jbjones85

iTrader: (20)

I personally have spent very little on my 350, oil changes on second set of brake pads and second set of time (at 73K miles right now), a few air and AC filters, rear diff fluid change and thats it.

Kurtz

iTrader: (1)

Total cost spent in maintenance on my 2008 I've owned since new (Oct 2007):

about $600 for a set of tires
Probably $200 in oil changes
$100 for a brake fluid change

That's it.

While I do agree the manual in the 250 sucks (one of the reasons 97% of 2IS buyers go with the auto), you're the first I've ever seen with those kinds of clutch issues.

Jeff Lange

iTrader: (1)

Going through 5 clutches in 20,000 miles is unheard of. I drive my cars hard and I've never had to replace a clutch before 80,000km unless it's been a modified car.

Jeff

jgbackes

iTrader: (2)

Maybe your clutch is not correctly adjusted. Put it in 5th lean the front end against a phone pole let the clutch out. The car should dead stall. Did they replace the throw out bearing as well each time? How about the fork? Seems like they are not finding the root cause and are only fixing the symptom

Jeff

Jzsicklexi

iTrader: (3)

^^^^^^ please don't do that.

shui3000

yeah, as a 250 manual owner, I'm gonna have to say that this clutch and transmission is just fine.

there's plenty of people that treat it well and get well over the estimated service life.

your complaints of the quality is actually user error.

anthrax144

He mentions a "snow mode". Is there such a thing for a manual version? What I understand about snow mode is it starts the car in 2nd gear (not applicable to a manual) and shifts at lower RPM's (also, not applicable to a MT.) What exactly would you be getting out of "snow mode" in a MT?!?

My last car was a MT and I put over 150,000 miles on that clutch before I sold it. Albeit, I wasn't racing the car, I certainly am not a light-foot when it comes to accelerating. I have to seriously question your driving habits to go through that many clutches in such a short amount of time. Not to mention, why would you not take it to the dealer as warranty issues considering your car is CPO? You can't complain about the money you've spent in maintenance and in the same breathe say how you turned down the dealer's free service and then expect people to take you serious. Sorry, but I'm not feeling sorry for you.

crazytank1

iTrader: (3)

wow, I would have sold the car already if it was costing me over 3k a year on maintenance.

DCoolBeans

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H8c0tDzyKlA

White350

^^^ Hahahahhahahahahahahahah

First, The dealer does not loose on having your car in the shop the tech's get paid for it as well, and Lexus reimbursts the dealer the full cost of everything, So your car makes the dealer the same kind of money as any other job

Second, all those clutch's, and even an after market flywheel, there is no possible way that these were all manufacturer defects, there is only one glaring obvious thing here, You need to learn how to drive stick, don't rest your foot on the clutch pedal! When you down shift Rev-match!

I've tracked cars with oem clutches that have lasted 50-60,000 km's and even used nitrous on the street with them for ****s and giggles and they lasted longer

If i was the dealer and you came back for a second clutch before 10,000 miles i wouldn't warranty you, i would assume you are obviously abusing the car and or racing it

Post pics of the flywheel and discs if you have them, it'll be easy to tell if you have been overheating them or riding the clutch too much

iRock

iTrader: (12)

man your brutal on that 2fiddy

Jeff Lange

iTrader: (1)

Snow mode reduces throttle response and the trac reacts quicker, as it is expecting slip.

Not usually, while the dealer does get to make money on warranty jobs, how much they make is dictated by Lexus corporate. Lexus tells them how much they can mark up the parts, and the warranty labour rate is typically a bit lower than door rate, but honestly, not many dealers are going to turn down warranty work. A job is a job, sure they make a bit less, but making 7 hours and 25% markup is still considerably better than making zero, plus you get to keep your customers happy.

Jeff

B16da9

iTrader: (7)

Correct me if I'm wrong but at one point the dealer offered to replace your entire flywheel and you declined it?

I'm sorry to say it but it sounds to me like driver error as I recently had my 6 speed tranny replaced per the TSIB and the mechanic showed me my flywheel and it was in great shape with no burn marks. This is also on a car that has had the same clutch till the TSIB with 52K miles.

Seansvs

Anthrax,
The ATS SNOW mode on the MT Modifies the response curve of the throttle so that the throttle output is greatly reduced compared to the manual input (your foot). Essentially cutting the throttle "in half" to help with slipping. Basically takes some lead out of your foot automatically. It's great for breaking in a clutch, cause it forces the throttle to be easy no matter how you put your foot down.

As to the warranty issues, I haven't a clue why they didn't just do it the first time. Like has been pointed out (repeatedly), and I've agreed with (repeatedly), it doesn't make sense for them not to have warrantied everything. Including the entire transmission, for that matter. Surely they knew there was a TSIB for the noise when letting out the clutch, also. There's a whole new transmission for this problem! When I complained about this exact issue, shortly after the first service, they disregarded my complaint (I wouldn't want to give away a transmission, would you?). To be clear, they didn't offer to replace my flywheel, they offered to sell me one. The whole thing just seemed like a scene from a bad student movie about a crooked used car dealer:

"Here's your new car, it's Certifiable! That means we stand behind it like it's new!"
"Gee, thanks Mister!"
About three weeks later...Que the Slippage.
"Oooh, sorry, the clutch isn't a warranty part, and we gotta do the flywheel while we're in there, it's gonna cost about three grand."
"Why the flywheel? Is it broken?"
"Nope, but we won't warranty the transmission if the flywheel surface isn't fresh when we do the clutch."
"can you machine it?"
"Nope. Our machine isn't big enough."
"Can you have someone else do it, and bill me?"
"Sure."
About time for an oil change later...Slippage.
"Flywheels dead, but we can't warranty it because it's been machined."
"Really? You didn't tell me that."
"It's on the paperwork somewhere."
"OK... But you've had it three days and haven't even taken it apart, how do you know it's the flywheel?"
"Because the clutch is brand-new. That's gonna be three grand."
Buyer falls to his knees, hands to the sky, screaming,
"Noooooo!"
Fade to black...

Fin.

That doesn't seem a little off to anybody else?

Jeff Lange

iTrader: (1)

The TSB came out this past summer, it didn't exist when you had your problem, it's more recent.

Like was said, and you agreed with, they wouldn't be giving away anything. In fact, they'd make quite a bit of money putting in a new transmission for you under warranty or TSB.

Jeff