Timing Belt, Water Pump and the 90K Service
01-06-10, 08:44 AM
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Timing Belt, Water Pump and the 90K Service
Hi all,
Apologies if this has been covered prior....just hit 93K, and my next oil change is due, so when I take it in, I will also have the 90K service done....does this include timing belt/pulleys, etc and water pump, or is it separate work and thus charged on top of the 90K service?
Also, is it generally agreed upon that a Toyota dealership can do the work as good as, or better, than a Lexus dealership? My mother has a great old mechanic, at a tiny independent shop, but TRUSTS him. If he is able to do the work, would that be a good option? Just looking for a general consensus on what matters: size of shop or quality of mechanic?
This will be the first major service I've done, so any perspective is appreciated.
Apologies if this has been covered prior....just hit 93K, and my next oil change is due, so when I take it in, I will also have the 90K service done....does this include timing belt/pulleys, etc and water pump, or is it separate work and thus charged on top of the 90K service?
Also, is it generally agreed upon that a Toyota dealership can do the work as good as, or better, than a Lexus dealership? My mother has a great old mechanic, at a tiny independent shop, but TRUSTS him. If he is able to do the work, would that be a good option? Just looking for a general consensus on what matters: size of shop or quality of mechanic?
This will be the first major service I've done, so any perspective is appreciated.
01-06-10, 09:21 AM
#2
The timing belt parts and labor should be part of the 90k-mi service. There shouldn't be any additonal labor (or a very small amount) to replace the other stuff, including the timing belt tensioners. The opinions expressed on the forum have run from one extreme to the other. I have already had the accesssory belts replaced, so it is not an issue for me in another year.
The middle ground is to replace based upon inspection (e.g., discolored bearings, weeping seals). I think a posting a few days ago listed the total parts costs and it didn't seem that excessive.
If the trusted old mechanic has worked on Japanese cars, and would let you provide the parts yourself, that sounds promising to me. You could then save big by getting the parts from one of the forum-sponsoring discount mail-order Lexus dealers. I would only use Lexus/Toyota parts personally.
From what I have read, a Toyota dealer can do the work as well as a Lexus dealer.
The middle ground is to replace based upon inspection (e.g., discolored bearings, weeping seals). I think a posting a few days ago listed the total parts costs and it didn't seem that excessive.
If the trusted old mechanic has worked on Japanese cars, and would let you provide the parts yourself, that sounds promising to me. You could then save big by getting the parts from one of the forum-sponsoring discount mail-order Lexus dealers. I would only use Lexus/Toyota parts personally.
From what I have read, a Toyota dealer can do the work as well as a Lexus dealer.
01-06-10, 10:29 AM
#5
Unless the timing belt and water pump are specifically written on the list of services, you can pretty much assume it's not included! I wouldn't mess around with any of this - I had the timing belt replaced at 93,000 miles and had to get the tensioners and cam seals done shortly thereafter! The waterpump is a little differnt and you will need to decide if you think it's likely to go out on you. I've haggled with the charges at the dealership on some of these "Lexus" flat rate service prices and got them dow 25-30% on a couple of recent occasions!
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