matts6887

I just picked up my 99 rx300 a month ago today and so far so good. But what i want to know is even if the previous owners of the vehicle didnt use high mileage oil for oil changes; should i start using it for my first oil change since mine has closing in on 133,000 miles; or is it going overboard and should i just use a regular grade instead and save the extra $?

carguy07

If it's not leaking or burning oil, I would stick with a good synthetic and never change.

kalali

I switched from regular/dino oil to regular high mileage oils in both my Jeep and the RX once they passed 100K miles. The Jeep now has 186K miles and the RX just passed 176K miles. Not sure if it helped or not but neither use any oil between their 4000 mile oil change intervals. I might be the only old school guy in the bunch but my theory is to stick with whatever type oil - regular vs. synthetic, the vehicle left the factory with. That been said, I use synthetic in both my BMW and wife's Volvo S80. We passed the RX on to my mother in law a few months ago who lives a block away, but of course I'm still "responsible" for its upkeep.....

SC400slide

iTrader: (11)

Moved to the RX forum.

I'd probably spend the extra few bucks and use high mileage oil. Definitely not going overboard.

fastnoypi

i would stick with a synthetic and get the opinion from a Lexus/toyota tech when you get your next timing belt service done. They would be able to see if seals are weeping which could benefit from high milage oil. High milage oil formulas often have seal conditioners to help swell seals.

matts6887

Thanks for all the info here. I think I may just start using the high mileage oil even though its more $ because supposedly it helps to condition the seals, etc a bit better and is overall a bit better for vehicles with 100,000+ miles on them even though mine hasnt shown any signs of any leaks thus far i will probably still do it just be a little on the safe side so to speak.

Lil4X

If you don't have oil leakage or consumption issues, stick with a quality synthetic. The '99 - '00 RX's suffered from undersized oil galleries which in a few cases led to overheating the oil particularly in the head and cylinder passages and could lead to engine failures. The problem was limited to only a couple of production years, and was never a serious issue, although it appeared across the Toyota/Lexus line in their V6 engines.

I wouldn't worry about it at all, but using synthetic lubricants would give you some additional protection as it performs better at high temperatures. If it concerns you too much, you can spend a few bucks on a professional oil analysis (several places do it by sending you a kit with instructions for pulling a sample and sending it to them for a thorough lab analysis). That will tell you what chemicals are present in your oil and what metallic particles are found in it to give you a real "cat scan" of your engine's condition to head off any potential problem well before any real damage is done.

Lots more information here: http://www.bobistheoilguy.com/engine-oil-analysis/

matts6887

well fast; I would go with synthetic; but; most shops want big bucks for synthetic oil changes;(like 50-60 bucks or more depending on shop) and i just dont have the kinda dough to shell out for synthetic. My previous vehicle i had to run synthetic on because it was a turbo and it was not cheap. Every time i had to go in for a oil change it was like around 60 bucks give or take. So for now I think im just gonna go with high mileage oil because as i mentioned before it conditions the seals, etc a bit better and is overall a bit better for high mileage vehicle that have over 100K miles. As for the timing belt done; I dont plan on doing that until probably around 180,000. I now have a bit over 133,000 on my rx.

fastnoypi

Matt, i'm not quite sure i understand you. In the other thread, you seem willing and possibly capable of doing your own plugs and/or valve cover replacement but here you are thinking about the cost of a synthetic oil change at a shop???

Even the cheapest walmart synthetic oil will give great protection over a conventional high mileage oil at the same or cheaper cost with a longer change interval. Including a filter, the most you'd be spending is $25 if you DIY.

matts6887

Well; that i believe is mainly because I think and im pretty sure i have the sockets, etc to do the valve covers and plugs; but what i dont have is the "facilities" to do oil changes because i do not have the shop tools for oil changes at the moment which is why I was just gonna have oil changes done at a shop. Bottom line here: I am willing to possibly try to do the things that i think i can do with the proper instruction(s) and tools; but if i dont have the tools to do something then im gonna leave it to a shop to do it especially when it comes to doing things like fluid changes(transmission, power steering, brake fluids and coolant); and whatever it costs to get that stuff done is what it costs. I dont really have much choice but to do it this way especially because I live in a condo; and hoa and complex management really frown heavily on people doing stuff like that out in the open which is why i would have to keep the vehicle in my garage where there is a small confined space with barely enough space for 2 vehicles and barely enough storage space let alone the space to do oil changes.

fastnoypi

it takes a 14mm socket for the drain plug and 10mm socket for the lower access panel to get to the oil filter.

those condo complex hoa rules are a pain, i know from experience having lived in AZ for 10 years.
If you run out of resources of places to work on your RX and you dont know anyone to get you into the Luke AFB hobby shop for free, check out http://www.ufixitautomotive.com/ they are located in Mesa for a place to work on your stuff. Reasonably priced per hour and have tech onsite if you do get yourself into a bind and have specialty tools available for use.

matts6887

I think there is a fix it yourself place not too far down the road from where i live. Ive never thought about checking into doing that; but I may if it comes down to it. Mesa is a bit far for me to to go just some maintenance stuff etc done because its a bit far. Its about 25-30 mins one way. Round trip its like 40-50 miles which for me is a lot. I guess i will just have to weigh my options and figure out whats gonna work best for me. For right now though as far as what im gonna do; I probably should check the plugs to see if they do need replacing; and eventually at some point get that valve cover mod job done. I cant do them both at the same time due to finances which im sure quite a few people on these forums understand where Im coming from in regards to that. So I just gotta do one thing at a time.

EDIT: just checked their site and it says their phoenix/mesa location(s) are closed. Not sure why but they are. It says to keep checking back for new locations.