IS300 Rules

Damn somehow my '97 ES300 Tranny has blown!
I have extended warranty so it's covered and the lexus dealership is being very co-operative. They say they've never heard this happen before. The car has under 60,000 km on it. The last time it went in for service was 5000km before (it's been around a year since the last service).

What I'm wondering is if it's my fault or just bad luck. I don't baby the car but I don't think I drive it that harsh either. I've never power braked and never shifted manualy, hardly ever go over 110km/h too. I make fairly fast turns though, (not fast enough to squel tires), from a stop all the time the rev limiter reaches exactly at 4k (normal turns are 1.5-2.5k). I hardly floor it. About a week and a half ago I had about 10-15 minutes of fun with it (first time I've done anything of the sort since early spring), I floored it about 2-3 times and squeled the tires on about 2 turns (I never went over 70km/h on this occasion). Did this event combined with my driving style cause the tranny to blow?

If it is then I'll baby the car from now on...

Thanks in advance for the help.

Static911

the way you describe your driving condition....LOL thinking you blown your tranny.

I don't think its your problem. I drive my car (1993 LS-400) VERY, VERY, VERY HARD (but I don't e-shift, I just have lead foot)

I normally redline the engine and speed until speed limit (whether on freeway or on street). I also take turns very hard.

But sounds kinda weird a tranny being blown so early.

But it is cool that your Lexus Dealership is taking care of the problem. Be sure to inquire on their perspective of the problem.


static911

Goods

Hey IS:

I don't think you've responsible for blowing a tranny with just that small amount of "abuse". I've taken a few (rental, lease and my own) cars in the past for a ride.


Hard accelerations, excessive cornering speed, and high speeds.

Sounds like a one in a thousand kind of event ... hope I'm not due for one.

Goods

Ever heard this phrase?

Drive it like you hate it!

of course .. wait for the oil temp to get into the normal range, and don't be too reckless.

Be as safe as you can be.

IS300 Rules

Thanks for the replies Static911 and Goods.

I got my car back today!

Here's what the sheet says:

Condition: Transmission Slipping
Cause: Transaxle seized - Metal Chips in Fluid!!
Correction: Replaced Transaxle and Torque Converter
Parts: Transaxle, Torque Converter and Exhaust Gasket
Cost: $0.00

Definitely a one out of a thousand problem. My Lexus Dealer said that they had someone from Lexus itself take a look at it! They still don't know exactly how those metal chips got in their though.

I'm very pleased with Lexus' service. I had 0 fuss about this situation. They didn't even try to blame anything on me. The bill came out to nothing much more than I would of have to pay for the 60K service. Lexus is fast too. I took the car in on Monday. It needed the Big 60K service, the bumper repainted (accident), and the tranny fixed. They actually got the parts for the tranny this morning and had the car finished by the afternoon. The car was washed, engine shampooed and not a single stain or scratch. Loaner was free. Someone drove the car up to the front and handed me the keys. Everyone was nice. Saw a silver SC430 fell in love with it again. The ES300 seems to drive even better. What more could I ask for? Lexus Rocks!

Litfuse

there might have been a slight flaw in one of castings, machined surfaces, or valve assemblies in your old trans, which could have be aggrevated by "driving it, like you stole it!" Regardless, the trans shouldn't have failed like it did. Would the Lexus dealer and/or Factory rep admit to that?, yeah right---

Brutus

Im glad you had a positive experience at the dealer. Tranny failures are rare for Lexus vehicles. Just be glad you dont drive a domestic car, you would have been on your 3rd or 4th by now.