TunedRX300

There are many helpful DIY instructions on transmission services on this forum, I have used them when I first did my ATF drain and fill. But no photo guide-through, especially for tranny pan and filter change. At 68355 miles, it is time to do a triple bypass on my 6 year old RX300, took some pictures along the way.
The whole procedure is not hard, just needs a lot of patience. If you don't have patience, tackle easier tasks such as ATF drain and fill first.
This thread is for tranny service procedure, please feel free to post if you find an error or find a better way to accomplish the goal. Please no tranny oil debate, that is not what this thread is for.
Last, not that it is likely, I take no responsibility if you (or the transmission) are injured or killed by my DIY instructions.

Step 1, Get tools and parts
Required tools: 1/4" drive wrachet or 3/8" with adaptor, 1/4" drive 3 inch extention, 10mm socket (6 point preferred), 10mm Allen wrench, flat head screw driver, plier (one in RX300's tool bag), funnel, shop towel, latex gloves, an oil pan, and lots of newspaper.
Optional tools: mechanic's creeper, RX300 service manual

Required parts: Transmission pan gasket, oil strainer and filter. Optional: O Ring
I ordered them from Park Place Lexus in Plano, part numbers are

ATF: 4 quarts for Transmission drain and fill, 1 additional quart for Transfer Case fluid and filter change, 2 more to Transmission Cooler and parital Torque Convertor fluid change. I used 7 quarts of Amsoil rather than OEM T-IV for better flash point protection. Other T-IV complying fluid is Mobil ATF 3309, pick one of your choice.


With the car running, check the ATF level before draining old fluid out. If the ATF level is low, make sure you compensate that amount when you refill.

TunedRX300

Step 2: Put on the latex glove. Place a layer of newspaper under the transmision drain plug. Place the oil catch pan so it will catch ATF. Loosen the transmission drain bolt with 10mm Allen wrench. I also recommends Craftsman 1/2" drive 10mm hex socket if the plug is too tight. Then you can use a 1/2" breaker bar if needed.

I did not jack up the car and get everything done. But if you need additional clearance, make sure you set the parking brake and put some secondary support if the jack slips. In another word, use common sense to be safe.
Wait until about 4.1 quarts of ATF comes out. Mine is chocolate colored, fresh ATF is cherry red.

TunedRX300

Step 3: Right behind the transmission drain plug is the transfer case drain plug. Instead of facing down, it is facing to the passenger side. Use the same 10mm Allen wrench to loose it.

Make sure you move the oil catching pan under transfer case drain plug to catch additional 1/2 quart of ATF pouring out.

Use a shop towel to clean metal shavings off both tranny and transfer drain plugs. Both have magnets, transfer case drain plug has a black spot in the middle.
Dirty xfer case plug

Cleaned

TunedRX300

If you are not interested to do tranny pan drop, filter and cooler/TC fluid change, just tighten tranny and xfer case plugs. Pop the hood, use a funnel and pour a little over 4 quarts of ATF through the transmission dip stick hole, which is right next the battery. It is a good practice to measure how much ATF came out and put the exact amount back in. Start your engine and check for ATF level and any leak.
Step 4: Take the 10 bolts off splash panel off with 10mm sockets, pry two plastic taps off with flat head screw driver.

Needless to say, don't throw them away. Two outside 10mm bolts at the back row have different threads, they don't thread into metal frame like the other 8 bolts.

Step 5: Loosen 18 bolts off the transmission pan. The front 4-5 pan bolts must be reached with a narrow 10mm socket and 3 inch 1/4" drive extension. It is hard to see where the socket latch from under the car, but easier from the front of the car after splash panel is removed.
I used my 1/2" drive socket to loosen other bolts first, but they are too big to reach front pan bolts.


Step 6: Place the oil catching pan under the tranny pan. Put the tranny drain plug on. Drop the pan, be careful as there are still ATF inside. Remove the old gasket. Clean 3 magnets and the pan with shop towels. Place cleaned magnets the exact places as they were

Clean magnets vs dirty. Kit Kat anyone?


