JLS430U

Hello everyone,

I'm a new proud owner of 02 Mystic Gold Metallic(I know, it's old man's color and I'm in my 30s lol) LS430. I used to own 06 Chevy Impala SS but with well known transmission issues, I was in a market for a different full size car. My LS430 was hands down the best car decision I've ever made.

It was 1 owner car according to CarFax, and service records show the car was religiously serviced in NJ dealer during summer and FL during winter. I purchased it for $14,250 with 65k miles on it. The car was in very good to excellent condition overall with minor paint chips and a little wear on side bolster of driver's seat. Option wise the car came with Mark Levinson, Nav, front & rear heated seats and sport suspension with 17" chrome wheels. I think $14,250 was a great price on the car, let alone it was so hard to find 1 owner LS430 with impeccable service records. What do you guys think?

What made this car a steal was that it had almost $1700 60k service done as the dealer I purchased it from showed me their work order after they've acquired this car. The services included Timing belt, WP, drive belt, both hood and trunk struts, new battery, air & cabin filter, inspection/emissions and oil change. I know $1700 was over inflated, but knowing all these major items are done at 60k miles gave me a peace of mind and I don't have to worry about it for the next 5yrs or so.

The only things I felt the car needed after the purchase were: transmission fluid change, rear diff gear oil change and fresh oil & filter change. I am mechanically inclined, so I have already done all 3 services on my car. I did have a few questions on these services though.

1. Transmission fluid drain & refill - I did drain from the transmission pan drain plug. I am going to do this a few times to replenish old fluid with new. The owner's manual says drain & refill capacity is 1.9qts. On initial drain I got close to 3qts out which leads me to believe the car was overfilled at some point. So not sure if I need to refill with exactly 1.9qts or a little more. 1.9qts fill would only show 1st notch on the dipstick where C mark is during cold temp check. Once warmed up, the dipstick shows slightly below 2nd notch with HOT mark. So either 1.9qts won't allow the fluid to be between HOT mark or I didn't drive the car long enough to get the trans fluid fully warmed up. So please help me clear this confusion. Am I supposed to put more than 1.9qts after the drain from trans pan drain plug? Currently I put approx. 2.5qts to bring the fluid level to just the beginning of HOT mark(2nd notch on dipstick) after the car was driven for 10 miles or so.

2. Oil & Filter Change - The manual says 4.8qts with filter change. I did use Purolator PureOne filter and Mobil1 5W30. After filling the car with 4.8qts, the dipstick showed a slightly below full mark. I think LS dipstick is a bit weird compared to other car oil dipsticks. The reason being when I pull it out, wipe it clean, reinsert and pull it straight out again only one side shows correct oil level and other side has a long smear of oil where it looks like the oil is way above full mark. Am I the only one observing this on the LS? I did fill the rest of 0.2qts to bring the oil level to just about full mark. So how many exact quarts am I supposed to use during full oil & filter change?

Sorry for the long post, but please help me answer above questions. Thank you in advance for your suggestions and input.

JLS430U

Still yet to receive a reply. Do you all take your cars to the dealership for service?

warminwisc

I think you got a fair deal on the car, enjoy it seems like it has been babied. I do not own an 02, there are differences between the 02 and 04 so I cannot comment. I take my car to Yota dealer. My last tranny drain and fill they listed 3 quarts of exchange.

Legender

Congratulations on the car purchase. Sounds like a very clean car with great records. I think you'll be pleased with the reliability and the ride.

I haven't touched the transmission, so can't speak to that. But I have done my own oil changes and have noticed the same as you.. the dipstick can only be read from one side on my 2002. I also put the full 5 qts in as I don't think .2 quarts is enough to worry about. And mine still reads slightly less than full when I put the full 5 qts in. Not sure why that is. But that's how it's always been.

Regardless of how much you drained in the tranny, you need to refill it so that the warm/hot reading is where it's supposed to be. Since you did not do the work last, you don't know exactly what was done or how much was put in. But you can measure what's in there now and go from there.

Good luck with the new ride. And as far as the color goes...that is the same color I got for my mom..and she's past 60... but I know it looks good on you...it's got class.

JLS430U

Thank you both for the replies. I love this car, and it rides a lot nicer and quieter than 03 BMW 745i that I used to own. BMW 7 also had a ton of computer/electrical issues during my ownership. I only kept it until the warranty expired. Before I bought my LS I almost went for 08 750Li, but couldn't justify paying $15k more for it. With that money I could buy 2 LS430s haha.

