00' GS400 starter $1200 @ dealer
08-15-07, 07:07 PM
#1
Driver School Candidate
Thread Starter
Join Date: Mar 2003
Location: Washington DC
Posts: 22
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
00' GS400 starter $1200 @ dealer
Third time, never fails... owned a 93 GS 300, a 98 GS 300, now a 00 GS 400. ALL THREE eventually had the infamous starter/solenoid clicking problem. Replaced solenoid/starter the first two GS 3s at dealer for $360 or so several years back. Now my GS 400 is having the same problem, but dealer is quoting me $1200! 7 hours of labor at $110 due to the starter being WAY the hell under the V8.
I HAVE to get it replaced, I know how it goes.. It had happened to me twice already... I don't want to wait till it just dies and won't start at all. $1200 on the V8, OUCH>
Dealer is Pohanka Lexus in Virginia, Washington DC area.
I HAVE to get it replaced, I know how it goes.. It had happened to me twice already... I don't want to wait till it just dies and won't start at all. $1200 on the V8, OUCH>
Dealer is Pohanka Lexus in Virginia, Washington DC area.
08-15-07, 07:30 PM
#4
Driver School Candidate
Thread Starter
Join Date: Mar 2003
Location: Washington DC
Posts: 22
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I haven't forked over the money yet.. sleeping over it. The problem is I CANNOT get any recommendation here in the northern virginia area of a good Lexus independent shop!!? Since it will be rather labor intensive to take the V8 out to reach the starter, I don't want to take it to Jiffy Lube or some ghetto gas station repair shop either. Hoping someone here would recommend me a shop here in N. Va.
08-15-07, 10:26 PM
#8
That price is from a shop that specializes in imports. it's not lexus specific, but I've seen the shop do many lexus and toyotas so they were okay in my book. For the cheap labor, I just had to let them to do it. It was raining that day and my car was dead on the side of the road. 
a lexus-independent shop wanted $750 for parts and labor, $150 more than what the shop charged me.
it's the mechanic behind the work that counts. Fortunately, the guy who did my car gets very good feedbacks.
And yea, $50/hr is cheap, which is why I couldn't resist letting him do my engine mount install too. $200 for labor (4 hr)
a lexus-independent shop wanted $750 for parts and labor, $150 more than what the shop charged me.
it's the mechanic behind the work that counts. Fortunately, the guy who did my car gets very good feedbacks.
And yea, $50/hr is cheap, which is why I couldn't resist letting him do my engine mount install too. $200 for labor (4 hr)
08-15-07, 11:20 PM
#9
I have replaced the starter on my 98 LS400 a year or two ago. Here is the link to a lot of good info, parts need, and pics:
https://www.clublexus.com/forums/sho...arter+went+out
There are pics, and the items you would need to perform the task yourself. Why don't you take a crack at it? It would be much easier for me now to do it, then the first time around. I ended up spending about $200 if I remember correctly, for everything. I could have saved some more money if I didn't buy all these gaskets. I had to work with zero help as I couldn't find any info on starter replacement on the newer 1UZ-FE's.
If your pretty good with a wrench and have sometime on your hand, I would suggest you do it yourself. I'm in the Vienna by the way.
https://www.clublexus.com/forums/sho...arter+went+out
There are pics, and the items you would need to perform the task yourself. Why don't you take a crack at it? It would be much easier for me now to do it, then the first time around. I ended up spending about $200 if I remember correctly, for everything. I could have saved some more money if I didn't buy all these gaskets. I had to work with zero help as I couldn't find any info on starter replacement on the newer 1UZ-FE's.
If your pretty good with a wrench and have sometime on your hand, I would suggest you do it yourself. I'm in the Vienna by the way.
08-15-07, 11:25 PM
#11
Some pics of the work involved... thought someone might be interested in this...
KEEP IN MIND, THIS WAS DONE ON A '98 LS400
Important Part Numbers:
pic of gasket needed:
Pic of the engine bay upon completion:
KEEP IN MIND, THIS WAS DONE ON A '98 LS400
Important Part Numbers:
Also, other parts I needed for the project are the following (this is going to save you sooooo much time! wish I knew beforehand)
16341-50020-GASKET, WATER OUTLET (2 needed)
17171-50020-GASKET, INTAKE MANIFOLD (2 needed)
17176-50021-GASKET, AIR SURGE TANK (4 needed, ONLY needed if you want to separate the upper and lower intake, which I STRONGLY advise against, the more parts you separate, the higher prospects for problems later down the road).
281005006284 - REMAN STARTER (incase someone needs this.)
16341-50020-GASKET, WATER OUTLET (2 needed)
17171-50020-GASKET, INTAKE MANIFOLD (2 needed)
17176-50021-GASKET, AIR SURGE TANK (4 needed, ONLY needed if you want to separate the upper and lower intake, which I STRONGLY advise against, the more parts you separate, the higher prospects for problems later down the road).
281005006284 - REMAN STARTER (incase someone needs this.)
Pic of the engine bay upon completion:
Last edited by GRAND_LS 4; 08-15-07 at 11:29 PM.
08-15-07, 11:29 PM
#12
I too recommend SRT in Beltsville, MD. I'm sure they'll def beat the dealer's price by far. They've worked on quite a bit of gs300/400 and even TT'd a few. Give them a call: 301-982-4600 ask for Kellen/Mo.
www.swiftracing.com
www.swiftracing.com
08-16-07, 09:42 AM
#14
Driver
iTrader: (1)
Join Date: May 2005
Location: CA
Posts: 170
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I will second this. I did mine and it really was not bad. I was a little scared from all the talk on this site, but it was easy compared to the way people make it sound. You do need to be somewhat mechanically inclined.
