denbry

Hi everybody! I just purchased a 2000 Lexus RX300 AWD. the previous owner had all the services / maintenance performed by Lexus. It has only 69,000 miles on it and I have been reading online about the timing belt / water pump being done at 90,000 miles. I talked to Lexus and the service advisor there states that because of the age of the vehicle they would recommend replacing it sooner than 90,000 miles because it is older than 10+ years. So here is my questions..
1. Would you guys go ahead and replace it at 70,000 miles ?
2. Would you have it done at Lexus, certified shop or self done?
3. If you would buy the timing belt kit which one would you recommend?
4. Would you recommend doing the complete service replacing just the timing belt and water pump or also the idlers and camshaft & crankshaft seals?
5. If you are in ND or MN do you have any mechanics that you would recommend?

Thanks in advance for your advice!! It is all greatly appreciated!!

Z07

1. no
2. self
3. the kit with the Gates belt or OEM
4. belt and pump
5. n/a

kalali

Its a good bit of work so educate yourself before attempting the job to make sure you have the skill and the tools.

hypervish

Welcome to Club Lexus!

1. Yes, age is just as important as miles. Remember the belt is rubber, and it resides in extreme heat conditions, that belt is getting brittler by the day.

2. ASE Certified Mechanic used to working on TOY/LEX

3. eBay kit from seller -- metero1969 , or Aisin kit from RockAuto ; I prefer the eBay kit because it comes with EVERYTHING!

4. Even at only 70k miles, I'd go ahead and replace everything. The price difference isn't much, and you have the piece of mind knowing everything is done! If you don't do something, and the seal goes 2 months you are going to be kicking yourself in the butt!

5. Check www.cartalk.com for mechanic recommendations and/or check the regional section of this forum.

denbry

How would you rate the quality of the belt, water pump, etc from Gates, or Aisin kit from RockAuto compared to the OEM belt, water pump, etc? Sorry for all the questions!

Z07

IME Gates is the best at making all belts and all hoses. OEM is good for over 90K miles so it is good as well.

hypervish

Aisin is the OEM for the water pump. Mitsuboshi is the OEM timing belt, and that's what is included with the Aisin kit. And the Aisin kit comes with Koyo idlers/bearings which is also OEM.

The ebay kit is also all OEM parts. I like the ebay kit more since it comes with the power steering and ac/alternator belt as well as thermostat & cam/crank seals. But it also costs more, $100 more. But it's convenient and you get all OEM parts.

jnovak01

I did two timing belts on the engine in my RX300 and my Sienna, which have identical engines. On the Sienna I did not replace the water pump, and on the RX I did replace it. I slept better knowing I did replace the water pump, but after taking it out and examining it there was no signs of wear, at least what I could tell.
When you think about it how often does a water pump go bad these days? I never hear guys at work tell me about water pumps. In the end I did not have to change the pump, but since I did the job myself I could justify the expense.
I only buy the Gates kits off RockAuto. Good luck. It is not that hard of a job.
Just make sure you mark the sprockets and belt with white/red paint and the same with the crank pulley.

hypervish

Actually there are a few Toy/Lex models that are having their water pumps go out "early" i.e. under 100k miles, ES350 and Tundra models come to mind first but I'm sure others are affected.

But, you rarely hear of a water pump failure on 1MZ-FE. It's more preventative maintenance than anything, it's not a job you want to do twice in one year. LOL