strindl Posted February 20, 2005 Share Posted February 20, 2005 OK, I'm confused. I took my GX in to my Lexus dealer for it's first oil change. That first one is paid for by Lexus, but I wanted to use Mobil One oil instead of the oil they normally use, so I brought in my own. I looked in the owners manual before hand, and it states that the capacity is 6.5 quarts with a filter, so I brought in seven one quart bottles. As I was sitting in the waiting room, the service writer comes in and says that I didn't bring enough oil and that it takes 7.5 quarts with a filter. I mentioned what the owners manual said, and he just shrugged. I ended up getting charged 8 bucks for an extra quart of Mobil One Oil, but something just seems fishy to me about the whole thing. Is the owners manual wrong and it really takes 7.5 quarts, or was my service writer hosing me? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Capirato Posted February 20, 2005 Share Posted February 20, 2005 I ended up getting charged 8 bucks for an extra quart of Mobil One Oil, but something just seems fishy to me about the whole thing. Is the owners manual wrong and it really takes 7.5 quarts, or was my service writer hosing me? ← Oil Capacity should not be over 7 quarts Max. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dbw Posted February 20, 2005 Share Posted February 20, 2005 I ended up getting charged 8 bucks for an extra quart of Mobil One Oil, but something just seems fishy to me about the whole thing. Is the owners manual wrong and it really takes 7.5 quarts, or was my service writer hosing me? ← Oil Capacity should not be over 7 quarts Max. ← I had an Avalon several years ago and every time I had the oil changed at the dealer, they added an extra quart of oil. And every time, I made them remove the charge. Turned out it was policy of the parts department to do this on every oil change. I told the GM that the practice sucked, but he said parts runs their own operation. Seems like your Lexus dealer has decided to tap into the new "profit center". Part of the reason I'am driving a Lexus instead of a 4runner is that experience. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VGR Posted February 20, 2005 Share Posted February 20, 2005 For 100 years the owners manuals of virtually every car in the world have told the public that the oil dipstick is the ultimate authority about how much oil to add and they have also warned against filling above the "FULL" mark yet most owners do it anyway because they go by "oil capacity" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
monarch Posted February 20, 2005 Share Posted February 20, 2005 Lexus dealers are run by Americans and there's nothing corporate Lexus can do to force us Americans to be honest and ethical; i.e. force American dealerships not to overfill the engine with oil. In all the cases I have seen, the actual amount of oil a Toyota / Lexus needs is 1/2 to 1 quart LESS than the oil capacity figure shown in the owners manual. So in your case if the owners manual says 7.5 quarts, the actual amount needed to bring the oil level up to the full mark is likely only 6.5 quarts or less. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ArmyofOne Posted February 21, 2005 Share Posted February 21, 2005 Lexus dealers are run by Americans and there's nothing corporate Lexus can do to force us Americans to be honest and ethical; i.e. force American dealerships not to overfill the engine with oil.In all the cases I have seen, the actual amount of oil a Toyota / Lexus needs is 1/2 to 1 quart LESS than the oil capacity figure shown in the owners manual. So in your case if the owners manual says 7.5 quarts, the actual amount needed to bring the oil level up to the full mark is likely only 6.5 quarts or less. ← Ah! he speaks the truth! finally we agree on something. LOL when i bought my car it was a little below the add line, still working fine. i keep it full all the time now, but it wasnt when it was delivered to me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
strindl Posted February 21, 2005 Author Share Posted February 21, 2005 In all the cases I have seen, the actual amount of oil a Toyota / Lexus needs is 1/2 to 1 quart LESS than the oil capacity figure shown in the owners manual. So in your case if the owners manual says 7.5 quarts, the actual amount needed to bring the oil level up to the full mark is likely only 6.5 quarts or less. ← The owners manual states 6.5 quarts with the filter. It was my dealer who was insisting it was 7.5. I checked my dipstick after I got home, and it's right at the full mark. I still have no idea how much they really put in to get it to the full mark though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
strindl Posted April 5, 2006 Author Share Posted April 5, 2006 Ok..it happened again. I had my oil changed at my Lexus dealer again today, and brought in 7 new quart bottles of Mobil One oil. They said it took 7.3 quarts. My owners manual states it takes 6.5 quarts WITH filter. In between the two oil changes that I had my dealer do, I had the oil changed twice by a local oil change shop. Both of those times I also brought in my own Mobil one, and each time , it was full with 6.5 quarts. NOT the 7.3 that my Lexus dealer keeps insisting on. This is nuts...I discussed it with my service advisor at the dealership, and he just insists the owners manual is wrong, but has no explanation for my eperience at the local oil change shop. Do I just call him a bald faced liar to his face? It's not a big deal money wise..they charge me 8 bucks extra for another quart of Mobil One , that I don't think is needed though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lenore Posted April 6, 2006 Share Posted April 6, 2006 Lexus is !Removed! you, What is wrong with putting in the correct amount and checking the dipstick. by the way if they check it too soon, it may not have drained down yet, I hope that is not the case, because overfilling is bad. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
