View Poll Results: Should I do a Transmission Drain & Fill or a Flush/Exchange?
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Transmission Drain & Fill or Flush
#1
Rookie
Thread Starter
Transmission Drain & Fill or Flush
Hi Club Lexus Experts,
I have just purchased a 2010 LS460, with kind of spotty service records. I have pulled up the records on the Lexus site and through carfax. No mention of brake services and minimal oil changes. It looks like the oil changes were done at a lube shop. At any rate the car has 95K miles and the exterior and interior condition are near flawless. I purchased it from a Mercedes dealer and they gave it the full safety inspect, changed the oil, and found a radiator leak and some bad hoses and replaced all. The car drives great. No brake shuttering or control arm issues. I just want to get all of the maintenance to where everything is near perfect. The transmission seems to be shifting perfect.
I think I want to go ahead and service the transmission due to age, 2010 and miles 95K. I have read many conflicting posts regarding doing the simple Drain and Fill or the full transmission flush/exchange. One of the local Lexus dealers is offering a special out the door for the exchange/flush for $285. I called another dealer closer to ask if they would match. They said that they do not recommend and do not do a flush, they just do the drain and fill which only drains about a third of the fluid. So, here I am stuck with the same question everyone seems to have. I will let the fate of the Poll Gods make my decision.
Drain & Fill = removing only about 1/3 of the transmission fluid, so 2/3 of the old stuff stays in there.
Exchange/flush = removes all of the transmission fluid, so all old fluid is replaced with new.
What do you recommend?
Thanks,
Rodney
I have just purchased a 2010 LS460, with kind of spotty service records. I have pulled up the records on the Lexus site and through carfax. No mention of brake services and minimal oil changes. It looks like the oil changes were done at a lube shop. At any rate the car has 95K miles and the exterior and interior condition are near flawless. I purchased it from a Mercedes dealer and they gave it the full safety inspect, changed the oil, and found a radiator leak and some bad hoses and replaced all. The car drives great. No brake shuttering or control arm issues. I just want to get all of the maintenance to where everything is near perfect. The transmission seems to be shifting perfect.
I think I want to go ahead and service the transmission due to age, 2010 and miles 95K. I have read many conflicting posts regarding doing the simple Drain and Fill or the full transmission flush/exchange. One of the local Lexus dealers is offering a special out the door for the exchange/flush for $285. I called another dealer closer to ask if they would match. They said that they do not recommend and do not do a flush, they just do the drain and fill which only drains about a third of the fluid. So, here I am stuck with the same question everyone seems to have. I will let the fate of the Poll Gods make my decision.
Drain & Fill = removing only about 1/3 of the transmission fluid, so 2/3 of the old stuff stays in there.
Exchange/flush = removes all of the transmission fluid, so all old fluid is replaced with new.
What do you recommend?
Thanks,
Rodney
Last edited by RNelson; 05-24-18 at 10:54 AM.
#2
Lexus Test Driver
Exchange. Do NOT let them reverse-flush/power flush the lines. Just swap all the oil out.
#5
Rookie
Thread Starter
Just to clarify when they say drain and fill, they can only remove about 1/3 of the fluid, they cannot remove all of the fluid without doing a flush/exchange. Are you saying you are okay with that?
#6
Drain and fill to level. Go thru all the gears and take a ride until tranny fluid is in operating temp; drive several miles.
Go back and repeat.
Go back and repeat a third time. The fluid should be redder with this 3rd drain.
You can then do a regular D&F every however many miles you choose.
Hope this helps,
MD
Go back and repeat.
Go back and repeat a third time. The fluid should be redder with this 3rd drain.
You can then do a regular D&F every however many miles you choose.
Hope this helps,
MD
#7
Lexus Test Driver
I need to take some pictures and get details of the device I made specifically for this. Cost was less than $40, and it can be used on any vehicle.
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sha4000 (05-27-18)
#10
Rookie
Thread Starter
Hi Kenny, this seems to make a lot of sense. I think maybe the problem might be with high pressure flushes or I believe some flushes are done with a cleaning agent that some say may dislodge deposits? Just not sure?
#11
As others have stated, simply drain and refill. I found out the hard way when the flush eroded a sensor seal and caused a leak. These trannies are very robust, simply exchange the fluid and call it a day..
#12
Rookie
Thread Starter
Another wrench in my decision making. I called up the Lexus dealer that suggested drain and fill only and talked to another service manager. He said based on miles and age, 2010/95K that he would not do a drain and fill, he does not recommend it. He said it is a sealed system and would not do anything until maybe 150K miles....
#13
Pole Position
Another wrench in my decision making. I called up the Lexus dealer that suggested drain and fill only and talked to another service manager. He said based on miles and age, 2010/95K that he would not do a drain and fill, he does not recommend it. He said it is a sealed system and would not do anything until maybe 150K miles....
But you literally could get ten different answers from ten different service managers/service writers. My brother in law is a service manager...he knows nothing about cars, but he can talk a mean game.
Drain and fill will be fine. Flush would be fine. Just as long as whoever is doing it knows what they're doing and is using factory fluid. Don't even waste your time talking with these service managers, next month they'll be working at some other dealer...bull crapping their way through another technical conversation.
#14
Lexus Fanatic
He said it is a sealed system and would not do anything until maybe 150K miles...
Last edited by roadfrog; 05-27-18 at 06:32 AM.
#15
Rookie
Thread Starter
He would be 100% wrong If he were at a Lexus dealer in Canada, or any other country on the planet and, he wouldn't be saying this. As I've stated before, other than in the US, Lexus REQUIRES you to replace the fluid every 50k miles or so. The only reason US dealers say otherwise, is due to marketing. Advertising lower maintenance costs in a huge US market is good for business. My owners manual/maintenance manual specifically requires periodic transmission fluid changes. I'm due for my second fluid change at 211k kms (130k miles or so). Lexus Canada only requires fluid drain/fill. To do so PROPERLY requires Techstream.
Thanks,
Rodney