Sixdown

I didn't see a specific thread for this but here goes...

Being new to the forum and new at owning a Lexus, I'll be needing some initial tips on car maintenance.

I went and bought a 1990 Lexus LS400 with 130,000 miles on it. I haven't driven it much, but I'm assuming theres some preventative maintenance I can do just to be sure.

I know the previous owner kept the car well serviced, but at 130k miles one can not be 100% sure.

Any tips on what I can do firstly, after buying the LS?
I know an oil change is near due...any oil type recommendations?

91LS400LEX

First of all, welcome to the forums!

If your car only has 130K, then it is not even broken in yet! That is ultra low miles for a LS400! If the timing belt has not yet been changed, then it is probably due for a change, but no huge worries, because this is a non-interference engine. If it breaks, you simply install a new belt (well, its not that simple, but at least engine damage does not occur). The recommended oil should be in the owners manual. It has been four years since I owned my last LS400, which was a 1990 and I have only recently acquired another LS400, a 1991 and just now getting refreshed with these cars and their controls.

Sixdown

Thanks for the swift response. I was wondering about the timing belt. I did some research and had also found that the engine is a non-interference engine, so that's obviously a good thing, maintenance-wise.

I'll go ahead and change it anyway, as there's no way I can tell how old it actually is. I sorta forgot to ask the owner about it, which I see as a stupid mistake on my part.

Funny thing about the car is that I keep finding new controls and buttons around the place. I had a '98 Volvo S70 that had no where near the complexity of the LS400!

As for oil, what kind or brand is recommended? Should I keep following the manual or is there a better synthetic out there. I do know it's been running on regular oil...so will the gaskets start leaking if I put in synthetic at 130k miles. This is after considering the fact that I screwed up my Volvo by changing to synthetic at 100k miles. A million places started to leak oil.

91LS400LEX

If the timing belt was replaced at the dealer, then there will be a sticker under the hood (near the top center of the engine) that shows the mileage and date it was changed.

I personally would not switch to synthetic oil because of that potential leakage. I have heard others say that synthetic made their cars start leaking (not just on Lexus's either). I noticed that the PO of my car had just had the oil changed and it looks like that shop used 5W-30, but I am not sure if that is what is recommended or not. I am sure that the recommended weight varies alittle with locations of warmer weather vs. cooler weather. My car just came from Georgia and is now here in Tennessee, so it probably would require a little thicker oil and a car from the far north. If you do not have a manual, I can check mine on Wednesday and tell you what it says, but surely someone here will reply with an answer first. I think you can get a free manual from Lexus if you do not have one.

Hope this helps.

sonyman

Use any 5W30 oil. Whatever you can find the cheapest and a genuine Toyota oil filter. When it comes to conventional oil, oil is oil.

19psi

5w30 works just great. i've seen many lexuses get to 300k miles on regular cheap 5w30 dino oil.

trukn1

Six down,, welcome to Cl and congrads on the LS. As some of the others have said, a timing belt and also a water pump is good to change (both are in same area so is easier to do both at the same time) if you are not sure if it has been done. Check for Power steering pump leak (common issue) and I would also have the suspension, particularly bushings, checked. As far as oil is concerned, 5W30 is what is recommended for our cars. I personally use this in the summer and a 10W30 in the winter (thicker weight) with no problems. The debate over synthetic vs. dino oil goes in many areas. Me, I use a semi synthetic oil (Mobil 1,soon to be Amsoil), and have not had any leakage issues.

What part of Md are you from? Drop down into the NELOC forum here on Cl and introduce yourself. There are alot of local members in the area, and we get together on a frequent basis, although this is the slow season now where most people's cars are hibernating(LOL!!). PM me if you have any questions.

LiCelsior

iTrader: (32)

www.lexls.com

Sixdown

Thanks for your oil tips. I'm living right West of D.C. in the suburbs. I'm not planning on having my car hibernate any time of the year, considering how much I hate my temporary Honda Civic.

That site has enough information to have me working on my car without end.

omarg

i switched over to mobile one at 220k and no leaks or burning. thats with my 93 I'm at 243k now.

I switched my mom's opal 94 to mobil one as well and no leaks. her car had 145k on it. it has 148k now and all seems ok.

i guess i'm just lucky!

i use it because i can even hear the difference in cold weather start up. Slight ticking at 32 degrees compared to moderate/heavy ticking. And according to alot of reasearch, most engine wear occurs at cold starts. Syth protects engines 100% within seconds. Peace of mind is worth the extra $13. Just like premium gas. May not make a HUGE difference but to me, its difference enough to justify the extra$$$. I can save money in other ways, like not eating out as much.

Dont worry dude. This car is so simple to work on. Everything just makes sense. Its just a bit tedious when dealing with all the covers and such.

kwikrnu

I bought a 1990 with 154k a couple of months ago. I switch to mobil one synthetic 5-30. There are no leaks. I plan on running 10K mile intervals though. If I were going to run 5K miles or less oil changes just use regular dino oil.

As far as maintenance. I bled the brakes and changed the brake fluid, rear diff fluid, drained the transmission fluid, installed new hood struts, and put new windshield wiper blades on. I still need to look at the plugs, change the power steering fluid and flush the cooling system.

Sixdown

Well, I've made myself a list of what to do first.

Oil obviously comes first, and I'm going to risk changing to synthetic 5W-30. Should I bother with Amsoil or stick with Mobile 1?

Power steering fluid and check-up will come next because I occasionally hear some grinding/whining noise coming from the steering. It may just be the hoses...let's hope.

Transmission and brake fluids are gonna be changed at the same interval.

sonyman

Mobil 1 was reformulated recently and is no longer nearly as good of an oil as it used to be. If I were looking in that price range, I would go with Pennzoil Platinum (PP) 5W30. It's up to you if you want to step up to Amsoil; Amsoil is the best, but it is even more expensive. I personally use Amsoil, but PP is also excellent.

PureDrifter

iTrader: (10)

cant forget royal purple

trukn1

Mobil 1 and the new Pennzoil are both very good to use. You are gonna have a tough time finding the Amsoil from a store down here in Md. The only place that I know that carries it, retail, is a store caled Salvo. Don;t know if you even have that store down in Montgomery County. Amsoil is, IMO, the best, but hard to find in our area.