Automatic Transmission - Fluid Change

[gfs250]

Hi,

Ok, I need a once and for all explanation about the automatic transmission fluid change procedure on my IS250 2007.

I just had the 150,000km service done by my excellent local mechanic, everything change, inspected and ticked off and the car is running lovely. I am looking for long term ownership of this Lexus to btw, so I am very curious about the transmission fluid changeover. I have 40 year old BMW motorcycles with 200,000kms on the clock, and my 1928 Chevrolet still runs like clock work after so with good maintenance things will last many years.

So after reading heaps of internet articles about the fluid and the sealed gearbox etc, I asked my local mechanic before he serviced my car. He would not do it because all he would be doing is dropping 1 litre at a time, adding new fluid, running the car and dropping mixed fluid etc etc. blah blah blah. The same argument as you read on the internet where ever you look.

So if Canada Lexus states in their service intervals that a fluid change in required every 90,000kms, does anyone know what the procedure would be? is this drop a litre and add a litre repeated a few time routine all that they do? OR CAN THESE TRANSMISSIONS ACTUALLY BE FLUSH..................

I called into our local regional Toyota dealership the other morning and spoke with the service guy, I quizzed him about the fluid change and to my surprise they would not touch the gearbox because it states that it is sealed for life, it is not needed and what the manual says goes!!.

He said that Blackburn Lexus in Melbourne have a transmission flushing machine, this he knew because he worked there for 10 years, so go and see them. I called Blackburn Lexus and was told that it is not needed, no one asks for it to be done, and again they would just do the litre at a time procedure, not a flush..

CAN OR CAN'T THEY BE FLUSHED OUT THOROUGHLY? Can a independent transmission shop do it properly?

Here is a link to for the A960E Lexus Transmission

http://avtopedia.ru/akpp/a960eaut.pdf

 

 

 

 

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

[squash]

I had my transmission rebuilt a while ago, I was also told that it is a sealed unit, kind of like how a diff is sealed. Its an annoying system because we all know that fluid should eventually be changed!

[gfs250]

Hi,

so I ring a relative who has a reputable business in the upper end market of car conversions for many years, he gives me the name and number of a Melbourne business that just specialises in auto transmissions which he has used for many years himself.

Yes they do the Lexus IS250 gearbox, they have the machinery to do it correctly and they do quite a few of the Lexus gearboxes, they need the car for 3/4 of the day and get 90% of the fluid out. cost is $440.00, they should also be serviced every 50,000kms...

I will sleep happy now that I know this, nothing is sealed for life, that is just commercial bull*BLEEP* at its finest.

$440.00 spent every few years is better than a forced purchase to upgrade my car because the gearbox *BLEEP* itself through lack of neglect on Lexus behalf..

I will report back with oil sample photos and some info when I get the fluid change completed in the next couple of weeks.

Chat soon

 

 

 

 

 

[ilv1004s]

there is a way to change the fluids

i flush my system every 10K kms or so on my cars

[gfs250]

Hi,

That's great to hear, but any chance to could share your procedure on how it is done, maybe enlighten us all about the fluid change mysteries of the Lexus IS250 or are we each left to flounder through and keep trolling the internet for the secrete procedure instead of being proactive and working as a group and just putting it out there for the other owners to make their minds up on and lay their cash down on the service counter if they want to go down that road and become a anti "sealed for life" follower..

YES THE OIL CAN BE CHANGED, YES THE OIL IS EASY TO CHANGE THIS WAY WITH A SPECIALIST MACHINE ONLY.. this yes no, yes no, do it, don't do it talk is no help at all to anyone or the brand itself and for a modern vehicle manufactured from an extremely well branded, high end motoring company, I have never read so much and spoken about directly with dealerships so much conflicting bull*BLEEP* about this procedure in all my 48 years.

Chat soon 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[jerry]

On 2016/2/14 at 10:41 AM, gfs250 said:

Hi,

so I ring a relative who has a reputable business in the upper end market of car conversions for many years, he gives me the name and number of a Melbourne business that just specialises in auto transmissions which he has used for many years himself.

Yes they do the Lexus IS250 gearbox, they have the machinery to do it correctly and they do quite a few of the Lexus gearboxes, they need the car for 3/4 of the day and get 90% of the fluid out. cost is $440.00, they should also be serviced every 50,000kms...

I will sleep happy now that I know this, nothing is sealed for life, that is just commercial bull*BLEEP* at its finest.

$440.00 spent every few years is better than a forced purchase to upgrade my car because the gearbox *BLEEP* itself through lack of neglect on Lexus behalf..

I will report back with oil sample photos and some info when I get the fluid change completed in the next couple of weeks.

Chat soon

 

 

 

 

 

hi, where do you do the flush? I really wanna do that as Im running 170k now.

BTW ilv1004s, could you order is250 RWD F sport front and rear sway bar bushing and buckets? 28.5/19 as I remember. My one should got some noise when driving slow like 10-20K. I dont want to change to supperpro or energy suspension bushing as I dont want more noise when grease dry. Thanks mate.

[gfs250]

HI,

I have not had it done yet, but hopefully next week this will happen.

I do not want to post a business name up here until I have experienced their service and workmanship.

[jerry]

hi hows free with your tran flash? any good news?

[gfs250]

Hi Jerry,

Actually I am ringing today to book it in, my work has slowed up a little so I have a window of opportuinty to take a day off,  I need a day to drive it down to Melbourne, wait and the n home again

So look back in another two weeks and I will let you know :) 

[GT1]

Does anybody know a good reputable auto transmission specialist that can do the transmission fluid change in Sydney?

