Found a GS300, but now I need advice... (oil leak) *pic*
02-25-12, 12:46 PM
#1
Found a GS300, but now I need advice... (oil leak) *pic*
I finally found a GS within my budget, but there's an apparent oil leak. The whole front of the cover that houses the cam gears is caked in oil. I wish I took a pic, but I found this pic on google; just imagine a ton of nasty gunk, oil build up all over the red circle areas.
I did a quick search and they said to change the usual cam seals, valve cover gasket, and some kind of VVT-i seal if I recall. My question is:
On top of that the car has 220k miles. I just don't want to buy this and have the engine give out on me or anything. My plan is to purchase it, repair it up to speed, and hope it lasts me another 100k miles. I'm not too familiar with the usual GS 300 "symptoms," so I was hoping you guys could enlighten me. Thanks!
I did a quick search and they said to change the usual cam seals, valve cover gasket, and some kind of VVT-i seal if I recall. My question is:
- Is this car salvageable and worth the fix?
- About how much total is it to change all the seals/gaskets to repair the leak(s)? (I will be doing all the work myself)
On top of that the car has 220k miles. I just don't want to buy this and have the engine give out on me or anything. My plan is to purchase it, repair it up to speed, and hope it lasts me another 100k miles. I'm not too familiar with the usual GS 300 "symptoms," so I was hoping you guys could enlighten me. Thanks!
02-25-12, 02:17 PM
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JAWN unless you can contribute to anything more than a good laugh, DON'T POST!!!
If you can get the car for anything less than 5k it would be worth it. Yes you can fix this. I would imagine it should be no more than a grand if you are having someone else fix it. Not positive on price, I am putting it on the high side. I personally haven't had to yet and I am almost at the 200k mark.
Do make sure the front suspension is ok... good bushings! That is our biggest issues with this car.
If you can get the car for anything less than 5k it would be worth it. Yes you can fix this. I would imagine it should be no more than a grand if you are having someone else fix it. Not positive on price, I am putting it on the high side. I personally haven't had to yet and I am almost at the 200k mark.
Do make sure the front suspension is ok... good bushings! That is our biggest issues with this car.
Last edited by 850Lexus; 02-25-12 at 02:21 PM.
02-25-12, 03:50 PM
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Hmm that's a tough one to say, is it worth fixing with that much mileage, and what if god forbid the engine goes when u do get everything else fixed, that's a tough one man, have your mechanic thoroughly check the engine, why won't they come down on price? How much do they want?
02-25-12, 09:26 PM
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He must be in Love (with Lexus I meant, Jkidding)
Everything with Toyota is cheap $$. Everything that involved with upscale and fancy are always **** to overpriced $$$$. Replacing a Lexus engine would cost somewhere around $1200-$2000. I am on a higher side on this one. Make some call, ask questions. Bring your trusted mechanic with you, have the car up on air if possible. Hell, I already put in two grand $$$$ within four months owning my lovely Lexus. 
(I thought only beautiful women impaired my judgement, .
)
(P.S Just do it and get it out of your system, there are quite a few Lexus that have over 250K miles on the clock)
http://www.cars.com/for-sale/used/le...2102&rd=100000
(I thought only beautiful women impaired my judgement, .) (P.S Just do it and get it out of your system, there are quite a few Lexus that have over 250K miles on the clock)
http://www.cars.com/for-sale/used/le...2102&rd=100000
Last edited by GS714; 02-25-12 at 09:31 PM. Reason: add
02-25-12, 10:25 PM
#7
Thanks for the advice all. From the sound of it, I should expect to spend an extra $1000 to repair and update the car? If so, that's something I'd be willing to do.
@ GS714 I can't believe that GS has 350,000 miles...and still selling for about 4 grand!! I'm starting to be a true believer in the 2JZ platform.
@ GS714 I can't believe that GS has 350,000 miles...and still selling for about 4 grand!! I'm starting to be a true believer in the 2JZ platform.
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02-25-12, 11:50 PM
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Pre Purchase Check List
Thanks for the advice all. From the sound of it, I should expect to spend an extra $1000 to repair and update the car? If so, that's something I'd be willing to do.
@ GS714 I can't believe that GS has 350,000 miles...and still selling for about 4 grand!! I'm starting to be a true believer in the 2JZ platform.
@ GS714 I can't believe that GS has 350,000 miles...and still selling for about 4 grand!! I'm starting to be a true believer in the 2JZ platform.
) Pay him an hour or two for the service charge and asked him to make a "PrePurchaseCheckList" They are everywhere in Orange County area. As with every car that was Made in Japan, it is the salt that eating the undercarriage and frame while the heart is still breathing. My first true love 
(picture from AutoSpec Info): My Dad paid $250 for my college commuted. Drove it for almost two years when I live in the Northeast. I got free A/C all year round even with the windows rolled up. 
One day the while driving home from the school, the two front wheels just departed and the engine was still running on the tarmac.
