xfirechief

If we get another Lexus I think I'll purchase the service contract from the dealer. I think it was about $700 more for it & it includes things like oil & filters, tranny oil & filter changes too.

Any comments as to if it is a good idea??

Tammy

I costs me a dollar a quart ($5- Castrol GTX)) and a toyota oil filter ($5). The RX has plenty of clearance under it, so I don't have to jack it up. I use a double copper oil plug seal, so it is never replaced. It is the same thickness as the factory seals.
This is inexpensive enough to service the oil every three months, regardless of the milage. It takes me 30 minutes to complete a change. Additionally, I swap in a K&N oil filter every other change.

drfishalot

yea, but then you have to dispose of the used oil, there is no good way to do that. you can take it to your local oil change place and dump it in their vat each change or store it in a messy 2-3 gal container and haul the oily containers to your local oil change place. been there, done that, not any more

Fern

drfishalot (catchy name btw),

I would agree with you until I once saw a Lexus tech only remove 1/2 of the screws from the plastic cover on the bottom of my lexus to remove the oil filter. He pulled the plastic back and removed the filter, then installed the new filter.

Later when I got home, I had close look at the plastic panel and noticed the holes where the screws go had gotten torn and I swore up and down &%$^$# the rest of the vehicle's life in my hand would not see any more dealer oil changes.

The above example is only 1, not to mention not being able to control if the tech keeps your synthetic and puts the crap they sell in the car instead. Call me suspect of people or whatever you want, I'll take a drive to my local auto repair centre and drop-off the old oil anyday.

BTW lately my brother-in-law uses my used synthetic for his winter beater... Now thats what I call recycling...

Tammy

I drain into a flat pan, lined inside with a 30 gal trash bag. Then, cut a small corner cutout and drain the trash bag. Throw away the bag and no pan cleanout.
From the bag, I use a funnel to fill once used gallon milk jugs with a screw on cap. It takes two, 'cause I don't fill the bottles to the top. Disposal is simple. Storage and cleanup is minimal. I have to wipe out the funnel.

parula

Oil disposal shouldn't be much of an issue, most municipalities have free drop off locations and many dealers or local shops will accept it for recycling.

Barefoot B

Well I accept oil at my shop since we burn in in our oil furnace. As long as your using the right viscosity oil, all brands are pretty good, as long as they meet the guide lines for your vehical. Our shop gets $50.00 an hour and we charge an average of $27.00 for an oil and filter change. One thing you will get at my shop is an auto technician servicing you car. Not someone that comes in half days right after school.
My Lexus dealer is 100 miles away in the Twin Cities. They get $175.00 an hour and charge $100.00 for an oil change, tire rotation and the whole royal treatment I am sure.

I have a good one for you guys. A friend of mine has an exlusive BMW shop in the Twin Cities. He had a customer come in to him with her oil light flashing. She said it just started and didnt know what was wrong. He pulled the dip stick and there wasnt one drop on it. He then asked when was her last oil changed. She looked at him puzzled and said "You have to change oil??"
She purchased the car new and now had 28,000 miles on it. Did pretty good for never adding oil.

CK6Speed

iTrader: (1)

In our state it is legal to throw used oil into the city collected garbage can as long as it is in the proper oil absorbtion containor since it is burned. All we need to do is buy those oil boxes that have that inner plastic bag filled with cotton. Since it is burned it doesn't go into the landfill so it is legal and acceptable in our state. That makes home oil changes very easy since disposal is not a problem. It cost about $25 for Mobile 1 Synthetic, $10 for a Toyota brand oil filter and new crush washer, and 15 minuts of my time.

joako

I really dislike dealer service -- any dealer, and now I will only go there for warranty work, which is still a hassle, since they try to insist that nothing is covered.

On my RX300 I paid something silly like $300 every other oil change, they do pickup your car and give you a loaner, but for a 1 day service such as an oil change it's not worth it, the time it takes too wait for the driver I could just wait for an oil change. They also lied and told my wife the brakes were worn, the car had 30,000mi and my wife told the dealer to go ahead (women won't question what a car dealer tells them it seems), they charged something like $500 to change the brake pads, I think they changed the rotors for no reason too.

I have found that the dealers don't even know how to work on their own cars, I took my Volkswagen to the dealer after an accident and I had to provide them with the information that the factory repair manual contained.

gscone

My Maintenance require sign just came on @ 15k. I know this is the time for a major service, but If I do the oilchange myself, will the Mainteance required sign go away?

jcg

There is a procedure in the owners manual for resetting the "service" light.

gscone

Thanks, I'll check it out when I get home !

Grumpa72

They want $150 but, of course, I do my own. That does include a tire rotation but I do that too.

jngjng

Just had an oil change done at the Lexus dealer on Saturday. $39.

mytythor

Try a Toyota dealer. Mine charges $21.95