Hello, recently I had an episode with the transmission on my beloved RX300. This is a 1999 and has been well maintained over its lifetime. I am the second owner and the car has near 195K miles. About a month ago I noticed that the RX had become somewhat sluggish. Later, I would periodically notice an oil burning smell. I dismissed this because the engine oil had been recently changed and I thought some may have been spilled by the mechanic.

Last week I took a trip out of town, when I came to a stop, BAM! The car acted like it was in neutral. I thought, 'oh man, this isn't good!' I restarted the car and it moved, 'ok...that's strange'. After the car sat for a few hours, while I ran some errands, it later started fine, but made an oddly loud whining noise. The transmission shifted normally for about two miles and then it acted like it was in neutral; check engine light on. At this point I considered it reasonable to let AAA foot the bill for the long tow home.

Using my own diagnostic computer many codes came up, among them two shift solenoids, D and E. I ramped the car, drained the ATF (every car should have a plug for ATF) and removed the pan. The filter was removed and I pulled the two solenoids in question. They checked fine, per the manufacturer's repair manual. Hooked some juice up to them and they clicked and opened. Ok, so the solenoids are fine. Upon examining the ATF filter I discovered that it had a lot of metal in it, a lot. I decided to run some water through the top to see if it may be clogged...bingo. Barely a drop would come out of the bottom of the filter.

I bought a new filter, ATF, and put everything back together. On startup it ran very smooth, no noises. Drove it down the road...smooth shifting.

I wanted to share my experience, because I read so many places where dealerships were telling other RX drivers that they needed a new transmission. I have had many Toyota vehicles and never any problems with the transmission, really no problems at all save the usual repairs for maintenance. The Lexus dealer told me that all they do is drain and fill on the cars and that the filter or strainer will not need replaced. Poppycock. I feel that changing the filter is a good thing to do, especially if you are having the same problems with your car as I did. I don't want to say that the manufacturer is dishonest when they easily say, "yeah, you need to replace your transmission", but I find it hard to believe that these cars have problems. Just my opinion and maybe my experiences will help some other do-it-yourselfer.

B.

 

Having so much metal that your transmission filter clogs up is NOT a good sign.
I think just changing your trans fluid & filter isn't going to stop the problem.
How much metal was on the magnets? You should have seen 3 round magnets. They are there to pick up any small pieces of metal so your filter doesn't get clogged up.
I've seen the magnets anywhere from being at the bottom of the pan to being on the filter itself.

 

The filter wasn't full, but there was enough fines to cover the screen and block its actions. I don't consider it enough to be a sign of damage. The magnets had a small amount of dust on them, they are in the pan below the filter. Had the filter looked like a used ashtray, I would be concerned. I'm chalking it up to typical wear and tear. Same filter and magnets since day one.

 

Welcome to Club Lexus!

You have to remember that the metal that was in your filter came from the transmission. And, it is not normal or operating as designed when your filter is clogged with metal.

You've bought yourself some time/miles, but the inevitable will happen...when it will happen, is anyone's guess!

 

you simply bought some time brian, thats all. trans is shot guaranteed.

 

If i were you Brian; I would look for a rebuilt transmission which is probably gonna be the least expensive way to go at this point as a brand new one will cost you through the nose! I would start by calling around to some local transmission shops to see how much they want for new and rebuilt trans.

 

I think everyone is overreacting. Some metal shavings are normal and that's why the magnets are there. In your case, it looks like the transmission has been poorly maintained so if it were me, I would do a couple more fluid changes within the next few thousand miles to drain as much of the old fluid out. You may even want to consider doing a forward flush (not a machine flush) by removing the transmission cooler lines, etc. There's a nice write up here somewhere. I would not worry too much....

 

I agree that "some" metal shavings are normal, as in very few shavings. However, what's concerning is that the filter is completely clogged according to the OP. And, that is not normal.

 

I agree a clogged filter is not normal but it doesn't mean the transmission is going to stop working right away and should be replaced, as some were suggesting. The good news is the filter did its job and trapped the debris.... the bad news is there's probably more stuff still floating around in the fluid thus the need for the forward non-machine flush. A follow up (second) filter replacement may not be a bad idea.

 

Well; like one of the others pointed to; having a clogged trans filter definitely is not good and with that it should be looked into as to why its clogged. And while some shavings may be considered normal; having a clog definitely is not a good thing and probably needs to be investigated.

 

How many miles since last trans filter changed prior to this one?