Dealership Using Different Oil Viscosities

[Gebo]

I just purchased an '05 LS430 with 67K. I had researched the service history and all the oil changes were done every 5K at the Lexus dealership. Great service history! In going through all the old service invoices I could find in the dash, I found some information I would like to share as it seems really unusual to me. Especially coming from a Lexus dealership. The first oil change at 5K was with 10W-30. Then at 15K it was changed to 5W-40. The next record I could find was at was at 30K where 10W-30 was used. The last record was at 65K where 0W-20 synthetic was used. So, I am assuming based on the paper invoices I found in the dash, the majority of the time they used 10W-30. Interesting the switch to 0W-20 Synthetic at 65K.

I'm not freaking out but when the manual calls for 5W-30 I "assumed" the dealership would use 5W-30. FWIW, I'm gonna use a 0W-40 synthetic grin any way...

 

[Nate1979]

Maybe it was owner request each time and the former owner was a BITOG member who liked to experiment.

 

[Nick1994]

Ok am I having déjà vu, or was this already posted before?

 

[OneEyeJack]

To someone at the dealership it makes no difference. After all it's not their car and what customer knows the difference, anyhow? Not too many.

They are probably in the habit of using whatever they have on hand and maybe on the 40 weight oil change they just ran out of 30 weight oil. They certainly want to keep using bulk oil so even if they have the same oil in quart bottles you can bet you'll get the bulk oil whatever it might be.

 

[mrsilv04]

Ok am I having déjà vu, or was this already posted before?
_________________________

Either that, or there's something wonky about the site this morning.

 

[Nick1994]

Definately some weird stuff going on. Here's the link to the other one:

http://www.bobistheoilguy.com/forums/ubbthreads.php/topics/3653796/Re:_Dealership_Using_Different#Post3653796

 

[redhat]

You have entered, the twilight zone.

 

[CrawfishTails]

Using 20 was probably a mistake. Or, just the paperwork is wrong, and a 30 was actually used.

 

[sicko]

Did Gebo re-post the same message, or did the site do it automatically? Maybe it's a glitch as the site becomes self aware, maybe we're witnessing the internet becoming sentient.

 

[Gebo]

Oops, I was looking for it in the Gas section and thought it was gone. I didn't realize I had made a mistake and posted it in the Diesel section. I also posted it in the clublexus forum so I just copied and pasted. Maybe I'm the Twilight zone...LOL

 

[HerrStig]

As I said before, if this practice is costing the car makers a lot in warranty claims they'll crack down on the dealers.

 

[Eddie]

The pitiful thing is consumers take their vehicles to dealers expecting Expert service and that the correct fluids will be used. Too many times we have seen this is not true. Ed

 

[CHARLIEBRONSON21]

You want it done right? Do it yourself.

 

[SilverC6]

Dealership probably scored some 0W-40 Castrol at the Autozone sale and is trying to use it up...

 

[fdcg27]

Okay.
The engine runs fine and having accumulated very few miles in ten years i'd doubt that it was ever run hard.
Most engines are fine on a range of grades.
It may also be that the service writer simply clicked on the wrong box when documenting some of the oil changes.
Who knows what might have been done during the service history of a decade old car?