98 Gs300 - Need Advice From The Pros Here

[lx450owner]

hey guys, i been out of the loop for a while... used to have a LX450 but sold that and got a 98 GS300

Had this baby for about 6 months now... no real issues, except when i went to get an oil change at my mechanic's, he looked at my Tranny Oil and said its black... and needs to be replaced.

Now here is my question... i do not know, nor do i think that the tranny oil has ever been touched here.

And some people i have spoken to claim that unless you have issues with the tranny, i shouldnt touch it. While others say that i should get that taken care of immediately.

now i have not noticed any problems until now that this issue has been brought to my attention... now i might be over reacting.... but when the car is cold (and yes is know i should not drive on a cold car, but sometimes it cannot be helped when im running late for work)... the tranny does shift kind of hard from first to second... but then shifts fine.... and as soon as it warms up i dont notice any problems at all. except that during city driving (and again at times) it picks up speed slow from the light (stop)

EXPERTS GIVE ME YOUR ADVICE: do i just do a tranny pan oil change or should i do a flush ?? and which oil is best... my mechanic suggested that i go to toyota and ask them for the correct tranny oil. and i think he only reccomended the oil change (not the flush). and is all this also related to the hard shifting when cold and slow pick up speed ??

the last thing i did on this car when i got it was a complete tune up. Except when i asked my mech. if he changed the fuel filter he said no because its in the Gas Tank ?? is it really ?? i use Regular engine oil not synthetic.... is it safe to switch to synthetic at this point in the game??? so i guess im askingmore then 1 question.... sorry about that.... i really need to know what to do with the Tranny oil though.... so get back to me on this guys ..... many thanks

[dcfish]

hey guys, i been out of the loop for a while... used to have a LX450 but sold that and got a 98 GS300

Had this baby for about 6 months now... no real issues, except when i went to get an oil change at my mechanic's, he looked at my Tranny Oil and said its black... and needs to be replaced.

Now here is my question... i do not know, nor do i think that the tranny oil has ever been touched here.

And some people i have spoken to claim that unless you have issues with the tranny, i shouldnt touch it. While others say that i should get that taken care of immediately.

now i have not noticed any problems until now that this issue has been brought to my attention... now i might be over reacting.... but when the car is cold (and yes is know i should not drive on a cold car, but sometimes it cannot be helped when im running late for work)... the tranny does shift kind of hard from first to second... but then shifts fine.... and as soon as it warms up i dont notice any problems at all. except that during city driving (and again at times) it picks up speed slow from the light (stop)

EXPERTS GIVE ME YOUR ADVICE: do i just do a tranny pan oil change or should i do a flush ?? and which oil is best... my mechanic suggested that i go to toyota and ask them for the correct tranny oil. and i think he only reccomended the oil change (not the flush). and is all this also related to the hard shifting when cold and slow pick up speed ??

the last thing i did on this car when i got it was a complete tune up. Except when i asked my mech. if he changed the fuel filter he said no because its in the Gas Tank ?? is it really ?? i use Regular engine oil not synthetic.... is it safe to switch to synthetic at this point in the game??? so i guess im askingmore then 1 question.... sorry about that.... i really need to know what to do with the Tranny oil though.... so get back to me on this guys ..... many thanks

Go get yourself 8 qt's of toyota t4 tranny fluid, Drop what you have ( 2 qt's ) run the car 100 mi. then repeat this process 3 more times, Your fluid should run pretty clean, Then drop it every time you change your oil. I wouldn't get a flush, I don't care what other members say about it. Just stay with a regular maintenance schedule and you will be alright.

[monarch]

Pull out the transmission oil dipstick. The type of fluid to use is engraved on the lower 1/3rd of the dipstick, If the dipstick says "Dexron" then buy Toyota Automatic Transmission fluid from the Toyota dealer. If the dipstick says "Type T" then buy Toyota Type T-IV fluid from the Toyota dealer

[dcfish]

Pull out the transmission oil dipstick. The type of fluid to use is engraved on the lower 1/3rd of the dipstick, If the dipstick says "Dexron" then buy Toyota Automatic Transmission fluid from the Toyota dealer. If the dipstick says "Type T" then buy Toyota Type T-IV fluid from the Toyota dealer

98 G3 = T4 fluid.

[vtmodern]

There are two "schools of thought" about transmission fluid in higher mileage cars.

