vintagelex

So while I was at the dealership a few days ago getting my new lug nut locking key ordered, I asked the service tech about transmission fluid, because I am planning on changing it some time soon. Since the transmission is supposed to take Dexron II (which is no longer available and neither is III), I was planning on using a Valvoline fluid which is supposed to be an equivalent of Dexron II.

What he told me was interesting, and I'm not convinced he was right. He said to use Toyota T4 fluid, and to change it out one quart at a time over several thousand miles. I think I remember seeing an old Lexus service bulletin somewhere though that said NOT to use Toyota fluid in transmissions that take Dex 2 / 3.

Other problem is that the transmission pan is (very slightly) seeping at the edges, so I was planning to remove it, and install a new gasket and also a new filter while I'm in there. So the "replace one quart at a time" won't really work here.

P.S the fluid has always been changed regularly, about every 15,000 miles and it's nice and pink so it was never neglected. Any thoughts?

PFB

Type T-IV fluid is NOT compatible with your 92 es300 Lexus transmission.

That guy knows not what he is talking about by recommending what he did.

Phil

Oro

A quart at a time is pointless. "Fractional dilution" is what he's getting at, but that's not effective. Basically, drain the pain, refill. You will now have 1/2 new fluid (or less, depending on various transmission types). This is more than adequate for most cars unless the fluid is very bad. I do this every 30k on my vehicles. It's easy cheaper, and safer than a flush at a shop.

If you want to completely change the fluid - for example a car with very old looking fluid or you suspect has not been changed in a very long time; what you can do is this:

- drain fluid.
- refill.
- disconnect a/t coolant line at radiator intake, direct into pan.
- run car ~10 seconds or a quart/1.5qts. comes out.
- Stop car and refill.

Repeat the last two until you get clean, new fluid coming out. Best to do this with someone to turn car on/off while you watch fluid to make sure only about a quart or a bit more comes out, then stop it and refill.

Perhaps that was what he was getting at? But you want to start with a full pan of clean fluid, not adding 1qt of new at a time to an otherwise full pan of old.

vintagelex

That's kind of what I was thinking, maybe they just don't get too many of these cars in for service anymore so they don't know what mixes with DexII. When I end up doing it I'll probably just use the Valvoline equivalent, honestly I'm probably being too picky here, the trans fluid has always been changed at Jiffylube so who knows what they even use...

01LEXPL

iTrader: (10)

get the valvoline, car's too old to start ****ing with it now....

vintagelex

Yeah that's true, I definitely don't want to start changing fluid types right now if I don't have to.