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
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.
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
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.
