Mike_TX

Thanks RJM, Henry, Onepointon and Astrotoy. I'm going in for my first oil change in a week or so, and I'm really going to be quizzing the service people on this.

Thing is, synthetic and mineral oil ordinarily can't be mixed, and if the change is made from mineral oil to synthetic, the right thing to do is to flush the system of any residual mineral oil before refilling with synoil. Otherwise, they will cause frothing and foaming. So it's important to now what the heck they're putting in there.

And adding to the confusion, when you google "Genuine Toyota Motor Oil" and read on toyotaownersonline.com, this is the description:

If you believe that, it ain't synthetic! (And it doesn't come in 0-20!)

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onepointon

I have owned two motorcycles brand new. Both of them had their oil changed at 500, 1000 with regular motorcycle oil, then full synthetic at 2500. I ran my bike pretty hard with trackdays and so on. If it was on the street, I was changing it every 2500 miles even with full synthetic, and every other weekend with trackdays. I never really had a problem with switching it over to synthetic as far as foaming goes. They have sight glasses where you can see the top of the oil level. I would check it to make sure the level was correct after running it for a few miles and never saw evidence of this.


Either way, Lexus has definitely made it known that 0w20 synthetic is used in all of the 4.6V8s, so I am confident that whatever is in them from the factory is compatible with that oil. Other wise they wouldnt be offering a 7 years/70,000 mile powertrain warranty. I bet youll be good to go.

I have been debating putting Mobil 1 synthetic in my IS300, but I get the regular stuff for free at work. I have just been changing it every 3,000 miles.

Mike_TX

^ Thanks, Onepointon!

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onepointon

No problem man. Post up what they tell you, I am kind of curious.

WhitBaby

Well, far be it from me to argue with a Texan about oil...but...

The Lexus Parts Counter has the little red containers of the Toyota 0W-20 Synthetic...or so it's marked.

Moblie 1 website also indicates they make 0W-20 Synthetic...they say.



Whit

Mike_TX

Nah, no argument here - just confusion. LOL.

So I left my LS at the dealer this morning for its first oil change and asked about the synthetic v. mineral oil discussion going on here. The service advisor told me (without skipping a beat) that the LS - and all Lexus vehicles - come from the factory with mineral oil (plain old petroleum stuff), and that's what they put back in it.

In fact, this particular dealership uses Mobil oil (not Mobil 1) instead of the "Genuine Toyota Oil" we've discussed.

Hey, I just work here, so I'm just reporting what I was told!

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rjm

Which dealer Mike? That's exactly what they told me at Sewell and Park Place. 5w30........right??

rominl

iTrader: (4)

yeah, mike, so they putting in 5w-30? if so, i say run...

rjm

I hardly think your Lexus engine will blow up if you use 5w30 non-synthetic oil in it and change it according to your manual's schedule. If you prefer synthetic, use it. Just what do you think will happen if you use the Mobil brand of non-synthetic 5w30?

Mike_TX

RJM, it's Park Place Lexus in Grapevine, where I got my car.

Look, I don't know for 100% sure who is right, but my dealer is assuring me NO Lexus vehicle comes from the factory with synthetic oil (and other local dealers are apparently agreeing with that, per RJM's inquiries). As such, I'm not going to insist on synthetic. I figure if the engine manufacturer thinks petroleum oil is fine, that's good enough for me.

For those who want to spend the extra dough to switch to synthetic, I think that's fine. I've run both kinds of lubricant in various cars through the years, and they both get the job done very well. Synoil lets you go longer between changes, but beyond that I don't think it has any real-world advantages, unless you plan on running your car for hundreds of thousands of miles. Which I don't. Mine goes back to Lexus at 45,000 miles tops.

I'll just do the oil changes at the recommended 5,000-mile intervals and take care of my car like I always have. If the mineral oil causes the car to blow up before then, it's Lexus' problem!

(Oh, BTW - 5W30 might be better than 0W30 or 20 or whatever here in hot Texas ... )

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Nospinzone

Bingo!

This is the most definitive, scientific and unbiased test of motor oils, natural and synthetic, that I have ever read.

http://www.xs11.com/stories/croil96.htm

Ed. note: Keep in mind that this test is some 13 years old and motor oils have improved significantly since that time.

rjm

That's a great article and should settle the question. Thanks for posting it.

rominl

iTrader: (4)

i don't know how much of a problem it is, but if 5w-30 is fine (just like the spec for rest of the lexus lineup), why would lexus go through the trouble and specifically spec the 460 engine with 0w-20? it's written everywhere for the 460 setup and i think that's for a reason. it might not have short time issues (and i agree there shouldn't be), but long term? i don't know but i am not willing to try

jlawr

Great discussion on oil guys -- I learned a lot.

Now my question is: what OIL FILTERS are out there that might be better than the OEM filter?

Mike_TX

Okay. I got my car back today, and the oil was refilled with 5W-20 petroleum oil. As previously stated, petroleum oil is what my dealer insists the car comes with from the factory.

On the matter of weight, I have to correct Henry ... below is a scan of the owner's manual page regarding engine oil. It clearly states either 0W-20 or 5W-20 is fine. It does say 0W-20 is preferred, but it references fuel economy and cold-weather starting.

Since Texas, like much of the Southwest, is more prone to excessively HOT weather than cold weather, I can see where 5W-20 is completely satisfactory and appropriate.

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