Allianz Extended Warranty

[PennyC]

Hi everyone

Please excuse me if I am posting in the wrong area. I have looked for info on this topic but but have not found anything as yet. Please feel free to point me to any established topic I may have missed.

I am picking up my 2008 Lexus IS250 tomorrow. It is not at a Lexus dealership but we have had Melbourne City Lexus give it a comprehensive check. They are very happy with the condition of the car they only mentioned slightly low oil level which could be nothing or apparently point to a piston ring issue that the cars are known for. There is no other sign of any issue so he said if could be a matter of the last service (not done at a Lexus dealership) not topping up the oil or not using premium oil.

However I do note that the issue if it arises is an expensive one to get fixed.

I am tossing up whether it is worth purchasing Allianz assured extended warranty which appears to have a good reputation although it is expensive at 2.2k for three years.

The car has 80k on it and Lexus did say they would have expected the issue to have arisen by now however you know.

I guess it is a gamble either way but just wanting feedback on the warranty if anyone has it or if anyone has had any experience with this issue.

Many Thanks

[rickylexus250]

Have a talk with Lexus and see what they advise. they always look at the interest of the owner and are renowned for their customer service - this is only because you have made contact with them previously to check the car (Sorry not much help but I see no one has respond to your post).

[PennyC]

Thank you for your reply. Lexus said for peace of mind to get the warranty which of course does weigh favour of getting it but it is quite a bit to outlay which is why I hoped someone had some experience with it.

[rickylexus250]

Thank you for your reply. Lexus said for peace of mind to get the warranty which of course does weigh favour of getting it but it is quite a bit to outlay which is why I hoped someone had some experience with it.

A friend of mind had the option of taking out the Lexus extended warranty on her IS250, it had to be taken before her 3 year warranty expired with Lexus and she did, similar price, and shortly after that she needed a new water pump (cost about $2000.00 from Lexus). I hope this helps 3 years is quite a long time.

[wrxhoon]

Before you decide on the aftermarket warranty make sure you read all the fine print so you know what it covers and the limits poer item if any.

I have seen some warranties that have so many exclusions and limits , they are not worth it.

If you are concernd that the car uses a lot of oil why not have a compression and a leakdown test done before you buy . Leakdown test will show the condition of pistons and rings as well as valves, a comp test will not show if rings are a little warn because the oil takes up the slack and you can have perfect copm but slightly warn piston rings .

Of course you can expect some maintenance issues with a 6 yo car and anything you do on these cars is not cheap, that goes for any luxury car, like on the above post $2k for a water pump!

[Lexus Nerd]

... they only mentioned slightly low oil level which could be nothing or apparently point to a piston ring issue that the cars are known for. There is no other sign of any issue so he said if could be a matter of the last service (not done at a Lexus dealership) not topping up the oil or not using premium oil.

... Or not using the right oil. Some Lexus dealerships are known to use semi-synthetic oil; yet, this may cause less problems than a DIY job where a more expensive oil is used.

However I do note that the issue if it arises is an expensive one to get fixed.

Presumably because of the benign effects this issue has on most IS 250's, this issue is not covered by a standard Lexus warranty in Australia. Therefore, it's unlikely to be covered by any extended warranty here.

The excessive oil consumption is caused by carbon buildup which, in turn, is caused by oil additives burning up in the direct injection engine. Its effects can be minimised by choosing the right oil and regular removal of the deposits.

[Tony1234]

A bit off topic.Lance.Regarding the best engine oil that should be used to reduce carbon buildup what type,grade,semi/full synthetic?I thought if you use a good quality full synthetic 5W30 you'll be fine!!

[rickylexus250]

A bit off topic.Lance.Regarding the best engine oil that should be used to reduce carbon buildup what type,grade,semi/full synthetic?I thought if you use a good quality full synthetic 5W30 you'll be fine!!

Yes, I agree, I have asked Lexus during the warranty period what they use and they use a Toyota Brand semi-synthetic oil. I said I wish to use a full synthetic oil and they said the best was Mobil 1 5W 30 and were happy for me to supply it (otherwise they would have to order it in specially at a Lexus premium cost) - Unfortunately it takes 6.3 litres so I had to purchase 2 x 5 litre containers then they would return the balance to use at the next service (no refund for the Toyota semi-synthetic oil as I had the 3 year FREE service when I bought the car).

I totally recommend the Mobil 1 and i have used the 5W 30 Mobil 1 on a 2.2 litre Celica SX from brand new and with no oil burning at 198,000kms (also used Shell Premium 95 before the 98 came out).

