Is250 Oil

[is200 Newbie]

I am getting all the parts together to do a full service on car (minus plugs) - IS250 petrol with 70k miles - Anyone know or recomend an oil to use and if this is an easy job - also plan to change the oil filter - last time i done this on my is200 you needed to be double jointed.

Admittedly i have not looked yet where the filter is located on the engine but easy job?

Cabin filter still located behiond glove box?

[Carl911]

I think the standard oil recommendation is 5-30 semi synthetic.

Never changed the oil myself so not bothered to look but I assume its on the side near bottom somewhere. I recall its a internal filter you have to replace so you need a special tool to undo it.

Cabin filter is located at back of glovebox, just remember to switch to recirculate before removing or you might break something.

Carl

[agent_dess]

It's actually 0w-30

I phoned 2 independent lexus garages and both came back with 0w-30

Only one I found to use for top-up was Castrol 0w-30

You can also confirm this by doing oil check on Castrol website:

http://www.castrol.com/castrol/sectionbodycopy.do?categoryId=9024084&contentId=7073092

[redbaron]

I use Lucas oils in my Lexus and in my race-cars and I think it's great. Not just engine oil but also for gearbox/automatic, diff and steering.

It's an American product but I know it's available in the UK, so check out their product range.

[Multics]

It's actually 0w-30

I phoned 2 independent lexus garages and both came back with 0w-30

Only one I found to use for top-up was castrol 0w-30

You can also confirm this by doing oil check on castrol website:

http://www.castrol.com/castrol/sectionbodycopy.do?categoryId=9024084&contentId=7073092

I'm sorry but I think this is incorrect. Lexus uses 5W30 in Europe and 0W20 in the US on the IS 250 model.

[normski2]

Must admit.. i thought it was 5W30. That's what it says in my service CD.

[agent_dess]

I phoned Lexus Edinburgh and Lexus Glasgow and spoke to the parts department at both garages and both said they use "0W-30"...

One of the garages even mentioned Castrol by name....

[Carl911]

My car drinks enough oil as it is and putting in 0-30 would probably make things worse.

I'll be sticking to 5-30.

[redbaron]

I think Im can say I know a bit a bit about oil and I don't see the use of these waterthin oils.

Sure, they can save you some fuel(marginal effect) and cold start will probably be a bit easier.

But all engines that really have to perform are better off with a higher viscosity (same quality grade and dope package ofcourse).

So I don't see why you could not use a 5w40 or even 10w40.

I use 10W60 full synthetic in my IS 300 and even use 10% of Lucas fully synthetic additive. The engine is really quiet and it uses so little oil I don.t have to top op between oil changes( I change it at 15000 miles). I don't believe in extreme oilchange intervals either. The lubrication quality of the oil is hardly effected, but oil has five functions: lubrication,cooling,sound dampening,sealing

and dirt removal. No way a 0-20 will be just as good at sound dampeming or sealing(hence more oil consumption) and no way that an oil or oil filter can remove dirt and retain it where it doesn.t do harm to the engine if you use it for 30000 miles and more. You would have to install a much more sophisticated filtering system. I am also proven right by the fact that a whole industry in additives and cleaning agents has emerged because of the ever rising number of engine problems and damages. Especially drivers who spend most of their time in town traffic encounter a lot of problems with extrmely dirty and clogged engines..

[Mouser]

Another part of that issue is that where we used to have 80 bhp cars being 'normal', 150 seems to be more like it now, with 200+ not even causing a stir in a family car. With such powerful engines, and broad enforcement of speed limits, there's little opportunity for sustained wide open throttle driving. You can do a bit of an Italian tune-up when accelerating up a slip road onto a motorway (when it's clear), but compared to how I used to drive some of my older cars I'd usually describe my approach as pootling around. If you never heat the engine up, and rarely go above 3k rpm, you start to see certain carbon deposition patterns.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Italian_tuneup

As for the oil for the IS250, from GSIC:

SAE 5W-30

API grade SM “Energy-Conserving” or

ILSAC, multi grade engine oil

Although I'm certain I've seen an advisory where 5W20 is optional (slightly better fuel efficiency).

0W oil is a cold climate oil, and at running temperatures shouldn't make any difference. In the UK, you'll almost certainly notice no difference except to your wallet.

Do make sure you use full synthetic though - advice from my mechanic after he's had to explain that to owners with troubled engines.

[is200 Newbie]

Thanks guys

I think i will stick to the 5w30 fully synth as i used it on my old IS with no issues

[noby76]

fully synthetic 5W-30 or 10W-40 Lexus put that in there for a reason. most forget these engines have VVTi controllers in them as well and they don't like dirty oil, too thick oil or too thin oil. the grade has to be just right so stick to exactly what's stamped in your manual and you wont have any problems. I use fully syn 5W-30 and change every 10k miles.

