LEXUS OWNERS BEWARE!!!

[Popinski]

I just got back from the bar and my friend's cousin came a long. He is a Lexus mechanic and he said these exact words:

"..all of us use the cheapest oil on the market and most of the time we use non-OEM filters. Those stupid rich ***-holes can't tell the difference"

Regardless of car brand, if you're getting work done...DOUBLE CHECK WHAT THEY'RE PUTTING IN!!!!! If they refuse to show you, refuse the work completely!!!

 

[nthach]

That's why I do my own maintenance and any doable repairs. I refuse to let our cars see the dealer unless its warranty work.

 

[ZZman]

Well a pretty broad statement unless the "us" he mentioned was all Lexus dealers and he just got back from a conference or something on how to make a profit on oil changes.

 

[Silk]

Treat them like a Toyota and they'll be fine...

 

[FusilliJerry82]

I kind of think you'd be naive to think a dealer would use anything but the cheapest acceptable stuff they could. That being said though, it doesn't mean they're using bacon grease in the crankcase and a rag in place of the filter. Any bulk lube of the correct weight and API rating will do the job adequately.

 

[AcuraTech]

Originally Posted By: FusilliJerry82
I kind of think you'd be naive to think a dealer would use anything but the cheapest acceptable stuff they could. That being said though, it doesn't mean they're using bacon grease in the crankcase and a rag in place of the filter. Any bulk lube of the correct weight and API rating will do the job adequately.


+1

 

[SteveSRT8]

gosh, this just reinforces the "stealership" image of dealers.

But I agree that a Toyota is not really going to care at normal OCI's.

 

[d00df00d]

Originally Posted By: AcuraTech
Originally Posted By: FusilliJerry82
I kind of think you'd be naive to think a dealer would use anything but the cheapest acceptable stuff they could. That being said though, it doesn't mean they're using bacon grease in the crankcase and a rag in place of the filter. Any bulk lube of the correct weight and API rating will do the job adequately.


+1

+2

Well said. "Cheap" and "non-OEM" don't necessarily mean out-of-spec.

It's true that most Lexus owners don't know and don't care, but all it takes is a few to ruin a dealership's reputation. I sincerely doubt they'd gamble that badly, especially when the company depends on reliability to sell cars.

 

[572ratt]

The Ford parts dept. I work at we use only Motorcraft filters and oil for all customers Fords and non Fords.

We have customers come in with imports and the other big 2 for oil changes all the time. We carry MC filters for everything. If we do not have it we get a Wix from the Napa store down the road.

Even all used cars and trade ins get the same stuff.

If a customer wants a particular synthetic oil or weight other than Motorcraft we will get it for them. Whatever list price is at the store we buy it from, that is what we charge the customer, as if they bought it from the same store.

 

[fdcg27]

The cheapest SM available in something close to the weight Toyota specifies is likely to be just fine.
We have members here who make a fetish of running their cars to very high mileages on the cheapest oil/filter combo they can find, so I doubt whether the average Lexus is going to suffer from having Cam 2 bulk in it vs PYB.
We just bought a 55/gal drum of Cam 2 for the garage at work, 10W-30. We have a couple of 200K+ CVPIs that have had this oil for the last 100K or so. Our mechanic had the valve covers off one recently, and it was remarkably clean. Both cars have had the valve guide seals replaced, incidentally, which cured their ridiculuosly high oil consumption, a repair hint I got from this site.
Since you are all wondering, the drum of Cam 2 came to about $420.00 delivered-not all that cheap.

 

[rcy]

Originally Posted By: Popinski


"..all of us use the cheapest oil on the market and most of the time we use non-OEM filters.


There are a lot of people here that do the same thing all on their own.

 

[javacontour]

There are a lot of folks who don't even bother to change the oil, so this would be an improvement over that circumstance.

 

[Scdevon]

Originally Posted By: FusilliJerry82
I kind of think you'd be naive to think a dealer would use anything but the cheapest acceptable stuff they could.