I hope to keep my LS for 300k miles and beyond as I've learned in my 20s that cars are bad investments.
It's smart to buy used and drive until the wheels fall off basically. I have two other Toyotas, 93 Paseo Auto with 178k and 95 Tercel 5 speed with 192k. Both beaters give me 35-40MPG. I feel like I'm in a different world when hopping into LS after driving both Toyotas. LS is truly an amazing car for being 11 years old. I have to thank the original owner for being nice to this car all these years

Legender

Smart move JLS430U... buying them used and well taken care of by the previous owner. That's what I've always done.. my 95 Avalon has over 210K on it... I know, nothing for this forum. But good for us. Problem free outside of steering rack and starter replacement. You'll be very happy and pleased with your LS430... the other cars may not get used as much anymore as you've now got a new standard. Once I had my mom in an LS400 she would not consider any car other than Lexus. Go ahead, spoil yourself, you deserve it.

JLS430U

I totally agree with you Legender. Thank you. My mom had same reaction when she first drove this LS430. She said it is the best car she's ever driven in her life and she's had quite a good mix of cars: 2000 Camry, 02 Sable, 04 Grand Prix GTP and 06 Impala SS. Of course I've paid all her car payments as I have been taking care of her since 1996. Trying to be a good son here, but you know how women(young or old) are. The more you give them the more they want haha.

Ok, so I figured 5qts for engine oil is good, but still unsure exactly how many quarts I should put in for transmission when I just do drain & refill? Owner's manual says 1.9qts drain & refill but with 1.9qts filled when checking cold temp, the dipstick is right at 1st notch on the dipstick right after C. I'm leaning towards 2.5qts or even 3qts but don't want to overfill the transmission. Any thoughts?

Bocatrip

You can do a drain and refill a few times if you like. I have a 10 year old Infiniti that I have not touched the Trans fluid after 55,000 miles and my Lexus has 110,000 miles and the fluid looks ok. Sometimes less is more. My personal feelings are that if the fluid is clean and shifting properly, leave well alone. Some transmissions can be finicky and there is always a chance (although slight with a drain and fill) that changing fluid can disrupt varnish from the clutches causing slippage. I've always been conservative with automatic transmissions and have never had a problem. Good luck and enjoy the car.

LScowboyLS

whatever it takes to bring it to the full mark on very level ground! - about 3 minutes or so after shutting off hot engine


That is the best way! - be sure to always use a new gasket and drain bolt from the dealership! (about $5 for the pair)


The amount that comes out depends on how long it drains, let it drain overnight and you may get 4 quarts or even more! - the dipstick determines the correct amount to add, not the owner's manual!


don't make it too complicated, the correct procedure is to fill it to the C mark with engine cold, then go out and drive for like a half hour, so the tranny is quite hot, the pull into a super level spot somewhere such as a service station or parking lot and adjust level to the Hot mark, and that is all there is too it - and remember, slightly overfilled is better for the transmission than underfilled - make sure your funnel is hospital clean, transmissions do not tolerate foreign lubricants or particulates!

JLS430U

@ LScowboyLS - Thank you for your thorough explanation and attention to detail. I will certainly follow your methods and make sure everything checks out the way you've explained. Thank you.

warminwisc

JLS you can see we really do take care of our own. I have been on this forum for quite a while and if ya need something ask again. I am on the Touareg Forum, don't laugh I love this SUV have a 110k warrantee, and they are a much more cynical bunch. Enjoy you 02 LS !!!!

JLS430U

@ warminwisc - I definitely see many knowledgeable experts here on Lexus forum. I've got most of the answers by searching the forum, but if I do have other questions I'll be sure to ask away. Thanks.

BTW, isn't Touareg based on Porsche Cayenne platform? I know they are very much capable on-road as well as off-road.

So back to transmission fluid amount. I believe if you drain & refill with exactly 2.5qts, you will be at full HOT mark on the dipstick after driving the car for 30mins. I just topped mine off, so will be driving for a few days and do a 3rd drain & refill.

SLLTO

very informative...good looks guys

Jabberwock

On my 2006 LS430 a drain and fill oil change with new filter change uses 5.4 quarts of oil.