Is use of synthetic oil covered under warranty

Do what you want, but if you religiously change your oil every ~3500 mi, I DOUBT if you will see any advantages. My 1990 LS400 has over 200K, has used plain o' oil from day one, and still runs like a dream (16mpg City / >24mpg Hwy).

"new2lexus" quipped:

No, and no.

call them.

any synthetic oil is superior to dino oil. I'd be surprised if your dealer isn't already using synthetics. My dealer ONLY uses Mobil 1 synthetic and that's all I ever put in my Lexi and motorcycles.

YW

"Jerohm" quipped:

Extended service intervals for synthetics are one advantage as well as holding up much better in severe driving conditions but you're correct if you change oil that frequently, you'll have no problem. And if you

One thing to keep in mind though. Jelling is becoming a more serious problem with modern engines. Synthetic oil is *significantly* better in preventing oil jelling. So, if for no other reason than to prevent jelling, synthetics is a consideration.

I prefer synthetics myself and change a 5k intervals.

Lexus specifies oil that meets certain API specifications.

If your oil meets those specifications, that's it. Period. You could use Denebian spring water, as long as it meets the required API specifications.

I guess my point is, that I have little doubt that synthetics ARE better under all but the most grueling circumstances, they are only marginally better ... at best. It is synonymous (to me anyway) to many of the newer (/me too) classes of drugs that have causes the healthcare costs to spiral out of control. Cost/benefit analysis seems to have been a passing fad.... my bad

No and no, however, you MUST maintain the automaker's recommended oil change intervals to keep the warranty on the engine valid.

Check out this link from the Lexus.com web site:

Stick to a major name brand. The rating should be the one specified in your owner's manual or higher, probably American Petroleum Institute (API) grade SL, 5W-30.

"Jerohm" quipped:

actually, I *think* you meant exactly the opposite of your first sentence.

It's not a designer "me too" oil. Synthetics are far superior to dino oils..down to the molecular level.

Do some research on the Internet and I doubt you'll find any reputable source that will contradict that.

And Shaq is taller than me...but right up until 6'1" above ground, a hose spray would get either one of us just as wet.

So there are conditions under which synthetic will perform better than dino. Question: has anyone ever tested the limits of performance of each oil on the car in question?

If the car never gets to the performance level where the dino stuff fails, then why bother worrying about it?

And let's face it: dino oils today are better than the synthetics of 20 years ago. Dino oils today are pretty damned good.

"Elmo P. Shagnasty" quipped:

good gawd man...the characteristics of dino oil hasn't changed one iota. NONE. It's the same oil that was dug up 50 years ago. The ONLY thing that's changed is the additives.

As for the superior qualities of synthetics and how they help the typical internal combustion engine, there's literally thousands of sites on the net you can research that will show you the benefits of using synthetics. The advantage in air cooled engines are even more well known (and supported).

Lexus engines are not unique. They have to abide by the same laws of science every other internal combustion engine has to abide by. If it works in a Honda, Chevy or, gawd forbid, Yugo, it'll work in a Lexus.

true ... the sentence was suppose to be: "I guess my point is, that I have little doubt that synthetics ARE better, BUT under all but the most grueling circumstances, they are only marginally better ... at best."

It is perfectly fine if you want to disagree with my statement...

again, no argument from me ... but you are missing MY point. What tangible advantages did I miss out on, by not using Synthetics? Would the car get better mileage? Less pollution? Would it extend the engine life (remember I am at 210K, without any major, non-preventative, engine maintenance)? Let's suppose it DOES extend the engine life - how much longer really matters considering the other mechanical aspects of a 16 year old car? I am not trying to be difficult, but just questioning "in the grand scheme of things", do the advantages justify any additional expense.

"Jerohm" quipped:

..oh no, I'm not arguing for the sake of arguing. I apologize if it came across that way. I just wanted to be sure that other readers didn't take your statement exactly opposite to what you meant. ;-)

Better lubrication. Because the molecules are all the same size, there's more even surface area of lubrication. Less friction = less heat buildup. Less heat buildup means more efficient engine lubrication and better performance.

yes..typically synthetic oils can add 2-5% better mpg.

pollution is a byproduct of poor rings, seals, valves or an inefficient or faulty fuel management system. The only time you would see pollution produced by your lubrication system is if the oil is being burned alongside the fuel and consequently, being expelled out the exhaust system. if that's happening, you need to get the car's emissions system checked.

..yes, under normal driving conditions it would. Many engines, after a complete tear down look new if they have been running on synthetic (or synthetic blends) for the life of the engine. Your engine is 16 years old with a lot of miles on it however, you don't know what the wear is internally or what the remaining life is in the engine. I'm only speculating (since I can't see what your engine internals look like), but I'm wiling to bet that there's heavy wear and scoring. That doesn't mean your engine is ready to die any moment. Many engines run for hundreds of thousands of miles on dino oil, but no dino engine will *outlive* the same engine that's run with synthetic oil. It just ain't gonna happen.

....truckers use diesel synthetic lubricants for their long haul 18 wheelers. And that's because it's not usual for them to log half a million or more miles on their trucks. I have an uncle who's been a trucker most of his life (and he's in his 60's) and he'd never ever think of putting anything besides synthetics in his truck because it's unbelievably expensive to repair those diesel engines and every day that it's down is food off their table and when every dollar counts, he wouldn't be spending his hard earned money on more expensive lubricants if it didn't make a big difference in frequency of changes and engine protection.

Great.

But what does that mean in the context of an actual car that's used on the road?

If I can get the same life out of an ENTIRE CAR with dino, why do I care?

It's not important to me that the engine is "still like new" when the rest of the car has fallen apart around it.

That's a very bad analogy when talking to people who use their cars to drive to work and out to dinner.

That's right. And the oil you buy off the shelf today is as good as synthetics were 20 years ago.

Of course, you -- snipped-for-privacy@home.com -- sell Amsoil, so you would do and say anything to try to hawk your stuff.

Your arguments, therefore, are meaningless sales drivel.

Synthetics won't help the CAR last longer.

If dino does a perfect job of making the engine last as long as the rest of the car, why do I care?

Oh--I should care because you sell Amsoil.

I see.

"Elmo P. Shagnasty" quipped:

then take better care of the rest of the car.

"Elmo P. Shagnasty" quipped:

true...short distance driving is actually *harder* on a engine. But then again you know that.

"Elmo P. Shagnasty" quipped:

I don't even *use* Amsoil. Personally, I think it's WAY overpriced and isn't any better than any other synthetic.

What I've historically seen from you, and your responses to this post is no different, is that when you're confronted with the facts, all of which can easily be researched on the net, you resort to name calling and accusations. One thing you *can't stand* is anything that disputes your own personal experience, no matter how warped, misinformed or skewed it may be to reality.

How old are you anyway? 12?

"Elmo P. Shagnasty" quipped:

show me one shred..ANY shred... that I sell Amsoil. ANYWHERE that I even mentioned the USE of Amsoil? Oh wait, that's right, you don't have any.

Your credibility is on par with all of your other posts. Adolescent, immature and completely devoid of any usefulness whatsoever.

Go away..we're trying to have an adult discussion here.