[Tony1234]

I'd also like to know as well please.

[gfs250]

Hi,

Well today I drove my IS250 to Dandenong to the premises of Kewish Automotive - Transmission Specialists.

I had booked my car in a week ago to have the automatic transmission serviced, this being a full flush and new filter kit installed.

My car is a 2007 sports luxury with 156,200kms, I am the second owner (brought in 2015) and after talking with the original owner, he confirmed that he had not had the gearbox serviced/oil changed.

After reading a lot of different views about "sealed for life" etc, well personally I found that a complete crook of bull*BLEEP* myself and hard to believe, nothing is sealed for life and oil breaks down, its that bloody simple in my mind.

I brought this car to keep long term and I believe preventative maintenance is the key to this and like I said in my earlier post I was referred to Kewish Automotive and they came high recommended from a good relative in the car trade.

Anyway I will get to it, David at Kewish Automotive was excellent when I arrived, I then went shopping up the street and I happen to return earlier than expected, the car was up on the hoist so I was able to watch the procedure from the side line and chat to David as he went out his buisness.

The oil was a very dirty brown colour, the pan was slightly gunky and the 3 x magnets were covered but no metal flakes or chunks were present, this was great to see and Im glad I had arranged to have the oil changed, the cost was $400 plus GST.

The new oil was flushed thoroughly right throughout the system and gearbox with the engine running until the new red tranny oil appeared, I was surprised at the amount it takes actually to flush the system.

These photos below I took myself.

This oil is from my automatic today, a car that has been babied along at 110 - 120kph only on open roads and freeways for most of its 9 years by 2 mature owners, It has never been flogged or raced through the gears so I would hate to think what the oil is like in a car that has been given a hard time with short stop start driving.

Get that oil changed and I can highly recommend Kewish Automotive -  29A Amberley Cres, Dandenong South, Phone  (03) 9793 2220

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

 

 

 

   

 

 

[GT1]

Does anybody know a good reputable auto transmission specialist that can do the transmission fluid flush & change in Sydney?

[jerry]

Thanks good write up. I will make a call to do it tomorrow.

[gfs250]

Gidday,

So it has been a week of driving the car since the automatic was flushed and yes it is noticeable for the better.

I drive a lot with the cruise control on, again 99% country hwy kms this car does, when I first brought it back in September 2015 (146,000kms) and after all the thrills and excitement of all the Lexus brand and its bells and whistles had died down a little you start to notice things for what they really are.

One thing that struck me a little weird for a Lexus was that with the cruise on, travelling at 118km, freeway conditions and we would come up to a long steepish incline on the way home from Melbourne and each time half way up the the incline and still traveling at 118kms, the auto would quietly and naturally jump down a gear, like any normal auto, then a few seconds later it would search again for another gear, the tacho would quickly just up and it all felt quiet ugly to be honest, I would end up disengaging the cruise and things would settle down once up over the hills. 

This reason is while I started to read about Lexus IS250 automatic services and oils etc.

Anyway this week, same speed, cruise on, same hill and normal weather conditions, I approach the hill and the Lexus drops back one gear as expected around the same location as always, then smoothly and effortlessly continues up over the hill, no searching for the lower gear, that made me smile..

Worth the $400 spend if things are running smoothly again.

You have to love new fresh slippery bright red oil :) 

 

 

 

 

 

[ilv1004s]

On 4/21/2016 at 9:36 PM, GT1 said:

Does anybody know a good reputable auto transmission specialist that can do the transmission fluid flush & change in Sydney?

pm me i know a shop that can do it

 

[gfs250]

Hi,

Just wondering how many have had or is going to get their automatic transmission fully flushed and a new filter installed which cost around the 400 mark

Its was a no brainer for me, but I like to read peoples opinions.

 

[BlackLexus]

I had a transmission flush done on my old IS250, but i was never convinced that they could remove and replace all the fluid.

[gfs250]

Hi,

If done properly they can, I went to an independent automatic transmission business and I stood there beside the car, (car on hoist) and with the car running I watched the black *BLEEP*ty oil come out and then slowly change to a nice red as it was flushed though... That was good enough for me and yes it will be done again at 200,000 kms 

[b0kch01]

On 13/05/2016 at 1:26 PM, ilv1004s said:

pm me i know a shop that can do it

 

I also like to know where to get the trans fluid changed in Syd as well.

[BLK ISF]

On 8/17/2016 at 7:05 PM, b0kch01 said:

I also like to know where to get the trans fluid changed in Syd as well.

Old thread i know but Im Sydney based and would like to know a recommend workshop too.  Seems like its not a straight forward job unless your in the know, familiar with these cars

[Tony1234]

• On 03/11/2016 at 11:09 PM, BLK ISF said:

  Old thread i know but Im Sydney based and would like to know a recommend workshop too.  Seems like its not a straight forward job unless your in the know, familiar with these cars

  Me too.I'm in Sydney as well

 

[j-plus]

Sooo... Anyone yet have a Sydney workshop that can do this?

[Zukzuk]

Just a word I have been quoted $400 by a Lexus dealer for a full oil, filter change and he tells me it should be dun at a certain oil temperature they say they have dun lots of them.

[gfs250]

Hi,

I had heard and read about this also while trolling forums and threads etc beforehand and I to did question the transmission specialist that performed my full service. It was not a concern he said and will have no effect whatsoever on the car. I personally suspect its a sales pitch from the high end dealers to up sell their products and make it sound technical to do but I may very well be wrong. After 20,000kms since my full auto service was completed our Lexus is running so very smoothly and I will be returning to the same independent business to have it done every 50,000kms.