04-06 Sealed Transmission fluid change interval? (The Mother thread)
05-11-14, 07:12 PM
#181
Today I drove the car after yesterday's ATF fluid change.
Car drove nice but as usual.
I didn't have any issues to start with so I guess it is the same for now but I feel that I am on my path to avoid potential future issues.
By the time people get shifting issues transmission is already damaged.
By the time people discover thick and burnt fluid it is too late to refresh. Now they have to wait for eventual demise of their transmission.
Car drove nice but as usual.
I didn't have any issues to start with so I guess it is the same for now but I feel that I am on my path to avoid potential future issues.
By the time people get shifting issues transmission is already damaged.
By the time people discover thick and burnt fluid it is too late to refresh. Now they have to wait for eventual demise of their transmission.
Did you're fluid smell burnt? ATF can get quite dark without actually being burned. You saw how dark mine was and it is a practically new transmission with only 25K on the car's odometer. I'm not worried about mine but that's because it shifts perfectly without any issues and it has so few miles on it. There's nothing that really could've gone wrong in such few miles. I'm glad that I changed it when I did rather than just assuming it would last the life of the car. I'm pretty sure that 6 speed sealed Toyota transmissions with ATF WS would look just like mine after 7 years with only 25K miles.
My fluid had the same viscosity and did not smell different than the new fluid but it was very very dark.
05-11-14, 08:00 PM
#182
Was you're fluid thick? If anything it should have lost viscosity and been even thinner than new fluid. ATF WS is already a very low viscosity fluid and because of that it has to have better chemical protection than is typical in ATF fluids.
Did you're fluid smell burnt? ATF can get quite dark without actually being burned. You saw how dark mine was and it is a practically new transmission with only 25K on the car's odometer. I'm not worried about mine but that's because it shifts perfectly without any issues and it has so few miles on it. There's nothing that really could've gone wrong in such few miles. I'm glad that I changed it when I did rather than just assuming it would last the life of the car. I'm pretty sure that 6 speed sealed Toyota transmissions with ATF WS would look just like mine after 7 years with only 25K miles.
My fluid had the same viscosity and did not smell different than the new fluid but it was very very dark.
Did you're fluid smell burnt? ATF can get quite dark without actually being burned. You saw how dark mine was and it is a practically new transmission with only 25K on the car's odometer. I'm not worried about mine but that's because it shifts perfectly without any issues and it has so few miles on it. There's nothing that really could've gone wrong in such few miles. I'm glad that I changed it when I did rather than just assuming it would last the life of the car. I'm pretty sure that 6 speed sealed Toyota transmissions with ATF WS would look just like mine after 7 years with only 25K miles.
My fluid had the same viscosity and did not smell different than the new fluid but it was very very dark.
I forgot to smell is closely but I didn't smell anything from a distance.
I had ATF change at 30K on another "sealed" transmission and it failed at 45K & 8 years. That tranny was known to have problems as opposed to LS430 transmission that is known to be bullet proof but I am not taking any chances.
05-12-14, 04:15 AM
#183
Pole Position
Finally did drain and refill today. yeah. 
Drove car on the ramps.
Jacked up the rear and supported by jack stands.
First checked ATF from overflow plug. It was full and dripped a little. Didn't look bad at first.
Opened up drain plug. 1 qt 24 oz came out.
Lowered the rear and got some extra out. Total 1 qt 30 oz came out. Maybe another 1 oz was stuck to the pan.
Jacked up rear again.
Put the drain plug back on.
I had bought 2 Fram sure drain valves, one for oil and one for the transmission overflow plug, but unfortunately transmission bolts are smaller than oil drain.
I made my own contraption with a funnel, 3/8" tube, and another smaller tube. Smaller tube fit perfectly in the overflow plug.
I fed ATF from funnel as if transmission was a patient. lol. Gravity did it's trick.
I fed 2 qts and started the engine. .Tubing was still attached to the overflow plug.
Went through the gears. Removed the tubing. Got some overflow.Connected tubing again and fed some more ATF. Checked the transmission temperature with hands only. (Body temperature is about 98 degrees. You need transmission between 115 and 130 degrees).
Went through the gears one more time.
Removed the tube and let excess drip out.
Put the overflow plug back on.
Took pictures of new and old fluid. It is not only the bad color but I could see dirt as I was pouring it.
.By the way I was able to locate the cover on the fill plug. It was hard to get driver in there and I didn't have right size wrench.. Next time I am going to open it and see if I can attach a fill tube.
Drove car on the ramps.
Jacked up the rear and supported by jack stands.
First checked ATF from overflow plug. It was full and dripped a little. Didn't look bad at first.
Opened up drain plug. 1 qt 24 oz came out.
Lowered the rear and got some extra out. Total 1 qt 30 oz came out. Maybe another 1 oz was stuck to the pan.
Jacked up rear again.
Put the drain plug back on.
I had bought 2 Fram sure drain valves, one for oil and one for the transmission overflow plug, but unfortunately transmission bolts are smaller than oil drain.
I made my own contraption with a funnel, 3/8" tube, and another smaller tube. Smaller tube fit perfectly in the overflow plug.
I fed ATF from funnel as if transmission was a patient. lol. Gravity did it's trick.
I fed 2 qts and started the engine. .Tubing was still attached to the overflow plug.
Went through the gears. Removed the tubing. Got some overflow.Connected tubing again and fed some more ATF. Checked the transmission temperature with hands only. (Body temperature is about 98 degrees. You need transmission between 115 and 130 degrees).
Went through the gears one more time.
Removed the tube and let excess drip out.
Put the overflow plug back on.
Took pictures of new and old fluid. It is not only the bad color but I could see dirt as I was pouring it.
.By the way I was able to locate the cover on the fill plug. It was hard to get driver in there and I didn't have right size wrench.. Next time I am going to open it and see if I can attach a fill tube.
05-12-14, 04:31 AM
#184
So as it stands now, there have been no reported LS 430 transmission failures after fluid changes just as there have been no reported failures from those who have never had their fluid change. I had 196,000 miles on my 04, never changed the fluid, and it drove just fine. So the score as it stands is:
Failure with fluid change: 0
Failure without fluid change: 0
Right?
Failure with fluid change: 0
Failure without fluid change: 0
Right?
05-12-14, 06:06 AM
#185
I have 6 quarts of WS and may do it this week... I'm thinking of draining 3 quarts and replacing it with 3. That makes it easy. I'll then use the remaining 3 quarts later this summer.
05-12-14, 08:32 AM
#186
there are two bolts that opens with an alenky in the differential the up one is to fill the down one is to drain its on the left side / on the driver side just u need to get your car on a lift
i cant believe this thread is still gooooing.
06-30-14, 11:09 AM
#190
06-30-14, 01:59 PM
#193
Aisin designed the transmission to be serviced. The reason Lexus called it a lifetime fluid is because they knew you could get to 200k or more and by saying it does not need service it cuts the rated owners cost down.
06-30-14, 10:46 PM
#194
07-01-14, 03:34 AM
#195
Considering Lexus recommends changing it at 60K under severe service I would say look in the manual. If you read the severe table definition it's pretty much everybody I know.