One is: change or flush all you want, it's good.

The other is: In older transmission, there is some small amount of debris that clings to the various surfaces. New transmission fluid can act as a detergent and work some of that stuff loose. That, they claim, can clog up some of the very fine passages in the transmission.

Here is what I would do. I would drain all the fluid you can get out by removing the drain plug. Don't take the oil pan off. Then I would refill with the same amount of new fluid. If you do that at every engine oil change, you will gradually replace the transmission fluid.

Use only the Toyota transmission fluid, it's different from the commonly available transmission fluids.

Yes, the fuel filter is in the tank. Unless the car received fuel from a dirty pump for a prolonged period, there is no need to change the fuel filter.

No need to chage to synthetic. Just stick with regular oil every 5000 miles or so.

I think your mechanic said everything correctly. Good luck!

hey guys, i been out of the loop for a while... used to have a LX450 but sold that and got a 98 GS300

Had this baby for about 6 months now... no real issues, except when i went to get an oil change at my mechanic's, he looked at my Tranny Oil and said its black... and needs to be replaced.

Now here is my question... i do not know, nor do i think that the tranny oil has ever been touched here.

And some people i have spoken to claim that unless you have issues with the tranny, i shouldnt touch it. While others say that i should get that taken care of immediately.

now i have not noticed any problems until now that this issue has been brought to my attention... now i might be over reacting.... but when the car is cold (and yes is know i should not drive on a cold car, but sometimes it cannot be helped when im running late for work)... the tranny does shift kind of hard from first to second... but then shifts fine.... and as soon as it warms up i dont notice any problems at all. except that during city driving (and again at times) it picks up speed slow from the light (stop)

EXPERTS GIVE ME YOUR ADVICE: do i just do a tranny pan oil change or should i do a flush ?? and which oil is best... my mechanic suggested that i go to toyota and ask them for the correct tranny oil. and i think he only reccomended the oil change (not the flush). and is all this also related to the hard shifting when cold and slow pick up speed ??

the last thing i did on this car when i got it was a complete tune up. Except when i asked my mech. if he changed the fuel filter he said no because its in the Gas Tank ?? is it really ?? i use Regular engine oil not synthetic.... is it safe to switch to synthetic at this point in the game??? so i guess im askingmore then 1 question.... sorry about that.... i really need to know what to do with the Tranny oil though.... so get back to me on this guys ..... many thanks

[lx450owner]

Appreciate all the advice.... i will see my local Toyota dealer for the oil and then have my mechanic gradually change 2 quts at a time with my regular oil changes .....

THNX AGAIN

Lexus forums rock !!!

i will keep u posted for those who are interested

There are two "schools of thought" about transmission fluid in higher mileage cars.

One is: change or flush all you want, it's good.

The other is: In older transmission, there is some small amount of debris that clings to the various surfaces. New transmission fluid can act as a detergent and work some of that stuff loose. That, they claim, can clog up some of the very fine passages in the transmission.

Here is what I would do. I would drain all the fluid you can get out by removing the drain plug. Don't take the oil pan off. Then I would refill with the same amount of new fluid. If you do that at every engine oil change, you will gradually replace the transmission fluid.

Use only the Toyota transmission fluid, it's different from the commonly available transmission fluids.

Yes, the fuel filter is in the tank. Unless the car received fuel from a dirty pump for a prolonged period, there is no need to change the fuel filter.

No need to chage to synthetic. Just stick with regular oil every 5000 miles or so.

I think your mechanic said everything correctly. Good luck!

hey guys, i been out of the loop for a while... used to have a LX450 but sold that and got a 98 GS300

Had this baby for about 6 months now... no real issues, except when i went to get an oil change at my mechanic's, he looked at my Tranny Oil and said its black... and needs to be replaced.

