Stu

Replacing old fluid with new fluid with a drain and fill can't hurt your tranny, and regardless what LEXUS claims, no fluid lubricating moving metal parts will last forever.

Multiple drain and fills is cheap insurance and a LOT cheaper than a transmission replacement. I plan to do mine in the spring.

curiousB

You won’t get a strong argument from me on this one. 100K is a long time and you would have used over 5,000 gallons or $15,000+ of gas by that point. So economics alone this is a trivial maintenance given lifetime cost to own the car.

Your argument seems to be based on the assumption that changing fluid early is likely to extend or prolong life of transmission. Not sure these transmissions fail due to loss of fluid viscosity. I suspect more to do with wear on parts like friction plates and gear faces as well as random failures like seized or burnt solenoid valves and linkages.

You’re right to say it won’t hurt. But it is equally right to say it might not help. I’m not hearing much of transmissions failing on these cars on forums.

chris81964

I am doing the drain and fill. At 127000 miles the transmission fluid on my 2005 looked more black than brown. I did 2 quarts today. Saturday I will do another two quarts till the oil is crimson again.

weizs13

iTrader: (1)

im still really doubting this i have a 103k on a 04 should i service the tranny or not ???

chris81964

I will service the trans if I were you. I did the rear diff fluid on Saturday and the fluid that came out was ugly. The plug had black grease like dirt on it. Today I tried to do the Tranny only got 2 qrts out of it. The fluid was disgusting. Did not look like transmission fluid. It is cheaper to replace the fluid than it is to replace the transmission. Better safe than sorry. Next major job timing belt next month. The fluid is not life time. I dont care what anyone else says.

Jabberwock

A new trans on an 04-06 LS is probably $6,000. No way I am going to let the AT fluid go more than 50-60K without a drain and fill. And if the fluid looks bad, I will do multiple drain and fills till the fluid looks clear and red. Lifetime fluid - yea right...

Vpanin

My friend just bought a 1979 Mercedes 280se from the original owner with 179000 miles and the tranny fluid was never changed. The transmission is running smooth with the 1979 factory fluid. I am not too worried about my 05 LS. I think i will be one of the few 04-06 owners that doesnt mess with it

Jabberwock

Wow - that is some really old AT fluid. I am a fan of regular AT fluid chnages but if the MB were mine I 'd probably leave it alone at this point.

Dragking91

why don't you take it to the dealer and ask for a full flush and drain. Which mean they will flush out all the old fluids, drain it completely and top it back in with new ones. You brought a 430 and being cheap on tranny maintenance? my two cents