Lexus Gs300 Tune-up

[droppedlexus]

Car started putting this morning....Took it to my mechanic and he said I need a tune-up and vavle cover gasket...total price $700.00....Damn.....so I have done tune ups before and I have also replaced vavle cover gaskets....just wondering if there is a picture instructions on how to do either one of these.

[djspawn00]

Step one... slap your mechanic and find another! I don't even think a dealer would charge that much...

Step Two...

look here...

http://www.clublexus.com/forums/showthread...=valve+body+diy

http://www.clublexus.com/forums/showthread.php?t=116654

both of these DIY threads should help you out. The VCG is fairly straight forward although i think you need to use Toyota FIPG for this job. I hope someone can chime in on this.

[droppedlexus]

Oh boy things go from back to worse......I let me mechanic do the tune up and vavle cover....the price hurt me but I wanted my car back......so I go to pick the car up and no more than 2 blocks away the car starts putting. The car putts at very low speeds, under 20mph...also putts when I am at a complete stop.....I take the car back to him this morning, and I am *BLEEP*ed cause I just paid the mechanic $700 + to fix the car, and I know he is going to call me back and tell me the heads are warped..........I specifically asked him when I took the car there is head warping could be the problem, since the car had recently overheated. But he said noooooooo......so I think now that he misdiagnoised it, he should fix the problem for free.

[sakataj]

Oh boy things go from back to worse......I let me mechanic do the tune up and vavle cover....the price hurt me but I wanted my car back......so I go to pick the car up and no more than 2 blocks away the car starts putting. The car putts at very low speeds, under 20mph...also putts when I am at a complete stop.....I take the car back to him this morning, and I am *BLEEP*ed cause I just paid the mechanic $700 + to fix the car, and I know he is going to call me back and tell me the heads are warped..........I specifically asked him when I took the car there is head warping could be the problem, since the car had recently overheated. But he said noooooooo......so I think now that he misdiagnoised it, he should fix the problem for free.

good luck getting him to do that, even if he misdiagnosed that. thats why i go to a mechanic i trust.

[djspawn00]

did you have any signs of head gasket breach before? Are you getting any CEL?

[droppedlexus]

Check engine light has never come on. He just called and said he thinks it's a bad injector. Because the putting stops once the car is warmed up. The only reason I think the head is warped is because it overheated. There was never any signs of head gasket breach before.....I hope he is right about the injector....Can't a compression test tell if the head is bad?

[sakataj]

Check engine light has never come on. He just called and said he thinks it's a bad injector. Because the putting stops once the car is warmed up. The only reason I think the head is warped is because it overheated. There was never any signs of head gasket breach before.....I hope he is right about the injector....Can't a compression test tell if the head is bad?

sorta......it can tell u if u have a warped head (not if the head is bad) but sometimes you can resurface or remachine a head (i wouldnt but thats just me). it could just be as simple as a head gasket (although if you have a gs300 the head gasket ISN'T a simple job on this cause of all the stuff you have to remove to get to it) or it could be a stuck thermostat or a bad thermostat or a warped head (specially if its overheated one to many times)

my $0.02......get a mechanic who knows what he's doing and go from there, cause it sounds like your guy doesn't know much or enough i would wanna take MY car to.....but again just my $0.02

[droppedlexus]

I agree....The problem that I have is, so far I am $850.00 in...And that $850 still hasn't fixed the problem. I feel that since I paid this bill on a Credit Card that I have some leverage. I don't want to do that but I feel that his diagnosis was wrong, and I put out $850 for nothing. So he owes me something. I would hate to have to get rid of the car, but what can you possibly get for a 93 gs with 160k with a possible engine problems.

[droppedlexus]

so I got my car back friday, and according to my mechanic the putting problem was a bad injector....just seems a little co-winch-sidental, that my car overhead and then it started putting.......But now I am *BLEEP*ed that I spent $700 for the tune up and the vavle cover gasket and it turned out to be an injector " which he didn't charge me to fix"

[djspawn00]

On the bright side... at least its running and all the issues have been resolved... consider it just an overpriced tuneup that you would've needed to do anyway... at least its not engine problems.

