Great. Thanks for letting me know. So far, this car has given me the best overall experience of all the cars I've owned in the past. Hope you enjoy your GS as well.
Thank you another great video. Bought mine on 06 plate for £2100 last year been faultless other than seized ac compressor. Not much call for ac in Scotland! Thanks
Wow, I thought I got a bargain. How many miles/KM did it have? I bought it at $5K, but with used car market soaring, looks like it may be worth $8~$9K in the market since I have very low miles.
I have had my 2006 for two years also. Mine had about 110 000km when I bought it. I have replaced the struts and the alternator. I don't drive much but now after approx. 3500km it is still great. My rear sunshade was easy fix, I hold the button down for a while, kept holding it and the sunshade went down. Then it worked as it should after that. I really like this car for many reasons. =)
I like this car a lot also. I plan to keep it a long time. I’m now doing carbon build up cleaning on intake valves. Man these GDI engine sure collect a lot of carbon in engine.
@@DIYLifeSkills I have not checked with a borescope since my car works well but I put CRC carb cleaner in the tank from time to time to extend the time until I need to dissemble and clean the engine more through out. I have heard that one of the first symptoms is usually bad idling. My car is idling perfect so far. Good luck with the job.
@@jannepelto8206 My car was running pretty good, but when I opened up the intake valve, OMG, I had heavy carbon build up. I just posted a new video last night on this cleaning. I had heavy carbon build up on piston top as well, and I'll post the cleaning of that in 2-3 days.
Your videos have been so helpful when it comes to trouble shooting things in depth. Thank you for the research you put in prior. I was wondering if you could ever discuss a video about the tensioner pulley.
Great video!! I'm looking for a used GS myself and this video makes me feel confident in buying one. Wanted to ask if you know what year in this generation is the most reliable
You can check out common issues of this car by year on this site. www.carcomplaints.com/Lexus/GS_300/ GS300 ends with 2006, and staring in 2007 it's GS350. 2006 GS300 uses GDI engine so it can collect carbon deposits on the valves, whereas GS350 use both GDI and Direction Injection, so valves can remain clean. My recommendation is get 2007 and up.
@@quranicverses.2394 let me know how miles and what condition it’s in. First thing I would do is check all basic maintenance things. I did a borescope of my 2013 Camry with only 73K miles and I saw pretty solid carbon build up on piston heads. So even non GDI engines can have carbon build up. I’ll post this within couple days.
Since I didn’t get a chance to take before and after videos, I can’t positively confirm how much carbon was cleaned. But overall, my car is running smoothly before and after. It could be because I don’t punch on gas and do timely maintenance on schedule. I also use best full synthetic oil.
I don’t have part number but I know a place that’ll replace the scratched mirror for $129 and many got it done there. See my video on this. ua-cam.com/video/yBdHU49XtoI/v-deo.html
I own one of these cars. I bought it used 12 years ago $18,000. I do DIY repairs when feasible. I have put 75,000 miles on my car since purchase. It still runs, rides and handles like a new one. I keep the car garaged and it looks very very nice.The interior has held up well and the car is comfortable. It has plenty of power and I would describe it as spirited. We averaged 32mpg on the road on a recent 7500 mile road trip this year. 120k miles on this car and no oil leaks or mechanical issues. Idles at 600 rpm and it's hard to tell it's even running. I have not yet experienced any of the issues that are described here. I'm sure that's in the future?? The exception is the rear view mirror issue with the mirror darkening over. I bought a nice used one for $100 and just switched out the mirror glass itself (DIY). Like new. The turn signal arrangement on this car is horrible. The blinker signal makes very little noise and cannot be heard most of the time. No adjustment for this. On top of that the green lighted signal blinking arrows are BEHIND the steering wheel and are NOT visible. Thirdly, the signal arm does not return to the neutral position unless the turn is more than 90º! This is an 'irritating' problem because the driver doesn't know if the turn signals are flashing or not!! Overall I love this car! Smooth, powerful and RELIABLE. In fact, I'm in the process of upgrading the 2006 antiquated radio and dash display with Tesla style head unit, built directly for this car, with a 12.1" screen and a ton of features. We'll see....... I recently drove a 2022 Lexus ES300H for a few days. I honestly though my 16 year old Lexus was smoother and just as much fun to drive. I even liked the styling on the older car better. The new Lexus infotainment system leaves a little to be desired. Operating from the center console takes a little getting used to and seems somewhat inconvenient. The features offered on the aftermarket radio I am installing in the '06 Lexus greatly exceed what's offered on the new Lexus. If it works, it will be worth the money to me.
Thanks for a detail write up. I do also love this car. I fixed everything that I can so far, and only repair remaining is side mirror moves up and down but not left and right all the way. I'm sure this part of the plastic gear broke, which is common for all Lexus and Toyota side mirrors after a while.
I'm near 118K miles, so it's due to following maintenance work: water pump, thermostat, transmission fluid, rear axle fluid, so I'll get to those in not too far in the future.
Lastly, this is GDI engine, so if you go back and look at my intake valve and piston top carbon cleaning videos, you can see heavy carbon build up. It was pain in the butt to clean the carbon. If you don't want to do the heavy cleaning like I did, you can consider doing much easier Seafoam spray cleaning twice a year, and use fuel additive to clean carbon. GDI engine is notorious for heavy carbon build up.
@@DIYLifeSkills Back when I purchased this car in 2011 the check engine light came on at approx. 50,000 miles. I took it to the dealer and they told me that the engine had this issue. Carbon build up, etc. They also told me there was a factory recall for repair of this problem. They offered to repair the engine on warranty!! I had to leave car for about one month+ at the dealership while they pulled the engine. This was a major rebuild, replacing pistons, rods bearings, etc. basically a new short block with upgraded parts. I believe they did something to the heads also. They gave me a loaner for the entire time. When I got the car back it ran and looked like a brand new car. Noticeable increase in power, etc. That was approx. 12 years ago and I've never had an issue since. I change the oil and do all maintenance religiously. So far, no more carbon build up. Keeping injectors clean is imperative. Thanks for the tips regarding fuel additive, etc. The 32 mpg I am referring to was on the road at cruising speed. When combined with in town driving it obviously drops down. So far all mirrors, rear curtain, speakers still work..... Even though this car is only worth a few thousand dollars I WILL continue do the necessary repairs until it's not feasible mechanically or financially. I love the car. Beautiful mica red with tan interior. Lexus may be the only car manufacturer who would stand behind their cars this way.
I’m looking to buy one of 07/08 gs350 how’s the real world fuel economy on these things? Also have you tried putting regular fuel? If yes how did it affect the mpg?
I fill up with premium only every 3rd or 4th fill up. I’ve not seen any MPG difference between regular vs. premium gas. I buy the big 128oz. Lucas fuel injector cleaner, because it’s a lot more economical, to compensate for using regular gas frequently and do use it once a month or so.
That’s really good that you buy 2007 and above which has dual port and direction injection so that you don’t run into massive carbon build up like in my 2006 GS300 with only direction injection. You can see the massive carbon build up on pistons on my latest video.
Thank you for your video. However, I'm sure most people will compromise and take it to a Japanese car repair specialist. However, I wonder how DIY folks like you as well as your local mechanic deal with the advanced cars of today which will become the advanced cars few years down the line. Will DIY and local mechanics have the equipment and technical expertise to be able to troubleshoot those used cars of moving forward, Ravi Peiris M.D.
Actually, the diagnostics tool have advanced with the car, so most of the time, the diagnostic tool tells you problem areas. Combustion cars still will be around a long time, but definitely electrical cars will rule, and without the complexity of combustion engine and transmission.
