Stu

l plan to keep my LS for a least another 5 years, so I am planning to take it to my local Lexus dealer for service.

I may try getting a quote from an independent shop. Not prepared to buy the parts online and get quotes for labor only, plus I can't do any of this work myself so ....

Planning the following :

timing belt
water pump,
2 idlers ( not sure what these are )
serpentine drive belt
new thermostat & gasket
replace radiator coolant
new spark plugs
drain and fill transmission fluid
drain and fill differential

Am I missing anything ?

$ 2,090 + tax. Breakdown is $ 1,233 for Labor and $ 857 for parts

Canadian prices are higher than the US .... and I got these prices after calling in and speaking to the Service Manager.

Comments ?

1WILLY1

iTrader: (9)

that's great your getting all that done , but the price is definitely on the high side

Im not sure where you are in the city but if you need a reliable independent mechanic , my guy is great and ive known him for almost 10 years.(Bathurst and st clair)

You should be able to cut that price down a lot

Stu

The prices came from Ken Shaw Lexus. Lexus service ( all dealer service ) is expensive.

I would be very interested in talking to your guy as I am a 5 minute walk from Bathurst and St Clair.

1WILLY1

iTrader: (9)

oh that's great stu we are in the same area , his name is Eric Hercules , and his shop is called Hercules automotive , the address is 78 Vaughan street.

He was originally in the Annex area on Dupont st, but he bought a new shop up near st clair a few years ago , and its doing great , hes a super honest guy , and he does great work , ive even went to church with him a few times.

Honestly I know you said you don't want to but the best way is to actually buy some or all of the parts and pay for the labour ,,,all mechanics and shops mark up the prices if they order it for you, in many cases they don't even know where to find oem parts for discount prices like we can.

I live 2 minutes from there so I can introduce you to him if you like, if not just tell him you were reffered to by ***** with the lexus , and he will know who you your talking about.

The timing belt and water pump are the biggest part of all that , the plugs are literally 30 minutes , the drain and refill of fluids no big deal ,,few pulleys and idlers also no big deal .

1WILLY1

iTrader: (9)

also is Ken shaw the guys on st clair near keele?

Ive had a bad experience with them there back with my sc400

Stu

*****, thanks for the info, I will check him out for sure. Yup, Ken Shaw Lexus is at Keele St. and St Clair.

Legender

Looks like you're missing the cam seals on the TB job...I don't see those listed.
Idler looks like this...

http://www.factorylexusparts.com/catalog/LSIDLER2.jpg

Kansas

The spark plug replacement interval on the ones sold in the US is 120K miles. Same in Canada? There is no benefit in replacing them early. My original plugs still looked and performed like new when replaced at 120K miles.

ultm8mind

iTrader: (3)

Toronto, you're close enough to drive into the US to get it done aren't you? I know you're a reasonable time away, you could make a weekend of it.

BradTank

I would try and establish a good independent shop to get service from here on out. It just doesn't make much financial sense to keep getting Lexus dealer service on a car that's got around 100k miles. I could easily see a good independent shop shaving a thousand dollars off of that quote. Just make sure it's not some "chain" type shop, ask around and get good references.

Despite being a "flagship" car, these are very straightforward to work on. About the only service on that list I would go to a dealership for would be the transmission fluid change, I believe you may need a special Lexus scanner for the sealed transmission, but don't quote me on that.

Lavrishevo

iTrader: (1)

Cam seals are not recommended until the 2nd TB job or 200k miles.

Stu

thanks

Mine is a US car that was imported into Canada and I will wait another year for this .... and you just "saved" me $ 368 + tax... Thanks !

I thought about getting the serving done when I was in Florida, but didn't think I would save that much after paying the exchange on the Canadian dollar. If I went to Buffalo, how much do you think that would save ? .... probably once I pay for a hotel and gas its probably not much of a savings ..... and if I had to go back for any reason, it would be a big hassle.

Save $ 1,000 by letting an independent do it ? Seems too good to be true. I guess this means me buying all the parts at a discount and paying the shop for labor only ? I plan to visit *****'s guy ... and see what he can do.

I am years away from this service then

damon

2001 LS430 getting 90,000 mile work done today.
Just heard from the shop that I have a Valve Cover leak. Tad surprised by this & looking for other occurrences here??

After I typed this his smart phone pics arrived to confirm.

tcr101

iTrader: (2)

Valve cover gaskets are pretty easy to install and cost ~20 dollars for parts (each IIRC). Make sure you don't force anything as you can rip the gasket on while installing and dont over tighten the bolts.. You need an extension and a swivel 14mm (or 12mm) socket. I swapped mine out 8-10 months ago and forgot which size the bolts are

Edit: should be a 10mm (Thanks 99lsBrad!)

beneteau

Just had my 90,000 mile service last week. Lexus dealer (parts & labor) quoted $1,300 +.

I decided to purchase the parts myself (all OEM) mostly on-line.

Aisin Engine Timing Belt Kit with Water Pump TKT-021, includes matched idler and tensioner bearings, gaskets and o-rings.

2-gallons Toyota Super Long Life coolant.

Toyota thermostat, gasket, o-ring and drive (serpentine belt).

Total parts; $ 309.63

Local NAPA Auto service shop supplied the labor: $ 354.59

Total cost: $ 664.22


The mechanic that performed the work had previously worked for a local Toyota dealer for several years and was very familiar with the Lexus engine.