LA4Mead

Please tell me if I am understanding the point of the post(s) correctly, since you have done much more research than I. The way I read them, I understood they all meet standard, therefore they are all the same, so base your purchase on cost... Is that right? What is the benefit of using a fluid other than the Toyota T-IV, unless going to synthetic? Is the benefit based on cost rather than performance?

Perhaps I have not found the right source. I've found the cost of T-IV fluid to be less expensive than other brands (not costlier), especially when I watch for a coupon to come my way from the Toyota dealer. Then the difference is significantly less to buy OEM fluid than other brands, especially when I am exchanging the fluid in the pan and the tranny (cooler lines), when I buy it buy the case.

After 15 years, I still intend to keep this car for a long time, however I have not yet made the move to sythetic... After Lexus replaced my early FWD with a new updated transmission I don't have burned or contaminated fluid issues, but the original transmission did from day 1. However, I am open to suggestions if sythetic has benefits! I'm listening to hear from those who are more knowledgable than I am.

Brcobrem

Thanks for that feedback hypervish. I can get the Castrol right around the corner at Wally World. If it's working for you, it's going to work for me too.

Brcobrem

Hi LA4Mead,

It's not so much the price, as the convenience. As I mentioned above, it's close to my location.

LA4Mead

Ah, noted that convenience is important, too! Thanks for your response. Have fun...

skysurfing

Last night I dropped pan and changed out filter on my AWD 2006 RX330 with 95k miles, I just bought and found a good bit of metal shavings in it. I'm attaching a photo of the largest piece which is scary. There were also a few much smaller pieces that weren't stuck to the magnets but were large enough to hear move around the pan as i cleaned it. Is this a really bad sign that my tranny is in trouble? I just bought this car but it has a few weird sounds that have me wondering if it's a lemon and if I should just sell it for a loss (had to pay tax since I'm in Florida) and move on. The tranny shifts really smooth but that seems like a big piece of metal.

Thanks for your help!

I'm not sure if the RX300 is the same as no one mentioned this in this DIY but the frame goes over 4 of the 18 bolts on the pan making access to them extremely difficult and getting them back in a nightmare. The instructions were great but had I known what a nightmare it would be, I would have happily paid a mechanic to do that. Just the drain and refill is a piece of cake though.

Also, I'm getting a clicking/gentle grinding sound when I back off the accelerator. I thought it was in the transmission just when the engine was braking which is why I did this tranny service but it didn't get better. Also during the test drive last night I noticed that the same sound happens even when it's in neutral. It seems to be coming from the front of the vehicle.

It speeds up or slows down as my speed changes. It does not happen at all when my foot is on the gas whether maintaining speed or accelerating but as soon as I back off the gas and start coasting, the sound starts all the way down to under 10 mph at which time it stops. It's kind of like the sound a bicycle would make when kids used to tape a card (from a deck of playing cards) so that it hit the spokes when they rode. It has gotten louder recently and I hate driving the car like this.

What could it be? A bearing? Differential? Brakes? I notice another sound that appears to be the brakes just starting to rub a bit but it's different from this ticking/gentle grinding sound. If it's brakes, bearing, etc, why would it only do it when I back off the throttle and not all the time?

I just bought this car and am wondering if it's a lemon after seeing that metal in the tranny pan plus the different noises the car is making. It's been a frustrating month with this RX.

skysurfing

Here is the photo of the metal shaving.

Thanks for your help!

code58

That's more than a shaving. If you had whiskers like that, when you were "shaving" you'd have to use an axe!

ididit

just followed the guide on the 1st page and got ATF and filter changed. really time consuming because I made 2 mistakes -- 1st time forgot o-ring, 2nd time forgot magnetic. what a pain to do a screw-and-unscrew job.

PROS: notice that acceleration is better than before.

CONS: but since today, when I just start the car, before temperature comes up, when I stop the car before stop sign or traffic light, the car begins to shake a lot. After drive for a while, temperature comes up, there will be no shake when I stop the car. ANY idea about what's going on?

BTW, no CEL light pop-up. I also check that ATF is not overfilled.

ZishanM

A lot of good information in this thread.

I am trying to decide if changing the fluid is the right solution to a problem I am experiencing and if its a wise idea to change the fluid, hoping it wont cause more problems than help.

Recently I started experiencing a problem where while I am driving down the highway at about 60mph, the car experiences almost a stutter. As if the car lost power for a split second, and then is fine and doesn't repeat.

- There is no CEL.
- Happens once intermittently on a 30 min trip, and not every trip, but I am noticing it more.
- No problems shifting between gears
- no issues where it seems like its neutral or anything of that sort.
- Haven't seen it happen in any other gear

My thoughts based on what I have read here and elsewhere is that the transmission fluid makes the link between the engine and transmission that brings power to the wheels. If the fliter is clogged, there is no fluid to the transmission and then their is no link. Which would explain that split of second of no power i feel. This ebing so common with our cars and the cost of transmission being so high, I am thinking i better not take a chance.

Do the people here think its safe to a drain and refill. A flush is out of the question because I am afraid it'll push contaminants into crevices of the transmission. Should I wait a little longer?

I am very familiar with cars, but having using this one as an appliance.

saifs83

hi i am new member i have Q no glow or some thing when put gasket .thanks please

shivanm27

i wanna know if the lexus rx300 transmission oil and the 4wd oil go in the same hole

Lexmex

No, but these two threads show what oil goes in what hole.

This is for the 4WD oil/gear oil, https://www.clublexus.com/forums/rx-...-case-diy.html

This is for the transmission oil, https://www.clublexus.com/forums/rx-...er-change.html

shivanm27

noo my main question is .... when u full the transmission oil in the oil hole rite dose that cater for the 4wd too ??

Lexmex

Oh, I know what you are saying...when you fill the transmission through the transmission dipstick hole, does the transmission fluid go into the side of the transmission where there is a second drain hole (toward the back of the tranny and I call that the front differential)...that answer is yes.

But there is another type of oil, non-transmission oil, 75W90, that goes for these parts that are separate from the transmission, https://www.clublexus.com/forums/rx-...-case-diy.html

k1ssm3

This really helped a lot Thank you for posting pictures and explaining very well.