OK I'm on the verge of tears.....I just picked up my car - 99GS400 - from my mechanic. I had the water pump replaced, the timing belt replaced, new radiator, hoses, etc plus 2 tires. (90K service) Almost $1900 worth of stuff.
WELL when I got in my car it sounds horrible. When I take off it sounds loud and it feels like it doesn't have all the power it use to. I got about 3 blocks away at the light and while my foot was on the brake the car wanted jump - it sounded sooo weird.

UGH
UGH
UGH

I drove back and he said that it takes time for the computer to adjust after the battery being out of the car. I thought ok. I drove back to work and I was trying to gun the car and I was soooo not impressed. I felt like the car was not driving with more power. He said my timing belt was stretched out and with the new one it should have a lot more pep.

I called him to say I have to bring this car back because I'm NOT happy. WTF
I had to rent a car all week and now it's a long weekend. I'm freaking out.

Can anyone help me to understand WTF?????

I don't understand how the car went in fine and now sounds like a supped up hot rod when I take off - NOT TO MENTION the lack of power. KEEP IN MIND - I was forced to rent a Hyundai so I'm use to no power so I thought getting back in my car would be like unreal. NO.....I felt like I was still in the Hyundai.

Does anyone live in Bergen County who could look at the car and see if it's all in my head????

Thanks guys!!!

 

if your mechanic is not Lexus certified, you may be in trouble.
u'd better have ur car checked at the 'right' shop.

my car just went thru 90K service at a Lexus certified shop. i did not notice any problem after the service.
i think ur mechanic is BSing you.

 

I hope he put your timing belt back on correctly. Like the previous post, my car drove the same afterwards. Don't hesistate to take you care to someone who is acutally "qualified" to perform this service if he can't get it right. The extra money spent to get right is worth the big $$$$ to replace the motor if any of those timing belt related parts fail. Trust me. I just went through a similar situation 4 months ago. It cost an extra $600 but I now know the car has been properly put back together. Hard lesson learned.

 

yes agreed with all. your car should be the same or even smoother after the tune-up, not the reverse. take it back and get it done until you're satified.

 

Apparently the timing belt is not on correctly, probably didn't get top dead center right. Your engine is fighting itself. Your timing is off. It's probably knocking, that's the noise you hear as the plugs fire at the wrong times. Power output will be way down for a couple of reasons.
This service should always be done at a Lexus dealer.
I doubt that you'd get any more pep from putting a new timing belt in. Car may run a bit smoother, but new timing belt is really more insurance from it aging and breaking.
Dirive your car very easily back to the mechanic, or a Lexus dealer. Do not accelerate hard. Probably easily fixable, if you don't break anything on the way back, and your mechanic can figure out what he's doing.
This would NEVER happen at a Lexus dealer. They would never give you your car back in that condition. Total embarassment. You paid HOW much for the service?

 

TOO Much - for everything I had done it come to just under $1900.....I had to get a new radiator as well. They said mine was rotted out. The radiator was $442, water pump $405, 2 tires at 130 each, hoses, timing belt 82, serpentine belt 69, etc......

I am going to try to get the car back there tomorrow or Saturday. I called them 3 times to tell them how pissed off I was. They will look at it and fix whatever it is. I know, I should of brought it to the dealer - I really just thought it would of been A LOT more!! Lesson learned

 

One question that you haven't answered is WHERE DID YOU TAKE THE CAR? Was this a Lexus Dealership? I'm guessing no, since I'm pretty sure the 90k service is much more than the $1900 - minus your tires. Just wondering.

 

Sounds like your timing is off, and you have been ripped off on other services, I would have checked the radiator before they replaced it.

 

NO it was NOT a Lexus dealer.....

I'm a woman - I trusted that it was rotten if they said so. I've been going to them for years - HOWEVER I'm totally annoyed and called them 3 times to tell him. I will go back tomorrow or Saturday.

I just drove home from work - only 2 miles....still not right. (I guess I thought maybe it was all in my head) NOT

So when I sat idle in the driveway I saw how the rpm's were jumping, slightly. Then I hit the gas to rev it and as I hit 5000 it sounded like something was going on under the hood. Hell if I know what - maybe the spark plugs misfiring? On the sidestreets I would gun it and I didn't like that the pick up wasn't quick enough and it levels off at 40mph. What is up with that?

I need someone else to hear and look at the car to see what they think.

 

DON'T rev it to 5k with something wrong with it! I wouldn't even be driving it. Like engin ear said, take it very easy on it until they get it figured out. if the timing is way off, the last thing you want to do is "gun it on sidestreets"

Good luck, they'll figure it out. If not, you should be able to take it to Lexus and have them pay the bill.

 

OK - thanks for the help! I'm just in major stress mode over it all......
They better fix it for that amount.

 

oh man... that's why i go to lexus for all my major maintenance items. good luck !

 

Fortunately, I havent had to go to a dealership for service. But then again, us Norcal members are lucky to have shops that specialize in working on our cars (most of go to the same place for all of our work).

If you can, check with other local CL members who might have an alternative shop for you to get work done, instead of the dealership. Worse case scenario you can go to the dealership and NOT back to the place the appears to have done bad servicing on your car. Good luck

 

ClaudiG... HOpe everything will be good soon.....I will make them fix it until its right, plus
don't let them talk you into paying more money for any other fixs...most mechanics like
to do that....If they can't get it right, then get your money back....

 

Already told you what is probably wrong. It is serious. They should be able to fix it completely, if you DONT STRESS THE ENGINE IN THE MEANTIME. DRIVE IT SLOWLY SLOWLY SLOWLY BACK TO THE MECHANIC. DO NOT ACCELERATE QUICKLY, YOU CAN DO SERIOUS DAMAGE TO YOUR ENGINE. The sound you are hearing is "KNOCKING". It happens when the spark plugs are not firing at the correct times. This is also why you have no power. Spare me the explanation. GET YOUR CAR DIRECTLY BACK TO THE MECHANIC. DO NOT GO ANYWHERE ELSE. DO NOT GO TO WAWA FOR BREAD. Once they set the engine up properly again, you should be good to go. If they can't fix it, get it (slowly) to a Lexus dealer, then send them the bill.