Jump to content

The Great Oil Change Discussion


Recommended Posts

The point here is simple: if your too cheap to shell out the $60 or so dollars a year on gas YOU DONT DESERVE A LEXUS.

Go get yourself a cheap hyundai or ford and beat the *BLEEP* out of it all you want.

Link to comment
Share on other sites


The point here is simple: if your too cheap to shell out the $60 or so dollars a year on gas YOU DONT DESERVE A LEXUS.

Go get yourself a cheap hyundai or ford and beat the *BLEEP* out of it all you want.

That's funny, and I agree. . .

However I think the topic was started for more for the intellectual aspect than the money involved.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

BTW, I just read through the specs that Lexus puts on their website, and the only reference to premium gas is in the footnote on Performance, in which they state, "Performance may suffer if premium gas isn't used." They don't say anything about premium gas needing to be used to keep the engine from being damaged.

And, yes, this thread was started from an intellectual aspect. But it is interesting to note how many people have turned it into a cost issue. Not only that, but it still surprises me at how many posts I see about people who complain about the lack of speed in the IS250, or how they can hop up the car and make it faster.

Fer cryin' out loud, this ain't a racing car. It's a luxury sport sedan. If you want to race something that you can beat to hell and have fun doing it, buy a Subaru WRX. It'll blow the doors offa just about anythin, and you can buy two of them for the price of an IS250.

larry

Link to comment
Share on other sites

BTW, I just read through the specs that Lexus puts on their website, and the only reference to premium gas is in the footnote on Performance, in which they state, "Performance may suffer if premium gas isn't used." They don't say anything about premium gas needing to be used to keep the engine from being damaged.

And, yes, this thread was started from an intellectual aspect. But it is interesting to note how many people have turned it into a cost issue. Not only that, but it still surprises me at how many posts I see about people who complain about the lack of speed in the IS250, or how they can hop up the car and make it faster.

Fer cryin' out loud, this ain't a racing car. It's a luxury sport sedan. If you want to race something that you can beat to hell and have fun doing it, buy a Subaru WRX. It'll blow the doors offa just about anythin, and you can buy two of them for the price of an IS250.

larry

I bought my IS250 bcz it offered a hella lot more than my 325i had, or the new ones coming out. Come on, in-dash 6-CD changer??? Ohhh, yeah!!! lol. There's much more to it, but that was a biggy for me. I use premium because I want the best out of my car. I actually looked it up in the owner's manual the weekend I got the car, saw that line that Larry just quoted, and I thought, okay, premium it is. It's not a cost issue for me. I want my car to last as long as I keep it. Follow the manufacturer's suggestion. Is it that hard???

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Follow the manufacturer's suggestion. Is it that hard???

Hard to go wrong with that approach.

I'm going to close the thread now so that anyone that searches can find it and either become well informed or thorougly confused. Thanks for all the input.

BTW, I just read through the specs that Lexus puts on their website, and the only reference to premium gas is in the footnote on Performance, in which they state, "Performance may suffer if premium gas isn't used." They don't say anything about premium gas needing to be used to keep the engine from being damaged.

larry

Go to an IS350. Open the gas filler door. Read what it says on the inside of the little door. PREMIUM UNLEADED FUEL ONLY.

I am also interested in finding out whether you have noticed any difference if you switched between Premium and Mid-Grade. I have used Premium and Mid-Grade, but since I don't push my car all out all the time, I don't know that it really matters. If I buy Premium, I feel that I am just spending $.10 per gallon for nothing.

Comments??

larry

Above is your first post. There have been plenty of comments. I think this thread can now be safely allowed to fall into the archives from where it may be retrieved by search function.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I just wanted to voice my concern about an oil change I received about 30 min ago at New Country Lexus in Latham NY. As I drove out of the parking lot the "Hood Open" notice came on. I don't mind closing the hood of my car as I did. However, I do expect that if they are going to charge $63.00 (half of that labor) for an oil change that the hood is at least closed correctly at the end of the service.

Is that too much to ask?

At least they washed and cleaned the inside of the car... I guess if I am going to crash it when the hood flys open on the freeway it might as well be clean!

UPDATE: I e-mailed the dealership stating what I wrote above... they are going to offer a credit to my next service for the error.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I like to change oil more often but don't want to go to dealer everytime just for oil change. But I can't find the oil filter housing under the hood. Can anyone help?

Look straight down right behind the radiator you will see a metal housing. That contains the oil filter element. You change the element.

