Lexus Timing Belt, Cam Belt and Timing Chain Replacement in Cardiff

There is a widespread belief that a Lexus never needs a cam belt. On the newer cars that is broadly right. On the older ones it is completely wrong, and the cars it is wrong about are the big V6 and V8 models that people tend to buy used, keep for years and never think about. On Lexus it is the age of the car that decides, not whether it is petrol or diesel.

The older V6 and V8 engines are belt driven

The LS400 and LS430 V8, the RX300 and the RX400h V6, and the straight six in the original IS200 and IS300 all run a cam belt. These are not obscure cars. They are exactly the sort of well kept, high value used Lexus that gets bought on the strength of the badge, and a belt that has sat for fifteen years is a belt regardless of how well the rest of the car has been looked after.

At A1 Diagnostics in Cardiff, we provide professional Lexus timing chain services, combining experienced technicians with advanced diagnostic equipment to investigate faults and carry out the appropriate repairs. Whether you have noticed an unusual engine rattle, poor running or a dashboard warning light, our team can assess the cause and determine whether your Lexus's timing chain requires attention. We check associated components, including tensioners and guides, to establish the work needed. With careful installation and checks after the repair, we help restore correct engine timing and reliable performance. Contact A1 Diagnostics to arrange a timing chain assessment for your vehicle.

What we check on a Lexus

The first job is establishing which generation and which engine you actually have, because that decides everything that follows:

• Any belt driven Lexus with no cam belt record, particularly one that has covered low mileage over a long life
• A cam belt that is cracked, glazed or has been on longer than its age limit
• On the chain engines, a rattle on start up before oil pressure comes up
• Timing correlation or camshaft position codes stored on a scan
• On the IS220d, rough running or timing codes alongside a history of short journeys
• A noise on a hybrid that may not be the engine at all

We are here to give you expert advice

Lets cut straight to the chase. You have found an award winning garage. Get in touch if you have any queries our team is ready to give you expert advice and are happy to help you with all your Lexus timing chain needs.

When you leave your Lexus vehicle with us receiving timing chain or wet belt services it is in the safest of hands!

Belt or chain depends on the generation

Broadly, the earlier cars are belt and the later ones are chain. The IS250 V6, the RX350, the RX450h, the GS300 and the LS460 are chain driven. The IS220d diesel is a chain engine too. The belt cars are the ones listed above, and on those the cam belt, also called a timing belt, has a published interval with an age limit as well as a mileage one.

If you have recently bought an older RX or LS and the seller told you it has no cam belt, that is worth checking rather than taking on trust. It is one of the most common things we correct.

Why a V6 or V8 chain job is a bigger piece of work

On a four cylinder engine there is one chain. On the V6 and V8 Lexus engines there is a primary chain plus secondary chains running the camshafts on each bank, with their own tensioners and guides. That means more parts, more to come off to reach them, and considerably more labour than a chain job on a small four cylinder. It is worth knowing that before you compare a quote against something you were charged on a different car, because they are not the same job.

Diagnosing a noise on a hybrid

On the RX400h, RX450h and CT200h the engine is not the only thing under the bonnet capable of making a noise. The hybrid transaxle and the electric water pump both have their own sounds, and the engine cutting in and out means a noise can come and go with no obvious pattern. We diagnose these properly with the scan data rather than guessing from a noise, because condemning a chain on a hybrid that turned out to have a pump fault is an expensive way to be wrong.

The IS220d

The 2.2 diesel is chain driven, and the thing that matters most on it is oil condition. A car used mainly for short runs around Cardiff will dilute and degrade its oil far faster than the service interval assumes, and on a chain engine the oil is the tensioner supply as well as the lubricant. If yours lives on short journeys, shorter oil intervals are money well spent.

What the work includes

On the belt engines, belt, tensioner and idlers as a kit, the water pump where the belt drives it, correct timing tools, turned over by hand before starting, road tested, and the date and mileage written into the book. On the chain engines, chain, tensioner, guides and sprockets as a set rather than a chain against worn parts.

What it costs and when we tell you not to bother

We confirm the engine before quoting, and on Lexus that check quite often saves you the job entirely. If you have a chain car and somebody has quoted you for a cam belt, we would rather tell you that for nothing than take the work. Check the book under cam belt, cambelt and timing belt, since it gets written all three ways, and bring it to us if you are still not sure.

More reason to trust us to replace, maintenance or repair your Lexus timing chain, cam belt or wet belt is we are accredited with major motor companies

We have been trading for over 20 years and have gained major accreditations with well known motor companies.

Being approved by the TSI, the IMI, the RGI and the IGA should give you confidence that we are the turn to independent garage that can service your Lexus vehicles timing chain or wet belt.

We have fully qualified Lexus technicians certified by the IMI. This means if you have any timing chain or wet belt problem we can sort the issues out for you quickly at competitive rates.

Contact A1 Diagnostics

Get in touch today for expert advice or to book your Lexus vehicle in for an appointment to assess the work that needs to be carried out on your timing chain, wet belt or cam belt. We can inspect your Lexus vehicles timing chain and decide the best route to take.

A1-Diagnostics and ECU Repairs
64 Sloper Road
Leckwith,
Cardiff
CF11 8AB

Tel: (029 20) 220380
Fax: (029 20) 223172

Opening Times

Mon – Fri: 8:00am – 6:00pm

Email: info@a1-diagnostics.com