snowmaker

I have a 2006 Lexus Es330 and says the ATF is lifetime fill. Here is the fluid after 54,000 miles... I drained and install Amsoil ATF, way smoother etc. The old fluid is the middle, clear bottle. I use Amsoil 0w-30 for engine oil and MMO for fuel UCL.



point is this T4 fluid is not lifetime like what Toyota states..

pauloil

cool, how many drain and fills did you do. where is amsoil sold? what is torque on pan bolts in case I want to change filter?

snowmaker

I have (2) ES, 2006 and a 99. I do the tranny about 30 to 40K and looks like the day it went it; important part is it smells like new at that interval and runs cooler. When you drain it right out when hot...

Amsoil is sold online and alot of places in my area. torque on the pan is whatever your model states. I go till I cannot turn bolts by hand then 1/4 turn more. Let it go for a week then re-check. If leaking tighten another 1/4 turn...

A complete drain, remove filter, install new filter, pan gasket etc is like 45 minutes. (on a 99 es)

ASG14

iTrader: (1)

ATF4 is NOT a lifetime fluid, nor is it said to be by Toyota. Where did you read that?

Toyota WS fluid on the newer trannies IS a LifeTime Fluid, and costs 2x as much as the ATF4. We do ATF4 drain and fills and flushes regularly at work, and we do not do them for the WS fluid. The only time we use the WS fluid is when replacing a tranny.

snowmaker

Right on the ATF dipstick, factory service manual (dealer), car manual and per local Lexus.

I know Toyota, maker of Lexus, has camrys with t4 that say to drain.

Even if the new WS was liftime, I would NOT do it lifetime..It is a synthetic (group 4) but it is not that good..sorry.

nicks88

I dont trust anything that says lifetime. THe timing chain on my 03 corolla says it never needs changing. I am still going to. I just dont think anything can last lifetime on a car.

snowmaker

Bingo...trannys are sealed but lifetime..BS..

yeldogt

My 05 330 has a service interval but states it does not have to be changed under "normal" conditions. Some of the manuals list a change at 150k.

The transmission has a drain plug -- you do about 4 quarts of the total with a simple drop. I always use the T IV - not a fan of mixing fluids.

Some transmissions are sealed with no dipstick!

snowmaker

You should read the book. My 06, states at 120,000 to change. I do not trust T4 after see some UOA on it compared to synthetics.

Yes, some are sealed but that does not mean they do not require changes.

yeldogt

snowmaker -- mine is an 05.

I am always amazed at how people will take some information off the internet but not follow the people who designed the car.

We run fleets for thousands of miles -- Just use the Toyota fluid.

snowmaker

Great, my manual, book for dummies, states drain #1 at 120K miles!!! They are high...Jsut like there first coolant change at 100K...BONG... I have seen WAY to many UOA of this T4 fluid and, frankly, they suck at 65K miles.

I do not take info off the net. I take info from people in the field and toyo dropped the ball on 03 to 06 trannies. Nevermind the reduction in oil change miles (sludge ring a bell) and all the recalls in the last 10 years..They do not follow the orignal concept of Toyota..Again, I have talk to these people since the 90's. They do not follow the baseline of what they started with..

Great you do fleet with toyo T4 and if you did look at the UOA on them? I think no since they are high in many bad areas.....I know other fluids are 10X better.

PS. the people that design them are not the experts, I worked with Toyo per in Japan and let me say, they are not god or experts. They are engineers; they do not drive the end design. budget does.