Transmission Flush?

[sewell8819]

Hi,

I have a 99 es300 with 95000 miles and cannot decide if I should do a transmission flush. I am not sure if one has been done before, although i do know that the 60,000 mile service has been done- but not sure if that includes a transmission flush. The transmission fluid itself is not dark, but is a muddy brown type color. So should I go ahead and do a flush?

thanks

[knipknup]

Hi,

I have a 99 es300 with 95000 miles and cannot decide if I should do a transmission flush. I am not sure if one has been done before, although i do know that the 60,000 mile service has been done- but not sure if that includes a transmission flush. The transmission fluid itself is not dark, but is a muddy brown type color. So should I go ahead and do a flush?

thanks

Do the flush, it is fairly inexpensive and the peace of mind is well worth it.

[sewell8819]

I would do the flush but i have heard that if a transmission flush has never been done before and the car is relatively high mileage then it can ruin the transmission.

Has anyone heard the same?

So this is why I have a problem because I am not sure if its been done (but the 60000 mile service has been done not sure if that includes a flush).

[Toysrme]

Wives tail. Toyota/Lexus maintenece is nothing more than drain the pan - which doesn't do much as the miles rack up.

Flush it.

If you really want it to last, install an auxillary cooler too.

[camlex]

Hello,

It's dark and muddy, that's okay.as long as you can't smell burnt smell

I did my 1st trans. flush 131000 with toyota for $99. I requested not to use any chemicals.

Just change fluids from old to new.

Then, every 15,000 miles I do drain through plug and refill with Dex III and next 15,000

miles I do drop pan ,replace filter and refill.

Presently, car has 177,500 miles. No problem with Trans. Yet.

Hope this helps.

[sewell8819]

thanks everyone

i think i will go ahead and do the full flush- not just the drain and fill

[lexusk8]

I would do the flush but i have heard that if a transmission flush has never been done before and the car is relatively high mileage then it can ruin the transmission.

Has anyone heard the same?

So this is why I have a problem because I am not sure if its been done (but the 60000 mile service has been done not sure if that includes a flush).

I had to do the tranny flush when the original transmission crapped out in my '01 ES a couple years ago (it had 98,600 miles at that time). This was done in addition to the replacement of the transmission, so right now the car feels just as strong and new like it came out of the showroom :)

[Lexusfreak]

I'd do the flush & in fact you might want to seriously consider taking it to a shop that does a complete 100% fluid change as opposed to just a drain & fill. Use the correct type of fluid (Toyota type IV or compatible....so your other choice would be Amsoil synthetic ATF) & consider installing a new gasket & plug washer. B)

http://www.amsoil.com/StoreFront/atf.aspx

[tckcumming]

Hi,

I have a 99 es300 with 95000 miles and cannot decide if I should do a transmission flush. I am not sure if one has been done before, although i do know that the 60,000 mile service has been done- but not sure if that includes a transmission flush. The transmission fluid itself is not dark, but is a muddy brown type color. So should I go ahead and do a flush?

thanks

I've had my '93 trans flushed before - no probs. The shop dropped the pan and hooked up a machine that pumped new fluid through the trans - can't remember how much fluid they said it took, but it was a Godawful amount. With new filter and gasket (and taxes, of course!), total cost was about $200 CDN (around $160 - $170 US). That was a couple or three years ago, it still shifts smooooooooth and nice, like new. I'm planning on getting it flushed again in the spring along with some other "preventive" - type items.

BTW, I talked to my local Lexus dealer about this very subject just last week. The service manager said he highly recommended flushing all the old fluid out of the trans on high-mileage cars. He also told me that they never do this in their shop - they don't even own the machine to do it. They only do drain-and-fill fluid changes. But he said he had told a lot of customers of older ES300's to go ahead and have the flush done at an independent shop, he had never seen a trans problem caused by this procedure. Most problems were caused by lack of maintenance (never changing the fluid) or running the car for a long time with low fluid level due to leaks or whatever - again, lack of proper maintenance (never checking the level). Most of the time, he said, customers brought the car in because it was making noise from the tranny or slipping badly, too late to do anything but replace it.

tck...

[Lexusfreak]

I've had my '93 trans flushed before - no probs. The shop dropped the pan and hooked up a machine that pumped new fluid through the trans - can't remember how much fluid they said it took, but it was a Godawful amount. With new filter and gasket (and taxes, of course!), total cost was about $200 CDN (around $160 - $170 US). That was a couple or three years ago, it still shifts smooooooooth and nice, like new. I'm planning on getting it flushed again in the spring along with some other "preventive" - type items.

BTW, I talked to my local Lexus dealer about this very subject just last week. The service manager said he highly recommended flushing all the old fluid out of the trans on high-mileage cars. He also told me that they never do this in their shop - they don't even own the machine to do it. They only do drain-and-fill fluid changes. But he said he had told a lot of customers of older ES300's to go ahead and have the flush done at an independent shop, he had never seen a trans problem caused by this procedure. Most problems were caused by lack of maintenance (never changing the fluid) or running the car for a long time with low fluid level due to leaks or whatever - again, lack of proper maintenance (never checking the level). Most of the time, he said, customers brought the car in because it was making noise from the tranny or slipping badly, too late to do anything but replace it.

tck...

Beg's the question......I wonder why your Lexus dealer does not invest in a flushing machine like that......seems like it would be a good investment as I too like the 100% fluid change idea. B)

[mburnickas]

Beg's the question......I wonder why your Lexus dealer does not invest in a flushing machine like that......seems like it would be a good investment as I too like the 100% fluid change idea. B)

From what I remember, many Lexus dealer do NOT like flushing a tranny. I would have to agree too many issues can araise.

[Lexusfreak]

From what I remember, many Lexus dealer do NOT like flushing a tranny. I would have to agree too many issues can araise.

I had mine done shortly after I bought it at my mechanic.......never had a problem. B) I guess if a tech dosen't know what they are doing, they can cause damage?

[mburnickas]

I had mine done shortly after I bought it at my mechanic.......never had a problem. B) I guess if a tech dosen't know what they are doing, they can cause damage?

If you have lots of “stuff” in it and flush, you can cause more damage; clog ports, valves etc.

[Lexusfreak]

I had mine done shortly after I bought it at my mechanic.......never had a problem. B) I guess if a tech dosen't know what they are doing, they can cause damage?

If you have lots of “stuff” in it and flush, you can cause more damage; clog ports, valves etc.

I think I'm in the clear......I flushed it when the car had only about 43k miles on her. B)