I also own an '06 GS300 for over 12yrs now. By far and away, it is the car that gives me the most trouble in my 30+ years of owning cars with seven Toyotas/Lexuses. My 15yr old Porsche gives me less headache than this Lexus. The Check VSC check engine light (CEL). This was the biggest and longest headache. The same CEL kept popping up randomly over 3yrs and counting. It was caused by a bad gas cap, then a pinhole exhaust leak on bank 1, then a pinhole leak on bank 2. Each time, the problem requires one or two smoke tests, and then trial-n-error replacement of parts from the MAF to the downstream O2 sensors, then the cleaning of the throttle body, the welding of the leak, the cutting and grafting a portion of the exhaust pipe. The same leaks would randomly come back and cause check VSC CEL again and again. Currently, each leak is plugged by JB Weld instead of the previous traditional welding. The exhaust leak apparently is a very common problem with this generation of Lexuses. No ABS, no Traction Control, no cruise control CEL. The cause was a bad speed sensor. First, the one on the passenger side broke. Then the driver's side. Each time, a set of scary CEL messages. Flooding! The AC drain vent was clogged and caused all the moisture collected to be dumped into the interior of the car. The entire front and rear floors were flooded by the time the problem was discovered. This was a bad design from Lexus. A problem that Lexus acknowledged and addressed in the later designs. Leaky engine valve cover gaskets, broken water pump, defective engine thermostat, dead alternator, and dead ignition coils. Each time was a headache. Each time was going to be expensive if done by Lexus. The alternator replacement alone is $950. Other problems include the rearview mirror appearing scratched in large swaths (as mentioned in this video), defective rear sunshade, dead passenger side-view mirror motor, and dead trunk release motor (it can only be opened with a key). The latest problem is that it burns 1qt of oil every 500 miles. This is another Lexus design flaw that requires an engine rebuild to update the pistons with the newer, better piston rings. The excess oil consumption is apparently a very common problem with the 300. Note, some of these problems could have left me stranded, such as the dead alternator or the broken water pump. Some made it unsafe to drive such as the problem with the speed sensors. My old Porsche only required regular maintenance; nothing that would leave me stranded or make the car unsafe to drive.
Wow thanks for a detail write up. I probably only experienced 1/3 of the things you mentioned but I’m only at 118k miles. Good thing is so far I’ve been able to diagnose the problems and fix them myself. So only little money has gone in for parts but definitely spent many hours working on the car. The only thing I haven’t fixed is the side mirror gears. It goes up and down but not left and right. Pretty sure the plastic gear broke and one of these days I’ll get to it. For me, so far it’s been super reliable but it’s good to note all the things that had to work on and something that I’ll be looking out for.
@@DIYLifeSkills 2008 Porsche Cayman S. Not the fastest; but it's a very fun/engaging car to drive. It was an experience of sensory overload when I first drove it. The drive gives a symphony of mechanical sounds from the engine sitting right behind your back to a flood of sensory vibrations from the entire cabin to the steering, the seat, and the brake to communicate to you the road and the car condition. Besides those, the best part is the flat-six wail on an aftermarket exhaust.
@@Chitown388 You are a talented writer. Best writer so far on my channel. Are you in some kind of job that requires professional writing? My son is also a talented writer. He can express something more accurately with deeper meaning with less words than I usually do like you. As for Porsche, my coworker took me out on his 928 (I think) during lunch and that was the most thrilling riding experience I had. Especially when he took a 360 degree exit ramp with such speed that my Toyota and Lexus wouldn’t be able to do because it’ll lean too much or skid.
@@DIYLifeSkills well, thank you! English is not my first language. So, I have been learning and trying to be more concise with my speech and my writing. The 928 is a very fine GT car. The Cayman S is less of a GT and more of a sports car with more tactile shifting, more responsive steering, and more agile handling. I had contemplated many times over the years to get rid of it because I don't use it much, but couldn't do it because it raises my heart rate and brings a smile to my face every time I drive it.
I love to do the same thing bought in 2019 rx 350 2006 for £3600 UK pounds 114000 miles . Now 3 years on only costs have been just servicing 1 coil and a serpentine belt.
I also have a little brother version of IS250 with same engine but price is not hugely different in used market and GS300 is big enough to comfortably ride 4 average size adults whereas backseat of IS250 is only for little kids. I live this car so far.
Very nice. I've have had mine since 2006 and don't plan on giving it up anytime soon. My rear view mirror though looks the same and the nav screen LCD appears to be ungluing but other than that the car has been a pleasure to own
How many miles do you have? I wanted to ask the original owner this. Around the windshield frame trim, does your car have matching color film like plastic sticker over the paint. I have thin film that is starting to unglue.
As for your nav screen, I’ve seen others replace it with Tesla like large android screen display. If my infotainment system ever goes out, that’s what I’ll probably do.
@@DIYLifeSkills I'm at 170,000 miles. The car is mostly sitting parked in a parking deck the last few years, but from 2006 until 2017 it was in the south Florida sun non-stop. I'm not aware of any film-like plastic around the windshield, I'll have to look. I do know the roof trim in matching color that runs front to back near the edge of the roof, started peeling 4-5 years ago. I'll try to remember to check on what you're talking about. The clearcoat on my door handles has peeled off too, mostly the driver door but the others too The original struts went out when we hit 120K-125K miles during a time when my spouse started driving to his new job 60 miles one way. I would say though, be very careful when you have to replace those, I did mine at Pep Boys and they burned the fuel line and broke the tire sensor, which caused ABS to turn off. I have to take the tires off completely and probably the brake pads, and that's assuming they haven't cut any wires Check your rack and pinion. Mine was replaced twice by my Lexus dealer early on in 2008 and again in 2010 under warranty. The first time they replaced it was because the wheels locked, or steering failed, as the spouse was pulling out of a parking spot. I remember the dealer said something had broken or come loose. At the time we'd just completed a cross country move and were lucky nothing happened while we sped through the Colorado and Oregon mountain ranges! The second time they replaced the rack and pinion was either because of a recall or our dealer just decided to do it anyway If you haven't, you should enter your VIN on www.lexus.com/lexusdrivers and see the history and what's been replaced under recall
@@DIYLifeSkills not a fan of those because they are terrible tablets with old Android. And also because they remove some of the physical buttons :) ... I'll probably put a salvage unit in, but they come with nav/parking sensors which I don't have and there are no front/back bumpers in red. Or I'll just drive it like that, I use my phone for navigation so it's not that big of a deal
@@MiroBG359 I bought mine 3 years ago with 106K miles from a professional working mom with two little kids, so the car was gently driven, though it had many accessory issues that I fixed (covered in my videos). I work in high-tech company, and due to the pandemic, 6 months after I bought the car, I've been 60% working from home, so I only put on 11K miles in 3 years. So now I'm at almost 117K. The engine and transmission has been solid thus far, though I'm about to do the trans and rear-differential fluid changes once weather cools perhaps in Oct. My struts are all good, but the rubber boot ripped on one of the back ones. Since I plan to keep this car for a long time, hopefully over 200K miles, I'll get the best after market struts, and I'll do the work myself. So far, no issues with rack and pinion, but I'll look out for that. I went to the above Lexus site, but what specific link do you go to check the history? I did check for recalls for this car on other sites, and no pending recall service is pending. I also had two oil changes done at the Lexus dealer and asked them to check for any recalls, and they told me none are pending.
