Just got my car back from the dealership this afternoon after the transmission received the flash reprogramming for the flare problem. My results are:

IT DIDN'T FIX ANYTHING!!

In fact, instead of cold flaring, it flared on the way home after 20 minutes of driving. I'll wait to see if it'll flare on cold start tomorrow morning. So far, I'm not impressed with what I see.

 

i don't even know what to say.....

 

<<Sitting up here on my chair watching the events go by>>

O - M - G. I'm even checking to see if it's April 1st. It's not.

What is the trans behaviour now? Different type of slips? Different gears?

 

I can't tell very much so far I've only driven it for a short period of time today - seems like the same old types of slips (I also see some small flares for the 2nd to 3rd gears too). I guess I'll see more in the comming days but this latest TSB solution is no good.

 

wait it out and see. give it a chance. keep us posted.

 

did lexus even come out with a TSIB for the es350???

i thought it only came out for the camry?? yes i know it is the same transmission but can't we be optimistic and say that the guy who reflashed it used the camry TSB instead of the es350 TSB, hence the recurring issues with the trans flare since you have an es350 and not a camry?? is this possible??

someone pleaseeee.......

 

even if that were true, i doubt it would make a difference, since the transmissions are identical. the camry shifts just as smoothly as the es. almost identical fuel economy, and everything.

 

I had mine flashed this week as well. My SM told me it was specific to the ES350.

So far I've had no major 3-4 Cold Start flares. That's the good news. Howevever, I'm with Lexusguy in that it created other problems.

I haven't figured out the trend yet, but I get small 200-400 rpm flares when shifting 2-3 or 3-4 at various times. (Cold start, after 15 mins of driving). I've primarily done Highway miles since the flash so it's hard to tell. In the next few days I'll do more city driving and see if I can spot a trend. Because it's so errratic it will be hard to record it without driving with a camera all day long.

 

Once I had read the actual TSIB I felt this would do nothing, or if anything, make things worse in trying to use software to address this transmission slipping.

The TSIB goes on to say if that did not work, replace the transmission, but that from input here and elsewhere for that matter, is no solution either.

What do you plan to do next?

 

Well, I saw no cold start flare this morning (this may not mean much since my cold flares are sometimes random anyways). I left a message with the service manager at the dealership and I'll be talking to him later today. I suppose I'll drive it until next week at least to see how things are and then bring it in if conditions don't improve. I guess the next step is a new transmission as specified by the TSB.

 

Are you using your first transmission now or did you have it replaced once already?

 

I'm still on my 1st one

 

Ah. The flash was done on my 2nd tranny. I wonder if they will try for 3.

 

So I am looking at a new ES350 and a friend of mine is picking one up this week. Are you guys saying forget it, too many shift, hesitation problems?

 

You have to decide for yourself in the end.
What I've been telling people who like my 2007 Camry SE V6?
"If you're thinking of buying a 2007 Toyota Camry V6, or a Lexus ES350 you ought to wait a little longer until it's clear that Toyota has the issues with the 6 speed automatic transaxle fixed conclusively".