BEARCATJER

i am thinking about replacing my own spark plugs and when i went to an auto parts website i didnt reven recognize some of the terminology they used to describe them! Does my 2010 RX350 even have spark plugs in it? i thought it had fuel injectors. What kind of spark plugs should i buy if it has spark plugs in it.
Thanks for your help!.

ecr72

Why are you thinking about replacing the spark plugs?

Yes, your RX350 has spark plugs. Fuel injectors are not a replacement for spark plugs. Fuel injectors can sort of be considered a replacement for a carburetor.

This may be a job better left to a mechanic if and when the proper mileage is reached. It's part of a major service.

Droid13

Ya, a lot has changed. Used to remember changing spark plugs every couple of years, maybe taking 30 minutes to an hour. These days spark plugs need to be changed once, maybe twice in a vehicles life time if it's well maintained and has no issues. And then sometimes for some vehicles it requires partly lifting the engine out, not sure how major a surgery it is for the RX though, but I doubt it's easy.

The recommended interval is 12 years or 120,000 miles.

afpj

Spark plugs are quite different now. You have to be VERY careful when removing and reinstalling them. These have aluminum heads and the threads are much easier to strip than iron heads. Also, most modern plugs are pregapped...you cannot adjust the gap or you crack the plug. Even my 10 yr old GMC truck has iridium plugs. To confuse matters more, you can get plugs that run hotter or cooler than OEM, but then you run the risk of causing performance issues. Being an old motorhead, but RX is quite technologically advanced, my personal recommendation is to leave it for the major service interval. There really should be no reason to change plugs sooner than recommended. Got 70k miles on our 2010 RX and plugs won't need to be changed for awhile yet.

chuckGS350

If your car has less than 70K miles, leave them alone.

sc400

No offense but If you don't know whether your RX has spark plugs or not, or don't know the difference between spark plugs and fuel injectors then it would be best to leave the job to the mechanic. It would cost you a whole lot less this way.

BEARCATJER

Thanks for the very diplomatic replies! I have never been very mechanical but used to install my own spark plugs in the 1960s so i wrongly assumed that if i can find them i can install them. My RX350 is a 2010 model with 53k miles on it. It runs perfectly...knock on wood...and i have never had it to a lexus dealer for service, only local places for oil change , filter , rotation, alignment etc. IBased on what i was reading on this forum i took a look at what the 60k service consists of and i definitely wont be going to the dealership for that either.
I figured maybe i should have the spark plugs changed at 60k only based on some comments in this forum. I need to have the brake fluid replaced which i didnt do at 30k, but based on your comments on the spark plugs i will wait till maybe 75k miles to replace them if i dont have any trouble before then.
Thanks again for your help!