pre

I don't know if Lexus uses synthetic oil or not. Often, on cars that require a change of oil at 1000 miles, the original oil is a 'running-in oil', and requires that amount of distance to do its job. I am of the opinion that unused oil in a crankcase does not really deteriorate, and, accordingly, though I am buying a car received by the dealership in Jun 2008 (we are now Jan/Feb 09), I do not plan to ask for the oil to be changed. IMHO, particularly if synthetic oil is used, the time between oil changes can be extended to a year (though I still stay within the 5000 mile use). But I believe I am in a minority position here, the general opinion being 'can't hurt to change your oil, so do it frequently'. I was brought up hating waste. When I had the RX oil changed at the dealership, I confirmed they used standard dino 5W30 and an OEM filter. I didn't ask specifically, but synthetic likely would have resulted in additional costs. Then I will probably bring the RX into the dealership at, say 1,200 miles instead of the 1,000, request an oil change - to synthetic - and then go the rest of the time to 5,000 miles. In my case, because I drive each of my cars so little, this could take another 9 months or so, and I am more comfortable in the durability (time-wise) of synthetic vs. dino. Thanks for letting me/us know. I'm not going to steer the thread in a synthetic versus dino controversy, but in general, most proponents of synthetic recommend letting the engine break-in for the first 10,000-20,000 miles with the original dino oil, as-is by the factory, before making the switch. Those curious for specifics can google further, but it seems to be the general consensus to wait a bit. I don't know if this applies to all engines, or just older designs, excluding the Toyota/Lexus 2GR-FE that's in our vehicles, but just FYI...

I don't know if Lexus uses synthetic oil or not. Often, on cars that require a change of oil at 1000 miles, the original oil is a 'running-in oil', and requires that amount of distance to do its job. I am of the opinion that unused oil in a crankcase does not really deteriorate, and, accordingly, though I am buying a car received by the dealership in Jun 2008 (we are now Jan/Feb 09), I do not plan to ask for the oil to be changed. IMHO, particularly if synthetic oil is used, the time between oil changes can be extended to a year (though I still stay within the 5000 mile use). But I believe I am in a minority position here, the general opinion being 'can't hurt to change your oil, so do it frequently'. I was brought up hating waste. When I had the RX oil changed at the dealership, I confirmed they used standard dino 5W30 and an OEM filter. I didn't ask specifically, but synthetic likely would have resulted in additional costs.

Thanks a lot for the great post and pictures IS250_rookie! May I ask why the Wix 57047 filter wouldn't work? According to other posts, the RX350 (07+) and the 2IS are interchangeable as far as filters go, plus the Wix website lists the 57047 for both vehicles. Was the Toyota a different size from the Wix, as far as you can tell? Thanks for any input you may have on this subject, as I'm looking to do a bulk order and wanted to explore my options.