Step 7: Loosen three bolts holding the oil restrainer and filter. Be careful as there is another 1/3 quart of ATF trapped inside. Use one hand to loosen the last bolt and the other to hold it in place until you are ready to let it pour out.

Mine does not like too bad. Metal screen looks clean.

Replacement oil restrainer has a different shape, instead of metal screen, it has a paper filter

Step 8: Take the O ring off the old oil restrainer, mine looks OK, and I reuse it on the new one after coating it with some fresh ATF. Put the oil restrainer back on the transmission. Tighten three bolts to 8 ft-lbs.
Put the new gasket (made of rubber and wood) on the tranny pan, tighten 18 pan bolts to 69 inch-lbs. Do NOT overtighten so use 1/4 wrachet only. Patience is required as tranny pan gasket are not stickly, get the first tranny pan bolt on and you are half way home

TunedRX300

Step 10: Protect your eyes with goggles or glasses. Set your parking brake if you have not done some. Pour 5 quarts of ATF through the tranny dip stick hole. This is important because you want the tranny pump to have fresh ATF to draw into the tranny. Ask a helper to start the car while you man the tranny hose. ATF will circulate and tranny pump will start to bump out old ATF in the cooler and some from torqure convertor. Pay close attention to colors of ATF, when fresh ATF starts to coming out of cooler hose. Ask your helper to turn off the car. Put the rubber hose back on the metal one and put the clamp back. Measure the total ATF came out and put the exact amount in.
I got 2 more quarts out. This means I replaced 70% of old ATF with fresh ATF.

Last step: Start the car, check for leaks. Check the ATF level. Put the splash panel back. Test drive and done

TunedRX300

Step 9: Put both transfer case and transmission drain plugs on and tighten to 36 ft-lbs. Go the passenger side and find two cooler lines. Find the return line to the tranny. Use plier to force open the clamp and move it off the rubber hose. Place the oil collector pan under the hose. Use flat head screwdriver to pry the rubber hose off the metal line.
This picture is me facing the sky, bottom of the picture is the towards rear of the car.

salimshah

No porcupines there

Also I noticed that new kit used gaskit. Did you have to scrape fipg off from the pan?

Salim

Lexmex

Great job.

I think I will order the the kit, though I may take my tranny pan off and check out the filter on one drain and fill (very curious if the porcupines like a drag racing RX300).

TunedRX300

Salim,
The pan gasket is made of rubber with fair amount of wood (like wine bottle cords) sprinkled around. It came off easily. The gasket seal by compression, not acting as an active sealant. I know you have some experience with pan drop, but it is RX300 or another car?

Lemex,
Thanks, yes, the amount of metal debris differs by usage. I expect your transmission get a harsher beating than most of us. I am glad to get rid of those metal shavings, so far the transmission shifts very smoothly, especially during hard acceleration.

Fern

Kudos to TunedRx300,

for taking the time to post photos and step by step instructions for us all.

I guess your going to be the resident GO-TO, for technical questions on the RX.

Just one question,
In step #10

you disconnect one of the trani cooler lines to drain an additional quart from the trani for approximately 70% drain.

Just curious as I have heard of disconnecting the trani return line and connecting it to a batch of new fluid and the opposite line into a container then running the car until new fluid comes out the line that is draining fluid.

You sure seam to know what your doing and I was just wondering why this wasn't something you appeared to consider when draining the 30% T-IV which was left behind?

Thanks and great job.

Fern

duane

TunedRX300,

Great job!. Looks exactly like my experience. A lot of silver dust, and magnets needing to be cleaned. Are'nt glad you dropped the pan and were able to clean. Do you think a flush would have cleaned as well as the tranny pan drop?

I wonder why a change in shape and filter material (metal screen to paper) of the oil retention part (I called it a tranny filter). Has Lexus learned something to improve the tranny filter or just a manufacturing change for money purposes?


