Is200 Service

[Dav_lambo]

Hi i'm new on here, bought my is200 on a 02 plate about a month ago, i'm going to service it myself and was looking for some help for parts.

i've been reading about the oil filters and the original toyota one seems to be the preffered choice on here, and its cheaper thsn the blitz and HKS.

Now what about air filter is the k&n panel filter a good choice? Dont want to bother with an induction kits as i know i wont gain much for the price, i just want to replace the original for the best availible.

And now spark plugs, i've been reccomended to fit denso ik20, are these the best?

And finally any preference for which oil i should use?

Cheers, look forward to hear from you all

[noby76]

Hi Dav_lambo, Toyota Oil filter should be ok blitz and hks are both established Jap tuning brands so thier Oil filters should be ok too tho I havent personally used one the OE Toyota oil filter will be your best bet as it be cheaper.

The stock Toyota air filter is good and K&N tho will flow better might not give a huge power or torque increase but engine note might sound sport (like Apexi i have in mine) and can last upto 50,000 miles before needing a clean so tho more pricier than stock OEM filter will work out cheaper in the long run if you keeping the car for that long. Spark plugs good for these engines are Denso or NGK so just stick with those and youll be fine.

regarding Oil any 5w 30 or 10w 40 oil in the market should be fine but lean towards 5w 30 semi or fully synthetic if you can to help VVT-i controller function at its best I am biased towards branded oils like Castrol . Mobil etc.. and currenlty running Castrol Magnatec 5W 30 for best performance and economy.

Happy servicing :)

[Dav_lambo]

Thanx for that, think i'll go for oet oil filter and denso spark plugs, r u hsppy with apexi sir filter? I'd frefer an uprated air filter, cheers for your help

[noby76]

Yeh makes engine note sound awesome when the revs are climbing I can hear all 6 cylinders now as the Toyota OEM filter i had made it a bit quieter . def not like an Induction kit sound but more sportier engine note. might also be in my head but i think the car responds better after i fitted it. mpg hasnt changed that much but then again its a 3 litre petrol engine so wasnt expecting 50mpg when i bought the car. K&N should be ok for IS200's as they don't have Mass Air Flow sensor like IS300's.

[ChrisIS200SportTTE]

Hi fella, I just did a complete overhaul ony IS200. I put a K and N air filter on mine, meant to last for 100k+ I also used the same oil as Noby but that was a fluke not because i knew it was the best, lol... and i bought the oil filter from Lexus but can't remember how much it was, cheap anyway. You have the best plugs in my opinion. I also did the brake fluid and got that from Lexus too. They say that the power steering fluid never has to be changed but that's for you to decide. I've just got the diff oil left to do so don't know how much that is yet. I've noticed a much better mpg since doing all that, got 360 miles from my last tank, getting 300 before and it's smoother than I thought possible from a 11 year old car.

Check your drive belts also, there's 3 at the front of your engine. Their only £32 for the three from Lexus and £60 fitted if you don't like doing belts. Worth it as a snapped belt can cause untold damage!

Also if the cambelt hasn't been changed even if your car is under 60k change it as your car is 10 years old. £300 fitted from Lexus i paid, I found that was only £50 more than independent garages.

:)

[Dav_lambo]

Thanx both of you, you've helped alot, how hard are the belts to change? Normally i'd get a garage to change them but there seems to be plenty of room under the bonnet i might have a go myself

[noby76]

not worth taking it on if you dont know your way round the engine. I had mine replaced by Lexus Milton Keynes which included Idler, tensior and drive belt for peace of mind and 12months warranty if it snaps...but not water pump. i might need to have that done now i guess. some one here might have a step by step process of how its done though.

[ChrisIS200SportTTE]

To be fair if you've never changed a belt or ever been shown then do not attempt yourself especially the Cambelt!

For the price, get the 3 drive belts fitted from Lexus! I'd also advise that you get Lexus to do the cambelt. For £50 more than an independent it's gotta be worth it!

[Dav_lambo]

Ok yeah i think i'll take it to lexus so i know its done properly, cheers for all your help and advice

[Pete Shawn]

To be fair if you've never changed a belt or ever been shown then do not attempt yourself especially the Cambelt!

For the price, get the 3 drive belts fitted from Lexus! I'd also advise that you get Lexus to do the cambelt. For £50 more than an independent it's gotta be worth it!

very true Chris says

if anything gone horrible wrong you still got a warranty from Lexus. Independent others hand will says lots of bull**** which wasn't their fault ... there's lots of cowboys :arrrggg-matey: unless you really know they've done a couple of IS200