Absolutely Right ! On my MB they recommended brake fluid change every 2 years regardless of mileage, the reason being is that air contains moisture (water) and the fluid is hydrophilic so it absorbs water and we know that water = rust, so we don't want any rust on the precious sensors of the braking system (ABS) if we want it to work properly.

 

Just to add to the conversation, brake fluid is highly hygroscopic, which means the fluid absorbs moisture from the air. When reading your brake fluid specs their are specs for dry and wet boiling points(3.7% moisture). this is the additional component that must be considered when selecting a change interval. If your fluid contains too much water, it will not be as effective in high heat situations such as prolonged or heavy braking. This could create mushy pedal feel or worse, cause the fluid to boil in extreme situations.

I suggest going to wikipedia and reviewing the brake fluid page. In general, I have seen DOT4 recommend 2 year change intervals and DOT3 recommend 3 year intervals for street use (non-racing or track applications). Brake Fluid is dirt cheap, so I would recommend a bleed as recommended, but as others have said - depending on your humidity and driving style you 'could' go the entire life of the car without noticing much difference.

 

 

So a 2017 RX would have Dot-5 brake fluid? Brake fluid change was not recommended at 30,000 on my 2015 Highlander. I was going to have it done at the first brake job.

 

 

There is absolutely nothing wrong with using DOT 3 brake fluid - extremely common, this is not a high performance vehicle, it's just a regular road car and the temperature limits of DOT 3 far exceed what's required. You don't go putting racing tyres on the Lexus for the road , same with the brake fluid.

DOT 5 cannot usually be used in vehicles with ABS and if it is used the brake pedal has a more spongy feel which Lexus may not want. Yes your Harley uses DOT 5 which is a common fluid used in motorcycles and some cars like Hummer. A search of oil company websites for the RX 350 even recommend DOT 3 but say you can use DOT 4 (if you want to line the oil companies pockets even more).

 

GSFRX350. I humbly stand corrected being now better educated by you, and further research, in brake fluids. Thank you. I now know the down side of DOT 5. It was just surprising to me, being uneducated in break fluids as I was at the time, that Lexus would use such an older type of fluid as there was newer "stuff" available. I now know why. I respectfully retract my previous comments about Lexus and their choice of brake fluids. Correct me if I'm wrong (again) that brake fluid in cars used in primarily dry climates would/should need changing much less often than cars in wet and snowy areas. That is Southern California vs. Seattle or Chicago?

 

You can also use DOT 4 in my research I've found: BRAKE FLUID SAE J1703 or FMVSS No. 116 DOT 3 SAE J1704 or FMVSS No. 116 DOT 4

 

Using DOT 4 or DOT 5.1 is safe for any advanced ABS car that comes with DOT3 because they're all usually glycol ether based and compatible. And it's totally unnecessary to use DOT4 or 5.1, especially for a RX. GSFRX350 is definitely right, there's no reason to use DOT 4 unless you have a big brake kit and seriously tracking your car. All Lexus, Infiniti and Acura vehicles use DOT3 fluid. Even a performance car like the Subaru WRX STi uses DOT3 as stock fluid. Using DOT4 fluid requires more brake fluid flushes since it absorbs more moisture.

 

The only difference between DOT 3, 4 & 5.1 is the boiling point of the fluid. For most people DOT 3 or 4 will do well and if you race or rally than 5.1 may be better.

 

Recently purchased a 2018 RX it has 48mo of service with 24K miles. Which maintenance schedule should by followed milage or months of service? Thank you all for your consensus and help. PDM64

 

Generally the months or miles issue is do the maintenance when one or the other occurs first according to the maintenance schedule.

I suspect you have a typo on your description of a 2018 with 48 months service.

When did it enter service (was sold new)? 48 months is 4 years. It is barely 2019. How can a 2018 model been sold 4 years ago (January 2015)?

Regarding service I would change the oil, engine air filter, cabin air filter, flush brake fluid, check & rotate tires, inspect and maybe service brakes, check alignment, battery etc. Basically conduct your typical safety check that any good auto repair shop can do. Or your local dealer as you do have a warranty.

Where did you get it from? What warranty did they give you?

Almost all used car sales places do change the oil prior to sale. Some also change the engine air filter, but almost nobody looks at the cabin air filter, which is easy to access through the glove box. Look on youtube.

 

Maintenance with just about any make is whichever comes first. Even without accumulating mileage things like fluids, rubber, etc age and need to be serviced.

Don't rely on consensus. Refer to your maintenance schedule. If you don't have a copy you can get it via the Lexus Drivers site:
https://drivers.lexus.com

...and in it you'll find something like this:

 

Thanks Clutchess,
Yes it was a typo. 2015 is correct and it was a single owner lease. We have the carfax report. The oil was just changed we purchased at a local used car dealer and have a 4 month 5K dealer warranty. We will check over the filters and all your suggested items and start at the 48mo schedule.

Thanks again.
PDM64

 

Hi there,
I know there's a lot of posts on this forum already and I apologize, but I'm just wondering what you guys think about performing the Service #2 of my 2016 RX 350 by myself.

I got a few quotes from my local dealerships. The Lexus dealership is looking to charge me $390 CDN before taxes. Surpisingly, my local Toyota dealership is looking to charge me around the same, which came as a bit of a shock to me since all the posts I've read on this forum mentioned a Toyota dealership charging less. For the record, I live in Western Canada.

I don't think that $390 is too expensive or anything for service, but considering how they recommend service every 8000k, it's not exactly cheap either. On top of that, with the whole pandemic situation going on right now, it's just more comfortable for me to stay home and do it myself. I know there's a lot of comments though about not having it in record with Lexus, and being bad for resale, etc. etc.

Just wondering on your general thoughts. It's the first Lexus that I've owned and I want to take good care of it.