intakerGS

flamethrower

The one bad thing I can think of is the brake-master cylinder, in terms of 'known' problems. This can be a very expensive part to replace. The BMC was improved when lexus introduced the 2001 model. Depending on the year, this may be something to look into. Keep in mind that there are a lot of pre 2001 models without any problem at all. Another thing to consider is the AC system/compressor. With a regular serviced and maintained AC system, problems in that direction are less likely. I'm not sure about your description re. the pump. It could be that the brake system is building up pressure, but it shouldn't be that loud. When it's the powersteering, turn the wheel all the way L&R, then you might hear a 'groaning' sound. Like all cars I owned, no matter what service or maintenance, the first thing I do is to refresh all major fluids: AT, oil, differential, brake fluid, powersteering, to manufacturer standards, just to be safe. Have a look at the famous balljoints too. It sounds like a well maintained car, it should keep you on the road for many miles.

If you do a lookup on this site, you find lot's of topics and words like 'scam, money paid and never recieved anything'. True or not, it seems dodgy. I say, take the good advice from mr. DC.

What did your mechanic check exactly? The two codes describe a sensor that's completely disfunctional, that's a bit suspicious. Suspect can be faulty sensor wiring/harness or bad connection to ECU (signal, power, ground). A good mechanic or dealer should be able to test all connections. Sometimes a vacuum leak could throw some codes too, but I would start with above.

Pastry

When changing to 17" rims, you should experience a positive step-up in comfort, as there's obvious more sidewall to dampen out vibrations and shocks. Considering the road conditions you mentioned, I wonder if this will be satisfying enough. It's always some sort of trade-off between comfort and sportivity/handling charasteristics. Perhaps you get the best results with a 16" rim. From personal experience, I would recommend the michelin primacy mxv4 all-season tire. Best thing you can do is speak to your tire-center and do some lookups on performance tires, as charasteristics may vary on climate.

Recommended interval is around 90-100K miles, or 10 years. I've seen some GS's with +160 miles, original belts and no visual sign of wear and tear. This also depends on drivestyle and climate (hot, cold, etc). Fact is, belts do get older and brittle in time. Even when the belt looks OK at inspection, it can be decieving. Although I believe it would be 'safe' to wait for the 120K, I wouldn't risk it myself, mainly because of the age of the belt. I wouldn't rely too much on the experience of the shop. Even when 95% of the cars experience no belt-problems @ 120K or more, you don't want to belong to the other 5%.

Congrats on the car. This link should get you started re. maintenance and service intervals. I suppose it's not a bad thing to refresh AT-, differential- and brake fluid. Also check for play in ball-joints. In terms of forever, some proper maintenance will get you far.

GPS

Can I interpret the 'claps' as some sort of backfiring? Common suspect for backfiring when accelerating, is usually a timing problem. A leak in your intake manifold could also be cause.

conscience

Around the filter area could point to many causes. Does the t- and swishing noise proportionally vary when revving a bit? There's a possibility the old oil has gunked up some parts of the engine, providing a 'protective' layer. When changing to new oil, the 'fresh' solving solution can brake down this gunk, revealing engine wear, or blocking oil channels/oil pump. In many cases the ticking is caused by lifters, but that would be a different area and often when the engine is cold. There are some things to consider: - you need to pinpoint the 'source' of ticking (inside engine or related to environment, belts/fan etc. - what kind of oil/filter is used before and with latest refresh (different viscosity/dino/synth)? - check the oil level, perhaps oil pressure?

Happy birthday DC, in a retroactive way offcourse.. :whistles: Don't forget to fill in this link. Perhaps we need a special bar for you :P

tearing

remembrance

Many times this is caused by a fuel pressure issue. When shutting off a warmed up engine, pressure needs to remain in the fuel lines to avoid vapor lock. After cooling down a bit, the car starts again. Have the fuel pressure checked for holding pressure when the engine is shut off (residual fuel pressure check). It could be something electrical too, for example bad plugwires, coils etc. When was the last time the car had a tune-up?

tank

This should get you started: timing belt man Can't recall any do or donts at this time, as it is a rather straight forward job.

I suggest you start with the obvious. The proportional 'clacking' sound may be caused by sticky pistons or slidepins (rusty). Depending on the overall state of the brake assembly (calipers/pins/brakepads/rotors/clips), a proper taking-apart and cleaning-greasing job may do the trick. It shouldn't be too hard to diagnose. If your brakes are inspected OK, you can consider worn linkage/joints/struts etc. Wheel vibration is a well known fact for these cars. In general it's caused by improperly balanced wheels, dirt, paint peeling off, uneven rims, improper torque or bad/cheap tires. If the tires are re-mounted as you stated, the wheels need to be re-balanced too. Perhaps consider also re-allignment of wheels. Make sure you pick a shop with proper balancing equipment and competence. They can also advice on the state of your rims. I estimate replacement of valve-cover gaskets (there are two) between 400-600 dineros (although I'm not sure about rates in your country). It's not too complicated to perform, but some parts need to be removed in order to get to it (mostly a labour related price). The downside, as the gasket gets older and more brittle in time, spilling lot's of oil, there's a slight chance of engine-fire (besides messing up your engine compartment).

Can't imagine it's caused by your tiresize or pressure, as you state it's also hard when moving. I suspect a leak or something wrong with your steering rack, valves, seals or hydraulic pump, perhaps there's air in the fluid.