I'm pretty dissatisfied with the service department at my local dealer, and reluctant to let them touch my SC any more than absolutely necessary. Especially for a $35 oil change that gets jacked up in price 2-4x. I searched by could not find a thread walking through doing it oneself--what has been the experience of other members? Is there a clear preference for just letting the dealerships handle it? Anyone trust their SC to a JiffyLube type place yet? Folks have experience doing it oneself? Thoughts?

 

A Toyota dealer would probably do it. I know that all Toyota dealers pop up in the NAV system when you search for auto service locations. Call the nearest one and ask.

I have a Toyota RAV4 in addition to my SC, and i find the Toyota service to be very good (although the Toyota waiting room is to the Lexus waiting room as the subway is to a limo). I think the Toyota dealer charges me the same or even less then J-L, and the next one is free if they take more than 30 minutes.

As for the SC oil change:
It's hard to do yourself because the oil filter is hard to get to, as is the drain plug. You have to remove the large shield that is under the engine, and you will probably need jack stands or ramps to get it done, as there is not a lot of room under there. I'm just too old and tired and probably too stupid as well to do that kind of stuff any more.

Secondly, on my old SC400 I had a few oil changes at the Jiffy Lube, and then in the middle of North Carolina, while on my way to the beach, the shield came off because the kids at J-L did not screw it back on correctly. Fortunately, I was not on the expressway at the time, and I was able to unscrew the last remaining screw (bolt) holding it in place, and it fit in the trunk. Of course, it's not an essential piece, so I just waited until my next trip to the dealer, who re-attached it correctly (with some new washers, I think) at no charge.

Since then, I have not taken an SC to J-L, because I think they just don't have the experience with anything out of the ordinary. I might take a Buick in to them, or a Honda, or even my RAV4, but not a Lexus. It's just not worth it.

Happy motoring.

 

Great suggestions. Thanks.

 

A buddy of mine is the service manager at a local Honda dealership who stongly recommends to avoid places such as Jiffy-Lube (Jiffy-Pop is okay). He has had to repair problems they caused probably for the very reason Tim states - lack of experienced help.

How experienced do you have to be to change oil? Well, no one ever forgets to replace the drain plug (oh yeah?). And just about anyone can screw in a drain plug without cross-threading it (oh, sure). And overzealous macho teens with a hefty wrench have been known to go a bit overboard tightening the plug even if they didn't cross-thread it initially.

I trust the guys who work for him. They all LOVE the SC430 and treat it as if it were their own. "Put the top down, Ed". Put the top up, Ed." "Put the top down, Ed". "Put the top ..." - you get the idea..

 

Yeah...if you don't like the prices or service at the Lexus shop, definitely try a Toyota shop...they use the SAME Toyota / Lexus filters and many of the same parts that the Lexus shops do. You can get almost ANY routine service for a Lexus done at Toyota shops....often for a lot less money. You may not get the free wash that the Lexus shops give, but so what.......I don't want other people washing my car anyway...I do it myself.
Now, if you have a specific Lexus warranty issue or a specific Lexus-only part or repair, you may need to use the Lexus shop....as of now, many Toyota dealers cannot legally do Lexus warranty work. That may change in the future, though.

 

For what it's worth, I called four toyota dealers in my area, and none were willing to do the work, expressing concern over "lack of familiarity" with our big 4.3 V8 engine and other issues....strange, given other experiences folks have had.

I guess I'm going back to Lexus. (sigh)

 

I do all the maintenance on my cars and motorcycles myself; I just don't trust dealers anymore. As you said, I only take a vehicle there unless it's absolutely necessary (like a recall and such). And yes, the first time I let a dealer do the free oil change on my brand new '96 SC400, they overfilled it, and lost 3 of the tray screws. And as soon as the big flow was over, the plug went back in; I bet they left a quart of crappy oil inside. That was the first and last time. Plus dealer is 50 miles away; a hassle too.

Back to subject. I didn't even take my SC for the free oil change. It's easy to do yourself, but you do need ramps. I use the Rhino, which are pretty low, and cheap ($20 or so) at Walmart (most autoparts stores also have them). It's not about the money in my case; it's about doing it right, and taking the time to check for any leaks, and to detail the undercarriage while I'm there. The most time consuming task is removing the tray, as previously said, but it's easy. You don't even need a service manual for that. There're 2 different sizes of screws, but you'll figure out quick enough which goes where (by the color of the plastic 'female' plug). I let the oil drain overnight. And I always buy OEM parts, which is advisable while under warranty. I also use fully synthetic oil (Mobil1). Document the mileage and date and store the receipts. That's it buddy.
Have fun.