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budcook

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  1. Well, I still haven't got an answer to my question for the LS-430. As for me not being able to service a new Lexus then I suppose I should stick to Mercedes. They don't require a rocket scientist to understand them. I'm getting the impression that Lexus owners are awed by all that technology that Toyota stole from the Germans.
  2. The Mercedes FSS system maximums are set to 10,000 miles or two years, whichever comes first. BMW's average about 10K in their system. It's not 20K miles. Mercedes owners were using synthetic oils long before the extended oil change intervals came about. The Flexible Service System (FSS) has a different name in some other markets. If anyone doubts the benefits of synthetic oils, they need only know that Toyota caused oil to gel in their V6's by increasing the oil temps in the heads (smaller passages) to reduce emissions. Petroleum based oils gelled if not changed frequently. Synthetic oils did not. Toyota has sinced opened up the passages to fix the problem.
  3. What does the owner's manual say? I suspect that Lexus will tell you to use some type of 30 weight oil but IMHO, the perfect oil would be the same oil that was designed for European high performance engines and which is specified by both Mercedes and Porsche. It's 0W-40 Mobil 1 and can be had at Autozone if you are in the U.S. It's not cheap and you can get a better deal on 15W-50 Mobil 1 at WalMarts in the 5 quart containers. However, I don't think Toyota/Lexus would recommend that high a viscosity. I think by now that most experts agree that using a true synthetic is worth it, especially when you are talking about a gem of an engine like the Lexus V8's.
  4. The American car magazine Car and Driver said that you will not find any excitement at a Lexus dealership. If you've ever owned a BMW, you're going to have a problem with a Lexus....well maybe not if you've spent a fortune keeping the Bimmer running :D Seriously, I'd like the Euro-tuned suspension but not the low profile tires. If you can wait a year, the new GS models should be out and they are probably better competition for the mid-sized German cars.
  5. The buyer of my last Mercedes was a neighbor who knew the car and paid me $500 over retail. The car was 18 years old and I could prove that I took far better care of it than a dealer would. For example, I always used a true synthetic oil. The local Lexus dealer is offering 10W-30 Mobil 1 which is no longer a base 4 oil. It's a base 3 oil that is a petroleum base. Mercedes have taken it off their recommended list. If I owned a Lexus, I'd use the same oil that Mercedes and Porsche use...0W-40 Mobil 1. I used 15W-50 Mobil 1 in my older 300E. 0W-40 and 15W-50 are base 4 oils. I never allow tap water anywhere in my cars including the cooling system. Anybody who knows anything knows that it's tap water that screws up cooing systems yet every dealer I know of uses tap water in cooling systems. I also sold my BMW for well over retail because I could show the buyer that I knew what I was doing. Anybody who thinks that they are getting the best possible service from a dealer is fooling themselves. I'll take a car from a dedicated DIY'er any time.
  6. Toyota is the best run auto company in the world and one of the reasons is that they let the Germans (especially Mercedes) do their R&D for them. Just about every automotive advancement on the LS-430 came from Mercedes. Mercedes are stupid to give away all their safety technology when the rest of the auto companies benefit from it. Where Toyota also shines is that they take expensive technology from the Germans and incorporate it into lower priced cars while maintaining a very high standard of quality and reliability. The American car industry are hopelessly inept at this and I believe it is due to the fact that they simply cannot keep from trying to save a few dollars here and there and because they simply don't don't have the engineering knowhow to build world class products except for cost-no-object projects like military and space projects. I'm waiting to see the new GS-500 and GS-350 before I buy a new car. The current GS are just too outdated, the LS-430 is too big for me and the other models are FWD which I've never liked.
  7. The buyer of my last Mercedes was quite happy to have a Lotus 1-2-3 spreadsheet that showed the car had been serviced with TLC and had only MB and Mobil 1 parts and fluids in it. My current 13 year old 300E has been to a dealer only to have the transmission serviced. Otherwise, I have been able to do it all with simple Sears tools and the knowledge that I care far more about my car than anyone else. One of the reasons I'm thinking about Lexus is that Mercedes have pushed the envelope way too far. Brake by wire is over the edge despite the theoretical advantages. BTW, it probably won't be long before Toyota picks up more of Mercedes technology and gets leading edge windburn too.
  8. I've owned Mercedes for more than 20 years but am thinking of buying a new LS430 or GS430. I do my own maintenance and wonder if the oil filter on the V8's are accessable from the top of the engine or does the car have to be on a hoist/lift? Is there an encapsulation panel below the engine like on Mercedes? Do you have to remove the panel to drain the oil? Thanks in advance.
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