You can access the element by going underneath the car in the middle right in front there is an access panel with 3 screws. Take that off and make sure you have the correct type of filter wrench to remove the cap. I bought an adjustable one from pepboys which looks like this:

http://buy1.snapon.com/catalog/item.asp?P6...amp;dir=catalog

You can get the original factory lexus one, but why pay $40+ I paid $8.

Good luck.

I change my oil too and like he says it's under the little door and it helps to have the type wrench that goes over the top of the filter with a 3/8 drive hole in top, the one for Toyota smallest filter fits it perfectly, I purchased a filter from Lexus for just over $3.50 plus tax, they sell normally for $7.00 somehting.. I have a in, haha any way take the filter to most any good parts house and match wrench to the filter.

George

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 3 months later...

haha dude all I have to say is what do you expect you baught a Lexus...

Well sir. For a $63.00 oil change at a Lexus dealer, one would expect to have his hood closed upon receiving his car. That's one anyone who can spell might expect.

I understand that if you are going to own a "luxury" car, one would expecdt to pay more for services done to said car. But if you consider what is involved in changing the oil on an IS...

http://my.is/forums/general-discussion/282...l#post4014700...

it really isn't worth $100 or $63 for that matter.

I suppose if you weren't mechanically oriented, didn't have a place to do it, didn't have the time or initiative, or just don't like getting your hands dirty (the oil change post did say to use latex gloves ;)), maybe the outrageous prices for oil changes aren't that excessive.

My .02, or should I say $5.02, considering the context ;)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Newbie with the questions :unsure: Assuming it doesnt have synthetic from the factory. Should I go syn for the first oil change or let it get good and broke in. Picked up the IS 350 yesterday :cheers:

hard to say, when I asked my dealer the same question, he said that the oil that comes with the car contains some special chemicals that help break the car in, and that he doesnt recommend changing the oil until 5000 miles.

since the first oil change is free, I waited till 5000 to change my oil and switch to synthetic. The dealer told me that he used Castrol synthetic. But the next oil change I will bring my own Mobil 1.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Now now, lets not get test-y.

Fair enough. Testy-ness in check. But unless you drive a Lamboroghini, a Ferrari, a Maybach, or the like....it just seems like a lot of cash for a frickin oil change. Us poor guys have to vent!

Link to comment
Share on other sites


HEY! Yes the oil change service @ the local dealer is VERY expensive. I recommend that you DO NOT go there except for the free one. haha. I happen to be a Manager @ a Automotive Shop in Santa Cruz, CA and i know for a fact that $100 for an oil change is OUTRAGEOUS! What you should do, is go to a WHEEL WORKS or another shop like it and ask them to do a factory oil change. When a customer comes in and tells me that, it means that you want an oil change just the same way a dealer would do it, same oil and equivalent filter. And it will end up costing you around $65. I do oil changes on BMW's each day and i am competing with dealer prices of over $150 !!!!! Just make sure they use the same oil the dealer recommends for your car, DONT let them use a generic oil. Oh yea...about the cabin air filter, thats always a good idea and its really easy to replace on your own, it even tells you how in your owners manual. it takes no more than 15 minutes. Tire rotations should be done every oil change! dont lay off of that one ok?? Anyways, i hope i was able to help you out a little! Good luck

scwestsider4 :cheers:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 months later...

Wondering if anyone knows of an easier way to jack up the car, as the lift point seems too far in. This brought the jack very far in and the lever was butting up against the bottom of the front air dam, making it tedious to pump the jack to lift up the car. Do others just jack it up from the passenger side to change the oil?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I use the sissor jack that came with the car on the front drivers side jack point behind the front wheel.

This tilts the car (oil pan) towards the drain plug and gives me plenty of room to get under the car. (Remember to also use a jack stand for safety!)

:cheers:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks Rafiki,

I ended up just using my floor jack off the side jack point as you mentioned with some jack stands for safety. I'm glad I had the toyota filter wrench as the dealer had really torqued on the housing, so any generic tool might have stripped it.

I use the sissor jack that came with the car on the front drivers side jack point behind the front wheel.

This tilts the car (oil pan) towards the drain plug and gives me plenty of room to get under the car. (Remember to also use a jack stand for safety!)

:cheers:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 1 month later...

Does the IS250awd use the same filter and special tool as the IS350 and the IS250. Where can I buy one?

I'm not sure. The oil filter cartidge has a different part number for the AWD. If the cannister is the same it's located at the bottom front of the engine. Look down at the engine right behind the radiator and you should be able to see the silver colored canister.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.




×
×
  • Create New...

Forums


News


Membership