echo2400

2005 RX330, 55,000miles.
When changing the oil at 55,000 miles I noticed both ends of the deferential was wet with oil. I have an extended warranty so I dropped it off at Lexus to have it checked out. They called and said that the differential was filled with transmission fluid. (I taught it looked red) They are going to cover it under the warranty. I had Lexus service it at 5,000 miles, and had Valvoline change the oil at 10,000 miles. And then I started changing the oil every 5,000 miles. I had it back to Lexus about 4 times for headlight fogging, seats not heating etc. but nothing to do with the drive train. No one else has touched the car. So it had to be filled with the wrong fluid when built.
Here's my questions. With transmission fluid being lighter weight than gear oil will the differential be damaged? Should any problems caused by this show up in the next 45,000 miles? Does anyone here works at a Lexus plant that can tells me how this was possible? ( I know a lot of people that work at a Toyota plant so I will run it by them.) And has anyone else found this in their car?
Thank God I bought the 100,000 mile extended warranty when a friend was interested in buying it. But now we are thinking of keeping it for another 6 years and after my spouses truck bights the dust to start driving the RX to work 60 miles away. So I was hoping to get 200,000+miles out of it. I guess I will look into it close to the end of the warranty
Any help will be greatly appreciated. Don

salimshah

echo2400 .. the likelyhood of factory using the wrong fluid is much less as compared to a lube shop using the wrong fluid.

If it did happen at the factory then a series of vehicle would get the wrong fluid (assembly line problem).

Problem if any will be limited to the differential. If nothing has happened by now, most likely nothing will happen. [temprature related lubrication and leaks are the problems].

Salim

Kostyan

Echo, I would not jump the gun and sell the vehicle because of what you saw. First of all, how do you know for sure that it was the wrong kind of fluid, did you figure out by yourself or a Lexus mechanic has told you that? Second, how do you know what differential fluid look and smell like, and how can you distinguish it from transmission fluid? I remember putting in the differential fluid in a Honda CRV, and the fluid was very similar to transmission fluid

If factory put the wrong kind of fluid in, you would have found out about it now. If you never had any problems, then you just won't. Worst comes to worst, whats the cost of a rebuilt differential, $1-2K, which is much less than the cost of a new vehicle. But this is probably not the vehicle to do a120mi per day commute as it is cost prohibitive, much better get a beater economy car for that.

My wife also has a 2005 RX with close to 50K mi, and we'd love to keep that for another 6-7 yrs.

Lexmex

100% agree wtih you.

echo2400, the ATF is a very light oil, and the differentials (actually the transfer case on the front and the rear differential on the rear, use OEM an 85W90 gear oil). However, if you haven't noticed anything by now, I wouldn't fret anymore about it. We have had cases in the 1st gen RX where people, much to their surprise, went to change their gear oil and found nothing, usually in the transfer case. I knof of cases here in Mexico where same thing occurred, either by leak, or after a leak and the area had dried out and the people only came to my uncle and me after noticing some sound or rough movement.

Now as Kostyan mentioned, we really don't know what was in there. Transmission fluid when old has a burnt smell, but old gear fluid has a nasty putrid, egg-like smell that if old enough, will make you vomit.

grouch

Dose the factory use synthetic gear lube?

salimshah

I don't think so.

With the volume of vehicles Toyota produces, the infamous saving due to holding back olives. comes to mind.


Salim

Lexmex

Have to agree with Salim, I haven't heard them using the synthetic stuff, much less for the oil change.