Hello,

First of all, hello to everyone. I am a new owner of GS450h 2008 100k miles. Today I called my local Lexus dealer in order to set an appointment to change oil in my eCVT transmission. I was given a price of $400. Almost half of that price was eCVT oil filter. Does this transmission have one/need changing one? As far as I know many hybrid owners with eCVT transmission, nobody replaced their filter during ATF change. I am little worried that the service guy could have mistaken it with classic CVT?

 

I just looked up a transmission for a 2008 GS450H, and it shows there is a filter. But retail is 90-$100 maybe that other $100 is labor to install it.

But arent all GS450h ecvt? I never knew there were two transmission offered for them.


Lexus Genuine Factory Part
Part Number: 3533030100

FILTER GS450H


Fits 2008 Lexus GS450h Base

 

You're right - there is one type of transmission offered for GS450h which is eCVT. Thank you for information about a filter. As far as I know all of my colleagues who changed ATF at GS450h or Toyota Prius did not have it changed, is there a reason behind it?

 

For the standard geared transmissions, many just do a drain and fill, without dropping the transmission pan. This is so that the clutch discs (cars with high miles) do not slip when new fluids are poured in. They slowly drain and fill 2-3 times this way they slowly introduce the fluids and not all at once. Cars with higher mileage, and old fluid, that old fluid becomes gritty and thick to the point that the clutch disc's rely on that grit to not slip. When you drain that old fluid and add fresh slippery fluid to worn disc's then the transmission could slip.

But in your case, It is better if you drop the pan and replace the filter, and clean the magnets inside. As from what little I know of ecvt is that you dont have as many clutch packs as standard transmissions.

 

Yes, they have a filter, and yes, it costs a ton for some reason.

There should be two clutch packs, but they don't change gears too often. Even under hard acceleration, the change happens only once (two gear ratios for MG2), and at least on my car, it doesn't do a "hard" shift - it throttles shift speed according to... well... I'm not too sure if it's temperature alone.

If the clutch packs are worn, or the solenoids are in trouble... no spare parts whatsoever have been listed, even though it probably shares something with the other automatics. I haven't seen a 450h's (or an ls600h - they should be just about the same) e-CVT disassembled.

At any rate, they shouldn't really be worn.

$400 sounds alright - ATF-WS + oil filter + seal + labour. If you want to do it yourself, we can give you pointers. Techstream is nice to have for afterwards.

 

To be honest I am not even sure if I should change it. eCVT gearbox works just perfectly with no issues, last time I replaced ATF in my previous car with OEM oil and filter I did not feel any difference and I felt like I wasted $1000 (classic auto transmission).

 

No fluid lasts forever. ATF can last a long time (supposedly air-tight gearbox so moisture/oxidation shouldn't really happen), but it's your choice whether to gamble.

 

I have 236k on my tranny and I feel it shuttering slightlywhent he car comes to a stop, at first I thought was the rear end gearset. I plan to change both fluids at 250k

 

It still gets contaminated and breaks down due to mechanical wear and heat.

 

...that too, but most people assume that good color = ok fluid