How Can I Tell If My 99 Rx300 Has An Improved Replacement Transmission

[DMW 99 RX300]

I just bought a 99 RX300 with 78K miles and was able to get an extended 3 year/36K mile warranty for the engine and transmission.

I would like to be able to determine if the transmission has been replaced with the 6 gear planetary (http://us.lexusownersclub.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=54728) or if it has the original inferior 4 gear planetary that is causing all of the problems.

Is there a way to identify which one I have such as a number or something physically different in the case from the original?

[lenore]

I wish we could, I called Lexus of AMerica and they wouldnt even return my call for this exact question....

[pauljcl]

I just bought a 99 RX300 with 78K miles and was able to get an extended 3 year/36K mile warranty for the engine and transmission.

I would like to be able to determine if the transmission has been replaced with the 6 gear planetary (http://us.lexusownersclub.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=54728) or if it has the original inferior 4 gear planetary that is causing all of the problems.

Is there a way to identify which one I have such as a number or something physically different in the case from the original?

... just guessing... but if transmission failures have been occurring on the 1999 and 2000 models (and maybe even later models), I would doubt that a 1999 model, except if the transmission has been changed/repaired, would have been manufactured with the newer/better planetary gear. A Lexus dealer could probably run the history of your car to determine whether the transmission was ever repaired at Lexus, but if repaired elsewhere it would probably not show up. -- I have an AWD '99RX300 built in 1999, and I assume that I have the old/worse planetary gear myself. I don't know enough about automatic transmissions to know if, by removing the pan, you can 'look into' the transmission and determine which planetary gear you have. Maybe a Lexus dealer or a transmission shop could help on that??? [Plse. let us know what you find out - TKU].

[DMW 99 RX300]

The local Lexus dealer told me over the phone that if I come down there, they will give me a printout of all of the work that has ever been done by a Lexus dealership. I'll go there Friday and post what I find out.

All of the maintenance has been done either by the Lexus dealer or by a well known independent shop. The service manager at the independent shop said that he works on 4 or 5 RX's each week and that he has not heard about any problems with the 99 RX300 transmissions. He says that he has one on the lot with 300K miles and the original engine and transmission. However, he also said that he had never heard of a RX300 having a Nakamichi stereo like mine has so I don't know how much the guy really knows.

He did say that when he has replaced RX transmissions, that the cases of the replacement transmissions, which were rebuilt by Lexus in Japan, look identical and doubted that there would be any way to be able to tell the difference between an original and upgraded rebuilt.

I do know that it is difficult to drive in the North Dallas area without seeing several RX's as they are very common around here and that the independent shop is huge and has a good reputation so that says something about the experience that the guy must have. But I take everything with a grain of salt.

[pauljcl]

The local Lexus dealer told me over the phone that if I come down there, they will give me a printout of all of the work that has ever been done by a Lexus dealership. I'll go there Friday and post what I find out.

All of the maintenance has been done either by the Lexus dealer or by a well known independent shop. The service manager at the independent shop said that he works on 4 or 5 RX's each week and that he has not heard about any problems with the 99 RX300 transmissions. He says that he has one on the lot with 300K miles and the original engine and transmission. However, he also said that he had never heard of a RX300 having a Nakamichi stereo like mine has so I don't know how much the guy really knows.

He did say that when he has replaced RX transmissions, that the cases of the replacement transmissions, which were rebuilt by Lexus in Japan, look identical and doubted that there would be any way to be able to tell the difference between an original and upgraded rebuilt.

I do know that it is difficult to drive in the North Dallas area without seeing several RX's as they are very common around here and that the independent shop is huge and has a good reputation so that says something about the experience that the guy must have. But I take everything with a grain of salt.

I don't know if you have the AWD or just 2wd. You're better off, transmission-wise, with the 2wd as there is less effort on the transmission. (Mine is a AWD, and I fear transmission problems - already had a rear engine seal leak, which is another weakness, as they say" a known defect"). "lenore" seems to be the expert in RX300 transmissions, and I see he has already responded. Maybe he can let us know if there is an inexpensive way of identifying the planetary gear 'de visu' by dropping the pan?

Many RXs have the Nakamichi sound, and, if you search a little on this site, many transmissions have died 'early'. It does not mean yours will, particularly if you do not stress it, change oil - says lenore - every 15K or 30K miles, have a 2WD, and, maybe inportantly, cross fingers.

[lenore]

Unfortunately I have not been able to get any info as to how or when the upgrades were done on these trannys....