Recommended Maintenance on 2016 GX 460 with only 34k miles

[arekieh]

Hey all,

Pulled the trigger on a 2016 GX 460 with only 34k miles on it. It was a summer car for a family and was rarely driven. It will be a similar situation for me and I doubt it will drive more than 5k miles per year.

Maintenance so far has just been discs, pads, oil & filter, drive belt and battery. Otherwise nothing has been done.

I am planning to replace:
- brake fluid
- F&R diff fluid
- cabin air and engine air filter
- prop shaft lube
- Fuel filter
- spark plugs (spark plugs? (the gas where it is is not good, even premium, but regardless the chance that it was run on premium is about 0.1%)
- should i replace the coolant, power steering fluid?


Then my plan going forward is:
- Oil & Filter min yearly
- Brakes as needed
- F&R diff fluid every ~30k miles
- Brake fluid every 4 years or ~30k miles (so in my case 4 years)
- Power steering and coolant every 5 years?
- Trans fluid every x years? or go off km?

Thanks

 

[Hiluxforever]

Everything is due by age, more or less.
Coolant no more than every 50k.

 

[WTITW]

While I admire your thoroughness, this is way overkill. Spark plugs are good for 100k. Pull one and check it before you waste $500. Coolant is good for up to 100k, just get a test strip and check ph ($12). Diff fluid is good for 60-100k. 60k for predominate towing and offroad use, up to 100k if you wheel / tow occasionally. Id do brake fluid, ps and a fuel system service but only if you don’t have records of maintenance. The rest Id check and move on.

Drivers.lexus.com will give you dealer service records. At 34k, it was probably dealer serviced unless the PO was willing to plunk down 75k for a car and then take it to junky lube but that doesn’t fit most first owner profiles.

 

[Hiluxforever]

Yep, dealer did my plugs at 120k and I didn't notice any change in fuel economy.

 

[arekieh]

While I admire your thoroughness, this is way overkill. Spark plugs are good for 100k. Pull one and check it before you waste $500. Coolant is good for up to 100k, just get a test strip and check ph ($12). Diff fluid is good for 60-100k. 60k for predominate towing and offroad use, up to 100k if you wheel / tow occasionally. Id do brake fluid, ps and a fuel system service but only if you don’t have records of maintenance. The rest Id check and move on.

Drivers.lexus.com will give you dealer service records. At 34k, it was probably dealer serviced unless the PO was willing to plunk down 75k for a car and then take it to junky lube but that doesn’t fit most first owner profiles.

Thanks appreciate it.

I bought the car in Lebanon, car originally purchased in Dubai and sent to Lebanon 0k kms. It was partially dealer serviced partially not, without full service records (I have the dealer ones). Registration fees are about 10% of car price over there, and finding a clean car is extremely difficult so I plan on keeping this forever (or as close to that as possible).

It definitely wasnt offroaded or had any hard use. It was city driven only. I will be doing light offroading around our village but nothing crazy, primarily city driving as well.

 

[WTITW]

Ah. Good context. Id leave the trans and diff fluid alone until at least 60k. Thats a good ‘overly cautious’ approach to stave off issues. If you start towing a lot, maybe 40k intervals, bit again, likely way overkill. Toyota calls for both at 60k intervals if you “Primarily” drive off-road, tow or let it idle all the time so 60k intervals with out those conditions would be more than enough IMO.

 

[arekieh]

Ah. Good context. Id leave the trans and diff fluid alone until at least 60k. Thats a good ‘overly cautious’ approach to stave off issues. If you start towing a lot, maybe 40k intervals, bit again, likely way overkill. Toyota calls for both at 60k intervals if you “Primarily” drive off-road, tow or let it idle all the time so 60k intervals with out those conditions would be mote than enough IMO.

Thank you,

The other context I have to keep reminding myself of that I am not used to is that labor is dirt cheap and parts are plentiful (Prado's are extremely popular in Lebanon). So the cost of a worst case scenario blown trans etc is much less than what I am used to from Canada. Appreciate your input, going to tweak my plan a bit accordingly and see how it goes.

Thanks again

 

[Hiluxforever]

Thank you,

The other context I have to keep reminding myself of that I am not used to is that labor is dirt cheap and parts are plentiful (Prado's are extremely popular in Lebanon). So the cost of a worst case scenario blown trans etc is much less than what I am used to from Canada. Appreciate your input, going to tweak my plan a bit accordingly and see how it goes.

