honesty of dealer servicing items done

[Somebody67]

I bought my RX 450h in August of this year and it had been serviced in May and should also have had a 100 point or similar inspection according to Lexus's dealer marketing before I collected the car after paying for it.  I also work from home so have only drove just over 1000 miles in it during the first 3 months of ownership.

I looked under the bonnet yesterday to do a pre-winter fluids check and found that the brake fluid is not at the max level which I normally maintain that on other cars I've had, the engine oil dipstick reading is about 10cm from the high point (no photo attached for this as didnt have my cameraphone with me at that point) and the coolant reservoir level looks to be very low to me unless RX coolant reservoirs are supposed to be low as I havent owned a Lexus before I bought this car in August.

what are people's thoughts on this please as I am wondering whether my local Lexus dealer is not doing a good job of maintaining this car and maybe even don't carry out the level of servicing that they charge a lot of money for. 

[ColinBarber]

Brake fluid is changed every 2 years/20k miles on a major service - personally I wouldn't top up on the minor service between if it was more than half way between min and max, you are arguably doing more harm than good by opening up the reservoir and allowing dirt and moisture in. Was the service in May a minor or major service?

 

Coolant looks low, although I have noticed that some Lexus vehicles will expel coolant from the reservoir down to near the min. level. Certainly worth keeping an eye on it to see if the level goes down further.

 

Sadly the 100 point check is little more than a quick visual check and if everything is above the min. level it won't get touched.

[Steve]

cannot tell you how many times i have complained. 

[Lexusjim]

There was a recent thread which suggested that oil levels should be checked when the engine was up to operating temperature......

[HPS13]

1 hour ago, Somebody67 said:

the engine oil dipstick reading is about 10cm from the high point

Hi

Did you mean to type 10 mm rather than 10 cm? 10 mm would be fine from the maximum but 10 cm would be below the minimum mark. 

[cruisermark]

Just to add regarding coolant: it does always sit a little low on LS430s

Perhaps another RX450 owner can check and confirm if this is the case with RX450s

[GMB]

Call me cynical but I always do a quick visual check as soon as possible after a service. Lexus have proven to be OK, not perfect. But based on experience where the concessionaire garage ( who should know better ) have given back a vehicle with the following issues after a service:

Gearbox oil removed but not refilled = empty = very hot = severe damage.

4 x spark plugs cross-threaded.

Charged for windscreen wash when I had only just refilled it.

Service schedule includes diff oil change - but not done - but charged for it.

Wrong tyre pressures.

Cross threaded sump plug - leaking.

Work not done but charged for e.g. air filter.

Wrong oil viscosity specification ( cheaper stuff put in - hard to prove until I saw the bulk dispenser full of cheap oil used for all cars ).

OK that's over quite a few years, but you can see why I am wary.

 

[T man 545645]

Thats shocking GMB. 

 

I have tried this filling the screenwash before a service on a merc i owned many years ago. the dealer put a MB branded one litre bottle of screenwash in the boot. 

It was a nice touch. 

The car was shocking tho - had to eventually get rid of it cos of ULEZ. 

 

[GMB]

1 minute ago, T man 545645 said:

Thats shocking GMB

Yes it is. It is all the worst incidents going back over 50 years of motoring though.

Another one: when I saw my convertible sports car being ragged down the road with two grease monkeys in it while it was in for a service.  I immediately rang the garage and complained and got an apology and a few quid knocked off.

 A test run is fine, but not bouncing off the rev limiter in a 30mph zone.

 

BTW when I took it in the hood was up, when I got it back the hood was down and the frame had scratched the bodywork where it had been manhandled badly.  They repaired the damage.

BBTW - The empty gearbox - they just filled it up and sent me away with a tiny apology blaming the apprentice.

Yes I am paranoid, habit of a lifetime😉

[Somebody67]

3 hours ago, ColinBarber said:

Brake fluid is changed every 2 years/20k miles on a major service - personally I wouldn't top up on the minor service between if it was more than half way between min and max, you are arguably doing more harm than good by opening up the reservoir and allowing dirt and moisture in. Was the service in May a minor or major service?

 

Coolant looks low, although I have noticed that some Lexus vehicles will expel coolant from the reservoir down to near the min. level. Certainly worth keeping an eye on it to see if the level goes down further.

 

Sadly the 100 point check is little more than a quick visual check and if everything is above the min. level it won't get touched.

May's service was 20000 miles

[Somebody67]

2 hours ago, HPS13 said:

Hi

Did you mean to type 10 mm rather than 10 cm? 10 mm would be fine from the maximum but 10 cm would be below the minimum mark. 

sorry i meant 10mm

[old man 2]

3 hours ago, Lexusjim said:

There was a recent thread which suggested that oil levels should be checked when the engine was up to operating temperature......

 Never heard of that in all my years of driving ! Although in cold weather it wouldn't be a bad idea to get the oil warm, then park the car for long enough to let all the oil drain down into the sump e.g. 10 mins.

As for the OPs question; as long as fluid levels are are between the high and low points you have nothing to worry about. Overfilling with engine oil can be detrimental to engines.

It's certainly not a bad idea to check that a garage has done their job properly. Some cut corners, and some are just shoddy. and after all, mechanics are humans and can make mistakes the same as the rest of us.

[cruisermark]

3 minutes ago, old man 2 said:

 Never heard of that in all my years of driving ! Although in cold weather it wouldn't be a bad idea to get the oil warm, then park the car for long enough to let all the oil drain down into the sump e.g. 10 mins.

This is how it states it in the handbook:

 

[old man 2]

3 minutes ago, cruisermark said:

This is how it states it in the handbook:

 

Pretty much what I said then, except cold weather isn't mentioned.