Johnhav430

not an auto tranny expert, but I remember back when, topping my Volvo rear diff due to a leak. Maybe the LS can have an output shaft leak and the fluid is low...after all there's no way to check a '06's level....I could be off, but just trying to be logical why more would go in than out.....

tradosauru

If everyone is draining out 3 qts and I'm draining out 2 qts then it seems like I'm 1 qt low so the chance I would be overfilling would be low.

Johnhav430

I haven't done this job myself....but do you fill in the fill hole, until it spills out, is this the procedure? If so, it would seem it can't be overfilled, because it spills out when totally filled? Or, is it overfilled at that point....

edit p.s. how does that check plug actually "check" or verify the level is correct....it doesn't sound like it's simply filling until it spills out, like my differential analogy....

edit 2 per the pdf below, the position of the refill hole has nothing to do with the level of the fluid, and the fact that something comes out of the overflow plug indicates the level is correct by a trickle. Have to admit it's hardly scientific, a dipstick seems more accurate than a trickle, that's subjective...

Gronemus

Well how do you know that everybody is draining out 3 quarts? Are they using the same method to drain and fill? Is the car on ramps when they do this? How high is the car? What is the temperature of the fluid when they drain it? How long are they letting it drain? How are they collecting and then measuring the fluid? Did they spill any during the process? How accurate are they when reporting their results back to this forum?

You see there are many variables that go into this and unless you know the answer to them we really can't say for certain what you should typically expect to see doing this. As long as you don't have any leaks and your transmission seems to be operating fine I still say that just replace what you pull out. You will never go wrong that way. This is how I plan to go about it in the spring.

edit: After looking at this DIY (https://www.clublexus.com/forums/gs-...iy-w-pics.html) posted in the GS forum I see that he got 2.5 qts out of his tranny the first time he did his. According to Wikipedia, the LS430 and the GS350 do share the same A761E transmission. If you scroll down to his second post on the thread, he changes the fluid again after 5000 miles and then verifies his fluid level utilizing a temperature measurement and opening an overflow plug. I don't know if the procedure that he uses on his GS to determine if the temperature of the fluid is at the proper range would work on the LS. Perhaps someone else can chime in here. Otherwise, if you have access to a Techstream application on a laptop I'm sure you can determine the transmission temp that way. I'm not sure where the overflow plug is on that picture either. Maybe there is a better picture later in that thread.

Keep us posted on what you end up doing...

LudeAEM

Wanted to say 'thank you' for all of you that contributed to this thread. I just got done with a drain/fill with 4 quarts (2 each drain). This is a pretty straight forward procedure but not so much as 'drain two, add two' as some people simplified it. I had this on a 4 post lift so made the job WAY easier than with jack stands. I probably have another 3 or so drains before I am content with the color but its definitely improving as are the shifts. Incremental changes but in a positive direction no less.

Bocatrip

It's insane that they ever got rid of the LS430 trans dip stick, but I see it's a trend that's continuing as my 2010 Jag XK does not have either an oil or trans dip stick. Everything is now computerized and I don't like it. I still use my LS430 trans dipstick after changing my radiator twice and having a slight trans leak. It certainly comes in handy!

bradland

Any thoughts on using Red Line D6 ATF, instead of Toyota WS, in the A761 trans ?

tallcaguy

Glad it worked out. Is there a correct way to do "drain two, fill two" on a 6 speed? Local garage refuses to do any ATF changes w/ a car that needs temperature measure. My 04 had 102 and shifts were noticeable. On D/F #1, my indie said he did the -2/+2. No temp measure. Shifts were a little smoother. I drove 1k miles then had the dealer do D/F #2. They said it was overfilled by more than 1/2 quart. Shifts are now seamless.

AJT123

Don't use it.

bradland

Any particular reason why ? I'm very familiar with the trans in the UCF 20/21 cars and how happy they are with Type IV or Mobil 1 3309. Is the A761 equally as finicky about using WS ? Red Line D6 meets or exceeds the properties of WS and is obviously synthetic which will make the trans run cooler. A cooler trans is a happier trans especially here in sunny Arizona.

I'm curious as I'm about to pull the trigger on a gorgeous Flint Mica 06 LS430 and the trans fluid will most likely be the first thing I address....

AJT123

I'm not a mechanic, but based off of years reading these forums and what multiple techs have told me, only use Toyota WS. It's wise to err on the side of caution when you're messing with the transmission. I would always go for what the engineers (not just techs) suggest, especially with the tranny. Same thing with some people using synthetic, I use regular oil and change ever 5k, just what the factory manual says. I'd put money on my engine lasting just as long (if not longer) than any LS with synthetic.

This is all just my opinion, of course. There have been debates galore on topics like this. I personally don't think any transmission fluid is better than the factory stuff. If not why wouldn't the cars come with the redline fluid? I trust the folks who literally engineered and made the car.

Shayy

iTrader: (1)

So I'm pretty new to the LS430. I have an 05 with 139k and being a perfectionist I noticed sometimes the shifting is a bit goofy. Delayed downshifts at lower speeds, etc. Most of the time it seems fine.

As a result I started reading this thread. I have now read the entire thread and am tempted to sell the car before any issues arise. Sounds like a complete nightmare to me. My concern is that my intermittent issues I experience are signs of an already failing solenoid.

Would changing the WS at this point be a waste of money? Calling the Mungenast Lexus dealership in St. Louis this week to see what they charge on a drain/fill. If it's over a benjamin I'll see about doing it myself on jackstands. (I'd like to avoid that messy job if possible. I've done a similar process on my old manual SC300)

I also plan on asking the dealership about the service history of my car, as I don't recall the fluid ever being changed by the previous owner. (Lexus Drivers site won't let me log in to check anymore)

You are all most likely avoiding this topic in 2017 but it's new to me. If anyone has been in a situation like mine and sees this message, please feel free to reply here or message me. This car is getting old but still a large investment for someone like me. Thanks!

gebo

I'd do a drain and fill on my own. Use the WS ATF. Make sure ATF is cold, like overnight.

Measure precisely how much you drained out and put exactly that much back in. YouTube it.

I'd drive it a few miles, let it get cold overnight and drain again.

I'd do this 3 times and see how my tranny shifted.

I don't think the dealership will drain it for you as the manual says it is a "lifetime" fluid.

Shayy

iTrader: (1)

Another thing that may be related is the fact the battery in this car is dated 6+ years ago. Around the time the sluggish shifts were apparent, the navigation screen blacked out. I shut the car off/on and it worked fine again. Figured it would be worth mentioning. No warning lights yet.

toddmorr

someone else on here showed definitively that temperature makes a difference as to the volume of trans fluid. I'm a drain and fill guy, and therefore simply replacing hot fluid with same volume cold fluid would lead to incorrect volumes of fluid over several drain/fills. I have a Techstream so I can easily measure the trans fluid oil temp to make sure its within the 115 to 130 degrees range for checking. There is a procedure in the repair manual for determining correct temp but it's a pain. Anyway, for those of you lacking Techstream I did an experiment to see how quickly the trans fluid heats up. So, I hooked up my Techstream, 66 degrees outside, starting from a dead cold start in the morning, after 10 minutes of highway driving (55 to 65mph), the temp reached 130 degrees. It continued to rise on up to 158 degrees after about 25 minutes of highway driving. So what this means is that you could be reasonably confident the fluid temp is correct for volume checking after 5 to 10 minutes of regular driving. I suppose a key assumption is that it's not really cold outside.....I could do this again in January from a cold start and see what the results yield then...