In February 04, my 1997 Lexus ES300 with 49,000 miles started to smoke, mostly at startup. Then the engine light came and stayed on. The garage and front yard would be filled with blue smoke for the first few moments. I immediately called JM Lexus and made an appointment.
When I brought the car in for service, they told me the "charcoal canister" needed to be replaced for $550. And asked if I want to make another appointment to have the work done. I told them of course I wanted the work done.
The following week, I brought the car back in to have the work performed. When the service rep gave me the car back, he asked if I promised to always bring the car back to him for service, he would waiver the amount of the repairs. I told him, of course I'll bring it back to you and thanked him so much for his generousity.
In the next few days, the car started to smoke again, although the engine light did not come on yet. I made another appointment to bring the car back with the same service rep. At this time, I started to search on the web for related problems with the Lexus ES300 and was shocked at how many people were having oil gelling, (sludge) problems. It seemed as though the "charcoal canister" and engine light were the first indicator of engine gelling. Now I know why they didn't charge me for the new canister... They had to under the extended engine warranty.
I read that as long as I could prove I did all my regular oil changes, I wouldn't have a problem. So, before going to the next appointment, I went out to the garage and opened my glove box and looked into my lexus book where all my oil change receipts were neatly stacked and low and behold... They were all missing. I was in a panic. Where could they have gone. I bought the car new in '97 and always changed the oil regularly and neatly folded the receipts and put them in my Lexus book. I always thought for resale value, they would come in handy. I had just seen them 2 weeks prior as I just had another oil change and put the receipt in with the rest. Then it dawned on me.
Rather than bring the Lexus back in for service and have the car labeled as another Oil Sludge Lemon, and then not be able to sell the car, I ran out to another major dealer and traded in for a new car. I just knew when I returned to Lexus, they were going to ask for my oil change receipts and I would have been "shafted".
If I've learned anything, it's to never leave maintenance receipts in your vehicle.
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