Thanks tim5055, it looks like Blackstone is very good from their site, I think I am going to use them. Hopefully I will have time this weekend, I know I am likely about 3k-4k on this oil.

I have a call into the dealer to use a different oil too when I do the change to make sure there are no issues. I have heard some have used thicker oil with some results, it's worth a shot as long as I don't void the warranty or put anything in too drastic that might kill the engine. It is warm around here (50s - 60s) so it shouldnt be horrible to try a 5w or perhaps a 10w of a synthetic like Royal Purple. BUT, I am still reading up on Bobs the Oil Guy and waiting to hear back from the Lexus foreman.

I'll post the results when I get them, and any other news.

Thanks everyone.

 

Sounds logical to me

 

lol its not the size of the piston. its because it has such a short skirt. and all pistons have a slight oval shape to them, then as they heat up they expand. and the GR engines are all aluminum, heads and the block. its because of the short skirt that allows the piston to rock back and fourth within the cyl. wall. if you want 270-300hp out of a 3.5...then you gotta deal with the noise....

 

So piston slap is normal. Based on my experiences with my '05 330 and horror stories like this one on a 3 gen, I think I own my last Lexus. My 330 is so ordinary in materials and construction it might as well be a Chrysler or a GM car.

I've had more repairs on this 330 in one month than I had on my RX300 in five years and I just noticed a crack in the dash and the driver's mirror has ceased to function from side to side.

If I were Lexus I would buy up every pre 03 Lexus and destroy them so the new ones won't look so pathetic.

 

Wow, and I thought a short skirt was a good thing

 

Too funny. FYI, I read some of Bobs the Oil Guy, and I am now more confused than before.

This also could be wrong, but I suppose trying a 5w20 "may" make sense. The second number means nothing since that has to do with the characteristics of the oil at operating temperature, and we know that with a piston slap the sound is very quiet at normal operating temperature.

The first number has to do with how thick the oil gets when it cools. This may make absolutely no sense, but would a thicker oil (5w) dampen the sound on startup.

I believe it is better to be thinner so the oil gets to ideal temperature faster, reducing wear and tear. But metal banging metal can't be that good either (in theory). Would a 5w20 be "bad" for the engine, compared to a 0w20? Does it make any difference when it is warmer?

 

X_Men,
Awesome advice! Definitely helps out, always looking for ideas here. Thanks!

Is there a way I can request the dealer to inspect the cylinders under warranty and have them actually look at them?

 

I don't hear anything wrong with your engine. Just turn the radio on...

 

^you can hear it at the first few seconds. Kind sounds like a rumble.

 

Have a GMC truck with cold start noise, has been doing it for over 100,000 miles, engine has 140,000 miles on it noise does no harm. Seems like almost all the new engines do it. I think you are worrying about nothing. Have a Honda with 275,000 miles also and it has done the same thing for at least 200,000 miles

 

The X Men, It's hard for me to imagine, although I have no knowledge regarding this issue, that in a high production factory someone is matching piston size to cylinder diameter. The assembly line gives the worker six pistons and they shove them into six cylinders. Now maybe some robot is taking readings and sorting pistons to match cylinders. I'll have to read a few more articles to understand the process. I'm sure for the owner of a slapper hearing that noise knowing the piston is scraping on the cylinder wall is unnerving.

 

Holy crap, you have my truck...I have to go to the garage to see if it's still there LOL. Piston slap for our 5.3L GMC motors is just the norm. At 10 yrs old, I swear that it's been there the whole time. So this noise in the RX seems no different and a non issue for us (now past 45k miles on RX). Would be interesting to see the oil analysis. Several GM folks have done the oil analysis and nothing came of it (in regards to piston slap that is).

 

According to Consumer Reports and JD Power, the long term reliability of the 3.5L Toyota/Lexus V6 is very good. This would indicate there are no major issues with the engine.

Agreed that the noise would be annoying but no cause for concern.

 

LexBob2,
Believe it or not, it is helpful to hear these posts of people with similar problems. While the sound is very unpleasant, getting reassured (slowly) that there are no issues with the sound provides some peace of mind.

For the time being, I am going to get the oil analysis done. I also have a call into the Foreman at my local dealer for any other recommendations. Since it is warm, I wanted to try a 5w20 to see if the sound is deadened (believe me, I am really tuned into the sound right now, I would be able to tell if it gets dampened).

I really appreciate all the feedback.

 

I have an 04 and it rattles on cold start up also (for about 2 seconds..) Switched to Mobil 1 5-30 and rattle time was slightly reduced but definitely still there...