WhatYaGot

Hi, this is my 1st turbo car and wanted to know if I use Seafoam in the oil 500 miles before the next oil change if it can hurt the turbo. In my IS350 I used it in the oil and fuel and the valves were clean at 220,000 miles (I put a camera in the spark plug opening when changing the plugs.

https://www.clublexus.com/forums/sho...=863849&page=1


I understand the IS350 engine has the direct fuel system vs this one that might be prone to carbon buildup similar to the IS250. I will be using Seafoam for my RC350, but wanted input on the NX. Thanks

ukrkoz

NX has dual injection system. Direct injection into cylinders and 2ry injection into air intake manifold.
If you want to keep intake valves clean, use tank. Then Seafom will be sprayed onto intake valves.
Considering how sensitive turbo bearings aRE TO GOOD LUBRICATION, THOUGH i USE sEAFOM ON ALL CARS WE EVER HAD since 2003, I'd advise against it in oil. Who knows. Better safe than sorry.

jonnyyaa

so you are saying put seafoam in gas tank is best?

toyoman29

I've used it in the gas, seems to do good but I like Redline SI1 for the best fuel cleaner...
I use it every 3-5K

nigel821

iTrader: (2)

I feel like seafoam is nonsense... If Lexus/Toyota recommended using it, it would be in the manual. I cringe when I see people adding it to everything including oil...etc.

It's your vehicle so do as you please, but in EVERY vehicle I've ever owned. German/American/Japanese, 4 cylinder, turbo charged, 8....etc. I've never once had to use a product like this. And I keep cars for a while... IE: 200k miles. Never any issues.


-Nigel

The G Man

I tend to use more mainstream product when adding cleaner to my gas such as Techron. With that said, I would never put any oil additive in my engine on a modern car, the oil spec these days are simply too strict to start blending in additives.

Moisture

Re - Your oil sludge comment...

While I agree that oil sludging mainly has something to do with the design of the engines internals, using a thicker oil weight doesn't have any correlation with an increase of sludge buildup whatsoever. That boils down mainly to what sort of detergents designed to fight this sludge from occuring in the first place, and, how often you are changing your oil. Obviously not changing your oil often enough runs you an increased chance of sludge formation.

The G Man

I stand corrected. Lower viscosity oil breaks down faster at high temperature which can cause oil sludge.

Moisture

Actually I was going to comment about that as well. Especially considering the extremely high temperatures of the oil flowing through the turbo which only accelerates the breakdown.

Lex2000TL

Firstly, oil viscosity is oil resistance to flow. Specific number (0W-20, or -30, etc.) is an indication of oil ability to become thinner when heated.

The first number is indication of oil to flow when it cold, not heated. For example, lower the number, better oil will flow during engine cold start, which is good for engine, as lubrication will start sooner and will be more effective.

However, oil lubrication ability is not directly correlated to oil viscosity. Thin oil can lubricate as well or better that thick oil. It all depends on specific oil qualities and additives in it. Properly engineered oil will lubricate well even when it is heated and becomes more fluid.

Modern synthetic oils are designed to lubricate quite well at different temperatures, flow better and to resist break down under high temperature (these oils have longer molecules vs conventional oils). Oil viscosity is not related to oil resistance to break under high temperature.

Bottom line, do not try to re-engineer your car engine. Many components of modern engines designed and manufactured to tighter tolerances, compare to the past designs, and cannot tolerate thick oils. Toyota engineers spent countless hours to optimize all details of engine and tested that heck of it to select the best oils, etc.

I stick to 0W-20. Below are few links for nightstand reading. 😊

https://bestsyntheticoilguide.com/synthetic/viscosity/

https://www.lubricants.total.com/con...and-oil-grades

https://www.techenomics.net/2014/02/...ts-importance/

https://www.machinerylubrication.com...ity-importance

The G Man

Couple of the biggest driving force behind thinker oil is efficiency and tighter tolerance. Today's engines are build to a tighter tolerance and the thicker oil simply cannot get into some tighter areas. If oil cannot get into those tighter areas, it cannot create a film to protect the engine at start up. Once warmed up, the lack of oil in those tighter spots will cause excessive friction and generate hot spots.

Moisture

The 8AR engine was introduced in 2008. That's hardly modern. I don't think you understand how thin the passageways of the internals would have to be for anything thinner than 10W50 to cause you a problem

Hint - Impossibly thin.

Lex2000TL

Moisture,

I am not trying to be negative and want to be open for new ideas, but since you are advocating that hard for 5W-30 vs factory specified oil, please give one good and data-supported reason why I would want to switch to 5W-30. So far, I see a lot of discussions and opinions but without real data.

Just FYI, my car engine with 45K on odometer burns ZERO oil, measured between oil changes, and using factory specified 0W-20 oil.

Moisture

Let's find an owners manual for any NX300 model anywhere else in the world and see what it has to say.

Lex2000TL

Good idea. This would be interesting. Although, if somewhere in, for example hot Malaysia, the manual does state different oil viscosity, I personally will still use US manual for guidance, as I will not service my car outside of US and Lexus sold in here is under US warranty rules.