01 UL Oil Change
#1
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01 UL Oil Change
Tired of giving the dealership $75 to change the oil. Is it the same as a standard oil change. I change the oil on my Moms Chevy all the time.... Can the filtre be accessed from the bottom of the car? How many quarts generally go in with a filter change?
#2
With filter I think the manual says 4.6 quarts with the oil cooler 4.8 or something like that, the dipstick reads a little lower at least it does on mine, I think on mine it was about 5 quarts to have it on the full side, I usually buy the case of Mobil 1 which is 6 quarts. As long as you don't over fill it by more than a half quart you should be fine.
#3
Do you want to fill to "full" line, or to the middle of the hash between low and full. To the middle, with filter change is 5 quarts. Add .5 qts to the full. I'm a daredevil, since the car is not leaking oil, I use a 5 qt. jug full.
Mobil 1 5w30 at WalMart is $25 for 5 qt. jug, OEM filter at Irontoad.com is $5, drain plug $1, so about $34 incl. tax and you're done. Can't beat that price anywhere for the parts.
As for procedure, I do not know any car that is not just "drain", remove filter, replace filter, fill and done. Only the drain part is different. On the LS430, you drain from the pan on bottom of engine by removing the drain plug. I know on some European vehicles, you "drain" by using suction through the filler tube. The LS430 bottom is fully covered like on the top, with plastic covers. Where the engine drain and filter are, is a "door" you can open. Once opened, you'll see the plug and the filter immediately. The filter sides right in the front, sitting sideways.
Anyway, easy job using either a floor jack (with jack stands) or a drive up ramp. I use a ramp, so it's on, done, off in about 30 minutes. I let it drain like 20 minutes, but if you just let if drain until it a trickle, then you'll be done in 10 minutes total.
Good luck... you'll enjoy the job well done.
Mobil 1 5w30 at WalMart is $25 for 5 qt. jug, OEM filter at Irontoad.com is $5, drain plug $1, so about $34 incl. tax and you're done. Can't beat that price anywhere for the parts.
As for procedure, I do not know any car that is not just "drain", remove filter, replace filter, fill and done. Only the drain part is different. On the LS430, you drain from the pan on bottom of engine by removing the drain plug. I know on some European vehicles, you "drain" by using suction through the filler tube. The LS430 bottom is fully covered like on the top, with plastic covers. Where the engine drain and filter are, is a "door" you can open. Once opened, you'll see the plug and the filter immediately. The filter sides right in the front, sitting sideways.
Anyway, easy job using either a floor jack (with jack stands) or a drive up ramp. I use a ramp, so it's on, done, off in about 30 minutes. I let it drain like 20 minutes, but if you just let if drain until it a trickle, then you'll be done in 10 minutes total.
Good luck... you'll enjoy the job well done.
#5
Don't think so. I think it's more of a personal choice. You can probably get about 5,000-7,500 out of synthetic where as you get 3,000-5,000 out of conventional. I have always just used conventional oil and got it done at a local Firestone usually for around $20.
#6
I say
synthetic with 5 quarts or less no more than 4000 mi
conventional with 5 quarts or less no more than 3000 mi
I also live outside of DC where there is a lot of stop and go traffic, if you were doing nothing but Highway driving at a constant 70mph then you could extend the mileage. You could also have a company analyze your oil at various points during your next oil change interval to find out when saturation happens for your driving/oil/vehicle and adjust accordingly, synthetic is better able to trap the contaminants and doesn't get as dirty as fast.
Also if you change it a little more frequently it might clean out due to the detergents in the oil some of the accumulated minor sludge in the engine from the previous owners.
And not to bust on Firestone but all those $20 oil changes regardless of where you go use generic filters and Bulk Conventional Oil which is sometimes even recycled oil or even the wrong weight for your car depending on what it takes, I wouldn't go much more than 2000-2500 miles on their oil and filter.
#7
Since my nearest Lexus dealer is a 250 mile trip. I asked the service tech if it would be ok for Toyota to do the 5000 mile changes and still be in warranty coverage. He told me it is fine, but that the 15,000 mile intervals should be done at the Lexus shop. My 30k service this week cost $559. Pretty high, but as I just bought the '06 LS430 I wanted to have everything checked out. He also told me that they use the synthetic oil blend. As a side note, I did get a free car wash and vacuum. LOL
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#10
I don't ever remember reading it, but has it even been scientifically proven that synthetic oil actually "lasts" longer in terms of protecting in the engine than conventional. I know it lubricates better, but doesn't after x-miles the two contain the same amount of contaminants and such? I think the "myth" of synthetic being able to last longer stems from that it's more expensive, so either users or the manufacturers have let the myth continue so that people will invest in synthetic because the "extra time" they can use it will offset the additional cost.
Personally for me, I change my oil at 4000 miles, no more than 4500.
Personally for me, I change my oil at 4000 miles, no more than 4500.
#11
I'm no oil expert but short drives that don't get the car up to temp is the reason why old schoolers say 3 months or 3000 miles, but synthetics have changed that a bit they can go longer because of the synthetics suspension ability.
#12
They both start off as 5 weight oil, the 20 has less viscosity improvers then the 30, the viscosity improvers change the behaviour when the 5 weight gets hot, it makes the 5 weight flow like a straight 20 or 30 weight would when hot. So if your cars recommendation is 30 stick with 30 because when it is hot it will flow like a thicker oil at temp and provide better protection for a hot engine.
#13
I don't ever remember reading it, but has it even been scientifically proven that synthetic oil actually "lasts" longer in terms of protecting in the engine than conventional. I know it lubricates better, but doesn't after x-miles the two contain the same amount of contaminants and such?
#14
I bought my car used. I switched it to Mobil One synthetic and the Mobil Synthetic oil filter. The Mobil filter filters out smaller particles than the OEM. When I first switched to Mobil One I changed the oil every 3,000 miles for the first two changes. Now I do it every 5,000. By the second change the oil was coming out very clear. I am sure I am doing overkill but that's just my sickness. A Mobil tech once told me if you don't put many miles on a car be sure you are changing the oil every 6 months due to moisture. I put enough miles on a car I don't have to live by the 6 month rule. Since changing to Mobil One my car's gas mileage has improved by 3 mpg on average.
I find my 06 LS to be one of the easiest cars to change the oil that I have ever owned.
I find my 06 LS to be one of the easiest cars to change the oil that I have ever owned.
#15
Filter
With that said... not all Lexus are build the same, the RX300's filter is located in the cr*ppiest position, where when the engine is hot, you really can't change the filter.