Oil Change Interval For Highway Driving?

[llebcire]

Hello!

Curious as to whether anyone has noticed in the owner's manual a maintenance interval based on driving habits?

I purchased my 2004 GX470 pre-owned, and while I have the owner's manual I don't have the maintenance section. On Lexus.com I was able to determine the suggested interval @ 5,000 miles, but typically Japanese vehicles have an interval (schedule) based on normal stop and go driving and a second interval based on highway driving that's typically 50-100% more for the oil change.

Thanks!

-Eric

[kingnba6]

all my jap cars only have one schedule

should it be more or less? the timing of oil change that is

[mshaw]

You can do what you like, but we suggest to all our customers to go no farther than 5k between changes - even on the synthetics that boast 10k+ lifespans. Why? The filters are still the same. No one has bothered to improve that filter much - it still degrades, gets clogged up, and can only hold so much crap.

According to a speaker at a seminar for AC Delco I attended about a year ago, the increase in mileages and times on service schedules over the past decade has nothing to do with any vast improvements in vehicles or technologies, but about marketing. It's hard to sell vehicles to folks when they are looking at a 15k service that, on avg runs $250, and a 30k service that will cost, on average, over $500 within the first two years of ownership (for imports it's even higher). It's much easier to sell a veh when you can say it's darn near maintenance-free for the first 100k miles, except for occasional oil changes.

All I can say is we have had the displeasure of telling a lot of folks that 'followed their maintenance schedule' that at 120k or so that their engine is knocking, or has low compression, or their valves are not seating due to abnormal wear in the guides, etc - or their transm is shelled and needs a rebuild because the fluid never got changed until 100k - or their calipers are locked up, or seals damaged , or the master cylinder or ABS pump is shot, due to the brake fluid being so contaminated, as it was never flushed - or their radiator or heater core is rotted because the coolant is completely degraded, as it wasn't ever changed ('hey, it's good to 100k, or 150k') you get the picture.

But, yeah, you can follow the maintenance schedule, whatever it is, or, find a good independent, ASE Certified shop somewhere, and listen to what their techs say.

(Wow, I'm sorry, that came off a little bitter. I'm just mad at manufacturers for misleading the public and, essentially, stealing their money by making them buy new cars every 150k. I'm just tired of seeing good people with good cars, trying to do the right thing, getting shafted. Sorry, again. But I'm leaving this because the gist of it is the truth of what I want to get across, and I think it's important.)

[xxstewart]

Regular oil & filter changes every 5K (or 6 months - whichever occurs first) is the most important maintenance procedure you can do to ensure 100K miles of problem free motoring. If you don't like being sucked into dealer maintenance schedules and paying $500 for an oil change, windshield washer refill, and tire pressure check, learn to do these things yourself. Six quarts of Mobil 1 5W-30 synthetic and a Fram filter will set you back $40 at Walmart and an hour's effort on Saturday morning (less time than you'll spend drinking espresso in Lexus dealer's customer lounge). Synthetic oil doesn't decompose at high temperatures, and is worth the extra money. Don't neglect the air filter either. All that nasty brown stuff you see hanging in the air over metro areas is particulate polution that gets sucked through your engine. Take out the air filter and vacuum it from the intake side when you do your oil changes. If you live in really dusty areas or drive on gravel roads frequently, do this more often.