[agent_dess]

Mobil oil checker recommends 0W-20:

http://www.mobil.co.uk/UK-English-LCW/carengineoils_which-oil.aspx

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Castrol oil checker recommends 0W-30 and 5W-30 A1:

http://www.castrol.com/castrol/sectionbodycopy.do?categoryId=9024084&contentId=7073092

1) Castrol EDGE 0W-30

2) Castrol Magnatec 5W-30 A1

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Both Lexus garages told me they use 0W-30 during service

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Both 0W-20 and 0W-30 are fully synthetic

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

When I had the my 56 plate Yaris T2 (2006-2011) I used to use 5W-30

You can decide what u want to use, 0w-30 or 5w-30 but as far as I am concerned I will go with what lexus have told me.

[normski2]

Just a thought.....I'm wondering if the fact that you are in Scotland has a bearing on this. You will experience generally colder winters than me for sure (0W30 being suitable for colder starting).

[Mouser]

Just a thought.....I'm wondering if the fact that you are in Scotland has a bearing on this. You will experience generally colder winters than me for sure (0W30 being suitable for colder starting).

It'll certainly be colder, but unless it's you live in the highlands it shouldn't be enough to demand it. We're talking -20 or -30 unless you do mainly short journeys, in which case you'd be well advised to do that. Most recommended viscosity grade charts don't even extend to show where 0W oils would be preferable (it would be very cold!). There's no inherent problem with 0W oils, but they are more expensive.

If you're actually interested in doing this properly, rather than than going with a generic approach, take a look at this technical run through which covers it in more detail than you're likely to care for. If you want to know whether your oil is appropriate for your car, temperature and driving style, the best way is to get an ODBII port reader from China off eBay for a fiver, and one of the apps for your phone for £3, then monitor the oil pressure and oil temperature. As per chapter eight in the technical discussion above, you may be surprised how light you can go with the oil for light driving, and it'll also teach you more about letting the car warm up before you thrash it!

[Carl911]

I think as long as you use 0-30 or 5-30 you will be fine with either.

I had heard using 10-30 or higher could actually cause more wear on the engine and lead to premature camshaft failure ect.

[agent_dess]

I thought i would share the following official email response from my local Lexus dealership (i won't say exactly which one):

Official Lexus Response:
Thank you for your enquiry regarding engine oil for your Lexus IS250.

The IS250 model from May 2008 was filled from new with 5w30 grade oil, but 0w30 can also be used as an alternative.

In our Service Department we use Castrol Edge 0w30 for the IS250 which is Castrol's Premium recommendation for this model, although they also list a Mid Range recommendation of 5w30 Castrol Magnatec.

As your car has been serviced recently and filled with the 0w30 grade it would be best to refill with this grade.

We stock one litre top-up kits for the 0w30 grade at £17.38 including vat.

Here is an extract taken from the IS250 2007/2009 user manual:

*:5W-30 is an oil that provides optimal levels of fuel efficiency.

Oil viscosity

l The 5W portion of the oil viscosity rating indicates the characteristic of

the oil which allows cold startability. Oils with a lower value before the W

allow for easier starting of the engine in cold weather.

l The 30 in 5W-30 indicates the oil viscosity when the oil is at its operating

temperature. An oil with a higher viscosity may be better suited if the

vehicle is operated at high speeds, or under extreme load condition.

Here is an extract taken from the IS250 2010 user manual:

SAE 5W-30 is the best choice for

good fuel economy and good

starting in cold weather.

If SAE 5W-30 is not available,

SAE 10W-30 oil may be used.

However, it should be replaced

with SAE 5W-30 at the next oil

change.

Here is an extract taken from the IS250 2011/2012 user manual:

SAE 0W-20 is the best choice for

good fuel economy and good

starting in cold weather.

If SAE 0W-20 is not available,

SAE 5W-20 oil may be used.

However, it must be replaced with

SAE 0W-20 at the next oil

change.

When i lately visited the parts department (Lexus sent me to Toyota building behind) to get touch-up paint for my IS250 i saw a metal drum with "Toyota Oil 0W-20" written on it.

User manual can be found at:

https://secure.drivers.lexus.com/lexusdrivers/info/my-lexus/resources/submit-owners-manual-search

[ChumpusRex]

Interesting. I purchased a subscription to the the official lexus Europe service information knowledge base, and downloaded the service schedule.

It specifies ILSAC (or API SL or SM) 5W30, 5W40 or 10W40 for all models of IS250. There is no recommendation for 0W20 or 5W20 for any IS250 even 2012 models.

[ColinBarber]

I thought i would share the following official email response from my local Lexus dealership (i won't say exactly which one):

Official Lexus Response:

Thank you for your enquiry regarding engine oil for your Lexus IS250.

The IS250 model from May 2008 was filled from new with 5w30 grade oil, but 0w30 can also be used as an alternative.

In our Service Department we use Castrol Edge 0w30 for the IS250 which is Castrol's Premium recommendation for this model, although they also list a Mid Range recommendation of 5w30 Castrol Magnatec.

