Actually, I Don't Need My Blinker Fluid Changed.

[orlando2005RX330]

The topic title about sums up my frustration. I am a 20-something female living in Orlando, trying to learn how to properly maintenance my 2005 RX330 with 50,000+ miles. I am so tired of taking my car in for routine maintenance (i.e. oil change, tire rotation) only to have a "mechanic" trying to charge me hundreds for flushes and filters, and all sorts of other things I know I don't need. I can't afford to take my car to the dealership for maintenance. I started changing my oil on my own. I take it to Tire Kingdom for other maintenance. Yesterday they told me I needed a $130 pwr steering fluid flush. The fluid is dark and low, but I don't want to pay them $130 to do it. They also say I need my transmission fluid cap changed every 30,000 miles. Any advice?

[N.C.O.]

All fluid will eventually need to be changed, however, how the vehicle is being operated makes a lot of differences in which fluid needs to be changed and when. The best way to do it is go to Lexus website or read through your owner's manual to determine what category of driving you fit into, and then from there find out where you are at with your maintenance services. Post questions and the describe the condition of your fluid will help you get feedback on what needs to be done. Give a little more information on how you use your vehicle and the general condition of the vehicle will probably also get you some useful information too.

N.C.O.

[PK_3]

Your smart for nixing the dealer for service. Even if you did need to fix x,y, & z, dealers are roughly twice the price as a good independent shop.

My cars have ranged from the pedestrian (Lexus) to the fairly exotic. I’ve never changed or flushed the power steering fluid on any over the last 20 odd yrs.

Your fluid being low means you have a small leak somewhere. Nothing to fret about, certainly not something a “flush” is going fix. Top it up. But you might also see if, and at what intervals, Lexus recommends. Also, if it really needs new fluid, just change it. You’ll be diluting whatever old fluid is leftover (after the change) a zillion fold. I don't see the point of a 'flush"

Regards, PK

BTW: Tire shops and oil change outfits are notorious for selling a bill of goods. Out here a couple of big chains are practically in receivership do to class action.

[djspawn00]

The topic title about sums up my frustration. I am a 20-something female living in Orlando, trying to learn how to properly maintenance my 2005 RX330 with 50,000+ miles. I am so tired of taking my car in for routine maintenance (i.e. oil change, tire rotation) only to have a "mechanic" trying to charge me hundreds for flushes and filters, and all sorts of other things I know I don't need. I can't afford to take my car to the dealership for maintenance. I started changing my oil on my own. I take it to Tire Kingdom for other maintenance. Yesterday they told me I needed a $130 pwr steering fluid flush. The fluid is dark and low, but I don't want to pay them $130 to do it. They also say I need my transmission fluid cap changed every 30,000 miles. Any advice?

Did they tell you to get your flux capacitor re-tuned? You can just top off the power steering fluid with Dexron III transmission fluid. You also don't need to change your transmission cap every 30000miles... at most you just change the drain plug gasket which is a metal washer. You'll be able to find DIY tutorials on here and on clublexus.com that can show you step by step instructions. It may be on different cars but the process is very similar. Goodluck and welcome to the club.

[artbuc]

PK 3 wrote:

"BTW: Tire shops and oil change outfits are notorious for selling a bill of goods. Out here a couple of big chains are practically in receivership do to class action."

Excellent point PK. I just went to a Firestone dealer to get my new Bridgestone H/L Alenza's (much better deal than Tirerack). First they tried to sell me a wheel alignment. Later they came out and said my car needed a "fuel sysytem" service because it had more than 90k miles. Finally, without my knowledge, they inspected the air filter and came out and told me I had a dirty air filter which should be changed because it was hurting my mileage. I stayed polite on this one, but I told them I did not appreciate them doing anything to my car without my permission and I asked them what else they had "inspected". They assured me they had not done anything other then inspect the fluid levels. I won't go back there again.

PS They told me they used a torgue wrench on the lug nuts. Actually I think they used 3 torque wrenches - one set at 65 lbs, one set at 90 lbs and one set at 120 lbs.

[foothill]

The topic title about sums up my frustration. I am a 20-something female living in Orlando, trying to learn how to properly maintenance my 2005 RX330 with 50,000+ miles. I am so tired of taking my car in for routine maintenance (i.e. oil change, tire rotation) only to have a "mechanic" trying to charge me hundreds for flushes and filters, and all sorts of other things I know I don't need. I can't afford to take my car to the dealership for maintenance. I started changing my oil on my own. I take it to Tire Kingdom for other maintenance. Yesterday they told me I needed a $130 pwr steering fluid flush. The fluid is dark and low, but I don't want to pay them $130 to do it. They also say I need my transmission fluid cap changed every 30,000 miles. Any advice?

Do the maintenance as stated in the maintenance booklet and you will be doing ten times more than the average owner.

Filters are designed to get dirty change them at recommended intervals or thousands of miles later the difference will be minimal. In Orlando you don"t exactly have dust storms or the pollution of Los Angeles , cabin air filter also. You can't go wrong following the book. Unless your leaking fluid noticeabley just top off the resevoir otherwise look for where it is leaking and have it fixed. Don't let any of those quick lube type joints sell you anything extra.

[PK_3]

...Unless your leaking fluid noticeabley just top off the resevoir otherwise look for where it is leaking and have it fixed...

Your advice is good but I'd take a little issue here. For one of my more technically exotic cars, for power steering, everyone agrees, even the best mechanics, you top it off & keep an eye on it. No more no less. Power steering is under pressure and leaks ...period. It hurts nothing as long as it doesn’t run dry (even then you'll have plenty of warning an plenty of miles to placate it with some juice).

You can drive the car forever just keeping it topped off. Leaks in the rack (most common) are $$$ to repair, not something you want to do until it's really untenable.

PK

P.S. Humor, decades ago my dad had a British sports car that leaked oil like a sieve. The manual said this was to aid in corrosion resistance in that it sprayed the bottom of the car with engine oil.

[code58]

P.S. Humor, decades ago my dad had a British sports car that leaked oil like a sieve. The manual said this was to aid in corrosion resistance in that it sprayed the bottom of the car with engine oil.

Those Brit's were pretty sharp- why didn't we think of that? :lol:

[lenore]

As for the power steering you can replace a great deal of it just by taking a turkey baster and sucking the fluid out of the resevoir. put it in an old clorox bottle of your choice and then refill with a good quality fluid (I used Mobil 1 synthetic transmission fluid available at Walmart) The if you do this a couple of times in a week the fluid will come back to its red color and it will cost you less than $14 for the fluid.

[smooth1]