1999 Lexus ES300 oddities

Hello,

I just sold my 1997 Camry V6 (180K miles), and bought a

1999 Lexus ES300 (74k miles). They are supposed to be very much the same car.

I'm finding some odd things, and wanted to ask other owners' opinions.

1) The shocks seem really soft and worn out. Is this normal? Do you think I need to replace them with so few miles on them? On the Camry, I never did change the shocks, and they seemed fine.

2) When I stop and get out of the car, I feel a LOT of heat coming from the engine compartment. A literal wave of heat. I've never felt this much heat before, even from old American cars with big 6 and 8 cylinder engines. Is this normal? Do you also feel this?

3) I keep hearing rattles. They seem to come from in front of the passenger seat. Any ideas?

4) What is your typical gas mileage, in the city, and on the highway? This ES300 seems to be sucking the gas big time. Although I've yet to do much driving. (With my V6 Camry, when driving cross country, I used to get about 400 miles to a

15 gallon tank of gas. About 26.6 MPG. )

Any other experiences that you have noticed about

1999 ES300s that you think I should know about?

Thanks a lot!

Reply to
todolist22
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The Camry and ES share many of the same parts. Sounds like you bought a clunker:

  1. Unless the prior owner has failed air suspension or swapped them out for softer struts then they're probably worn out. Camry and the ES, IIRC, use the same part numbers for traditional struts. If so try going over bumps or railroad crossings. They'll be rather uncomfortable and bouncy, even bottoming.

  1. This can be a bad sign. Post 1997 Toyota engines are susceptible to engine sludge because of increased engine temperature needed to meet LEV emissions. In 2004 Toyota lowered all their oil change intervals down to 5000 miles from 7500 (normal service) because of sludge concerns. This applies to all model years of Scion, Toyota, and Lexus. A 99 is out of sludge warranty.

  2. Rattles in the console mean somethings are loose inside. Rattles can also come from defective strut mounts. These years are known for that.

  1. You should be able to get similar mileage. Maybe a little less because the ES engine generates slightly more power than the Camry V6. This points to engine related problems if you're getting low mileage.

Any chance the dealer will let you exchange for another car? Or get your 97 back while you look for another car? Your 97 Camry sounds like a better car, at least engine, mileage and struts.

Reply to
johngdole

You were lucky with the camry, ive had several cars struts go bad at near 50000, are the cooling fans kicking in, is there an insulation blanket under the hood that will keep in heat. Poor milage can be a stretched timing belt, if your car has one, that retards timing, I lost 3-4 mpg on a camry with retarded timing. A mechanic needs to put it on a scope to see if its tuned up right as many things will reduce milage, but buying a used car it can be many unknowns. I would think

26.6 was low for the 6 on hwy miles, I get 35-36 on a 4 camry when tuned up with all synthetics. Tune ups are as much a factor of age as miles, your car is old.
Reply to
ransley

just wanted to let you know the front struts are different, but the rears are the same.

Is the car bouncing more than once when you give it the bounce test?

Reply to
m6onz5a

Like your Camry, the 1999 ES 300 has front and rear strut suspension and uses struts instead of shock absorbers. It does not have an air suspension as someone else has suggested.

I belive that the ES suspension is set up so that it has a softer ride than the Camry. Check the struts to see if there is any fluid leaking, and do the bounce test on the front and rear bumpers. After you give it a good bounce, it should stop moving after 1 or 2 bounces. If the car keeps moving or if there is fluid leaking downn the outside of the struts, they need replacement.

Also check to make sure that the tires are properly inflated. You will get longer tire life if you inflate them about 5 PSI over the inflation figures listed on the door jamb or glove box door.

With the car idling, take a look at the exhaust manifold and catalytic converter, preferably in the dark. If they are glowing cherry red, you have an exhaust leak or a restriction in the exhaust system. If you see any exhaust part glowing, have the car looked at ASAP because of the risk of fire.

Also take a look at the engine coolant temperature gauge to see if it is in the normal operating range.

My LS has a drawer under each of the front seats. If your ES has a small drawer, make sure nothing is rattling in them. Check the seat assembly to see if there is any play in the seat track. Look under the front seat to make sure nothing is loose under there.

Rather than trying to estimate fuel consumption by how far you go on a tank of gas, start keeping track of miles per gallon. Also check the condition of the automatic transmission fluid - it should be translucent red in color. If it is black and smells burnt, the transmission may be slipping. A restriction in the exhaust system can also reduce fuel economy.

Check the stuff I mentioned and let us know what you find.

Reply to
invalid unparseable

Well, if the Toyota ES (basically a Camry) doesn't have the "Adaptive Variable Suspension" (AVS) then regular struts will be the same. Right, cheaper AVS on the ES have no air.

But the traction control system may not function if the AVS struts were swapped out. So it's more involved in disabling the AVS than swapping in regular struts on AVS-equipped ones.

Regular strut example for Toyota Camry and ES (same for SXV20, VCV20, MCV20 Chassis):

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Reply to
johngdole

The ES300 has a VVTi engine (variable valve timing with intelligence) designed for best performance AND fuel economy on premium fuel. When you put regular in (which I am guessing you've been using), you are esentially detuning the engine. Try several tankfuls of premium and see if with your driving habits and conditions you get enough of an increase in MPG to justify the higher cost.

Reply to
greg

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