[sakataj]

On the bright side... at least its running and all the issues have been resolved... consider it just an overpriced tuneup that you would've needed to do anyway... at least its not engine problems.

time for a new mechanic my friend

[djspawn00]

On the bright side... at least its running and all the issues have been resolved... consider it just an overpriced tuneup that you would've needed to do anyway... at least its not engine problems.

time for a new mechanic my friend

definitely.

[eatingupblacktop]

Here are a few suggestions for you and anyone else next time you go into a shop for repairs.

• Make sure they're accredited or recommended to you by someone you trust. If it's a major repair, check on their background. You can ask for references as you would a contractor or home service.
  
• Ask them what kind of experience the techs have with your model car and specifically with the problem you're having. Ask some key questions that will reveal how much they know about your car.
  
• Demonstrate the problem with the car. Take a tech for a test drive if necessary.
  
• Get a written estimate specifying both the problem and the proposed solution .
  
• Make sure it's noted that you want all replaced parts returned to you.
  
• Using a credit card for payment is wise. You can always ask for a chargeback if the work hasn't been done as described or if the car is still not repaired as per the written estimate.
  
• Ask for the tech or service rep to go on a test drive with you before paying the bill. A reputable shop always test drives the car before signing off on the repairs.
  
• If the problem hasn't been repaired, refuse payment until you're satisfied with the results.
  
• If you have a dispute you can't resolve, such as the amount of the bill, have it in an area of the shop where other customers can overhear the conversation. They will make more of effort to satisfy your concerns if they see other customers are listening.
  
• Of course, in the event of total unhappiness, there are always options. Registering a complaint with organizations like BBB, AAA, Dealers Assoc, small claims court, etc. I heard of a case where an unhappy customer hired a sign carrier to protest this dealer in front of his showroom because of some dispute. It went on for less than a week. The customer was threatened with legal action but refused to back down. Dealer finally gave in because of all the bad PR with his customers and potential new clients.
  

Reputable shops will not balk at any of these points. As a matter of fact, many shops will offer to do a test drive with you both before the service and after (even if they're busy). If you percieve any hesitation for them to agree to these points, take your business elsewhere.

Remember, if you don't ask, you don't get. If you don't buy a lottery ticket, you can't win, and of course, it's the squeaky wheel that gets the grease.

[sakataj]

Here are a few suggestions for you and anyone else next time you go into a shop for repairs.

• Make sure they're accredited or recommended to you by someone you trust. If it's a major repair, check on their background. You can ask for references as you would a contractor or home service.
  
• Ask them what kind of experience the techs have with your model car and specifically with the problem you're having. Ask some key questions that will reveal how much they know about your car.
  
• Demonstrate the problem with the car. Take a tech for a test drive if necessary.
  
• Get a written estimate specifying both the problem and the proposed solution .
  
• Make sure it's noted that you want all replaced parts returned to you.
  
• Using a credit card for payment is wise. You can always ask for a chargeback if the work hasn't been done as described or if the car is still not repaired as per the written estimate.
  
• Ask for the tech or service rep to go on a test drive with you before paying the bill. A reputable shop always test drives the car before signing off on the repairs.
  
• If the problem hasn't been repaired, refuse payment until you're satisfied with the results.
  
• If you have a dispute you can't resolve, such as the amount of the bill, have it in an area of the shop where other customers can overhear the conversation. They will make more of effort to satisfy your concerns if they see other customers are listening.
  
• Of course, in the event of total unhappiness, there are always options. Registering a complaint with organizations like BBB, AAA, Dealers Assoc, small claims court, etc. I heard of a case where an unhappy customer hired a sign carrier to protest this dealer in front of his showroom because of some dispute. It went on for less than a week. The customer was threatened with legal action but refused to back down. Dealer finally gave in because of all the bad PR with his customers and potential new clients.
  

Reputable shops will not balk at any of these points. As a matter of fact, many shops will offer to do a test drive with you both before the service and after (even if they're busy). If you percieve any hesitation for them to agree to these points, take your business elsewhere.

Remember, if you don't ask, you don't get. If you don't buy a lottery ticket, you can't win, and of course, it's the squeaky wheel that gets the grease.

couldnt have said this better myself.... :)