Hi i am from Germany, Thank you for the great videos. I have the same Lexus, wonder if you can make a video about the Power Tilt Memory Steering Column. Mostly when the weather is hot outside, i hear grinding noise when the steering come into the driving position. I think it is a lack of lubrication grease issue. I would be very thankful for a reply
Hey man, I am looking at a 2006 gs300, good car with only 91k miles on it and from the first look looks fine. Only thing that I have noticed is the dashboard is showing the gas mileage around 15.9L/100 kms, it's a 3.3 V6 but honestly it's too much in my opinion. Google is saying mixed is around 11. Is there any reason for this or is it really just dashboard issue? I would appreciate a fast reply from you if it's a good thing to go with the car
I get about 25 mpg in 60% city 40% highway mixed driving. 100% city driving gets about 23 mpg. 100% highway driving gets me about 28 to 29 mpg. You can convert the mpg to kmpl on google.
with 91K miles, I suspect that the previous owner didn't replace spark plugs, and clean MAF and TB, I have videos on these. Also, using fuel injector cleaner regularly is important for this GDI engine. Also, take a look at the intake valve carbon and piston carbon cleaning. This GDI engine is vulnerable for carbon build up. But if you do the maintenance I show in my video, this is truly awesome car.
@@DIYLifeSkills true, thanks for the reply. I probably have to look at its intake valve once again and will get it inspected with a friend mechanic again. Do you think theres still a chance the mileage of that car is up because the previous owner didn't take care of it well, because your numbers look really good
@@rushil505 This car is rated for 22 mpg in city and 30 mpg in highway. So, I'm in line. If the engine runs smooth, it probably just need some good tune up as mentioned above. If you are going to have this checked out, have them also do the piston compression test. This will tell how good the engine is. This car is very popular and they sell quick. How much are they asking?
KBB list that particular car with that mileage at about $7K private party price, but KBB is out of touch with reality. My son's 2016 Corolla with 105K was totaled last week, and KBB lists that as $11K value, but Geico just offered me $15K. I couldn't believe it as we paid 18K in 2018 and it had 25K miles. So driving 75K over 4 years, only knocked off 4K in value, which is unheard of in normal situation. This is due to the new car shortage because of chip shortages and supply-chain disruptions that delays car manufacturing and shipment. This is what's making the used car market to scorch. Therefore, I wouldn't say it's a great deal in normal situation, but it's a good deal under current used car shortage situation where there are more buyers than sellers. See if you can negotiate a $1K off.
This car is rock solid. Do keep up with the maintenance and it's going to last a long time time. How many miles do you have? Once the weather cools here in Houston, perhaps in the fall, I'm going to do the Transmission and Rear differential fluid changes. I saw the oil on spark plugs though I'm not leaking oil any where, I'm going to do the plug tube seal and valve cover changes also later in the fall. Those are about the last maintenance that I haven't done, otherwise, I've done everything that I can. I got 116K miles only on this 2006, so I feel like I can drive this to 200+K miles.
I have found Lexus GS 300 But its at 300K km/186k miles Would you say that’s too big of a mileage for the car? Other than that it has all the servicing done.
Price is not bad given the inflation. If you really like the car, I would get it checked out, especially the engine and transmission. See if they did the transmission fluid change and carbon cleaning. This car is GDI engine, meaning fuel sprays directly to piston and not to intake valves and heavy carbon build up needs cleaning at some point. I just posted a video of me cleaning just 114K miles and you can see how much carbon has built up, thought the car was running just fine.
I just bought a black 2005 gs 300 for £2500, only 112,700 miles on the clock. Alloys are a mess and will need sorting, moonroof doesn’t work properly but seeing as it’s the UK I can live without that, probably too expensive a fix to bother getting it sorted. It’s early days but the car drives really smoothly and everything else works, so fingers crossed I’ve got myself a bargain
@Free T The exhaust went within 3 weeks - cheapest option was to get a stainless steel one made for £730. And 3 of the shocks turned out to be leaking, which was another £1000. Ouch! BUT the engine and gears are as smooth as the day they were built and the mechanic said the car would be good for at least another 100,000 miles. One thing to note, the engines in all three versions of the 2005-2007 mk3 gs300’s can only take the old e5 fuel, not the new e10 stuff. To be honest gs300’s with that mileage or just under tend to go for about £4000, so I’ve effectively bought a £4000 car in instalments. Or at least that’s what I’m telling myself anyway! Really lovely car to drive though.
Oil consumption is heavily depended on the mileage and how well oil changes were done on time with quality oil. I have almost 118K and last oil change was done about 114,500 miles, so in 3,500 miles it’s burned only 3/5 quart as of today. So I think it’s quite normal. Best way to avoid oil burning issue is to change oil every 5000 miles to minimize building up carbon on piston oil ring area. Once carbon plugs up tiny holes behind the piston oil ring, that’s when engine burns oil since the holes are clogged to retrieve the oil scraped off the cylinder wall. If you are looking to buy GS model, it’s best to avoid 2006 and earlier as it uses GDI engine that cause carbon deposits on intake valves. 2007 and newer have dual port injection, so fuel is sprayed to intake valves to prevent carbon build up.
@@alljerseysmatter. 430 and 460 engines are port injection engines so they are just fine. It’s the direction injection in 2006 that causes intake valve carbon build up.
If you have problems with hard downshift around 3 to 5 mph. There are sites that will repair this problem. It's a computer problem and can get it fix for around 200.00
@@DIYLifeSkills I had it checked out by an auto shop. They said it was the ECU. so I googled it and came across some sites where they repair the problem. Saved me hundreds
I have 06 AWD did 6.2 0-60, Mine been fine other regular maintenance. Mine has 152k hoping mine can last me little awhile. Just replaced water pump, Spark Plugs , Etc.
@@hanifmacca its supposed be preventive maintenance, PCV system just helps reduce harmful vapor from escaping the car. Some people even delete them. Its easy to do on 2GR or 3GR engine
Just bought a 2006 GS300 in white from my cousin for $2000 AUD, with hail damage (cant really notice with white paint job). It has 220,000km on the clock, but seems to run well and has only delivered a single fault code (P0175) which is bank 2 running rich. Cleaned the MAFS and throttle body but alas the code is still there, got more steps to take next. I have noticed that it burns a bit of oil, and is the only car i have owned that i have to top it up once a month at the least, and have read of other having to do this aswell. All the electrics work, except the boot popper (trunk for you Americans). The worst thing i have only just noticed was the tell-tale 'rotten egg' smell, indicative of bad catalytic convertors, under heavier acceleration. This could also be because it is running rich, however i feel its the cats themselves.... touch wood it isnt. I have seen prices of $1400 for a single side cat advertised, and likely needing 2 would make the purchase almost $3000 for a set.
Yeah, when car burns of oil, heavy carbon fouls up catalytic converter and degrade it's capability over time. And Lexus/Toyota cars burn oil when small holes around the 3rd piston ring gets clogged with carbon, and oil that is scraped off the piston chamber by the 3rd piston (oil) ring can't recover the oil on the down-stroke. Therefore, oil is left on the piston chamber wall and they are burnt off combustion cycle. Once the holes around the 3rd piston ring gets clogged with carbon, there is no easy way to unclogged them since tightly fit piston rings make it hard to get any cleaning solution on to it without pulling the pistons out to clean them. About the only thing we can do is, do the oil change no later than every 5000 miles with good oil to prevent it from getting worse. Since this is a GDI engine, very likely you have heavy carbon build up on the intake valves and on piston heads. Cleaning this will definitely help with performance and to prolong the car's life though it'll not stop the oil burning issue. Check out these videos on how I cleaned carbon on piston heads and on intake valves. ua-cam.com/video/m0fGP3MrqFQ/v-deo.html&ab_channel=DIY%26LifeSkills
Also, there is a possibility that catalytic converter is heavily carboned up, and you might be able to clean the inside. (since they are so expensive to replace) You'll still have to remove cats to do this, so it's not a quick work.
