[theanimala]

Sorry to post this hear, but I remember other posters who have or had a GS400 in the past.

Well, I am quickly nearing the 60K mile mark, and my dealer is recommending the 60K service to me. It is the same as the regular service, and they replace all of the belts. I am not sure if this includes the timing belt. One problem though, the price. They are asking $950 or so. I have a pretty good mechanic that I have used for my other cars, but not the GS yet. Do I need this service, and if I do could I trust a decent mechanic?

 

[IS-F-I-Found]

Originally posted by theanimala:
Sorry to post this hear, but I remember other posters who have or had a GS400 in the past.

Well, I am quickly nearing the 60K mile mark, and my dealer is recommending the 60K service to me. It is the same as the regular service, and they replace all of the belts. I am not sure if this includes the timing belt. One problem though, the price. They are asking $950 or so. I have a pretty good mechanic that I have used for my other cars, but not the GS yet. Do I need this service, and if I do could I trust a decent mechanic?

Wow, 950?? I wonder if all Lexus dealers would charge the same? Have you called other dealers for comparisons. I'm also nearing a 60k service on my ES. Hope it's not that much money. I've often wondered how necessary the belt replacements are. Since the timing belt alone in some Lexus's have gone for more than 100k miles.

 

[RotaryBzzz]

I don't think that 90k service includes the timing belt. No "usual" service has that typically. You'll probably want to replace the timing belt at your 90k interval. At 90k best thing to do is and replace your
1)timing belt
2)belt tensioners
3)your camshaft gasket
4)your crankshaft gasket
5)and your waterpump

since you've got to take the timing belt off to get to the waterpump anyway. (save $) Those two gaskets are typically thermally braking down by then too (oil leaks...have to take off timing belt to get to) Do this
and you should be great, oil/leak free for another 90k. It will be a hellava expensive service at the lexus dealer, but if you go to a reputable independent service dude...it should be resonable. My guestimate from Lexus for the above would be about $1800. Independent with you bringing quality parts? $450-600. If you didn't have the $ at the time, you could put off the waterpump till around 135k and the timing belt to 105k. Do this at your own risk though!!! That's when they start to fail/can fail. (generally speaking...toyota/honda quality...not ford)

Do i sound like i have a thing against ford?

 

[IS-F-I-Found]

Originally posted by RotaryBzzz:
I don't think that 90k service includes the timing belt. No "usual" service has that typically. You'll probably want to replace the timing belt at your 90k interval. At 90k best thing to do is and replace your
1)timing belt
2)belt tensioners
3)your camshaft gasket
4)your crankshaft gasket
5)and your waterpump

since you've got to take the timing belt off to get to the waterpump anyway. (save $) Those two gaskets are typically thermally braking down by then too (oil leaks...have to take off timing belt to get to) Do this
and you should be great, oil/leak free for another 90k. It will be a hellava expensive service at the lexus dealer, but if you go to a reputable independent service dude...it should be resonable. My guestimate from Lexus for the above would be about $1800. Independent with you bringing quality parts? $450-600. If you didn't have the $ at the time, you could put off the waterpump till around 135k and the timing belt to 105k. Do this at your own risk though!!! That's when they start to fail/can fail. (generally speaking...toyota/honda quality...not ford)

Do i sound like i have a thing against ford?

How crucial is the 55k or 60k mile service? Also, in regards to the timing belt, do you know which Lexus vehicles IS--included, have interference or a non-interference system, and what the benefits are?

 

[RotaryBzzz]

honestly, i look at the "official" 60k check like a big tuneup. There's really nothing much being done other than a whole mess of checks. I don't even think your sparkplugs are getting changed> (100k interval no?) IMHO, 30k,60k tuneups are like paying a couple hundred for them to wash your car, add wiper fluid and rotate the tires. Look at your little mailer and check and see just what is being replaced (parts-wise). Its really a whole lot of things like (check timing, check headlight alignment, check brake fluid). If you feel comfortable enough about checking your oil, checking your driveway where you park you car for oil leaks and if your car hasn't been in a major accident, you should be ok. Espcially since it was made in Japan. (!) Oooo, one thing though that you NEED to get done if you haven't had it done is get your transmission fluid changed. Most people forget about that. I would do that every 20k miles religously. And don't go anywhere that has a 66% percent fluid change. That means 33% old fluid is going back into your car. WTF? Fluid is like 1.39 a bottle. IMHO, partial percent fluid changes are repair-places insidious way to make your transmission fail prematurely. Don't do it. Hope this helps!

