captncook

Hey guys, I recently purchased a 2002 Lexus GS430 with 117k on it. It was garage kept and maintained but I feel that I have gotten the short end of the stick with having to deal with repairs. Since purchasing the vehicle in August 2013, I've replaced 3 sensors, coolant tank, brakes, filters, and an oil change. Now I know when I purchased this vehicle, I would have to give it some TLC considering it's just been in the garage for majority of the time, but what's more irritating is the check engine light coming back on along with a screeching sound coming from my wheels when I'm driving and turning the wheel around a corner or bend. On top of that, I keep smelling a small hint of rotten eggs (more than likely something dealing with the exhaust). I'd appreciate some feedback considering I keep dumping money into this car and the main problems are not being resolved. If anyone has knowledge of cars and is in the Central NJ area, can we please meet up to take a look at this ongoing issue?

porn-adkt

iTrader: (37)

whats the Engine Code?

captncook

Not sure what the code is. When I first took it to my mechanic he said the code showed to replace a Catalytic Filter, but he suggested changing the sensors, which I've done 3/4 of them. The check engine light came back on again, and then he said I needed to replace my Coolant System, which I then did. Once again, the check engine light comes back on. I just replaced my brakes but that didn't stop the screeching sound I hear when turning the wheel on a turn, it sounds as if something is rusted and needs greasing or something else rubbing another piece around the wheels. I'm going to try a Toyota or Lexus dealership to see what they know but not looking forward to bad news or a high price quote.

MasterKwan

Jesus, sounds like you need a real mechanic.; Not somebody that just follows codes. Codes tell you where to look, they don't tell you what the problem really is.

Considering you're chasing your tail, you might find the expensive dealer to be cheaper in the long run.

captncook

Yeah dude tell me about it. It's hard for me to complain though considering I didn't own a car for 3 years so I'm appreciative of the deal I got on this 02 Lexus GS430 with only 117k miles. It was mainly just kept in the garage and used as an alternative vehicle for the person before me. I'm just at the point now where I'll pay what I have to so I can get it over with.

MattyG

That's too bad the previous owner stuck you with the repair bills but if you can get the maintenance issues tracked down, you'll like this car a lot!

I ended up with some very minor issues on my GS430 which I bought a few months back just like you. The big one was a catalytic replacement. That rotten egg smell is likely one or both of your catalytics on the way out. It cost me $1000 to do both of mine, so don't feel bad if you're going to spend money on this car.

MasterKwan

Honestly, that's probably why he got rid of the car. Once I sell a car, stuff like this isn't my problem any more. Maintenance stuff piling up is probably why most people dump cars.

When I buy 10 year old cars, I typically assume I need to spend a grand or 2 getting them back to my spec. I won't drive an unreliable car so, I tend to be proactive and replace anything that's iffy.

SorrGwa

iTrader: (1)

from the sounds of the quick list you gave, those are pretty much regular maintenance items due to life of the car.

yeah it sucks, but there are some items you can guestimate will need to be replaced.

scan the check engine light code first., a check engine light can be from a small quick turn of the gas cap, to catastrophic failure. you wont know til you scan and get a code.

captncook

I'm going to visit Toyota sometime this weekend and see what they say. It seems best to get all following repairs done thru a dealership opposed to a regular mechanic. I've always trusted and gone to my mechanic for 10+ years but it seems like this is something he won't handle correctly. I'll keep you guys posted on what's next. Any of you good with cars and live in the Central NJ area? Possibly meet up to just see my car firsthand?

DosyBoy

iTrader: (1)

[QUOTE=MasterKwan;8199569]Honestly, that's probably why he got rid of the car. Once I sell a car, stuff like this isn't my problem any more. Maintenance stuff piling up is probably why most people dump cars.

So u do the same thing and dump maintenance bills on the next owner!? lol that's why these cars depreciate in value...smh

MasterKwan

Oh hell yes.

For me, there are basically too kinds of cars:

1 - Cars I like. They get Cadillac service and proactive maintenance. You should count yourself lucky if you buy one of my "I like it" cars because everything has been replaced and maintained.

2 - Cars that are just tools. Like my truck. It gets absolutely minimal maintenance because it's going to be gone before anything goes wrong with it. I don't care what happens to it when it's gone too.

There's no rational reason why someone should pay for maintenance for the next guy who buys the car. There's no reason I should pay money so, you can buy a nice used car. The very idea is silly. If you buy a car and it's just an appliance. Do as little maintenance as you can get away with and then dump it and buy another appliance down the road.

GS's depreciate because they're not very attractive and they're damn expensive to fix then they break. On the other hand, they're Lexus so, they don't break very often.

MattyG

It's a question of how much due diligence the guy did before buying his car and what the previous owner told him. My previous owner knowingly lied to me by clearing a check engine light and warming up the car to cover a squealing belt.

Luckily I knew something was up when I saw he had warmed up the car and talked him down some in price. The check engine light and sulfer smell? Well that comes with buying a used car so I too expect to spend some with a used vehicle... but I don't know if I would knowingly cover up and lie to a prospective purchaser.

MasterKwan

No doubt, I never lie to people who buy my cars and I do do maintenance. I do severe service maintenance to my keeper and and normal for the appliance. I use regular oil in the appliance and synthetic in my keeper. I change the transmission fluid with the each oil change on the keepers, never change it on the appliance.

It's the difference between a car you love and a car you just use.

MattyG

Very true. You can love the Germans and their styling and performance but once the maintenance issues crop up you won't love that too much.

I'm not a fan of the car's styling either. Back then, the Japanese designers were still styling their cars for their domestic market. Would have been better to stick to the first generation Giugiaro styling theme on a shorter wheelbase.

But when you drive these you suddenly realize it's no Bimmer but it's no slouch. I know that a lot of owners have different miles/years/condition so that's where the decision to spend money comes up.

If you have a low miler like mine (168K/106K miles) then it's worth it for me as a keeper. But for someone with 150/250K that's a different decision.

captncook

Well let's get something clear first off, a car is what you make of it. As I stated earlier, I haven't owned a car for 3-4 years, neither am I fed from a silver spoon, so me purchasing this Lexus is a personal reward more than anything. Sure I could have gone the regular route of buying a garbage American or German car, but I searched for something that I know is reliable due that I take care of it, which is the Japanese route. Treat your car with love and it'll love you back, as simple as that. Obviously that's what I'm doing. As for the owner previous of me, he was very trustworthy and kept this vehicle in excellent condition, I'm just dealing with a minor short end. I wouldn't have bought a Lexus if I knew I couldn't maintain it.