Car Care Nut on why most people need 5k mile or 6 month oil changes
#91
Lexus Champion
I'll let y'all know if my garage ever shows any leaks. Not switching to synthetic. Wouldn't worry about it if I did.
Not a drip so far on the garage floor. This car is old but I still don't ever expect any engine trouble for as long as I have it. There are no common major engine issues, just valve cover gaskets that leak. That's about it.
Not a drip so far on the garage floor. This car is old but I still don't ever expect any engine trouble for as long as I have it. There are no common major engine issues, just valve cover gaskets that leak. That's about it.
#92
Lexus Fanatic
A few oil leaks on an old car aren't "engine trouble".
Which is, an engine oil leak!
There are no common major engine issues, just valve cover gaskets that leak. That's about it.
#93
Lexus Fanatic
iTrader: (1)
speaking of oil changes $25 rebate on pennzoil when you buy two 5qt jugs. 2 rebates per household
https://slickdeals.net/f/15624634-2022-pennzoil-platinum-rewards-promotion
https://slickdeals.net/f/15624634-2022-pennzoil-platinum-rewards-promotion
#94
Lexus Champion
iTrader: (3)
But they can lead to engine trouble, depending on the engine design. A bad cam/crank seal leaking even a slight amount of oil, splashing it onto the timing belt, and associated gears and pulleys, will cause trouble.
On the 3UZ in particular, valve cover gaskets are very simple to replace.
On the 3UZ in particular, valve cover gaskets are very simple to replace.
#95
Lexus Fanatic
On the 3UZ in particular, valve cover gaskets are very simple to replace.
#97
Lexus Champion
I know. There’s no engine trouble at all. The UZ V8s are indestructible. Valve cover gaskets yes, but as pointed out are easy to replace. Hardly a Jaguar or BMW leak. That’s the biggest issue they have that I know of.
#99
Lexus Fanatic
On my old 2003 ES300 we made the conscious decision not to replace the timing belt. The car is rarely driven, and the cost of replacing the best basically totals the car.
#100
#101
Lexus Champion
Well...it will. If there are no leaks and then there are leaks, then it has created a leak. Whether the leak "was there" and the oil just couldn't get through it or whatever, the reality is you have a leak where you didn't have one before, and likely would not have one if you hadn't switched to synthetic.
Last edited by Striker223; 02-21-22 at 08:26 AM.
#102
Lexus Fanatic
You are wrong on this. If a car only has wet seals and seepage with conventional and then gets noticeable leaks synth is not to blame for that. It just flows better and revealed the leaks more clearly to people who don't pull the belt covers and check or run their hand along the bottom of the VC rail. A seep or wetness is a leak, just because it doesn't hit the ground doesn't mean it's not leaking
You live in this world where everybody is constantly looking under the hoods of their cars and pulling covers etc, and thats not reality. I have a 2003 ES300 with 220k miles on it. It has all kinds of seeping oil leaks...I have no intention of fixing any of them, there is no reason to. If I switched to synthetic oil, likely I would have a bunch of active leaks staining the driveway I would HAVE to fix. Why would I do that?!
#103
Lexus Champion
There is this funny meme I shared a few weeks back on FB that said "20 year old car to me" and it showed a 1989ish Taurus. Below that it said "20 year old car in reality" and showed a 2002 Altima SE. Ouch.
4.3 is as indestructible as a gas engine can get, I would posit that for sure.
#105
Lexus Fanatic
If people don't stay on top of maintenance (which is nothing on LS430 even including TB) and the car acts up, that's their problem. Doesn't speak to the reliability of these engines at all. I can't recall ONE single engine failure on here not from a snapped belt, and even a snapped belt I've read about maybe twice on here in a decade? Yeah, they're old but still. 4.3 was a beast, insanely overbuilt and under stressed.
4.3 is as indestructible as a gas engine can get, I would posit that for sure.
4.3 is as indestructible as a gas engine can get, I would posit that for sure.
Its a hard sell to put $1,500 worth of preventative maintenance into a car that might be worth $1,500.