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This ought to be true! I mean it's on Youtube or is that FB? Seriously, if we believe everything on YT or FB is true then nothing in this world is false or untrue. I'm not saying this is not true but if you believe so more power to you.
My point, and it still remains, is that vehicle fluids become contaminated; filters can become clogged and reduce their efficiency or worse yet—bypass. Transmission and engine parts revolve many times during their life and each revolution means something potentially and eventually does wear. Although tolerance, materials and scheduled maintenance has increased through the years this by no means equates to "no wear". This wear can be increased depending on the conditions and how you drive your vehicle. Yes, the video is simplistic, but not everyone is going to delve into the engineering aspects of fluids and mechanicals. For owners to believe, and worse yet, to be told, that a fluid will last the lifetime of the vehicle would mean a proper and conditional definition of what "lifetime or life of the vehicle" entails.
P.S. Not a Facebook member nor will I ever be. While at university did you believe everything written in textbooks or everything your professors said? I didn't.
I said no debates because I know the can of worms that these discussions open up. Do what you think is best for you. For me, I usually don't keep cars beyond 100k miles but ill still change the oil in the RX more frequently than 10k - maybe 7,500 and if all it does is make me feel better, I don't mind spending the additional nominal $ to achieve that. I also have an Azera, Hyundai product that may be the best and most reliable car I've ever owned - that one I stick with conventional oil every 4k. Also did a drain and fill on the trans at 50k.
Absolutely, each on his own. No debates at all as long as no one questions what others do for their own "feel good" thing. People are more than welcome to post what they do maintenance wise with their RX 's to make them feel good. For me that will be following the maintenance and service manual to the letter. I understand these are just the minimum and it doesn't hurt to do more often than required. But doing more makes me feel it's wasteful. It's not about the cost but waste especially in this environmentally conscious world we live in now.
This ought to be true! I mean it's on Youtube or is that FB? Seriously, if we believe everything on YT or FB is true then nothing in this world is false or untrue. I'm not saying this is not true but if you believe so more power to you.
Sometimes you are right, questioning credibility is the way one can sort out the truth from the fluff.
Heres a note that I would consider....
ZF8 speed transmission comes prefilled with liftetime fluid......MFGs who use it say the fluids lifetime...Remember the Engineers who designed your car they know best etc etc
And then the same designers and engineers who are directly involved, specifically who build this transmission (not the mfgs who just pick parts for given specifications)
Automatic ZF transmissions are filled with the specially developed ZF-LIFEGUARDFLUID transmission oil. At very high operating temperatures, the oil ages faster than under normal conditions. Depending on the driving style (e.g. many drives at high speeds or sporty driving), ZF therefore recommends a transmission oil change every 100,000 km or after 8 years at the latest.
1st off yes, i get high operating temp
2nd how would i know if the tranny is too hot while driving?
3rd would you still believe that youtube guy is bsing?
4th if transmission became bulletproof/lifetime how would carmakers move new units as before when they were not bulletproof?
Absolutely, each on his own. No debates at all as long as no one questions what others do for their own "feel good" thing. People are more than welcome to post what they do maintenance wise with their RX 's to make them feel good. For me that will be following the maintenance and service manual to the letter. I understand these are just the minimum and it doesn't hurt to do more often than required. But doing more makes me feel it's wasteful. It's not about the cost but waste especially in this environmentally conscious world we live in now.
I hear you on the environmental concerns. Doesn't the used oil get recycled somehow?
Transmission fluid does degrade and "lifetime" for a car manufacturer is definitely not the same lifetime as we may perceive (upwards of 150k miles).
In fact, Toyota WS ATF is not a purely synthetic fluid. The transmission does not get as hot as an engine, but still synthetic fluids are proven to be better in the long run.
Will most users know/feel this (drive under 100k)? Probably not. Will someone who's at 200k+ miles feel it? Maybe.
It does. But that doesn't mean you are not wasting when you recycle something earlier than its intended lifespan.
If you want to change your transmission fluid when needed and not before, then you have the option running a sample analysis on the transmission fluid: Transmission Oil Analysis
I had the OEM fill "lifetime" transmission oil on my '08 LS 460 L tested a few months ago, after I changed all of it. Built a homemade exchange system.
One five gallon bucket, one electric pump made for oils ($13, IIRC), ten feet of clear tubing, a couple of hose clamps, and 5 gallons of Castrol Synthetic Multi-Vehicle transmission oil.
Total investment, hard parts, $30. The oil is a different story.
Blackstone Labs said this trans oil was done for, and had been for a little while (though I had to extract that out of them to a degree). 112K miles, no towing, and I doubt there was any intense use. I figure it was likely done for by 90K.
