nOraKat

Edit: Question for Mold Supervisor: Regarding those cases you posted: Does it mean that the customer got a full refund? How did he go about getting that? ---- original post: I have a 2016 Lexus ES 350 w 23k miles. After about a couple months, I notice that if I did not use the car for a day or couple of days, I would smell a strange yet familiar smell coming out of the car vents, especially after I just turned it on. I smelled it before on other cars. Could this be the smell you're talking about? It is not that noticeable when I use the car everyday. I think it can be interpreted as a mildew smell. I took it to the dealer and mentioned it but they did not smell it or the rest of the other problems I mentioned. To them there is never a problem! Anyway I have yet to figure it out. Maybe the heater core? I keep AC on 24/7 whether it is hot of cold outside.

So today I performed the procedure to change the transmission oil in the pan and set it to the proper levels. Before I say anything, let me say that the transmission I pulled out from my car w only 23k miles was almost black and the last bit I poured had some sludge/residue in it. I do not believe for a second that this oil is good for a lifetime, or even 100k. First to verify the level, I brought the transmission oil to the measurement temperature of 104 to 113 deg F. I pulled the transmissions drain plug and no oil was coming out indicating that the oil was low. After the procedure, for good measure I added and additional 100ml to the normal level which I thought was negligible enough to be safe. Anyway, I am happy to report that all of the loud whining noise (that the Lexus dealer said was normal) is gone. The car is now super quiet when it accelerates. The problem of early downshifting while coasting at various speeds is gone, though there can be some annoyance at 35 mph at a shift point, however that seems to be normal. All the hard shifting is gone. Shifts are more subtle. It seems the transmission operates completely differently, although the change in fluid level from what it was is only 220 ml (approximate). It is amazing that such a small change in level could make such a huge difference. This transmission is very nit-picky, like the instructor in the video above said. If I set it to normal levels, the difference would have been only 120 ml. The procedure I did is the following: Only difference is I used Toyota Techstream to check the transmission oil temperature. You can buy it on Ebay with the cable at a reasonable price. To answer my question above, the car has to be running and be on park when the measurement is made.

Thank goodness I have found this thread. I purchased a 2016 Lexus ES 350 about 8 months ago, and I am experiencing similar symptoms as many here on this thread. I brought it back to Lexus with similar responses as others telling me there was no problem. In particular - 1) the whining noise, similar to the sound on some cars when there is a power steering issue and you turn the steering wheel all the way, that sound that corresponds with each acceleration. Like another said, you have to turn off the air and open the windows to hear it. 2) The feeling like a down shift somewhere between 40 and 30 mph when you are coasting, making coasting very annoying also at higher speeds 3) hard shifts in some cases. Now I feel Iike I am in the Twilight Zone, because these are all classic symptoms of your transmission oil being at the wrong level, and it is astounding that of all the people here who brought their car back to Lexus, not one of the mechanics bothered to check the transmission oil level. I even specifically requested it, and still they did not do it. That is one reason I feel like I am in the twilight zone. Another reason I feel like I am in the twilight zone is because one poster on this thread potentially gave the solution, yet everybody ignored him Update 4/30/17: So today I performed the procedure to change the transmission oil in the pan and set it to the proper levels. First to verify the level, I brought the transmission oil to the measurement temperature of 104 to 113 deg F. I pulled the transmissions drain plug and no oil was coming out indicating that the oil was low. After the procedure, for good measure I added 100ml to the normal level which I thought was negligible enough to be safe. Anyway, I am happy to report that all of the loud whining noise (that the Lexus dealer said was normal) is gone. The car is now super quiet when it accelerates. The problem of early downshifting while coasting at various speeds is gone, though there can be some annoyance at 35 mph with a shift point, however that seems to be normal. All the hard shifting is gone. Shifts are more subtle. It seems the transmission operates completely differently, although the change in fluid level from what it was is 220 ml (approximate). It is amazing that such a small change in level could make such a huge difference. This transmission is very nit-picky, like the instructor in the video above said. If I set it to normal levels, the difference would have been only 120 ml. The procedure I did is the following: Only difference is I use Toyota Techstream to check the transmission oil temperature. You can buy it on Ebay with the cable at a reasonable price.

