2010 Lexus RX350 transmission oil change

[wilnis]

I have always liked the fact on my toyota products I could do a 4 qt drain and fill on the transmission every 30,000 miles or so for about $35-40. My 2010 RX350 has the closed transmission with "lifetime" fluid and supposedly no way to change it.
I stopped at my dealer today and talked to the service manager who said they now have a machine uses the tubes to the radiator to do a "full 12qt flush" for about $200. While it's not $40 it is possible to have the fluid changed, the service guy said they recommend about 75-90,000 miles as the usual time to do this.
An FYI.
Regards-Bill

 

[Donald]

This is a coolant line flush. Almost all cars have lines to the trans cooler up front. You tap into those for a cooler line flush. You could even do it yourself if you could figure a way to get new ATF back into the pan.

 

[Donald]

Could one use a MityVac 7201 to push new ATF back to the transmission pan via the return line? Is the return line direct to the pan, or is the path not really direct?

 

[SteveSRT8]

It's got to have a way to be filled, it's just sealed from the factory.

Always another way to skin the cat...

 

[lubedude13]

There is another thread about this "who has flushed a sealed toyota transmission"
Basically you can do it but it requires a process. You have to go thru a step by step process to make sure the fluid is a certain temp when you are checking to fluid level. I just done mine yesterday with a BG trans machine that hooks up to the lines. It basically was a fluid exchange. I used amsoil atl which meets toyota ws fluid specs.
Unless you are prepared to go thru a tedious process I would let someone with a fluid exchange machine do it. My toyota dealer told me $159.....call a couple others and see who's cheapest. If you can get it for $160 or less I would let them do it cause the fluid is expensive even if you tried it.

 

[tommygunn]

Don't use a machine flush!

Even Toyota's "sealed" transmissions have a drain plug. Even though there is no dipstick, there *is* a dipstick tube.

Simply drain and fill with that drain plug and tube. If you want to "flush", just do the aforementioned drain and fill 3x, with a little driving between each drain.

 

[lubedude13]

There's a difference between a flush and hooking a machine. The BG machine uses the trannys pump pressure to EVACUATE the old fluid. It's the same machine most toyota dealers use. I called 3 dealers and they use the same machines on the new toyotas.
FLUSH is a bad word cause these machines use no machine pressure or anything.

 

[asiancivicmaniac]

What I did in our 'sealed' Aisin was drain the fluid from the pan. Measure how much you drained and pumped the same amount back in through the fill hole with a gear lube pump.

 

[Donald]

Originally Posted By: lubedude13
There's a difference between a flush and hooking a machine. The BG machine uses the trannys pump pressure to EVACUATE the old fluid. It's the same machine most toyota dealers use. I called 3 dealers and they use the same machines on the new toyotas.
FLUSH is a bad word cause these machines use no machine pressure or anything.


The BG flush machine is no different than other flush machines. All use the transmission's own pump to pump new ATF through the transmission. The only difference between flush machines is the technique they use to add new ATF to the pan at the exact rate its being pumped out by the transmission's own pump.

BG tries to sell their machine and their cleaners, ATF and conditioners.

 

[Donald]

Originally Posted By: tommygunn
Don't use a machine flush!

Even Toyota's "sealed" transmissions have a drain plug. Even though there is no dipstick, there *is* a dipstick tube.

Simply drain and fill with that drain plug and tube. If you want to "flush", just do the aforementioned drain and fill 3x, with a little driving between each drain.


Doing multiple drain and fills to get to > 90% new ATF uses (and wastes) more ATF and this costs more, and is less green due to the amount of pretty new ATF that is drained and tossed.

 

[lubedude13]

Yes BG does sell the chemicals which I didn't use. All I did was add new fluid. Basically I replaced the old fluid with new fluid. Same way most toyota dealers do it