I would like to change the differential fluid in my 98 ES300 with 80k miles. I changed the tranny fluid recently with Toyota Type VI. Where is the differential drain/fill plug(s) ? What type of drain/fill plug ? How many quarts of gear oil do I need ?

Thanks,

Ching-Ho Cheng

 

Hi. I also have a 98 ES. Well here is the deal. The drain plug is about 1 t o1.5 feet toward the rear of the car (from the tranny pan). It is about below the gas pedal (under car). The drain plug is pointing back. It is an internal allen wrench. I think it is like 10 mm.

It is a pain to get in there. I had to buy a 1/2 inch socket with a 10mm allen in it. I also do not think it was ever drained on mine because I needed a 3 foot breaker bar to remove it! Filling is through the tranny dip-stick tube. I used about 3.9 QT total with tranny and diff.

The problem here is that I did both at the same time. The diff I would say only holds about 0.5 qt. When you drain it, it will stop daining when diff is empty. The kicker is that the tranny is connected to the diff; hence, it fills when the tranny fills.

Next time I would do both at the same time. Not a big deal.

 

Haven't worked on a 98 ES, but a 93 ES and most transverse mount front drive japanese cars use ATF from the tranny for the diff. Just change your ATF regularly.

 

Thanks for the post. I will do both at the same time.

Ching-Ho Cheng

 

One more question, I am going to help my friend to replace his 2000 ES300's tranny/diferential fluid. Is 2000 the same setup as 98 ?

Thanks,

Ching-Ho Cheng

 

Mike,

I was wondering if you can use a suck up pump to drain the tranny and the differential through the dipstick hole? If so, will this drain most of the oil.

Thanks

 

I tried suck up on a 96 Honda Accord to do the tranny fluid change. It sucked up most of the tranny fluid out but one side effect (may not related to the suck up mehtod) was that after the fluid change, his tranny did some hard shift several times and then back to normal. We changed the tranny fluid again 2 weeks later but using the drain plug. No more hard shift felt.

Ching-Ho Cheng

 

JamesAMG; You could suck the oil through but it is just as easy to drain tranny and diff.No special pump needed!

 

It's the same set up, but the 2000 ES(with VVT-i engine) used Type-T-IV transmission fluid and the 98 used Dextron. If you drain the trans+diff you will need 4 qts of Type-T and fill it from the transmission dip stick tube.

 

Thank you for the recommendation of tranny fluid. I used Toyota Type T-IV in my 98 ES300 in my last tranny fluid change. I will use Type T-IV in my friend's 2000 ES300.

Ching-Ho Cheng

 

mburnickas,

great advice. I am going to do this as well but use a synthetic Dextron II or III.

1. so drain tranny and put plug back in

2. then drain differential ( leave plug out)

3. fill until fluid starts to come out of differential fluid drain hole?

Should the car be level when doing this? (as opposed to having the front on jack stands or ramps?)

 

Scratch the leave plug out and wait till it drips out part (I meant if there is a fill hole, but doesn't sound like there is a fill hole in the 98). If I followed my own instructions, It would never get filled.