IS250_rookie

That's kind of odd. My dealer told me before I even drove the car off the lot, when I made the purchase, that the brake pad swap was available if I didn't like how much dust was being generated. It's funny how cheap some of the dealers try to be... which REALLY hurts them in the long run. Are there other dealers in the area? Sadly no. Is your car an '08? I guess the mistake I made is that my rims were too clean to prove them wrong. Even though they probably knew about this whole brake dust thing and played it dumb like they never even heard about it. I'm kind of *BLEEP*ed off cuz I can't do anything about - it's up to the dealer to decide and they basically told me to *BLEEP* off.

He means the little cap that you can untighten with the socket wrench alone. The part where you put in the little rubber seal. Check out this picture. According to the manual, this is the first part that you need to open so that the remaining oil in the filter could drain out before removing the whole housing.

I was browsing through the car manual for future reference while trying to find where the engine air filter was. It doesn't show anything. I think they made the manual considering that nobody will ever do their own maintenance, cuz it's missing a lot of stuff. I went to the page where it should list where everything is under the hood and they don't show the Air Filter and there is nothing in the index except for the A/C(cabin) filter. I looked on a different car(not a Lexus) and now I at least have a clue at where to look. Does anyone know where the exact location is?

I suggest doing your own oil change. First of all you'll know how to do it and second, you'll make sure that nothing is leaking. There could only be two problems that I can think of. One - something is not tight enough and maybe it's coming out of the bottom. Two - the oil is burning in the exhaust.

Came in for service, got declined because I have an '08. It took them almost an hour to confirm if the TSB was extended. I was later told that they only saw regular brake wear/dust, even though I said that I just washed it recently... and basically they didn't do *BLEEP* except wash my car. So yeah, discuss...

I had the link to the brake pad issue TSB but I just went to go print it out and realized that it's unavailble. Here's the link http://www.lexustsb.com/attachments/93/BR002-06.pdf EDIT: never mind I found it. http://www.lexustsb.com/questions/198/TSIB...rake+Dust+Issue

First of all I hope you're kidding about 20-22" rims. Look on www.TireRack.com for the winter tires, they let you choose your car and your rim size which is really easy. You can also see what people think of certain tires and compare. Btw, are you British?(tyre vs tire)

Yeah I think I'm gonna go buy myself some ramps, cuz cranking that scissor jack is a big pain in the a**. Or get a real hydraulic floor jack but that's a bit expensive - a good investment though for things like tire rotation and other maintenance. One thing I dislike about the oil change is that it's really cramped on the IS or any Lexus(I've done it on the RX aswell) for that matter and they put those plastic covers which are kind of annoying to take off every time.

I hope you don't mind, I put up this guide in a separate thread. http://us.lexusownersclub.com/forums/index...mp;#entry328910

Part 3 Put everything back together (new oil filter, and two new rubber seals). Don't forget to coat the o-rings with some new oil. Clean up any oil that's on the car with paper towels. You should also wipe the casing so that you could tell if there are any leaks later on. After you put everything back together start to pour the new oil in. You should end up with this much oil(.2 of a quart) in the last 1-quart container. Start the engine and let it run for no less than 3 minutes. At this time you can start cleaning up your tools. While the engine is running, check for any leaks on the filter casing. And around the drain plug. If everything is okay, turn the engine off and check the oil level with the dip stick(just like in the beginning, it should be at the right level). Close the filter cover and put the screw and the clip back on. Now you're done, just lower your car by raising it up with the scissor jack and removing the jack stands one at a time. Close the hood and finish cleaning up. You can drain your used oil and get rid of the used filter at a local gas station(that has a service building). Congratulations, you've just completed your own oil change!

Part 2 Put the Parking(Emergency) Brake on before lifting the car up. Also do not sit in the car and try not to move it around while it's up on jacks stands(common sense). Using the scissor jack, raise the car as high as possible and then set it up on jack stands(do this on both sides). Make sure you're parked on a flat ground and don't ever go under a car that's only supported by a jack. Always use jack stands(in this case) This is the oil pan. There is a similar pan more to the back of the car - make sure you don't go to it. Since I almost did. The other one is for your transmission. Place your container for catching the oil underneath. Untighten the drain plug with the size 14 wrench until it gets loose and then finish by hand. Get ready for the oil to come out and let it drain. The old gasket was stuck to the oil pan so I used a flat head screw driver and pulled it off from the inside of the ring. The filter cover is labeled "IS 4 WD". You will need to remove the one screw at the top and once you'll try to pull it, there is gonna be a clip holding it down. Remove that too by pulling the inside part out with a flathead screw driver. The clip and the screw that you need to remove from the cover. You'll realize that the plastic filter cover is actually attached to the whole underbody so you'll just need to open it like a door. Behind it is the oil filter casing(metal). Place the oil pan underneath since it's gonna leak. Using the cup-like filter wrench and a socket wrench(an extension of about 4" helps), untighten the casing and then finish opening it by hand. The manual suggests to open up the little cover and drain the remaining oil before removing the casing(which I forgot about). So it got a bit messy and oil came out of the sides. After removing the filter casing, wipe off the mess. If there is any... Remove the old filter from the casing along with all the old rubber seals. My filter wrench got stuck to the casing so I had to use a hammer to get it off. :) There is a small cover on the actual casing which you can use to drain the remaining oil, before removing the whole casing. But if you didn't do that and just removed the whole thing, open it up now and remove the small rubber seal and replace it with a new one. It's easier to pick it up with a flat head screw driver. Before !Removed! the cover back on, apply some fresh oil onto the rubber seal for easier removal in the future. Insert your new filter into the casing and change the rubber seals with the ones you're provided.

