lexuslivin

I just got a used 02 es300 with 82k miles on it. I want to take good care of it, and would like some advice on what kind of maintenance, and how often, to do.

- Should I do oil changes every 3k? Should I use synthetic oil?
- How often should I change the belts?
- How often should I do flushes, and of what?
- etc.

steviej

iTrader: (1)

I had a 2002 ES and here is what I did -- never had a problem.

Changed oil and filter every 5,000 miles. I live in new england and used synthetic oil simply because of the extreme cold temps in the winter. Please don't ask what you should use as you will open an explosion of discussion that has occured many times in the past. Search on "synthetic" or "conventional" and see what threads come up. It is totally personal preference.

Performed a simple Tranny fluid Drain and Fill every 15,000 miles: This is simpler and cheaper than changing your oil. I actually created a tutorial thread with pictures that I could link for you (gotta go dig for it).

Changed Cabin Air Filter and Engine Air Filter once a year.

Power Flushed brake fluid and steering fluid every 30,000 miles or two years.

Changed accessory belts every 45,000 miles.

You are approaching the 90,000 mile mark. This will be time for the timing belt to be changed. I suggest you change the water pump and accesssory belts then. They will have to drain the coolant to do this, so that is a good time to flush the coolant system as well.

I changed my spark plugs at 60,000 miles but the condition of them did not warrant the replacement. They could have been left to 90,000 or even 100,000. The back three plugs are a ***** to change by yourself.

I hope this helps.
steviej

BoostedE21

If you're using full synthetic, you should be able to change it well past 5k miles. There are tons of places that will do an oil analysis for you and determine a specific oil change plan for you based on your driving style, driving conditions, and the condition of your oil.

lexuslivin

Thanks, this is great advice! Can you explain what each of the maintenance item is for, and what it affects?

Lexusfreak

+1 for what steviej said ^

rlx101

i think my mechanic will look at me like i have 3 heads if i ask him ro run mass spec on my oil before changing it. What place does the oil analysis???

rlx101

well most belts are made of rubber. rubber wears out eventualy thus limited life time. timing belt is the most important of them, if it brakes on you car - the engine gets damaged ('02 es300 has interference type engine, google is your friend if you want to know more)

liquids need to be changed because they loose lubrication qualities over time and they also accumulate h20 (which leads to rust), metal specs from moving parts etc etc

filters simply clog - changing cabin filter is a piece of cake on your ES - takes 5min. order one from feeBay or our dealer.

Trexus

+2 for what steviej said ^

You can change your oil and oil filter every 5,000 miles.

Change the timing belt and tensioner every 90,000 miles. Change the water pump every 180,000 miles.

With proper maintenance on your ES she will go a long way. I'm still trying to find out how long mine will go...happy driving...

Neophyte2b

Someone is selling an '02 es300 with 112k miles. He is asking 8500 for it. He says that it's in mint condition. I haven't looked at it yet, but hope to do so in the next few days. If the car is in good condition, should I go for it or is the mileage too high for the amount being asked for?