The oil which came out was very obviously past its prime, almost black with a tinge of burned smell. I will take a sample after 50K miles and see what they say. From here on out, I plan on drain/refills, only, no filter change.
"Lifetime" oil is a self-fulfilling claim. Sure, if you never change it, when the transmission fails, the "lifetime" oil will have lasted as long as the transmission did. The same goes for engine oil, BTW, and how many of y'all are comfy with never changing that?
Engine oil and transmission oil are in vastly different environments, but they're also very different oils. Non-synthetic transmission oil starts to cook at 251F, which isn't difficult to achieve under the right conditions. The 'cooler' on the radiator may get it down to 200F on a hot day in stop-and-go traffic...maybe.
I had the OEM fill "lifetime" transmission oil on my '08 LS 460 L tested a few months ago, after I changed all of it. Built a homemade exchange system.
One five gallon bucket, one electric pump made for oils ($13, IIRC), ten feet of clear tubing, a couple of hose clamps, and 5 gallons of Castrol Synthetic Multi-Vehicle transmission oil.
Total investment, hard parts, $30. The oil is a different story.
Blackstone Labs said this trans oil was done for, and had been for a little while (though I had to extract that out of them to a degree). 112K miles, no towing, and I doubt there was any intense use. I figure it was likely done for by 90K.
The oil which came out was very obviously past its prime, almost black with a tinge of burned smell. I will take a sample after 50K miles and see what they say. From here on out, I plan on drain/refills, only, no filter change.
"Lifetime" oil is a self-fulfilling claim. Sure, if you never change it, when the transmission fails, the "lifetime" oil will have lasted as long as the transmission did. The same goes for engine oil, BTW, and how many of y'all are comfy with never changing that?
Engine oil and transmission oil are in vastly different environments, but they're also very different oils. Non-synthetic transmission oil starts to cook at 251F, which isn't difficult to achieve under the right conditions. The 'cooler' on the radiator may get it down to 200F on a hot day in stop-and-go traffic...maybe.
Any 8-speed tranny drain & refill tutorials or youtubes available yet?
I can't seem to find any here on Clublexus, toyotanation, youtube, etc. Plenty of tutorials and videos for the previous 6 speed, but I havn't found any for the 8-speed. Anyone know of any? Or links to the factory manual instructions for checking and adjusting the tranny fluid level of the 8 speed? Thanks.
The biggest problem is the definition of "Lifetime".
For manufacturers it is the average length of ownership for the 1st purchaser or the "life" of the warranty.
Once sold to a 2nd owner or once out of warranty it;s no longer their responsibility.
I keep my cars for a long time and have never had problems with any of the makes I've owned, but I always follow at least the severe use maintenance.
If you lease and will not buy it back then to follow the manual is OK
I haven't read the entire owner's manual, but I did read the sections pertaining to the transmission; and I did read the 76 pages of the Warranty and Services Guide. No where does it say the ATF is lifetime. It does say "... replacement of the transmission fluid are not required." In the same paragraph, it says, "The transmission and transmission fluid are a completely sealed unit." This is definitely hogwash. ATF expands with heat and contracts; hence, a breather system is required to keep seals from blowing out. The breather hose is underneath the battery tray; you may see a white plastic cover popping out. It leads to the top of the transmission.
All lubricating fluids become contaminated from moisture and particulate matter from the parts they lubricate. Aside from submitting your ATF for analysis, there is an accepted visual guide for determining when the ATF should be replaced. You collect a small sample in a clear cup and look at the color of the ATF; alternatively, you can dip a white paper towel in the ATF. ATF is reddish; when it turns dark brown, it is time to replace it. For our RX330, Toyota does say to replace the fluid every 60K if you drive under special operating conditions - towing, heavy loads, long idling, etc... The Services Guide also says you don't have to follow this recommendation if you don't drive this way normally. That is, if you haul a trailer once, you don't have to replace your ATD at 60K. This is hog wash also; if your ATF exceeds 300 degrees in one tow, your ATF will be severely compromised and should be replaced ASAP. Thus, going by mileage is not really helpful for the transmission, you should go by the condition of the ATF by following a lab analysis of the ATF or the color guide. I plan on doing a drain/refill every 30K and a flush/filter change at about 120K as routine preventive maintenance. Sooner, as needed.
Our ES350 also takes WS fluid and is considered a sealed unit. We never drove it under any of the special operating conditions. Instead of a drain/refill schedule, I did flushes every 80K. At the second flush, I replaced the filter and it was dirty black and gunky from particulate matter. There is not such thing as lifetime ATF.
02-24-18, 08:13 AM
