Rancho5

Sorry about all the posts, and thank you for all your helpful advice.

I ran through the maintenance records the previous owner provided and noticed that the ATF has never been changed out. Either have the differentials but that’s a different story… I’ve done those before and that’s easy.

So I called the dealer and asked about a fluid exchange and was told that with that many miles it would do more damage than good. Not really believing this I called a second shop, who I have used before, and was told the same thing. Honestly though, the thought of the original ATF in the transmission drives me nuts. I have replaced my share of transmissions when I was younger and stupid, and since then I’ve been committed to changing the ATF when it needs it.

i’ve read the stickies and they are very informative, but this is how I work on my Avalon and I’m guessing it would be OK to do the same on the GX 470. I’ve had the Avalon for a year and when I bought it the ATF was quite bad, so every few weeks I grab my hand transfer pump, shove a long tube down the tranny dipstick, and suck out 2 1/2 quarts of ATF. All while cold…overnight cold. Then I simply pour in 2 1/2 quarts of new ETF.

I know the GX does not have a dipstick tube, but I’m guessing it might be possible to probe through the fill hole on the side of the tranny with my pump hose, suck out a couple of quarts, measure the fluid, then just pump the exact amount of new ATF back in the same hole. Again, I’m new at the GX, and completely open to differing opinions, but wouldn’t this work? If I did this every few weeks, I would avoid the “shock“ of a complete fluid transfer like the dealer said, and pretty soon I would have some cherry red ATF.

Opinions welcomed. Thanks

RPH74

I had my local Lexus dealership drain and refill the ATF on my wife’s 2008 GX at 136,000 miles back in 2016. 5 years and 40,000 miles later all is still good. The dealership recommended a drain and fill only NOT a flush. I’m like you, couldn’t resist touching the fluid.

I did have a bad experience on my 1998 BMW 540i automatic. Drained and filled ATF at 160,000 miles…sold it after a few thousand miles, and the transmission blew 1 week later. I felt horrible about it, but the transmission showed absolutely no signs of any problems when I sold it.

So in summary, these shops are giving you these recommendations based on experience. I’ve heard stories such as these for the past 30 years, and I’m 1 for 2. Hope that helps haha.

Rancho5

Thanks, and sorry about the BMW. I’m really hesitant to do a complete exchange but I’m completely open to extracting 2-3 quarts at a time. Just wondering if my method previously mentioned would work.

ALAN553

same thing on the flush....not recommended the first time. maybe a complete flush at a later date...i did a drain and refill at 65K and then a complete flush at 165K

NTH

I did the first fluid swap on my previous 470 at 130k miles via the front cooler with 12 qts of WS. Felt no difference and smooth as butter.

IanB2

Your suggested method would work, but draining from the drain pan is more likely to remove the gunk/debris that's in there if you drain it when hot.

One thing to note is these transmissions are very sensitive to ATF fluid level, there's a whole procedure to get the level set correctly after your drain & fill, so make sure to get up to speed on that before starting.

Also, Toyota WS fluid or equivalent only, they don't take regular ATF.

Tech

There is a very specific procedure & specialized equipment that the dealers have to change out the fluid. It is not as simple as draining some fluid and replacing it.

The procedure involves running the engine and bringing the transmission up to a specific temperature after fluid replacement.

We had the fluid exchanged in my 2006 4Runner V8 and my wife's 2004 GX470 last year. Each just over a hundred thousand miles. We did this at the local dealer here in Littleton Colorado.

Cost was about $350 for each vehicle.

There was a noticeable Improvement in how smooth the transmissions
shifted after the fluid exchange.

RockfordRX

I'm watching this thread. I'm at 123k miles and am looking into doing a drain and refill. For those of you who have done it, should I drop the pan at the first drain/fill, or wait after 3-4 exchanges to clean the magnets and replace the strainer?
Thanks!

Lexus4321

Yes. this time drop the pan and replace the filter.

Beyond that, just cycle some fluid into the trans via the two pan ports. Drain from drain plug, then refill until overflow gets some to come out. Cycle that new fluid in (start it, change gears, turn off), then repeat two more times. I think its like 5qt per pan drain, forget.

Or, you gonna have someone else do it.

Dealers have special equip, but really not needed. The fluid is a lifetime fluid. Drain/fill/mix (x3) is a decent DIY thing to do.
Dealer equip does not replace the trans oil filter.

btw, Valvoline MaxLife Trans Fluid for import is same/better than OEM trans fluid.

stoked

iTrader: (1)

I changed mine for the first time at 180k and now at 195k with no issues and smooth shifting.

Davenlei

iTrader: (1)

I have done a drain and refill twice on my GX. First time at 80K miles and the second time at 170K miles. Both times I would drain and fill (using the ODBII jumper short method for proper temp/fluid level) and then several days later (about 150 miles) do a second drain and fill.
So far so good.

I also replaced the three diffs (front, center and rear) with Mobil 1 synthetic gear oil at 80K miles. I assume I should replace it again now that it has been in there for 100K miles or will that gear oil be good for longer?

My current worry is that the brake fluid is a greenish color. I did do a full flush and brake fluid replacement (three large synthetic bottles - I think a quart each) bled at all four wheels and did lighten up the green quite a bit but was never able to get all the green to go away. I know it is due to moisture corrosion of the copper parts in the brake system but I am hoping the tons of new brake fluid I ran through the system will stop or severely slow down the corrosion process.

The final thing is I flushed the power steering system quite a lot (ATF fluid) and still cannot get all the dark fluid out. It is lighter than it was but it is still too dark for me to be happy. I guess I will have to get several more bottles and go at it again.

cssnms

Have drained and refilled.mine at least twice and now with over 200k miles still going strong. Dont flush, that can cause problems, or so I've heard. Have also done the front and rear diffs and xfer case.