moolman

Well, here's a very rough DIY as I promised before. It was tough taking picture underneath the car while my hands were full changing the oil so bear with me. I don't know how to make a PDF. I changed the oil at about 1500 miles with Pennzoil Platinum synthetic, which seems to be the oil of choice at BITOG.

Raise the car on ramps. NOT a jack, people die from their jacks failing and crushing them. Maybe jacks with the stands might be fine.


Use tire blocks for the back wheels. While not totally necessary, why risk your life for an oil change. I got these for $3.88 plus tax at Wal-Mart.


Locate the oil pan drain plug. It is a 14mm bolt. Facing the left in the picture.


Drain the oil into a pan for recycling.


After all the oil drains get a new crush washer, they should be no more than $1 but a new one should be used because when you tighten the bolt, it crushes down and makes a tight seal. The old washer could still be stuck on the car, you need to use a screw driver to peel it off. There shouldn't be a another ring around the oil bolt hole, it's smooth but 99% the old washer gets stuck really tight to the pan. Lexus dealers are notorious for never using a new washer because it saves them time and money.


In the front of the car is a panel that needs to be removed. It has about seven 10mm bolts holding it in place. Notice the insulation on the picture, it's all over the bottom shield panels, hence you want to be careful changing the oil since you want your car to remain clean and not stained.


Once the panel is removed there's the oil filter housing.


Use the SST tool like I have attached. But I mentioned this is another post. The SST tool is the biggest rip off in the history of tools. It's a chrome plated 65mm oil filter cap. Ask for a oil filter cap that fits a 2006 Toyota Prius filter. It's the same thing and they are charging $50. There was some people posting that you'll strip the housing if not used and that the SST doesn't get stuck. Well, it's the same size as the 65mm and it also does get stuck.


Slowly crack open the filter housing and let the oil drain slowly in a controlled manner. Just let the oil drip down slowing and when it stops keep opening it more until it totally stops. If you just open the whole thing fast, you'll get oil all over the underside body shields which will make more dirt and dust stick to them and make a mess, sure it's underneath the car but why make it dirty. I'd bet the dealers don't give a crap about this.

moolman

The correct filter is 04152-YZZA5. A2 and A3 are the same filters, just a different combo of O-rings and plastic drain valve. All 3 filters are the same, the A5 is even stamped that it's an A2. The GS only uses the big O-ring, the small o-ring and plastic drain valve is thrown away.


Insert the new filter into the housing. Replace the big O-ring on the house. Stick you finger in some new oil and oil up the O-ring and the threading on the housing before install. Also, clean up the old oil in both sides of the housing with a paper towel.


At this point just reverse all the steps. Put the oil pan bolt back in, screw the oil filter housing. Hold off on the underside body panel until after you put in the fresh oil and start the car so you can check for leaks. You really don't need to tighten the oil drain bolt or the filter housing very much. Just slight pressure is good enough, you'll just make life hard on yourself for next time, if you give it all your strength. My came from the factory very loose, a lot looser than I thought, so remember only tighten slighty. No muscle man please.

Put in exactly 6.5Q of motor oil. The manual states 6.6Q is the max with the filter but don't put 6.6Q because there will be residual oil still in the engine and overfill is bad for the engine, it causes a decrease in feul economy etc. Also, half a quart is very easy to read off on a motor oil bottle. At 6.5Q, the dipstick reads the oil as about 1-2mm below the full line. Usually ideal is around 3/4 from low to full so 1-2mm below full is a good amount.


Good luck and a big thanks to Lexus of Glendale for refusing to do just an oil change and only allowing a rip off $150 scheduled maintenance. I saved a lot of money. Thanks. Total costs was $5 for filter. $1 for crush washer. $28 for the Pennzoil. You can also use just regular conventional oil and save even more. I'm not a big believer in synthetic but I just wanted to use it this time.

drewdogg80

Thanks for the write up!

lexusgs408

thanks for the guide lines and step by step pictures...this is the same steps I took to change my own gs. and yeah it save me a lot of money too.

The G Man

Nice write up moolman, I thought the 1st oil change is free. I am wondering if Lexus HQ knows about Lexus of Glendale's practice.

stvincent

iTrader: (5)

thx. this is what i've been looking for my first oil change.

wow, a lot of oil.. i've been using 5Q for my g35..

GatorWPB

Great write up and pics. thanks so much!

socalJD

Lexus will comp the initial 5k service. Since Moolman did his oil change at 1,500 and switched to synth, it *may* not apply. I'll let Lexus do the comp service with dino oil at 5k, and after that it'll be DIY.

moolman

I didn't buy my car at Glendale, I got my wife a RX350 from Glendale Lexus and after they refused to do just an oil change is when I went through the hassle of learning how to do it myself. Both the GS and RX have the cartridge filters.

I still get my free 5K service, I may go in a bit later since I already did an oil change at 1.5K. It's not like they can tell I changed the oil myself in the car and that some how that voids my free oil change. Well, there's absolutely no harm in swithing back and forth from synthetic to conventional oil. So maybe when 5k comes along I'll just get the free oil change but I hate having dealers touch my car because I know they're not going to put the care into it.

I decided to do it at 1.5k because while I read posts that maybe Toyota/Lexus used a breakin oil with high moly, there was other posts that they didn't so I figure at 1.5k miles, breakin is over and a good time to take out any crap in there from a new engine, if there is any. The oil that came out of the car was fairly clean, slightly dark but not the black oil you get when you change oil after 5k.

My favority synthetic is Pennzoil Platinum suppose to be better than Mobil 1. My favorite conventional is Catrol GTX.

The G Man

Moolman, there is a guys on another forum who did a oil analysis on his brand new RAV4 V6 with 3000 miles. He indicated a moly content of 71 PPM. Correct me if I am wrong, but thats normal moly concentration right? Which suggest that Toyota / Lexus do not use break in oil.

moolman

If the moly content was 71ppm, then Toyota/Lexus does not use a breakin oil. It should be in the hundreds if they did. There's a big debate about who uses breakin oil. Even though Honda states that they use breakin oil, people have done oil analysis and found it to be normal. They say the higher concentrations of moly found in the initial oil is due to the gear oil used when assemblying the engine, not from a breakin oil. Either way, I figure at 1500 miles breakin is done already, so it doesn't matter. Besides that changing the oil early isn't really necessary, it's just being ****. No matter what oil you use as long as it's done at 5K, the engine will last longer than the rest of the car.

hammer45

Where were you able to get 6.5 quarts of Penz. Platinum for $28?

flipside909

Nice write up. Thanks for sharing.

moolman

Wal-Mart, they sell the 5Q Jug for $19.99 and each individual quart for $4.01. These prices are for Southern California. The Mobil 1 they sell in the 5Q jug is about $24 which isn't too bad, but from the oil analysis I've seen of both Penzoil Platinum and Mobil 1, it seems PP is a better oil at a cheaper price. Besides that I change my oil every 5K since I'm still under warranty so it makes no difference.

smokeytl

great writeup!