Okay To Flush Transmission?

[blueviol]

I stopped by a Lexus dealer yesterday to arrange a service for my 230K mile 95 SC400. I felt like I needed to get a transmission fluid flush since I was feeling it a bit sluggish and since it was never done on my car. I usually drain and refill fluids at local auto shop every 30K miles or so. This time I wanted to do a full flush using genuine Toyota stuff at the dealer.

The service consultant however was not sure if I wanted to do that since the car has so much mileage and since he does not know the condition of the car.

He explained that with the full flush, things (debris) in the transmission will drain and it may not make the car drive better. It can make it worse he said and Lexus would not guarantee anything.

IS this a normal situation for a car of high mileage?

Please let me hear your advice on this.

[Pirate]

I stopped by a Lexus dealer yesterday to arrange a service for my 230K mile 95 SC400. I felt like I needed to get a transmission fluid flush since I was feeling it a bit sluggish and since it was never done on my car. I usually drain and refill fluids at local auto shop every 30K miles or so. This time I wanted to do a full flush using genuine Toyota stuff at the dealer.

The service consultant however was not sure if I wanted to do that since the car has so much mileage and since he does not know the condition of the car.

He explained that with the full flush, things (debris) in the transmission will drain and it may not make the car drive better. It can make it worse he said and Lexus would not guarantee anything.

IS this a normal situation for a car of high mileage?

Please let me hear your advice on this.

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I have had the transmission flushed on both Lexus that I own (1990 ES250 w/85,000 mi. and 1995 SC400 w/149,000 mi.) and saw a marked improvement in shifting in both cars. Both cars were done at a Toyota dealer who was close by, less, expensive than the lexus dealer & used Toyota transmission fluid.

[vettenut72]

I've heard the pros and cons for a trans flush on a high milage vehicle. Reality is that 230K without a rebuild for any car is good. So if your going to do a flush I would have the pan pulled and a new filter installed also. I would not do a power flush which would not clean the filter and could cause more damage. I try to stay around 50K for all automatic transmission flush wiht filters.

As for Toyota or Lexus, a certified technican can do this with his eyes closed so if Toyota is cheaper I'd go there also. Just my humble opinion. Good luck and let us know how it goes.

Joel

[jzz30]

yea i agree on the filter change. my LS just broke down with transmission failure, and i took it to my friends shop to use his lift and swap out transmissions but my friend said that the pump sounded like it was starving, so he suggested changing filter, and explained how the cork gaskets on toyota trans filters harden and develop a gap between the valve body and filter, bypassing the oil pickup and starving the oil pump. so after changing that it worked fine!

so yea change the filter and oil.

[blueviol]

Thank you all for your advices.

I just bought the Type IV ATF from Toyota dealer and plan to get the flush later this week, with the filter.

Thanks again.