junichi

Thanks, i hear ya. The problem at this point is it may not be worth putting in another 3-5k. Even 500 for a teardown would be good money after bad, potentially. If i can be reasonably sure it' s not going to be less than 2g's or so, i will part it out or sell as is. The thing is, the estimate i got was from a shop that never even opened up the car!

So you are saying i need a new transmission?

Found these in the trans sump... Not good. Fliter clean and refill did nothing, just sounds like a whirring electric motor when put in gear. Is there anything else to try or is that it for the trans? (And my lexus!)

Hello, I have a 2001 RX300 AWD with about 140k (220 thousand KM). The transmission was shifting slowly a few months ago, then was fine. Then one day, driving about 50mph, there was a big clunk and then the engine revved up. My wife quickly took her foot off the gas and coasted to a stop. She tried but was not able to drive in any gears, including reverse. We towed it to the shop, where they said it needed a transmission rebuild or replacement. It's at home now, and after reading hundreds of threads on this and other forums, i pulled the drain pan and filter off the trans. There are two clumps of metal shavings on the pan, the filter looks pretty clean with very minor sediment. When i started it (before draining!) it would seem to shift into reverse with a clunk, like a crappy old 80's car (not too loud, but certainly not quiet). All the forward gears only make a whirring noise, no clunks, and the gears don't engage. The question is, should i bother with a filter clean and fluid replacement? It seems to work for many people, but i am wondering if the big clunk was a sure sign of a catastrophic mechanical failure? Is it worth a try or should i pull the trans and check the planetary gears? Thanks.