Hello all,

Our 2008 RX 350 will be needing an oil change very soon and I don't really know what type of oil to use (just the brand and maybe the thickness as I will get it done by a garage). I've heard good things about Castrol Syntec and Mobil 1 as well about Royal Purple. The RX doesn't get very much mileage but sometimes gets pushed relatively hard so it needs a good oil. Here in Canada, winter is coming to an end but cold temperatures (as in -20°C) can still be had.

I would appreciate your advice.

Goettel

 

standard weight is 5w30. Being that it gets that cold, you may want to use a 0w30 for the winter months, then switch back to the standard in the spring. I use and recommend Amsoil, but Royal Purple, Redline, and GERMAN Castrol are just as good. All are TRUE synthetics. The next step down are the "fake" synthetics: Castrol Syntec, Mobil 1, etc. Then the "synthetic blends", then the dino oils. Truth be told, a quality conventional is still a good oil, almost as good as the "fakes". If you use the standard change interval, it's probably good enough. If you're going to spend extra money on a synthetic, make sure it's a real one.

 

Oil prices in canada are rediculous but if you want to go with synthetic oil, Pennzoil Platinum is an outstanding oil!!! IMO its better than Mobil 1 when it comes to NOACK volatility and is very shear stable. I just had my Pennzoil Platinum alalyzed in my ES 330 and there was very little to no wear in that oil in over 5000 miles.

 

Plain old Castrol 5-30 is what my rig is going to use.

 

I will be going with a synthetic but my question is .... I change my oil now for spring and summer and then again in october for the Fall & Winter months so what vescocity should I use for each 6 months?I live in Wisconsin close to Chicago not up in der north boonies..lol

 

kingofire mentioned what I would mention, Pennzoil Platinum 5W30. The ideal is Castrol 0W30, which is the infamous German Castrol, and I could get at BMW dealers when I lived in Mexico, and can be found in some AutoZones in the United States, but it is not common. I wouldn't touch Mobil 1.

Didn't have a good experience with Redline. Amsoil is also a very nice oil, but more expensive and you have to order it.

 

How bout royal purple that seems to be available . I can get a case for $80.00 delivered to my door.I was leaning toward Pennzoil Platinum but it is not a true synthetic.

 

Pennzoil Platinum runs just fine. Royal Purple is not a bad oil, but generally I have seen that one has to run a thicker weight to get a good benefit from it. This was my experience back in Mexico with a lot of track buddies running the stuff and only when they moved up from say a W30 to a W40 did they get the hp benefit on the dyno and in their times. The 2nd generation RX has better clearances for oil flow, but I generally (myself excluded) do not think that a W40 or higher should be run with normal driving, though the Castrol 0W30 is the exception, since it runs like a W40. I know a buddy in Mexico who had some valve chatter after using Royal Purple, but willing to say that was the anomaly.

 

So if I was to start running a synthetic oil in my 2009 RX 350 your choice would be Pennzoil Platinum? Of course I would prefer something I can find.

 

Yes, I would run the Platinum. They also carry a 5W20 Platinum, which is also excellent for the vehicle, but my own personal opinion is that I would run 5W30 if you plan to run a longer time with the oil, because all oils will eventually shear. Keep in mind you have much better oil clearances than I ever have had with my RX300.