Your gas cap may have been left loose or the oring on the cap needs replaced unless you have lost it. If this is the case do yourself a favor and buy the thirty dollar Lexus replacement
how to replace 97 Lexus ES300 transmission
You do not have the correct timing set for that car.
Check your oil level.
I have the exact same issue on our 1996 ES300..My suspicion is that it is indeed the switch
The fuse box is located to the bottom lrft of the steering wheel behind the coin holder. all you do is open it up and the pull it towards you of the rear hinges.. It will snap right back into place.
I recently had to replace the trunk light in my '97 ES300. If you just need the bulb, it's NOT replacement #194 that Walmart, Advanced Auto and others list. You need a 12V, 3 Watt bulb that looks like a fuse. I finally had to buy mine from our local Lexus dealer. Pop open the light cover with a screwdriver and carefully pull out the bulb. Try this first because it's probably only the bulb that is bad.
4000
1997 Toyota Camry does not have a cabin air filter. - It does not have an cabin filter, BUT the filter box is the same as the Lexus ES300 that HAS a cabin filter. BUT the 4th gen camry's had sealed the slot that had the cabin filter, Modifications is needed http://www.clublexus.com/forums/es300-and-es330/168680-es300-a-c-or-cabin-filter-change-97-01-a.html Same rules apply, except you need to cut where they sealed it up (will be covered by a cover*) *that you need to salvage off a 3rd gen camry or the ES300
As the Lexus is Toyota's premium brand the parts to repair a Lexus will be more expensive than the same parts for a Camry. But the Lexus is one of the most reliable vehicles you can buy. At 90,000 miles the Lexus and Camry both have many miles left before they need any major repairs, assuming they were serviced regularly. Look closely at each car and see if it appears they were taken care of. I would pick the Lexus over the Camry although both are very dependable automobiles.
100k
you are either low on brake fluid, the Ebrake switch is on or you have air in your brake lines. try lifting the ebrake and see if the light gets brighter. If it does, try unpluging the wire that goes to the brake master cylinder. If this don't work then i recomend taking it to a shop to have it looked at! Good Luck... Michael on my 97 es300 the brake light was staying on because ebrake inside of back rotor was worn all the way down and system was sensing this.
very carefully or pay $800 for dealer to do the work