roboost

I know this has been discussed elsewhere but I bought a demo model 2015 RX 350 a few months ago with 2000Km's on the clock I am now on 6800 KM's and yesterday a notice came up on the screen IRO oil and that i should go to my dealer. I read the instruction book ! and they say there that excessive oil consumption is "normal" with a new car and running in. I live in town so town driving is the normal, I have not done that much out of town and many of my trips are short trips.

I did check the oil having followed the instructions about bringing the car up to operating temperature and then testing after 5 minutes and the oil is still clearish/amber looking and was between the two marks but probably tending towards the lower mark. The warning notice has not come up again only twice yesterday.

Can anyone give me an opinion on this please.

I also see that they recommend the use of 0W-20 oil - I have a 100VX diesel landcruiser for which I use Delo Gold 400 which is 15W40 that's quite a way from 0W 20 - comments here also please.

regular vs synthetic - didn't even know that the latter existed !

I find the car 19" wheels/suspension quite bumpy on average quality roads and have altered the tyre pressure from the recommended 2.2 bar back and front to 1.8 bar to try and give a better smoother ride which may of course do nothing for the tyre wear. Is there any aftermarket suspension/tyre that could be fitted to make the ride better ?

all in all I like the car but find the wheel base quite long on turning and you have to be careful not to take tight turns too quickly, and I don't like being bumped about so much.

I am in South Africa and yes we do have tar roads

all comments gratefully received Rob

greeknasty

I've been around the RX forum for a couple years now and haven't noticed a oil consumption issue among users. Excessive consumption definitely isn't normal IMO. Keep an eye out on her you def don't want to be low.
And oil conversation here is sporadic people use all types of things but I and others have found toyota 0w20 is excellent for our rx's

kitlz

Rob, welcome to CL. The engine oil light is designed to come on after hitting a certain mileage. In the US, it's 5K miles. The good news is you can turn it off very easily using the instructions here. Excessive oil consumption is not normal or typical with the RX. But I wouldn't be concerned if the level is normal. Make an appointment with the dealer if you want to make sure all is well. And we have a few threads on oil brands/types and the suspension. You can do a search for more.

Hawkeye70

In addition to what others have posted, check your maintenance log under the set up heading. I'll bet it was set at a date and mileage that you have not eclipsed. Merely reset or change your oil and reset. I don't recall any issues with oil consumption on the Lexus forum.

roboost

So Hi OK Thanks I went into settings and it showed that I was not due for an oil change for another 7000 odd Kms which is about right. I tried the re-set on the odo switch but nothing happened there at all. I re-started the car and the warning notice came up again on the sat nav display and then I noticed at the bottom a choice saying"Do not show this reminder again" so I clicked on that and it seems to have solved the problem, possibly being a 2015 model they have made changes.

Thanks I will still keep an eye on the oil level though. Rob

NateJG

As a demo, your selling dealer should have detailed maintenance records that could confirm/refute your concern over oil consumption.

Can you discuss it with whomever was responsible for the maintenance - and reports/records - of the vehicle while under their control prior to your purchase?

You may find that work was performed under warranty.

A clean bill of health (providing you can trust their word) may bring you peace.

roboost

This is South Africa and consumer power is nothing like what you have in the States. The car was used by the dealer accountant and thus used to sell new cars therefrom. I have no doubt that it was well looked after in the few months that they had it. Lexus only had 10 branches in the whole of Southern (note) Africa - this includes Botswana and Namibia and they were closing down some 5 branches around South Africa due to "rationalization" That's why I got it with such a low - just under 1900Kms -the branch was closing. Toyota are everywhere here but the Lexus market is very small indeed.

My experience in these matters based on many years of experience is that the motor trade in this country tells you what it thinks you want to hear as long as they don't have to put their hand in their pocket.

The car arrived from the factory, had its initial service, and when I took delivery they "checked it over" Oh and washed it ..........

fastnoypi

Stick with a 0w20 or 5w20 oil for your RX350. The tolerances on the engine are much tighter on the engine that your 100VX. 0w20 only comes in synthetic, 5w20 is now available in both synthetic and conventional. Because of your weather conditions, IMO there isn't a benefit to using 0w20 in your area when synthetic 5w20 is available.

