hook-up in my car, but some of the other changes in eight years left me yawning.[quote]
I maintain several good cars for clients, some in a Turo rental program, others just maintenance. I drive them regularly, and many other cars.. I also drive weekly a car for an elderly neighbor who does not. Some of those cars, 2014 Cadillac ATS, 2016 Subaru Outback Ltd, 2010 Challenger SRT (the bad boy). NONE would I take over the ride/handling of the 4ES. Way more pleasant overall for a daily-use car than most things made.
Oro, we have the same color car and I don’t see many like it. Beautiful scenery also.
I have grown to really like the color. I also do not see many like it, and strangely one of them is within a few miles of us because I see it on the Parkway once in a while.
First pic is the ragged eastern edge of the central Idaho Plateau, before dropping down towards the Clearwater River Valley.
Second Pic is up in the eastern slope of the Bitterroot Range, looking for some mountain trout streams, south of Hamilton, Montana.
3rd pic is coming back west not far past Lolo Pass, Montana.
I debated taking my SUV on the trip, but I really wanted to enjoy the ES on the long highway drives and mountain roads. The offroad bit I knew was going to be very mild and on decent USFS roads. Also my step-son had his permit (getting his license tomorrow or Tuesday) and practicing in this car was better for him. If you don't know Idaho and Montana, you NEED to...
I'm not sure what is leaking exactly. It seems the leaks are super common based on searching this forum. This is rather annoying considering how damn expensive these hoses are. Also, this PS pump does not look like it is easy to get to.
There was a leak in my PS system - it was the high pressure hose coming from the pump. This was the rare occasion I did not buy OEM. I purchased EDELMANN 92174 from Rock Auto. Its been 4 years now & no leak.
Related to PS - the return rubber hose from pipe to reservoir (pre bent from factory) was brittle and leaking. OEM doesnt just sell the rubber hose portion (& OEM was $$$) so I bought SUNSONG 3403630 for $24. Worked well
The fluid I used - first tried Maxlife but pump did not like it. It whined and noise did not go away. Went with Toyota Dexron III.
Is LUBEGARD RED and LUBEGARD 60902 the same product? When I search online for LUBEGARD RED, my search results seem to throw the two together.
And if I use it, will I have to remove 9 - 10 oz of T-IV first? Is the tranny fluid capacity that critical where 9 or 10 oz will make a problem?
No, 9ozs won't make a difference. Don't sweat it and put it in the fill tube, and go with god (as the Jesuits say).
Is LUBEGARD RED and LUBEGARD 60902 the same product?
Yes. Lubegard generally color-codes products. Blue = engine. Red = transmission. Yellow = gear box/differential. The ATF and PS fluids don't follow that schema, but are clearly labeled/marketed.
Nice ride! I have noticed that many Lexus first owners take extremely good care, so it's always a score to buy one.
Have you considered the tires as a source of the noise? I would also change the fuel filter (unless it has been done already).
01-04-20, 12:33 PM