@@joelreynaga9160 Did you disconnect the battery or drain the battery charge recently and not go through the sunroof re-learn process? Also, the clicking may be the tracks loose under the headliner ( I have the same issue but arent looking at it until I try to mitigate my oil consumption). If unsuccesful, I won't even bother with the sunroof.
Every time I buy a used car, I do the oil change at that brand’s dealer. The reason is they do full inspection on a new car that you bring to them so that they can find things to work on and make more money. This way I use dealer find any leaks and under car problems that is not easy to see at home without going through lots of hassle. In this case, I got second oil change also at dealer because I work a full time job and was too busy but oil change was due. Otherwise, I do all my oil changes, as you can see my other videos.
Of course, I do nearly all my repairs, so I just use dealer to just find things on a new car. So the first oil change literally takes 2-3 hours to get my car back. :-)
I bought a 2008 GS350 AWD with 135k miles and it’s honestly been a super disappointing car to own. Everything is crazy expensive and tons of a weird things go wrong. Thankfully you have DIY videos on a lot of these issues but it still have issues. 2 of the biggest being a shuttering feeling at 20mph, leaking CV boot, and constant check engine light saying bank 2 catalytic converter is “clogged”. Lexus tells me I need a new CAT (1500$) and another shop says engine diagnostics are fine and I don’t need to do anything… 😑 Again thanks for the videos. Next thing I’m doing is sending in my rear view mirror to the same place you recommended. ✌️
CAT is extremely expensive for all cars. You could consider getting a used one off of a new model from a salvage yard and then have a shop weld that on. Not always, but often I see cars that go too long on oil changes, over time clog or dirty up the cat. If it’s just dirty, there are UA-cam videos that show how to clean it. But it’s not easy work as you’ll have to cut off the cat from exhaust pipe and then weld it back on afterwards.
One gallon of lacquer thinner with half tank of gas and drive it for 3 days about 200 miles at high speeds if you can. Then fill up with premium and reset the light.
@@errolwashington5606 I’ve heard that is a bad idea. Trust me I considered doing this since seafoam into in the gas tank and using it in the air intake didn’t do anything either. At this point I’m just gonna buy the O2 sensor spacers to bypass them.
That’s very good price but How many miles? Replacing with used trans could cost about $2000-2500. I had VW Jetta trans replaced for $1600 by a local mechanic and not dealer.
@@sergiobnr34Changing fluid usually can’t fix broken transmission. If you can test drive, gradually increase the speed to 60-70 MPH and see if gear shifts OK. If it’s in a parking lot and they don’t let you drive until you buy, then hold the brake with left foot and put trans on all gears and see if it engages and try to move the car just few inches.
@@sergiobnr34 if it’s a clean title car with good interior and exterior condition, that’s a real good buy assuming there is no major engine or trans issue.
It had many embarrassing problems like Rear view mirror was all scratched up, rear view camera was totally fuzzy, side mirror gears were grinding for few minutes after a start, rear subwoofer was blown, rear shade didn’t work,etc. so the owner priced it at $5k and I gave him the full offer. :-)
@Free T What year and what size engine? My advise is to go with 2007 or higher because 2006 uses GDI (Gas Direct Injection) that doesn't spray fuel to the intake valves and massive carbon builds up intake valves, which requires periodic cleaning which is not quick or cheap to do. I'm doing the carbon cleaning of intake valves now, and you can check out some of the videos I posted.
@Free T I inspected and test drove it myself. During the inspection, I found the problems mentioned above, and engine and transmission was quiet and smooth. It's good idea to get it inspected from someone that you trust. Wow used car prices have really soared. Unless you are in a rush, you might want to wait until next summer or so when chip supplies & distributions catch up, and used car prices retract. That said, if you need to purchase the car now, do run a carfax report, and with 170K miles, it's important that they have already serviced transmission fluid, replaced water pump/thermostat. If not, these are one of the first things you want to do after the purchase.
Heh I basically got mine for $4300. Traded in my 2001 BMW X5 3.0i which I bought for $3600 six months ago and put about $1200 into it overall. Will have to put the same and then some onto the GS300 but I looooove it.
This is 2006 GS300. My 0 to 60 miles timed at 7.8 ses (before) to 7.6 (after tune up - spark plug change, MAF/TB cleaning, intake valve and piston carbon cleaning). Oh 0-60 time was using regular gas. Not sure if premium would boost that slightly.
Bought from Nextdoor. Look at all the things I had to fix after the purchase. That’s why it was cheap and it was before pandemic inflation kicked in. 😁
@@DIYLifeSkills true. It definitely pays to be handy. It's sickening what dealers charge for repairs. When the sad day of the death of my 02 CR-V I'll be looking at these.
CORRECTION at 6:19. The total dealership service cost of $6,590 would have been $1,590 more than the original purchase price of $5,000.
Saw ur profile on the Lexus forum! Thanks for your videos
Great video brother. Love the data and effort put into it. Hope to learn more.
I just bought GS300.I found your vdo very helpful.Keep up the good work!
Great. Thanks for letting me know. So far, this car has given me the best overall experience of all the cars I've owned in the past. Hope you enjoy your GS as well.
Thank you another great video. Bought mine on 06 plate for £2100 last year been faultless other than seized ac compressor. Not much call for ac in Scotland! Thanks
Wow, I thought I got a bargain. How many miles/KM did it have?
I bought it at $5K, but with used car market soaring, looks like it may be worth $8~$9K in the market since I have very low miles.
I have had my 2006 for two years also. Mine had about 110 000km when I bought it. I have replaced the struts and the alternator. I don't drive much but now after approx. 3500km it is still great. My rear sunshade was easy fix, I hold the button down for a while, kept holding it and the sunshade went down. Then it worked as it should after that. I really like this car for many reasons. =)
I like this car a lot also. I plan to keep it a long time. I’m now doing carbon build up cleaning on intake valves. Man these GDI engine sure collect a lot of carbon in engine.
@@DIYLifeSkills I have not checked with a borescope since my car works well but I put CRC carb cleaner in the tank from time to time to extend the time until I need to dissemble and clean the engine more through out. I have heard that one of the first symptoms is usually bad idling. My car is idling perfect so far. Good luck with the job.
@@jannepelto8206 My car was running pretty good, but when I opened up the intake valve, OMG, I had heavy carbon build up. I just posted a new video last night on this cleaning. I had heavy carbon build up on piston top as well, and I'll post the cleaning of that in 2-3 days.
Excellent, thanks
Great video bro 😎
Thanks. Do you already own one? Or i search of buying one?
Your videos have been so helpful when it comes to trouble shooting things in depth. Thank you for the research you put in prior.
I was wondering if you could ever discuss a video about the tensioner pulley.
Great video!! I'm looking for a used GS myself and this video makes me feel confident in buying one. Wanted to ask if you know what year in this generation is the most reliable
You can check out common issues of this car by year on this site. www.carcomplaints.com/Lexus/GS_300/
GS300 ends with 2006, and staring in 2007 it's GS350. 2006 GS300 uses GDI engine so it can collect carbon deposits on the valves, whereas GS350 use both GDI and Direction Injection, so valves can remain clean. My recommendation is get 2007 and up.
@@DIYLifeSkills thanks I'm getting that 2007 and up .
