Jim Chow

[heavylexus470]

I just spent the last few days reading Mr. Chow's advice on the Keep of the 470. I must tell you I really love mine (2002). You have really given me some serious insight as to what to expect from dealers and from the vehicle itself later on down the road. With the information you have provided I'm more surefooted when talking to Techs and the like. Keep informing us . Thanks very Much!!

[Jim_Chow]

Thanks! I forgot what I had written. :-) My view is even if you elect not to do the work yourself, having the factory manuals combined with some auto knowledge goes a long way in determining if the SM really knows his stuff and/or if their price is a rip-off or why the price is high (like when changing front rotors due to the intense labor). BTW, techs often know short-cuts that can save hours of labor, but Toyota always charges by the book. For example, on my old 4Runner, the book said 10 hrs labor to change the timing chain since it recommends pulling the head/head gasket, dropping the entire oil pan, etc. The short-cut (just dropping the two front bolts of the oil pan that hold the timing cover on and keeping careful track of the sprocket teeth w/ the chain means you don't have to do what the book says). The result is it takes about 4 hrs of work. Still, the dealer will charge for 10 hrs labor, not 4 hrs.

[Jimi James]

Could someone please provide a link for this topic? I've done some searching but I can't seem to locate it.

I'm about ready to purchase an '04 LX myself but potential maintenance costs have me second guessing myself. My wife has an '03 RX that we service at the dealer and, though it's not usually too expensive, having 2 Lexus' to service might start to add up. Plus, I like the bonding experience of doing some of the work myself.

Thanks!

[Jim_Chow]

Could someone please provide a link for this topic? I've done some searching but I can't seem to locate it.

I'm about ready to purchase an '04 LX myself but potential maintenance costs have me second guessing myself. My wife has an '03 RX that we service at the dealer and, though it's not usually too expensive, having 2 Lexus' to service might start to add up. Plus, I like the bonding experience of doing some of the work myself.

Thanks!

The only thing I'd watch out in '04 is the nav changed from the gen3 to gen4. I don't recall hearing any issues w/ the LX, but I know the '04 LC has had issues w/ the nav and rear camera. Other than that, the only other "big" changes are Toyota got rid of the transmission fluid dipstick since they changed to the "WS" type fluid in '04 on all of their vehicles. This is supposedly a 100k mi ATF (I wouldn't push it that far, maybe 60K mi). The engine coolant also changed to the super long life coolant good for 90-100K mi. The previous was the long life, good for 30K mi.

One thing I did to reduce my maintenance (since I have 4 vehicles :)) is to run true synthetic gear oil in the differentials and transfer case (I use Mobil 1 Delvac 75w90 [GL-5]; delvac is their commercial grade, consumer grade will just be Mobil 1 75w90 gear oil). You can run it 60K mi instead of the normal 30K for dino. My local dealer wanted $2.4K for the 60K mi service while 100 mi north in Phoenix, it was $1.8K. I had the dealer flush the brake fluid & AHC and change the ATF w/ 12 qts (you have to specify, or they just do 8 qts to keep costs down, according to the SM; capacity of the system is 12 qts, BTW), so maybe $500 for that. They charge $350 for the front wheel bearing repack (RX doesn't need that, just LX). If you're a 3 banana mechanic, you can DIY for about $50 in parts. I bought the AC filters from denso online for $26 for BOTH, but since then, they had wised-up and now charge $52/pr. I think for the brakes and AHC, it was around $300. Then the ATF change was around $350. I did everything else using all Mobil 1 synthetic fluids and OEM parts for around $200. I saved myself $1K on the 60K service alone.

BTW, you can buy most parts from American Toyota in Albuquerque. Dan, the manager, is a Landcruiser owner and has both LX470 and LC parts catalog. He can get you the parts that are in common (engine/drivetrain/brakes). BTW, the LX470 and LC parts are the same. Just go to your toyota parts guy and tell him you have a '04 Landcruiser. That's what I did when I needed a rear brake anti-squeal shim kit for my LX. The pads, calipers, air/oil filters, etc. are all the same, just lexus charges 2x what toyota charges. For example, the inner bearing seal for the front wheel bearing repack is $30 at my lexus dealer, $22 retail at Toyota, and $17 from American Toyota.

Another tip: I got the lexus visa card. You get 1.5% of every purchase good towards anything at the dealer (service, parts, etc.). After just a couple of years, I have enough points to get the timing belt and water pump done at 90k mi (dealer charges like $1300 for the timing belt job!)

Take a look at the ih8mud forum on 100 series landcruisers. There are LC/LX gurus on their who can help you diagnose problems, plus writeups on how to service your vehicle yourself to save $$$. This support is one reason why I bought the LX. Good luck!

[Jimi James]

Thanks Jim Chow - appreciate the detailed reply!