I just drained the tranny fluid 3 times and last drain and refill was done until it drizzled with fluid from the overfill plug as recommended. The problem I am having is if I come to an abrupt stop, it takes time for the gear to engage at 1st gear to take off immediately. Today I even felt a lunge similar to what I felt in my past Acura CL and Jaguar S-Type when I came to a quick stop, like the gear downshifts after I'm stopped. Something I never felt with my LS430 before.

I have read in past forums, some say you need to bleed it... And fill in an additional 2.5 qts. Unsure exactly what this entails. But if this means drive it and refill more, this should be impossible as fluid was drizzling from the overfill plug when it was closed up and I am sure driving it wouldn't lessen the level of the trans fluid.

Can anyone chime in regarding any fix for this matter? Thanks in advance.

 

My car also has a harder then usual downshift from 2nd to 1st but it is only under certain conditions and not often for me. I only feel it going into 1st as your coming to a stop. I attribute this to wearing motor mounts transferring movement. You can also double check the fluid level. Make sure you bring the temp up to the correct level and run through the gears.

 

Thanks for the info. Any others that can provide some pinter regarding this issue?

 

I do drain and fills and always measure what drains out and I refill with the same amount. Usually its around 3 quarts... This is the best way to change fluid in the LS430's...

 

What Brand of Fluid did you use? Did you do a Battery reset during/after the fluid Change?

Just in case, clean your MAF sensor also, as it can contribute to harsher shifting if it's not reading properly.

 

I used WS ATF fluid and did not see any reason for a battery reset. I did a MAF cleaning last year but it did not really change anything. My 06 LS430 is running great and the tranny is very smooth. I was going to try Maxlife ATF because its so easy to find but went with the WS fluid.

If your tranny was fine before the fluid drains, then my guess is that you have the incorrect amount of fluid in the tranny. I would do a drain and fill with WS ATF and measure what drains out and replace with the exact same amount(if more then 3 quarts drains, then you may have used to much). Just remove the ATF fill plug and the rear drain plug on the transmission pan... I have always been close to around 3 quarts when doing it this way...

 

I used WS fluid. Didn't want to go with any other. In regards to putting in exactly how much I drained... it's a little late for that as I just used a 15qt drain pan and didn't really measure. It took approximately 2 1/2 qts. I may need to take it to a specialist just to make sure it's at proper levels.

Does anyone have a trusted Lexus specialist in the Los Angeles area? That i may take my car to?QUOTE=XJSFan;8687856]I used WS ATF fluid and did not see any reason for a battery reset. I did a MAF cleaning last year but it did not really change anything. My 06 LS430 is running great and the tranny is very smooth. I was going to try Maxlife ATF because its so easy to find but went with the WS fluid.

If your tranny was fine before the fluid drains, then my guess is that you have the incorrect amount of fluid in the tranny. I would do a drain and fill with WS ATF and measure what drains out and replace with the exact same amount(if more then 3 quarts drains, then you may have used to much). Just remove the ATF fill plug and the rear drain plug on the transmission pan... I have always been close to around 3 quarts when doing it this way...[/QUOTE]

 

Vinam Auto Repair in Midway City. Best Lexus/Toyota mechanic that I know of. I travel from Riverside just to go to him for my non-DIY issues. You can even bring your own WS and he'll just charge for labor. Or he has plenty of WS in his shop as well. Previous South Coast Toyota mechanic and well respected by CL members.

 

Thanks everyone for your input. Took it to a Toyota/Lexus tech found it missing a little over a quart of trans oil. Cars running like butter. Something that I did not find before. Drain trans, fill, turn on car and go through gears, and top it off. This is the info I got from my tech. Must be correct because the car is now running as it should.

 

Good to hear you have it worked out... If you decide to attempt a drain and fill, its as easy as measure what drains out and replace with the exact same amount. This is what I do and my tranny is working like it should.

 

Everyone talks about a smooth-as-butter tranny. I wonder if mine is acting off. It used to shift much smoother when I bought it a yet ago. Recently, I took it to JM Lexus for a drain and fill since it wasn't shifting as smooth. Granted, maybe I'm being super sensitive. Behavior hasn't changed since the service and Lexus stated its behaving fine for an 06. I still feel something is not right. Any ideas? Should I take it elsewhere?

 

The shifting, maybe they didn't fill up enough? Usually you get the best techs from getting your car maintenanced at dealer. But you do pay a premium. I usually take my cars to Toyota/Lexus techs with their own shop as the prices are more reasonable.

 

I did take it back to JM. They said three master techs looked at the car and found nothing wrong, and the fluid was topped off. When it shifts, I feel a slight jerk which prompted me to investigate.

 

If your motor mounts are going bad this will also transfer a lot of movement to the driver.

 

Maybe u should have left it alone like the owners manual recommends. My first 04 LS430 (before it was totaled) had 196,000 miles, transmission oil never changed, and it was smooth as silk. Never a problem.