I spoke to the dealer.They stated they put in castrol SYNTEC into the car.I was assured by the Service Advisor it was lexus approved.He is also reupholstering my b pillars for free...

 

I worked with a lady whose husband worked at a Jiffy Lube. He was a drug addict. He told me he used to strip oil drain bolts all the time, but didn't tell the customer. He was a real idiot, and he changed oil. I would do it my self.

 

Buy your favorite synthetic or syn blend oil cheap at Walmart, order some Oem filters cheap online and have dealership do labor only oil change..here in ATL, its only $26 for them to do the oil cjange and they do all the other stuff too like fluids, carwash, vacuum, plus enter it in the vehicle history database.

 

Wow this is an old thread.. I would never take my LS to an instant oil change place. I do it myself and if I couldn't I would have a shop that I've known for years or the dealer would do it.

 

OK. I just bought a 2008 LS460 and I am about to do my first oil change. Reading the threads it looks like 5W20 oil is recomended. Here is my problem 5W20 is also recomended for the LS400. I have an LS400 sitting in my driveway that has 293,000 miles on it. I have never put anything but Castrol GTX 20W50 in it. It does not smoke or use one drop of oil at 293,000 milkes. I have changed the oil every 5000 miles and at 5000 miles you can still read the letters on the dip stick. I have to tell you that this 5W20 scares me to death. Does someone has as many miles on an LS430 or LS460 that can say the same about using 5W20? I have used Castrol GXT 20W50 in 6 cars totaling 900,000 miles wit hthe same service.

 

I would never use an oil that thick.....its cold flow characteristics are going to be much worse than Lexus recommends. In fact, so will its hot flow characteristics. As for your own experiences.....you'll have to decide for yourself if they override what Lexus thinks.

One of the reasons for low viscosity oil is tighter engine clearances need a thinner oil. Maybe your engines are clearancing themselves over time to work with the thicker oil.

 

Actually if you read your owner's manual, Lexus recommends 2 viscosities of oil: 0W-20 and 5W-20. MOST all new car engines today are manufactured to far tighter tolerances than were possible 20 years ago. FORD, for example, has recommended 5W-20 in many of their engines since early in 2002 or so.

If you run an oil with a viscosity even 10W-30, in the wrong ambient temperature range, you risk blowing out your filter. I have heard many mechanics tell stories of customers who have done just that - run the WRONG OIL TYPE. Many times, as just 1 example, you'll blow the oil filter off from its housing.

My feeling is this: If you have any warranty left on your 2008, you're playing with fire to not follow Lexus' recomendation. If you do not have any warranty left, you're still playing with fire to use a heavier weight oil. And if you're in a COLD state of the US, say Montana, or Colorado, or wherever, and it's winter time, I would myself run 0W-20 in my LS460.

Use 20W-50 in anything except a 6 cylinder Jaguar (XJ-6) or a Pontiac 389 or 400 or 460 c.i. block, and you are ASKING for trouble.

My 2 cents worth and some days, looking at my Bass fishing results, and my opinion is worth far less.

Enjoy ! Mikey Lulejian - Lake Oconee, GA

 

OK I give. No 20W50. I just came from the Lexus dealership here in Atlanta and they told me they are using 5W30 Synthetic at $9 a quart. But this is the dealership that ruined my LS400 motor which is why I have the LS460. 5W20 it is. Thanks guys.

 

The LS 460 uses 0W20 synthetic. You can find it at Walmart...

 

Craig: That is NOT correct according the Owner's Manual. The LS460 recommended oil according to Lexus is EITHER: 0W-20 - OR - 5W-20.

Also, at no time does Lexus recommend the use of "Synthetic" motor oil. While many of us would agree that this type of oil provides useful benefits, we need to be clear to readers here that Lexus does NOT recommend nor require the use of synthetic oil nor "synthetic blend" (which, by the way is really a total waste of money).

The Elite dealers in Georgia ONLY use 5W-20. (Due to the ambient climate temperatures we enjoy).

Just trying to clarify. Wishing everyone a great day.

Mikey Lulejian - Lake Oconee, GA

 

The shop foreman at my dealer says to use OW20 full synthetic. I don't know about other climates.

Regards,

Craig

 

Man, this topic is still going on?

 

I feel sure he did. However, the final "Bible" is the official Lexus produced Owners Manual.
And it states what I wrote. This is: The LS460 recommended oil according to Lexus is EITHER: 0W-20 - OR - 5W-20. And there is nothing wrong with using synthetic oil , but it is not required.

I am still surprised so many CL members never bother to open their owners manual(s). Remember, a shop foreman does not "speak" for the Toyota Corporation nor their engineering staff. The Owners Manual(s) are provided to tell us what the manufacturer wants, desires, requests.

I am sorry to continue this so long, but since so many people read Club Lexus' threads, and refer back to many of them with subject searches, I feel it is INCUMBENT upon each of us to try, as much as possible, to deal in facts. Particularly, when the answer is a quick lookup in the Owners Manual.

Best Wishes to all .....
Mike Lulejian - Lake Oconee, GA

 

Walmart is a good place to go for an Earl change.

 

hmm....been a while since i been around these parts....here in GA you can take your lexus to toyota and get 0-20 synthetic from toyota....that's what is in my sienna now as well....