bob2200

I think the theory is that changing 2 quarts at a time, more frequently, will cause the new fluid to mix with the old fluid (e.g., about 1/2 new fluid on first drain/refill, about 3/4 new fluid on 2nd drain/refill, about 7/8 new fluid at 3rd drain/refill, etc.)

flipside909

that's excerising danger if you have fluid that's been burnt or worn down overtime.

flipside909

That's the case for "normal" driving conditions. We here in SoCal spend majority of our times running short trips around town or sitting in long periods of time in traffic. Those conditions put a toll on the ATF and it's viscosity. I wouldn't really trust the fluid being a "lifetime" fluid since it is petroleum based and it will eventually break down from the heat & stress. Your AT takes more than 4 quarts to completely fill and drain. This discussion is as close to the good ol' synthetic vs. conventional oil argument and the frequency of change. I'd rahter take the extra preventive maintenance to keep the smooth shift quality rather than be cheap risking the shift quality and longevity of the AT. There are that "frequency" of vehicles experiencing tranny failure or problems due to improper maintenance intervals. It's all up to the owner on how they take care of their cars. I've owned several Toyotas that have exceeded the 100k mark with no mechanical failures to date.

If you want good reference, check this:

http://yotarepair.com/ScheduledMaintenance.html

HarrierAWD

Tranny fluid works like hydraulic fluid. It'll last the life of the vehicle unless it got overheated a lot - such as towing a trailer or stop-n-go in hot climate.

I personally would do it every 60K, but again this is not necessary to maintain your warranty. (Read the manual and the tranny dipstick.) Also my factory tow package include a tranny cooler.

Do not flush the tranny, ever. Doing so will push debris where it shouldn't and damage your tranny. (Don't believe the AAMCO commercial.) If you want to get most of the old fluid out, just drain-n-refill twice. Measure the drained fluid so you don't have to guess how much to put back in.

flipside909

I think you are confusing older tranny flush methods of the past with newer methods today. Power flushes are simply draining the whole tranny of its fluid including whats in the torque converter. A simple drain and refill even doing it 2 times will not get the old ATF out. There are newer methods that safely flush out the tranny. I would never trust AAMCO to touch any Toyota tranny. And yes if you do prolong your tranny fluid changes to 60k, you will get debris build up and such that shouldn't even be there granted you maintain the fluid changes properly.

mikey00

If you use your RX as a taxi cab, tow, or some other harsh treatment other than just stop and go traffic in CA, you should change the fluid. The service advisor "salesman of services" likes to convince everyone that their driving habits require changing it. Remember, if you have the tow package and don't really tow often, you have a trans cooler and are ahead of the game. I would never flush my tranny. This only puts more of your money in the pocket of the service provider with no advantage to you.

HarrierAWD

I forgot to mention that one should drive the vehicle for a few miles before the 2nd fluid change. Thanks.

Traturn

That a pretty good scare tactic to get some money out of you. Its right up there with an advisor trying to sell you a brake job by saying, "You dont drive with children in the car, do you?"

This is another example of how each Dealer has its own "Maintainance Schedule" and they just package as much stuff together as they can to make a good buck.

While the Lexus maintschedule may say "Inspect and correct or replace as necessary every 30k miles or 24 months" Any successful dealer will turn that in to "Replace every 15k miles or 12 months".

It doesnt matter what Lexus corp suggests or publishes, its up to the individual Dealership. Its the dealers job to be profitiable, and capitialize on the affluent clientel. Also keep in mind that if a Dealer is servicing your car since new, they are more or less 'liable' for the car (at least your CSI Score, heh), IE a customer would say, "Why did my tranny blow, you should have been changing the fluid over the last 3 years". Suffice to say, no dealer is going to leave $15.00 in parts and $100 in labor on the table just cause they're extra-honest and the maintsched says "inspect and correct as necessary every 30k/ 2 years"

Also note that its highly unlikely that a Dealer uses any different maintainace package for an ES, LX or RX. Just some different prices on the bottom line that you'll Authorize.

Also keep in mind that if you have 75,000 miles on your car, and bought it Used, even CPO'd - You may well have had a neglected or 'beaten on' vehicle. If the fluid isnt nice and red, definatly think about having a 'real' power flush done (~$200). And if the vehicle has been maintained at a Lexus facility, you can bank on the Tranny fluid having been drain/filled if any 15,000 interval service has been done.

A drain & fill is cheap preventative maintainance, if done correctly.

my .02

flipside909

That still wont get all the old fluid out. Thanks.

flipside909

Just because you have a tow package and a tranny cooler doesn't automatically qualify you not to change your fluids. It's just like saying..let me put synthetic oil in my engine and never change the oil. It's the same type of analogy. That's fine you would never flush your tranny, and it's probable that you don't really own your cars past the 100k mark. When your tranny starts shifting rough, then that's when you'll be complaining. Preventive maintenance regardless of where you do it is a cheap investment in the world of regular maintenance. Piece of mind is worth it rather than shelling out $2k on a tranny rebuild due to lack of maintenance.

toy4two

I thought the RX300 took 4 quarts of tranny fluid on a drain and refill not 2?

toy4two

So if you have a towing package and tranny cooler how much is replaced on a tranny drain and fill? Can you tell my Toyota ATF just arrived

flipside909

Not at the frequency of 60k or even 30k. Let alone 2 minutes of driving.

flipside909

It actually takes more than 4 quarts of tranny fluid to entirely drain and refill it. It's more like 6-8 quarts including whats in the t/c.

mikey00

A drain and refill is 4 qts., because it leaves some in the t/c.