ESsearch

Well I found out today that indeed the supposed reflash fix is BS. They confirmed the flare on my ES. The service tech said he called Lexus about the reflash and found that was not the case. They pointed him to the latest TSB and said to replace the tranny. I think Bob is correct, the latest TSB simply means they are now skipping the throttle body non-fix. My dealer is pulling the tranny off his shelf (why would they keep a tranny in stock, unless it is a common problem?), so I don't believe there are various versions of the tranny. I was real reluctant to even have it changed at this time, but decided to pursue the supposed fix. We'll see what happens.

BTW - I asked about the Platinum warranty and they are balking at this time. I heard some say that is an automatic with a new tranny. Anyone have any facts or specific info on that?

Pete

widlfiresd

what a nightmare. I am surprised Lexus is still into all the BS after how many months of dealing with this issue?

dunnojack

wat are the terms of the platinum warranty?
200000 miles?

ES350Bob

Pete,

I knew the reflash was BS because I had accidentally caught the trans slipping on my former car when recording under the hood for the diesel engine noise. It sounded horrible, like an old AAMCO commercial. Also as a result of some back and forth with a Lexus corp type that used the word flare on me and I insisted slip, it was a standoff for a moment or two, and I did not back down, he did though.

Flare is a feel good PR term, slipping is what the transmission is doing. Which would less likely spook a customer...
A-You have a flare there
B-Your transmission is slipping

Also we had posted on here in TSIB work/fail poll where they were going to stop the TSIB valve body and that left go straight to entire trans replacement.

Well, you know from your dealer that many 2nd ones are same as those they replace, but we can sure at least hope you get a good one.

The 100k warranty is supposed to be given for this according to Twister and some others. Let's see what he says.

1seeker1

I'm not sure platinum warranty is "automatic," but it has been offered to many with "the flare", I mean, "the slip." : Contact corporate if you haven't already and request the extended warranty. (nicely though)

ES350Bob

LOL 1 seek @ ask nicely though

ESsearch

Bob,

I think you have a great point on the terminology. Flare is just a softer way of describing a slipping transmission. We should all get in the habit of calling this what it is, a slipping tranny.

dunnojack

They must have used "flare" in reference to the behavior of the tach needle stick on the instrument panel?

BillP

When my tranny "flares" I don't think it's slipping, it feels like it is actually in between gears for that half second or so with no resistance on the engine. Regardless whatever term we or Lexus hangs on this occurance it ain't right. I'm holding off for a while to see if the Lexus/Toyota can come up with a proper fix. Based on recent comments the latest TSB doesn't appear to be the 100% fix.

ES350Bob

Bill,

I too am holding off, though lately feel like those of us with this have held off long enough.

Consider this as to terminology flare Vs. slipping:

Not as an absolute, but for discussion let's say the average gear shift happens at 2,400/2,800 RPM.

I doubt anyone would roll to a stop sign, throw the car in neutral, rev the engine up to even just 2,400RPM and then when ready shift straight into D at 2,400 RPM and not expect some damage over time to the transmission or engine/tc or both when repeatedly doing this, yet this is what is happening when these slip as regards 4th gear, it is immediately forced into work at times roughly up to 2,000 RPM higher than typically otherwise and it slides/slips in trying to do it which makes the awful sound heard under the hood...

....Now all of a sudden 4th is supposed to engage when the RPM is at it's upper extreme for that gear at or about 4,000/4,400 RPM though we are not moving with forward momentum tire/wheel RPM anywhere near close to what 4th at upper extreme RPM would induce otherwise if it was in 4th climbing up to that high an RPM. You usually do not feel a shove in your back** due to a forward surge from accel g which you otherwise would if you literally and totally engaged 4th gear entirely rather than it manage to only partially engage at it's upper extreme RPM so the energy of the engine being at that high an RPM is bled off or else you would feel a surge forward, rarely ever do.

**Once in while when this happens it is as though 4th does grab hold and not let go or slip at the upper extreme RPM and you do feel surge-shoved back in your seat like you would at a stop having been in neutral, rev to 2,400 and throw it in D, otherwise this experience is not present.

The sound I caught under the hood is an awful sound and to me as above it is a result of it "slamming " into 4th gear and only partially so--slipping--it's way into it 4th due to such extreme high RPM when the shift occured.

In general, extreme stress is placed on both engine and the transmission, other parts, that otherwise they should not be experiencing.

hughh

Soon after purchasing a 02 Acura TL I got a recall bulletin about the transmision. I took the car in and mine was ok. I asked and was told that
those cars affected had a hose that had to be replaced. Soon after that I received an extended warranty on the transmision.

My son took over the TL last year and so far it's been working without any problems.

dunnojack

based on everyone's stories, and esp Ons' camry flare video, the flare seems to happen once a day, but functions normally right after that. What happens in that first minute, I don't know. but i have some faith lexus will solve it.
If not, then Lexus sucks; it would mark a 10 year anniversary of unsolvable ES transmission quirks.

wanderer99

I've left my ES350 with my service dept for the last 3 days to see if they can recreate the flare. It doesn't surprise me that they've failed to do so, as I had the same issue with them on my first trans. After the first few failed attempts on my original trans, I had to take them along one evening and show them the problem.... then they agreed there was a problem. The TSIB fix failure was so obvious that they verified that problem by themselves.

Anyway - my new info. My replacement trans still slips. They can't replicate it at the dealer. They did get the trans number and run it through Lexus. Lexus apparently advised them that my trans is from the latest build, and there is no newer trans available. That to me says that I do have the latest trans version - which still is faulty. I didn't ever mention to my dealer about different build levels for the trans - they advised me I had the "latest and current" build level.

So for me the "latest" trans builds are the same as before. There is no fix here.

Are V6 Camry owners having any better luck with this, or are they still having these issues as well?

ES350Bob

Not good news on the offered-desribed as latest version but not such a surprise given the volume who have indicated 2nd failures.

Maybe you can now do a poll of 2nd failures similar to work/fail valve body TSIB, though trend seems revealed already that too many 2nd ones fail.

As others have had to do, however frustrating it may be to you, there is always the option of videotaping the slipping and showing them that or droppping off a copy of it for them to play rather than you having to go down there and duplicate it for them.

ES350Bob

1seek,

We will not need you to go above and beyond and crawl under the car for the transaxle part number as it seems the info on two part numbers is a false alarm posted by a fellow on Toyota forum who had been misinformed by his dealer.

Wanderer,

It seems the Camry folks are faring no better than we are currently and they even started a problem with transmission poll as we have had here, only more recently for them, mid December is when they started their's, where ours is far longer running.

Reasearching the above items, having made several phone calls yesterday as well, just proves what I have repeatedly said before:

If it is on wheels with a Lexus emblem on it, CL is the place to get the most accurate info possible. Our member reports on anything, but certainly transmission and 2nd transmission are a very valuable source of accurate and up to date information.