Lexus49

We all know dealers have a very high mark-up on parts and service. Has anyone changed their timing belt for a relatively reasonable price? If so, how much and at what mileage did you replace your belt?

I have 103K miles and was told by Lexus it needs replacement soon. They are charging $1200 to replace. My last LX470 had 110K miles and was told "it needs replacement soon".

Thanks for reading,

-Lexus49

krye

Manual says 90K miles, so you are overdue! and ought to do the water pump at the same time

tank97

I always go to the dealer to change my oil but if they tell me I need to replace this and that like the timing belt or water pump etc, I go to my mechanic and let him do it for $400 everythin..so yea if u know someone u can trust to do that,go for it..I don't like the dealers labor charge!lol

bill

Desert Lexus near Palm Springs charges $4200 to replace timing belt and water pump. Their service department has always ripped off the customers. For example, $300 to fix left mirror, $600 for struts to hood, and on and on. The closest Lexus dealer is over 70 miles away and they aren't that much cheaper. Find a good mechanic before going to a Lexus dealer.

Volman

I had my mechanic (specializes in Toyota/Honda) replace two timing belts on my 02 LX470 which now has 215K miles. We didn't do the water pump b/c we felt like the factory pump was better than a replacement and haven't had any issues at all. Total cost for each was $650+/-. I don't go to the dealer for anything that my mechanic can figure out.

Hey Johnny

iTrader: (3)

Holy ****

osomoso

I had a coupon for Autoway Lexus to do timing belt for $299.99. Used it at 120k. Had another one mailed to the house recently and posted it on here free for taking. Unfortunately it has expired. If I get another I will post it here, again.. That Desert Lexus should be hit for price gouging. Holy s*** is right!

Santana

I have 206K+ miles on my 2000 Lx and have replaced the timing belt myself twice(at 102k and at 202k). both times belt looked like new and in perfect condition. The first time I also replaced all tensioners and water pump while I was in there.All looked new . I maintained all toyota coolant because the water pump and all plumbing looked clean with no sediment or contamination. The second time I just flushed the system and replaced the toyota oem coolant.It is a time consuming job but is not very difficult.and there is one bolt on the AC compressor that needs to be removed from the driver side front wheel well(hard to see and is a PITA).I recomend it done at about 100k. due to the risk of it snapping causing catastrophic damage. I also recomend using toyota parts sinc ethe quality is excellent.If you have not used toyota coolant I would replace the water pump, it is actually easy once you are in there. and check the main seal for leaks.Timing belt ,Serpentine belt, 2 gallons of toyota coolant and 8 denso iridium + OEM oil filter and 7 quarts of Royal Purple 10w 30 less than 250USD and a full day working on the car/truck.

LXtiming

My timing belt job was around $1000. But, they also had to replace the cam sensor that was damaged when the belt broke. I recently had a timing belt break on my 2001 Lx470 WITH 174,000 miles. I had changed the belt at 100,000 miles, so this second belt only lasted a little over 74,000. Everything I read on the internet, led me to believe that because the 4.7 litre engine is an "interference" engine, it would be toast, i.e., bent valves, holes in pistons, etc. This is not necessarily true. I had the vehicle towed to my mechanic, he put a new timing belt on, and it started right up. He installed the timing belt kit (water pump, pulleys, seals, etc.) and it is running great. In fact, it is running better than ever! There is no way to actually "inspect" a timing belt for wear. The rule of thumb is to replace as preventive maintenance every 80-100K miles. But, as stated above, mine went out at just under 75K miles. I know I was extremely lucky that there was absolutely no engine damage. But, don't believe those who say that a timing belt failure will absolutely result in engine damage. It is possible that no damage at all will result. Don't give up. If your timing belt fails, there is still hope. Personal experience and not "hearsay."

faast

Is there anything special about changing the timing belt like adjusting the timing etc etc? The reason I asked 'coz I once had a timing belt changed on my camry looong time ago by a non Toyota mechanic and I kid you not car never drove the same?

Thanks

4TehNguyen

iTrader: (1)

you can buy a timing belt replacement kit from sewell lexus. Includes belt, 2 idler pulleys, water pump, and coolant. Dont really have to change teh spark plugs at 90k, usually its at 120k for iridium but its not too bad to change those as well. If you havent, register your clublexus name at Sewell and youll get a pretty nice discount when you login for purchases.

cstu

I have a 2000 LX470 with 120k and was thinking about buying this Sewell premium kit.

If I buy that is it good to have everything replaced at the same time? Any labor savings by doing so (hourly rate is $110 here) and how many hours am I looking at to replace everything?

RMalik

I have LX 470 2002 and it has 65,000 miles. Kindly guide me when should I change the timing belt and water pump. Should I wait for 90 k, or consider the time which is now 13 years.

Volman

I would go ahead and do it now. The 2UZ-FE is an inteference engine...if the timing belt goes so does your motor. Doing it now gives you peace of mind for the next 100k knowing it shouldn't be an issue. If you sell the truck before the next belt is due then perhaps you could recover some of your investment by documenting the belt replacement to a buyer. I'm on my 3rd LX470 and rarely have to spend money for other repairs so it does take some of the sting out of the expense to replace the timing belt and water pump every few years.

kinikai

I found a Japanese Car mechanic where I live, and they do charge less than the dealership, and know these cars well. I live in a high cost area of Northern California, and this mechanic charges ~$800 for just the timing belt change, and up to $1,700 for changing "everything" related to the timing belt service. Since you are paying a lot of labor time already to remove the parts to get to the timing belt, other suggestions are the water pump, thermostat, antifreeze, drive belt, tensioner pulleys, and engine seals.