Hatchman

Thank you all for this great thread, especially the OP.

I got 4.5 quarts out of the tranny and transaxle, then after filling it back up I ran the car for 50 seconds and got 2.4 quarts out of the cooler. I almost didn't do the cooler, but I'm glad I did, that was the dirtiest oil and made such a difference and was really easy to do.

I found something I didn't expect. The tranny oil goes through the radiator first before going into the tranny cooler. Everything I've read on here said the tranny oil is not cooled by the radiator, but in mine it is.

Looks like my filter was changed at least once in the past. Mine had the paper filter and only had 2 magnets in the pan, but at least it had been changed out before we bought it at 93Kmiles.

110920 miles and shifts smoother than ever. Thanks again!

Peter5767

Is the transfer case use the same T4 ATF and refill from the same dip stick place? thanks

Lexmex

Yes for the transfer case on the tranny

jaguarxj12

I have a high pitch whine coming from the transmission. Sounds like a power steering pump running dry. It is engine speed related. Could it be the transmission pump and if so how big a job is it. What is it likely to cost

Ryan300

Excellent DIY.

I read the verbiage on the label taped to the tranny dipstick and it states, "(Transfer fluid for 4WD is different). See owner's manual if replacing". In addition, if I'm not mistaken, LEXMEX's DIY on Transfer case/Rear Differntial drain/fill show the transfer case (front) using gear oil.

Which is accurate?

Thanks.

Lexmex

This is an old issue. Some people call the front differential the transfer case. So I will explain it.

Picture below shows the front differential. This is filled with ATF fluid through the tranny dipstick. Think of the tranny as having one entry point for the fluid, but two drain holes.

The second one is the transfer case on AWD models and this only takes gear oil.

rxpx40

iTrader: (1)

I just finished performing this procedure on my wife's 2004 RX 330. A few differences I noticed is that the transaxle has no drain plug. Only the transmission had a plug. Inside the pan, there were only 2 square magnets. The drain plug is not magnetic either. The return hose from the trans oil cooler is under the driver's side of the car.
This was a simple procedure and this pictorial helped me gain the confidence to tackle this job.
Before starting I called Lexus of Austin and was quoted $5.99/qt of oil.
Called Champion Toyota and they quoted $9.99/qt. When I told the parts tech the price from Lexus, he said he could match that, and did.
The irony of all this is the label attached to the trans dipstick that claims, "No need to replace the trans fluid." The ATF that came out of this car was way overdue. We bought the car at 46000 mi, and it now has 105000.
I would like to say the car is shifting better, but I have only driven the car infrequently and my test drive tonight was short, but the shifting points seem to be better.
Next? Timing belt replacement.

Chris

LA4Mead

Great post with lots of helpful photos.

After Lexus replaced my '99 2WD trans under warrantee at almost 70,000 miles in 2004 (I had already done 2 tranny oil/filter changes but it kept burning fluid and had a rare shift problem when cold) the brand new updated trans (not rebuilt) does not beat the fluid like the original. The new "updated" trans came with the newer paper filter, a screen was in the original. I still continue to change the fluid approximately yearly, but now it looks almost new when it comes out. The filter and magnets looks clean, too.

Perhaps this helps the fluid from getting beat like the original trans: Taking no chances with the new transmission, I added an additional cooler behind the factory "tow package" cooler. When I had the cooler line hose off, I drained fluid through the cooler hose. It took a total of 7 quarts (2WD) to refill. The newer trans may hold about a quart more. I also added a computer fan under the windshield washer bottle and a Hayden fan thermostat set to a cool temp. (150 degrees?). It may be overkill, but I don't want any problems and intend to keep the car in good shape.

Thanks again for the detail and time to take, edit, and post the photos!

trips1

Thanks to everyone for this helpful post.
I am thinking up of taking this up. Just a novice question:
- Where should i buy the parts from. If someone can put the price they paid at Toyota/online dealers then that would be good.

- Is anything other than the following parts is needed:
Gasket Transaxle: 35168-21010
Strainer oil Assembly: 35330-06010
Filter O-ring: 90080-30077 Or 90301-31010 (pls can someone tell me which one is the correct part number.)

Thanks.

shortlid

Does a the '04-'07 RX330 and Highlander 5-speed auto have this two drainplug set-up as well?

Iluvlexus

I am a newbie and this is my first post. I am not a newbie to forums such as this and I find them an amazing font of knowledge. I recently bought a 2001 RX-300 in fantastic cosmetic condition, but had (have) some concerns about the potential mechanical issues which surround this car.

1. It has 136K and I am the third owner. The second owner acquired the car at 68K and, while taking great care of the interior and exterior, followed a oil change interval of 6 months or 10- 15,000 miles using synthetic oil. The car saw 90% highway miles. When I saw the car it was about 1/2 quart below the add line at 7.5K miles. It runs great.

2.The transmission saw no service under his ownership and the fluid was at an appropriate level, dirty, but without a burned smell. It may slide a bit from 1st to 2nd, but otherwise shifts great.

Had I not looked under the hood I would have had no concerns about buying this car based on the way it drove, but reading in this forum about the engine sludging and transmission failures had me a bit more aware. The price was excellent, the overall condition nearly showroom, and it drove great which forced me to pull the trigger. Now what to do?

I got the car home and immediately changed the oil and filter to Pennzoil ultra. 500 miles later the oil is still clean and the level at full. I dropped the trans pan, changed out the filter and did a poor mans "flush" by disconnecting the return hose from the cooler and drained a total of 9 quarts of tranny fluid. Of note was I discovered a non-stock transmission strainer/filter which suggests that the transmission had been serviced at least once before the previous owner bought it. I replace it with Toyota T-IV and added 6 oz of Auto-RX to clean out the gunk and varnish. I will run this fluid for 1000 to 1500 miles and then do a filter and fluid change to Amsoil synthetic. I plan to change the engine oil in the next week to a basic Dino oil and do an Auto-Rx sludge purging which appears to really clean the engine and improve performance. Following the Auto-RX prescribed treatment program I will use synthetic.

I will report back with progress updates, but this is a very special driving machine and I am hoping for the best. Thanks to everyone who posted here as they made this purchase and the maintenance much more doable. I am not a professional mechanic but have worked on every car I have owned. The RX-300 is very serviceable.

401KVet

Great job showing all that you've done. But I'm not clear about removing the hoses.. Why are the hoses removed and not just left alone and add fluid thru the dipstick tube?? I'm not much of a mechanic. lol

Lexmex

In this example, he removed the hoses to get the excess fluid out that sits between the the transmission and transmission fluid cooler on the opposite site of the vehicle. It's not an absolute requirement, but it can help get more ATF fluid out. It's actual a great idea that saves some extra cash.

Shed

I'm in the process of ordering the parts for my 02 AWD but I want to check how many O-rings are needed. Is it one of either part number? One of each?

Also I'm assuming the part numbers are the same whether it's for a FWD or AWD as the attached PDF notes FWD?

Iluvlexus

Shed: Used this post to direct me thru the process and it was simple. You can buy a filter kit cheap (I paid about $18) which includes the pan gasket, filter, and o-ring. The copper washers on the drain plugs can be reused. After changing out the filter and cleaning the pan and magnets I filled the pan, disconnected the return hose from the oil cooler, put and extension on it which I put in a empty gallon milk jug, had my assistant start the engine and started pouring fresh fluid into the dipstick funnel to make up for what was pumped put. Kept going until I had exchanged 9 quarts. Took a couple of hours and is so simple a monkey could do it