Am I missing something, or are we over-thinking this? I figured this t be an insignificant part and never paid much attention to it in my oil changes. It's there.....and I make sure it's still there after my service, but that's about it. As for tightenng, I use a torque wrench. Done.

 

Nah, don't really believe we're over thinking it. Just like to know its purpose. Lexus wouldn't have spent the $ for it if it didn't have a useful purpose. Just my 2 cents.

 

I just changed my oil yesterday and my 2007 LS460 does not have the clip (it may be missing) and I do not see the clip in any of the parts diagrams I can find online for the LS460. Can anyone confirm that the 2007 originally came with the clip?