Hi,
I bought a 1998 gs300 with about 118000 miles on it and am wondering about how best to take care of the car without spending more money than necessary. I would really appreciate any thoughts you folks may have regarding the following issues:
1) The previous owner did not change the timing belt, so I understand I should have it done. The local Lexus dealer quoted me $1040 and the Toyota dealer quoted me about $600. Both of them said that the water pump, coolant and a couple other things should be replaced along with the timing belt. Can I stick with just the timing belt being changed or do I have to do these other things as well?
2) The 120k maintenance is coming up and again the Toyota dealer mentioned a bunch of stuff:
engine oil and filter
adjust valves
set idle speed and clean choke
replace spark plugs and pvc valve
replace fuel filter
replace transmission fluid
tune engine
emission service
inspect belt and hoses
inspect clean and adjust brakes
inspect exhaust system
inspect steering linkage and gear box
rotate and balance tires
replace air filter
My question is whether all these tings need to be done?
3) Is a Toyota or any ASE certified good enough for servicing a Lexus or do I have to take it to a Lexus dealer?
4) Does anyone know of reliable mechanic that works on Lexus in the Kansas City area?
5) The previous owner said that he used regular unleaded mostly with an occasional fill of premium. Should I stick with regular or switch to premium?
6) Sometimes when I brake I hear a hissing sound that seems to be located around the left side of the steering wheel. The sound last all of 5 seconds or less and does not happen every time I brake. Any ideas as to what it may be?
I apologize for this long post. Hopefully, as time goes by and my questions are answered/resolved, I will have fewer queries.
Thanks in advance for your responses
