When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
the local dealer said no, they suck anyways; i went to lexus of chester spring and the head tech told me its not a bad idea. I changed mine at 105k i am at 120k and no issues, its a 2011 awd...and it runs smoother but i also had the diff oil changed as well. it wasn't cheap i think it was about 780$ or so for the trans and about 350 for the diff change.
you need to get it done from a good lexus dealer; i wont even go to a toyota for it.
Lexus manufactures very high quality transmissions. I have a 2002 GS300 with 300k miles and original tranny fluid. It is just starting to shift “harder” than normal. I expect my 16 year old to get another 50k on it before I sell it for parts. The interior is still mint.
Lexus manufactures very high quality transmissions.
Well Lexus doesn't make the transmission, Aisin does. But I agree they're very good quality. Powertrain failures for ANY manufacturer are getting sparse these days as vehicles get more reliable. I think we can all agree that any drive component without a fluid change will eventually fail, it's just at what point, 200k, 400k, 800k? Lexus specs their components to far exceed the miles most owners will ever see. Metal on metal contact accompanied by heat leads to wear and used oil gets less effective as more time passes-all of this is science. There's no question changing your transmission fluid will extend the life of the component. Will it fail during your ownership? LS460 history tells us likely not. How long will the original transmission go before it breaks on original fluid; 300k, 500k?
Most manufacturers got rid of transmission fluid changes because they got into a battle of ownership costs. German makes had a reputation for being excessive cost wise on preventative maintenance, then other manufacturers starting pointing to this in their own marketing. Most manufacturers know the major components will likely last 200k or beyond, so asking original owners/leasees to pay up for preventative maintenance for the fourth owner who's now running the car at 225k doesn't make a good business case. When a transmission fails at 235k no one notices.
Well Lexus doesn't make the transmission, Aisin does. But I agree they're very good quality. Powertrain failures for ANY manufacturer are getting sparse these days as vehicles get more reliable. I think we can all agree that any drive component without a fluid change will eventually fail, it's just at what point, 200k, 400k, 800k? Lexus specs their components to far exceed the miles most owners will ever see. Metal on meal contact accompanied by heat leads to wear and used oil gets less effective as more time passes-all of this is science. There's no question changing your transmission fluid will extend the life of the component. Will it fail during your ownership? LS460 history tells us likely not. How long will the original transmission go before it breaks on original fluid; 300k, 500k?
Most manufacturers got rid of transmission fluid changes because they got into a battle of ownership costs. German makes had a reputation for being excessive cost wise on preventative maintenance, then other manufacturers starting pointing to this in their own marketing. Most manufacturers know the major components will likely last 200k or beyond, so asking original owners/leasees to pay up for preventative maintenance for the fourth owner who's now running the car at 225k doesn't make a good business case. When a transmission fails at 235k no one notices.
Unfortunately transmission failure is still very much a "thing" in the industry. Aisin does make a very good transmission it seems, especially their 8spd transmission in the Lexus LS460, you almost never hear of failures and you can actually buy used units for around $1,200 with pretty low miles on them. Supply and demand...there is no demand (because they don't fail, therefore the supply drops in price).
However keep in mind that although Aisin and other manufacturers of transmissions are very capable of making excellent units, the companies they sell them to are not always interested in that quality or specs due to a price point they don't/won't exceed. With Lexus - because they are a high end company with Toyota - they will not skimp as much, but GM and Chrysler will. Nissan has. Even Honda did. I was in a class two years ago, a very large automotive parts manufacturer had a representative speak to us...they made everything from transmissions to windmill power generators. He talked about a transmission they sold to two manufacturers, Chrysler being one. Chrysler had them "change a few things", and they did. The other manufacturer didn't. The Chrysler unit failed at a high rate - now I can't remember the figures - he did tell us, and it was high. The whole class laughed because we all knew it was something Chrysler would do.
Right now GM is having difficulties with their best selling truck transmissions. There's a service bullitan on the torque converter clutch, it involves flushing the fluid first, replacing the transmission second. It's pretty common. The torque converter can't handle the heat, it's an issue. Nissan is known for failures on their CVT units in their SUV's. In fact if you're in the market for a low mileage Nissan SUV, make sure the transmission has been replaced under their extended factory warranty.
But I do believe maintenance helps - I once owned a Honda Accord and they were VERY prone to failure. Honda had second gear failures on their transmissions in the Accord, Ridgline and Pilot. My Accord made it to 280,000 without transmission failure before I sold it. But I drained and replaced the fluid every 20,000 miles in that car, which seems extreme but in that car it wasn't. I think it helped a lot that most of mikes were highway and my Accord was the 4 cylinder model, so the torque placed on the transmission wasn't as high (the V6's had even more failures). Did my maintenance help though? I think it did, because despite the highway miles the car was driven pretty hard on occasion...driving through 15 winters in New England is pretty tough on a front wheel drive car. Lol.
I had a 2010 LS460, bought at 80k miles and I'm pretty sure the transmission fluid was original. Around the 130k mark, there was a bad shudder around 35-40 mph as it was trying to shift gears. I also realized the tranny was hunting more to find the right gear or it wouldn't shift out as smooth. Ended up getting the transmission drained and filled twice and all that went away. Maybe it was coincidence, maybe not. To me, it's worth changing out the tranny fluid. I don't believe in "lifetime" fluid - heat will break anything down, tranny fluid included. Got my indy guy to do a drain and fill on tranny and change out the rear diff fluid for 350.
I also perform the drain & fill on my LS460 every other oil change.
Does the AT on the LS 460 have the separate overflow drain bolt like the GX and LX on the AT oil pan? Or is it the integrated straw type within the drain bolt? I plan to do this on my GX 460
If separate overfill bolt, when adjusting for fluid level at factory recommended temp what do you go by for full? I see some show just a few drops coming out of overflow while others a slower drain or trickle but still a solid stream and then some which are obviously overfilled.
So for me, I used Techstream to monitor the temperature on my 2007 LS460 with an overflow plug. With the car running, on jacks, level (I checked at the pan with a sight bubble, but I don't know if that is the best way), and the temperature below say 85 degrees, remove the overflow plug and any fluid coming out is over filled and you should let it run out until it stops. As the transmission approaches 95 degrees, then the fluid will begin to expand and should continue rising to the 95 degree minimum temp level that it will cause it to begin the "trickle" out of the overflow hole, at which point the overflow plug should be replaced. You're at the right level.
Just last week I had my indy mechanic change the differential oil, he charged me $85 including the fluid - 07 460
I also had him do a drain and fill on the transmission, 3 1/2 quarts came out and new Toyota fluid went back in, he charged me another $75 as I supplied the fluid I got through Amazon
Just last week I had my indy mechanic change the differential oil, he charged me $85 including the fluid - 07 460
I also had him do a drain and fill on the transmission, 3 1/2 quarts came out and new Toyota fluid went back in, he charged me another $75 as I supplied the fluid I got through Amazon
You need to tip him good and keep his number handy. Good Job finding him.
Hah, that would be me. 227k now. Time for another oil change this weekend. You can send me a check--she actually had trans fluid exchange at Toyota dealership at about 215k. Don't believe it had been done before. Shifting great but was not bad before. I would've done drain and fill but wanted more bang for my buck and have an extended warranty on my transmission. And the oem brake rotors were rears!
good to know there’s hope for me, what’s the diff between what you had done and a drain and fill?
09-27-18, 11:14 PM
