2013 LX 570 Advice for the Long Haul

[volfan]

I've watched this board off and on for a long time. Thanks for all the information.

I've thought I would sell my 2013 LX by now, but honestly, I like the newer SUV's less and less. Thinking of just keeping the LX, maybe for a few more years. Hoping you might weigh in with advice on common issues to be aware of, and more importantly, what preventive maintenance I should think about.

About the LX - 158,000 miles. Very regular oil changes since new. Coolant exchange at 100,000 m. Replaced the diff fluid and spark plugs at 120,000 m. Don't think its ever had ATF, height adjustment system or brake fluids changed. Replaced radiator, water pump and thermostat last year. It has the common issue with the telescoping mechanism in the steering wheel not working - broken worm gear that isn't available - it's just unplugged. I'd love to fix that, but that's not a cheap fix, and have just done without it. It uses about a quart of oil between changes, which sort of surprises me. The oil pressure gauge has always read low, and that seems even more true as time passes, but I have read in the past that this condition is not unusual, but I'm not positive about that. Overall, it has been a great vehicle and seems to be in really good shape for the miles and age. It hasn't been used to tow much at all, has seen very little off road and hasn't been driven hard (on average).

I would welcome any wisdom anyone might have to offer on my plan and what I should be thinking about and doing in terms of preventive maintenance.

Thanks!

 

[doru]

Many have complained about the gauge showing low. Use the dip stick not the oil gauge to check the level.

Just keep up with the maintenance.
Brake fluid job should be done every couple of years on any vehicles. Can it go forever without? Many do but that is not a good idea.
ATF is a polarizing issue. Many here did at least a partial replacement. I did a full replacement at 100k and plan to do another at 200k.
AHC fluid replacement is a good idea. I would not do it every 60k as per manual but still do. As long as it works fine I'll leave the globes alone, unless you live in a rust area; just inspect and decide.
Enjoy your ride!

 

[volfan]

Thank you! Any thoughts about using a quart of oil between changes with these miles?

 

[32cls6speedmt]

Have you replaced your pcv? Easy fix and cheap. Could be the issue with oil consumption.
My lx 199k miles and no oil consumption. I have changed a couple of times

 

[volfan]

Thank you. I did not know that a bad pcv could lead to oil loss. I assume its been replaced at some point, but have no idea when. That's simple enough - I will do that. Thanks again.

 

[04UZJ100]

Swap to 5W30

 

[Smokinjo]

Did you check for cam tower leaks? That’s a common extensive repair at that age and miles. Might be where your oil is going. My 2011 has 245K miles and doesn’t lose any oil between changes. I change every 5K with full synthetic and OW-20. I did have to repair cam tower leaks at 130K miles. While doing that. Did Radiator, water pump and everything else there. Only other major thing was the actuator in the transfer case finally crapped out. Has to come out and be split to change it out. Do brakes every 30K miles on the front as it goes through them. Michelin defenders normally last 80K before they need replaced. Great vehicle. I would keep it.

 

[volfan]

Have you replaced your pcv? Easy fix and cheap. Could be the issue with oil consumption.
My lx 199k miles and no oil consumption. I have changed a couple of times

Thanks. I did replace the pcv. The old one had a little build up on the bottom. It still rattled, but it didn't make as much of a rattling noise as the new one. I don't know if that indicates an issue with it or not. Regardless, it was a good idea to swap it out. We'll see if it affects the oil consumption any.

Swap to 5W30

That's a thought. I might do that at the next oil change.

Did you check for cam tower leaks? That’s a common extensive repair at that age and miles. Might be where your oil is going. My 2011 has 245K miles and doesn’t lose any oil between changes. I change every 5K with full synthetic and OW-20. I did have to repair cam tower leaks at 130K miles. While doing that. Did Radiator, water pump and everything else there. Only other major thing was the actuator in the transfer case finally crapped out. Has to come out and be split to change it out. Do brakes every 30K miles on the front as it goes through them. Michelin defenders normally last 80K before they need replaced. Great vehicle. I would keep it.

Thanks for the tip on the cam tower leak. I wasn't aware of that being a common issue to watch for. I checked it this morning and it looked high and dry from what I could see from the wheel well. So, glad for that.

I appreciate the advice and input.

 

[TimCFJ40]

It's not uncommon for vehicles to use/leak a small amount of oil between changes, and most people that pay to have their oil changed never notice. A quart per 5000 miles doesn't concern me in the least. Our prior 200 used about the same, but had a few very minor weeps at the valve covers, but never enough to even drip to the driveway. Our 100k mile 2016 probably uses a quarter to half a quart, but I haven't done enough changes to have good measurements yet.

 

[PDoyle]

The weakest link is the cooling system. The temp gauge on the dash will not give any notification until it’s too late. Something like a scangage to monitor and give an alarm to high temps would help immensely.

 

[stonepa]

Thanks. I did replace the pcv. The old one had a little build up on the bottom. It still rattled, but it didn't make as much of a rattling noise as the new one. I don't know if that indicates an issue with it or not. Regardless, it was a good idea to swap it out. We'll see if it affects the oil consumption any.


That's a thought. I might do that at the next oil change.


Thanks for the tip on the cam tower leak. I wasn't aware of that being a common issue to watch for. I checked it this morning and it looked high and dry from what I could see from the wheel well. So, glad for that.

I appreciate the advice and input.

I don’t think the cam tower leak is a common issue except on forums and YouTube. Still worth looking though.