Last edited by GS714; 02-26-12 at 12:11 AM. Reason: adding
02-26-12, 12:16 AM
#9
Since you like the car so much. Here is what you should do. Take the car to a Lexus/Toyota "X.pert" ( I crossed my 2 figures on that part ) Pay him an hour or two for the service charge and asked him to make a "PrePurchaseCheckList" They are everywhere in Orange County area. As with every car that was Made in Japan, it is the salt that eating the undercarriage and frame while the heart is still breathing. My first true love (picture from AutoSpec Info): My Dad paid $250 for my college commuted. Drove it for almost two years when I live in the Northeast. I got free A/C all year round even with the windows rolled up. One day the while driving home from the school, the two front wheels just departed and the engine was still running on the tarmac.
) Pay him an hour or two for the service charge and asked him to make a "PrePurchaseCheckList" They are everywhere in Orange County area. As with every car that was Made in Japan, it is the salt that eating the undercarriage and frame while the heart is still breathing. My first true love (picture from AutoSpec Info): My Dad paid $250 for my college commuted. Drove it for almost two years when I live in the Northeast. I got free A/C all year round even with the windows rolled up. One day the while driving home from the school, the two front wheels just departed and the engine was still running on the tarmac.
02-26-12, 11:00 AM
#10
Get them at Rockauto.com for less than 100$ realistically.
I had this on my Dads RX, had timing belt don't but didn't have valve cover seals. Since the front one was removed as part of the procedure, it began to leak since I had the old one. A new seal fixed it - an its exactly what youre describing in the beginning of te thread.
02-26-12, 11:08 AM
#11
To do the cam seals you're going to need to take off just about everything, so honestly if you're doing all the work i'd do EVERYTHING.
- Water Pump
- Timing Belt
- VVTi Cam (I just recently found a few posts while searching around that said their actual cam was causing a leak)
- Cam Gear Seals
- Valve Cover Gaskets
- Crankshaft Seal
I just dropped $650 at my mechanic for cam seals, water pump, timing belt the later part of last year and have seemed to be having a leak from the crankshaft down at the bottom as of lately, so now i'm probably going to have to dish out more just to take off all that crap again to get to it. I'd do it all once while everything is off so you don't have to worry about it again for a while.
- Water Pump
- Timing Belt
- VVTi Cam (I just recently found a few posts while searching around that said their actual cam was causing a leak)
- Cam Gear Seals
- Valve Cover Gaskets
- Crankshaft Seal
I just dropped $650 at my mechanic for cam seals, water pump, timing belt the later part of last year and have seemed to be having a leak from the crankshaft down at the bottom as of lately, so now i'm probably going to have to dish out more just to take off all that crap again to get to it. I'd do it all once while everything is off so you don't have to worry about it again for a while.
02-26-12, 11:35 AM
#12
X2
Get them at Rockauto.com for less than 100$ realistically.
I had this on my Dads RX, had timing belt don't but didn't have valve cover seals. Since the front one was removed as part of the procedure, it began to leak since I had the old one. A new seal fixed it - an its exactly what youre describing in the beginning of te thread.
Get them at Rockauto.com for less than 100$ realistically.
I had this on my Dads RX, had timing belt don't but didn't have valve cover seals. Since the front one was removed as part of the procedure, it began to leak since I had the old one. A new seal fixed it - an its exactly what youre describing in the beginning of te thread.
To do the cam seals you're going to need to take off just about everything, so honestly if you're doing all the work i'd do EVERYTHING.
- Water Pump
- Timing Belt
- VVTi Cam (I just recently found a few posts while searching around that said their actual cam was causing a leak)
- Cam Gear Seals
- Valve Cover Gaskets
- Crankshaft Seal
I just dropped $650 at my mechanic for cam seals, water pump, timing belt the later part of last year and have seemed to be having a leak from the crankshaft down at the bottom as of lately, so now i'm probably going to have to dish out more just to take off all that crap again to get to it. I'd do it all once while everything is off so you don't have to worry about it again for a while.
- Water Pump
- Timing Belt
- VVTi Cam (I just recently found a few posts while searching around that said their actual cam was causing a leak)
- Cam Gear Seals
- Valve Cover Gaskets
- Crankshaft Seal
I just dropped $650 at my mechanic for cam seals, water pump, timing belt the later part of last year and have seemed to be having a leak from the crankshaft down at the bottom as of lately, so now i'm probably going to have to dish out more just to take off all that crap again to get to it. I'd do it all once while everything is off so you don't have to worry about it again for a while.
Thanks guys, I'll def check out RockAuto. And I'll see if she changed any of those listed above, and if she didn't I'll replace them myself.
02-26-12, 01:26 PM
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You can remove the top piece of that plastic (the timing cover) pretty easily. As previously mentioned, take a mechanic with you to look at it. Regardless of what GS you get, taking all that front stuff off HAS to be done about every 100k miles to change the timing belt. I wouldn't let that deter you form buying the car, but make sure it is mechanically sound. A leak is just a leak as long as someone is putting more oil back in. Good luck with your buy!