2005 LX transmission fluid q's

[OregonB]

Finishing up baselining my fluids...unless I'm totally missing something, this is a sealed transmission (?), no dipstick/fill tube. In all the threads on MUD about draining/refilling, pulling the pan, flushing (or not flushing), etc., there seems to be little mention of this "feature". Is this common in past years of LC/Lexus? Feel Like I should get at it, I'm at 156,000 & can't assume PO has done anything.

 

[BullElk]

If I were you, I would be hoping the PO hasn't touched the tranny or fluid....nor would I. I would focus more on making sure it is running and shifting correctly. I think it is sealed without a dipstick for a reason. I've had plenty of good reason to not worry about the tranny fluid. IMO, tranny fluid replacement is the number one over thought item amoung mudders.

 

[OregonB]

Hope you're right. You pull a tag for this year, or is that plate for something else?

 

[BullElk]

Hope you're right. You pull a tag for this year, or is that plate for something else?

You got it right. I did draw a CO Unit 7 tag (which isn't hard to do). Then sent it back in for a refund thinking I wasn't gonna be able to make a trip this year. Now I am planning to hunt in SW CO with OTC tag. Leaving the 13th.

 

[Spike555]

If I were you, I would be hoping the PO hasn't touched the tranny or fluid....nor would I. I would focus more on making sure it is running and shifting correctly. I think it is sealed without a dipstick for a reason. I've had plenty of good reason to not worry about the tranny fluid. IMO, tranny fluid replacement is the number one over thought item amoung mudders.

By that logic your diffs and t-case should never be touched either.

Go ahead and change the transfluid, just do a drain and fill, the hardest part is filling the trans as the fill plug is on the side.
To check the fluid level is easy too.
I used Valvoline MaxLife, read the back, it will say Toyota WS equivalent. You will need 4qts. A hand pump and wrenches. The check plug is a 5mm Allen.

Remove the fill plug, driverside, half way up next to the shift linkage.
Remove drain plug.
Once drained replace drain plug.
Pump back in three qts of ATF, start engine, run through all the gears holding each one for 10 seconds until you hit 1st, then do the same going back into park.
Leave the engine running, crawl under truck, remove check plug. If fluid does not come out you need to add more, if fluid comes out let it drain until it starts to trickle, replace check plug, done.

A slightly easier way is to add all four qts, drive around the block, then with the engine running remove the check plug and let the excess fluid drain out.

Total time, about half an hour.

 

[BullElk]

By that logic your diffs and t-case should never be touched either.

Negative. Although I do change the diff and tcase oil when they're dirty. Different type of lubricant than hydraulic fluid. My tranny fluid is never dirty or burned. Tell me, how many times have you changed your tranny fluid to see dirty and/or burned fluid pouring out?

 

[fjfodee]

WS ATF Flush Procedure

 

[fjfodee]

Negative. Although I do change the diff and tcase oil when they're dirty. Different type of lubricant than hydraulic fluid. My tranny fluid is never dirty or burned. Tell me, how many times have you changed your tranny fluid to see dirty and/or burned fluid pouring out?

Even though it's a sealed unit that doesn't mean the fluid will last forever. Mine was bad at 170k. Believe there are suggested change intervals in manual as well.

 

[BullElk]

Agreed but the tranny fluid will last several hundred thousand miles and then some... if your tranny does. I can't remember the last time any of the vehicles below have had new tranny fluid. Nor have any of them had tranny problems. Just because Toyota says change it every 100K doesn't mean it is needed. But you certainly can if you want. I've had exceptional luck just checking the fluid regularly... like all other fluids and have yet to find a reason (dirty or burned) to change the tranny fluid. I think if I changed it more often my chances of getting more than zero problems I currently have had is greater than getting less than the zero problems I have had.

 

[OregonB]

Sweet. Good luck.... I'm on the DL, so staying local this year, rifle only, leaving the bow in the case.

 

[OregonB]

By that logic your diffs and t-case should never be touched either.

Go ahead and change the transfluid, just do a drain and fill, the hardest part is filling the trans as the fill plug is on the side.
To check the fluid level is easy too.
I used Valvoline MaxLife, read the back, it will say Toyota WS equivalent. You will need 4qts. A hand pump and wrenches. The check plug is a 5mm Allen.

Remove the fill plug, driverside, half way up next to the shift linkage.
Remove drain plug.
Once drained replace drain plug.
Pump back in three qts of ATF, start engine, run through all the gears holding each one for 10 seconds until you hit 1st, then do the same going back into park.
Leave the engine running, crawl under truck, remove check plug. If fluid does not come out you need to add more, if fluid comes out let it drain until it starts to trickle, replace check plug, done.

A slightly easier way is to add all four qts, drive around the block, then with the engine running remove the check plug and let the excess fluid drain out.

Total time, about half an hour.

Thanks Spike. That is a nice, concise, clear set of directions.

