Oil Recommendation
#31
For what its worth your service adviser is spot on.
You can put anything in your car as long as it has the proper viscosity and API classification and you change the oil at the recommended change interval. It's as simple as that. If you want to spend more on synthetic oil, fancy filters, etc. well go right ahead but it isn't required...
You can put anything in your car as long as it has the proper viscosity and API classification and you change the oil at the recommended change interval. It's as simple as that. If you want to spend more on synthetic oil, fancy filters, etc. well go right ahead but it isn't required...
#32
Lexus Fanatic
3000 mile oil changes, at that frequency it's throwing away a perfectly good filter...never heard of such a short interval. Maybe severe duty of some sort.
#33
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NowI totally forget what the setting was, but a tech took out this really long 3/4" torque wrench and was hand torquing the lugs on a trailer. It was some high number....I mean my wife's is 140 lbs. ft and that sounds like a lot, but whatever it was, it was a lot. Also they were using retreads lol
I said aren't those what come apart on the highway and you always see pieces laying around? Tech said yes, but we only use them on certain drive wheels, never on the fronts...
yesterday I was talking and told a guy I saw tandem 53' trailers in Toronto, and he replies yeah they are legal in some states in the USA (I never see them), but we tend to use what we call "pups," usually tandem 40's, sometimes 45's, rarely 48's.
Again you heard of FOMOH (fear of missing out on hockey)? I am one of those guys who assumes that your job is way more interesting than mine, so I like to find out what you do in detail! lol
I said aren't those what come apart on the highway and you always see pieces laying around? Tech said yes, but we only use them on certain drive wheels, never on the fronts...
yesterday I was talking and told a guy I saw tandem 53' trailers in Toronto, and he replies yeah they are legal in some states in the USA (I never see them), but we tend to use what we call "pups," usually tandem 40's, sometimes 45's, rarely 48's.
Again you heard of FOMOH (fear of missing out on hockey)? I am one of those guys who assumes that your job is way more interesting than mine, so I like to find out what you do in detail! lol
The machines ranged in age from 1970-2012, so some things were easy to repair, others may as well been a flat out waste of time. Regardless, i don't feel comfortable having the "drive it until something breaks" mentality when I'm paying for everything out of pocket rather than having a virtually unlimited budget via the military haha
#34
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On my next change, I'm going to try Royal Purple with an OEM filter. I do a yearly change at this rate and don't go by mileage since I'm only driving 2,000 miles a year or so. I am sure the oil will last longer but it is so cheap, I change it just for peace of mind.
All this talk about filters... I see that HKS actually makes a filter for our cars. Based on their info, it looks like the 1UZFE and the 3UZFE use the same filter. I'd try one, but it would be about $30... Actually, here is a link to one on eBay https://www.ebay.com/itm/HKS-Magneti...LH_TitleDesc=0 I see it has a magnet in it, though I doubt there is much metal circulating around in our engines.
All this talk about filters... I see that HKS actually makes a filter for our cars. Based on their info, it looks like the 1UZFE and the 3UZFE use the same filter. I'd try one, but it would be about $30... Actually, here is a link to one on eBay https://www.ebay.com/itm/HKS-Magneti...LH_TitleDesc=0 I see it has a magnet in it, though I doubt there is much metal circulating around in our engines.
#35
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I'll go with the Lexus OEM filter every time. I also go with Mobil 1 synthetic oil and change it every 5000 miles. I think this is overkill. I base this on my experience as a retired gas turbine engineer career of 40 years. Synthetic oils were primarily developed for gas turbine engines. As we developed a new gas turbine we would take samples of the oil and analyze for the metal particle content at frequent intervals. This was relevant to specific problem areas and determining the projected life of the gas turbine. That was good enough for me to use Mobile 1 starting around 1990. Changing the oil at 5000 miles was actually like throwing away money. Bit I didn't care as the oil change was cheap compared to the increased life of the engine. It is a minimal cost of maintenance of the life of the car. A good investment for peace of mind in my opinion.
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https://www.amazon.com/Sea-Foam-sf-16-Motor-Treatment/dp/B0002JN2EU?keywords=seafoam&qid=1533585604&sr=8-1&ref=mp_s_a_1_1
There is a link for the seafoam you want to use and your best bet is to just go through the entire car and change all fluids belts, plugs, etc just make sure all the maintenance is done and you will have your car a long, long time.
There is a link for the seafoam you want to use and your best bet is to just go through the entire car and change all fluids belts, plugs, etc just make sure all the maintenance is done and you will have your car a long, long time.
#37
Lexus Fanatic
On my wife's car I just go by the OLM. I do believe it works, because when she worked 2 miles away, the car never warmed up, and the interval was short like 4k. Then, when it got all highway, suddenly once I did 8,100. And the car did NOT come with synthetic, it came with a blend (Dexos1). I use synth, though, and still change it when the car gets down to about 5%. There is much truth to throwing money and oil away, marketers have taught us this is good (for them!).
Food for thought--BMW used to say 1 yr./15k, change. Everyone incl. service managers said they "feel" this is too infrequent unless you lease. Do 7,500. So that's what I do. This was costing BMW money as they provide free maintenance, so they changed it to 2 yr./15k. A mfg. is not going to "ruin" engines to save money.....
