Our 2001 LS430 is at 233K miles and I figured it might be
time to change the tranny fluid. Not wanting to do a flush and fill at the
local AAMCO, I decided to drain, drop the pan, replace the filter, and refill
followed by a couple more drains and refills. Problem is, the owner’s manual
indicates a 1.9 qt capacity for a drain and refill and when I initially drained
it, I got 3.5 quarts out of it. If it helps, I did let it drain for over an
hour. Now, this model year still has the dipstick, and even though I consider
that dipstick design one of the few annoying things about this car, making it
extremely difficult to get a good reading, I swear up and down that the level
was correct (in park and running) before I drained it. Can anyone out there
personally verify that the 1.9 qt capacity is either correct or incorrect? I
normally would not question an owner’s manual (especially Lexus), but when we
bought the car and I did my first oil change, I found I had to put more than
the 4.8 qt the manual indicated in order to bring it up to the full mark on the
dipstick, so I know there is a problem with that value. Also, does anyone know
how sensitive the level is to the temperature of the fluid?