Duane

TunedRX300

Thanks, I think positive feedbacks from folks of this forum encourages me to take some time doing this. Lexmex posted his differential gear oil change and got great responses also
On opening up the tranny return line. I already put 5 quarts of fresh ATF into the tranny pan prior to starting the engine. This means the tranny pump draws fresh ATF (similiar to putting the other cooler line into a quart of fresh ATF) as soon as the engine is turned on. Tranny pan has a lot more capacity than one quart, it turned out that close to 2 quarts of old ATF came out.
I was busy pointing the tranny hose to the oil catching pan with one hand and constantly checking color with by putting a finger into the ATF stream with another. I would be difficult for me to re-supply fresh ATF while the first quart is used up.

TunedRX300

I found this article on the internet, it explained the drawback of a flush.
http://www.amsoil.com/lit/filter_man_council01.pdf
Personally I prefer to use transmission's own circulation capability to get old ATF out because it is minimal invasive - the tranny pump will circulate ATF whether you disconnect the cooler line or not.
Lexmex has done a flush at a Lexus dealer, perhaps he can share with us his experience.

You raised an interesting point. Actually RX300's replacement engine oil filter (made in Thailand) also has a different design and build quality than the one that came with the car (made in Japan) - synthetic filter material instead of paper to catch 10-20 micro particles. Original oil filter also offers stronger shell design. See a picture posted by another member of this forum.

Similiarly, I find the original tranny oil restrainer with filter has better build quality: metal screen instead of paper filter paper, metal shell instead of plastic. It is very common for this day of age for automaker to outsource parts even designs, what supplier Toyota uses for its factory parts may not be the same supplier for the aftermarket service. The same can be said with servicing different regions, the supplier for Japan Domestic Market is often not the same as that in U.S. The replacement has "made in USA" engraved, not that it is a bad thing, but If I have a choice, I prefer the original metal one (not specified on the country of origin) since it is more durable.

salimshah

The lexus I did was SC400 and it was FIPG all the way. I was dealing with stripped thread on drain and had no nice choice but to drop the pan.

Any reccomendations as an afterthought? Do you still feel dropping the pan is the way to go as opposed to drain and fill?

DIY tips continued ...

Try to measure fluid that you removed as it would give you an idea of how much to add at the end.

Steps to check trans fluid level:

Note: Fluid can be checked cold (read the cold mark) but reccomended is warm (after driving roughly 5 miles)
1. Park the RX on a level surface and keep the engine running. (idling).
2. Engage the auxillary brake (the other foot brake).
3. Apply pressure on brake pedal and keep the brake pedal pressed for the rest of the procedure.
4. Move the gear shifter from P to R to N to D to 2 to 1 and work your way back to park. [stop for 5 sec or so in each position as you engage each selection].
5. Once the RX is in Park, you can remove pressure from the foot brake.
6. With the engine still idling check the trans level. (wipe the first ime and reinsert the dip-stick. Pull and read.)



Salim

TunedRX300

Salim, great instructions on checking ATF level. Feedbacks from other members, including you, Tammy, and Ederny (I am not sure he check this forum anymore) encourage others to DIY.

I used an entire sheet of shop towel to wipe off those three magnets, there are substantial metal debris that I am now glad out of the transmission. See picture

Since there is no other way to exam the amount of metal shaving and the condition of the filter other than dropping the pan, I would do the pan drop every 60-75K. Also it depends on the driving condition, Lexmex races his RX so I am sure more stuffs comes off his gears than mine.
I have heard 40% of ATF change will restore the chemcial additive of ATF. So drain and fill has its usage. There is no coincidence that about 4 quarts of ATF can be drained and filled, which is 40% of 9.8 total capacity. The same 40% holds for my Acura TL. Obviously 70% of fresh ATF allows the whole system to last longer than 40% change w/ drain and fill, just common sense.
Total cost is <$100, about $50 for 7 quarts of Amsoil ATF, $46 for oil retainer and gasket, I consider it is cheap insurance for a $5000 tranny, especially most of us are out of warranty.