Just bought a used 04 RX330 w/ 99.8k miles. 1 Owner and clean title. Nav and air suspension. All original factor parts except for Pin and Rack which was replaced prior to my purchase. Should I drain and fill the transmission fluid, transfer case and rear differential? If so, how often after this first one.

I heard mix reviews about draining transmission fluid. My last 04 RX330 prior to accident was changed twice since I took ownership of it at 170k, drove it to 240k before it was totaled (not my fault). Drives great.

Let me know.

 

I try to change my drivetrain fluids every 25K and trans filter every 50K. Recently got a RX330 (70K miles) myself but come from a Toyota background. Flushed the original fluid out the day after purchase with Valvoline MaxLife Full Syn. Never believed in Toyota/Lexus "lifetime fluid" and my cars shift better after every drain&fill.

 

You can check to see if the fluids are dirty. change it if it is.

The transfer case bolt is a ***** btw. only a small 1/4" drive socket fits (for me).

If they change the trans and rear diff every 30k, it's probably dirty enough to change out, even if it's synthetic.

Worth a peek.

Don't forget to check the brake fluid and power steering fluid.

 

Has anyone ever pumped out there fluids from the dip stick? I have a cheap unit I used to use for my Mercedes.

 

Haven't used that method on my RX but have used it on a V6 Camry, works fine especially since the vacuum pump canister tells me exactly how much I took out to put back in. I personally find the drain plug to take more out, but even then it's still not 100% of the fluid so consistent changes with either method works fine.

 

My services formula for 2006 LEXUS RX330 AWD [Canada]
Transmission 50K km: Toyota T-IV
Transfer case and Rear differential 50K km: Castrol Hypoy C GL-5 80W90 Gear Oil
Transfer Case : 0.9L/1qt
Rear Differential : 0.9L/1qt

All drain and fill quite straight forward job, only transfer case you may need crowfoot wrench to open the drain plug

 

Thanks, this is a solid guide. My pro tip to this is to always loosen the fill plug before the drain plug. I once could not get the fill plug to open after draining all the differential fluid out......