Juan C. Cos

I would like to hear feedback on some issues:

1. What mileage are you changing spark plugs? For some reason, I don't believe leaving a $2 spark plug for 100K miles.

2. Dealer says to change tranny fluid every 15K miles, but just draining the carter (about 2-3 quarts), since this practice eliminates the need to drain the converter. This sounds nice, but what about the filter? I assume the tranny has one, right? Opinions please!

3. Brake fluid. I always change it in all my vehicles every 2 years, but it usually turns dark before that (meaning is aborbed moisture). Well, my damn car is over 3 years old, and it's still clear as new, but with 10K miles. Should I change it anyway?

4. Coolant. I'm thinking of waiting until the 15K mile mark (should come around 4 years old) to replace it with Prestone long-life with distilled water. Have anybody done this, and what kind did you use?

5. Differential fluid. Anybody done it?

6. Last. Dealer says to check (and adjust as necessary) valves and replace timing belt at 60K miles. This seems ridiculous, but what are your thoughts? Anybody done this to their cars to briefly explain how difficult (and what parts need to be removed) is to perform it?

Thanks guys. Feel free to elaborate on any issue. And add more if you want.

Juan Carlos

GS4Will

Juan,

How are you? i am not a tech wizard, but i like to talk to tach guys whenevr i get a chance. since you are quite handy, imo, when it comes to thing under the hood, i will share with you some of what i learned over the years.

1. Plugs- 30k mark. but there is also new schools of thoughts: the new plugs are better than the old ones, so unless you really have probs, there is no need to do anything.

2.i also think the tranny has a filter, replace while you are at the job.

3.break fliud- it is clear, and you have so little miles, leave it alone.

4.coolant-actually 30k miles should be fine. but if you want to be extra cautious, do it at 15k. let me ask around the dealers here in LA about the prestones. to me, i thought they are the same as the factory. but one time i was going to top the reservoir with green prestones, i realized that lex/toyota use some "red coolant". i suspect the formula is the same. but my tech guy just asked me to come to the dealership and he topped it off for me.

6.valve adj- the result was quite good on one lex(93 gs); but on the 98 LS, i did not see/notice any diff . (may be just in my head)

i would do the timing belt at 60K, as recommended by the book. especially if you have the extended warranty. this is to prevent lex/ins co. try to get out of compensate you should anything goes wrong. i know he job is both labor and time consuming.

let me know what you think

william

bitkahuna

iTrader: (20)

Suggest you post this in the maintenance section.

Mean Gene

Juan - Guess you're not selling after all?! The maintenance schedule I have says plugs @ 60k; brake fluid & coolant @ 30k & tranny fluid @ 15k. This is another one of those subjective threads because so much depends on how U drive & where U live. I run my GS HARD but as of yet don't have a supercharger or nitrous ( I said YET!! ). I do my plugs at 30k & the other 3 mentioned fluids at 15k. This may be overkill to some but it gives me peace of mind in terms of dependability, plus I do it all myself, saving money ( & I also know it's done correctly!! ). Just because U don't drive your GS often doesn't mean U should neglect the scheduled maintenance - actually, driving the car & getting it up to operating temperature would help boil of some bad things like condensation! BTW - my plugs were fine at 30k but i changed them anyway. The word I get is that the tranny filter is designed to last 100k but since I have the T/C & it's hot down here where we live ( U're in Texas? ), I do the filter every other fluid change ( 30k intervals ). I use Prestone Long-Life coolant & distilled water myself ( understand that the Lexus brand is manufactured by Texaco ). The differential job is a simple drain & refill procedure. Haven't hit the 60k mark yet but will have the belt changed & valves adjusted at that time ( by the dealer as I understand it's quite a job & requires special tools ). I'd go ahead with that brake fluid change - just vacumn out the reservoir & open the bleeders to get it all out. Have fun!:eek:

mooretorque

Juan, lots of schools of thought re fluids, as you can see from previous replies. Unless you are very mechanical, leave the timing belt to the service guys. But definitely do it!! It's a big service, it's expensive but if it let's go, it's a new engine (at least a new top end). Lexus motors are "interference" engines, which means that the pistons will come into contact with the valves if the belt breaks, causing a very rapid deterioration in performance and a very rapid depletion of your discretionary income. And it won't be a warranty repair unless you had the belt changed.

BTW, this doesn't imply that the belts are fragile or will grenade at 65K; but if it does...................where you are is where you'll stay till the transporter comes.

Juan C. Cos

Bitkahuna, why don't you put a maintenance section on the GS board? Who's going to be reading a million messages on the general maintenance board just to see which ones happen to be related to the GS? My guess is not may people.

