Cshell

First of all - thank you to everyone of you who contributes to this forum. I've been able to do many repairs on my 99 RX300 myself, thanks to you guys!

Right now, I'm between a rock and a hard place...
204K total miles (only 7K on new long block)
Transmission rebuilt at 178K miles
All sensors, pumps & lines are new (including shifter cable, struts, tires... and the list goes on).
Transmission is now out of warranty after only 29K miles, and I have every reason to believe it's shot once again. I stepped on the gas and it sounded like an explosion. My guess would be the drum broke. It will engage 1st & 2nd gear, but won't go into reverse, nor will it shift beyond 2nd. I'm beginning to believe the not-so-reputable nationwide company who rebuilt it may have used old parts. But I digress...
The ECU scan threw only 2 codes: TPS and the cat lower bank inefficiency. Go figure!

Here's the deal - I put a new motor in it 7K miles ago (at 197K). I've spent over $10K in the past 14 months. (Yes, I'm blonde!) But I have loved this car (when it runs) and refuse to give it up. Virtually everything is new under the hood. I faithfully & meticulously maintain this car - I do the majority of the work myself. I keep spending money on it because now I'm in too deep.

That said, I have two questions...
Is there any possibility it might not be the transmission? (I know, I know... fat chance.)
Or should I just throw in the towel - dump it and run?

I would appreciate any input or advice you can give me. Thank you for your time.

salimshah

Welcome to CL.

ECU, OBDII codes are mostly emission related. It certainly does not diagnose all problems. There may be more extensive diagnosis through dedicated access dealer may have.

The error codes you are getting are not telling you the full story, but that does not mean that they should be ignored ... you can certainly put them off till you diagnose the transmission issue.

Why dont you visit the place that serviced the transmission and ask them to have a look and diagnose the problem, even if it is out of warranty. They may end up as the cheapest option to repair.

Once you have all the facts and estimated cost of repairs, only then you can make an informed decision.

Salim

Drcoffee

Salim is right. Take it in. To me, an explosion is more likely a backfire and now you have a CAT code which makes sense. it may all be exhaust related and not a very expensive repair, but you need a mechanic to evaluate it.

Cshell

Thank you, Salim & Drcoffee - I appreciate your input. I'll be taking it for an evaluation. It's unfortunate that I can't take it back to the company who "fixed" it the first time. After 5 weeks of waiting for my car to be done, they said I couldn't drive it because of a vacuum issue & my brakes didn't work. After getting it transported home, I discovered they were right. All of the vacuum lines had been disconnected.
I regale you with all of that to say I will be transporting it 6 hours away to someone I know & trust. Thank you for your input and advice (and for listening to me whine). Your encouragement has kept me from throwing a lit match in the gas tank <wink>

Australian

I am having problems with a new transmission rebuild getting hot. Have flushed out the transmission cooler but thinking it may need to be replaced and factory is crazy price aftermarket is cheap. Wondering whether to add a second cooler or replace the factory. I am looking to see where others have mounted coolers wondering other side of car in fender spot. Or under hood.
Looking for ideas and or a model that is same size as stock or better etc. Ebay have some kits cheap aftermarket just want to see what others have done. Can buy a 30 row on ebay $200 delivered with electric fan and fittings including braided hoses approx 330mm x 225mm x 50mm

Drcoffee

Im having good results with my setup.

https://www.clublexus.com/forums/rx-...ct-thread.html

Cshell

Wow! Thank you SO much for that thread link. Because of your detailed information, I discovered several other issues that need to be addressed, as well as the tranny. Which, btw is shot. After dropping the pan, I found more metal than burnt ATF.