strindl Posted April 6, 2006 Author Share Posted April 6, 2006 I sent an email to Lexus and asked them directly....this is what I sent: I have a 2004 GX470, and am very confused about how much oil it requires at an oil change with the filter. My owners manual , both on line on your site and in my vehicles' glove box, very clearly states 6.5 qts with the filter. I have had the oil changed in my GX 4 times, twice by my dealer, and twice at a local oil change shop. The local oil change shop puts in 6.5 quarts of Mobil One and the dip stick is at the full mark. My dealer insists that it takes 7.3 quarts, and they charge me for the extra quart. I need to know who's telling the truth here. Is your owners manual wrong, or is my dealer? this was their reply: Thank you for contacting Lexus Customer Satisfaction. We are dedicated to providing superior service. In circumstances that require our attention, we will assist in the resolution process. We believe that the dealer is filling the oil, starting the engine then checking and if necessary, adding oil which may be why there is a difference. The independent shop may only be checking the oil when the engine is cold. The information listed in the Owner's Manual is correct about engine oil, subject to the differences between checking oil levels when engine is cold or hot. We hope this information is helpful and appreciate the time you have taken to contact us. I've checked the oil level myself many times after all of the oil changes, and it is always right at the full mark, so there is no difference in how the oil levels are being checked. Lexus did confirm that that oil capacity as stated in the owners manual as 6.5 quarts with the filter is correct though. Something's still fishy with my dealers explanation. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gordonw Posted April 7, 2006 Share Posted April 7, 2006 First let me say that I work at a dealership. I've worked both luxury and non luxury. For the GX470, we "charge" 7 qts for the oil service. Now that doesn't mean the technician puts in 7 qts. He will fill it to the fill line, which is probably 6.5 qts anyway. Here is the simple reason why we do this and and its the same reason it was done at the nonluxury dealership I worked at. The computer only recoqnizes whole numbers. Strange as it may sound, the numbers have to be rounded up. I'm sure some people would suggest it should be rounded down, but if it was their business, I doubt they would round down. Thats how we did at the places I work, so I can't can't speak for other places. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lenore Posted April 7, 2006 Share Posted April 7, 2006 Then the 1/2 quart difference is pure profit in the long run. Hmmmm maybe consumers should demand the 1/2 quart in a container for topping up, especially since they paid for it. try that next time. I am sure the consumer organizations would really like to know about this overcharging because of a .5 quart. excuse me since when did a computer not recognize .5..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
strindl Posted April 8, 2006 Author Share Posted April 8, 2006 First let me say that I work at a dealership. I've worked both luxury and non luxury. For the GX470, we "charge" 7 qts for the oil service. Now that doesn't mean the technician puts in 7 qts. He will fill it to the fill line, which is probably 6.5 qts anyway. Here is the simple reason why we do this and and its the same reason it was done at the nonluxury dealership I worked at. The computer only recoqnizes whole numbers. Strange as it may sound, the numbers have to be rounded up. I'm sure some people would suggest it should be rounded down, but if it was their business, I doubt they would round down. Thats how we did at the places I work, so I can't can't speak for other places. I brought in 7 quarts of my own Mobil One both times at the dealership. They charged me an extra 8 bucks for an 8th quart, claiming that it takes MORE then 7 quarts . That's where I get confused. How can they fit more then 7 quarts of oil into a crankcase that only holds 6.5? They didn't overfill it at any of the 4 oil changes I have had done. I always check the oil level myself when I get home..in all cases, dealer and independent, it reads right at the full mark. The independent shop put in 6.5 quarts of my Mobil One, giving me the other half bottle to take home. My dealer says they used 7.3 or 7.5 quarts, charged me for 8, and returned nothing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim_Chow Posted April 11, 2006 Share Posted April 11, 2006 If you just drove the vehicle (ie, to the dealership), it's likely that some of the oil is still in the valve train/engine. You have to let the car sit for a while (e.g, overnight) for all the oil in the engine to make its way down to the pan. I take the specs with a grain of salt. As previously mentioned, the dipstick is always correct, just as the fill hole on the side of the diffs and transmission are for fluid capacity. Only way to prove the dealer is ripping you off is you could try the oil change yourself once to really see how much oil it takes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kimber33 Posted April 28, 2006 Share Posted April 28, 2006 Most places I have went to for oil changes automatically provide me the 1/2 of left over oil...I take with me the next time to be used............So yes you should demand that 1/2 of qt of left over oil.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
strindl Posted April 30, 2006 Author Share Posted April 30, 2006 Most places I have went to for oil changes automatically provide me the 1/2 of left over oil...I take with me the next time to be used............So yes you should demand that 1/2 of qt of left over oil.... The extra half quart isn't even my main concern. The crankcase holds 6.5 quarts total with the filter. I bring in 7, that should mean they have more then enough. They charge me for ANOTHER quart, making a total of 8, for a crankcase that only holds 6.5. That just makes no sense to me I can't believe my dealer would be playing those kinds of penny ante games with a customer who bought a 54,000 vehicle from them, but I can't think of any other explanation. I don't want this to sour my relationship with my dealer, but it does leave a bad taste in my mouth. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lexusfreak Posted April 30, 2006 Share Posted April 30, 2006 Not that this is gospel or anything, but I checked the Amsoil website......you key in the year, make & model of vehicle you have & it will tell you the capacities & part numbers for filters etc......it says Engine oil with oil filter capacity is 6.6 qt's. B) How can Lexus make a mistake in their owners manual & not at least send you a letter updating the correct capacity? It sounds like 6.5 qt's is the correct capacity with filter change to me bud. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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