I already have Toyota Techstream working and can observe my transmission temperature. Like I said before, you do not need the special service tools unless you are making the measurement at the temperatures specified in the procedure you posted (thanks for that btw.. and where did you get it?). The tube in the drain plug is measured for the oil temperature of 104-113 deg F, so as long as you have it at that temperature you do not need those tools. The only thing I am trying to figure out now is whether I need the car to be running when I do the measurement (which was my original question and the purpose of making this post).

I bought the car brand new and it is under 50k miles. Yes I did bring it to the dealer, I asked them to check the transmission oil level and told them the problem. They said they did not observe any problems - the whining, they said was normal and they probably didn't even bother to drive it on the road to observe the premature downshifting and hard shifts.

Lexus DK: Not a good idea. You need a specialty transmission fluid tool to perform this procedure. That is not correct. You only need that tool if you are checking it at a higher temperature than what is specified for the overflow tube. It is explained in the video. Lexus DK: why are you even trying to replace the Transmission fluid? Because there is a problem. It is explained here:

Hi, I am planning to check the transmission oil level on my 2016 ES 350. So far I bought the Toyota Tech Stream software and can now monitor my transmission oil temperature. So far I know what is on this video: So what I am planning: 1) Remove splash panel next to left front wheel well to get access to the fill bolt on the transmission. 2) Loosen bolt on transmission oil pan while up on a ramp. 3) Bring up to measurement temperature (104 to 113 F). 4) With engine off and car level - remove transmission oil pan bolt. 5) If I see no oil leaking out, I will add WS transmission oil through the fill hole using a funnel attached to a hose. Is this a good procedure? A few questions I have is: 1) Should the car be running when I make the measurement? Does it make a difference? (I saw another procedure where the guy had the car running..) 2) How does changing oil in the pan periodically compare to doing a total flush? Is it OK to just change the oil in the pan periodically as opposed to doing a total flush? 3) How do you do a total flush? Thanks for your help..

Hi, I have the 2016 Lexus ES 350 for 8 months and had the same problem. What I noticed is that as I broke in the car/engine, the mileage improved. I drive professionally for a car service like 8 hours a day, 5 days a week. It started out at 17 mpg combined, but I also idle a lot so that probably brings it down. Now I am at 19.5 - 21 mpg with the same amount of idling. If I did not idle (and ran at a higher tire pressure), I would probably be at a much better mileage. After my first oil change at 6k, I noticed a difference. I did not wait till 10k like they suggested. I do not recommend waiting till 10k since even at 6k, the oil was very dark and smelled. Another significant factor is tire pressure: I run mine at 30-32 psi since I have 18" wheels and it feels a bit harsher/stiffer, but I notice 2 more pounds gives a much better mileage than I stated. Also if you've driven in dusty conditions, check your air filter. Also there seems to be a common problem where transmission oil level is improperly filed out the factory. Not sure if this could have an effect.. (BTW looking to trade my 18" wheels for 17"'s.)

Thank goodness I have found this thread. I purchased a 2016 Lexus ES 350 about 8 months ago, and I am experiencing similar symptoms as many here on this thread. I brought it back to Lexus with similar responses as others telling me there was no problem. In particular - 1) the whining noise, similar to the sound on some cars when there is a power steering issue and you turn the steering wheel all the way, that sound that corresponds with each acceleration. Like another said, you have to turn off the air and open the windows to hear it. 2) The feeling like a down shift somewhere between 40 and 30 mph when you are coasting, making coasting very annoying also at higher speeds 3) hard shifts in some cases. Now I feel Iike I am in the Twilight Zone, because these are all classic symptoms of your transmission oil being at the wrong level, and it is astounding that of all the people here who brought their car back to Lexus, not one of the mechanics bothered to check the transmission oil level. I even specifically requested it, and still they did not do it. That is one reason I feel like I am in the twilight zone. Another reason I feel like I am in the twilight zone is because none of the people here (except one poster) bothered to check their transmission oil level after having the problem for years. One poster on this thread potentially gave the solution, yet everybody ignored him. He wrote: I have not even checked mine yet and I would bet money that this is the problem. Maybe this is a common mistake at the factory since they check the measurement at the wrong temperature. Watch this video to understand: I will be checking mine in the next few days and report back to let you guys know if it fixed the problem.