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Hi all.

Observation.

While reading some old posts on the GS300, I noticed some oddities.

I have only just parted from my '95 MkI GS after four and a half trouble free years. Bought her in Feb 2000 with 39,900 up, and sold it this weekend with 87,800 to her credit.

My service book stated that the service intervals were every 6,000 miles, with the services being intermediate and full, on repeat. The 'Biggy', as my Lexus service agent put it, was at 60,000.

The 'Biggy' is cam belt, drive belts, plugs, ALL fluids drained and changed, etc, etc, etc. Basically a bumper to bumper overhaul, including EVERYTHING in between.

What a bill. Took 3 days. But when it came back; WOW; what a difference. Like new. Quiet. Smooth. Responsive. Clean,(but not for long). Seemed as if they had stripped the engine down, cleaned all the componants, and re-built it. Never knew a service called a 'Biggy' could make such a difference.

Now, getting back to the reading bit.

UK MkI GS's for some reason; according to the posts I have read; state service intervals of 9,000 miles, and the 'Biggy' at 63,000.

Question - why?

Now for my next piece of observation.

I am now the ever-grinning owner of a 2000 MkII GS. Having just read the service schedule, I am a little confused.

Intermediate and full services on repeat at 10,000 mile intervals.

Air filter at 45,000.

Plugs at 90,000.

Coolant at 60,000.

ATF at 60,000.

Valve clearances at 90,000.

Rear axle oil at 60,000.

Drive belts at 105,000.

Timing (cam) belt at 150,000.!!

And no, I have not mis-typed any thing.

Seems as if Lexus is trying to spread the cost of the 'Biggy' over a few different services.

Is this the same schedule in the UK, or is the above just special to Ireland?

Slightly bemused.

Phil.

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I think 1993/1994 Toyota GB/Lexus GB changed the service schedules from 6,000 to 9,000 miles.

Since 1999 they have been using a 10,000 schedule. Each country has different schedules based on climate, driving styles, what is excepted the norm, what the competition does etc. etc.

For the UK GS 2001+:

cam belt 100k miles

plugs 60k miles

coolant 40k miles (or 3 year and then every 20k miles/2 years onwards)

air filter every 30k although it should be checked every 10k and replaced if needed.

AFT - NEVER under normal conditions

valve clearance - 60k miles

drive belts - 60k miles

Charcoal canister - 30k miles

brake fluid - 20k miles

A/C cabin filter - 20k miles

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Phil,

That's not right. That's the service schedule for a Boing 737.

My Mk 2 GS service book says

A/B services at 9,000/27,000 miles

replace air & fuel filters on B-service

replace plugs and timing belt at 63,000 miles

replace ATF every 36,000 miles.

It's the plug change that is a real sod. Much worse than getting to the timing belt.

My GS is a mid-98. I wonder if your is later and they have changed the schedule. My cambelt came out like new at 63,000 but 150,000 is a bit chancy!

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My GS is a mid-98. I wonder if your is later and they have changed the schedule

As I said in my previous post in 1999/2000 Lexus changed the service interval to 10,000 miles.

Phil is in a different country to us which is why his service schedule is so different. If you look at the US schedule it is again completly different.

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It's a good question and one the motor industry probably won't give an honest answer to. As I said above "Each country has different schedules based on climate, driving styles, what is excepted the norm, what the competition does etc. etc."

In the US they change their engine oil very frequently so I don't think they would be happy with a 10,000mile interval like we get in the UK and our cars are probably driven harder.

In 1993 when Toyota changed the service schedule from 6,000 to 9,000 the engines didn't change, they just suddenly could go an extra 3,000 miles between a service. The competition must have driven that change.

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Intermediate and full services on repeat at 10,000 mile intervals.

Air filter at 45,000.

Plugs at 90,000.

Coolant at 60,000.

ATF at 60,000.

Valve clearances at 90,000.

Rear axle oil at 60,000.

Drive belts at 105,000.

Timing (cam) belt at 150,000.!!

O.K.

Colin, Mike and Rodders; and anyone else that is interested.

After reading your replies to my last post, curiosity got the better of me, and I paid a visit to my pals at Lexus.

Although the book says 10,000 between services, 9,000 is the norm.

Air filter at 45,000.

Plugs at 90,000.

Coolant at 60,000.

ATF at 60,000.

Valve clearances at 90,000.

Rear axle oil at 60,000.

Drive belts at 105,000m.

All the above stands as it is. Air filter can/will be changed earlier in dusty environments.

Timing (cam) belt at 150,000.!!

THIS IS TRUE, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN.

The MkI HAD 60,000 mile change.

When the MkII was launched, it had gone up to 90,000 miles. Was that in 1998?

Now with the new VVT-I engines, it has gone to 150,000 miles, although some owners still prefer to change at 90,000 miles.

I had a quick chat with the Service Manager who introduced me to the Foreman Mechanic. I had a long talk with him. He noted my chassis and engine numbers, retreated to his Magic Box, (office with computer), and emerged again within 5 minutes with the afore mentioned figures.

