http://www.boston.com/cars/news/articles/2007/04/01/carmakers_increase_oil_change_intervals/
In 2004, Toyota (Lexus) reduced the oil change interval from 7500
miles down to 5000 because of engine sludge concerns. Toyota first
blamed the owners forgetting to change oil (don't Lexus have reminder
lights?) and then it's more people driving under severe conditions.
And then the oil change interval got cut by Toyota while others
increased it. What gives?
(I believe Audi, BMW and Mercedes use high specification synthetic
oils (no Group III hydrocracked oils), and they go 10,000-20,000 miles
with no problems.)
<john...@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:3b0c1a87-ea80-4f27...@z24g2000prf.googlegroups.com...
What gives is that Lexus does not specify synthetic oil. If you use
synthetic you can go at least 7500 miles between oil changes, more if
the miles are highway.
20,000 miles between oil changes? No oil filter that I know can last
that long. Have you seen any oil analysis results that indicate 20,000
miles is OK? I haven't. Most 10,000 mile oil analysis results clearly
show the oil is getting dirty but is OK for continued use. The only
guy I know who has a 300,000 mile engine changes his synthetic oil
every 3000 miles. I change my Mobil 1 5W30 every 7500 miles or so and
my 3.0L V6 is still running fine at 215,000 miles.
YMMV
Ray O
(correct punctuation to reply)
Mercedes has 20,000 mile intervals. BMW *only* up to 15,000 miles.
Where have you been hiding all these years?
On May 8, 11:41 am, "Enrique Quijano" <enriquequij...@skynet.be>
wrote:
Wayne
Wayne
The service rep at the local Lexus dealer suggested a 10W-30 synthetic
motor oil. According to recent comments that I've seen in this group,
synthetic oil seems to be the way to go. How much better than regular
oil is synthetic oil? Also, I thought you were supposed to use
different weights of oil in different seasons, but the rep said that
where we are (Houston, Texas), the temperature differences between the
seasons is not that great, so a 10W-30 Kendall bulk oil is OK. The
difference between January and July average temperatures in Houston is
about 32 - 33 degrees Fahrenheit; is this true?
Also, there's one tire with low tread. He said we might need to buy
two tires, depending on the condition of the spare. He said that you
should at least have two tires of the same brand on the same axle of the
car. (We would, of course, be rotating the tires when we replaced the
worn tire.) What difference does this make, as long as they're all the
same size of tire? He also said that if the spare tire is the original
one that came with the car, we should throw it away, because it's worn
out. How can this be true if it's never used? (I do now remember going
to a Discount Tire in 2001; the spare may have been replaced then.)
We generally get a different service rep every time we go to the Lexus
dealership. I guess one reason is that we don't want to wait around.
This is the first time we've spoken to this rep. I get the feeling
that, with the bad economy (even here in Houston), even the Lexus
dealer is starting to try to oversell). Just wanted the group's input
on this. Any advice would be appreciated.
Tony
Sitting in a garage does not put wear and tear on a car's engine, but
driving it only short trips can. Multiple short trips means that the engine
and emissions components do not get completely warmed up and so condensation
collects in the engine oil and exhaust system. The condensate sitting in
the oil does not lubricate like the oil does, and the condensate sitting in
the exhaust will corrode the exhaust. You should take the car for a long
enough ride for the engine to get fully warmed up every month or two.
As far as changing the oil once a year every 3,000 miles, that is OK.
> The service rep at the local Lexus dealer suggested a 10W-30 synthetic
> motor oil. According to recent comments that I've seen in this group,
> synthetic oil seems to be the way to go. How much better than regular
> oil is synthetic oil? Also, I thought you were supposed to use
> different weights of oil in different seasons, but the rep said that
> where we are (Houston, Texas), the temperature differences between the
> seasons is not that great, so a 10W-30 Kendall bulk oil is OK. The
> difference between January and July average temperatures in Houston is
> about 32 - 33 degrees Fahrenheit; is this true?
The oil viscosity recommended by the automaker is listed on the top of the
oil filler cap and in your owner's manual, and that is the weight you should
use. A temperature difference of 30 or 40 degrees Fahrenheit is little
enough that you don't have to worry about different oil viscosity for summer
and winter. Synthetic oil is probably the way to go for your car because of
the infrequent short trips and becasuse the engine doen't have a chance to
warm up each time.
>
> Also, there's one tire with low tread. He said we might need to buy
> two tires, depending on the condition of the spare. He said that you
> should at least have two tires of the same brand on the same axle of the
> car. (We would, of course, be rotating the tires when we replaced the
> worn tire.) What difference does this make, as long as they're all the
> same size of tire? He also said that if the spare tire is the original
> one that came with the car, we should throw it away, because it's worn
> out. How can this be true if it's never used? (I do now remember going
> to a Discount Tire in 2001; the spare may have been replaced then.)
>
The rubber in tires degrades over time, even if it is not used.
www.tirerack.com has an article about tire aging. While there is no
standard for when to take tires out of service in the U.S., the consensus in
Europe and Asia is that unused tires should not be put into service 6 years
after they are made, and tires should be taken out of service after 10
years. By the way, a lot of people speak highly of tirerack as a place to
purchase tires and get information regarding tires
Tires on the same axle, that is, the front or rear, should be matched in
brand, model, and general condition beause variances from left to right can
make the car handle poorly so you generally have to purchase tires at least
in pairs. If the spare is original, replace it with one of the tires you
are replacing.