joeyv821

It sucks that the reason why i finally register is because of an issue that has come up, i have been a lurker for a long time now.


The issue: After driving home, as I pull into the driveway I see a ton of fluid on the driveway, smell it, smells like Diff fluid, so i think WTF whose care, it turns out to be my own 2002 IS300 with a little under 60k miles on it, and the worse part is that the plug had all together come out, nothing left but the threads (which seemed to be good) weird thing is, is that their was still oil dripping out, so i think i was fortunate to have the plug stay in til i was close to home.

Now the question: should i go pick up a drain plug (dealer?) and fill it back up with the right fluid (dealer), im comfortable doing this kind of work, but dont know if its just delaying a bigger problem ahead.

thanks for your time, and advice.


Cliffs:
differential drain plug fell out
fluid still dripping
replace and refill?

kauaian

iTrader: (18)

Was it the drain plug or the fill plug?
That is really weird, did you **** someone off?

joeyv821

It was the drain plug, bad times. I really really doubt it was someone who i pissed off (cant think of anyone lol) but it doesnt make sense because those things usually get tighter over time, not loosen and fall out.


anway UPDATE: i ordered a new plug from lexus and installed it, flushed the fluid and it didnt look too bad, came out pretty clear after running it on the jacks for about 5 min at 15 MPH, then i drained and refilled.

After refilling the diff (80w90 syn, dealer recommended) i took it for a drive, and when pressing on the gas at 30-50 (didnt go higher) it would make a noticable whinning noise, what would you guys suggest me doing?


Thanks again

EDIT: While talking to my buddy who knows a lot about toyotas specifically, he said whining can be a common problem if the car has a LSD, and you didnt use a LSD additive, i dont know if this is true, but i would assume that the car did have a Limited Slip Differential, any reality to this? dealer didnt mention this (they didnt sell me the oil, just reccomended that i get the 80w90, and said there was no add.)

thanks again

kauaian

iTrader: (18)

TRUE

How to tell if my IS300 has LSD?
Look at the sticker on your driver door sill/jamb, look for the area that reads "A/TM"
You'll see numbers such as B02A, B02B, B02C
A=no LSD
B,C = LSD
If you are still unsure, call 1800 25 LEXUS and ask them to look up your VIN and they can tell you what options it came equipped it from the factory.

If you bought your car second hand, there is a possibility the owner of a non-LSD IS300 swapped in a factory LSD, if this is not disclosed, it makes things a bit more challenging.
Here are pics and info on how to distinguish the two by looking at the gears;
http://my.is/forums/showthread.php?p...68#post3637468

joeyv821

B03A, so no LSD. defiantly never swapped.


What do you guys think the next step should be? I already flushed it out after running it a little and refilling, there is slight whinning under load at higher speeds, not sure if it was like this before, since i usually drive with the air on with the windows up, its not very loud, and there is no grinding, and it feels no different then it did before the plug fell out.

joeyv821

Cliffs:

Drain plug fell out, dont know how, but it did (was still dripping so it had a little in it) and it was driving at least a short distance, dont know how long.

anyway i got a new plug, filled and ran it on jacks for a few min, flushed it all through and refilled it, there is a slight whine, no grinding, or difference of feeling or performance.

Any suggestions on what to do next?

02 IS300 with a little under 60k miles.

Thanks guys (and gals)