Another 10k miles and a bit over 13 months since the last oil change - similar to the previous two lab reports, nothing out of the ordinary found. I plan to stick to the 10k OCI! I have attached oil analysis which includes the previous two reports.

 

No surprise. My results were similar to yours after my 10k mile OCI. Moly count is still high which is great. Was this TGMO oil? If so, it's a testament to how it holds up and confirms what many consider to be a top-tier oil. I have settled on 6k mile OCI's.

 

While I doubt I will go too far past 5000 miles as far as OCI's go, I am completely stoked to have TGMO this time around even though they somehow at first put in Kendall dyno in it in spite of the PO using full Synthetic since brand new and very clear instructions about wanting TGMO (which I was told they did not stock) and in lieu of that Mobil 1.

I have no doubt that a 10,000 OCI would be fine with such high quality oil, but with the PO doing a 5000 mile interval and for future resale, I reckon I will go around 6000 miles at most.

 

I have a 09 LS bought new with 120,000 miles my dealer told me Lexus is telling them 10,000 miles is what they should be doing oil changes at.

 

It really is interesting that there is a variance, at least for the 2007-2012's, when it comes to OCI. I have zero doubts that with a quality synthetic, 10,000 miles is both reasonable and of course cost effective.

Our engines really are not that stressed compared to most these days which are turbocharged to the max. Are you guys who are going 10,000 miles using a Toyota/Lexus oil filter?

 

I always use a Toyota filter, but only because the cost is about 6 bucks, which is as cheap or cheaper than a Wix or Mann filter. I would not have an issue with any quality filter media (like Mann).

 

Speaking of oil filters, can someone with ASE background please help me understand the oil filter bypass valve? As I understand it, the bypass prevents starving the engine of oil, in the case that filtration cannot keep up with demand. While the design sounds like there's a benefit, does it also mean oil gets recirculated without being filtered?

I don't have a problem with 10k OCI but my concern has always been whether or not the Toyota filters I use can continue functioning effectively for that long. I don't know if there were any changes to filter technology when manufacturers started recommending extended OCI. I suppose the lab results indicate the filter is still keeping the oil clean. I still do 5k OCI out of an abundance of caution and to buy myself time in case I can't change out the oil that particular weekend or month.

 

I don't know if I'd really consider our engines easy on oil, there's probably six feet of timing chain on these engines that rip through that oil, shearing it. And there's two high pressure fuel pumps run off the cams...the pressure between the pump and cam is probably enormous...leading to more stress/shearing of the oil. The car is direct injected and has cam phasers. Plus there's two camshafts, 32 valves, 8 Pistons...there's a lot of things that work that oil over very good. There's probably a very good reason there's 9.1 quarts needed...it's because that oil is taking a pounding. I agree turbo charged motors are hell on oil, but direct injection is no picnic either. And understand...Toyota engineers know what they're doing, but I think CAFE regulations, and the competition amongst manufacturers to keep maintenance costs down is also playing a roll in the 10,000 mile oil change interval that swept across Toyota's lineup. I personally wouldn't let it go past 7,000 miles, but that's just me. I can tell you though that I know people that own these cars and they think I'm crazy for letting it go past 5,000 miles...high quality synthetic or not.

 

Excellent points and I did not even factor in the timing chain. I was mostly just thinking about the tall gearing during interstate driving and thus low RPM's and it not being forced induction. As I alluded to in a previous post, as the PO did full synthetic every 5000 miles since new, I am going to do the same and actually already have as it was coming up on 5000 miles by the time I got back from Charlotte from Knoxville.

 

Good points on highway rpm.

For the most part I change my oil between 6,000 and 7,500 miles using synthetic (I've never run conventional in this car). Prior to owning this car I never went past 3,000 miles, but with all the new technology in oil, oil life monitors and engines...plus with all the people going longer and longer into oil change intervals....I've changed my intervals and thought process quite a bit. But I still can't bring myself to go 10,000 miles on a timing chain/direct injection car.

 

in all honesty these uz motors can go 20k miles with fully synthetic oil intervals and still purr and produce no sludge yet not recommended.

 

that is very wrong. The 10K interval is pushing it as evidenced by his UOA.

 

I just had my Oil Changed at a Toyota Dealership and they put in Conventional Oil instead of the Full Synthetic I asked for. So, I went back and they said they removed the Conventional and installed the Synthetic and changed the filter. They did it pretty quick. So, I ordered a Blackstone Kit so I'll know if it was really changed out or not. By looking at the reports on here, I can't tell if the report will show if it's Conventional or Synthetic. I'll call Blackstone today and ask that question before I ship off my sample.

 

Blackstone does not have the equipment to do that or the expertise. In another thread on club lexus, they couldn't even tell the wrong viscosity oil was used and claimed "your engine seems to really sheer oil, but there's nothing really wrong with that". They frequently(99% of the time) misguide people.

Shot me a PM and I'll send you a free sample kit, and let's do a side by side comparsion of both Blackstone and a real lab.

 

Really. OK Sounds like a plan. Thanks.