rufio30

Hello all,

Firs time poster and just joined the forum but I have been a long time lurker.

I purchased a 2007 ES350 from a Toyota Dealership (64K, now has 66K). I purchased a warranty for the vehicle. Over the last couple weeks I have begun to notice my transmission is slipping - the car will rev up with no acceleration. It will usually catch on the second attempt of pressing the gas pedal. I notice this behavior usually after a cold start in the morning as I am leaving for work.

Before I go into the dealership to tell them about my potentially expensive problem, I want to ensure I go in knowing as much as possible. I have already found a ton of issues surrounding various transmission flairs at varying gears. (TSIB: TC001-06)

A lot of people seems to have the same experience - the dealership simply states they cannot replicate the issue - if this happens do I insist on a trans replacement or am I SOL? What course of action should I be taking to ensure my problem is dealt with and no brushed off? I have this huge fear that I am somehow going to be stuck with either a large portion of this bill or all of it, even though my warranty clearly states I am covered for Transmission.

ANY advice would be greatly appreciated - I have no idea what to expect with such a costly repair on the line.

mistagill

Is it pulling any codes?

I would try a ecu reset first.


unplug the negative terminal for about 30 min and see if it makes any difference

ESh

I bet it's one of the solenoids.

rufio30

I am taking the car into my local Lexus dealership tomorrow for the 65K checkup. I am going to run the issue by them and see if they can flash/upgrade the ECU.

Fingers crossed.

LexBob2

It sounds like you've already done some research - But try searching here for transmission flare. Early 2007 buyers had a lot of issues with this. Resolution was spotty, but there might be some insights that could help.

ESh

This has nothing to do with the flare.

isfdude

iTrader: (11)

If it is already slipping in first gear I'm sure by now the clutches in the transmission will never be the same. Have them replace the transmission or rebuild it.

chbow

I have had this problem in my 2007 ES since I bought it in 2012. It only occurs when it's really cold but it's very disconcerting. When the car is warmed up it performs beautifully. Over the years I have seen this brought up in the forum a number of times I believe.

KingCreole

Hello all,

It's best to seek out a professional/qualified mechanic. It's worth it in the long run and it's a 'pay me now or pay me later' trying to fix something when you don't have the expertise to do the job the right way.

rufio30

Quick Update. I went to my local Lexus dealership Saturday morning. The car wasn't posting any error codes but they went ahead and flashed the ECU chip. I have been letting my car warm up for about 10 minutes in the morning before I head out to work and I have not had any issues thus far.

Only time will tell if this truly fixed my problem. If it happens again, I will be taking the car back to the Toyota dealership I bought it from and start the process of getting the transmission replaced. I am praying that this third party warranty company doesn't become a thorn in my side and give me the run around.

Since most users never update their threads, I will try to keep this one up to date if the problem persists - for all you future readers out there trying to investigate this same issue!

Thanks for all the replies, this community is a great great resource.

Cheers.

LouLee

rufio30,

I'm having the same issues. Keep in mind my lexus has 172,000 miles on it but she still runs so smooth and so great. I take really good care of her.

In reading your post my Lexus ES350 does the very same thing yours does. It only seems to slip on me very badly in the mornings, and after it gets passed that initial slip all gears work fine and the transmission shifts beautifully after that. My fear is that that slip seems to be getting worse with time. At first it was a slight morning slip and now its a way more aggressive morning slip and then boom, once i get passed that initial first morning slip all gears shift just fine after that. When i jump in my car after work, no slip, no problem. Its only in the morning.

My biggest fear is that one morning it will slip badly and never get to the next gear.

Which leads me to ask you, how has your Lexus been holding up after your visit to the dealer and did the flashing of the ECU chip do the trick?
Did it solve the issue? Also, I'm embarassed to ask but if you dont mind taking the time to explain so i can do the same what exactly is the meaning of flashing the ECU chip? What is it and what does it have to do with the tranny?

Any info you can give me would be greatly appreciated. I love this Club, very helpful members and great fountain of info.

Thanks in advance.

rufio30

@LouLee

Problem has not come back yet. However, we are now entering back to Winter, which will be the real test. As of now, I let my car warm up about 5-10 minutes before I drive anywhere. But yes, its sounds like you have the same problem I did. I would have a single slip when I first started the car and then it was smooth sailing for the rest of the drive.

The ECU chip (electronic control unit):
"Depending on your car type and year, the ECU may control a wide variety of different systems. Among these are the automatic transmissions system, the vehicle stabilization system, the fuel injection, the valve support systems, the timing and ignition systems, and the speed governance system. All of these are crucial to the functioning of your vehicle."

Basically, when they flash / wipe the chip settings, it will "re-learn" the timing and config settings of your car. It seemed to help in my case - I dont remember what the cost of the flashing was but I wanted it done at the dealership just to ensure it was done properly. I think I added it on to tuneup that I was already planning on doing since I had recently purchased the car.

Good luck

LouLee

@Rufio30,

First off, sincere thanks for taking the time and replying back to me. This is the reason why I love being a member of Club Lexus. It's people like yourself that make this club awesome.
It's evident and confirmed, yes we do or did have the same exact problem. I've been doing the same as yourself, wherever I go, whatever the temperature of the day, I warm my car up and wont leave the house until my car has warmed up at the very least for 10 mins.
I live in Florida so most of the time its hot here but believe it or not we get some cold fronts that come in once and a while and it truly makes it worse if I don't warm the car up before I leave home. I'm sort of a freak when it comes to hearing little noises and minor rattles and clanks so imagine what this slip is doing to me. It drives me nuts.

Anyhow I've called the dealership and scheduled to have my car looked and mentioned the ECU chip which I'm sure they'll be more than happy to service on my vehicle regardless ($$). They told me to bring it in to look it over but the problem is of course by the time I arrive the car will be nice and hot and there will be no slipping what so ever.

Anyhow, thanks again for your feedback it was sincerely appreciated.

rufio30

Anytime. Good luck. I feel your pain on the last point as well. It is impossible to re-create the problem or "prove" to the dealership there is a problem at all because it only happens ONE time and then everything works great. Very frustrating indeed!

CookieRoe

Rufio30: I noticed your ES has 67K on the clock. This is about the time Toyota (read: not Lexus) recommends to do a complete fluid exchange with the transmission fluid. Lexus says it's lifetime fluid which most of us know is pure BS. Anyway, I also have a 2010 RX350. That car has 69K on the clock and asked Lexus to do a fluid exchange on the transmission, but they pretty much refused. I did my research and saw that the RX transmission is shared with the V6 equipped Venza. Anyway, Toyota does offer this service for about $275 (roughly). After the service, I did notice the RX shift a lot smoother and "crisper". I plan on doing this service at Toyota next summer even though our ES has 38K miles. (Bought it new in 08, so coming up on 9 years on the fluid).

Summary: Ask your Toyota dealer to do a fluid exchange, it may help with your situation, but letting your car warm up sounds like it's helping. Changing the fluid certainly won't hurt IMO.

Good luck!