saquino

2007 LS460 RWD with 103,000 miles...is it necessary to change tranny fluid?

johnnyg66

I would. As always stated do a drain and fill. Usually 3 qts or less.

tofu

Are you planning DIY or taking it to dealer?

texas008

i would.
i've done 3 times drain & fill. changed filter in the 1st time.

drain & fill without changing changing filter replaces ~ 2500 ml of fluid

roadfrog

If you lived in any country other than the U.S. you would be required to do the trans flush by now. Only the U.S. market claims "lifetime fluid". I'm in Canada 15 minutes from the US border, and my manual/service schedule REQUIRES a trans fluid change. both for warranty purposes and normal maintenance. It's a drain and fill and not technically a "flush".

While some members here have done this service as a DIY, I'm still not convinced that it's the proper way to do it, since Techstream is required (according to the Lexus service manual). The Techstream software opens certain valves and solenoids to allow the fluid to properly flow and fill within the transmission as well attain proper operating temperatures to bring the transmission to the proper fill level. That's imortant since there's no dipstick to check levels and easily add fluid. With all this in mind, I'm happy paying my Toyota dealer 149 dollars to do this service for me.....and I'm a die-hard DIY'er. Regardless of what you decide, WS (World Standard) fluid is the only fluid you should use in your transmission. Again, some will state that they use Amsoil or other equivalent/compatible fluid, but I wouldn't. I have 130k miles or so on my LS, and the transmission is still operating flawlessly.

Kbueno

Be very cautious...After my continued issues after flushing, I would've gone just drain and refill.

Vicqlo

So, I guess a flush should be out of the question for mine @ 25k. It is 6 years old now. I have always been a firm believer in preventative maintenance. What about coolant flush? Should I go by years,or mileage?

roadfrog

I'm confused....I thought you had 100k miles+ on your car? In your last post, you say 25K? If you have 100k miles, you should definitely change your coolant. The first change is due and then every 50k miles thereafter.

saquino

thinking about doing myself...dealership service sounds a bit pricey.

Wandl

Wouldn't hurt to call a few Toyota dealerships and get a quote. But this would be a cheap peace of mind service for your tranny, as roadfrog says it is a recommended maintenance in most other countries but weirdly not in US.

saquino

thanks to you all for your sage advice.

UDel

That sounds very odd why they would design a transmission where a Techstream is needed to open valves and solenoids to allow fluid to flow and fill for a change, what is the purpose of that, why would the transmission not just flow the fluid to all areas that need it on its own? Also very odd why they would take the dipstick away, this sounds like they don't want owners changing their fluid and want them to think/be required the dealership is the only way to go. A dipstick is nice but it is very difficult to get a good reading on many transmissions on many cars especially ones located further back as the metal has to bend down to much and far to get a reading/accurate like on my GS430. That is why I would just empty the fluid in a empty clear bottle/jug where it can either be marked what amount was emptied or matched with a identical bottle with the amount of fluid instead of relying on a dipstick. That is extremely odd why they would say the transmission fluid is a lifetime fluid just for US models, no transmission fluid is lifetime especially exposed to the kind of heat and abuse a transmission goes through. I remember our neighbors transmission went on their sealed lawn tractor transmission unit that supposedly was supposed to last a lifetime, the fluid when examined was clearly filthy and lost its ability to properly lubricate the transmission.

UDel

Never do a transmission flush, they cause way too many problems, just do drain and fill.

SW17LS

The problem is they're starting to compete with manufacturers that have less stringent requirements when it comes to maintenance intervals. Thats why they have "lifetime" fluids, and thats why they went to 10K OCIs. Had a long talk with my mechanic about it that was very interesting.

I've gone back to 5k OCIs afterwards.

MJG87

The transmission "FLUSH" can usually mean a few different thing.

Typically when people do a transmission fluid change, they drain the oil and refill it - Done.

Then you can do what is the more comprehensive and usually recommended fluid change - Drain the oil, fill it, drive around the block or put the car on jack stand's or a hoist, and cycle through the gears on the selector to move any fluids that stayed in the torque converter or in the various gears, valleys, pickups etc, drain and refill again. This ensure all or most of your old fluid is drained or diluted with the new fluid. This is likely the point of activating solenoids and valves with software as it helps move 'trapped' fluids that otherwise would miss being drained and replaced.

Then there is a fluid flush - This is typically where a workshop uses a machine to force your old fluid out by pushing new fluid through the transmission under pressure. Sometimes they will leave the car running and cycle your gears during the process to get all the 'trapped' fluid out. The danger here is that the pressure of the fluid can damage seals and internal components, and push oil into places where it isn't supposed to go. It can also dislodge particles and push them into or through seals damaging them, or causing blockages in your various channels and pickups which in extreme case can cause fluid pressure issues or complete blockages.

I won't ever have my transmission flushed by a machine, some people swear by it and a lot of shops do it, I typically opt for option two and just shorten my service intervals, though in general I shorten all my intervals and use premium fluids just to be safe. I have owned a lot of older high performance modified vehicles and its always better to be safe then sorry.