@@quranicverses.2394 let me know how miles and what condition it’s in. First thing I would do is check all basic maintenance things. I did a borescope of my 2013 Camry with only 73K miles and I saw pretty solid carbon build up on piston heads. So even non GDI engines can have carbon build up. I’ll post this within couple days.
I have a 2006 300 GS. Is it possible to install a backup camera? I don’t have one now. Thx!
good vid..Very informative and concose
Thanks for the feedback
I have same model
How can i fix the clock ?
Did the seafoam cleaning do anything? I see that STP pro-series intake valve cleaner does a good job but I can't get that in Canada.
Since I didn’t get a chance to take before and after videos, I can’t positively confirm how much carbon was cleaned.
But overall, my car is running smoothly before and after. It could be because I don’t punch on gas and do timely maintenance on schedule.
I also use best full synthetic oil.
I own the gs450h same body shell Lexus first hybrid 2007 so enjoyable to drive mine has around 350 hp great video 👍
Wow awesome. You got the rare gem. Those are hard to find and they are expensive!!
Still got it?
I still have mine.
It does show guidelines and they are both static and dynamic. How to turn them back on, nobody knows!
Do you have the link to parts for discolored inside rear view mirror? It's at 2:30 into the video. Thanks.
I don’t have part number but I know a place that’ll replace the scratched mirror for $129 and many got it done there. See my video on this.
ua-cam.com/video/yBdHU49XtoI/v-deo.html
I own one of these cars. I bought it used 12 years ago $18,000. I do DIY repairs when feasible. I have put 75,000 miles on my car since purchase. It still runs, rides and handles like a new one. I keep the car garaged and it looks very very nice.The interior has held up well and the car is comfortable. It has plenty of power and I would describe it as spirited. We averaged 32mpg on the road on a recent 7500 mile road trip this year. 120k miles on this car and no oil leaks or mechanical issues. Idles at 600 rpm and it's hard to tell it's even running.
I have not yet experienced any of the issues that are described here. I'm sure that's in the future?? The exception is the rear view mirror issue with the mirror darkening over. I bought a nice used one for $100 and just switched out the mirror glass itself (DIY). Like new.
The turn signal arrangement on this car is horrible. The blinker signal makes very little noise and cannot be heard most of the time. No adjustment for this. On top of that the green lighted signal blinking arrows are BEHIND the steering wheel and are NOT visible. Thirdly, the signal arm does not return to the neutral position unless the turn is more than 90º! This is an 'irritating' problem because the driver doesn't know if the turn signals are flashing or not!!
Overall I love this car! Smooth, powerful and RELIABLE. In fact, I'm in the process of upgrading the 2006 antiquated radio and dash display with Tesla style head unit, built directly for this car, with a 12.1" screen and a ton of features. We'll see.......
I recently drove a 2022 Lexus ES300H for a few days. I honestly though my 16 year old Lexus was smoother and just as much fun to drive. I even liked the styling on the older car better. The new Lexus infotainment system leaves a little to be desired. Operating from the center console takes a little getting used to and seems somewhat inconvenient. The features offered on the aftermarket radio I am installing in the '06 Lexus greatly exceed what's offered on the new Lexus. If it works, it will be worth the money to me.
Thanks for a detail write up. I do also love this car. I fixed everything that I can so far, and only repair remaining is side mirror moves up and down but not left and right all the way. I'm sure this part of the plastic gear broke, which is common for all Lexus and Toyota side mirrors after a while.
I'm near 118K miles, so it's due to following maintenance work: water pump, thermostat, transmission fluid, rear axle fluid, so I'll get to those in not too far in the future.
That's amazing that you got 32MPG, the best I've seen on long highway trip is 28-29MPG.
Lastly, this is GDI engine, so if you go back and look at my intake valve and piston top carbon cleaning videos, you can see heavy carbon build up. It was pain in the butt to clean the carbon. If you don't want to do the heavy cleaning like I did, you can consider doing much easier Seafoam spray cleaning twice a year, and use fuel additive to clean carbon. GDI engine is notorious for heavy carbon build up.
@@DIYLifeSkills Back when I purchased this car in 2011 the check engine light came on at approx. 50,000 miles. I took it to the dealer and they told me that the engine had this issue. Carbon build up, etc. They also told me there was a factory recall for repair of this problem.
They offered to repair the engine on warranty!! I had to leave car for about one month+ at the dealership while they pulled the engine. This was a major rebuild, replacing pistons, rods bearings, etc. basically a new short block with upgraded parts. I believe they did something to the heads also. They gave me a loaner for the entire time. When I got the car back it ran and looked like a brand new car. Noticeable increase in power, etc. That was approx. 12 years ago and I've never had an issue since. I change the oil and do all maintenance religiously. So far, no more carbon build up. Keeping injectors clean is imperative. Thanks for the tips regarding fuel additive, etc.
The 32 mpg I am referring to was on the road at cruising speed. When combined with in town driving it obviously drops down. So far all mirrors, rear curtain, speakers still work..... Even though this car is only worth a few thousand dollars I WILL continue do the necessary repairs until it's not feasible mechanically or financially. I love the car. Beautiful mica red with tan interior.
Lexus may be the only car manufacturer who would stand behind their cars this way.
I’m looking to buy one of 07/08 gs350 how’s the real world fuel economy on these things? Also have you tried putting regular fuel? If yes how did it affect the mpg?
I fill up with premium only every 3rd or 4th fill up. I’ve not seen any MPG difference between regular vs. premium gas. I buy the big 128oz. Lucas fuel injector cleaner, because it’s a lot more economical, to compensate for using regular gas frequently and do use it once a month or so.
That’s really good that you buy 2007 and above which has dual port and direction injection so that you don’t run into massive carbon build up like in my 2006 GS300 with only direction injection. You can see the massive carbon build up on pistons on my latest video.
@@DIYLifeSkills thank You so much for the info! 🙏
Thank you for your video. However, I'm sure most people will compromise and take it to a Japanese car repair specialist. However, I wonder how DIY folks like you as well as your local mechanic deal with the advanced cars of today which will become the advanced cars few years down the line. Will DIY and local mechanics have the equipment and technical expertise to be able to troubleshoot those used cars of moving forward,
Ravi Peiris M.D.
Actually, the diagnostics tool have advanced with the car, so most of the time, the diagnostic tool tells you problem areas. Combustion cars still will be around a long time, but definitely electrical cars will rule, and without the complexity of combustion engine and transmission.
I also own an '06 GS300 for over 12yrs now. By far and away, it is the car that gives me the most trouble in my 30+ years of owning cars with seven Toyotas/Lexuses. My 15yr old Porsche gives me less headache than this Lexus. The Check VSC check engine light (CEL). This was the biggest and longest headache. The same CEL kept popping up randomly over 3yrs and counting. It was caused by a bad gas cap, then a pinhole exhaust leak on bank 1, then a pinhole leak on bank 2. Each time, the problem requires one or two smoke tests, and then trial-n-error replacement of parts from the MAF to the downstream O2 sensors, then the cleaning of the throttle body, the welding of the leak, the cutting and grafting a portion of the exhaust pipe. The same leaks would randomly come back and cause check VSC CEL again and again. Currently, each leak is plugged by JB Weld instead of the previous traditional welding. The exhaust leak apparently is a very common problem with this generation of Lexuses.
No ABS, no Traction Control, no cruise control CEL. The cause was a bad speed sensor. First, the one on the passenger side broke. Then the driver's side. Each time, a set of scary CEL messages.
