Chippy 01

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.

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.

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.

Sat Nav has only started to come into Ireland fairly recently. I think the new LS has Sat Nav as an option (but don't quote me on that). Also the sunroof (moonroof?, where do they get the descriptions from), is an option, where it is standard on UK models. Heated seats - nope. And where the UK has about 6 variants of the GS, we have 2. Leather or non-leather finish. The rest of the car is the same. I wandered off the point there a bit, didn't I? I hope it's not a problem to fix, I just hate the look of missing icons, you know what I mean? Apart from that, the car is a BEAUT!!!

Hi all. Regarding the Mk I speedo needle burnout post; problem sorted. Sold her on and got the MkII I mentioned. A 2000 model with only 28,000 miles. Full history from my own Lexus service agent. A completely different animal. Smoother. Quieter. Much roomier. Bigger boot. Larger wheelbase. Smaller fuel tank. Better MPG.(if you believe the figures). And all this on a car 6" shorter than the MkI. Amazing. I am seriously impressed. Now comes the kick in the pants. While I was reprogramming the radio for my taste in tunes, I noticed a couple of letter/number drop-outs on the digital display. Nothing major, just a damn irritant. Funnily enough, on the CD or TAPE setting, all the letters/numbers are there perfectly. Even those in the 'iffy' area on the RADIO setting are OK on the other settings. Has anybody come across this before? I will bring this to the attention of the garage I got the car from, but it would be nice to have additional ammo in case he gets stroppy. Would the fix be expensive? Awkward? Would it just mean changing the display window, or is there more to it? Any info at all, please. Thanks. Phil.

Thanks for the replies. I did know about the turning down the brightness trick, as the needle is OK at night with the lights on. That Lextech place looks good, but it's on the wrong side of the pond. They should set up a UK outlet just for us Europeans. But it just so happens that a 2000 GS 300 with only 28,000 miles up has just come to my notice; and it is fairly local. Phoned earlier this evening, and going for a look-see tomorrow. Maybe strike a good deal??

Hi all. New to this forum, but not to Lexus. Had my '95 GS 300 for four years now. The only niggle I have has only raised its head recently. My speedo needle has gone black in the middle of its length. My dealer informs me that the needle cannot be repaired. Seems it is made up of little flourescent 'tubes'. And it cannot be replaced without replacing the whole clock system at a cost of over €1,200 ! Surely this cannot be right? Is he yanking my chain? Anybody come across this before? Phil. PS. Have been reading here for quite a while. Looks very good.