Thanks a lot for your responses.

WILLIAM, I want to know more about the iridium plugs, since I don't want to replace them in vain, but for a few bucks a piece, even if the mileage drops 1 mpg after 30k miles, it's worth replacing them (epecially with today's gas prices). Any need to remove anything? What about the left rear ones (facing the engine)?
Toyota's red coolant is not long life, and is fully compatible with the others. Did you do the valve job on your LS? How difficult was it? Are they threaded adjusters, or shim over/under bucket?

MEAN GENE, I'm a maintenance freak like you (I also do it myself), so I never neglect my cars. BTW, where did you buy your service manual, and how much? I need one.
I have a question on the tranny: dealer says they "clean" (and reuse) the nylon-type filter every 15K miles too. I like your approach of doing it every 30K (but the fluid every 15K). Is the filter really reusable? Do you need a gasket for the pan too? No need to drain the converter, right?
I plan to put synthetic fluid on the differential to extend the intervals, since it doesn't get nearly as hot as the tranny (which is connected to the engine); what do you think?
What do you need to remove to get to all plugs? I like to use 1/2 (or 3/4, depending on plug) turns after seating, which is much better than a torque wrench IMO (at least on my motorcycles); what's your take?
And yes, I'm in Texas (El Paso), and it's an oven man (99º so far). I don't drive hard, and mostly short distances (10 miles or so): does that qualify as severe conditions for maintenance purposes, or in-between?
Come on, tackle the valve and belt yourself, so you can make recommendations. I'll do it myself since I'm not going to buy extended warranty, but I'm still a long way from that (another 4/5 years), unless the manual calls for very expensive special tools, and are more expensive than the $800 the dealer wants (I doubt it). If the valves have threaded adjusters, it's a piece of cake. If they're SUB, which requires cam removal, I'm going to think twice before doing it. If SOB, there's a special tool to compress the springs and remove the shims (easy too, but more time consuming). On the belts, I haven't paid attention what needs R/R, but I like the challenge, as long as it's significantly cheaper. Have you seen the manual to see what it calls for?

MOORETORQUE, I will definitely do the belts/valves at 60K miles; thanks for the recommendation. By the time I need it, hopefully a few of you would have tackled the job,so I can judge if I'm up to the task. I like the challenge, but if it's too involved, I'll probably leave it to the only dealer in town, but the problem is that I don't trust them. Remember by the time I need that job, I'm probably going to be out of the powertrain warranty (6-yrs/ 100K miles, right?), that's why I'll consider doing it myself. I think Lexus requires that service done by a certified mechanic to honor the warranty, right?

Take care guys, and sorry for the lenghty reply; I had nothing better to do (ha ha).

GS4Will

Juan,

i wish i am as good as you are when it comes to the technical aspects of maintenance. but i do like to listen and learn as each day goes by and with the help of this site.

the valve adj. was done by the dealer.

take care.

william

Mean Gene

Juan - Well, after stripping out one of the sway bar bolts, I'm now a dedicated user of a torque wrench!! Usually just snugging things up a little after bottoming out the bolt will do - kinda like your 1/2 turn method anyway. I had to order my manual from the dealer & it took 2 weeks to get it as my dealer doesn't normally stock them. They go for about $95/each & there R 2 of them; one for electronics & the other covers mechanics. Despite my audio background, I didn't get the electronics manual because I'm a little wary of fooling with all the wiring. I have the RMM LSD which requires either a synthetic gear lube or regular lube with a positive traction additive ( GM's is good ) in it to reduce the chances of chattering. I'm a Mobil 1 guy when it comes to lubricants. It's possible to re-use the tranny pan gasket again if ya don't tear it taking the pan off - just use a thin bead of PermaTex to be sure. I also wouldn't re-use it more than once, just in case ( they aren't that expensive ). I suppose U could clean that nylon filter once or twice but I can see the point of diminishing returns after about 2 cleanings so I just opt to change it every other change. Let me look in my manual about the belt change - I only just turned 30k so I haven't been looking that far ahead to the 60k maintenance. I'll get back with ya on that one! IMO, I'd call 10 mile trips severe usage because of the lack of reaching normal operating temps - just my .02!