I noticed I'm getting some views... please leave some comments too. :) Part 1 Check the back page of your manual for the correct amount of oil. The AWD version needs 6.8 quarts. Things you'll need, include: Every Time 7 quarts of 5W30 oil. - around 35 bucks(walmart); I used synthetic, it's cheaper if you use conventional oil. Oil filter. - $6.55+tax(lexus dealer) Lexus Part #:04152-YZZA5; Wix Filter: 57173 Drain plug gasket. - got it for free, a pack of 3 similar ones was $2.33(local auto parts store) Paper towels. - It gets messy no matter how hard you try One time buy Oil Filter Wrench - $3.26(walmart) Made by Imperial(65/67mm - 14 Flutes) Latex gloves - Keep your hands clean, not required. Eye protection. - Highly recommend this. Dirt and Oil can get in your eyes. A pair of jack stands. - ~$20 for a pair(walmart). Instead of jack stands you can buy a pair of ramps. Oil pan(something to collect the old oil). - ~$10(walmart) And a funnel. ~$1 Things most people have Size 14 wrench - Lexus roadside kit Scissor jack - in the trunk 3/4-inch socket wrench - you should have this Screw drivers, flat head and phillips - phillips is in the Lexus kit Old cardboard box split in half to lay down on. You'll need the phillips screw driver for the one screw on the plastic underbody filter cover. And a flat head one for many uses. This is the official Lexus gasket that I was provided with You'll need this cup thing(filter wrench) with the help of a socket wrench for the removal of the oil filter casing(metal). A 6" extension for the socket wrench helps a lot. The filter on the left is the one you'll need. The one on the right is the wrong size and it only works for the RX350. If you do decide to go with WIX, the part number is 57173 - but keep in mind that at my local auto-parts store it came out to be more expensive - ~$9. I chose to use the 5W30 Synthetic from Castrol. You can choose any other oil as long as it's 5W30. If you want, you can check your oil level before starting, here's how to do it. Pull out the dip stick(on the right side of the car), wipe it dry and reinsert, then pull it out and look. It seems like the Lexus guys over filled my car. Your oil level should not be higher than the top mark. The distance from the top to the bottom mark indicates about 1 quart. So if your level is at the bottom, add one quart of the same oil from the same company.

I like your rims

Are you trying to say that the ISF is much more different from the regular IS series? It has the same kind of upgrades. Body kit, exhaust, hood bulge and bigger rims. I would much rather have the M3 since it's the original racer all the others are just imitations(Lexus, Mercedes, Audi)

could be the wrong key... I know I tried using the wrong key on a lexus before and it went it but didn't turn.

http://us.lexusownersclub.com/forums/index...mp;#entry328682

what?!

Do the maintenance yourself. All it is - is an oil change every 5000 miles(on conventional oil/or up to 9k on synthetic) and tire rotation every 5k.

I started at 6 o'clock and worked pretty slowly since I paused to take pictures and then retook the shots I didn't like and so on. I was also doing this for the first time on my car. I wasted about 30 minutes going online to look up where the oil filter cover was since the guide for the IS350 was different from the IS250AWD. I was completely done at about 8:20(I know it took me 2 hours) but I could've done it in about 40 minutes if I knew what I was doing.

Part 3 Put everything back together (new oil filter, and two new rubber seals). Don't forget to coat the o-rings with some new oil. Clean up any oil that on the car with paper towels. You should also wipe the casing so that you could tell if there are any leaks later on. After you put everything back together start to pour the new oil in. You should end up with this much oil(.2 of a quart) Start the engine and let it run for no less than 3 minutes. At this time you can start cleaning up your tools. While the engine is running, check for any leaks on the filter casing. And around the drain plug. If everything is okay, turn the engine off and check the oil level with the dip stick(just like in the beginning, it should be at the right level). Close the filter cover and put the screw and the clip back on. Now you're done, just lower your car by raising it up with the scissor jack and removing the jack stands one at a time. Close the hood and finish cleaning up. You can drain your used oil and get rid of the used filter at a local gas station(that has a service building). You've just completed your own oil change.