 

[IS-F-I-Found]

Originally posted by RotaryBzzz:
honestly, i look at the "official" 60k check like a big tuneup. There's really nothing much being done other than a whole mess of checks. I don't even think your sparkplugs are getting changed> (100k interval no?) IMHO, 30k,60k tuneups are like paying a couple hundred for them to wash your car, add wiper fluid and rotate the tires. Look at your little mailer and check and see just what is being replaced (parts-wise). Its really a whole lot of things like (check timing, check headlight alignment, check brake fluid). If you feel comfortable enough about checking your oil, checking your driveway where you park you car for oil leaks and if your car hasn't been in a major accident, you should be ok. Espcially since it was made in Japan. (!) Oooo, one thing though that you NEED to get done if you haven't had it done is get your transmission fluid changed. Most people forget about that. I would do that every 20k miles religously. And don't go anywhere that has a 66% percent fluid change. That means 33% old fluid is going back into your car. WTF? Fluid is like 1.39 a bottle. IMHO, partial percent fluid changes are repair-places insidious way to make your transmission fail prematurely. Don't do it. Hope this helps!

Honestly, I didn't realize there was such a thing as partial fluid changes. That sounds rediculous. Do most garages do partial percent changes?? Sounds as crazy as a partial oil change.

 

[RotaryBzzz]

some shops do, some don't...you've really got to ask and be specific with them though. They might try to answer you a different way. I recall a long time ago that my aunt's oldsmobile dealer did partial fluid changes. You've really got to ask and assume that people are out to make a buck off you now (or in the future). Sucks doesn't it???? I hate having people i don't know touch my car.... they're always the one's screwing it up. Deception is the rule.

 

[RotaryBzzz]

oh...and another thing. If you get your oil changed (once you've cleared your warranty oil changes/service), you really want to watch the oil guys do it if you can. Just the other week, my friend paid for synthetic valvoline to be put in and he caught them (literally saw them) pour in some cheapee generic brand oil. The stuff at walmart...the REALLY cheap stuff (like .59/qt). Probably recycled oil. Who knows? Deception is the rule.

 

[JW]

You can try the Toyota dealer, but you'll have to sacrifice some of the perks of Lexus service for lower prices though.

The 60k service is a "major" service (and the 120k one), btw. The timing belt is also supposed to be changed, though I've heard of people not changing the timing belt until the 120k service.

[This message has been edited by JW (edited December 12, 2000).]

 

[chiem]

The 60k service for my 4-cyl Camry was $1200. $900 ain't that bad.

--k

 

[GSM User]

FYI, 60K service for my 98 civic is less than $200. It has almost 80K now and is running great. I guess Lexus has to be special ($$$ I mean). I am stilling waiting for a 5spd IS300 and I will find out then.

 

[chiem]

Well, the $1200 for my 60k service included "recommended" services that weren't included in the 60k service package. Such as.. transmission flush, belt replacements, etc. etc.. Would have been cheaper if I had gotten it in southern California, but most likely still within about $600-$900 for the same services.

--k

 

[IS-F-I-Found]

Originally posted by RotaryBzzz:
oh...and another thing. If you get your oil changed (once you've cleared your warranty oil changes/service), you really want to watch the oil guys do it if you can. Just the other week, my friend paid for synthetic valvoline to be put in and he caught them (literally saw them) pour in some cheapee generic brand oil. The stuff at walmart...the REALLY cheap stuff (like .59/qt). Probably recycled oil. Who knows? Deception is the rule.

That's total Crap, Did he call them out on the spot? Better yet, he should have called the nearest TV station, or threatened it, unless they gave him a few more "adult supervised"

oil changes.

 

[IS-F-I-Found]

Originally posted by chiem:

The 60k service for my 4-cyl Camry was $1200. $900 ain't that bad.

--k

What all did they do? I was lead to believe the 60k service wasn't all that comprehensive?

 

[RotaryBzzz]

Actually yah, he did call them on it. They denied it vehemently though....made up all sorts of excuses (he brought it up with the manager of the place). Pretty disgusting eh?
This was a small shop but i even remember now a couple years ago...the same thing happened to him at a Jiffy lube around here. He saw them putting in putting in the lower grade Castrol instead of the GTX. Blah.