There’s a lot to love about the 2017 Lexus RX 350. From its luxurious cabin to its phenomenal ride quality and safety features, this little crossover is an excellent choice for solo traveling and family road trips. But to properly maintain your Lexus, you’ll need to know its engine oil capacity—5.7 quarts.

Vehicle ownership comes with a lot of expenses, both routine and unexpected. And when you own a

luxury car

—like your Lexus RX 350—those expenses are often intensified. Performing your own oil changes is a great way to cut down on those costs, but don’t forget to consult your vehicle owner’s manual for the oil capacity first.

If you don’t have the manual or simply want some extra help with your 2017 Lexus RX 350 engine oil capacity, we’ve got you covered.

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2017 Lexus RX 350 engine oil capacity

The 3.5-liter V6 engine in your 2017 Lexus RX 350 holds 5.7 quarts or about 5.4 liters of motor oil.

Remember not to confuse your

engine’s displacement

—the 3.5-liter volume of space occupied by your engine’s cylinders—with its oil capacity, which refers to the amount of oil the motor stores for use as a lubricant.

Engine displacement and oil capacity are two entirely different things and should never be used interchangeably.

What kind of oil does a 2017 Lexus RX 350 need?

You know your oil capacity. Now it’s time to learn your car’s oil type. Yep, motor oils aren’t all the same, and it’s important that you put the right kind of oil in your Lexus.

When you arrive at the auto parts store, search for SAE 0W-20. That’s the oil that Lexus recommends putting in your RX 350, and choosing the manufacturer’s suggestion is always a smart move.

But if that seemingly random combination of letters and numbers has left you feeling confused, don’t worry. It’s a pretty simple code that helps us understand certain things about the oil, and we’ll break it down for you.

The “SAE” is an abbreviation for the Society of Automotive Engineers. They’re the group of experts that are responsible for writing these motor oil codes.

The numbers help us to understand how thick or viscous the oil is at cold and hot temperatures. The “0” indicates how thick the oil is when the motor is cold—that one is pretty easy to remember since it’s right in front of the “W,” which stands for winter—while the “20” explains how viscous the oil is when the engine is warm.

The smaller the numbers in an oil code, the thinner the oil. And thinner oil is ideal for automotive engines because it is able to move through the motor more freely.

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How often should you change the oil in a 2017 Lexus RX 350?

Lexus recommends changing the oil in your 2017 RX 350 every 3,000 to 5,000 miles. However, if you don’t drive very often, you might be better off remembering to replace the oil every six months.

It’s not uncommon for a lot of time to pass between oil changes. For this reason, it’s crucial that you check the oil level and condition regularly. Checking your oil condition every other time you fill the fuel tank is a great habit to develop—but no matter what method you use to remember, you need to inspect your oil’s condition at least once a month.

When you inspect your oil, pay attention and look for these signs that it should be replaced:

The oil looks black, dark brown, or muddy (fresh oil is amber-colored and slightly transparent)

The oil feels gritty, dirty, or sandy

The engine emits foul smells, like oil, smoke, or burning

The engine performance is suddenly poor

The engine is making new and strange sounds

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How to change your Lexus RX 350 oil and oil filter

Now that you know your RX 350’s oil capacity and type, the only thing left to do is get started replacing it. You’ll need these tools:

Jack and jack stands, ramps, or something to lift the vehicle

A ratchet wrench with a 14-millimeter socket

A torque wrench

A drain pan

An oil filter wrench

A funnel

A rag or towel

Don’t crawl under the car yet. First, start the engine and let it run for around five minutes. Although this step isn’t necessary, it will cause the motor to warm up, which allows the oil to drain much more efficiently.

When the engine is warm, turn it off and start following the steps below.

Remove the oil fill cap and the dipstick.

Slide under your Lexus and remove its oil drain plug. Position the drain pan to catch and collect the dirty oil.

While you wait for the oil to drain, remove the old oil filter.

Apply a thin layer of oil to the new filter’s gasket before screwing it into place. Do not over-tighten the new filter, and screw it on only until it is snug.

Reinstall the oil drain bolt and tighten it to 30 lb-ft.

Fill the engine with clean oil and then reinstall the fill cap.

When these steps are complete, turn the engine back on and allow it to run for another 30 seconds. Then, check the level using the dipstick. If necessary, add more oil, but do not overfill the engine—then, turn off the car and check to make sure the fill cap and dipstick are secure.

Your final step should be to recycle the old oil. You can do this by transferring it to the new oil bottle and returning it to the auto parts store.

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