Thanks again

While it's not quite bullet proof, it's a very good package. The light duty land cruiser platform is used by so many working class folks around the world. Very durable.

 

[Acrad]

I tend to stick to a more aggressive schedule myself. Fluids are relatively cheap and repairs are not. There is still quite a bit a debate on the effects of extended fluid changes especially transmission fluid and coolant. My AT schedule is a drain and fill every 30k miles (this is usually 4 quarts or less). I did a full exchange a few years back. My water pump started leaking at 34k miles on my ‘12 so original coolant was swapped out years back when that was replaced under factory powertrain warranty. I’ve still done simple drain and fills on coolant every other year.

TBH.. I can’t say I really have heard anyone performing an aggressive maintenance schedule reporting some of the more common failures points on the 460.

Brake fluid is commonly neglected as well.

 

[Cold Iron]

@arekieh does it have a transmission cooler? If not that would be high on my priority list. Not sure if the Middle East market comes with them from the factory or not, that is something I have been wondering about.

The Middle East market is different than North America. In NA the maintenance intervals are much longer for marketing reasons. The ME market is more where it should be IMO so one of the first things I did was download the owners manuals from Dubai. Looks like the GX manual is no longer available from the dealer there if you don't have the original hard copy then message me and I can try to attach it back or send it to you in an email. It is rather large and for a 2023 but the scheduled maintenance in it would still apply. And what I would use in your case. Or even mine, like Acrad said fluids are cheap and repairs are not.

There are a lot of special operating conditions listed in it with shorter intervals that are not in the NA manual as well. Such as - Operating on dusty roads. (Roads in areas where their pavement rate is low, or a cloud of dust often arises and the air is dry.) I spent 118 days in the Gulf of Oman back in 79-80 and pretty sure you fit in that group of cloud dust and the air is dry.

Not even special operating conditions but normal maintenance schedule from a few in the Dubai manual. There are a lot more plus inspection items
Spark Plugs replace every 60K
Air Cleaner replace 24K
Brake Fluid replace 24K or 24 months
F&R Diff Fluid replace 24K or 24 months

Oil change interval is also different from NA

Fuel filter replacement is 96 months note 4 says also replace fuel filter in the tank.

 

[WTITW]

That's really interesting. I wonder if they just assume it's harder duty in Middle East or if has something to do with supply chains there. Or is this just because it is a different engine? Diff's would likely be the same though...

Lubricate after submerging. Now, that's a maintenance statement. I can't imagine that showing up in the Lexus brochure.

@Acrad @Cold Iron What do you guys think of fuel filter maintenance on the 4.6L? I've never thought to change it, and it has 200K. Is there just one in the tank? Has anyone changed theirs or put a secondary on like all the diesel guys do?

 

[arekieh]

@arekieh does it have a transmission cooler? If not that would be high on my priority list. Not sure if the Middle East market comes with them from the factory or not, that is something I have been wondering about.

The Middle East market is different than North America. In NA the maintenance intervals are much longer for marketing reasons. The ME market is more where it should be IMO so one of the first things I did was download the owners manuals from Dubai. Looks like the GX manual is no longer available from the dealer there if you don't have the original hard copy then message me and I can try to attach it back or send it to you in an email. It is rather large and for a 2023 but the scheduled maintenance in it would still apply. And what I would use in your case. Or even mine, like Acrad said fluids are cheap and repairs are not.

There are a lot of special operating conditions listed in it with shorter intervals that are not in the NA manual as well. Such as - Operating on dusty roads. (Roads in areas where their pavement rate is low, or a cloud of dust often arises and the air is dry.) I spent 118 days in the Gulf of Oman back in 79-80 and pretty sure you fit in that group of cloud dust and the air is dry.

Not even special operating conditions but normal maintenance schedule from a few in the Dubai manual. There are a lot more plus inspection items
Spark Plugs replace every 60K
Air Cleaner replace 24K
Brake Fluid replace 24K or 24 months
F&R Diff Fluid replace 24K or 24 months

Oil change interval is also different from NA

View attachment 3846393
Fuel filter replacement is 96 months note 4 says also replace fuel filter in the tank.

Thanks, I actually have the same manual and its what i am using now for my other GX460. My current daily in Oman where i work is also a 2016 GX460 that I have had for a couple years, it had a more normal service history and mileage though and I drive it ~20k kms a year. Where I am torn with this second one is that this will be the first time I will own a car that will rarely be driven and im not sure how to balance between the mileage vs time limits for maitenance.

