SW17LS

According to Lexus' maintenance schedule, it is overkill. The schedule calls for oil changes every 10k miles or 12 months. He's doing oil changes twice as frequently as is specified.

Now with that said...I do the same thing, every 5k miles but its likely overkill too.

IMHO, if you're going to keep the car a long time best to change it more frequently. As LS460s get old there are some fairly widespread instances of oil consumption, and many feel thats due to stretched out oil change intervals.

mikaelse

Does anybody have anything to back up the 6 months idea. I normally do 1 year or 7000 miles on high revving 2 liter turbo machines that really wear on oil.
Manufacturer allows even longer. Easily 10k miles.
I do all my own servicing for the last 40 years and normally drive my cars until 20 year old. Dirty oil is not what takes them. Never happened.
rust and generally failing gadgets like central lock that bunch up , AC and the like is what breaks.
I do get a good feeling doing the 1year or 7000 miles also on the LS400 V8 but it does feel like overkill.
Especially the time thing. Probably 1,5 years or 7000 miles would be fine too if you drive with some long trips. I use Synthetic 5W30.

Johnhw2

I missed the oll change interval is 12 not 6 months. What a dealer told me is that there are other things they check every 6 months so like to see the car even when it is not due for an oil change. I sense that the old approach of there is a big expensive service t either 30k or 40k and again at say 60k is to do some of the system changes like the brake flush and cabin filter change as were recommended to me at this oil change service visit. This approach avoids the big ticket major service at these longer intervals and spreads if not accelerates their revenue from services over the interval between these big services as we use to see?

Seems to me also these high tech complex machines need more maintenance these days compared to those days of old.. which makes sense to me. One of my local dealers built a monster new facility and seems highly agitated when I do not have them do my routine service needs. But honestly these huge stores take longer to get things done, even as simple as returning the car to you to depart after all is done and you have paid. I experienced most of my sevice at a much smaller Infiniti dealer in Houston where I worked most of my energy industry career.and I prefer that set up when I knew the owner and his son and all the management team and most of the techs. When I got the party line on things could ask if that is what they would do f they were me, and got a straight forward answer

comotiger

Hi John,
You can definitely save some money by staying away from the dealer for the routine stuff. Sure, you may want to do the occasional 60K or 90K service at the dealership (like I do), but they charge really steep prices for parts and labor. You can change cabin filters etc (instructions in the owners manual) for a fraction of the cost charged by the dealer. Your indy guy can certainly do the multipoint safety inspections. They may not have the fancy check list that the dealers have, but perhaps, one can find a similar check list online and print off for the indy shop to check off.

I am also planning to keep my 2014 for a long time

Johnhw2

I did the OKC up and back trip to the funeral today. I swear this car feels like it accelerates harder easier than it use to. I ended up going up early this morning and coming back after noon and hit a lot of traffic. But this thing just feels stronger and pepier when I push it hard to get around some slow drivers in the left hand lane and blocking traffic with as the right lane was backed up good coming back.

I enjoyed it more today than on any short road trip. Wife did not end up going so I could push things a little harder and loved it.

Very very happy with this LS

sha4000

iTrader: (1)

My kind of driver.

DriverSS

That sounds like Adi Glatzs' place. Richardson Import? If so he is a great old gear head from way back. If not, go see them too.

DriverSS

Several things to consider, every service you have done is a opportunity for someone to mess up your Lexus or for the new part to have a 'issue'. So if doing oil changes at 2 or 3 times more often than required you are increasing your exposure unnecessarily. Also Brake Flushes... unless you are running a silicon based fluid there is ZERO reason to do them any more often than specified in the owners manual. It's a closed system. Once every 4 yrs/100K or so is more than enough. And don't run silicon DOT5 fluid on a street car. EVER.

Yes, I'm a old mechanic, also a Service Advisor at one point. Didn't last as a advisor because I refused to sell people flushes (trans, brake, coolant...) and **** they simply didn't need. If you follow normal services per your manual and still someone starts pulling fluid samples and showing you dirty fluid while still sitting on the service drive run as fast as you can... Its most likely a scam.

Johnhw2

No, its McConnell on Parker just east of K ave. He is a crusty bear of a guy with a huge dog that barks behind the counter but he is super competent. He is not far from me so sticking with him.

Also interesting post of flushes. I am at 4 years but 42k miles with my recent road trip. Sewell told me it looked like it needed replacing a week ago. Found I can get Davenport do it for less than half of Lexus dealer price and going to check my independent guy this week but this idea of not messing with things that are not broke makes sense to me as the human factor fiddling with things can expose one to errors. If you had my vehicle when would you do the brake flush? 100k miles even if its 8 years or so?

703

SW17LS

I don't care about the environment, but thanks.

Oliver Enterprises

Not thread related, a lot of good info in the thread. I just have to mention that every time I scan by the topics and read "Learned something today from two dealers" my mind IMMEDIATELY thinks, "...impossible."

Johnhw2

I was surprised as OP to learn from them too. The one nearest me built a huge new facility and then beats me up for buying a car there and not having them do all the service there. The last treatment insures I will drive 15 miles to Sewell rather than go just four miles to these guys. They are acting a little paniced by my decision to use an Independent shop..

I am not a fan of the big dealer facilities they are too slow to do anything and of course have to get paid a lot fo pay for those huge facilities and staff. One has to wait for the car to show up once they tell you it is ready, then they may hvae it parked bocked behind other cars ready to do. Slow process for sure.

Back to topic maybe I can get away with this off topic post too as the OP lol,.

Tec80

The main reason why I change the oil every 5k is to avoid something that is very difficult to fix once it starts: sludge and deposit formation. I buy 5qt jugs of 0W20 M1 at Walmart or Meijer for $24, and a 10-pack of Toyota filters that are $4.50 each, so each oil change costs less than $55.

Filter link:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/04152-YZZA5...72.m2749.l2649

writes123

I'm not as concerned about sludge or deposits as I am about the seals and other wear and tear items with older and higher millage cars. Previous owners did regular full syn TGMO every 5k miles but at 120k, leaky spark plug tube seals and valve cover gasket. If I paid 100+ per oil change, I might extend mine from the normal 5k interval but Full Syn oil change can be had for as little as $35 and change if you use Walmart Supertech HM and a OEM filter. An even easier decision.