BlueCrabby

how often do you change the engine oil and ATF fluid
if the RX300 is only driven 5 miles daily? (yes, it's
only used as a grocery-getter)

I still changed this engine oil(Mobil 1) every 3000 to 4500
miles. The ATF(Toyota Type4) was just changed 12 months
ago.

Thanks!

Lexmex

I'd still change the engine oil out once a year. Witht the ATF Type IV, I wouldn't go over 15K miles wihtout a change

hypervish

As long as you stick with Mobil 1 or any other full synthetic, you'll be fine changing the oil every year.

thomas1

Make sure it is a full synthetic oil, Because our engines are prone to sludge, particularily yours for such a short distance. My neighbor's highlander had similar mileage and sludged up at 50k miles...The engine just never gets hot enough to burn off moisture...he was using regular dino oil...Now he uses full synthetic after having rebuilt the engine...

trhs75

I've got to ask.... How many miles do you have on your RX? It's going to last you forever!

jbl-1985

I am going to buck the trend, if there is a trend at all.

I bought my mom and dad's '99 RX and at the time of purchase back in January of this year, it had about 47k miles on it. Granted, not a lot of use over 11 years.

However - note this: The car was driven mostly by my late mother god rest her soul, on trips that were almost ALWAYS less than 5 miles. Now this car burns NO oil whatsoever, the transmission fluid was changed for the first time ever a year ago, and it was not cherry red but not in terribly bad shape otherwise. I changed it anyway. Dino oil is the only oil that has ever been used and has been changed every 3-5k miles.

*Maybe* my '99 is one of the good ones. I've wondered about this for a long time...how widespread is the sludge problem? The transmission problem? Don't know...if you guys go over to the Edmunds forum, there is negativity over there that could curl your craw...

My .02. FWIW.

Happy Friday,
JBL

trhs75

My daughter's '99, bought used with 115K miles, now has about 135K. No sludge problem or transmission problems so far.... It doesn't use a speck of oil. I started it on Mobil 1 when I got it. You're lucky to get a low-mileage vehicle like that with a known history!

chrisotrol

My rx300 is having the neutralizing problem that I read about here. There has been a small leak coming from car for quite a while and I wonder if the ATF fluid is low. Do I just check the dip stick for operating range and then add any ATF through the dip stick hole until it is the range? Should I add some of that transmatic to thin it out a bit? should I have the fluid and filter screen changed? How often are we supposed to change that fluid?

hypervish

Welcome to Club Lexus!

Check ATF level with the engine running and in park. If you are checking after a cold start then look at the "cold" range on the dipstick, not the "hot" range.

If you need to add ATF, you add it through the dipstick hole.

DO NOT add any additives.

The fluid should be changed every 15k miles.

If you are experiencing problems with the transmission, then you might as well do a pan drop and filter change. But, it may be too late. It sounds like the transmission has not been maintained.