Earliest oil change ever - and now having second thoughts

[SROak]

Interesting idea about the Moly add

Those are not my ideas. I was infected with them from this website, Bob Is The Oil Guy where there are twice as many opinions as there are participants, similar to the GX 550 Forum. Though, one can learn a lot from them.*

FYI - I also changed my oil early, at 500 miles, but I included 1/2 bottle (150 ml) of Liqui Moly additive to retain the higher level of molybdenum and then changed again at 5000 miles with the other 1/2 bottle of Liqui Moly. I'm currently at 9,000 miles and the next oil change I'll start using straight synthetic engine oil. Using too much Liqui Moly, such as using 2 entire bottles (600 ml) or more in one oil change, is where filter problems reportedly begin.

*Some important things I learned from BITOG website are oils are grouped in categories I, II, III, IV, V in order of lowest to highest quality or uniformity of oil molecules. Synthetic oil is considered superior since it has a greater uniformity of carbon chains than does naturally sourced oil, and this high uniformity translates to vastly superior levels of engine protection by withstanding heat and retaining lubrication longer.
Also, here in the US it is legal to brand engine oil as "full synthetic" even when it is derived from non-synthetic or hydrocracked natural oil (Groups I, II, III, thus significantly lower quality and lesser uniformity oil). This is done to identify an oil as not being a blend of natural and synthetic oils. In Europe, however, engine oils labeled as "synthetic" must be fully derived from the highest uniformity oils, such as Group IV (PAO), Group V (Ester), or Group GTL (natural gas to liquid) sources. There are a few brands that market and sell authentic fully-synthetic oils here in the US, including:
Amsoil Signature Series
Motul 8100 and 300V series
Royal Purple
Liqui Moly - a German brand that adheres to the EU definition of "synthetic" oil using NG to Liquid process.
Pennzoil Ultra Premium - one flavor of US oil that reportedly uses only NG to forge this line of synthetic oil
Mobil 1 Extended Performance - most of the Mobil 1 lines are "synthetics" derived from lowest uniformity Groups I to III based oil, and thusly are not true "full synthetic" oil, but Extended Performance line reportedly meets the EU definition.

 

[SROak]

@Emergencymed

Let me know what you put together, as I'd be interested in a GX/LC Crawl. Maybe on the dunes? Or do you have some tougher terrain in mind?

 

[GeauX_550]

*Some important things I learned from BITOG website are oils are grouped in categories I, II, III, IV, V in order of lowest to highest quality or uniformity of oil molecules.

I wonder where the Toyota/Lexus oil falls on this scale

 

[SROak]

I wonder where the Toyota/Lexus oil falls on this scale

ExxonMobile makes the Toyota "full synthetic" oil in North America, but I don't know what group of oil is used, because, in general, Mobil 1 uses the "synthetic" loop hole in marketing and could make synthetic oil from grades I, II, and III. However, Toyota does have strict specifications that include additives such as extra molybdenum so Toyota may also require truly full synthetic oil from grades IV, V and GTL. In the EU Castrol produces oil for Toyota, thus if branded "synthetic" that oil must be produced from grades IV, V or GTL petroleum sources per EU requirements.

 

[cmfhsu]

I believe Toyota Genuine 0w20 uses a Group III base oil, though I can't tell from my limited experience & research whether it's a GTL base oil. And keep in mind that GTL oils are still technically non-synthetic Group III oils, even though they are extraordinarily good base stocks.

To my understanding, it's not as simple as higher Group number = higher quality = better oil. Fully synthetic base oils like PAOs and esters are superior for some things like viscosity index and cleaning power, but PAOs, for example, are notably (and drastically) worse than Group III base oils for solubility and keeping additives in suspension.

As Lake Speed Jr says - application dictates chemistry - if you don't have a specific reason to want Group IV or Group V oil for the way you drive your car, I say there's no reason to spend 2-3x more money on boutique brands that prioritize those base oils. I put my money where my mouth is - I run Mobil 1 ESP 0w30 which I believe is primarily a plain old Group III base oil (maybe not even GTL - not sure), despite using my vehicle for pretty regular towing duty.

If you change your oil every 5k miles and mostly commute, just about any oil marketed as "synthetic" will be equally as protective, from Walmart Supertech oil to HPL.

 

[Bret_T]

All any of us need do is to follow the maintenance plan/schedule Lexus laid out in the maintenance/service book. Don't do an oil change because you think you know better. Don't do an oil change at a different time/mileage. Do the maintenance when the book says too.
What is the worst thing that could happen??? Toyota will fix it. Keep records.

Toyota won't fix it for free if it doesn't break within the warranty period. I do 5k mile oil changes because it theoretically helps extend the life of the engine versus 10k mile oil changes. You have to ask yourself why Toyota is recommending 10k mile oil changes instead of 5k mile oil changes. Is it because there's no benefit to doing oil changes twice as often or is it because Toyota marketing wants to drive down the expected vehicle maintenance costs like the rest of their competitors? Who has to pay if you have to replace an engine out of the warranty period?

 

[cmfhsu]

As added evidence that the factory prescribed maintenance schedule is not always the answer, manufacturers (including Toyota) have been putting "lifetime" ATF into their vehicles for ~20 years now, leading many automatic transmissions to an early death after 125-150k miles. Even the venerable GX460 has had transmission failures within 150k miles from overheated ATF that's never changed.

