Rx300 Engine Oil Light On After 1000 Km

[Aejaz]

I have RX300 baught 6 months ago. I had this this issue twice

Oil changed (MObil -1 Synthatic)

Drove 500 KM , about 300-400 on speed above 140.

The engine oil light glows

When checked , The oil level goes down .

Once It needed 3 litres more... (% litrles filled about 500 KM back that is 2 days)

Dont find any Oil leak , mechanic has thoroughly checked it..

Is the engine consuming soo much of OIL .. for only 500 KM?

It never happens when am driving only in the city say at the highest speed of 120 KM.

Any ideas assistance is highly appreciated.

I am a Comp Engineer, know nothing of the automobile issues.

I am not able to belive the Lexus dealer service centre .. they dont seem to have skilled workers and try to hide this by replacing this and that to charge us hefty amounts

[PK_3]

Is it smoking blue? Have your mechanic take off a valve cover and look for sludge/ Then brace your self.

PK

[Aejaz]

Thanks for the quick reply.. I havent checked if its smoking blue.. I have replaced the oil .

I only drive in this speed (above 3000 RPMS ) rarely..

Can you tell me when to check if its smoking blue.. At time when the oil ran off or ..

Am I hitting the sludge issue I have been reading around? If yes is the engine replacement only the solution?

[Grumpa72]

Thanks for the quick reply.. I havent checked if its smoking blue.. I have replaced the oil .

I only drive in this speed (above 3000 RPMS ) rarely..

Can you tell me when to check if its smoking blue.. At time when the oil ran off or ..

Am I hitting the sludge issue I have been reading around? If yes is the engine replacement only the solution?

Several issues come to mind. I would check the engine oil daily for about a week, prior to starting the car. I would also keep track of oil consumed and see if there is a trend. Are you certain that the mechanic who changed the oil put 5 liters in? Also, you said you were driving 140 and I assume that to be kilometers/hour and not miles/hour? If kpm, then that is only around 85 mph which isn't really that high. If it is mph, then I might actually expect some oil consumption. My final thought is really a question. You have taken your car to the Lexus dealer for the oil consumption issue, they have performed work on the car with reference to that issue and you pay them. Then, when you drive the car, you are still having oil consumption issues? I would demand a refund for extraneous or unnecessary work being performed.

By the way, the easiest way to check for blue smoke, which usually indicates oil in the combustion chamber, is to have someone follow you and look at your exhaust pipe. In my experience, blue smoke usually shows up on acceleration or letting off the gas and coasting to a stop. Immediately after you let, off the gas, the excess back pressure will blow oil past the seals (I think I have this right) and you get blue smoke.

[code58]

I have RX300 baught 6 months ago. I had this this issue twice

Oil changed (MObil -1 Synthatic)

Drove 500 KM , about 300-400 on speed above 140.

The engine oil light glows

When checked , The oil level goes down .

Once It needed 3 litres more... (% litrles filled about 500 KM back that is 2 days)

Dont find any Oil leak , mechanic has thoroughly checked it..

Is the engine consuming soo much of OIL .. for only 500 KM?

It never happens when am driving only in the city say at the highest speed of 120 KM.

Any ideas assistance is highly appreciated.

I am a Comp Engineer, know nothing of the automobile issues.

I am not able to belive the Lexus dealer service centre .. they dont seem to have skilled workers and try to hide this by replacing this and that to charge us hefty amounts

You may well have the dreaded sludge issue ( that's easy to check by pulling off the front valve cover) but the 1st. thing I would do is change to a regular dino oil and see what it does then. You would be far from the 1st. one that switched to Mobil-1 and had oil consumption problems. That has been the history of Mobil-1 since it came out. My partner used it in his nearly new Toyota pick-up almost 30 yrs. ago and at 1800 mi. he was driving down the street, the oil light came on and when he pulled over and checked it there was NOTHING on the dip stick. Most people love it- myself, I don't trust it. There are still cars today that simply drink it while most have no problems. When the Philadelphia police dept. tested it over 30 yrs. ago some of the cars used none while others drank it- I don't think they knew then what caused it and I don't think they do today. Good Luck!

[Aejaz]

Thanks all for the replies..

I was driving between 140 - 180 KMPH (which is around 90 - 110 Miles Per hour).