My unofficial advice to anyone with a GS, 2000 or so on, is to go to thier Lexus Service Agent and ask questions direct. Thier answers may surprise you.

Oh, in case there are some sceptics out there, I must add that my services from Lexus over the past four and a half years with my MkI has been nothing short of exemplorary. Not once have they steered me wrong. I have been well looked after, and the bills have been reasonable. (Except for the Biggy, and I was warned well in advance).

I guess living on a smallish island, they can't afford to get thier name muddied.

This is one happy camper.

Phil.

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I don't doubt your figures but they are not for a UK car. If you speak with a UK dealer they will give you the figures in the UK service schedule.

They can be extended, as they clearly are in other countries, however to maintain a full UK service history and for warranty I would advise people stick to the schedule in their service book.

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I don't doubt your figures but they are not for a UK car. If you speak with a UK dealer they will give you the figures in the UK service schedule.

They can be extended, as they clearly are in other countries, however to maintain a full UK service history and for warranty I would advise people stick to the schedule in their service book.

Very true, Colin. And a full service history is a good thing.

The manufacturers would not take time and money printing up the service books if it wasn't.

But the figures I have quoted ARE from my service book. That is why I posted here, and why eventually I went to Lexus for confirmation.

You know there is not a lot of difference geologically between the UK and Ireland, so the services should be the same.

I think that although there may not be a lot of major differences between the actual engines, apart from the VVT-I bit, the consumerables may have been improved to give a longer life, hence the milage increases.

Lexus must have confidence in thier parts and mechanics, or they would not put it down in print.

Maybe other members with earlier and later years models can try asking thier dealers for the same info I did.

Like all manufacturers, little improvments are made along the way, (why do you think they ask for engine and chassis numbers when you ask for parts), and not always on facelift or model changes.

Phil.

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I have a GS-2 with VVT-i engine and the cambelt interval is 63,000 miles, as confirmed by Lexus cos they've done it twice already

Are you on the 9,000 mile service interval Rod? It's 100,000 miles on the later ones with the 10,000 miles schedule.

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Maybe other members with earlier and later years models can try asking thier dealers for the same info I did.

Like all manufacturers, little improvments are made along the way, (why do you think they ask for engine and chassis numbers when you ask for parts), and not always on facelift or model changes.

Phil.

No point in asking UK dealers. A brand new GS300 still has the same intervals as a 2000 model, nothing has changed in the UK. Yes things do improve, the air filter element was redesigned on the 430 and is now about half the price but if your car brought with certain intervals listed Lexus will not allow you to change it.

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I believe all these figures are a compromise.

Every country and driver have their own style, and actual maintenance requirements depends on these factors, rather than what the manual says.

That's why a lot of other cars, e.g. BMW, Mercedes, will let the car computer depend the service intervals.

For instance, I have driven about 15K miles since I replaced the plugs and only recently replaced the plugs again (with Denso iridium plugs). Car feels much more responsive/powerful than before.

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I have a GS-2 with VVT-i engine and the cambelt interval is 63,000 miles, as confirmed by Lexus cos they've done it twice already

Are you on the 9,000 mile service interval Rod? It's 100,000 miles on the later ones with the 10,000 miles schedule.

yes Col - 9000 interval

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No point in asking UK dealers. A brand new GS300 still has the same intervals as a 2000 model, nothing has changed in the UK.

Are your dealers/servicers programmed like robots? No point in asking them? There is always a point.

Once, not too far back, after picking up my MkI from a service, I asked the guy behind the counter a question. Wether he did not have the right info, or did not want to give me the info, or worse still couldn't be bothered; the answer I got was not to my satisfaction. So I wrote a polite letter explaining my situation, and faxed it to Lexus head office here, at 8 a.m. the following morning. At 11 a.m. I was phoned by Lexus head office about my fax. By 2 p.m. that same afternoon, the guy that I first asked the question to had phoned me and explained in great detail the answer that I sought. Don't ask me what it was all about, 'cos it would take too long. Suffice to say that now when I ask for info, I recieve it.

If in any doubt at all - ask. If the answer sounds iffy, go further up the ladder. Lexus likes to keep its customers happy. They do not want a disgruntled one.

As I said before, perhaps being in a smaller country with limited dealers has an advantage not afforded to larger places with a large choice of people to choose from.

But I diverge again. I hope I didn't stir up too much hassle with the service intervals, I just thought it would be interesting to compare like for like.

Phil.

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I have a GS-2 with VVT-i engine and the cambelt interval is 63,000 miles, as confirmed by Lexus cos they've done it twice already

I am guessing that you live in Stoke and work in Bournemouth.

That's quite a few miles. And I bet she is still sweet?

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I have a GS-2 with VVT-i engine and the cambelt interval is 63,000 miles, as confirmed by Lexus cos they've done it twice already

I am guessing that you live in Stoke and work in Bournemouth.

That's quite a few miles. And I bet she is still sweet?

yup - got about 170,000 miles on the car now - still good as new :)

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