RM, based on my experience, you'll need to show them the problem explicitly to get it fixed right and get lucky and have the right tech.

If it is a rattle, IMO you should insist on test driving the car with the tech to show them where the rattle is; and BTW, make sure you have a road surface that will reproduce the problem.

 

My 01 rx has 68k miles on it. I have used Mobil 1 since its 2nd oil change. I removed the valve cover last week out of curiosity to see how it looked. It is like brand new, no build up at all. I rubbed my finger on the top of the valve cover and didnt even get a black dirty film. I am very convinced this motor will last me 200k for sure. For some reason I dont feel that way about the transmission. But I may be wrong.

 

The local Lexus dealer is marketing a sludge removal system called "EnviroLution ... tm. The brochure card suggests power-flushing your lube oil every 12k or every year. Not sure what the cost is.

Has anyone used this or know if it really does anything that very frequent changes won't accomplish?

 

OMG... threads like this are how "old wives tales" are started...

Toyo is exactly right. I've used M1 oil and a M1 filter after the dealer free 5k service. I change the oil myself every 5k miles and give the dealer my oil to use at major service intervals (15k).

I've got about 25k miles on my 01 Rex... oil looks almost the same as when I put it in... doesn't even consume a drop of oil during oil change intervals.

Synthetic oil at every 3k miles??!! I guess if that helps you sleep at night, whatever. Some folks think that if something costs a lot, it must be better.

Geez, rather than worry about it and come up with all these "theories", just send your oil out to be analyzed... then maybe you can enjoy your vehicles rather than worry about them every 3k miles.

 

RX300, reading this thread again I am more convinced to use MObil 1!

Do you preload the filter with oil to minimize the several-second oilless engine restart?

tia

 

If this is the Camry engine do those have the same rate of sludge problems?

Why doesn't Lexus simply recommend synthetics for 5k? Easy solution even if they just mandated the dealers do it, minor cost.

 

It's not the particular car models that have this problem, but the recent 3.0L V6 used in the Camrys, Siennas, RXs, etc. The "rate of the sludge problems" is particular to the number of 3.0 V6's out there.

Now, why doesn't Lexus recommend syn oil? Politics. And incompetent owners/public. Look at the current RX model.... all because it says in the owners manual "we recommend premium fuel for a better responding engine" all kinds of threads got started on the Internet forums on how the RX needs premium fuel and if you don't use it you'll ruin your engine. Lexus never said that. Ever. The problem is most folks are too lazy to RTFM themselves.

Now if Lexus was to say tomorrow "we recommend syn oil for a longer lasting engine" all the conspiracy theorists would come out of the woodwork and go "aha! see?! Even Lexus says that without syn oil the engine will sludge." Sheesh.....

The problem in this world is that a lot of folks take up space rather than actually use the brains god gave them.... sorry for the rant

 

Put Castrol full-syth in about 4 months and 3K miles ago and oil on the stick is a rich amber color, not nearly as dark as it was after 3K with dino. Plan to change at 5k from now on with full-synth.

 

Same exact experience using M1 oil and either a M1 or Fram X2 filter, every 5k miles. Costs a little extra, but I know I could easily go 7k+ miles with this combo, gives me piece of mind in case I can't change the oil at the 5k interval.

 

I have been using M1 every 3,500 miles (bit rougher work for the engine on all the hills here) and a K&N gold filter. I have not run into anything. I recently used a product called Restore (the one for the oil not the fuel injectors (which is a little too potent from other's experiences). I am near sure that any sludge that was in there came out after my last oil change for I could visibly see a little sludge in the pan after its use. Other friends using Auto-RX have told me a similar story. Car has A LOT more HP.