97 Ls 400 - General Maintenance

[texasbigdog]

Hello all,

I am a new Lexus owner. Just bought a 97 LS400 with 118K miles. I took it in to get a baseline service so I would know what had and had not been done to the car in the past. Timing belt and water pump was replaced a 109K. Replaced fluids, belts, hoses and spark plug.

Mechanic told me it did not need shocks/struts, wheel bearings or a fuel filter. These items don't last this long on regular cars....the mechanic told me I might never have to replace the shocks/struts or wheel bearing. Hard to believe!

What has been other owners experience with these items.

Thanks

[VMF]

well he is wrong.

fuel filter needs to be replaced every 30-45k while shocks are pretty much dead by now in your car. i recently replaced mine at 140k and they were completely dead.i would recommend changing them when you can and DO get OEM parts if you want to keep that lexus ride quality. they are not that expensive. also while you are there change the ball joints in the lower control arms, check bushings on upper control arms and end links at the front sway bar.

[1990LS400]

well he is wrong.

fuel filter needs to be replaced every 30-45k while shocks are pretty much dead by now in your car. i recently replaced mine at 140k and they were completely dead.i would recommend changing them when you can and DO get OEM parts if you want to keep that lexus ride quality. they are not that expensive. also while you are there change the ball joints in the lower control arms, check bushings on upper control arms and end links at the front sway bar.

I almost aways agree with everything VMF says - really! - but I think shocks on an LS400 can often last a very long time. I'm pretty sure that the current owner of the LS400 that I bought in 1990 is still riding on the original shocks at over 250,000 miles since he seems to tell me when he replaces components.. The shocks were in fine shape when I sold the car in 03 at 183,000 miles.

When VMF said "front sway bar", I wonder if he instead meant "front strut bars". The strut bar bushings have been the first front suspension component to go on both my 90 and 00 LS400s. Most people buy the entire strut bars with the bushings already installed rather than press in a new set of bushings. I had the strut bars replaced on my 00 LS earlier this year at about 85-90K miles at the local Lexus dealership -- the fix eliminated vibrations that I had thought were caused by tire imbalance.

The other suspension parts that VMF mentioned had to be replaced on my 90 LS at between 120K and 140K miles. I assume similar repairs will be required on my 00 LS when it gets in that mileage range.

[VMF]

actually no, it is a sway bar:) an there is an endlink on each side that connects it to the whole wheel assembly. bushings on the endlink detoriate with time and then you can start hearing a lound bang every time there is a movement. as to the shock absorbers, i guess it all depends on the where and how u drive. on mine one of the shocks died completely and i decided to change all of them. but if they are not dead you dont have to change it, but changing them drastically improved the ride quality.

[cardona6569]

When I first bought my Lexus I called them about the miliage to change the fuel filter, their reply was that the did not have a specific time to be changed. I have over 100,000 miles already. I will change it anytime. The car does not pull like other when the fuel filter is dirty. Changing the filter every 30 to 45 miles is too early.

CPR