Flooding! The AC drain vent was clogged and caused all the moisture collected to be dumped into the interior of the car. The entire front and rear floors were flooded by the time the problem was discovered. This was a bad design from Lexus. A problem that Lexus acknowledged and addressed in the later designs.
Leaky engine valve cover gaskets, broken water pump, defective engine thermostat, dead alternator, and dead ignition coils. Each time was a headache. Each time was going to be expensive if done by Lexus. The alternator replacement alone is $950.
Other problems include the rearview mirror appearing scratched in large swaths (as mentioned in this video), defective rear sunshade, dead passenger side-view mirror motor, and dead trunk release motor (it can only be opened with a key).
The latest problem is that it burns 1qt of oil every 500 miles. This is another Lexus design flaw that requires an engine rebuild to update the pistons with the newer, better piston rings. The excess oil consumption is apparently a very common problem with the 300.
Note, some of these problems could have left me stranded, such as the dead alternator or the broken water pump. Some made it unsafe to drive such as the problem with the speed sensors. My old Porsche only required regular maintenance; nothing that would leave me stranded or make the car unsafe to drive.
Wow thanks for a detail write up. I probably only experienced 1/3 of the things you mentioned but I’m only at 118k miles. Good thing is so far I’ve been able to diagnose the problems and fix them myself. So only little money has gone in for parts but definitely spent many hours working on the car. The only thing I haven’t fixed is the side mirror gears. It goes up and down but not left and right. Pretty sure the plastic gear broke and one of these days I’ll get to it.
For me, so far it’s been super reliable but it’s good to note all the things that had to work on and something that I’ll be looking out for.
BTW, which and what year Porsche do you have? I can only dream of rising one in the future. :-)
@@DIYLifeSkills 2008 Porsche Cayman S. Not the fastest; but it's a very fun/engaging car to drive. It was an experience of sensory overload when I first drove it. The drive gives a symphony of mechanical sounds from the engine sitting right behind your back to a flood of sensory vibrations from the entire cabin to the steering, the seat, and the brake to communicate to you the road and the car condition. Besides those, the best part is the flat-six wail on an aftermarket exhaust.
@@Chitown388 You are a talented writer. Best writer so far on my channel. Are you in some kind of job that requires professional writing? My son is also a talented writer. He can express something more accurately with deeper meaning with less words than I usually do like you.
As for Porsche, my coworker took me out on his 928 (I think) during lunch and that was the most thrilling riding experience I had. Especially when he took a 360 degree exit ramp with such speed that my Toyota and Lexus wouldn’t be able to do because it’ll lean too much or skid.
@@DIYLifeSkills well, thank you! English is not my first language. So, I have been learning and trying to be more concise with my speech and my writing.
The 928 is a very fine GT car. The Cayman S is less of a GT and more of a sports car with more tactile shifting, more responsive steering, and more agile handling. I had contemplated many times over the years to get rid of it because I don't use it much, but couldn't do it because it raises my heart rate and brings a smile to my face every time I drive it.
I love to do the same thing bought in 2019 rx 350 2006 for £3600 UK pounds 114000 miles . Now 3 years on only costs have been just servicing 1 coil and a serpentine belt.
Wow you got that cheap. Might be worth more now with used car inflation.
Nice video with good info...Thinking about buying one of these gs 300..
I also have a little brother version of IS250 with same engine but price is not hugely different in used market and GS300 is big enough to comfortably ride 4 average size adults whereas backseat of IS250 is only for little kids. I live this car so far.
Very nice. I've have had mine since 2006 and don't plan on giving it up anytime soon. My rear view mirror though looks the same and the nav screen LCD appears to be ungluing but other than that the car has been a pleasure to own
How many miles do you have? I wanted to ask the original owner this. Around the windshield frame trim, does your car have matching color film like plastic sticker over the paint. I have thin film that is starting to unglue.
As for your nav screen, I’ve seen others replace it with Tesla like large android screen display. If my infotainment system ever goes out, that’s what I’ll probably do.
@@DIYLifeSkills I'm at 170,000 miles. The car is mostly sitting parked in a parking deck the last few years, but from 2006 until 2017 it was in the south Florida sun non-stop. I'm not aware of any film-like plastic around the windshield, I'll have to look. I do know the roof trim in matching color that runs front to back near the edge of the roof, started peeling 4-5 years ago. I'll try to remember to check on what you're talking about. The clearcoat on my door handles has peeled off too, mostly the driver door but the others too
The original struts went out when we hit 120K-125K miles during a time when my spouse started driving to his new job 60 miles one way. I would say though, be very careful when you have to replace those, I did mine at Pep Boys and they burned the fuel line and broke the tire sensor, which caused ABS to turn off. I have to take the tires off completely and probably the brake pads, and that's assuming they haven't cut any wires
Check your rack and pinion. Mine was replaced twice by my Lexus dealer early on in 2008 and again in 2010 under warranty. The first time they replaced it was because the wheels locked, or steering failed, as the spouse was pulling out of a parking spot. I remember the dealer said something had broken or come loose. At the time we'd just completed a cross country move and were lucky nothing happened while we sped through the Colorado and Oregon mountain ranges! The second time they replaced the rack and pinion was either because of a recall or our dealer just decided to do it anyway
If you haven't, you should enter your VIN on www.lexus.com/lexusdrivers and see the history and what's been replaced under recall
@@DIYLifeSkills not a fan of those because they are terrible tablets with old Android. And also because they remove some of the physical buttons :) ... I'll probably put a salvage unit in, but they come with nav/parking sensors which I don't have and there are no front/back bumpers in red. Or I'll just drive it like that, I use my phone for navigation so it's not that big of a deal
@@MiroBG359 I bought mine 3 years ago with 106K miles from a professional working mom with two little kids, so the car was gently driven, though it had many accessory issues that I fixed (covered in my videos). I work in high-tech company, and due to the pandemic, 6 months after I bought the car, I've been 60% working from home, so I only put on 11K miles in 3 years. So now I'm at almost 117K. The engine and transmission has been solid thus far, though I'm about to do the trans and rear-differential fluid changes once weather cools perhaps in Oct. My struts are all good, but the rubber boot ripped on one of the back ones. Since I plan to keep this car for a long time, hopefully over 200K miles, I'll get the best after market struts, and I'll do the work myself. So far, no issues with rack and pinion, but I'll look out for that. I went to the above Lexus site, but what specific link do you go to check the history? I did check for recalls for this car on other sites, and no pending recall service is pending. I also had two oil changes done at the Lexus dealer and asked them to check for any recalls, and they told me none are pending.
Hi i am from Germany, Thank you for the great videos.
I have the same Lexus, wonder if you can make a video about the Power Tilt Memory Steering Column.
Mostly when the weather is hot outside, i hear grinding noise when the steering come into the driving position.
I think it is a lack of lubrication grease issue.
I would be very thankful for a reply
I hear little bit of squealing once in a while but I'll have to pay a close attention next time for any gear grinding noise.
Many thanks for your reply, i appreciate it.
I am glad that you have also noticed this noise, i look forward when you are pointing that issue.
I have the same grinding noise. It comes and goes though. Currently, there is no grinding noise.
Hey I have a 2010 gs350.. radio stopped working. You thi k it needs an update for maps nagavation?
I’ve never updated the navigation CD so pretty sure that’s not it.
Is it just radio, does CD player and backup camera work?