Consider using an oil analysis lab to determine your best oil interval time and brand selection.

NateJG

It sounds as though you have all the answers - especially since they looked after it so well.

It's fortunate that Toyota has presence there, so you're not left with an orphan.

You'll likely have one of the nicest and most noteworthy rides around.

Best wishes.

roboost

well I did some phoning around this morning and the main agents - service manager tells me that: No, his group supplies 15W40 as standard so I point out that this is a mineral oil and that they should be supplying a synthetic oil for such a high revving vehicle - total silence from the service manager, "well in any case that's what we do as a group" Umm.....have you read the service manual ???

Further phoning around brought me to Esso Oils where a very helpful man said to me that yes for this car you should be supplying a synthetic oil and given that we do not get the extreme cold that N America gets but that we can be very hot in summer I would recommend 5W30 or even 5W40 and Yes I can supply this, you just need to ENSURE that this is what they actually put into your car at service time - quite so !!

I have written to Lexus South Africa for comment.

fastnoypi

Your Esso contact appears to have given some good generic guidelines for you. It goes inline with what some of the oil analysis labs generalize. If you can, try to ask for any tribologist input. Those are the guys in the oil analysis labs that can advise the best weight/type oil per application.

Here is an excerpt from one of the oil viscosity faqs from a popular lab in NA.

http://www.blackstone-labs.com/oil-viscosity.php
Which Viscosity to Use?
Engine owners often stray from manufacturers' recommendations regarding viscosity of oils. The engine builders dyno-test their engines using a specific viscosity oil, so when you use the viscosity they recommend, you are working with a known result. Going to another viscosity is an experiment, but it's usually a harmless one. For the sake of efficiency you want to run the lightest grade oil in your engine possible, within limits. We are seeing that trend for newer engines, for which the recommended grade is getting progressively lighter. The common 10W/30 has become a 5W/30, and some manufacturers even recommend 5W/20 oil. On the other hand, we can't see (in oil analysis) where it hurts anything to run heavier 10W/30s or even 10W/40s in modern automotive engines. The heavier oils provide more bearing film, and that's important at the lower end. If your oil is too light, the bearing metals can increase. If the oil is too heavy, the upper end metals can increase. The trick is to find the right viscosity for your particular engine, which is why we suggest following the manufacturer's recommendation.

vlad_a

Let me ask you the most obvious question - did the oil level change over time based on the dipstick readings?
Lexus is not a BMW an does not feature computer-based oil quality analysis.
The rest is just maintenance resets. Only USDM feature 5K dealer service reminders, so it should be of no concern to you. If your Nav screens shows a message, it is likely a simple entry in the maintenance section.
It has nothing to do with the actual oil in your car.

roboost

Yes the oil level is fine it was an erroneous reminder on the sat nav screen and had nothing to do with the actual oil levels, so I got that sorted.

The more important issue is that as was said above " I am waiting for a response from Lexus South Africa IRO

The other main Lexus service centre here says that they also use 15w40 but that theirs is a mix of synthetic & mineral.

I will see what their comments are. I have also asked them to check what the car has in it when it arrives here ex factory in japan. No one seems to know off-hand.

fastnoypi

Just curious, does south africa have emissions testing? If so, 15w40 oil is often formulated for diesel engine use with higher zinc and phosphorus content. Its not a bad thing for the internals of a regular gas engine however over time it can diminish life of your catalytic converter.

roboost

South Africa, well the whole continent of Africa is a law unto itself - A red traffic light here is a suggestion...... Yep we probably do have emissions testing but few take any notice and many just remove the cat converter - problem solved. We are very 3rd World here in some respects and amazingly 1st World in others - go figure. I found that my 2007 Landcruiser 100 VX for example did not have a cat converter and I was expecting it to have one. I was going to remove it when I fitted a free flow exhaust and chipped the engine. !!