As your car has been serviced recently and filled with the 0w30 grade it would be best to refill with this grade.

We stock one litre top-up kits for the 0w30 grade at £17.38 including vat.

Here is an extract taken from the IS250 2007/2009 user manual:

*:5W-30 is an oil that provides optimal levels of fuel efficiency.

Oil viscosity

l The 5W portion of the oil viscosity rating indicates the characteristic of

the oil which allows cold startability. Oils with a lower value before the W

allow for easier starting of the engine in cold weather.

l The 30 in 5W-30 indicates the oil viscosity when the oil is at its operating

temperature. An oil with a higher viscosity may be better suited if the

vehicle is operated at high speeds, or under extreme load condition.

Here is an extract taken from the IS250 2010 user manual:

SAE 5W-30 is the best choice for

good fuel economy and good

starting in cold weather.

If SAE 5W-30 is not available,

SAE 10W-30 oil may be used.

However, it should be replaced

with SAE 5W-30 at the next oil

change.

Here is an extract taken from the IS250 2011/2012 user manual:

SAE 0W-20 is the best choice for

good fuel economy and good

starting in cold weather.

If SAE 0W-20 is not available,

SAE 5W-20 oil may be used.

However, it must be replaced with

SAE 0W-20 at the next oil

change.

When i lately visited the parts department (Lexus sent me to Toyota building behind) to get touch-up paint for my IS250 i saw a metal drum with "Toyota Oil 0W-20" written on it.

User manual can be found at:

https://secure.drivers.lexus.com/lexusdrivers/info/my-lexus/resources/submit-owners-manual-search

The 0W20 was first used on the Toyota hybrids and used to be difficult to get hold of which is why you saw official Toyota oil rather than Castrol. Toyota/Lexus have started to use it on other vehicles as well to extract out slightly better emissions and economy.

If those user manuals are for the US market then they may not apply here in the UK. They have different service schedules and specifications compared to the european vehicles.

Also note that the use of Castrol oil isn't an official recommendation, it is just that particular dealership chain has negotiated a deal with Castrol to supply their oil. Other dealerships may use different oils such as Mobil. Dealerships make a huge profit on the oil they sell has they purchase in bulk and normally charge more than you can buy it from Halfords etc.

IMO the use of Castrol Edge on an IS250 is overkill on a standard short service interval of 10k miles, Magnatec would be fine and meets all of the manufacturer specifications.

[agent_dess]

Always good to share the knowledge guys :)

[bobbyc]

Good Afternoon All,

Can someone confirm to me how many litres of oil you will need to for Is250 service?

Cheers

Bobby

[johnatg]

Just over 6 litres. (6.3 officially, I think)

I always use GM Dexos2 (genuine GM, with the hologram on the label and the multi-language booklet on the back). It's 5W-30 fully synthetic. Available on eBay for about £20 for 5 litres and better value if you buy 2 or 4 cans at once. And I change every 5K miles with an engine flush additive and a new filter.

[bobbyc]

HI John,

Thanks for the reply, I was looking to use Castrol; Edge 0w30 or Magnatec 5w30, does anyone have any experience of either. I am sure it was magnatec I got put in by lexus at my last service and it seems perfectly fine for the amount of miles I use the car. However it is a good bit more expensive for 5 litres than £20.

[johnatg]

You may note that Magnatec 5W-30 comes in various ACEA specs - commonly A1 (which is mainly Ford spec) and C3, which is mostly everything else. The C3 version was 'developed specifically for engines requiring Dexos2 spec oil' and is also approved by Mercedes, BMW, VW etc (some for long life, others for normal maintenance regimes). Well - forget extended maintenance regimes (for any car) unless you want get rid of your car after 3 years.

Dexos2 (which is a specification as well as a specific GM product) is designed for dual use in petrol and diesel engines which means it has high detergency (keeps engine internals clean), and produces few particulates (it is designed not to clog DPFs - but that's also down to how the vehicle is used) But it is also recommended for all GM vehicles except in USA (there they recommend Dexos1 for petrol engines - not obtainable in Europe).

I reckon that if it will do for everything from an Adam to a 'Vette Z06 it ain't gonna do our IS250s any harm! Not that I have any particular opinions about GM cars, but they do make a lot of them and one can expect their maintenance recommendations to have some validity.

Why pay more?

Much of the price of 'popular' oil is down to advertising budgets - especially where the advertising, in whatever form, is going to be seen on multi-million TV sets around the world on programs which 'petrolheads' might be expected to watch!

[blackcts]

I complete agree why pay any more than that GM stuff - I bet it's as good as any, prob even better. I'd use it in the 220 only it needs a C2 grade. Millers is good value though, I'm using trident longlife c2/c3 spec also meets dexos2, bmw longlife 04, VAG 507 spec...pretty much covers most stuff. Think 5 litres is about £27.