Did you experience any CEL with it? I saw a number of Youtubers about that issue? It's all over the internet also.

https://www.reddit.com/r/Challenger/...commander_cel/

I don't need this tool but curious about it.

 

Normally if the CEL light comes on it's an emission problem nothing to do with the transmission so it could be a coincidence.

 

I've never seen a CEL on my 2018, while it is running.

 

Thanks for the info.

 

So, I have been driving the 2017 RX (base model) for a month now. Compared with my 2013 model, I found the acceleration of my 2017 model is not as smooth. It is especially true when starting moving from still. I can feel the transmission shift. Not too harsh but can be felt. Also, in the high way, if I push gas hard at 50 mph, it hesitates a bit before speeding up (transmission downshift?)..

By the way, I am drive in normal mode. Do you guys have the same feel about the transmission shifting?

Thanks.

 

We have a 17 and no real issues with the trans. Unlike my 2019 ES which has an annoying jerky trans at times.

 

Give Sport mode a try. It's all I ever used. You just have to select it each time you start it.

 

Sports mode feels better. But needing to select it every time is annoying.

My 20-year old Camry seems to have smoother shift. But I think it only has 4 speed AT. It may shift at higher speed which makes it less obvious. It is possible that shifting in low speed (like from still) makes it easier to feel. I think the RX shift from gear 1 to 2 and to 3 at quite low speed.

 

Smoother shifts are NOT good for the transmission as that means there is a longer overlap which causes clutch wear. The best shifting for a tranny long life is one that you can feel, but that's not acceptable to the buyers so they try to compromise by giving an overlap that fits both purposes and it does to a certain extent, that's why it's important to change the ATF if one wants to keep it healthy for a long time.

 

Has the car had TSB: L-SB-0032-19 completed on your car do you know. Your Lexus dealer can do it for, changes the software mapping for the transmission to hold the gears a little longer and is more like Sports Mode when in Normal Mode. Worth a try.

 

Have you ever changed a modern Toyota transmission fluid? I sure haven’t! There is no dipstick, as the transmission is sealed.

 

There's a thread in the forum on RX trans fluid drain and fill.

https://www.clublexus.com/forums/rx-...ferential.html

 

I have never kept a Toyota past 100,000 miles, so the transmission was never changed & it wasn’t required. Perhaps that’s something that isn’t a bad idea to have done on these problem transmissions. I would also recommend sending a fluid sample off to an oil analysis lab like Blackstone, so they examine it for various metal particles & provide you with a full readout. A fluid sample can pinpoint various components that are experiencing extreme wear. It will not however indicate a problem with the passage of fluids needed to operate specific components, such as a passageway that wasn’t drilled or molded correctly or has become clogged. If something does clog, there would probably be remnants of that material still in the fluid. It’s not 100% accurate, but it’s an extremely useful tool, especially if needed for court cases, like lemon law claims.

 

Yeah I hear many folks who drive vehicles 200K and more miles and never touch the trans fluid. In fact, I have a co-worker who now has 300K on a Hyundai Elantra - original trans fluid. I'm personally on the fence with the RX fluid change as I normally don't keep cars much past 100K miles but that one we may.

 

I bought a 2017 RX 350 on March 12, 2021 with 49,000 miles on it. I began to experience the shifting problems/hesitation about 2 weeks into it. I took it to Lexus of Akron/Canton (OH) and they installed the TSB0032-19 and it seems to be about the same. It is intermittent based upon driving conditions and throttle usage. I ran the AC today for one of the first times, went to climb a small incline and felt NO POWER probably around the 4th gear!!!! I was also getting a "droning" noise and they applied TSB0003-16 to help "reduce" (not eliminate) the noise. It now seems to occur for a longer period of time while bringing the vehicle up to speed!!!!!!!!

Tell me this is not as good as it gets!!!!!!!!!!!!!