swhockey98

I recently acquired a secondhand 1999 ES300 with 51K miles on it. According to the service history printout I asked for from the dealership, I did not see any indication that the transmission fluid was ever changed. I've never performed one of these before, but I've started recording some steps. Can someone please help me with the necessary supplies and steps?


Tools needed/recommended:

- Jack stands (do you need these for dropping the pan or can you still reach it on level ground?)
- 10mm Allen wrench
- Socket wrench for bringing the pan down?

Parts needed/recommended:


- Transmission filter
- Transmission pan gasket
- Transmission pan hex bolt washer replacement
- Transmission Fluid (Toyota Type-IV) (Not sure how many quarts to buy)

Steps

1. Drive car around to warm up transmission to operating temperature.
2. Check level.
3. Put car on jack stands.
4. Place drain catch pan underneath.
5. Using 10mm Allen wrench, slowly loosen hex drain bolt, but do not remove it completely.
6. Let transmission fluid drain.
7. Unscrew nuts/bolts holding the pan.
8. More transmission fluid drains?
9. Inspect transmission pan and clean the magnets, replace the filter, and replace the gasket around the edge. (What do you clean the magnets with?)
10. Tighten pan back underneath the car.
11. Replace the hex washer and screw the hex bolt back in.
12. Bring car back to level ground.
13. Measure the amount of drained transmission fluid.
14. Pour the exact amount of new transmission fluid through the dipstick that was measured from step 13.
15. Let car idle to operating temperature, then switch to all different gears to circulate the fluid.
16. Leave the car running and then re-check level.


I'm assuming I'm supposed to use Toyota T-IV? My dipstick says T-IV on it, but when I went to a local Lexus dealer to inquire about what fluid to use they told me to use Toyota WS ATF. Any recommendations on what fluid to use also?

LeX2K

If you want to use original fluid use Mobil 3309, this is the identical fluid to what came with the car. I don't know if WS is suitable for these transmissions or not, it could be fine it could be troublesome long term. Do you really want to be the one that tests this for several years then finds out it was a bad idea? I run Royal Purple ATF in my Lexus and feel it is worth the money. You can run it for a longer interval, and I find the fluid does not blacken nearly as quickly as the Type-IV. In fact in 15k+ miles the fluid still looks pristine.

You have the procedure down pretty well, you don't have to have jacks stands but it's a safer and easier way to do the job. When you drain the pan, pull the drain plug right out don't leave it partially in. When you pull the pan, quite a lot of fluid will gush out so be prepared. You will get less than 50% of the fluid out by doing a drain and dropping the pan, so when you add fluid it's best to drive for a bit then do a drain and fill again.

You can remove the return line on the transmission cooler and run the engine so the tranny pumps out all the old fluid, but some people don't like this method. I've used it quite a few times without issue, but you have to be careful to only run the engine just long enough. Some will try and fill the transmission at the same time, but I have not found this to be very helpful because it doesn't go into the tranny near fast enough to make a difference.

swhockey98

Thanks for your help, I think I'll go with the 3309 since I can't find a good deal on the OEM T-IV. Do you know how many quarts I need to purchase to cycle through the drain and re-fill process so I get most of the old fluid out? I am not planning on draining the differential since I don't know how to do that. I see a deal on Mobil 1 3309 for $61 for a pack of 12. I'm not sure if this is overkill, but if I go through all 12 quarts will I replace close to 100% of the old fluid? Also, do I need to drop the pan multiple times going through the drain/re-fill process?

Sorry for all the questions!

LeX2K

You only need to drop the pan once, I clean the magnets and the pan with Sunlight dish soap. A case of 3009 will be enough to get almost all the old fluid out, good thing is after you do this, as long as you keep up with maintenance the fluid will always be clean.

After you clean the magnets, make sure you put them back in the same place. Sometimes they move around and are not in the correct location, you might be able to see the imprint in the pan where they used to be. This is from a U151E I could not find an image for the U140E so not sure if it's the same setup.

swhockey98

Thanks again, I'm hoping to perform this next week after I get the part numbers.

swhockey98

I've got my car jacked up right now and I'm trying to use my 3/8" drive with a 10mm hex bit socket to remove the drain plug but it is extremely tight and I've had no luck. I do not have an impact gun either.

Besides a potential big mess, would there be any problem with dropping the pan with the drain plug still intact and then try dislodging it after the fluid is out?

LeX2K

Get a hold of a 1/2" drive 10mm hex socket and put a breaker bar on it. Apply a quick, sharp motion and it will break free.

swhockey98

Thanks, I'll give it a try again tomorrow morning.

rome6809

you can drop the pan without the plug being removed just more fluid to deal with but if you don't have 1/2 in find a pipe that fits over 3/8 and you will get extra torque on it.

swhockey98

Thanks for the advice, I purchased a breaker bar and the plug came off finally.

Based on my observations removing the pan and replacing the pan gasket, a few things concerned me:

1) I was only able to drain 4.6 quarts. Is that normal?
2) The trans fluid was still reddish and looked to be in good shape, but inside the pan there was a thin layer of sludge. Is that normal for a car with 50K miles on it?
3) I dropped the filter O-ring into my drain pan and didn't notice it until after I had tightened the filter and pan back on. Can I get by without a filter O-ring or do I need to drop the pan again and re-do it?


Thank you everyone for your help.