Hi there, my 97 LS400 tranny is acting up again after I've replaced the shift solenoid E with a brand new genuine Toyota part & an aftermarket torque converter about a year ago & 10K miles. Right after the parts replacement, my tranny was shifting late when it's cold but only for a few hundred yards then it's shifting fine so I was told it's due to the parts being new & need time to break in which now I think it's not true. Anyway, a few days ago, I've noticed the car got very loud when I started her up in the morning but once warmed up, the noise went away. Initially, I thought it's one of the pulley's bearings & my idler pulley's bearing was a bit noisy when I took it out & spun it w/ my fingers so I went ahead & replaced it but now I've identified the noise is coming from the tranny as it's slipping & also threw code P0770 (Shift Solenoid E). Last night, I removed the tranny's drain plug & let it drained overnight then refilled w/ Type IV fluid (took 3 quarts) in hoping that it will fix the problem but I drove the car around & it's still slipping. I have owned this car for 19 years & now at 238K miles, I think it's time for a new tranny or a rebuilt as I don't want to buy a used one not knowing the condition of it. What do you guys think?

 

As supplemental reading:
https://www.clublexus.com/forums/ls-...-strainer.html

 

i have a 98. so i have the 5-speed you have the 4-speed i believe. but anyways I may have that same noise you mention. Bearing type noise, as my friend and I both agreed.

I still think the noise is the bearings like you mentioned originally. I think it is the serpentine tensioner pulley bearing in mine. Could also be the serpentine idler pulley bearing like you replaced. If you haven't replaced the tensioner pulley bearing i'd give it a try.

What led you to believe the transmission was making the noise? I think the thread posted above would refer to when the transmission is making a "whining" noise, not when your car is making a bad bearing type noise. Just my 2cents.

My car has 275k on it, i've never had to replace any tranny solenoids yet, but i'm sure that would help the hard shifting my tranny usually does.

Your car could be low on tranny fluid although i'm sure you've checked (properly). I just don't know that a tranny would make a bearing type sound lol. Could just be a coincidence your car is making that noise and you also have worn out serpentine bearings. Being low on fluid could possibly trigger a CEL for a worn out solenoid.

 

RA40- I've read the post you attached. The strainer could very well clogged after 10K miles so I'll drop the pan & check it out. Thanks.
Scraape- I'm pretty sure the noise is coming from the tranny as it may have been starving due to the clogged strainer. It isn't as noisy as it was since I've changed the fluid. Nevertheless, I'll pull the serpentine belt & manually check all the pulleys as it could still be one of them. Thanks.

 

i pulled off both serpentine pulleys and the belt on my car and started it and the sound disappeared. So it's definitely the bearings for me. Hope you get yours sorted!

 

Scraape- I've isolated all the pulleys by removing the serpentine belt, started the car & the noise still there so it's coming from the tranny. As stated, it isn't as loud & noisy as before since I did the tranny's drain w/ 3 qts of Toyota, Type IV fluid. With fresh fluid, I'll keep on driving & keep an eye on it & will see if it will get better. At 238K miles, I think eventually I'll need to have it rebuild or replace it w/ a low mileage one.

RA40- If I remember correctly, the filter's big opening is facing toward the bottom of the pan so can the filter unclogs or becomes cleaner if I keep draining & replacing w/ new fluid for a few times? I had a hard time keeping the pan from leaking when I replaced the fluid & filter on the last go around so I'm trying not to drop the pan again unless I really have to. Please advise.

Thank you both.