+1
Most people like to believe that their car is in the best possible hands when it's at a dealership service department. The exact opposite is true most of the time. They hire the cheapest lube monkeys they can find to do maintenance work using the cheapest possible fluids and filters.

I worked years as a flat-rate line technician at a "megaplex" GM / Toyota dealer before I changed careers. I know what I'm talking about. A person shouldn't pretend that they're anal about vehicle maintenance if they let a lube monkey work on their car. If you care about your car, DO IT YOURSELF.

 

[01rangerxl]

Originally Posted By: 572ratt
The Ford parts dept. I work at we use only Motorcraft filters and oil for all customers Fords and non Fords.


I have been to Ford dealers in a few cities for oil changes, and every single one has used a Motorcraft filter. The oil can vary, some just list "bulk 5W20" on the receipt, and others list Motorcraft specifically.

 

[asiancivicmaniac]

The Toyota dealer in my town uses Pennzoil bulk. That's decent stuff.

 

[Popinski]

I think you guys are missing the point. When you're at a dealership, you are paying a high price for work getting done. Especially if you drive an expensive Lexus. You expect high quality parts, for example Mobil 1 in lieu of conventional oil.

If I got work done on my Hyundai at a dealership, I expect OEM parts.

Based on replies, I can see why dealers are called "Stealerships" now. People just don't care, regardless of the higher price and non-oem parts.

Originally Posted By: 572ratt
The Ford parts dept. I work at we use only Motorcraft filters and oil for all customers Fords and non Fords.

We have customers come in with imports and the other big 2 for oil changes all the time. We carry MC filters for everything. If we do not have it we get a Wix from the Napa store down the road.

Even all used cars and trade ins get the same stuff.

If a customer wants a particular synthetic oil or weight other than Motorcraft we will get it for them. Whatever list price is at the store we buy it from, that is what we charge the customer, as if they bought it from the same store.


You gusy seem like a good dealer

 

[572ratt]

For the new diesels with the cats, and egr systems, our truck mechanics use Shell 15w40 out of 55 gallon drums, as spec by Ford.

A very high quality oil.

Customers with the 7.3 diesels we use Motorcraft 15w40, or some of the customers ask for the Motorcraft full syn 5w40, of course at a higher price.

 

[572ratt]

Had a customer bring in a VW Jetta for state inspection and an oil change. Engine was a 1.8 turbo. The tech asked me for a filter and what kind oil to run. I was out of the MC filter, so I called the local VW dealer, to see what they run in this motor.

They told me Castrol syntec 5w40.

So I just got a VW filter and the oil from them.

I feel it is best just to find out in certain situations to use the right stuff, to avoid headaches down the road.

 

[bdcardinal]

all of our bulk fluids are Motorcraft, i know becuase i get teh invoices every week. we have Motorcraft and Mazda filters in stock. if a customer wants Mobil 1 we order it from the Kragen down the street. if its a vehicle that we dont have a filter for, we usually get a Bosch from Kragen. used cars demand the cheapest possible, they get Pentius from Kragen, unless there is a Motorfraft cross. if its a German car, ill walk across the street to the BMW/Audi/Mercedes/Porsche/Jag/Aston Martin dealer and pick up the factory filter from them, and then just order whatever oil Amsoil's lookup says to use. if it requires a spedific fluid ill get it from the dealer or IMCParts.

 

[NHHEMI]

Originally Posted By: 572ratt
The Ford parts dept. I work at we use only Motorcraft filters and oil for all customers Fords and non Fords.

We have customers come in with imports and the other big 2 for oil changes all the time. We carry MC filters for everything. If we do not have it we get a Wix from the Napa store down the road.

Even all used cars and trade ins get the same stuff.

If a customer wants a particular synthetic oil or weight other than Motorcraft we will get it for them. Whatever list price is at the store we buy it from, that is what we charge the customer, as if they bought it from the same store.


We only used Motorcraft filters at the Ford dealership I worked at as well. However, we did use bulk oil and it wasn't always the correct weight or grade. Most dealers do use OE filters but when it comes to fluids, in my experience, they use the cheapest available to them in bulk.