Now here is my question... i do not know, nor do i think that the tranny oil has ever been touched here.

And some people i have spoken to claim that unless you have issues with the tranny, i shouldnt touch it. While others say that i should get that taken care of immediately.

now i have not noticed any problems until now that this issue has been brought to my attention... now i might be over reacting.... but when the car is cold (and yes is know i should not drive on a cold car, but sometimes it cannot be helped when im running late for work)... the tranny does shift kind of hard from first to second... but then shifts fine.... and as soon as it warms up i dont notice any problems at all. except that during city driving (and again at times) it picks up speed slow from the light (stop)

EXPERTS GIVE ME YOUR ADVICE: do i just do a tranny pan oil change or should i do a flush ?? and which oil is best... my mechanic suggested that i go to toyota and ask them for the correct tranny oil. and i think he only reccomended the oil change (not the flush). and is all this also related to the hard shifting when cold and slow pick up speed ??

the last thing i did on this car when i got it was a complete tune up. Except when i asked my mech. if he changed the fuel filter he said no because its in the Gas Tank ?? is it really ?? i use Regular engine oil not synthetic.... is it safe to switch to synthetic at this point in the game??? so i guess im askingmore then 1 question.... sorry about that.... i really need to know what to do with the Tranny oil though.... so get back to me on this guys ..... many thanks

[Blingologist]

I worked at toyota for four years as a mechanic and have changed many transmission fluids. In all the cases I've seen when your tranny fluid turns black you are going to gamble. Theres a chance that if you change it you wont see any difference in the performance of your transmission and things will only get worse...quicker. Things could also get better too, it's really a flip of the coin. Your transmission kind of gets used to the fulid that is in it and with all the metal shavings in the fluid, thats how your transmission learns to work. Parts selttle in places that work and they settle in places that dont work, which can cause your transmission to act up. If I was in your shoes, I would inspect the fluid by taking a small sample of it, getting it tested, and taking the results to toyota so they can make a good decision on what to do. From the sounds of it though, I wouldnt touch it. If you do, worst case, your tranny only gets worse and you end up losing it. Save some miles on it, dont change the fluid. Just my opinion. If you want to make a difference ADD an additive to it to help it perform better.

[RomyCHA]

I worked at toyota for four years as a mechanic and have changed many transmission fluids. In all the cases I've seen when your tranny fluid turns black you are going to gamble. Theres a chance that if you change it you wont see any difference in the performance of your transmission and things will only get worse...quicker. Things could also get better too, it's really a flip of the coin. Your transmission kind of gets used to the fulid that is in it and with all the metal shavings in the fluid, thats how your transmission learns to work. Parts selttle in places that work and they settle in places that dont work, which can cause your transmission to act up. If I was in your shoes, I would inspect the fluid by taking a small sample of it, getting it tested, and taking the results to toyota so they can make a good decision on what to do. From the sounds of it though, I wouldnt touch it. If you do, worst case, your tranny only gets worse and you end up losing it. Save some miles on it, dont change the fluid. Just my opinion. If you want to make a difference ADD an additive to it to help it perform better.

I have also heard of this at my dealership, I don't know how true it is though, but it kinda makes sense.

Is there a performance tranny fluid that is recommended... i.e. from Redline?

[Blingologist]

I worked at toyota for four years as a mechanic and have changed many transmission fluids. In all the cases I've seen when your tranny fluid turns black you are going to gamble. Theres a chance that if you change it you wont see any difference in the performance of your transmission and things will only get worse...quicker. Things could also get better too, it's really a flip of the coin. Your transmission kind of gets used to the fulid that is in it and with all the metal shavings in the fluid, thats how your transmission learns to work. Parts selttle in places that work and they settle in places that dont work, which can cause your transmission to act up. If I was in your shoes, I would inspect the fluid by taking a small sample of it, getting it tested, and taking the results to toyota so they can make a good decision on what to do. From the sounds of it though, I wouldnt touch it. If you do, worst case, your tranny only gets worse and you end up losing it. Save some miles on it, dont change the fluid. Just my opinion. If you want to make a difference ADD an additive to it to help it perform better.

