To what extent is it possible and reasonable to replace the automatic transmiussion fluid? Also, is removing the pan and replacing the screen a reasonable activity on this vehicle? In other words, what activities would constitute comprehensive routine maintenance on the transmission?

We recently purchased a low mileage 2002 RX300. Considering everything I read about the potential for problems with the transmission, I want to be sure to do all preventive maintenance that is possible and reasonable to do.

 

If you do a key-word search of the archives, you'll find plenty of opinions and discussion on this subject. The majority opinion IMO seems to be to do a drain and refill, using Toyota transmission fluid, every 15K or 30K miles. This only changes a fraction of the total fluid, but is believed to be adequate. Some have suggested measuring the fluid that drains out, to help judge the amount to put back. Dropping the pan should not be necessary.

If the fluid color darkens, other measures may be called for.

 

You have a drain bolt on the tranmission pan. Normal maintainance is to drain and fill. {This process does not drain ALL the fluid}.

No one has shown substantive evidence that n% of RX have a transmission problem. Some have run into the tranmission problem, and I do feel for them, but for it to be a prevalent problem we need data.

Please keep up the maintainence and enjoy the RX.

Salim

 

I did 3 drain and fills over the course of about a month (you go through about 4.5 bottles of ATF each time) and even dropped the pan everything was A-OK.

I have done a flush before, too, but drain and fill is much easier on the wallet.