moolman

Hi,
I plan on doing my first oil change on the GS350 at 1000 miles, probably with Pennzoil Platinum synthetic, it was a toss up between that, Mobil 1 and Royal Purple but the people over at BITOG, seem to like it best for the price, only $4 a quart at Walmart. Before I go on, I should mention modern engines do not need to be broken in with dino oil before changing to synthetic. Cars come from the factory with Mobil 1, ie. Corvette. The 1000k oil change to take out initial engine wear is also not truely necessary but I'm kinda OCD and I may keep this car for the long haul until the wheels fall off as a commuter car. I do all my maintenance myself on my cars, not a mechanic but just cheap and I like doing things right, no overfill or underfills. I'll probably make pdf's with pictures of how to change the oil and things like that but I first need to figure out how to make a pdf with pictures. The most annoying thing about the oil changes is that the GS uses an exclusive Lexus oil filter, no Toyota car also uses it. So aftermarket is impossible to find. Part # 04152-YZZA3, can't use YZZA1 which the RX uses because even though they are cartrige filters, the size is different. I did buy the SST tool for the oil change, I always used a 65mm cap to remove the filter housing but I was reading on some posts here how you can strip the housing because the SST is a special shape for the filter housing. Since I have 2 cars that now need the SST tool, the GS and a RX, I thought I would buy it from Sewell, well, I get the part and it's a friggin chrome plated 65mm oil cap, so I paid $44 for a chrome plated one when my cheap $4 one would work just fine. The SST tool fits exactly the same as the 65mm oil cap on a Prius oil filter I had laying around. It is not a special shape, it's just chrome and expensive, so save your money and whoever was the person that said it was different and you could strip the housing was wrong. Let me know if a pdf already exsists out there, if not I'll make one soon or when I get back in a month from vacation.

Engine Air filter is part #17801-31110, not shared with any Toyota.
Cabin filter is part #87139-07010 but the Toyota dealer and irontoad is telling me it was replaced with 87139-YZZ08, which if true seems like a sham by Toyota. I bought the new YZZ08 and compared it to the 07010 that my car came with and the new version looks cheap, more see through, less pleats, it does look more electrostatic because it has more fibers all around it. The old one is more paper looking with many pleats. Maybe someone who knows about filter will know better. This is the same filter used in a couple of Toyotas like the Avalon.

Seems like Toyota is making it harder to buy parts from Toyota dealer by putting Lexus exclusive parts. My 07 RX had all 3 filters that were interchageable with a Toyota, not it's 1 out of 3 for a 08 GS350.

GiSmo350

Great thread...Thanks for the tip about the SST tool. Im going to start trying to do the maintenance on my GS myself. Way to expensive at the stealerships. I saw a couple of pics of someone doing an oil change on the DIY thread but nothing to detailed. Tunining in for the PDF.

ek9vboi

iTrader: (3)

Subscribed. I want to know how to before I start to tear down my car just for an oil change.

Cut-Throat

I just had my oil changed at Tires Plus at 15,000 miles and the guys there had a very tough time getting at my oil filer. The first time they had a bad gasket and the oil leaked out. So, they had to drain it again and get another oil filter and replenish the oil again. At my 10,000 oil change, they could not even get a filter for me, so they gave me an oil change with no filter for free

They told me not to come back for a couple years until they got the hang of it - They said I should go to the dealer instead. But, I am too cheap to pay $$$$$$$$ for an oil change at the dealer! I will find a cheapie oil change place next time.

drewdogg80

An option would be to try the toyota dealership instead of lexus. The oil changes are usually less ($29 or less if you have a coupon )
Should be the same filter as the avalon. I take my wife's RX to the toyota dealer, but I haven't had the nerve to take my GS yet.

GiSmo350

You get what you pay for I suppose. I wouldnt take my car back there ever.

moolman

Hi everyone,
It looks like I won't be able to do the DIY until Feb, the wife and I are going on vacation for 3 weeks. First off, you can't do an oil change at lube shops yet because many of them don't have the fitler available. Some places could have the filter for the RX350 which I stated before is also used on the Avalon but the GS350 filter is Lexus exclusive and hard to find aftermarket because nobody stocks it for just a few cars.


Drewdogg80, we own the same cars, my wife drives the RX too, you could take her car in to Toyota but like I stated the GS uses an exclusive Lexus filter, they won't have your filter. The RX filter fits in the GS and is the same shape but the dimensions are different, so it could work but I wouldn't trust it myself. Hence, you should never take a GS into a quick lube shop because if they do have the filter they are most likely using the RX/Avalon filter on your car.

Cut-Throat

Good for you. I took my 99 GS300 there for 8 years.

drewdogg80

Moolman, I wasn't aware of the exclusive filter for the GS. Thanks for the info. I just assumed it would be the RX/Avalon filter element since the engines are similar. I've only taken my GS to the dealer for oil changes. I wouldn't consider any quick lube places for the RX/GS.

GiSmo350

First they couldnt get a plastic gasket on right, then they couldnt get you a filter. I hope they forget to put in oil the next time you go there and you blow ur motor.

https://www.clublexus.com/forums/sho...ge#post2647188

Replacing the plastic gasket isnt rocket science.

Cut-Throat

Let me be specific. The first gasket they used was defective. They called the Parts Place and had them deliver a new one. Yes the part is hard to get and is not available, see the original posters comment.

Geez - do you own a Lexus dealership?

ToeJam

FYI, the part # for the GS350 AWD is 04152-YZZA2. Just found them here:
http://www.lexuspartsworld.com/scrip...?idproduct=391

socalJD

^ Agree. You can also get these from Sewell (lexus-parts.com), they have a 15% discount GB going in the Vendors forum. I got these filters for my IS350 from Sewell for < $5 ea shipped . . . (btw, these come in the same red & white Toyota box as the Avalon/Camry filters, so its not a Lexus exclusive part)

GiSmo350

Your not very bright are you. Why would I own a Lexus dealership but subscribe to a do it yourself oil change thread? Im going to start doing my own oil changes as well. Just stated the obvious. No need to get ur panties all up in a bunch.

moolman

Just to claify, the GS350 filter which is 04152-YZZA3, is a Lexus exclusive filter, they come in the red and white Toyota box, it doesn't mean that a Toyota car uses it. I've read somewhere that some people got a Lexus box before, I've never seen it. If you go to a dealer and ask for part 04152-YZZA3, they will tell you that they don't have it because no Toyota uses it also. The 04152-YZZA1, is the Avalon and RX and a couple of other cars, these can be found at all Toyota dealers. Also, for the GS350 engine filter, it too is a Lexus exclusive, I ordered one from Sewell, it comes in the red and white Toyota box, no Toyota shares that engine filter, can't buy it at a Toyota dealership. Toyota box doesn't necessarily mean that it is used in a Toyota car too. I know that for the AWD, the filter is 04152-YZZA2, not sure if a Toyota uses the filter but I would guess not. I haven't received a 04152-YZZA3, but I was told over the phone that the dimensions are different, same cylinderical shape but the length and the o rings that come in the box are of different inside and outside diameter. So if you're using 04152-YZZA1, in your car, the filter is the wrong size but I think because they are very close in size, it will fit. I have no idea if it is bad for your car or not. Maybe the filter A1 filter is smaller than the A3 filter and you're not filtering all your oil, maybe it doesn't make a difference but the A3 filter which is a different size and oil ring size is listed for the GS350.

I'm leaving for vacation until Feb, I'll post a detail DIY early Feb.