genyosai

What year is your LS and what's the mileage if I may ask? I have an 08 with 52,000 miles that has just started having this very issue. I noticed that the problem started when I resumed to normal highway speeds from having been stuck in stop and go traffic for approximately 35 minutes and 3 miles. While cruising, if I feather the fuel for a slight increase in speed the car barely responds... giving the feeling of a dead gas pedal.

It feels like a software issue, for the transmission doesn't downshift when necessary... or stumbles between two gears as if it doesn't know where it should be. This feels very much like some adaptive transmission logic confusion, a problem I used to have with an 06 BMW 760 whenever I'd take long highway trips and suddenly get into stop and go. The only difference there is that BMW has a logic reset sequency involving a couple of depresses of the gas pedal when turning to the key power position.

Anyway, let me know your year and mileage and especially whether you've had the problem resolved (and how).

Thanks,

Nick

randomwalk

08, 30K miles. Had the dealer flashes the new firmware or whatever...didn't really fix the issue. The problem is intermittent (sometimes with same tank of gas) so I know it's not the gas.

GS300ken

I have a GS but here is my recent experience:

Lexus does not require to change the transmission fluid for our GS because of sealed transmission; however, if you are reaching 90k miles, you should flush or change it ASAP at your local Toyota dealer since they can do it at cheaper price than Lexus.

I just flushed my GS300 ATF at a local Toyota dealer and the fluid looks like dark chocolate with sludge when the technician showed me a sample. He recommends to flush out old fluid at 60k miles or 3 years if you want to keep your GS for a long time. Toyota dealer charges $200 for the flush and the technician uses around 10 bottles of WS fluid at $8 per bottle. I was asking him about DIY and he said many owners screw up and bring their cars in. This is not an easy DIY as changing oil and Toyota has a machine and tool to check on correct fluid temperature. The whole process took about an hour and my GS shifts so smooth after that.

cmasten

Lexus and Toyota have different rules in various parts of the country. Here in So Cal, for example Toyota dealers are not allowed to work on Lexus vehicles, IM not sure how that works, but its a bummer for those of us that live here

Also I have to believe for as inexpensive as it is for the fluid to be changed out, that Lexus would put into the service schedule a slot for doing just that.. but they don't which leads me to believe that it does not need to be done, its money in their pocket if they did, but they have one of the most reliable vehicles on the planet.. and they claim that its sealed and leave it alone...

Interesting as it goes against everything we have been told about fluids in complex mechanical environments..

Tee

Well said & I agree!

Mikey100

So I am confused.

Should we be changing fluid @60k for best performance ?

Thanks, Mikey