Both have the transmission cooler, i was told they were standard kit for middle east GX's regardless of trim.

The other thing to note for my new GX is it is no where near the same environment as the gulf. Lebanon isnt dusty and doesnt get anywhere near as hot. Temps range from 30 to 95 from winter to summer. Hence why i was more leaning towards the NA maintenance schedule for that one.

That's really interesting. I wonder if they just assume it's harder duty in Middle East or if has something to do with supply chains there. Or is this just because it is a different engine? Diff's would likely be the same though...

Lubricate after submerging. Now, that's a maintenance statement. I can't imagine that showing up in the Lexus brochure.

@Acrad @Cold Iron What do you guys think of fuel filter maintenance on the 4.6L? I've never thought to change it, and it has 200K. Is there just one in the tank? Has anyone changed theirs or put a secondary on like all the diesel guys do?

Mechanically they are the same, engine diffs etc. I think it is probably just harder duty with the crazy temperatures and insane amount of dust.

 

[r2m]

Unless you're abusing your vehicle, I'd just stay with factory specifications for maintenance with the exception of changing out the transmission fluid. I do mine at the 100,000 mark. Some say sooner, some say longer.
Remember: this is a Toyota product and you'll get hundreds of thousands of miles before you need another vehicle.
As mentioned above, don't over think it, although, myself, anytime I've ever purchased a used vehicle, I will always do a full maintenance as a baseline for all future maintenance.

 

[Cold Iron]

That's really interesting. I wonder if they just assume it's harder duty in Middle East or if has something to do with supply chains there. Or is this just because it is a different engine? Diff's would likely be the same though...

Lubricate after submerging. Now, that's a maintenance statement. I can't imagine that showing up in the Lexus brochure.

@Acrad @Cold Iron What do you guys think of fuel filter maintenance on the 4.6L? I've never thought to change it, and it has 200K. Is there just one in the tank? Has anyone changed theirs or put a secondary on like all the diesel guys do?

The NA version only has the fuel filter in the tank which you have to drop to get to. The rest of the world has a "standard" fuel filter under the hood also. I don't worry too much about putting an inline fuel filter in personally. The engines are the same between all of them, the GX's that is, no matter where they are sold. Minor differences such as the inline fuel filter but are basically the same.

Thanks, I actually have the same manual and its what i am using now for my other GX460. My current daily in Oman where i work is also a 2016 GX460 that I have had for a couple years, it had a more normal service history and mileage though and I drive it ~20k kms a year. Where I am torn with this second one is that this will be the first time I will own a car that will rarely be driven and im not sure how to balance between the mileage vs time limits for maitenance.

Both have the transmission cooler, i was told they were standard kit for middle east GX's regardless of trim.

The other thing to note for my new GX is it is no where near the same environment as the gulf. Lebanon isnt dusty and doesnt get anywhere near as hot. Temps range from 30 to 95 from winter to summer. Hence why i was more leaning towards the NA maintenance schedule for that one.



Mechanically they are the same, engine diffs etc. I think it is probably just harder duty with the crazy temperatures and insane amount of dust.

Thanks for that I have wondered as have a few others if it is just the NA version that doesn't get the external tranny cooler. Had a feeling it was eliminated as a cost cutting measure here. Lot of North America owners wish they had the factory install a cooler as they wait for a reman transmission, especially in warmer climates in the States.

After baselining it with new fluids I would continue forward with the ME maintenance schedule. Mileage or time which ever comes first. I'd use the dusty conditions schedule no matter what, that crap which is silica gets in everywhere. Mix it with oil and it is called lapping compound. Your call but if it were me that is what I do.

The NA schedule is written by marketing to reduce apparent Total Cost of Ownership as well as environmental reasons. Think ATF lifetime fluid for example... The rest of the World maintenance schedule Toyota engineers get to write them as they should be done. Which is what I use and why I downloaded it as soon as I got the GX. I'd stay with the recommended schedule not the NA schedule. Especially if the cost is not that much as Acrad said repairs are expensive compared to maintenance.

 

[Acrad]

As @Cold Iron stated we just have the sock in tank...

from FSM for other markets if we did have one in the engine bay.. super simple swap for those models

I don't even both swapping the tank socks ... last one I did on a '02 Maxima and it was clean as day at 125k miles.