Timing Belt Change Interval - Final Answer?

[Ruud]

:)

I know this subject has been covered many, many, many times...but

I went through the service history of my Ls a few minutes ago to see if the timing belt change invoice was still present. It is ...I also found a stack of invoices and service check lists from the Lexus Dealer.

It clearly states on their service check list that the timing belt needs to be changed every 100000 miles or 10 years. Except for the 1G-FE engine which is 100000 miles or 6 years.

Enough proof? :)

[Malc]

And that is for the Mk3 specifically ?

Malc

[Ruud]

No. the check list is blank. They filled out the car's details at the top, so I presume this covers the entire Ls range.

[Malc]

Excellent, extends my cambelt change to 2018 now !!!

Malc

[Tulpen]

I don't want to rain on your parade but..............my 1994 LS 400 required a timing belt change every 62,000 miles (100,000 kms) and that is from 2 Lexus dealers, one in Glasgow and one in Holland.

It may be that they changed the spec of the belt and it now lasts longer.

[Ruud]

Interesting enough these service sheets are from Lexus Glasgow.

Even more interesting is that I phoned the Lexus dealer in Holland a few years ago and they also confirmed 100000 miles/10 years

[runsgrateasanut]

Its a dilemma. Bought the car last week with 114k on the clock. No dealership service history but regular with various garages. Says in service record 3 services with AA from 53k to 63k (2004) then Spa Auto for six services to 94899 (2009) the last of which says Full service plus brake pads +MOT. Phoned them but no record of the car. Then only a 2011 repair service.

Unfortunately no invoice evidence that cam belt changed. I can only wonder if AA service centre would have recommended change but that would be ten years ago anyway. Tempted to think has been changed once.

The engine being a not-interference engine I may take the risk but don't want to end up in rural France with a broken belt.

Toss of a coin me thinks!

[Mybikes a cx500]

There is also the issue of the water pump and idlers,

my waterpump had 200k on it and was only making an occasional noise, the cambelt looked like new after 100k miles.

One of the idlers was noisy, probably original, so 200k on that.

every 100k or 10 years would be my personal "feel good" figures.

Definitely replace the tensioner and idler pulleys and waterpump whilst in there

:)

I know this subject has been covered many, many, many times...but

I went through the service history of my Ls a few minutes ago to see if the timing belt change invoice was still present. It is ...I also found a stack of invoices and service check lists from the Lexus Dealer.

It clearly states on their service check list that the timing belt needs to be changed every 100000 miles or 10 years. Except for the 1G-FE engine which is 100000 miles or 6 years.

Enough proof? :)

[Malc]

No penned mark on the plastic cover indicating mileage and date of any change ??

If not and you can't get anyone to confirm it's been done then I would have it done !

Malc

[Tulpen]

Ruud,

That is interesting.

My first belt was changed at 64,000 miles by Lexus of Glasgow. They put a sticker on the radiator saying that the next belt change should be 128,000 miles.

I had that belt changed in Holland by Lexus Den Haag at 130,000 miles.......and they told me it was just about the right mileage (kilometerage).

My car was early 1994, just before they fitted the navigation system.

I wonder if this was just a case of a mix-up between miles and kms or whether different Marks have different service intervals.

Unfortunately, I said goodbye to the car 18 months ago so I can't look at the service history.

I have a 460 now and, thankfully, that has a timing chain.

Incidentally, I took my car to the dealer (Lexus Breda) today because I had a strange noise from the back end when turning left. They found a sticky brake piston which they freed up and lubricated. Also, because there had been a bit of rubbing on a brake pad, they replaced all the rear pads free of charge. The car has 1 month to go till out of warranty. I'm impressed.

[Ruud]

Ah a 460 - that's the next car on the list :)

Breda - many, many good nights out I've had there :) I used to live about 10 miles from Breda

[Tulpen]

Ruud,

Totally agree with you about Breda. A wonderful old town which, combined with the natural hospitality of the Dutch, makes it a great watering hole.

As for the 460........I'm really enjoying owning it. I was a bit wary of the electronics, especially after reading all the apparent problems on the US forum. However, the electronics seem to function as reliably as they did on the 400.

The extra power and the eight-speed box make a real difference. I like the adaptive ride control and the various power settings. I've said before that I think some of the bits and pieces are only there because 'they' could.

Funnily enough, the things I find the most useful are the simplest: the 'Brake Hold' function is really good and the automatic parking brake selection is really handy.

I've never been the world's best at reverse parking, but the reversing camera with its guidance lines make reversing into a parking space a piece of doddle.

Now, what has this to do with cam belt times :):)

[Ruud]

Not an awful lot, but who cares :) Always nice to chat about something else interesting :)

[Tulpen]

I've just found this online:

http://drivers.lexus.com/t3Portal/document/om/OM50434U/pdf/5.pdf

It is the Owners Manual (Maintenance) for a 1993 LS 400.

On pages 173 and 175 it says that the cam belt has to be changed every 96,000km or 60,000 miles.

[Ruud]

Umm well - I guess they changed it after 1994 then :)

My first Ls was a 1993 with 187k miles and no evidence of any belt change. I bought it for £500 and a belt change would nearly match that figure. As the mkI and mkII are non-interference engines...I wasn't that bothered :)

[Tulpen]

Ruud,

I wasn't being pedantic - honestly........I just remember that my particular LS 400 had the 62,000 interval. I'm sure, however, that there are many 400's driving around with VERY old belts.

As a matter of interest, the website which I pasted is part of a larger site which gives free downloads of all Lexus documentation. If it's not already in the archives, it might be of help to other members:

https://secure.drivers.lexus.com/lexusdrivers/info/my-lexus/resources/owners-manual-search.do

[Malc]

Thank you Tulpen ..... looking at the reference it actually quotes for the 1995 Ls400 ( mine ) an interval of 90,000 miles for the timing belt change under Service schedule B ....... the big one.

Funnily tho it doesn't quote for the 1996 model ...... and I would have thought that to be the same !!

Malc

[Malc]

BUT, just looked again .. it's for USA cars specifically !!! in the small print on the B schedule.

Malc

[Tulpen]

Malc,

It is an American site. Info like this is open source in the States because of their Freedom of Information Act. Obviously, you have to keep that in mind. The engines, though, are universal and the info should be good.

It looks as if cars up to, and including, early '94 have the shorter mileage and after that it jumps up to 90,000.

[GEN]

Given that the t-belt is one of the few things guaranteed to kill the engine on my car I'm not comfortable almost doubling the mileage/time before replacing it. Funnily enough I was told 60000 miles by the same dealer that just serviced my car and handed me a check list with the 100000 miles replacement interval. I do not think this check list is LS specific, I think it's for general Lexus use.