Lexus Fluids
 

Hi all,

What kind of motor oil, transmission oil, power steering and brake fluid should I used on my 93 LS400? Differential oil (same as transmission)? I would like to replace all of them. If you have replaced your fluid and experiencing improvements please share with me.

I will use Mobil 1 synthetic oil for the motor oil... maybe synthetic on the transmission also (what brand?). DOT4 for brake fluid? Synthetic power steering fluid? (Lexus uses transmission fluid for power steering fluid... so can I use synthetic transmission fluid for the power steering?) Any suggestions?

Thanks in advance,
Asher W.

Re: Lexus Fluids
 

Here are my recommendations:
Engine Oil- Mobil 1 Synthetic Oil 10W-30
Transmission Oil- ******Use ONLY TOYOTA TYPE T-IV TRANSMISSION OIL- NO SUBSTITUTES *******
Differential Gear Oil- Mobil 1 Synthetic Gear Lubricant LS 75W-90
Power Steering- Red Line - http://www.redlineoil.com/products_c...p?productID=67
Brake Fluid - Neo Brake Fluid http://www.neosyntheticoil.com/bkfluid.htm

for me (my gs4 and is3)

engine oil - mobile 1 synthetic
tranny - definitely ONLY toyota type iv
diff - redline gear oil 75w90
brake - motul 600
power steering - never had to change it, even on my gs4 with 57k miles (still clean)

engine-Chevron Supreme 10W-30, Mobil 1 later on
trans- Toyota T-IV ONLY
PS- Red Line Power Steering Fluid, same as their Dex-II ATF
diff- Mobil 1 75W-90
brake- Castrol GT LMA, ATE Super Blue Racing later on

I have this in mine:

Engine-Mobil 1 5-30
Tranny-Toyota Type IV
PS-Mobil 1 ATF
Differential-Mobil 1 75-90
Brake-Valvoline synthetic

Engine_Mobil 1synthetic 10W-30
Tranny_ Toyota TypeIV
Diff_ Toyota fluid? (Never changed)
Brake_dont know and need to change soon




What kind of tool do you guys use to drain and fill the diff. oil for the first generation LS? None of my tools are big enough for the what seems to be the drain plug. Do I have to go buy a special adapter or something? Thanks, LS_4Will.

Thank you all for the overwhelming info...

I think I will use the following:

Engine Oil - Mobil 1 Supersyn 10W30 or 15W50
Tranny - Toyota Type IV (I wouldn't dare use different oil)
Differential Oil - Mobil 1 Synthetic Gear Lubricant 75W-90
Power Steering - Red Line PS Fluid or Mobil 1 ATF
Brake - Neo Brake Fluid

I just put BG44K to clean my fuel injectors... so I will change all this next week (after it completely left the system). I will keep you all posted with the progress. My power steering is leaking a little bit... I have to add a little fluid every 3 days or so. Maybe I should fix it first or I'll be wasting my Red Line. (On my other Lexus... I have replaced the PS pump twice! Once at the dealer and one at a local shop... either way it cost a lot!)

Thanks again guys,
Asher W.

Asher,
I noticed that you have two 93LS. did you have to deal with a spongy / low brake pedal on either of them ? if so what was the cure ? I"m curious because mine's a 93 and the local tech's are dumbfounded without a clue as to what the cure might be.

One of my LS400 (white/tan) has a new master cylinder installed about 2 weeks ago. Before I fixed it, sometimes, when I hit the brake, the pedal would slowly going down to the floor (is this what you mean by "spongy"?). Other times, it won't work at all... I have to pump it a couple of times to make the car stops. It's scarry.. I almost had an accident. I had new brake pads installed about 3 months ago... so I knew it wasn't the pad (and a local mechanic suggested it was the master cylinder)... so I replaced it.

My brake "pad wear" light (on the instrument panel) is ON all the time. It has been doing this for at least 3 months... that's why I replaced the pads. Why is it still ON now?

Good luck,
Asher W.

You need a new brake sensor, the tip is no good.

Where is the brake sensor located? On each wheel? If more than one, how do I know which one is bad? How much is it and is it easy to replace or do I have to take it to a dealer/mechanic?

Sorry for the ignorance.

Is it normal to replace your battery every 2 years? Seems like my battery (they are maintenance free, right?) gone bad every 2 years. And you can not re-charge it. This happens to both LS400s.

Thanks,
Asher W.

Lexs400,

Did you mix brake fluid? I heard that using DOT5 (silicone based) brake fluid can give you that "spongy" feeling. BTW, you are not suppose to use DOT5 (don't buy it - stick with DOT3, DOT4, or the above recommended by other members brake fluids such as Neo, Motul, Castrol LMA, or Valvoline Synthetic). I would probably flush and replace the brake fluid first (the cheapest solution)... maybe just needs bleeding?

In any case, don't take it lightly (you desperately need brakes)... don't wait till it does not work anymore...

Good luck,
Asher

Re: your battery replacement...yes. Have a handful of friends in Vegas and on average they replace a battery every 16-24 months. The thing is once you buy a battery, you'll not have to spend the $$ again as they die in warranty. The heat is a contributing factor to this.

Re: Lexus Fluids
 

[QUOTE][i] What kind of motor oil, transmission oil, power steering and brake fluid should I used on my 93 LS400?

Why not use the factory original fluids, lubes and filters? They are the only ones that are Toyota tested and approved and so they are the only ones that are totally risk free.

Brake fluid: http://www.saber.net/~monarch/brakefluid1.jpg

Engine oil: http://www.saber.net/~monarch/ls430b.jpg

Transmission fluid: http://www.saber.net/~monarch/typet.jpg

Differential: http://www.saber.net/~monarch/differential.jpg

Power steering fluid: http://www.saber.net/~monarch/gtatf2.jpg http://www.saber.net/~monarch/gtatf.jpg

Antifreeze: http://www.saber.net/~monarch/toyred.jpg