The factory maintenance schedule will certainly get you past the 70k mile powertrain warranty, but we paid extra for a Toyota product so we could use it for longer, no?

 

[Emergencymed]

Ordered a bottle of Liqui Moly to add a couple hundred ml now and at its next oil changes (3000 / 5000 / 10,000). A little extra engine armor never hurts. Puts my imaginary special sauce worries to rest .

 

[cmfhsu]

You can also alternatively just buy Genuine Toyota 0w20, which does have significantly high Moly content, for ~$6 a quart from your local Toyota dealer.

I personally feel better about using an oil where all of the chemicals & additives were precisely measured & engineered to synergize with each other, rather than adding stuff that could dilute or work against the chemistry of the oil. Again - Lake Speed Jr. showed that certain additives, like Zinc-DDP additives, can actually increase wear on your engine because it works against modern day oil chemistry.

 

[SROak]

Puts my imaginary special sauce worries to rest

Liqui Moly MoS2 is much cheaper than a therapist

 

[katsumoto]

My 2026 GX 550 OT - has been babied and pampered even more than my covetted motorcycles and sports cars - well maybe not more - maybe at the same level..

I’m starting to wonder not only “Is this sensible, but is it potentially counterproductive to the longevity of the vehicle ..” I’m hoping there is a Lexus / Toyota insider who can share their knowledge about “first OEM engine fluid oil and additives” and set me straight.

So after reading about issues with the V35A engine - I got myself convinced that doing a super early oil change at 386 miles was in my vehicles interest. Like an overprotective parent buying body armor for their kid going to school - I said hey if 1000 miles is safe - is 500 miles or less safer????

My thinking like many in this forum was “early oil change removes any particulates” - “it can only be good.”

But is that really the case??

Initially I drank the koolaide and actually took my car to a local shop with an OEM filter, crush washer and two gallons of 0W20..

As I watched the light amber oil flowing out .. my first thought was damn that looks really clear.. in fact damn!! … “it looks like BRAND new oil”.. and then I said to myself, “well duh.. The car has 386 miles on it of course it is BRAND new oil.”

But then a second more concerning thought popped into my head.. what if Toyota/Lexus puts special conditioners in their initial oil to optimize engine break-in and condition the brand new engine .. …

Furthermore, I started wondering my car has 4 miles on it when I bought it.. when Toyota initially filled that engine with oil, did they run it for a mile or two empty the oil and refill it.. I thought to myself if I was a Toyota engineer, and there was particulate matter, destroying our engines.. that would probably be one of the countermeasures that I would enlist in the post analysis Ishikawa diagram that I would draw in response to the V35A failure issue..

I started wondering further,” wait a second did I actually do something to counter the expressly engineered purpose of the factory “break-in fluid/oil.”

Anyhow, it’s too late now to do anything about it.. but I was hoping there’s some super genius on this form that will either put me at ease, or I can figure out a way of kicking myself for being overzealous..

Well anyway, here are a few other data points: turns out that Lexus will not pay for your 5000 mile oil change.. or anything for that matter short of the 10,000 mile service.. I think everybody probably knows that already.. but an interesting little find is that there are a few premier Lexus dealers that will only charge you for the necessary parts/ fluid - instead of charging you for the full oil change. A customer service accommodation …

So essentially about 100 bucks instead of 200+. Consider asking your local dealership if they would do that... being in SLO I don’t have an established relationship with a closeby dealer - will see where I finally take it..

Also, I found out that if you order the oil filter and crush Washer from any local Toyota dealership, but do so online it’s only like $6.50 plus $1.50 for the crush Washer.. NAPA currently has 0W 20 mobile one extended life full synthetic oil for $35 for a gallon. Keep in mind when you’re changing the oil on this car you need a 5/8 plastic tube to attach to the tiny black plastic catch basin under the oil filter. The purpose of the tube is to route any oil that comes off the filter away from the member below it that sometimes we will catch oil and then drip from the sides. The fellow that did my oil learn this after he didn’t use the tube as I had instructed.

The filter is Toyota part 90915-YZZN3 Aka 90915-10010

View attachment 20918

90430-12031 - crush washer - $1.98

Anyway, I feel like a little bit of an idiot for doing the oil change this early.. but I think for $100 what I’ve bought myself, is the experience of doing an unnecessary oil change at 386 miles.. and feeling convinced that it probably did not need to be done this early.. and if I were to advise anyone else on the issue, I would say wait at least 1000 miles.. if not longer maybe 3000 before you do the first oil change. But there is no way that I would wait 10,000 miles to do a first oil change on this $100k car. In my opinion, that’s just lunacy…. Unless of course you sell your cars every few years…

And then second do the oil change at Lexus dealer who values your long-term business and is willing to work with you on “in between” oil services at a lower cost - so it makes sense.

My approach will be next synthetic oil change at between 3500 and 5000 and then after its first two at uber low mileage the next one at 10000 and every 5-7 k thereafter.

The Car Care Nut guy on YouTube is a Toyota Lexus expert. In one of his videos he mentioned that the oil they use for the newly manufactured cars is no different than the oil you can buy at the Dealer/Toyota Brand. He did say that if you go to the Toyota/Lexus dealer to get oil change, they will not use the Toyota Brand Oil. He said they use the cheapest "barrel" oil they can purchase which is usually "Warren?" He said you have to tell the dealer you want the Toyota Brand Oil and pay the difference. Hope that helps