View Poll Results: Should I do a Transmission Drain & Fill or a Flush/Exchange?
Voters: 33. You may not vote on this poll
Transmission Drain & Fill or Flush
Lexus Test Driver
Joined: Jul 2003
Posts: 1,002
Likes: 152
From: Texas
Define "flush".
I did a full exchange of fluid, took about 14-15 quarts, and I used the in-transmission pump to remove the old stuff. Never overfilled, never run dry, the transmission never sees anything different than sitting at idle, in 'P'.
MedicalDoc, I posted my build on the forum, but let me find a link...
I did a full exchange of fluid, took about 14-15 quarts, and I used the in-transmission pump to remove the old stuff. Never overfilled, never run dry, the transmission never sees anything different than sitting at idle, in 'P'.
MedicalDoc, I posted my build on the forum, but let me find a link...
Pole Position
Joined: Oct 2014
Posts: 2,561
Likes: 365
From: New Hampshire
I think you did the right thing with the drain and fills, I just can't get over the cost. Wow. I guess in the grand scheme of things $255 bucks is not a lot of money (unfortunately my wife probably spent that getting her hair done last week), but I can buy the fluid for like $8 dollars a quart. How do they figure the labor for this job?? I see $50 bucks worth of fluid (because they only used 6 quarts) and it should have taken the guy an hour, tops, to do this job. That's IF he actually drained and filled it twice.
And I agree with what someone else said, that fluid should have locked almost black if it hadn't never been changed before. WS Toyota fluid turns dark very quickly, it doesn't necessarily mean it's gone bad, it's just that the dye doesn't hold up to heat. So it's a good thing...looks like someone had already changed the fluid in your car, that tells me it's been well cared for. That Aisin transmission should last you a very very long time. They're some of the most reliable units in the industry.
And I agree with what someone else said, that fluid should have locked almost black if it hadn't never been changed before. WS Toyota fluid turns dark very quickly, it doesn't necessarily mean it's gone bad, it's just that the dye doesn't hold up to heat. So it's a good thing...looks like someone had already changed the fluid in your car, that tells me it's been well cared for. That Aisin transmission should last you a very very long time. They're some of the most reliable units in the industry.
Racer
Joined: Feb 2017
Posts: 1,345
Likes: 215
From: North Carolina
Define "flush".
I did a full exchange of fluid, took about 14-15 quarts, and I used the in-transmission pump to remove the old stuff. Never overfilled, never run dry, the transmission never sees anything different than sitting at idle, in 'P'.
MedicalDoc, I posted my build on the forum, but let me find a link...
I did a full exchange of fluid, took about 14-15 quarts, and I used the in-transmission pump to remove the old stuff. Never overfilled, never run dry, the transmission never sees anything different than sitting at idle, in 'P'.
MedicalDoc, I posted my build on the forum, but let me find a link...
Lexus Test Driver
Joined: Jul 2003
Posts: 1,002
Likes: 152
From: Texas
I may still have the write-up and details in a Word doc I can copy over.
Found it!
I hate it when I hide stuff from myself.
https://www.clublexus.com/forums/ls-...exchanger.html
Last edited by mckellyb; Jul 11, 2018 at 04:45 PM.
Lexus Test Driver
Joined: Jul 2003
Posts: 1,002
Likes: 152
From: Texas
Badly broken bones heal, but they never stop hurting.
Driver School Candidate
Joined: Nov 2019
Posts: 18
Likes: 3
From: TX
Here in Houston a Fluid exchange for a 2011 IS250 is 199.99 @ Don McGill Toyota. https://www.donmcgilltoyota.com/?utm...m_campaign=gmb Got mine done Yesterday.
Most people do a drain and fill. I've talked to a few dealers (Lexus and Toyota) and they call it a fluid change, but when I inquired further by asking to speak to a service manager or mechanic, it turns out to be a drain and fill. That's about 2-3 its drained and replaced with fresh. Same story with coolant change. This has been discussed extensively here at CL and it's what most people elect to do. If you do it three times with some miles in between you'll have diluted the old fluid enough to give longer life to trans. Suggest reading about Techstream instructions regarding this to make your own decision.
Pole Position
Joined: Aug 2020
Posts: 2,859
Likes: 1,004
From: NH
I have done drain and refill first + strainer replacement at 150k miles, then after 5k miles, I replaced the entire fluid. The drain and refill helped but I still had rough shifting to 2nd and 3rd gears. After the fluid flush, it is no longer a problem even when the transmission fluid is still cold. I am planning to do drain and refill every year to prolong the life of the transmission.
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Kbueno
LS - 4th Gen (2007-2017)
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May 26, 2017 03:40 PM