Specifics For 90,000 Mile Maintenance - 95 Es300

[seacreek]

I own a Lexus certified pre owned 95 ES-300 that is approaching 90,000

My question to the group is does anybody know where I could get the specifics of everything that is done/replaced on the ES300 during the 90,000 maintenance and the approximate total costs. I have heard this maintenance is the most expensive one

Thanks in advance,

[chillaxin]

owner's manual ;)

[rubykey]

You say to check the owners manual. I was wondering....

The owners manual says two things about the timing belt. If you choose A (for extreme driving, hauling etc.) it says to change the belt every 60,000.

And if you choose B - (just run of the mill driving with no heavy pulling or extreme weather) there is NO MENTION about a need to change the timing belt. Yet, all of the posts regarding timing belt and scheduled maintenence on this forum insist that the belt be change every 60,000. What's up with the conflicting message between the manual and this board?

To change or not to change (the timing belt) -- that is the question. What say you all?

--rubykey

[dcfish]

:D :D :D here is what is in my cdrom manual-check fluid levels,check cooling sysstem hoses and clamps,check coolant strength,inspect/adjust drive belts [replace if required],check exhaust system&heat shielding,clean battery and terminals,inspect fuel lines/tank/caps,check operation of horn/wipers/washers&all exterior lights,wiper blades,headlight allignment,seatbelt and release mechanism,parking brake operation,shift interlock operation,c/v joint boots,brake system,-discs-pads-calipers-line pipes and hoses,parking brake,lubricate chassis,suspension mounting bolts,front wheel allignment,steering linkage and front suspension,steering options,tie rods,gear box boots,power steering system,ball joints&dust covers bolts and nuts on chassis&body,lubricate weatherstripping with silicone,lubricate door hinges,lubricate door locks,check body drain holes inspect paint,rotate tires check pressure,road test. then replace oil,oil filter,air filter,transmission fluid,differential oil,drain and bleed brake lines. AND AS FOR THE TIMING BELT fialure to replace a faulty camshaft timing belt may result in serious engine damage the condition of camshaft timing belt should always be checked on vehicles over 50,000 miles [recomended at 60,000-100,000] a camshaft drive belt failure may cause extensive damage to internal components on most engines. although some designs do not allow piston to valve contactcalled [free wheeling] belts or components should be replaced if the following conditions exist...cracks or tears in belt surface,missing-damaged or cracked teeth or rounded teeth,oil contamination,damaged or faulty tensioners,incorrect tension adjustment. SO replace camshaft timing belt every 60,000 or take your chances!!!!!!!!

[m2pc]

If you do not know if they did it at 60k, you should check it out at a minimum. I would not go past 90K to replace it, as well as you might as well replace the water pump since your at it.

[bbsal]

no matter what the book says allways change it before 90,000 miles just to be safe.if your not sure if it was changed see if you can get the service records from it if you know were it was bought at.if not have it checked.

[olezip]

I became a believer in timing belt preventive maintenance after my timing belt failed while I was driving 65mph on Interstate 70 in Maryland. You are talking about $1,000 dollar bills for repair. The car was not repaired correctly by the little repair shop on the road; the timing was off by one click. My local repair shop had to again tear down the engine to set the timing correctly. The car, an Elantra, never ran the same because it had lower compression and used oil. I recommend following the maintenance recommendations for timing belts.

[dcfish]

:D :D :D I stand by the fact that sooner is always better than later 60,000 is the right thing to do after that you are taking chances that could ruin your next trip or drive. also change the water pump and serpentine belt. If you want factory specs , reply

[cohibunny]

Sorry about dragging the topic from the dead, but I didn't know if this was preferable to starting a new topic.

I'm currently at 119,000 miles and I am wondering do I need to do anything besides the timing belt and the water pump change.

I don't know where the owner's manual is/ I don't even know what half the stuff means so I don't know if that will help. (should I ask my mom to go look for it?)

My check engine light has been on forever, and a local shop in Chicago said there was nothing wrong with it so I didn't do anything. When I got a oil change here down in Winston-Salem they didn't even mention it. My front airbag light goes on and off intermittently and blinks when it's on, probably the front seat kicking something though. Also the car pings when I turn it off?? Meh. (is it worth it going into so much maintenance, is it going to die on me?

However my mom mentioned that it hasn't been in tune-up for like forever and something about the transmission? fluid? (As long as it isn't black...???)

I really hate going to mechanic because I always feel like I'm going to get ripped off and none of my friend have cars so help?

Is there a 120k or 90k checkup I'm supposed to do that is separate from a timing belt and water pump?

I got quoted $400 for timing belt and water pump which I think is in range. But should I be asking the mechanic to do other stuff as well when I bring it in? I have to drive this car back home about 12 hours from NC to IL. (about 800 miles)

I do get my oil changed about every 3000 miles so that's good. Haven't really done anything outside of that. The engine also was replaced like a couple of years ago.

[lexis lexus]

With a car that's 16 yrs old, w/ retail/wholesale value dropping into the 3k range, you need to consider how much to spend. 90 k miles is low so you may want to invest to keep it running another 100k.

All this fear mongering about the timing belt is suspect. The 1mzfe is a non interference engine, which means the valves are in line with the pistons, so if the belt breaks, you may require a tow, but no engine damage occurs. This said, you could drive it for a long time before the belt might break. If you're good at wrenching, a timing belt wouldn't take too much in terms of money, but would require several hours and a good haynes manual. Some would argue that changing out the water pump should also be done while your doing the timing belt, but I'm an adherent to the school of "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" Remember the more you wrench on a car this old, the more likely you are to break a bolt requiring major engine/machine shop repair (don't ask me how I know that...).

So, I wouldn't do the timing belt at 90 k. What I would do is go by autozone and get a read on your check engine light (free) which should tell you if something important needs to be taken care of (usually not unless the cel is blinking). I would get the airbag light looked into, prolly a toyota dealer could diagnose that for less than $100, and become informed as to whether the airbag is working and how much this might cost to repair. Then inspect all hoses and belts, (including the timing belt if you want), steering and drive shaft linkages, drain and fill the transmission and differential fluid, check your brakes, then enjoy the ride, waiting until something becomes a problem.

LL