ftschrandt

Bought a 2007 es350 2 months ago and transmission shifted fine during test drives but now seems to hesitate when shifting from 2nd to 3rd gear when not warmed up. Also seems to not engage at low speeds of around 5mph again when cold. Seems to shift normally when warmed up or after the the first couple shifts of the morning. Is it a simple fix or a prelude of something worse to come? Other than that I love the car so far.

ESh

I bet it's low on oil.

ftschrandt

I was told by a Lexus dealership that my es350 is a self contained unit and has no dipstick where I can add fluid.

ESh

Yeah but there a hole and you can add oil through it.

ftschrandt

I cannot find anywhere to add the trans fluid. I guess I will take it to the dealership and have them do a transmission fluid change. Someone told me that if I do have a transmission problem that changing the fluid may make a possible transmission problem worse. Is this true? Also, would a Toyota dealership do as good a job with this as a Lexus dealership?

ESh

I did an oil change last year and I did a DIY so you can find it here.

12jimmyjam

Yeah-toyota services the same 3.5 engine in many of their models. You'll be fine there.


I had mine changed at the local toyota dealer. I brought the car in with the engine hot and the tech told me that changing the atf at running temp can cause the fluid level to be off up to one quart. He advised me to drop it off the night before I wanted the fluid changed which I eventually did. I was happy with their service and knowledge of the vehicle.

CookieRoe

Your dealer (and mine) are full of it.

Correct, however you will need a hand pump if you are to do it youself. Not a big deal.

That depends. If your transmission has 250,000 miles on it, then maybe leave it alone. If it has less, go ahead and change it out. The ATF is very often neglected in many cars.

Agree.