I have also heard of this at my dealership, I don't know how true it is though, but it kinda makes sense.

Is there a performance tranny fluid that is recommended... i.e. from Redline?

Lucas makes a great product that works well with all vehicles. This stuff is gold! Any dealer will recommend it!

[NJLexusGS]

I got a 98GS300 as well.

I had my tranny oil changed at about 90,000 miles. Not a complete flush, just what came out from taking the plug out. I got about 105,000 miles now and everything has been good as new.

Use only toyota oil.

As fas as engine oil goes. Stick to whatever you used before. There is no point of switching to synthetic at this point.

I would recommend changing the oil every 3,000 miles. I drive my car pretty hard and when I drain the oil at 3,000 it is pretty dark. So I never go over the mark.

Unless you drive like a grandma try not to go over 3,500 miles between oil changes.

[lx450owner]

so at this point i heard nothing new.... and now it make my descision even harder, being that a toyota mechanic is advising me not to change the tranny oil. what to do... what to do??

as for the engine oil.... i used to have a LX450 therefore i am so used to changin my oil engine every 3k miles that i do the same now with my GS... i agree that with high mile cars its always best to change it every 3k miles.

but i am still in a rut with my tranny oil .... do i or dont i ?

how about this.... will the changing of the trany oil make a differnce in the hard shifting when the car is cold ??? or do they all do that regardless ?? i mean it really kicks into second when the car is cold.... when it warms up drives just fine (knock on wood)

[Tousij2]

Lucas makes a great product that works well with all vehicles. This stuff is gold! Any dealer will recommend it!

Would you mind listing the certain product from Lucas and what it is called?

Thanks,

[Mosh]

hey guys, i been out of the loop for a while... used to have a LX450 but sold that and got a 98 GS300

Had this baby for about 6 months now... no real issues, except when i went to get an oil change at my mechanic's, he looked at my Tranny Oil and said its black... and needs to be replaced.

Now here is my question... i do not know, nor do i think that the tranny oil has ever been touched here.

And some people i have spoken to claim that unless you have issues with the tranny, i shouldnt touch it. While others say that i should get that taken care of immediately.

now i have not noticed any problems until now that this issue has been brought to my attention... now i might be over reacting.... but when the car is cold (and yes is know i should not drive on a cold car, but sometimes it cannot be helped when im running late for work)... the tranny does shift kind of hard from first to second... but then shifts fine.... and as soon as it warms up i dont notice any problems at all. except that during city driving (and again at times) it picks up speed slow from the light (stop)

EXPERTS GIVE ME YOUR ADVICE: do i just do a tranny pan oil change or should i do a flush ?? and which oil is best... my mechanic suggested that i go to toyota and ask them for the correct tranny oil. and i think he only reccomended the oil change (not the flush). and is all this also related to the hard shifting when cold and slow pick up speed ??

the last thing i did on this car when i got it was a complete tune up. Except when i asked my mech. if he changed the fuel filter he said no because its in the Gas Tank ?? is it really ?? i use Regular engine oil not synthetic.... is it safe to switch to synthetic at this point in the game??? so i guess im askingmore then 1 question.... sorry about that.... i really need to know what to do with the Tranny oil though.... so get back to me on this guys ..... many thanks

First, how many miles are on your car? And have you actually looked at your fluid, or are you just going by what the dealer told you? (Keep in mind, many mechanics get "upsales", or extra money for things they find wrong with your car and that you pay to have fixed) Is the fluid actually black, or is it just darker than new fluid? Does it smell burnt?

[SRK]

The belief that black or dirty trans oil should not be changed "because it's holding things together" is an urban myth created by people who wouldn't know a shift solenoid from a parking pawl. Bunch of crap. Change the oil with Toyota type IV and be done with it.