Level8Drummer

Will do. Thanks guys! Level8Drummer

Hey, My Father's got a 99 Lexus LS400. It's got around 90k miles, and He's about to get the timing belt and water pump replaced. I have a couple of questions: Do the following fluids need to be changed? Differential (also, is it limited slip, or just with electronic traction control?) Power Steering Also, the spark plugs, should they be changed at 90k, or only if they look worn out? And is the brake fluid DOT 4? Thanks Level8Drummer

No I haven't rebuilt an engine, but I know how to read a book. And I don't think that the engine designers at BMW spend that much time with wrenches in their hands either. Actually, both of your BMW references are out of place. That service bulletin and the engines that BMW has replaced had nothing to do with the way that the engine parts were machined, it was due to customers not properly breaking-in their engines, and then taking the RPM's up before the engine had time to reach operating temperature. And as for the M60 (which is the V-8 engine that you're referring to, and the one in my car), neither break-in or machining had anything to do with those failures. They were due to the sulfur in US gasolines bonding with the nickel in the cylinder walls, and eroding them away. Eventually, the engines would lose compression, and not run. But BMW replaced those engines for their customers (including myself) with brand new Alusil engines. It's a shame that you don't have a BMW anymore. They're great cars, and they make the best engines in the world. They also make the best handling 4-door sedans on the market. They win awards for their engines every year. I didn't know that ls400's had timing belts until I came to research it for my father. BMW switched to timing chains in the early 90's. You didn't advise revving an engine from the cold, but you did say that you could keep the engine at 6k rpm's all day long. I don't think that your engines could stand up to that. I don't think that most BMW engines could either. I'm not going to turn this into a *BLEEP*ing match, I just hate to see people be ill-advised about how to take care of their cars. And maybe you're the kind of guy who rebuilds engines and doesn't tell the customer how to take care of them, and thereby gets more business with engine problems a few years down the road. Back when I was younger the guys who worked on my brakes never told me about breaking-in my pads and rotors either. There are old sayings like, the doctor's kids are the sickest kids on the street. And nobody takes worse care of their car than a mechanic. You know why? Because a mechanic can cheaply fix his car when he breaks it. The average guy, like me or some of the guys on these forums can't. We have to take the car to somebody like you. And it's just not right for them to be ill-advised. Level8Drummer PS. Break-in your engines guys, and follow maintenance schedules, and your Lexus's will last a long time. If Lexus (or your owner's manual) tells you one thing, and your mechanic tells you another, listen to Lexus. They already made their money when your bought their car.

That's not true at all. Break-in periods are required in every engine that I have read about or have any experience with. In fact, with modern designs, they're setting up engines so that break-in will be even more important than it used to be. They let the final machining be done by the engine itself during its break-in period because the engine itself is more precise than the machining equipment used to make the engine parts, and it's signifigantly cheaper. Look in your owner's manual, I bet that it has info about engine break-in in it. I know that mine does. And for modern advanced engines like the BMW E46 M3's, break-in is crucial to the life (and survival) of the engine. And deposits can form with any oils, even synthetics. And not every lexus has synthetic oil in it. And the technology for Dino oil hasn't changed that much in the last few years. And I wouldn't suggest taking a lexus that hasn't been over 3k rpm's before and starting it up cold, and immediately revving it up and holding it at the rev-limiter all day long. If anybody'd like to try, be my guest. And the fact that your eyes can't tell a crankshaft spinning at 3k from a crankshaft spinning at 6k doesn't mean that there's no difference. Just because you drive a modern car (like a lexus) with a modern engine (like your lexus's) doesn't mean that your engine is immune to abuse. Your concerns about your engines are warranted. Level8Drummer

If the engine was broken in properly, that would include taking it through the rev range. If an engine is a few years old and hasn't ever seen over 3k rpm's, then it's handicapped. It's never been broken in over 3k rpm's. And there's more to break-in in modern engines than cylinders and pistons. If old people get cars and then drive them for short periods of time over and over again without the cars engines reaching full operating temperature, they can accumulate huge amounts of deposits and crap in the engine. And one day when the engine is used at what its full capacity should be, it can't keep up, and you've got problems. Use your engines guys. If you've never taken the RPM's up, I'd suggest taking it up just a little at a time every couple of days or so over the course of a month or 2. And change your oil! Level8Drummer

It might be a good idea to rev your engine up through the RPM range every once in a while if you drive it really softly. It can help to clean out your engine. Have any of you guys ever taken your Lexus's out on a track? My dad has a Lexus LS400 (98) and it seems to have a good bit of low-end torque. I don't think that I've ever seen it in the upper RPM ranges. It could definately benefit from a stiffer suspension if any performance-oriented driving was to be done in it! My car is a 95 BMW 540i. My engine only has single vanos, so it doesn't have much low end torque, but once you hit around 3500 RPM's, it screams. Couple that with a 6-speed manual transmission, the sport suspension, and 17x8 wheels wrapped with some grippy tires, and you've got a fun car :) Level8Drummer