[Lexus Nerd]

My recommendations are based on hours of research, rather than personal experience. For most points, I've tried to find at least two different sources before accepting any point as gospel.

To get good viscosity in both cold and hot engine conditions, multigrade oils require additives known as viscosity modifiers. The wider the viscosity span, the more modifiers are required.

Viscosity modifiers, however, do burn off under high temperatures and produce carbon deposits. In a port injection engine, this isn't a big issue, as the fuel coming through the intake valves wash the deposits away. But in many direct injection engines, the carbon deposits are left on the intake valves. The capacity of the cylinder, the sealing ability of the valve, the O2 sensor etc. are all affected, eventually leading to poor engine performance and excess oil consumption.

Oils are like Pokemon: each has their strengths, but they also have weaknesses. So even though Mobil 1 was great on a Celica, it's not good in DI engines, according to the TEOST test in this oil manufacturer-sponsored study:

http://www.amsoil.com/lit/g3115.pdf

Now, the overall validity of this study is debatable, but it does show that an oil that performs well in one respect may not do well in another respect. It also suggests that Castrol Edge is great for minimising carbon deposits in a DI engine; but it doesn't have a good rep on these forums for other reasons. Besides, I shouldn't recommend any specific oil without trying it myself.

Also note that the study is for 5W-30 oils. Based on the above information, I would expect that, for minimising carbon deposits on an IS250, the grade of the oil is more important than the brand. Try going for a 10W-30 oil: after all, this is what Lexus Australia is now recommending on the latest IS 250s (but not the 350s, which have both port and direct injection) ... I imagine they are recommending it for the reasons given here.

[rickylexus250]

My recommendations are based on hours of research, rather than personal experience. For most points, I've tried to find at least two different sources before accepting any point as gospel.

To get good viscosity in both cold and hot engine conditions, multigrade oils require additives known as viscosity modifiers. The wider the viscosity span, the more modifiers are required.

Viscosity modifiers, however, do burn off under high temperatures and produce carbon deposits. In a port injection engine, this isn't a big issue, as the fuel coming through the intake valves wash the deposits away. But in many direct injection engines, the carbon deposits are left on the intake valves. The capacity of the cylinder, the sealing ability of the valve, the O2 sensor etc. are all affected, eventually leading to poor engine performance and excess oil consumption.

Oils are like Pokemon: each has their strengths, but they also have weaknesses. So even though Mobil 1 was great on a Celica, it's not good in DI engines, according to the TEOST test in this oil manufacturer-sponsored study:

http://www.amsoil.com/lit/g3115.pdf

Now, the overall validity of this study is debatable, but it does show that an oil that performs well in one respect may not do well in another respect. It also suggests that Castrol Edge is great for minimising carbon deposits in a DI engine; but it doesn't have a good rep on these forums for other reasons. Besides, I shouldn't recommend any specific oil without trying it myself.

Also note that the study is for 5W-30 oils. Based on the above information, I would expect that, for minimising carbon deposits on an IS250, the grade of the oil is more important than the brand. Try going for a 10W-30 oil: after all, this is what Lexus Australia is now recommending on the latest IS 250s (but not the 350s, which have both port and direct injection) ... I imagine they are recommending it for the reasons given here.

Thanks for your research, so main conclusion would be that a full synthetic oil is best regardless of brand and to use a 10W-30, would this be the formula for the life of the car in our ownership and for the benefit of 350 owners what would they use?

[Lexus Nerd]

Thanks for your research, so main conclusion would be that a full synthetic oil is best regardless of brand and to use a 10W-30, would this be the formula for the life of the car in our ownership and for the benefit of 350 owners what would they use?

Yes, use a 10W-30 for the reasons given above, and a full synthetic for the same reasons that are always given for using a full synthetic over a semi-mineral.

The engine in the IS 350 has port injection as well as DI, so it doesn't face the same carbon buildup issues. I would use the oil grade recommended in the Owners Manual.

[Tony1234]

Thanks for your research, so main conclusion would be that a full synthetic oil is best regardless of brand and to use a 10W-30, would this be the formula for the life of the car in our ownership and for the benefit of 350 owners what would they use?

Yes, use a 10W-30 for the reasons given above, and a full synthetic for the same reasons that are always given for using a full synthetic over a semi-mineral.

The engine in the IS 350 has port injection as well as DI, so it doesn't face the same carbon buildup issues. I would use the oil grade recommended in the Owners Manual.

Thanks for your input Lance.You've gone a fair way to clearing up the engine oil issues in the IS250.I did ask my service dept.what oil they use.10W40 semi synthetic!!!