Hey man, I am looking at a 2006 gs300, good car with only 91k miles on it and from the first look looks fine. Only thing that I have noticed is the dashboard is showing the gas mileage around 15.9L/100 kms, it's a 3.3 V6 but honestly it's too much in my opinion. Google is saying mixed is around 11. Is there any reason for this or is it really just dashboard issue? I would appreciate a fast reply from you if it's a good thing to go with the car
I get about 25 mpg in 60% city 40% highway mixed driving. 100% city driving gets about 23 mpg. 100% highway driving gets me about 28 to 29 mpg. You can convert the mpg to kmpl on google.
with 91K miles, I suspect that the previous owner didn't replace spark plugs, and clean MAF and TB, I have videos on these. Also, using fuel injector cleaner regularly is important for this GDI engine. Also, take a look at the intake valve carbon and piston carbon cleaning. This GDI engine is vulnerable for carbon build up. But if you do the maintenance I show in my video, this is truly awesome car.
At this miles, you probably want to replace the Transmission fluid, water pump/thermostat within next 10-20K miles.
@@DIYLifeSkills true, thanks for the reply. I probably have to look at its intake valve once again and will get it inspected with a friend mechanic again. Do you think theres still a chance the mileage of that car is up because the previous owner didn't take care of it well, because your numbers look really good
@@rushil505 This car is rated for 22 mpg in city and 30 mpg in highway. So, I'm in line. If the engine runs smooth, it probably just need some good tune up as mentioned above. If you are going to have this checked out, have them also do the piston compression test. This will tell how good the engine is. This car is very popular and they sell quick. How much are they asking?
I'm looking to get a 2008 gs350 with 160k miles for 10k. Is that a good deal ?
KBB list that particular car with that mileage at about $7K private party price, but KBB is out of touch with reality. My son's 2016 Corolla with 105K was totaled last week, and KBB lists that as $11K value, but Geico just offered me $15K. I couldn't believe it as we paid 18K in 2018 and it had 25K miles. So driving 75K over 4 years, only knocked off 4K in value, which is unheard of in normal situation.
This is due to the new car shortage because of chip shortages and supply-chain disruptions that delays car manufacturing and shipment. This is what's making the used car market to scorch. Therefore, I wouldn't say it's a great deal in normal situation, but it's a good deal under current used car shortage situation where there are more buyers than sellers. See if you can negotiate a $1K off.
I have the slightly newer version GS300 so nice to drive it's in very good cond
I love this car. :-)
This car is rock solid. Do keep up with the maintenance and it's going to last a long time time. How many miles do you have?
Once the weather cools here in Houston, perhaps in the fall, I'm going to do the Transmission and Rear differential fluid changes.
I saw the oil on spark plugs though I'm not leaking oil any where, I'm going to do the plug tube seal and valve cover changes also later in the fall.
Those are about the last maintenance that I haven't done, otherwise, I've done everything that I can. I got 116K miles only on this 2006, so I feel like I can drive this to 200+K miles.
I had my first part failure today the boot latch release cover $10
I have found Lexus GS 300 But its at 300K km/186k miles Would you say that’s too big of a mileage for the car? Other than that it has all the servicing done.
Depends on how well maintained it. What year and how much?
@@DIYLifeSkills it’s a 2006 model 5300 USD
Price is not bad given the inflation. If you really like the car, I would get it checked out, especially the engine and transmission. See if they did the transmission fluid change and carbon cleaning. This car is GDI engine, meaning fuel sprays directly to piston and not to intake valves and heavy carbon build up needs cleaning at some point. I just posted a video of me cleaning just 114K miles and you can see how much carbon has built up, thought the car was running just fine.
By check out, I meant get a mechanic checked out.
the camera upgrade version or same ?
It was same used one.
I just bought a black 2005 gs 300 for £2500, only 112,700 miles on the clock. Alloys are a mess and will need sorting, moonroof doesn’t work properly but seeing as it’s the UK I can live without that, probably too expensive a fix to bother getting it sorted. It’s early days but the car drives really smoothly and everything else works, so fingers crossed I’ve got myself a bargain
I would buy that in a heartbeat. Good job and good luck with it.
@Free T The exhaust went within 3 weeks - cheapest option was to get a stainless steel one made for £730. And 3 of the shocks turned out to be leaking, which was another £1000. Ouch! BUT the engine and gears are as smooth as the day they were built and the mechanic said the car would be good for at least another 100,000 miles.
One thing to note, the engines in all three versions of the 2005-2007 mk3 gs300’s can only take the old e5 fuel, not the new e10 stuff.
To be honest gs300’s with that mileage or just under tend to go for about £4000, so I’ve effectively bought a £4000 car in instalments. Or at least that’s what I’m telling myself anyway! Really lovely car to drive though.
I m looking for one in the UK too , but difficult to find a silver with black seats SEL
How is the oil consumption on these vehicles I read somewhere that they have this problem.
Oil consumption is heavily depended on the mileage and how well oil changes were done on time with quality oil. I have almost 118K and last oil change was done about 114,500 miles, so in 3,500 miles it’s burned only 3/5 quart as of today. So I think it’s quite normal.
Best way to avoid oil burning issue is to change oil every 5000 miles to minimize building up carbon on piston oil ring area. Once carbon plugs up tiny holes behind the piston oil ring, that’s when engine burns oil since the holes are clogged to retrieve the oil scraped off the cylinder wall.
If you are looking to buy GS model, it’s best to avoid 2006 and earlier as it uses GDI engine that cause carbon deposits on intake valves. 2007 and newer have dual port injection, so fuel is sprayed to intake valves to prevent carbon build up.
Thanks very helpful
@@DIYLifeSkills Should I avoid the 2006 430/460 too????
@@alljerseysmatter. 430 and 460 engines are port injection engines so they are just fine. It’s the direction injection in 2006 that causes intake valve carbon build up.
If you have problems with hard downshift around 3 to 5 mph. There are sites that will repair this problem. It's a computer problem and can get it fix for around 200.00
Did they say where or what part is the problem? Or is it just ECU program update? Thx
@@DIYLifeSkills I had it checked out by an auto shop. They said it was the ECU. so I googled it and came across some sites where they repair the problem. Saved me hundreds
@@Royce1982 Very nice!!!
I have 06 AWD did 6.2 0-60, Mine been fine other regular maintenance. Mine has 152k hoping mine can last me little awhile. Just replaced water pump, Spark Plugs , Etc.
Wow. Is that GS300 or bigger engine?
@@DIYLifeSkills regular 300. I did upgraded Intake Tube and air box to F sport from 350. But car runs perfectly. Tomorrow i replacing PVC valve.
@@Michaelats hi. what does replaceing the PVC valve do?
@@hanifmacca its supposed be preventive maintenance, PCV system just helps reduce harmful vapor from escaping the car. Some people even delete them. Its easy to do on 2GR or 3GR engine
Just bought a 2006 GS300 in white from my cousin for $2000 AUD, with hail damage (cant really notice with white paint job). It has 220,000km on the clock, but seems to run well and has only delivered a single fault code (P0175) which is bank 2 running rich. Cleaned the MAFS and throttle body but alas the code is still there, got more steps to take next. I have noticed that it burns a bit of oil, and is the only car i have owned that i have to top it up once a month at the least, and have read of other having to do this aswell. All the electrics work, except the boot popper (trunk for you Americans).
The worst thing i have only just noticed was the tell-tale 'rotten egg' smell, indicative of bad catalytic convertors, under heavier acceleration. This could also be because it is running rich, however i feel its the cats themselves.... touch wood it isnt. I have seen prices of $1400 for a single side cat advertised, and likely needing 2 would make the purchase almost $3000 for a set.
Despite the oil burning issue, $1450 USD amazing price. With used car prices soaring in US, that’s at least $4-5000.
