hey all,

just got a new rx300 for the wife. great car.

couple of q's for the resident experts:

how significant is the 1000 mile break in period with
regard to the "stay under 55mph" statement.

does lexus use/recommend the full synthetic oil or regular.




look forward to learning and sharing info with you guys.
thanks
B
no. calif,

I moved it cuz more ppl will help you if your thread was locatedi n the maintenance forum. Good luck.

 

....while I agree you should not overly stress your new engine by going too fast initially, you can go over 55. In fact, your engine is turning slower when cruising in overdrive at 55 than it was when you were accelerating up to that point.

What is MUCH more important to keep in mind during the break-in period is to VARY YOUR ENGINE SPEED. Do not cruise at any one speed for prolonged periods. At different speeds, your engine is subjected to differing stresses- it is important that it experiences all of these stresses, so that it "wears in" evenly. I hope that makes sense- there might be a better way to phrase it but I hope you get the idea.

 

As I recall, the other breakin admonition is not to exceed 4000 rpm. This, of course, represents, about 90+ mph in 4th. RPM will be more important to the engine breakin than absolute speed numbers.

Lexus does not specify dino juice vs syn. They allow either. Have used M1 in my Lexi, allowed wifey to put in whatever the Lexus dealership has stocked with hers (tho I'm about to switch her to M1 also).

Congratulations on your Lex. Allow me to suggest replacement of the factory Goodyear or Bridgestone rubber with Michelin CrossTerrains. Your steering feel and handling will be markedly improved w/o any decrease in comfort or increase in tire noise, despite the much more aggressive tread pattern.

 

Yeah, congrats..... With the Break-in... JUst don't drive real crazy and heavy footed.... Lexus just told me that drive it out for about 500 miles then I can do what ever I wanted to do with it... They already might have the engines broken in somehow??...???

 

To add to the above: Don't break too hard also, try not to do emergency stop at all...

As for synthetic oil, I don't see it as being a problem...

A Hui Ho

 

Most automobile manufacturers run their engines on a dyno before installing them in their cars so they're already somewhat broken in ( GM used to use natural gas for this process years ago ). Just vary the engine speeds during the first 500 miles as everyone said ( if U have to, drive in different gears to achieve these engine speeds ). Lexus uses conventional oil as factory fill & there's been quite a debate over the use of synthetics ( everyone knows where I & most Members stand on that issue ). Bottom line is that using syns WILL NOT void your warranty - even checked with an attorney friend who deals with corporate law pertaining to the automotive industry & he says it's OK based on the paperwork he's read from the owner's manual. I'd switch right after the 500 mile mark if U plan on using synthetics. Never too soon for extra precaution!

 

No matter how long you decided to break in your engine. It's good insurance to change your oil & filter prematurely and frequently to drain metal particulates which tend to be high during the break-in period.

These are my oil & filter change intervals: 500 miles, 1500 miles, and 3500 miles on the odometer. Use high quality dino oils (non-synthetic) to cut down on the costs. Use synthetic thereafter and pick an oil change interval to your heart's content.

Most of all...Enjoy the new ride!

 

The "change oil at 1000 miles to flush the metal shavings" approach is one of the more hotly-debated issues out there. I have a 1980's book called "How to make your car last (almost) forever", and the author quoted a few owner's manuals that recommended an early oil change. But since then, all manuals have dropped that requirement.

My question is, shouldn't the oil filter be trapping those metal particulates?

 

Perry - Yes, the oil filter will pick up most of the metal BUT remember that the first 500-1000 miles is where the engine parts are wearing the most ( clearances R loosing & taking set, etc ) just as Hyper said. So it won't hurt to make a oil & filter change @ 1k. Just remember that past that point most of the wear occurs in the first morning startup because the oil's still down in the pan. This is where synthetics shine - their pumpability is measurably better ( especially for those of ya in cold climates ). The sooner U get lubrication to the rings, valve seals, etc, the better for engine longevity. To offset the higher cost of the syn, change both the oil & filter; drive 5k & change ONLY the filter; then go another 5k at which point U change the both the oil & filter & start the sequence again. The oil's good for 25k ( in theory ) provided U keep it clean; thus, the reason for a filter change at every 5k. I'd recommend the Mobil 1 filter as well as their oil but the choice is yours. Just stay away from Fram - there was a great thread a few months ago which rated oil filters & the Fram filters were near the bottom of the pack!:eek:

 

True that oil filter will pickup metal particles. Filtration stops when the filter is sufficiently clogged up and the bypass valve opens. When this occurs, you have no filtration and any particles that are loosely bind to the oil filter may dislodge and circulate freely. :eek:
Changing oil & filter prematurely the first few thousands miles is a cheap insurance against clogged filter.

 

thanks for the input! its pretty consistant to what i have been hearing.

btw-
i know what the dealer "says" about voiding your warranty but
they would have to prove that your "choice" in oil/filters was
the cause of the problem to actually void covered services.
...very hard to do.
they of course want you to buy service/parts from them.
vw/audi do the same think but admit as much to me when pushed.

follow up Q:

VW recommeneds a special filter with a "anti drainback valve"
which keeps a portion of the juice in the engine upon startup.

anybody know anything about these. when i look at the regular
vs. anti dv types they look the same?

--
thanks
B

 

Congrats on the new truck and I hope all goes well with it.. if you have any Q's feel free to post...

 

Actually, anti-drainback valve is designed to keep some oil inside the filter. The valve is hidden in the back of the filter in many anti drainback oil filter designs so you cannot see it.