Chefao

I called up my local Dealer today to price a tranny flush and was told that they don't do that service and don't recommend it for any Lexus. I then asked about a pan drop just out of curiosity and was told that they only drain from the plug as the filter never needs service. So how much to just drain from the plug was my question. Answer---$200 dollars. I said that draining from the plug would only change a few quarts of fluid and said that he was aware. I guess the cost of occupying a bay is pretty expensive.

I bought some quarts of ATF from my local yota dealer for $5 a quart. Pretty sure I can handle a pan drop on my own. Just confirmed what I already knew---stay away from the dealer.

brucelee1

iTrader: (2)

I tend to agree with the dealer.

And, $200 is way too much for a drain and fill.

turbodremz

iTrader: (18)

An auto trans filter never needs service?! What a bunch of idiots. Sorry but that person/dealership sounds like its full of morons. I dont care what year/make/model car you have, if you have an auto trans, it MUST be serviced. Glad your not buying their BS.

This is why I do ALL my own service on my SC except alignments, and with that I only go to an alignment shop that has excellent reviews from other local car enthusiasts.

Chefao

Do you have access to a lift or do you use jack stands when you drop the pan?

turbodremz

iTrader: (18)

I used ramps under all 4 wheels when I had my auto trans. Now I dont have to worry about it (see my sig)

brucelee1

iTrader: (2)

Drain and fill is a SERVICE.

chiken

realistically you should never have to replace the filter. They are meant to last the life of the transmission, they are very corse screen filters so if you have anything large enough to plug those then you either will need a rebuild or you have foreign material in there. I've worked for dealers for over 10 years and will tell you that american manufactures are some of the few that will recommend a filter change. As for the Japanese manufactures, a drain and fill is the only recomendation from the manufacture. The only time I had to pull pans was if there was work to be done on the valve body for some reason. The only time I saw any problems with a filter was when it was man made like someone doing their own pan drop and using too much silicone so chunks fall in the pan and get sucked up into the filter thus plugging it. Other than that I have never had to replace one for general maintenance and wouldn't personally do it.

If your transmission is shifting fine, then I would say just do a drain and fill, if you feel that you need to replace most or all of the fluid there are a few ways you can do that. Either drain and fill your tranny every time you do your oil changes about 2 quarts worth, and it will keep your fluid pretty fresh(this is what I do.) There was a write up I saw of someone pulling one of the cooler hoses off and running it to purge then filling then repeating, I wouldn't recommend tihs because it can be very messy and just a pain. The best way to do a full flush on the transmission to replace all of the fluid is to go to a shop that has BG equipment. Unless things have recently changed, the BG transmission flush machines are the only ones that I know of that uses the transmissions own pump to change the fluid out so you are not forcing fluid in. This changes out all of the fluid and is the only "Power Flush" I would consider on a person vehicle of my own.

brucelee1

iTrader: (2)

Bingo, very good advice.

turbodremz

iTrader: (18)

^^ If all that is true, then its contradicting to what the vehicle owners manual says. I know the manual for my 92 SC300 clearly states to replace transmission FILTER and fluid at 90K miles.

Not to mention, have you ever driven an automatic that has never had the trans filter replaced that had more than 100K miles? If the car was actually driven, and not grandmotherd around all the time, the filters have to be replaced. But if you guys think its cool not to service them, fine by me, not here to argue..But enjoy the shorter life of your transmission.

Chefao

I was just looking at my service history at mylexus.com and thre are 2 events labeled "transmission flush". Interesting...could mean drain and fill...

turbodremz

iTrader: (18)

Car manufacturers install a transmission filter for a reason—to trap any particulate matter and prevent it from clogging transmission valves. Most shops that offer a transmission fluid flush service do not change the filter. Here’s what the Filter Manufacturers Council has to say about that practice:
“There have been an increasing number of instances surfacing recently regarding transmission failures shortly after an evacuation service, without filter removal. At the time of a fluid evacuation service, there is no way to know the condition of the filter and how clogged it may be. The filters job is to collect and hold contaminants, (dirt, metal filings, friction particles, etc.), and prevent these particles from causing malfunction in such components as electronic force motors and solenoids.
Today’s transmissions are far more susceptible to malfunctions caused by fine dirt contamination. Without servicing the filter, there is no way to know if the filter is clean of debris or nearing capacity. If the filter is nearing capacity, transmission failure may not be far off. This is also a sign that there may be other internal problems in the transmission. Recognizing these warning signs could eliminate major service later.
Most of the transmission failures after an evacuation service have occurred primarily on relatively high mileage transmissions that have not been serviced in some time. One reason for this is that the sludge and dirt buildup within the transmission will not completely be removed during the service. When the new fluid (which has detergent properties) is placed in the transmission, over days and weeks, the internal components begin to wash the insides of the transmission.
This sludge does finally work loose and settles in the transmission filter, clogging it up even further than it may have been before service. In these extreme cases, where service has not been performed in some time, changing the filter may not completely fix the problem. Some mechanics recommend a second service a few weeks after the first, replacing the filter again, which may be partially clogged due to the cleaning process in the transmission.
Even if the fluid evacuation method is desired to remove the used transmission fluid, the pan should be removed also, and an inspection should be made of the pan contents, fluid, and filter to determine the condition of the transmission. Aluminum filings in the pan or iron filings on the pan magnet are signs of internal wear and may give light to potential problems in the transmission.
Transmission service is performed for preventative maintenance. Evaluating the overall condition of the transmission by removing the pan should be part of this preventative maintenance also.”

Source: Filter Manufacturers Council
Technical Service Bulletin 98-2
June 1998


/thread.

chiken

If the manufacture recommends it like you said in the owners manual then yes its fine to do it but like i said before, unless you are having transmission problems i would not touch it. Especially if you are not used to making these types of repairs you are more likely to create problems that you did not have before. Like the service statement you posted above said, these filter problems were usually cause by lack of maintenance then flushing the system causing the clog, again, man made problem.

Yes i have driven cars with well over 100 k on them with "spirited" driving including a few 400+hp MKIV supras and maintained them just as i stated above, although if you frequently drive hard a good trans cooler goes a long way.

chiken

It may have been flushed. Not all dealers follow toyota/lexus recommended maintenance. Techs and dealers make good money on flushed so they sell them. If they are done frequently enough starting at low mileages then they should not cause problems, its only when the transmission has not been serviced frequently then flushed does it usually cause problems. Its usually the cleaning solvent that breaks everything loose before the flush that causes it. If you were to just flush with new fluid and no solvent you would probably be safe but its still a chance.