Black94RX-7TT

I changed my transmission fluid this weekend, and much to my surprise what I drained out was a deep purple. Is this the normal color for old type T-IV fluid, or is it scorched? It smelled okay...but then again I was expecting a deep red color like normal fluid....

007lexus

Your in luck, just did my tranny service after 30k. It was dark red, so it was considered clean. dont know about your purple color, I'd call the dealer and find speak to a mechanic and dont just ask one dealer call around.

Black94RX-7TT

You have an SC300 or SC400? The 300s use regular 'ol Mercon/Dextron.....

VQT

That's why I want to change 2 qts everytime I change the oil untill the trans. fluid is red again. I am afraid to change the whole trans. in one shot (about 8 liters), the trans. may give me problem because it is too clean.

Black94RX-7TT

I seriously doubt your transmission would get pissy if you gave it a full change of fluid....besides you'd have to change out 2 quarts a gazillion times before you got most of the old stuff out, and even then you wouldn't get it all out.

VQT

Black94RX-7TT,

I don't know about Lexus trans., but I read some where that if the trans. hasn't been change (no trans. fluid change for ~ 100K miles) once you change the fluid the trans. is shot after a few thousand miles. This is especially true for GM cars. I just don't want to take that chance of having to rebuild the SC400 transmission. I bought the car used, so I don't really know how good the last owner kept up with the trans. fluid change. I know that he have the dealer service for everything, but according to the dealer record I don't see many trans. fluid change at all.

Another thing, GM cars need trans. fluid change every 50K miles. Lexus every 15K miles.

Lex Luthor

VQT, ya, when I was into domestics, that old saying 'if you haven't changed the fluid in a long long time, don't change it now' used to get thrown around alot, I haven't seen anything to prove or disprove it. Lord knows i've incinerated plenty of 700R4's and 200R4's, and popped a couple tuned port small blocks too, but i'm **** about maintenance, so it was from something else, say, my d@mn lead foot, the bottle, the slicks, the powerslides, the rpm's, who's to say. As far as the SC, every clean quart you add to the trans will be contaminated by the dirty fluid, I don't care what the manual says, tell Lexus they can call me if they have a problem with that. Drop that pan, backflush and re-use the oe metal trans filter, and slide some Type T-IV (assumingSC4) in there. Black94RX-7TT is right on the money, honey.

MrGQ

Hi guys,
I have a 92 SC300. Reading this thread got me thinking about changing my trans. fluid. I've done numerous oil changes but have never changed the trans. fluid before. So i'm thinking that I should do that this weekend. Can anyone tell me where the trans. fluid drain hole is and where do I fill the new trans. fluid in on the SC300? Also what type and how many qts of TF should I get?

Thanks in advance,
MrGQ

Black94RX-7TT

The drain plug is on the transmission pan. The fill is where you take the tranny dipstick out. Just take out the plug, let it drain, (put the plug back in) refill via the dipstick, and check the level according to the instructions on the dipstick. Check your owner's manual for the fluid spec and quantity. (I think it uses Mercon/Dexron II, but don't quote me on that)