Changing Oil Soon...synthetic But Which One And My Own...

nowstime · June 14, 2007

Hi~

I'm about to get my first OIL CHANGE and many friends are telling me to switch to synthetic...since the first is on Lexus, I have several questions...

1. Can I ask for synthetic instead of synthetic blend? (will it be extra or is it complementary...?)

2. If it's complementary, what kind of sythetic motor oil will Lexus use?

3. If it's not complementary, can I bring my own synthetic motor oil?

3. Which is the best synthetic motor oil for 2007 RX350 and how much should I buy (five 1 quart bottles?)? (assuming I change it every 5K or 6 months)

4. How can I make sure that the dealership used the motor oil I gave them or they used is synthetic?

5. If I use my own motor oil in the future, how much does Lexus charge for an oil change?

THANK YOU SO MUCH in advance...

Best,

Jack from Austin, Texas

GDixon · June 14, 2007

My 08 RX350 is due for its first oil change in another 2000 miles but I'm going to trust the Lexus dealer to put in oil and a filter that will not cause the engine to melt down. My dealer uses a synthetic blend and when I do my own at 10K miles it will be straight synthetic. Since there is not a cheap way to make synthetic, any name-brand that is on sale will work just fine.

The time that you might have worried is when your car was driven off of the lot so it is too late now. The first 5K miles is the most important for break-in wear. The service manager didn't know what Lexus used for the original oil when he was asked. It is obviously good enough for a break-in oil and extends for the first 5K miles so it and the filter must be of excellent quality.

The RX is my first new car that has not required an oil change at about 500 miles so I was also a bit apprehensive. Like you, dropping 40K+ on a new car was disconcerting at first and the expectation is to have the car for quite a long time so being careful now is logical. However, if you check this forum you will find that it is extremely rare for a Lexus to have an engine wear problem of any kind.

My advice is to not obsess over this first oil change. Just enjoy your car. Lexus will not ruin your car with cheap oil especially this early in the warranty period. There are other more important things to fret about now that we know the true father of Nicole Smith's baby - like maybe the fate of Paris Hilton. :wacko:

As far as the price of an oil change, call the Lexus dealer's service department and ask or ask when you get the free 5K change. My contacts with the service department have been quite pleasant, accommodating, and informative.