My 2008 RX350 currently runs great with 140k miles on it. We bought the car in 2007 brand new and until now we have done a transmission flush (not drain/fill) only once when it had 80k miles. Do you recommend another transmission flush or drain/fill now? I heard that the transmission can be damaged on a high mileage vehicle if the 'transmission fluid change' is performed incorrectly.

 

Try to find the answer here https://www.youtube.com/c/TheCarCareNut/videos

 

Thank you @iMSQ

 

With the high mileage you have I would just do a drain and fill to be on the safe side

 

Your due for a trans oil change plus the filter, bet its almost clogged up.. many of us use Valvoline Maxlife full synthetic, i did my trans service after i bought the RX at 109,000.. filter and six quarts....To get the oil clean i drained the trans after a few hundred miles ... refilled.. shifts like butter no problems.. now at 126,000 miles

 

Just do a drain & fill. I don't recall if the 2008 was sealed transmission or if it still had a dipstick. If so, just check the color.

I do a drain & fill every 2yrs. Regardless of miles. I have never changed a filter as I only saw a mesh screen, which was cleaned up. This is a 2004 RX330, so some items are different than your '08.

 

Drain and Fill plus 2! Make sure you do not overfill. What you take out, you must put in, no more no less.

 

2008/9 has paper filter and dipstick

 

It's not recommended to change transmission fluid too often.

 

It's oil, it can get changed with no adverse affects. What happens when you change motor oil often? Nothing.

Same here, unless the trans is reliant on debris to keep it operational - but at that point, its a matter of when, not if it will go bad. I had this issue with my old 01 ES300 and the POS u140e glass transmission. Unknown history, but I started to take care of it when I got it, but it was a goner anyways.

I changed the fluid in my Camry 5 times, before I hit 135k km, including one filter change but I've been driving it since 2015. I'm in what qualifies as "extreme weather or conditions" climate, so it won't do harm. Ie. +40c to -35c temps.

 

Agree with post #10, the risk with high mileage ATF change is the fluid can be contaminated with metallic debris, and removing that debris will cause the transmission to slip. And that is high mileage on the ATF, not the car. Thus, since you did a service at 80K, you are likely ok to do a flush or drain/refill, as you prefer. And if the ATF filter was not changed at 80K, you want to do it now. I believe your RX has same engine and transmission as our 07 ES350, the ATF filter is a paper element; ours was very dirty at 120K and I had done a flush at 60K.

 

Thanks for all the feedback... I have scheduled an appointment next week for drain/fill.

 

I don't want to waste my time searching for the video. Just open the link I posted above and watch videos about transmission fluid change - one of them has such a recommendation. Transmission is not an engine!

 

Meh. I've seen his videos. I've never heard him state frequent is bad. Older manuals, like in these SUV's have stated sooner changes are good in harsh(er) climates, which is where I live.

The guidance does vary from region to region. You're going to be in for a shock and try to disprove me after this one; the middle east has a DIFFERENT oil weight recommendation for Toyota/Lexus!!?

I've been doing it this way and staying on top of it. I normally hit the mileage interval every couple of years. The Canadian RX manual in the car states inspect fluid every 30km (18k mi), and change every 60km (38k mi)
The fluid is perfect every time, always cherry red, if it were dark/black/burnt smelling - people should be weary about changing since the loose clutch pack material is potentially keeping it from slipping.

TCCN will still recommend trans changes in his videos, yet Toyota hasn't advised to change Trans fluid in years now; so without official guidance, who's to say what's best?

 

1. 30k & 60k intervals (2 types of trans) 2. don't for the 1st time if >100k PS: Didn't have time to watch all videos to find his comment that transmission is not an engine