Gelling in Lexus Engines!

The "problem" *was* .... the 7,500 mile intervals that NOBODY in the real world qualified for in the first place and then .... exceeded, just like you say!

Well actually, in Europe, the fuels have MUCH lower sulphur content and they have the ACEA oil rating standard that is MUCH more specific about oil application. Our API sets the bare minimum with a much lower service interval in mind. Europe has conventional oils that meet the extended drain intervals that only our Mobil1 0w-40,15w-50, and Valvoline 5w-30 can meet.

My 2003 4 runner manual still says 7,500. The dealer reminds me that I don't need to come back every 3k miles if I don't want to. I do not remember what my es330 booklet says but that may have a 5k recommendation.

My comment had nothing to do with Europe, it had to do with what European auto mfgs are recommending insofar as oil change intervals. Buy virtually any BMW, MB, or Audi in the US and they come with a maintenance reminder system that tells you when to change the oil. It is a rare car that recommends an oil change at intervals shorter than 12K miles. I'm not a believer that these longer intervals are a particularly good idea - I'm just pointing out that Lexus' 7.5K recommendation is fairly short in this day/age.

- Mark

Dare I paraphrase myself from earlier: "Nobody in the real world qualifies for the 7,500 mile service interval." To that would add ... "in America using OUR fuels and OUR API graded oils." Just covering myself because it is apparent there are some people quoting European practices without a greater of awarness as to WHY the European markets can run longer oil service intervals with little concern over sludging. Not that they're immune to sludge ... not by any stretch.

I understand your point, by if Joe Schmoe gets told by the dealer and the manual to change the oil every 7500 miles, he will not think about it more than that. You know a lot about cars, etc. Average Joe goes by what the dealer says. If you do everything the dealer and Toyota recommend, you should not be held accountable if you engine develops the sliming issue. There is enough margin to reach a compromising medium.

It is truely (a) unlikely a dealer would recommend the 7,500 mile intervals and (b) a pity that a dealer would recommend the 7,500 mile intervals in the light of the gelling hysteria.

Having said all that, I don't really disagree with you about who and what the new owner will listen to. In my case, my dealer has winshield stickers and a mailed out reminder program about oil changes .... at 3,500 miles with the hopes that I'll show up at 5,000 miles.

For Peugeot cars (my last make of car) they went to 20,000 miles for petrol cars, 10,000 for diesels a couple of years ago (with synthetic oil). I'm a bit mystified - why does the USA seem to feel the need for such frequent mile oil changes.

My UK spec Lexus IS200 has a 10,000 mile service interval (and no need for synthetic oil). But I understand that the mechanically very similar US IS300 requires 5000 mile services - why?

It is not a *feeling* that intervals need to be less than 7,500 miles here. It's a fact. VW tried the Euro intervals and found themselves faced with sludge claims. There are SL oils that might survive 7,500 miles under ideal conditions (that no common man can duplicate) and there are SL oils that exceed that capability. But API gives no clue. ACEA does.

Fuel sulfur levels are much lower in Europe ... with the exception here of California which is fairly close to Euro standards, particularly with diesel. Also, your ACEA oil rating system is far more specific than our minimum threshold API ratings.