1998 130k mk4 oil recommendations

[Daveyboy20]

Hi guys, need to service my Ls400 - what oil do people go for? Get the occasional wisp of blue on startup after leaving it for a couple of days so I'm assuming oil has thinned and is slipping past valve stem oil seals? Should I go for a thicker oil or stick with recommendations? Oil tech has come a long way in 21 years! 

[Malc]

my indy tells me to use semi synthetic with the age and mileage of mine ..............  older cars, higher mileage in general

Malc

[RgrWynne]

If you read most of the reports, whilst oil development has come a long way as you say, these engines were designed to run on a more basic product without problems, and I have read you could actually not be doing your engine any favours by using the latest specs. I would stick with what is in the handbook, I use semi synthetic in mine, but the key point is, to change it regularly .

[amazighman]

10 hours ago, Daveyboy20 said:

Hi guys, need to service my Ls400 - what oil do people go for? Get the occasional wisp of blue on startup after leaving it for a couple of days so I'm assuming oil has thinned and is slipping past valve stem oil seals? Should I go for a thicker oil or stick with recommendations? Oil tech has come a long way in 21 years! 

5w30 , Lexus do a very good deal on service kits.

Got 6l of oil plus air and pollen and oil filter for 65 quid

[Daveyboy20]

Thanks guys

[Tinonline]

My local Lexus dealer uses Shell Helix fully synthetic...got that info in a friendly conversation when picking up parts...so that’s what I use, 5/30, on a 90k mile engine.

Puff of smoke is a bit of wear and unlikely to be cured by oil type. Is the engine using oil?

[Cotswold Pete]

22 hours ago, RgrWynne said:

, these engines were designed to run on a more basic product without problems,

I think modern oils are really aimed at modern engines, especially where you have turbos spinning at high speeds.  Semi-synthetic fne for LS, (unless you want to drive every where in 1st, and keep the revs as high as possible).

Fully synthetics are designed not to break the oil (chains of atoms) at 7000rpm and above for sustained periods.  Mineral oils cannot sustain this kind of abuse for long.

My LS (202,000miles), uses next to no oil between 10k services, and where I have topped it up, usually less than 0.5 litre just used 10-40W (which is what I use on my wifes X-type - which eats oil for a living - only done 130,000).  I have never observed what 'smoke' comes out of exhaust on cold start, though I do check from time to time for water (only because I ignored water on my Omega - which was gasket going.  I was being stupid and thought coolant needed replacing as I had a leaky hose, where as it runs out the car was p*ssing water out the back).  Still if the Omega had not blown, I may never have got to own a LS 13 years ago.

I must confess I have never asked what my garage uses for services, other than I know it is not fully synthetic.

[Mikaelse]

5W30 fully synthetic  Castrol or Mobil or similar. At 7000 miles