jrod77

Hi all,

Looking to buy a 2001 RX300 from a friend, it recently had a sludge problem but lexus fix that. After the sludge was fixed the transmission acting up. It revs up and then slams into first gear all other gear shift smoothly, and engine is nice and smooth. The car has about 85k with a AWD transmission. Is there a series of things i can do before i think its the actual transmission that is going bad. From flushes to sensors i figure i can spend atleast 1k before i drop 5k on a transmission.

Thanks

sktn77a

iTrader: (2)

So, after you shift it into drive and press the accelerator, the engine revs before the transmission jerks itself into first gear? Conventional wisdom on this board is NOT to flush the transmission on older RX300s - just drain and fill.

jrod77

yes revs then jerks into 1st gear all other gears work fine. What about replacing any sensors? I want replacing the transmission to be the last resort.I really got this car at a great deal, and to me it is worth fixing. thanks for the help.

Lexspeed

Did your friend perform the recommended maintenance on this vehicle? The reason I ask is that the sludge thing can happen if the oil is not regularly changed. Also, the tranny problem does not sound like an easy fix, but I am no tranny expert. I wonder if this vehicle had regular servicing. If it hasn't it may not prove to be the deal you believe it is.

jrod77

he had the sludge problem fix thru lexus. He had oil changes thru a local mechanic. Here is a thought. Now bare with me cause i am not a mechanic lol. The car did not rev before hitting 1st gear when it had the sludge problem. Is it possible that the car compensated for the sludge throwing timing off etc..., now that the sludge is fixed, do you think i reset of the ecu my fix the issue.

hypervish

Try unplugging the battery and then plugging it back in after 30 mins.
When was the last transmission service?
It doesn't sound like the trans, maybe a sensor...

jrod77

Last time it was serviced was with the slugde problem close to 2 months ago.
ever since they took care of the sludge the rev problem started. And Lexus did'nt even look at it, just said over the phone that it needed a new transmission, nice right!

jrod77

so i got the car last night. was really surprise how smoothly it drives except for that shift between 1st and 2nd , i disconnected the battery to reset ecu nothing change i do notice that the vcs light is on even after i disconnect the battery did not see a check engine light turn on but the bulb does work cause i turn the key to acc to check lights. i dont here a ping in the engine. it did idle rough when i turn it on, but it seem to stop after i reconnected the battery. but it still jerks when it shifts from 1st to 2nd. anyone have any ideas

sktn77a

iTrader: (2)

Well, the dealer isn't going to diagnose anything over the phone. I would make an appointment to have it checked. It would be much easier if your friend took it in as he is the one with the history at this dealership.

jrod77

ok so i took it to autozone and had them check to see what codes are coming up. the code p1130 pop up but it was pending what does it mean by pending? i know its the a/f sensor (bank1 sensor1), can this be the culprit of the jerk problem between 1st and 2nd. Is there anything else i should look out for? thanks for all who reply, this place is awesome.