pumacric

Hello All,

My 2013 ES is at 108k miles, and i went to a mechanic to do a transmission fluid flush. He said after the flush we will he will have to take it to the dealer to get the transmission reprogrammed ($160). I have never heard of this before. anyone know anything about this?

Thank you

hisstojay

I'm afraid I haven't heard of such procedure - "flush and reprogramming"....maybe experienced and experts on this forum can help out with that.

But for me, I would advise a "drain and refill" method of changing the transmission fluid. It will save you a great deal of "headache".. You can check across this forum as well for various comments regarding the drain and fill method.

Hope it helps.

abrown0809

Isn't the fluid supposed to be "lifetime"?

12jimmyjam

I would stop getting services from that mechanic. There is no reprogramming required.

bc6152

If you do a search on draining or changing or flushing tranny fluid on this forum you will find scores of posts. Some advise changing and some do not - ever... It is probably one of the most contentious subjects brought up on these forums. The Toyota Motor Corporation advises against ever changing or draining the transmission unless the vehicle is used as a Taxi or Police car... BTW, never heard of the tranny being programmed after draining. I'd find a new mechanic... All this being said, I'm quite sure that my fellow forum members will have much to say on this subject... If I were you I'd leave the car alone unless you're experiencing problems with the transmission...

hisstojay

"Lifetime" depends how what definition you are giving it....I would advise you get the interpretation from Toyota/Authorized Dealer.....

IMOHO: Fluid molecules do breakdown over time due to heat, and also on how the vehicle was driven. Other factors may also contribute as well. I have done "drain and fill" and I noticed better shifting of the transmission thereafter; I noticed the transmission fluid drained out was dark (not bright pink as it should be).
But this is yours to decide.......

rmak

No it will not need to be reprogrammed. Basically reprogramming is resetting the transmission shifting memory. The tranny ECU learns how you drive and sets shift points. Since a flush will make it shift better it is not a bad idea, just not necessary. Over time the tranny will relearn to shift on its own as it is constantly in learn mode.

Toyota does recommend this when changing any tranny part, and maybe even on a flush.

Freds430

Agree with both comments. Lexus states it never needs to be changed. Will guarantee comments will follow like nothing last forever, needs to be changed, it changes color after so many miles etc. Anyone who recommends spending your hard earned money to change it ask them how many years they have working on Lexus transmission's and where did they get their training. You will get no replies. All this being said do what you feel most comfortable. Sixth Lexus and never have changed the transmission fluid and ZERO problems.

My local Lexus Service manager who has 25 years experience working on Lexus vehicles and has been trained by Lexus said it never needs to be changed. He went to Detroit where the transmissions are made for training and asked what is the #1 cause of Lexus transmission failing. Their reply was the wrong level of fluid and the wrong fluid. Both of these are factors in one changing the fluid. I will save my money and never change the fluid and listen to the experts. Asked him what lifetime meant and he said life of the car.

Littleguy

I am at 146K miles on my 2013 and still shifts just as smoothly as my sister in law's 40K mile 2016. Unless it get's bad I'll continue doing nothing.

rmak

I have replied to you in the past and will again. I have over 45 years of auto and aircraft mechanic experience and I say your Service Manager is incorrect. I have only met 1 or 2 service managers that have ever turned a wrench, much less seen the inside of a transmission. Nothing special about a Lexus/Toyota transmission. Same basic principle and parts as other manufacturers. I have built engines and transmissions since I was a kid. There is no such thing as lifetime fluid, of course even water will last for a few miles. I change the transmission fluid and filter on every vehicle I own.

I am also trained in fluid analysis on all types of equipment to include aircraft. Lifetime fluid does not exist. Brake fluid, Radiator coolant, Power Steering fluid etc.

Ask your Service Manager this question- How does he explain the fact that the ES350 has a "replaceable" transmission filter? It is not a screen like other Toyota's, it has a paper filter element inside just like GM and other manufacturers. I know because I changed mine.

Again, do whatever you want to do, but your constant reference to your Service Manager is doing others a disservice. I have the credentials and years of experience to say that his advice is just repeating the company line.

bc6152

And so it begins... (again unfortunately)...

rmak

I know right? But I will continue to try and give another point of view from my knowledge and experience. Why do you chime in but dislike when others do? Not being argumentative, just asking.......

bc6152

Because it's all been said before. Many, many, times over and over by many members expressing their view. You're just one more and it gets old...

E46CT

Same discussion on any forum for any car, not just Lexus, or specifically the 6th gen ES forum on CL.

Short story is, most modern automakers, BMW, Mercedes, Lexus etc. say their automatic transmission fluid doesn't need changing. This doesn't mean it's technically correct on an engineering level, but for contextual and practical reasons, it maintains the perception of Brand X being a low-maintenance car.

This doesn't mean your car will blow up if you don't change the trans fluid, but it also doesn't mean it will last longer because you didn't change it.

That said, your Lexus will probably last to 200k on the same fluid, and for most, that's good enough. And that's fine. But at the end of the day, new fluid is better than 100k fluid.

Thought exercises:

If you got into a minor incident and you lost transmission fluid and brought it to Lexus, they won't go... GEE, you know we'd love to fill your transmission fluid back up but for the life of us, we just couldn't find that 10 year old 100,000 mile fluid we've been saving for this rainy day here. Nope. They'd fill you up with new fluid.

The Prius and other Toyota/Lexus hybrids recommend changing of their Toyota automatic transmisison (Toyota WS) fluid which is the same fluid in other Lexus automatics that call for "lifetime." If you think the fluid lasts forever, think again. The second law of thermo dynamics would have a word with you.

If your automatic transmission lasts 200k miles, it owes you nothing. You got your use out of it.

Most people don't put 200k actual driving miles on their car.

So to recap: can your transmission last to 200k WITHOUT changing the fluid? Probably--Yes.

Can it help if you change your fluid with the proper fluid? Yes.

Is it worth it? Maybe. Can help you maintain better driveability and eek out extra miles, assuming you keep your car long enough.

Personally, if it were me, on a car that takes 8+ quarts, and I planned on keeping the car until 300k miles, I'd probably have the pan dropped every 50k and replace what's in the pan only.

If a Lexus hybrid, it's 4 quarts only and changing it is easy and cheap. For me, the stock Toyota WS was black at 40k miles. I pumped in brand new Toyota WS for $40 (DIY). Crystal clear red--very satisfying and fun to do!

Done properly, new fluid is always better than old. Always. That's not the question. The question is whether or not it makes economic sense for you.

Poppa

Well I will say at the outset, I am BY NO MEANS a mechanic... But I am a reasonable person... reasonably speaking, it is just hard for me ( my opinion here ) to believe that transmission fluid never ever breaks down... The most expensive synthetic oils on the market all have to be changed because they don't continue to provide protection... I've seen no evidence that would convince me that transmission fluid doesn't lose some of it's capabilities over time... again, this is just my opinion....