Part 2 Put the Parking(Emergency) Brake on before lifting the car up. Also do not sit in the car and try not to move it around while it's up on jacks stands(common sense). Using the scissor jack, raise the car as high as possible and then set it up on jack stands(on both sides). Make sure you're parked on a flat ground and don't ever go under a car that's only supported by a jack. Always use jack stands(in this case) This is the oil pan. There is a similar pan more to the back of the car - make sure you don't go to it. Since I almost did. Place your container for catching the oil underneath. Untighten the drain plug with the size 14 wrench until it gets loose and then finish by hand. Get ready for the oil to come out and let it drain. The old gasket was stuck to the oil pan so I used a flat head screw driver and pulled it off from the inside of the ring. The filter cover is labeled "IS 4 WD". You will need to remove the one screw at the top and once you'll try to pull it, there is gonna be a clip holding it down. Remove that too by using a flat head screw driver, just pop out the middle part and it should come out. The clip and the screw that you need to remove from the cover. You'll realize that the filter cover is actually attached to the whole underbody so you'll just need to open it like a door. Behind it is the oil filter casing. Place the oil pan underneath since it's gonna leak. Using the cup-like filter wrench and a socket wrench, untighten the casing and then finish opening it by hand. The manual suggests to open up the little cover and drain the remaining oil before removing the casing(which I forgot about). So it got a bit messy and oil came out of the sides. After removing the filter casing, wipe off the mess. If there is any... Remove the old filter from the casing along with all the old rubber seals. My filter wrench got stuck to the casing so I had to use a hammer to get it off. :) There is a small cover on the actual casing which you can use to drain the remaining oil, before removing the whole casing. But if you didn't do that and just removed the whole thing, open it up now and remove the small rubber seal and replace it with a new one. It's easier to pick it up with a flat head screw driver. Before !Removed! the cover back on, apply some fresh oil onto the rubber seal for easier removal. Insert your new filter into the casing and change the o-rings with the ones you're provided.

This is gonna be my first WIX oil filter on the RX350, for the previous oil change I used a FRAM one... from now on I won't :)

It's under a cover that you have to open up. It can be very confusing, it took me a while to find it since I was working in a really tight space. I'm in the process of writing a guide.. I'll post a link once I'm done.

This is why I got the bumper applique from Sewell. My TL had a similar bumper and I learned from experience. Yeah I need that. I wonder if it's cheaper to install that applique or to cover up the scratch.

Part 1 Check the back page of your manual for the correct amount of oil. The AWD version needs 6.8 quarts. Things you'll need, include: Every Time 7 quarts of 5W30 oil. - Don't remember.. around 35 bucks(walmart) Oil filter. - $6.55+tax(lexus dealer) Drain plug gasket. - got it for free, but I also bought a pack with 3 similar ones for $2.33(local auto parts Lots of paper towels. - It gets messy no matter how hard you try One time buy Oil Filter Wrench - can't remember ~$6(walmart) Latex gloves(50 pairs pack) - Keep your hands clean :) Eye protection. - Highly recommend this, dirt from the car falls in your eyes and oil can splash on your face A pair of jack stands. - ~20 bucks for a pair(walmart) Oil pan(something to collect the old oil). - ~$10(walmart) And a funnel. ~$1 Things most people have Size 14 wrench from the Lexus kit. - Included Scissor jack out of the trunk. - included Socket wrench. - you should have this Screw drivers. - you should have this(phillips one is in the lexus roadside kit) Old cardboard box split in half to lay down on. - Free You would also need the phillips screw driver for the one screw on the filter cover. And a flat head one for many uses. This is the official Lexus gasket that I was provided with You'll need this cup thing for the removal of the oil filter casing. You'll also need to use the socket wrench. The filter on the left is the one you'll need. The one on the right is the wrong size and it only works for the RX350. I chose to use the 5W30 Synthetic from Castrol, I couldn't find Mobil 1 synthetic from the same grade. If you want, you can check your oil level before starting, here's how to do it. Pull out the dip stick(on the right side of the car), wipe it dry and reinsert, then pull it out and look. It seems like the Lexus guys over filled my car. Your oil level should not be higher than the top mark. The distance from the top to the bottom mark indicates 1 quart. So if your level is at the bottom, add one quart of the same oil from the same company.