Rro

I recently bought a 92 ES300 with 140K miles on it (very good deal). I had the timimng belt, and all seals replaced. Replaced all wires, air filter, rotors, brakes, belts, and radiator (hairline crack). Since I didn't have the maintenance records, I felt this was the way to go. I watched the service guy replace the timing belt and seals. It appeared very simple but, I wouldn't try to tackle it myself. As for everything else, I was able to maintenance myself with the use of the dealer's service department diagrahms and assistance from many that post (1Sicklex and Devildog) on this site. I've saved considerable amounts of money. As I got into it, the Lexus is intimidating. The more I worked on it the less intimidating it becomes. Sure, I had to repeat several jobs until I got it right but, it is very rewarding to perform the maintenance myself.

How do you change the transmission filter and adjust the valves? Is this something for the novice or should I breakdown and spend my life's savings?

Anyone know of a site where replacement electrical switches (windows) can be purchased and how do I remove old swithches?

See What I Mean!!!

hlee1169

Just to throw in my 2c, recently I decided to skip the 60K service offered by Lexus ($1K!) and decided to have my mechanic replaced the Iridium spark plugs (got it from Steve@Carson toyota for a good price), the fan belt, transmission fluid, brake fluid, differential fluid, the air conditioner filter, and oil & filter. At 90K I will have the dealer replace the timing belt and water pump, and valve adjustments. The timing belt is replaced at 90K per Lexus recommendation, so I will just follow their maintenance schedule. Anyway, the parts and labor costs me about $350, leaving me $650 to apply toward the TRD LSD.

Juan C. Cos

MeanGene, the only item I don't use the torque wrench is the spark plug, and that's because it has a collapsible washer, and most of the times the torque value leaves them too loose. As for the filter, you're right: I'm just going to replace it every time I bring down the pan. So it's okay just to drain the oil at 15K (no filter change), right? Ah, and I'm not messing with wires either, but sometimes you can diagnose problems with just a digital multimeter (especially sensors), and if values are not specified on the other manual, then I need the electrical one. Can you tell my if your manual has the values, for example, of the coolant temp sensor?
I agree with being intimidated too, but I've done all this stuff before, but in simpler engines. Most of the time the problem is getting to the parts!

Thanks again guys.

Mean Gene

Juan - Most of the values R in the #2 ( mechanical ) manual. There's a graph for the acceptable resistance range ( in ohms ) for the coolant sensor that U asked about, for example. Others R in there as well. For true diagnostics, that data is in the #1 ( electrical ) manual, according to the index. Not sure if ya can buy the Lexus scanner though.? The actual changing of the belt doesn't look to be too hard & requires basic tools/pullers - just need to remove the entire front of the engine!!:eek: About the tranny filter - yep, I changed both the fluid & filter @ 10k when I installed the T/C then just did a fluid only drain/refill at 25k. Will do both fluid & filter again at 40k & continue to follow this interval pattern. Before U ask - don't know of any synthetic ATF that's compatable or available for the Toyota/Lexus tranny & Mo says that the Lexus stuff is as good as any, especially if it's changed at 15k intervals.

Purplexed

Juan,
I was just at a Lexus dealership, spoke with the parts manager to get an idea of what to expect on my LS400 in terms of problems and service intervals.
Got alot of good info.
Regarding Valve adjustment."we noticed that at 99,000 miles, when we went to adjust with shims, the engines were typically in spec. so , now , the test they use to determine whether its time to adjust valves is an audible test. If they seem a little noisy , they need adjustment"
Regarding timing belt change , the parts manager and the service fellow both told me 100K-110K. Heres what the part manager told me. " in the years Ive been here, Ive seen two timing belts fail. Both were due to seized water pumps. "
Regarding the trans filter, he told me its a screen , and is usually clean.

You may choose to be conservative , but for me, looks like I'm gonna price out a water pump and change mine as a preventive when I get a few more miles.
Good luck

Juan C. Cos

Thanks Gene. I'm going with the 15K fluid change only; I've never heard of any car needing full tranny service at 15K anyway. Then at 30K I hit the filter (I need to do the first -30K- tranny service on my navigator pretty soon, but that one requires draining of the converter -it has a drain plug for that too-).
Purplexed, I haven't bought the manual yet, but dealer says they go by "extreme" schedule here (60K),where normal is 100K. SInce temps reach into 100+º all summer here, it's windy (and dusty) all spring, and I drive short distances most of the time, BUT I don't drive the car much on those conditions, my car hardly spends time in traffic, and I don't drive the car hard, I'm going to split the interval to 75K miles for the belt and valves. I might inspect the valves at that time to see how close to being out of spec they are, but the real bear is to adjust them (even one). Doing this at the same time than the belts simplifies the task tremendously.

Thanks again for your responses, and enjoy the rest of the long weekend.

Juan Carlos