flipp4

I know there are tons of threads about the ****ty tranys in the 2007 es350's but I cant seem to find one with the problem that im having and I need help desperately!

My 2007 es350 is already warmed up, so I know its not a temp issue.
My VSC light comes on (i know it comes on with any DTC)
My traction control light is on
My engine light is on

Now, when driving, it doesnt shift out of first gear till about 4K rpm and thats at normal acceleration (not flooring it) and shifts out of range on all other gears.

I can hear a humming/winding noise coming from the left side of the car (tray side) and it does it and I can hear it very clearly when letting off the accelerator (more noticeable at high speeds)

Any suggestions, tips, advice, or just a hello will help me tremendously

oldgrump

Bite the bullet and take the car to a shop/dealer and get the code/s pulled. This will indicate if it's actually transmission related, or an engine related problem which can cause shifting issues.

jcat_350

engine, VSC and skid lights all will come on for any malfunction.

First; what mileage? any recent service? Has it done this before? Does it do it when cold, or only AFTER it warms up? When you say shifts out of range in other gears, do you mean it shifts unpredictably or that it's shifting normally after the 1-2 shift?

Did you have the codes read yet? That's step #1. Autozone will read them for free, a Lexus dealer will have more detail.

Lexus will tell you it's a sealed system and the fluid doesn't need to be changed. BULL. I'd pull the pan and do a drain and fill to get some fresh fluid in it, and also replace the filter while you're in there.

My 07 has 74k miles on it and when cold, it hangs in first a bit longer than normal but lots of cars do that. If your car is constantly doing it, even after warming up, you have an issue.

Winding/humming from the left side of the car sounds like a bearing noise. You definitely need to have this car looked at by someone who knows what they're doing. I see you're in RI, if you need a recommendation for a good independent mechanic, send me a PM.

flipp4

After more research and more troubleshooting I found out that my car is actually "missing" 2nd gear. The not normal shifting is the tranny going from 1st directly to 3rd. It does it no matter if its clod or hot. I narrowed the noise coming from the tranny because at idle and in park or neutral the engine makes no abnormal noise, and I eliminated any wheel bearing/brake/tire noise because when driving I shift to neutral and all noise goes away. I pulled 3 codes from my car, I forget the numbers but it says shift solenoid a, c, d, out of range. My car has 95k for mileage. And before this happened there wasn't even a hint that something was wrong with the car, it happened instantly. I'm just nervous that my tranny has an internal mechanical problem that can't be repaired, I can only imagine how much a replacement costs, and because my car has 95k for mileage I'm sure it won't be covered.

jcat_350

I don't think your Trans is hosed. I think it's likely a bad shift solenoid or something else electronic like the vehicle speed sensor. The shift solenoids get a signal from the ECU. I find it hard to believe 3 of the shift solenoids all went out all at once, but it is what it is.

You may want to look at this:



As it may have something to do with your issue. I'm unsure if just the solenoids can be replaced, but the speed sensor definitely can. If the trans needs to be done, expect to pay appx. $1k-1500 plus labor to be done.

I'll shoot you a PM with contact info for the indy mechanic that I use. He's the best there is.

goku2

transmission is hosed... I have an ES350 and it did this exact same thing before finally taking a dump... thankfully lexus replaced it under warranty. My dad was the primary driver of the car when it took a dump and he was much harder on the car than I so it dumped itself faster. I don't know if you're under warranty now but definitely try to get something fixed sooner rather than later. I wouldn't be surprised if you had the 3rd or 4th gear (can't remember) "shift flare" as well.. The '07 models had a lot transmission problems and they were all rebuilt because of this issue.