2018ES350

I’m curious at what mileage other members have done their trans fluid/filters at, and how the condition of the old filter, fluids, and pan magnets looked upon removal?

Thanks for all replies

PS, please no “lifetime fluid” comments, I’m not looking to start another debate, just seeking responses from those who have done this job on their 6th gen ES and what they may have observed at a particular mileage. Thanks again

ralphgag

I purchased a 2013 ES350 in November 2020 with 35000 miles. According to the service records, the only thing done was oil changes. I changed the trans fluid 4X with ASIN Type WS fluid. I did not drop the pan to change the filter. I will at about 60000.
The only reason I changed it was due to age. I changed it starting in July 2021 with about 40000 miles on the odometer.
The fluid looked good. Not brown. Still had a reddish appearance.
I also changed the brake fluid and coolant.

Tootsall

I changed fluid at 130,000 km (80,000 miles). As second owner, no idea if it was ever changed prior but assume it wasn't. Got it done at Toyota dealership. No observable change in driving or shifting.

Poppa

Tootsall, just curious did you actually have them change the tranny fluid with the machine that flushes out your old and pours in the new fluid? I haven't talked to the local Lexus dealership, but I have asked two Toyota dealerships... one told me they won't flush the tranny because Toyota / Lexus doesn't recommend it.. the other dealership swears by it and says we should do it. I'm up in the air over it... talked to a young man I know that's a master mechanic at a huge out of state Lexus dealership.. asked him what his thoughts were on that and he said that his dealerships had actually stopped doing the flushes because of all the trouble customers were having afterward...

Tootsall

Pan drop and drain/refill. The service advisor drives an Avalon and one of the sales ladies a Lexus. With the nearest Lexus dealer being 130 miles away they get a lot of the regular maintenance work from the local Lexus owners (city population Is only 100,000 so can’t support a dealer…think of Montana in terms of population density). I’ve driven Toyota for the past 30 years so they know me there. They used the procedure shown in the Weber video:

tolian21

I had lexus dealer change using fluid exchange machine at 90k miles.

tolian21

all the troubles they have from changing tranny fluid?
did he mean flush, or just drain and fill?

The master tech is good at performing tasks, but they dont really know much about statistics other than what he personally saw, which is not very representative sample…

Poppa

They were talking about a transmission flush. also, the master tech was just relaying the information to me that the service dept. where he worked was no longer doing tranny flushes because of all of the issues people claimed they were having with their transmissions after they had the flush performed.

Poppa

and have you experienced any negative issues with your transmission since you had the service done?

tolian21

Nope, its been two years, and in fact right after it was shifting much smoother like new, its still
perfect
today.
car has 110k miles now.
It was not a flush. They hooked up a machine to transmission cooler line, started a car, and using car internal transmission fluid pump they exchanged about 6qt of fluid. The old fluid comes into machine and new one enters only using pressure generated by trans pump.

when people talk about flushers that are dangerous, they usually pump fluid with high pressure machines, this is not what they did.

If this is not available, they can just do drain and fill and replace 3-4 qt.


I plan to do trans fluid again at around 150-160k

TechRobD

I change the trans and diff fluids on my tow vehicle every 50k. The WS cars I change at 90k. The dex and Type4 we did every 30k if I remember correctly.
I prefer drain and fill.

st1800

2014 ES here, I had this procedure done as described above. Fluid replacement with the machine, not a power flush. Done at a Toyota dealer at 80,000 miles earlier this year. Previously had the odd small intermittent shift flare/stumble. Those symptoms disappeared immediately. Now 6,000 miles later (including an 1800 mile highway trip) still running smoothly.

Poppa

Thanks for the reply. I think I confused things when I said "flush". What you described, using a machine hooked up to the tranny cooler line that sucks out the old and put in the new fluid.. I believe they run a cleaner thru it first. anyway, what you described is what the dealership here recommends. I have 90k on my 2010 4 Runner and keep going back and forth on doing it. I've read horror stories and then I've read stories from satisfied customers like you. Thanks again.

tolian21

doubt they ran cleaner, the invoice only listed WS ATF. From what I can tell, the machine they use provided no suction, it collects fluid that is pumped out by own trans pump, and new fluid enters with the same pressure back into trans cooler line.

I think both methods have their own benefits. The drain from the bottom might remove some junk at the bottom of pan.

Poppa

Tolian21... I believe this is what my local Toyota dealership uses.