The oil was filled in front of me..

This happened only when I drive long ..

Earlier when the Lexus did the oil change. (Not sure if they used toyota or Mibil-1)... I drove about 500 Miles in the city then the next 500 miles on the highway with the speed (140-180 KMPH) drank about 2 litres of the oil...

1 What is the symptoms I will find after removing pulling off the front valve cover , if I have the dreaded sludge issue?

2. If I have the dreaded sludge issue , can it be a probelm If i choose to continue driving .. As I only have the issue when I go long drives above 500 KM ..(Dont belive this can be a speed issue).. Belive this happens only in the long dirves (Continious accelaration).

3. Is there a fix to dreaded Sludge issue other than changing the enginee.. The Lexus dealer here wont replace my engine anyway even if he confirms its dreades sludge

4. I have not taken my car to the Lexus service centre yet.. I had been there once for regular checkup once.. and when enquired casually about dreaded sluge.. they dont seem to have any idea about this term or any such issue around here -:)

So I am trying to find a mechanic who may have some idea about this.

I dont have any issues driving around the city.. I rarely go long drives of 500 KM or more.. maybe once in 3 months or so.. I feel like I can live with this issue by carrying some OIL while on long drive..

But I am afraid can this have any other side effects..

[Grumpa72]

If you have sludge, it will be evident when you pull the valve cover. It will look like, well, sludge - gooey, black/brown and messy. It will be more than a trace, also. For a Lexus dealer to not know about sludge worries me. Either he is not reading his technical service bulletins (the sludge issue has been around on early Toyota/Lexus engines for quite a number of years) or he is playing dumb.

If you have sludge, it sure wouldn't hurt to flush the engine, before you decide on replacing it. However, realize that if your mechanic is comfortable flushing the engine with a solvent, that sludge will go somewhere and that somewhere is the oil pan. Then, he will need to drop the oil pan, clean the oil pick up screen and refill with fresh oil. Not cheap but you might have a chance of it working.

[Aejaz]

Thanks for the reply.. I will try the engine flush option

What maybe the cost of this?

[90LS400Lexus]

Were these not recalled for the sludge issue? Maybe I am thinking of the extended warranty or something....

[Aejaz]

Its not sure if something like that is there in the place where I live..

However I dont have anykind of warrnaty for my Lexus 2002 as of now..

[Grumpa72]

Thanks for the reply.. I will try the engine flush option

What maybe the cost of this?

I wouldn't have any idea if a "de-sludging" process is available in your country or even available from a Lexus dealer. I know here that most auto parts stores sell a quart of solvent that is put into the oil. You drain a quart of oil, add the solvent, let the car idle and then drain it all out. This is followed by a new filter and fresh oil. I bet it isn't anything more than kerosene or diesel fuel. I have done this on a couple of used cars that I picked up but I have never done it on a new technology car like a Lexus. Ask your dealer.

[Aejaz]

I have filled the OIL and its running for over 1000 KM (Just inside the city this means no continious accelaration ) in like 3 weeks from now. There are no issues neither has oil level gone down..

What does this mean? Is this dreaded slude.. I cant see any sludge either now..

Can this be a different issue ....

[code58]

I have filled the OIL and its running for over 1000 KM (Just inside the city this means no continious accelaration ) in like 3 weeks from now. There are no issues neither has oil level gone down..

What does this mean? Is this dreaded slude.. I cant see any sludge either now..

Can this be a different issue ....

Why do you say you can't see any sludge? Have you taken the valve cover off? There is no way to know if you have sludge unless you actually look inside the engine. Taking the front valve cover off to take a look is easy. That is the 1st. thing I would do. If no sludge, I would change from the Mobil 1 to regular dino oil and give that a try. It may not use it in city driving and yet use it in high speed highway driving. I still say for all the people that love Mobile 1, I don't trust it. I have read of too many people that have had problems with it when they didn't have any problems with dino oil.

[Aejaz]

I have not opened the front valve cover (Think this is too autotechnical for me being in IT)..

I will go to my mechanic to get this checked before going to the Dealer service centre

I doubt the Mobil-1 .. How about the toyota OIL which Lexux claimed they used in the earlier case..

One observation is that it did not burn so much of OIL as in case of Mobil-1..

Any other thaughts ideas are highly appreciated