Food for thought--BMW used to say 1 yr./15k, change. Everyone incl. service managers said they "feel" this is too infrequent unless you lease. Do 7,500. So that's what I do. This was costing BMW money as they provide free maintenance, so they changed it to 2 yr./15k. A mfg. is not going to "ruin" engines to save money.....
#38
Someone on this thread mentioned 3-4000 mile OCIs. Even a 5000 mile OCI is ridiculously short for synthetic oil and a good filter. Personally, I run 7500 mile OCIs using Mobil 1 or whatever brand is on sale. I may start going 10,000 mile OCIs but before I do it I'll get a blackstone oil analysis of my 7500 mile oil.
#39
Lexus Fanatic
Someone on this thread mentioned 3-4000 mile OCIs. Even a 5000 mile OCI is ridiculously short for synthetic oil and a good filter. Personally, I run 7500 mile OCIs using Mobil 1 or whatever brand is on sale. I may start going 10,000 mile OCIs but before I do it I'll get a blackstone oil analysis of my 7500 mile oil.
#40
On the Extended Service Mobile One, please read their complete documentation. They require a high performance extended life filter used to achieve the full claim of the safe extended life. Those that use stock or aftermarket filters, they do not have the capacity to filt the contaminates out of your oil. 15,000 mile oil and a 5,000 mile filter, is like driving with no filter at all for 10,000 miles!
#41
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I think of synthetic oil as cheap insurance. Mobil 1 is my preferred brand, but you probably cant go wrong with any of the major brands these days and there is always one on sale it seems.
#43
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I would agree with your service advisor - using synthetic on a 5000mi or 8000km change interval is a waste of money. However, if you get your full synthetic for dirt cheap (e.g. buying on sale, using coupons, etc), then it's barely more expensive to use. What is also a waste of money is paying a dealership (or anyone else really) to change your oil. Oil changes are very easy to do on an LS430.
I don't change oil based on time, I change every 8000km (normal Canadian service interval for 2002 Lexus vehicles), and I use Toyota 90915-20004 filters with a full synthetic 5W-30, whichever full synthetic is the cheapest. One time I bought Valvoline SynPower at $3.99/L (CAD) at Wal-Mart, other times that and Pennzoil Platinum Synthetic were both $5.26/L. All in 4.73L jugs, which is fine because a 2002 drain and fill with filter change is spec'd for 4.5L. I figure an extra 230mL every 8000km isn't going to hurt anything.
However, using 5W-20 instead of 5W-30, as the dealerships have been instructed by Lexus HQ to do, may hurt something. Google this for all kinds of debate regarding CAFE standards and manufacturers specifying lower weight oils at the risk of increased engine wear. I will trust the original Lexus engineers that designed the engine and wrote 5W-30 on the oil filler cap.
I don't change oil based on time, I change every 8000km (normal Canadian service interval for 2002 Lexus vehicles), and I use Toyota 90915-20004 filters with a full synthetic 5W-30, whichever full synthetic is the cheapest. One time I bought Valvoline SynPower at $3.99/L (CAD) at Wal-Mart, other times that and Pennzoil Platinum Synthetic were both $5.26/L. All in 4.73L jugs, which is fine because a 2002 drain and fill with filter change is spec'd for 4.5L. I figure an extra 230mL every 8000km isn't going to hurt anything.
However, using 5W-20 instead of 5W-30, as the dealerships have been instructed by Lexus HQ to do, may hurt something. Google this for all kinds of debate regarding CAFE standards and manufacturers specifying lower weight oils at the risk of increased engine wear. I will trust the original Lexus engineers that designed the engine and wrote 5W-30 on the oil filler cap.
#44
Agreed except that I may use a Wix XP filter depending on the vehicle. On my classic vehicles I have oil analysis completed and since I live in a relatively low moisture environment I stretch the interval to 2 years as the TBN/TAN are still within spec (under 1k miles on each in two years).
Last edited by Catalina45; 08-09-18 at 06:54 AM. Reason: Spelling
#45
Lexus Fanatic
However, using 5W-20 instead of 5W-30, as the dealerships have been instructed by Lexus HQ to do, may hurt something. Google this for all kinds of debate regarding CAFE standards and manufacturers specifying lower weight oils at the risk of increased engine wear. I will trust the original Lexus engineers that designed the engine and wrote 5W-30 on the oil filler cap.
I've always felt that the weights of oils are misleading. Isn't 5W30 not as good as 0W40? I mean 0W40 is a wider range?
My BMW has 5W30 recommended, but when Mobil 1 was approved, it only came in 0W40. I would prefer to use what's recommended, but, BMW specifically approved at the time, Mobil 1 Euro 0W40, so it happens to be what I have and use.
BMW was so specific, that a 320i used a different oil than a 328i and 335i (these model designations are now obsolete, of course all the numbers have increased lol). And it's because of CAFE....
For the Lexus I prefer to stay with 5W30, but use synth, not dino juice...totally comfortable with $25 less a $10 or $12 rebate...for 5 qts