Hi everyone
How often do you have to change: 1) brake fluid 2) transmission fluid 3) differential fluid
Dealer is suggesting brake fluid change every 2 oil changes ( never heard of this before on other cars)
thx

 

Yes this is per the Lexus recommended maintenance schedule where brake fluid changes are every other oil change. See: http://www.lexus.ca/lexus/en/parts-service/maintenance

 

Looking at the Lexus Canada site, I pulled these intervals for brake fluid replacement - it's a bit less often than every other oil change.

 

If you do it by mileage, it should be every 2 years or 48,000 kms.
Every 2 oil changes, if you are changing it every 6 months, is way too early. The brake fluid won't even have a chance to get dirty.
There's nothing wrong with over-servicing it, but it's a bit of a waster of brake fluid, and money.

 

I would do brakes once every two years
Trans every 35k
diff fluid 60k

roughly. doesn't have to be exact.

 

oil every 10k miles
brake fluid every 30k miles
trans and diff fluid every 50k miles
coolant at 100k miles and then every 50k miles after that
spark plugs every 60k miles

blinker fluid - every day


90k on my 2014 is250... i would know... coolant is up next and if you doubt it on the fluid intervals, i noticed a difference with my trans and diff flush on how smooth it drove and shifted and if your even the slightest bit hard on the brakes i will bet money on the brake fluid starting to discolor as early as 15k miles so for that it honestly just depends on your driving habits, mine lasted a little over 30k but i did it anyways.

 

I guess one thing we should have confirmed in the beginning, is what year the 350 was.
While the engine in a 2014 350 is the exact same engine in a 2017 350, the oil change intervals are different (as an example).
On a 2014 and 2015 350, the oil change interval is 8,000kms...on the 2016+, it's 16,000kms.
Really, its a marketing gimmick as the engine and the oil type recommendation is exactly the same.

 

that makes zero sense. Same engine, same oil?

 

I know...same engine, and same 0W20 oil. The 2016 Toyota vehicles have moved to the same oil change interval as well.
Some people factor in maintenance cost when purchasing, so it's a gimmick to stay competitive.
Synthetic oil, which is what the 0W20 is, can last longer than 8,000kms, even 16,000kms. In fact, it can last even longer, but for that to happen, the filter would need to be changed in between the oil change interval.
How many are going to go to the dealer to have their oil filter changed, but not the oil. The oil would have to be topped up to account for the loss from the filter change of course.
Personally I change mine at 5,000kms, but it also takes me 6 months to drive that far...so.

 

In your opinion, assuming mileage is below the recommended 8k, what's the max time between synthetic oil changes? I do around 10k kms a yr.

 

Looks like we drive the same amount of kms in a year.
In the part of Ontario I'm in, the temperature can swing from 30C to -30C during the seasons...so that's something I factor into the equation.
Admittedly I'm old school when it comes to changing oil, so i will likely die still changing oil at 5,000kms, no matter what I'm driving...unless it doesn't have a gasoline engine at that point.

If you're in a part of BC that temperature swings like mine, and you're driving 10,000kms a year, the absolute max I would leave the oil is 1 year. And I would time the oil change to be done just before winter starts.
There is nothing like fresh oil for winter.
Because I do mine twice a year, and I do most of my driving during Spring, Summer, Fall...I time one oil change for the dead of summer (mid June) and dead of winter (January - whenever I can shovel myself out to get to the dealer).