brenjmull

I take my vehicle to toyota for all my maintenance as they are closer and cheaper than lexus. They told me that since my car had over 65000 miles I would need to get the transmission oil changed soon. Well my dh said he would do it and save us some money. So he got a new filter and got the oil recommended at the auto store, but he cannot figure out how to check the fluid, after he got done he read on the dipstick that the oil should never need to be changed under normal operation.. He is ticked off, he says toyota was lying to me, I say it should be changed,, but now he reads on the internet that you got to use only toyata trans oil? is this true? we dont know if he got enough fluid in my car or if we need to put in something else!! help

mandyfig

Tranny fluid is checked with the car in park, in a level road. Fluid line should be in between hi and lo.

And yes, only Toyota Transmission TIV fluid preferred.

cdnewton

I don't know what model you have, but when our 2004 RX330 AWD was changed (the vehicle had 60K on it at the time), according to the tech, it definitely needed to be changed. The independent I use charges $119 for a fluid exchange with Type IV.

I now change it every 30K....so, if it were me (and it isn't) and you plan to keep the car, I would change the fluid.

salimshah

Few additions:
The transmission must be warmed up (25~30min of driving).
Engine running (idle).


In case any chamber has lost fluid, One should rove the gear stick through all positions and wait 30 secs at each stop.

Salim

DakotaRX

I use a Toyota dealer as well for most of my regular maintainance. Nearest Lexus dealer is 300 miles, second closest is 500 miles. Anyway, at my 30K service the mechanic suggested I look at changing my trans fluids at 35K or so. He said they recommend changing all the Toyotas at 30k to 35k. The next day I had looked at the dip stick and noticed a very slight change in the red color of the fluid so at 35K service I had it changed. Cost was about $115 for a complete flush and fill. I do plan on changing it at 65K or 70K if I still have it. I really would recommend having it done by a good service shop that does the complete flush and fill rather than just draining the 5 quarts or so from the pan and filling. The system does hold around 15 quarts I believe.

2005 RX 330 Thundercloud. Thundercloud Mist, Gray/Black Interior with Black Birdseye Maple, NAV, ML, HID with AFS, Rain Sensing Wipers, Headlight Washers, Tow Package with OEM Hitch, 18" Thundercloud rims with Bridgestone Dueler HL Alenzas.
1998 GS300 (Previous and First Lexus)

Grumpa72

1. It would beneficial to know the year and type of vehicle
2. for my 05 330, Toyota recommends Type T-IV, as others have stated, or an ATF that specifically claims to meet the Toyota spec.
3. as suggested, check the trans oil after a complete warmup and drive of the car and letting it sit for a minute. Check with the engine idling. This SHOULD be in the owner's manual. Have you checked that out.
4. I have serious doubts about the so-called "permanent ATF" that some car manufacturers have. I know that GM and Chrysler did not have a recommended change interval for auto trans for a long time. Personally, I don't believe in that, thinking that a change of ATF can only help by flushing out the debris that forms from normal use.
5. Realize that if you drop the pan to replace the ATF, you will only get around 4+ quarts whereas the entire transmission probably has 16 quarts in it. I am sure that someone can come up with the actual spec. To get it all out requires a flush.
6. I doubt that the dealer can be considered lying since I would guess that most mechanics really don't believe in permanent lubricants. Why do the newer Lexus' (Lexii?) require changing ATF while the early ones don't?

jlawr

If you have an RX350, there may not be a dipstick to check the trans fluid level.

Lexus has changed to a "lifetime" transmission fluid that "never" has to be changed or checked. By keeping air out of the system (that would enter through a dipstick tube), the special fluid doesn't deteriorate, hence the long life.

Sounds scarry, but Lexus claims its true. If you do decide to change the fluid, say, at 90k miles, it should be done by a skilled mechanic with the correct fluid and with resealing the system air tight.

I think Lexus is trying to keep maintenance for their cars at the dealership, and not let third party mechanics be able to do the job.

See below:

biff44

My 2007 rx has a dip stick.

Do not know how they are going to keep air out of the transmission! With the moving shafts, hot/cold expansion, varying air pressure, it is virtually impossible to make a hermetically sealed housing for the transmission. If they are saying--there will be not air, only backfilled argon, or some such bull, then they are full of it. First cold day and it will suck in air and water vapor.

We are not talking laser welded/glasss-to-metal seals here, just a big hunk of auto hardware!

exmeaguy

Where is it located? Is it colored coded?

Boognish

My 2008 has a transmission fluid dipstick located at the front of the vehicle, near the center but a little closer to the driver than the passenger. It is color coded - yellow iirc.

I asked my dealer if our vehicle had T-IV of ATF-WS and they looked at me like I was nuts. I don't think Lexus dealerships are accustomed to customers popping the hood.

brenjmull

I have a 2004 rx 330. Thanks for the info. I will definately let the dealer do it the next time. So, I only got about 4 quarts changed and I should of had all 15 quarts changed? Oh, we did check the owners manual and no where in there does it give any info on checking the tranny fluid. So now I am wondering if I need to go ahead and get it done again so that all the fluid gets changed...

ratha67

That's what Mercedes told me about my CLK430. For the first 4 years, every time I asked the dealership about flushing the ATF, they told me it was a lifetime, sealed transmission, with no maintenance synthetic fluid, it was not even on the maintenance schedule. I postponed the Tranny Flush until 120k miles. That was around the time that my car was shifting horribly (really rough, higher RPM's before the sudden shifts). Finally, last year, I talked to the service department about it and found out Mercedes made a huge booboo and are now paying out their ears in lawsuits. I had the fluid changed and they said it was like burnt sludge. This dealership now recommends a transmission flush every 30k miles.

As most mechanics will tell you, no fluid is lifetime, as they all degrade over time. On all my cars, I check the color and smell of my ATF fluid at every oil change. However, on this RX, I have not had the TSB done (upgrading the software/flashing the ECU) and I still have the delayed shift (hesitation) on immediate acceleration between 10-20 MPH. Any thoughts on whether I should or should not have that service done? I see people have differing opinions on this forum. The hesitation hasn't bothered me too much, but it is really noticeable. BTW the car is out of warranty, what is the cost to have the TSB done?

Grumpa72

In other non-Lexus cars that I have owned, a TSB is performed free even i the warranty has expired.

Gary

biff44

Rat thar, in the middle of the photo!

biff44

as you can see, there is a little purple stripe on my handle.