ssmoked

hey all, for the owners that had their 30-60-90k miles service done already, would you recommend letting the dealer do the job or somewhere else thats cheaper? i have a 96' ES300. thanks

tiguy99

If you can...get it done somewhere else...You'll save tons of $$$.
The 90K service usually involves the timing belt and oil change. If you can find a good shop specializing in imports or a good mechanic that's willing to do the work on the side for you, buy your parts online then take them over to him/her and have them work on it for you.

Look at the Lexus manual to find out all that's involved then buy your timing belt and tensioner and idler together. If you want, you can also grab a water pump since everyone suggests you should swap that out since its right there in the engine and exposed when they open the area up to service your timing belt.

ssmoked

anyone else got their 90k service done?

tiguy99

I'm about to get mine done next month along with the Weapon R intake (unless you know a better one). I have a Toyota mechanic that'll do both under 500.00 as long as I bring him the parts. Look around. you'll save. I think Lexus wants like double that for the timing belt alone

Tammy

If there is a local Toyota dealer who is willing to service your Lexus, have them do the tasks. They have the expertise and tools for bleeding the brakes, servicing the automatic transmission and power steering. They also carry the correct coolant and air filters.

Timing belt, small parts, water pump, idlers and spark plugs are available as Toyota OEM parts.

ssmoked

oh crap, speaking of right coolants, my dad had his service done at some tire shop, they replaced the coolant also, what if its the wrong coolant or what is the right coolant? will it cause any damage? anything else Lexus requires a certain type(fluids)?

lexusk8

I did the 90K service on two separate occasions, one for my '96 Coach Edition and one for my '01. The service included TB change, all fluids change, some minor tweaks, rear main seal fix (common problem on high mileage ES). Never needed a water pump replaced even though I got that inspected. I got both 90K service done at a Lexus dealership. The one for the '96 costed me around $2,200; and the other one for the '01 only costed me $1,100 since I got some prior work done like oil filter change, air filter, etc.

ssmoked

did they charge you extra for the rear main seal, or is it included?

Tammy

Your ES was originally equipped with the Toyota "red" long life coolant and distilled water mix. It should be exchanged every three years or 30K mile intervals.

Your owners manual states ethylene-glycol type coolant. It may be green, red or pink. Toyota used green with an iron block; red with aluminum block and pink in aluminum block starting with 2005 models. The premixed pink (add no water) is backward compatable with the earlier red type, but not the green.

ssmoked

he drives a 2001 LX470 and sorry i have absolutely no clue what you meant!explain if he need to get it redone or is it good for the 30000 miles

AzNMpower

Wait uh, so is it okay if I put in a green mix I buy from Autozone (it's Prestone pre-mixed 50/50) with the red stuff the dealer I put in? My radiator leaks a bit and I have to top the coolant off once in awhile.

lexusk8

The rear main seal was charged separately from the 90K service. Can't recall how much it was, probably in the $300 range (parts and labor).

Tammy

What's to explain? Use ethylene-glycol type coolant in your Lexus, whether it is in an ES or LX. (This is the ES forum, but no matter)

No matter what the color, is the coolant of the correct type...as stated in the owners manual?

Is it good to mix different products and different types of coolant...

My suggestion is that it is not a good idea. Corrosion is more apparent in an aluminum block engine than the cast iron block engines.

shannon

i have a 1994 es300 which is the same as your car. i got it serviced at 80k. i got a really good deal going through a friend, if you lived in ca i'd hook you up too. the following is what i got done, all oem parts.... i might have forgot to list some things

timing belt
water pump
all fan belts
motor mounts
strut tower mounts
changed coolant and tranny fluids
oil change with syn.
platinum spark plugs
i forgot if the plug wires were changed too

$763 which is definitely on the lower end.

ssmoked

too bad for me i live in FLA. one more ?, i know for a fact that most 1st generation ES300 have some sort of engine oil leak(my 96' started 3+ years ago and now its pretty bad), did your mechanic recommend anything or did he/she mention anything about the oil would interfere with the belts