beandoctor

Anybody know what type of ATF was originally put in 1997 Es300? The reason I ask is that Dexron III type is supposed to last 100k miles, otherwise (e.g., Dexron II) some mechanics suggest changing both the ATF and filter every 30K miles.

SCV8

I believe Toyota has their own blend for the auto.
From what I've seen,it'd be wise to change the fluid at 15K intervals,of course it depends on the type of driving you encounter,but these transmissions shift very softly which gerenerates a lot of intense heat inside the trans.,and the heat is what breaks down the fluid.

VQT

Don't know about ES300 but for SC400 the manual said Toyota trans. fluid Type II, and for SC300 regular Dexron II.

From this I can assume your ES300 only need Dexron II or III a lot cheaper than Toyota trans. fluid type II

If you prefer toyota, Steve Ganz sold me a gallon for about $20, that's $5 a quart

Juan C. Cos

My '98 GS4 calls for ATF type T-IV, which nobody has heard of in autoparts stores, so basically is a dealer item. I wish somebody could tell me how many quarts flow out of my tranny, since the manual says total capacity is 2 qts (yeah right!).
Since my 4x4 navigator holds 6-1/2 on the pan (plus 8 on the converter), I estimate around 4 on the GS by comparison. Itl ooks like I'll have to order 2 gallons just in case.

VQT

To drain the trans. fluid and refill takes 2 qts., check the fluid with the engine running, do not over fill.

Juan C. Cos

Hey VQT, do you know what's the total capacity of the tranny? 2 qts is nothing for a V8 transmission which should hold at least 8; I hope more than that flows out, to at least change half its capacity. BTW, I always check the fluid with the engine running and hot, since the cold range is not accurate (it usually reads overfilled when it's perfect when hot). I hope the dealer is right,
who said it takes about 4.
Thanks again man.

VQT

From what I understand, LS400 & SC400 engine & trans. are the same.
My SC400 shop manual says:
Dry fill: 8.2 liters, 8.7 qts
Drain and fill: 1.9 liters, 2 qts.
ATF type T-II or equivalent, from what I know Toyota does not make T-II anymore, they have type T-IV now which is better

Yes, check with engine running at operating temp., it is very hot because the dip stick has that lock thinggy, very hard to pull out and put back in ( at least for my SC400)
Just drain and fill my SC400 it took about 2 qts., if youwant to change the whole thing you have to drain and fill many times. Unless you want to take the trans. oil pan out to drain the trans. oil completely...
The book only say to change (drain and fill, 2 qts.) every 15K miles for schedule A (dusty conditions)
Schedule B only inspect, not change...

Recommend buying a shop manual, it's about $90 if you shop around. Some dealer wants $160 + tax, they don't have after market manual yet and after market manual is not that good anyway.

Have fun

VQT

Juan C. Cos

Steve Ganz or Gordon from Carson Toyota, CA
sell Type T-IV for less than $20 a gallon. Watch out for other items, sometimes Gordon gave me off the wall price too.

(888) 747-4777 or (310) 522-2300

I think Steve is a member of this forum, don't know the forum name, he's been busy lately can't talk to him directly...

Juan C. Cos

Thanks a lot for the info VQT; that's all I wanted to hear. If the manual says to change the 2 qts for its "extreme" schedule, I guess we can't go wrong. By the way, if you remove the pan, there's no more oil inside, and the converter doesn't have a drain plug. The cheapest way to replace all fluid if necessary (not for us anyway) is by flushing it thru the cooler lines; otherwise is major disassembly).
Hey man, who's your source for the service manual? Steve gave me an 800 number when I bought the L-tuned grille from him, but I suspect is the publisher, who asks full retail. And yes, he's great, and all my parts in the future will come from him; I'll make sure I get the $20 for the gallon though (man, that's what fully synthetic ATF oil costs, but doesn't list type T: bummer).
Thanks again buddy, and please post that number. Now that I'm keeping my car for a long time, I want the manual ASAP.

willard west

We change our engine lubricating oil on a regular basis for two reasons. The primary one is the fact that this oil becomes contaminated with the byproducts of combustion over time, and it is specifically formulated to hold these contaminants in suspension so they can be drained away at oil change time.

The second reason is to renew the variosu additives that most oil brands have to extend the working life of the engine.

Transmission oil, hydraulic fluid, NEVER needs to be changed unless it becomes over-heated and you can tell if that has happened with a simple smell test.

Heat from "soft-shifting is a bunch of HUEY.

All the transmission clutches and brakes are as instantly engaged or disengaged as is feasibly possible. To do anything otherwise would result in early failure of these components. Soft-shifting is achieved by modulating the engine torque as shifting occurs. That's why the engine and transmission "communicate" with each other.

Changing out any fluids other than the engine oil is a waste of time and money.

VQT

Juan C. Cos

I had a mechanic friend order the owner and shop manual for me. The total cost for both was ~$123, ~$100 for the shop manual and ~$23 for the owner manual.

Someone else on this forum also got the shop manual for about eh same price at a dealer at Virginia Beach, VA

Call that 800 number see what they charge...

Vic Nyce

iTrader: (2)

back to the original topic. someone fill in the blank..... the 1997 ES300 uses _________________ ATF fluid.

VVT-i

The 1997 ES used Dextron III. For drain and fill ( transmission only) you will need about 2 1/2 qt.

RTIS250

iTrader: (9)

For some that dont know... the required transmission fluid is printed either on the end of dipstick, or on the handle of the dipstick. Or simply in the owners manual

ArmyofOne

my ATF had 100,000 Miles plus and was black and burnt.

CHANGE YOUR TRANNY FLUID EVERY 20-25K MINIMUM, WHETHER IT LOOKS FINE OR NOT!!!.



BTW, does anyone notice how old this thread is???


also, standartd Dexron II / III will work for this car.