@@DIYLifeSkills yeah they still sell, in Australia, for $10,000 to $15,000. So i could just flip it for profit if shit hits the fan for me.
Yeah, when car burns of oil, heavy carbon fouls up catalytic converter and degrade it's capability over time. And Lexus/Toyota cars burn oil when small holes around the 3rd piston ring gets clogged with carbon, and oil that is scraped off the piston chamber by the 3rd piston (oil) ring can't recover the oil on the down-stroke. Therefore, oil is left on the piston chamber wall and they are burnt off combustion cycle. Once the holes around the 3rd piston ring gets clogged with carbon, there is no easy way to unclogged them since tightly fit piston rings make it hard to get any cleaning solution on to it without pulling the pistons out to clean them. About the only thing we can do is, do the oil change no later than every 5000 miles with good oil to prevent it from getting worse. Since this is a GDI engine, very likely you have heavy carbon build up on the intake valves and on piston heads. Cleaning this will definitely help with performance and to prolong the car's life though it'll not stop the oil burning issue.
Check out these videos on how I cleaned carbon on piston heads and on intake valves.
ua-cam.com/video/m0fGP3MrqFQ/v-deo.html&ab_channel=DIY%26LifeSkills
Also, there is a possibility that catalytic converter is heavily carboned up, and you might be able to clean the inside. (since they are so expensive to replace)
You'll still have to remove cats to do this, so it's not a quick work.
@@aussiemilitant4486 For sure, if you were in US, I would double your purchase in a heartbeat. :-)
How much you think it coast to fix the sun roof
What’s wrong with the sunroof?
@@DIYLifeSkills it just clicks and doesn’t move at all
@@DIYLifeSkills then if I push it. It will open but I can’t close it good and it would take me hours to get it right to get it lined up
@@joelreynaga9160 Did you disconnect the battery or drain the battery charge recently and not go through the sunroof re-learn process? Also, the clicking may be the tracks loose under the headliner ( I have the same issue but arent looking at it until I try to mitigate my oil consumption). If unsuccesful, I won't even bother with the sunroof.
All those DIYs and oil changed at Stealer? I'm lost here!
Every time I buy a used car, I do the oil change at that brand’s dealer. The reason is they do full inspection on a new car that you bring to them so that they can find things to work on and make more money. This way I use dealer find any leaks and under car problems that is not easy to see at home without going through lots of hassle.
In this case, I got second oil change also at dealer because I work a full time job and was too busy but oil change was due.
Otherwise, I do all my oil changes, as you can see my other videos.
Of course, I do nearly all my repairs, so I just use dealer to just find things on a new car. So the first oil change literally takes 2-3 hours to get my car back. :-)
@@DIYLifeSkills I see, that's reasonable and wise.
please tell me where you placed your mobile stand on your dash
The phone holder is installed on the AC vent.
I bought a 2008 GS350 AWD with 135k miles and it’s honestly been a super disappointing car to own. Everything is crazy expensive and tons of a weird things go wrong. Thankfully you have DIY videos on a lot of these issues but it still have issues. 2 of the biggest being a shuttering feeling at 20mph, leaking CV boot, and constant check engine light saying bank 2 catalytic converter is “clogged”. Lexus tells me I need a new CAT (1500$) and another shop says engine diagnostics are fine and I don’t need to do anything… 😑
Again thanks for the videos. Next thing I’m doing is sending in my rear view mirror to the same place you recommended. ✌️
CAT is extremely expensive for all cars. You could consider getting a used one off of a new model from a salvage yard and then have a shop weld that on.
Not always, but often I see cars that go too long on oil changes, over time clog or dirty up the cat. If it’s just dirty, there are UA-cam videos that show how to clean it. But it’s not easy work as you’ll have to cut off the cat from exhaust pipe and then weld it back on afterwards.
One gallon of lacquer thinner with half tank of gas and drive it for 3 days about 200 miles at high speeds if you can. Then fill up with premium and reset the light.
@@errolwashington5606 I’ve heard that is a bad idea. Trust me I considered doing this since seafoam into in the gas tank and using it in the air intake didn’t do anything either. At this point I’m just gonna buy the O2 sensor spacers to bypass them.
Im about to buy gs300 2006, check light on maybe transmission, IT is a good idea to buy it The price 4000$
That’s very good price but How many miles? Replacing with used trans could cost about $2000-2500. I had VW Jetta trans replaced for $1600 by a local mechanic and not dealer.
@@DIYLifeSkills it has 162,000 miles, tomorrow I will see the car first, it’s good to buy it?
@@DIYLifeSkills can I just change the fluid ?
@@sergiobnr34Changing fluid usually can’t fix broken transmission. If you can test drive, gradually increase the speed to 60-70 MPH and see if gear shifts OK. If it’s in a parking lot and they don’t let you drive until you buy, then hold the brake with left foot and put trans on all gears and see if it engages and try to move the car just few inches.
@@sergiobnr34 if it’s a clean title car with good interior and exterior condition, that’s a real good buy assuming there is no major engine or trans issue.
How in the world did you get this car for only $5000?
It had many embarrassing problems like Rear view mirror was all scratched up, rear view camera was totally fuzzy, side mirror gears were grinding for few minutes after a start, rear subwoofer was blown, rear shade didn’t work,etc. so the owner priced it at $5k and I gave him the full offer. :-)
Also that was before pandemic when used car prices were reasonable. Now I’m in profit with this car. LOL
@Free T What year and what size engine? My advise is to go with 2007 or higher because 2006 uses GDI (Gas Direct Injection) that doesn't spray fuel to the intake valves and massive carbon builds up intake valves, which requires periodic cleaning which is not quick or cheap to do. I'm doing the carbon cleaning of intake valves now, and you can check out some of the videos I posted.
@Free T I inspected and test drove it myself. During the inspection, I found the problems mentioned above, and engine and transmission was quiet and smooth. It's good idea to get it inspected from someone that you trust. Wow used car prices have really soared. Unless you are in a rush, you might want to wait until next summer or so when chip supplies & distributions catch up, and used car prices retract.
That said, if you need to purchase the car now, do run a carfax report, and with 170K miles, it's important that they have already serviced transmission fluid, replaced water pump/thermostat. If not, these are one of the first things you want to do after the purchase.
Heh I basically got mine for $4300. Traded in my 2001 BMW X5 3.0i which I bought for $3600 six months ago and put about $1200 into it overall. Will have to put the same and then some onto the GS300 but I looooove it.
0-60 ? Gs350? I think u have 300 not 350
This is 2006 GS300. My 0 to 60 miles timed at 7.8 ses (before) to 7.6 (after tune up - spark plug change, MAF/TB cleaning, intake valve and piston carbon cleaning). Oh 0-60 time was using regular gas. Not sure if premium would boost that slightly.
music too loud, and i cant hear you talk
Thanks for the feedback. I’ll make this adjustment in the future.
As an alternate solution, If you need particular info, you can turn on the caption and it should display my talk in writing. Thanks
@@DIYLifeSkills or edit it better
@@mbank3832 The problem is what you hear during video editing tool, and how the sound comes out in the export video varies. Need to do more testing.
@@DIYLifeSkills ah gotcha
You must have bought that from the family of a dead person. Great deal/find!
Bought from Nextdoor. Look at all the things I had to fix after the purchase. That’s why it was cheap and it was before pandemic inflation kicked in. 😁
@@DIYLifeSkills true. It definitely pays to be handy. It's sickening what dealers charge for repairs. When the sad day of the death of my 02 CR-V I'll be looking at these.
😂😂yes they ate totally reliable