DDLexus

"If you can do your own oil change, simply keep the store receipt for oil and filter in lieu of maintenance record." - HarrierAWD

According to my dealer, Lexus requires at least 1 oil change receipt PER YEAR from a reputable oil change shop. So, saving your receipts for oil and filters will not support the cause. The dealer recommended that I take the car, and possbily oil/filter to an oil change place for documentation purposes only.

My dealer has informed me that the parts have just arrived last week. The car sat over there for one week, parts have been there for another week, and now they're building the engine. I hope to get it back next week.

I'll varify if this repair was covered under the sludge campaign or normal 4yr/50k warranty.

Fern

thats why I use synthetic oil which eliminates the possibility of sludge..

Damb dinosaur oil...

TunedRX300

If you neglect changing oil, syn oil helps but not much. Having said that, I don't recall any RX with syn oil that has a sludge problem.

mmahamm

I don't think that's right. I'm pretty sure I read that if you change your own oil, and can produce documentation that shows you have done it according to the maintenance schedule, they will cover it.

Plus, I hesitate to put my car in the hands of a "reputable" oil change shop. It is impossible to tell who is doing the job right. I have heard nightmares I have heard, about over-tightening filters, not changing filters when they are hard to get to (like in our Lexus), using the wrong filter, using the wrong grade of oil, stripping the drain plug, leaving the old gasket on and losing all the oil... the list goes on.

I want the job done right. If you want a job done right...

DDLexus

mmahamm,
I completely agree with you about doing the work yourself. I've bought nothing but Mobile1 from Sams and Genuine Toyota Parts from IronToad. I know what I'm doing, but there is no way to document when the oil is changed. The dealer tells me that there must be a receipt from the oil change shop that provides the date, milage, and vehicle information. Without this information, proving an oil change was done is your word against Lexus/Toyota. If push comes to shove, I think they'd probably give in. However, rebuilding an engine and replacing parts is expensive to them. I'd ask your dealer and get the requirements in writing.

If I can ever get my dealer to call me back, maybe I can have then do this for me. Since this will be my 1st and only engine replacement (per Lexus' decision), I guess engine sludge and oil change receipts are useless. For the others that want to ensure they can have their car repaired if sludge affectst their RX, get & save oil change receipts.

HarrierAWD

I think that's dealer BS. You may want to contact Lexus Customer Service to verify your dealer's bogus claim. Receipt for oil and filter should be enough. What else can a person do with motor oil? Use it for cooking salmon? Anyway, hope you'll get your RX back soon.

Very cute dog by the way. We don't let our Maltese do that. He'd jump out of the window!

DDLexus

Here are a few pictures from my latest visit to the dealer. This is how my RX looks after 3.5 weeks since I dropped it off.

TunedRX300

Do you have a picture that captures inside walls of cylinders?

DDLexus

Nope, no photo... but i looked at them and they were ULGY. I was supprised how dirty and pitted they appeared. I'm not an engine specialist, but I'm thinking the sludged oil helped deteriorate the cylinder walls. I've has cars with 150k miles on them that looked better than this one.

Do you agree the oil caused the cylinder destruction? Is this why the car smoked?

parula

Tuned, I'm not trying to pick nits at all but why do you seem to believe the syn helps but not much ?

TunedRX300

synthetic oil is superior to dyno oil because it can last longer. But it does not last forever, if the owner does not change oil after first two freebies provided by Lexus, dirty oil will clogg up oil filter and evetually build up harmful deposit in the engine.

mmahamm

The key thing is that Synthetic oil can endure higher temperatures without breaking down. That is the key, because sludge happens when the oil gets too hot.

TunedRX300

Flash point on Mobil 1 is 40-45 degree higher than dyno, but the ash content is significantly higher. In another word, if the temperature of the engine > synthetic oil's flash point, you have more residue left when the oil is burned.
Synthetic is not a magic oil that lasts forever, I don't see anyone claiming that there is no need to change oil if synethic is used.

DDLexus

I received my 2002 RX300 yesterday. The dealer told me that the parts and labor for this job was around $10k. But it cost the dealer only about $6k. According to the receipts, my 2002 RX was covered under SLUDGE warranty. The parts and labor will be warrantyed for 1 yr , but the factory warranty on drivetrain extends the coverage to 2 yrs and 20k miles.

The engine has more power and appears more responsive. I was informed that with regular oil changes, 5 k miles or less, I shouldn't see this problem again. I'll probably sell the car in 2-3 years, so I don't care how much sludge builds up. With routine maintenence, I anticipate the car will be fine.

Hope you enjoyed this thread. I enjoyed providing this to you.

TunedRX300

Good to hear that it worked out. But keep an eye for transmission, change your ATF. If previous owner did not change engine oil, chances are ATF were never changed. RX's tranny has heat up issue that burns ATF, check your ATF's color.