Ls400 Service Sheet

[willydoit]

Hi all,

I have a 98 ls400 which now has 40,000 miles on the clock and is probably due for a large service, the last 2-3 services have been carried out by my local garage as due to the age I dont think that paying money to local Lexus dealer is cost efficient in respect of added vehicle value due to Dealer stamp on service history.

That said I would feel happier if the vehicle had all the things attended to which would be done on a large service as despite the mileage it is 14 years old. Could someone please advise where I could obtain a service sheet to give to my local garage in order that they can check through all the items fully for my peace of mind.

Also everything except the tyres, filters and timing belt are original from the factory (including brake pads), when would you advise that it would be beneficial to change the spark plugs, they seem to be fine at present, still returns an average of 26-27 mpg local driving and over 30 on runs.

Only issue I have is that especially on cold mornings there seems to be a bit of vibration which seems to be something to do with the auto box as I have to leave it for a few seconds before it engages gear on cold mornings and wondered if this was normal or was something that warranted looking into during the service, perhaps gearbox oil or some filter change or something.

Thanks in advance for any help.

[steve2006]

Not sure where to obtain the service details but spark plugs if iridium should be good for 100,000 miles so with your present MPG and no loss of performance I would leave alone.

Transmission problem could well be due to needing a fluid flush/change with a new filter the recommended service is normally 60,000 or 6 years only use approved Toyota type IV fluid.

[willydoit]

Not sure where to obtain the service details but spark plugs if iridium should be good for 100,000 miles so with your present MPG and no loss of performance I would leave alone.

Transmission problem could well be due to needing a fluid flush/change with a new filter the recommended service is normally 60,000 or 6 years only use approved Toyota type IV fluid.

Thanks for that, I have had the car 7 years, it had 7000 miles on it when I bought it, its fine finding a low mileage car but the problem is that you never know whether the garage have bothered to change all the things they should have done at a service if its only done 1000 miles since the last one. Last time it had a major Lexus service they said gearbox oil was like new so didnt change, nor did they change the plugs etc which I understand should have been changed if it had done average miles each year, they said lots didnt need doing and reduced bill slightly but later found out that they didnt reduce it enough to cover what they didnt do so felt ripped off so wont go back, I need to trust the garage I use!!

Will get garage to make additional gearbox oil and filter change but will specify need to use proper lubricants and parts.

Thanks for info

[beavisrules]

with that mileage not a lot to change.

My service book says to change the ATF every 36k , but I am fairly sure that is excrement.

If you havent had a cambelt change in the last 10 years it will be time for another one.

also it says change the brake fluid every 2 years , but dont think anyone ever does that either.

Depends on how much money you have , if you leave it with the dealers and get all the 36 and 63 000 mile service jobs done you probably wont have change from 2000.

as long as you keep the oil changes and cam belts done on time there is unlikely to ever be anything else to worry.

I could photo the service schedule for you (take me a day or 2) but its no different than normal car stuff.

[willydoit]

with that mileage not a lot to change.

My service book says to change the ATF every 36k , but I am fairly sure that is excrement.

If you havent had a cambelt change in the last 10 years it will be time for another one.

also it says change the brake fluid every 2 years , but dont think anyone ever does that either.

Depends on how much money you have , if you leave it with the dealers and get all the 36 and 63 000 mile service jobs done you probably wont have change from 2000.

as long as you keep the oil changes and cam belts done on time there is unlikely to ever be anything else to worry.

I could photo the service schedule for you (take me a day or 2) but its no different than normal car stuff.

Thanks for that Timing belt was changed at 6,500 miles and again at 38,000 so that should be fine which I had done by Lexus Sheffield as didnt want to risk possible issues.(They werent the ones who ripped me off) They said at mileage it wasnt worth changing water pump as it was usage that deteriorated that not age. If you would be so kind as to explain ATF it would be appreciated. Dont have spare money to throw at it and appreciate that they are pretty bulletproof but the car is still in almost showroom new condition and I dont want to let things slip and risk potential problems due to some service items possibly never having been changed since it left the factory 14 years ago..

[Parrot of Doom]

At that age I'd certainly consider changing the ATF, it isn't a big job but it's one that's often overlooked.

[steve2006]

Have a read through the tutorials on the link below,although specific to earlier models the principles are similar so you know what to expect.

The fluid is expensive in the UK (isn't everything!) so expect to pay around £60.00 for 5 litres at Toyota (nearer £20.00 in the USA) but don't be tempted to use any other fluid.

With that mileage on your LS it still needs running in! lol

http://www.lexls.com/tutorials/transmission/

[Peter L]

Most independents can access 'Car Data' which lists the relevant service items for each particular make/model - ask if your garage has access to it. When I got my 1995 series 3 with 52k on the clock, I changed everything I could think of including genuine cambelt water pump etc. I got all the stuff from America and was genuine Nippon Denso stuff etc. even some obscur parts that my garage didn't know what it was for (and now sitting in my garage collecting dust !) I think I still had change from £250 even with the express DHL courier which cost about £50 to send.

If anybody needs the address for the chap who supplies just about every serviceable item for Lexus then pm me. (Not known to me and I have no financial interest - just good old fashion service with great prices, just helping out a guy who helped me out !)

BTW - ATF = Auto Transmission Fluid