Hi all, hope everybody is doing ok. I wanna respond to caha14's statement about the LS460 07 to 09 not having an LSD or limited slip differential installed in them. I'm the proud owner of one of these awesome cars now and just did my first oil change on it. So up goes the car and I'm excited to see this new world under it and it turns out that the Lexus is a car but with a lotta neat stuff attached to it. I liked the little shields around the O2 sensors and the detail to a truck load of things under there. As I walked past the rear of the car I just happened to turn the wheel on the drivers side and as I did that I noticed the opposite wheel turned in the same direction. Hence, LSD, limited slip differential. If the wheel turned in the opposite direction than the wheel I turned then there would be no limited slip unit installed in my car. So, LS460's from 07 to 09 do, in some cases have limited slip differentials in them.

 

Would 80w-90 be ok? I already have it and wondering if that would work. I am in GA. Also, it is GL-5. I assume that is fine too.

 

According to that graphic I think you will be fine.

 

Finally got this done today. Went with Mobil 1 75-90. I did a lot of research and I think the Mobil 1 will be just fine. The old fluid still had a nice honey color, a bit darker than new but holding up well. A bit of sludge on the plug similar to the pic at the top. Thanks for the great write up.

 

Did this just now, I didn't see the exact size mentioned anywhere but the drain and fill bolt both take a 10mm hex. Also noticed the fill bolt has words in a circle on it saying "FOR OIL TYPE REFER TO OWNER'S MANUAL", which helps identify it. I bought the (hand pump and) toyota brand oil off amazon warehouse's scratch and dent "used" option for $15 a can, the cans are mildly dented but nothing leaking so works for me.

Only hiccup was I didn't make the first can hole big enough and tore a hole in the input pump line when I removed it, so trimmed the hose off at the tear and just made a better hole in the next can. I'd say this is one of the easiest DIY activities, but you do need to be able to get underneath your car to accomplish it. I only jacked up the passenger rear and put a jack stand underneath, didn't bother with ramps.

EDIT: on a 07 ls460 with 136k miles on it, unknown if it had been changed before, the initial fluid looked reddish but was almost translucent, the last of the fluid was more of an amber and translucent enough to slightly see through. The fresh gear oil is very clear with a tint of amber.

 

With an oaky taste that lingers on the tongue and a hint of acidity that tickles the palate?

 

Lol...Not sure on that but I have found that used diff fluid is offensive to the nose. This wasn't as bad as the Mazda i did years ago but close. With a nose like that it wouldn't get to my tongue or palate...

 

Swill, obviously.

lol

 

 

Not urgently, but eventually.

I don't know if it was ever changed on my car as I bought it used, but at 136k miles it wasn't sludge despite perhaps having never been changed. I filled out the in-car service reminder to tell me to change it again in 70k miles (at ~200k miles basically). If you're able to do it yourself, it is pretty cheap and easy to do it sometime in the next 30k miles, but I wouldn't be in a hurry to immediately do it at 41k. If the fluid you take out still looks mostly amber and translucent I'd up your interval to more miles for the next change. But I'm pretty laid back when it comes to schedules, as my operating conditions are very light.

 

Hi everyone!

I recently changed the differential fluid for a 4runner and had to replace the crush washers on both the fill and drain plugs. Are there washers that need to be replaced in our differentials?

Side note - newly registered but have been lurking in the dark since I picked up my 07 swb. I've never really done any DIY before and am really enjoying the learning and sense of accomplishment. I'm currently in the process of doing my due diligence as a new owner of a pre-owned vehicle, and this forum has been absolutely invaluable. Big thank you to all of the OG contributors and shout out to the entire community!

 

Yes new washers( gaskets ) .

 

Please forgive me if this is a stupid question, I'm new here and have never had a Lexus.

I've seen several references to taking your car to a Toyota delaership for service. If a Toyota dealer does your service in a car with a Lexus warranty (CPO), does your warranty stay intact?

 

Thanks!

For those who are planning on doing this, part number for the gaskets is 12157-10010. Turns out they're the exact same as the ones I used for the 4runner, so get them from a Toyota dealership to save some money! I paid literally twice as much for the ones picked up at Lexus... bamboozled.

 

We're going to stray off topic, I can see it coming..... the short answer is yes. In fact a warranty can't dictate where you have service done by law. You can have it done anywhere you please, including DIY. However, any claim you put forth under these circumstances could be scrutinized and will come down to the service advisor/manager (or up to regional rep) to decide if the service work was done correctly or at all. The safe answer is to have it done at the dealer however this is also always the most expensive and the route the automakers like to keep you firmly planted on. Keep in mind Lexus doesn't even recommend you change diff or tranny fluid-it's not in the schedule. Any maintenance not done outside of the schedule wouldn't be cause for denial anyway (and if you did a DIY diff change that you suspect made your diff blow up probably best not to mention). Further, a warranty can't be outright voided in it's entirety-specific claims can be denied if they can attribute the cause of the problem to be an aftermarket mod or incomplete REQUIRED maintenance. They can't for example deny a window motor because you have an aftermarket exhaust or didn't change your oil. BUT advisors can be creative in connecting moddifications to a failure.

Back on topic, I replaced my diff fluid at 103k (when I bought car) with Redline 75w85. I've used Redline for everything for over a decade so it's my go to brand. My old fluid actually didn't look too dirty but the drain plug magnet had a ton of metal debris like the one pictured above.