Bsavage

If my car is at 210k miles is it a bad Idea to replace the transmission fluids, why I’m asking is wouldn’t the new oil without any clutch material/particles in it could cause clutch slippage leading to over heating and cause the sludge to dissolve into flakes/globs maybe clog something up? Has anyone in the high mileage club changed their trans fluid and noticed their clutch slipping ?200k and up

YODAONE

Old transmission fluid is tired, if not by use, then age.
There appears some consensus that machine flushing is problematic, but that draining and refilling a few quarts at a time is acceptable.

While performing engine oil changes with oil extractor on my 1999 LS400, I also extract transmission pan oil and refill.

If a 2004-2006 then this more difficult and requires special service tools to do yourself. (No transmission dipstick/fill tube)

Other forum members suggest disconnecting the transmission cooling tubes at radiator with extension hose to return line in a bucket of fresh fluid and empty bucket for inlet line at radiator cooler. Necessary to run engine. A two person job.

RA40

iTrader: (6)

What year? When the transmission has been neglected for a long duration you'll be looking for trans work or a new car. Changing fluid (not by power flushing) is a low cost gradual way of this gamble to see if you get lucky. Discussions on both Type IV and WS filled transmissions to decide what options to choose.

https://www.clublexus.com/forums/ls-...er-thread.html

Bsavage

04 I’m the fourth owner currently their is no slippage but I’m also confident that it’s never been changed yet

Bocatrip

Unless this car currently has trans issues I’d strongly advise against it. The varnish buildup might be the only thing holding your clutches together.

potaijee

Follow up question to that: Approximately what is the upper limit of when you should just not do a fluid drain anymore?

RA40

iTrader: (6)

All up to the owner. If the fluid is black and there are symptoms, be ready to make that decision on tranny work or car shopping. The gamble is if the transmission responds to $45 in fluid, you've got lucky. If not, this was minimal bet to see. The longer it goes the worse it is go to be since the additive package is being depleted. If caught early it is recoverable. As mentioned $45 if you DIY is minimal to find out.

Type IV transmissions being failing from 150K+ depending on their driving conditions. This is what the MasterTech relayed to me when one of my other Toyota's was having tranny service. Some of these neglected transmission have responded well to the fluid changes while others not so. All case-by-case basis to there is minimal consensus. That is why we still hear the leave it thoughts. Owners that neglect the transmission also tend to do so with the power steering, differential and brake fluids. The transmission is EOL in these scenarios and that's sad to see some otherwise nice samples go to the junk yard to be stripped for parts.

Bsavage

Can I remove the over fill plug to check what color it is ? If it black Im going to leave it be, if there’s a reddish tint to it I’ll change it.I dont have any trans issues that I can feel so hopefully I’m in the safe zone

Bsavage

Anyone correct me if I’m wrong if you notice your gears slipping than that’s when you really shouldn’t change the fluid because all that clutch particles in the oil will be gone and the problem could get worse so the best time to change the trans fluid would be before you start to feeling it slip

bradland

Yes but you'll need to do it when the car is warm to guarantee something will come out. Considering the mileage, and the fact that it's NOT doing anything abnormal yet, I would do a few drain and fills over the next few months. Draining the pan only exchanges 2.5 to 3 quarts. Have it done twice or even 3 times over the next few months but most importantly have it done by someone who knows how to get the level correct when refilling.

smokey6010

The Lexus service manager told me if you are under 100K it's pretty safe to do a full exchange. I had mine done at 80K. It now has 140K and I'm about to have it done again even though they said I could wait until 160K. A friend that has been doing transmission work for 20 years told me "only a transmission that was already failing would be slipping after a complete fluid exchange".

AJT123

If it's shifting fine I would leave it alone.

weldthedif

on my newly purchased 2004 I changed the fluid for the 1st time at 131k. ( Despite the fact that the Lexus service records stated that it was changed around 60k, but I know it was not)

The fluid was pretty dark, but actually still had a tiny bit of red tint to it. I did the trans cooler line method, exchanging a total of 12 quarts. The fluid coming out after 12 quarts was still dirty, but much better. I probably could have done another 4-6 quarts. That was 1000 miles ago, and so far so good!

I notice absolutely no difference in the way the car performs/shifts.

NetG

by that point changing or not changing the fluid is moot and can not be factored into how long it will last. You could change the fluid and it would last a few thousand miles or years or it could fully fail that day...but the fluid change should not be blamed.
That is the myth people seem to believe and I've found it typically comes from people who neglect maintenance and want to blame something other than their own ignorant neglect. If you change your fluid and your transmission/engine suddenly fails...don't blame the fluid change...it was a habitual lack of maintenance plain and simple, nothing else. Same with thinking that engines leaking after switching to synthetic is the fault of the oil...nope, it's bad seals...they got cleaned by superior oil additives.


If you have 100k+ on original fluid then do 2-3 drain and fills...you will have to have a way to get the car level AND under it though as it must be level to check fill level. There is a drain bolt and a fill bolt, that's the one you use to check it...but at 200k just go ahead and do some drain and fills but you also have a transmission filter inside that will need changing...worst case scenario just do drain and fills.

I have 150k and am toying with the idea of doing a flush via the transmission cooler lines...suction line in new fluid, outake line in drain bucket...but I haven't researched enough if that would work. The machines that use pressure to force fluid through will ruin a transmission, the method I'm referencing uses the transmission own pumps/etc...well...should. Course I also have to build some sorta ramp or buy a lift because I don't have a way to level the car AND get under it

Johnhav430

To answer your question I scoured the web for the answer. And conventional wisdom seemed to say if red, fine to drain/fill. If black, but not burnt, fine to do. If burnt, leave alone.

My story:

I asked the same question when I got my car 3rd owner @ 82k. The indie wanted to drain fill, and I said won't that damage my tranny? They said not a chance. So I did 3X, and after 2 years, did #4. I bet that it was all unnecessary. It's not cheap, it's like $80 labor plus 2.5 rounded to 3 qts WS. Do you want this, or 3 rib eyes at TX Roadhouse or Outback. It's really preference. I think that a person can maintain their fluid only to have a rear output shaft seal leak. I thought it was a $200 job but it's a $380 job with a $16 part.

So would I do it? Sure, maybe 3X. Then, I'd just drive the car into the ground. I bet there are 300k cars never having the tranny fluid drained. So their tranny fails at 400k instead of 500k lol

My wife's GM which I can DIY then heck ok even if the fluid is $5/qt that's $25 a pop, not $100 (hers gets 5/9 qts per drain/fill and has a dipstick).