From 2000 to 2013, a Japanese plant assembled the 4.3-liter V8 Toyota 3UZ-FE engine, which was installed in rear-wheel drive passenger cars, including those sold under the Lexus brand. This power unit had the ACIS system and VVT-i phase shifters on the intake shafts.
The well-liked 4.0-liter 1UZ-FE engine started to give way to its 4.3-liter counterpart in 2000. This is actually the same aluminum V8 with DOHC heads, but the piston diameter is bigger. A belt served as the timing drive, the intake manifold had a proprietary geometry change system known as ACIS, and the intake shafts had VVT-i phase shifters. Since there are no hydraulic compensators available, the valve clearance needs to be changed on a regular basis.
The motor underwent a minor update in 2003 as a result of switching to a different automatic transmission.
The 1UZ-FE and 2UZ-FE engines are part of the UZ family.
The engine was mounted on:
- Toyota Crown Majesta 4 (S180) in 2004 – 2009; Crown Majesta 5 (S200) in 2009 – 2013;
- Toyota Celsior 3 (XF30) in 2000 – 2006;
- Toyota Soarer 4 (Z40) in 2001 – 2005;
- Lexus GS S160 in 2000 – 2005; GS S190 in 2005 – 2007;
- Lexus LS XF30 in 2000 – 2006;
- Lexus SC Z40 in 2001 – 2010.
Specifications
| Production years | 2000-2013 |
| Displacement, cc | 4292 |
| Fuel system | injector |
| Power output, hp | 280 – 305 |
| Torque output, Nm | 420 – 440 |
| Cylinder block | aluminum V8 |
| Block head | aluminum 32v |
| Cylinder bore, mm | 91 |
| Piston stroke, mm | 82.5 |
| Compression ratio | 10.5 |
| Features | ACIS |
| Hydraulic lifters | no |
| Timing drive | belt |
| Phase regulator | VVT-i |
| Turbocharging | no |
| Recommended engine oil | 5W-30, 5W-40 |
| Engine oil capacity, liter | 5.1 |
| Fuel type | petrol |
| Euro standards | EURO 3 |
| Fuel consumption, L/100 km (for Toyota Crown Majesta 2010) — city — highway — combined |
14.5 9.0 11.6 |
| Engine lifespan, km | ~500 000 |
| Weight, kg | 225 |
Disadvantages of the 3UZ-FE engine
Subject to routine maintenance and premium fuel and lubricants, the 3UZ engine is consistent with the family of its predecessors and exhibits no minor defects. The motor is incredibly sturdy and dependable. Because of their extensive efforts, neither the engine as a whole nor any of its individual components have any significant design flaws or errors. Because of this, responsible car owners frequently have engines with 500,000 kilometers or more of mileage without any accidents.