 

[Spike555]

Negative. Although I do change the diff and tcase oil when they're dirty. Different type of lubricant than hydraulic fluid. My tranny fluid is never dirty or burned. Tell me, how many times have you changed your tranny fluid to see dirty and/or burned fluid pouring out?

Well I have changed the fluid on my Cruiser twice now, once during my baseline and again a year later, normally I do it every 50k.
Same with my diff's and t-case, every 50k. Maintence is cheap, replacement parts are not.

As long as you never overheat your transmission the fluid will last a very very long time, but how do you know if you've ever overheated it? You check the fluid condition. How do you check the fluid condition on a "sealed" transmission? You change it.
Everyone can do whatever they want, but for me, $20 and 30min is cheaper and easier than searching for a new transmission.

 

[fjfodee]

Read this thread as well since you have an '05. There is a certain VIN run that it pertains to.

2004 Transmission Issue - Washboard Vibration, Shudder

 

[abuck99]

Duty cycle & heat cycles should be benchmarks for fluid change intervals. But best practice would be to follow the Toyota Scheduled Maintenance Guide: Maintenance Log for SUV's and Trucks.
https://www.toyota.com/t3Portal/document/omms-s/05ToyAllMS_MS0009/pdf/51j1smt.pdf


If you tow the first recommended transmission "drain & fill" is at 60,000 miles, and every 30,000 miles there after. When I baselined my 05 @ 164K miles I had the fluid "exchanged" on BG fluid exchange machine. The fluid was very dark. I didn't find a record of it having ever being changed by the PO.

As Spike suggested HEAT is the key to short or long fluid life. The higher the sustained HEAT the faster the fluid breaks down and sooner it needs to be replaced. The other issue is cumulative heat cycles- with each high heat duty cycle the fluid life gets exponentially shorter. So where one truck could possibly go 100-150-200k+ miles on the same fluid under a light duty cycle (local/short trips, no towing, light loads that never gets the fluid above 150f), there are others that tow, or operate heavily loaded and in hot climates, mountain/dessert driving etc (severe duty cycle) where higher sustained temps are normal, they should change fluid sooner (like at 30k intervals).

This chart illustrates how fluid life diminishes with heat. Source: Transmission Oil

Agreed but the tranny fluid will last several hundred thousand miles and then some... if your tranny does. I can't remember the last time any of the vehicles below have had new tranny fluid. Nor have any of them had tranny problems. Just because Toyota says change it every 100K doesn't mean it is needed. But you certainly can if you want. I've had exceptional luck just checking the fluid regularly... like all other fluids and have yet to find a reason (dirty or burned) to change the tranny fluid. I think if I changed it more often my chances of getting more than zero problems I currently have had is greater than getting less than the zero problems I have had.

Maybe qualifying how you use your truck would be helpful to those onlookers who are unclear what drain & fill intervals to follow. Based on what you wrote, someone who tows a boat or camper regularly might damage their transmission following your advice.

 

[BullElk]

Sure...good point Abuck99. I do not tow a boat or camper with any of my family's Lexii. I think if I did put my transmission under more than average stress, like towing, I would be more concerned with overheating it. Which would then probably burn the fluid resluting in the need to change it more often. But I do check the fluids often making sure it is bright pink and no burned smell.

 

[medtro]

By that logic your diffs and t-case should never be touched either.

Go ahead and change the transfluid, just do a drain and fill, the hardest part is filling the trans as the fill plug is on the side.
To check the fluid level is easy too.
I used Valvoline MaxLife, read the back, it will say Toyota WS equivalent. You will need 4qts. A hand pump and wrenches. The check plug is a 5mm Allen.

Remove the fill plug, driverside, half way up next to the shift linkage.
Remove drain plug.
Once drained replace drain plug.
Pump back in three qts of ATF, start engine, run through all the gears holding each one for 10 seconds until you hit 1st, then do the same going back into park.
Leave the engine running, crawl under truck, remove check plug. If fluid does not come out you need to add more, if fluid comes out let it drain until it starts to trickle, replace check plug, done.

A slightly easier way is to add all four qts, drive around the block, then with the engine running remove the check plug and let the excess fluid drain out.

Total time, about half an hour.

I believe you need to check ATF level at certain temperature ranges which is more involve than running through all the gears holding each one for 10 seconds.

 

[aging fleet]

@OregonB, I'm in the drain and fill camp on this one. My '06 had 110,000 miles and was 11 years old when I decided it was time circulate some fresh fluid through. If you go this route, do yourself a favor and read the FSM because it takes a few steps to be sure you get the fluid level correct (requires monitoring fluid temperatures).

I did two rounds so about 7 quarts of fresh ATF were circulated into the system. The old fluid that came out may have had life left, but it was absolutely dirty. Other notes:

- It's way easier to fill the transmission using a funnel and some tubing run through the engine bay (vs hand pumping under the car)
- Techstream is helpful for monitoring ATF temps
- You'll need new crush washers
- I used Toyota's WS ATF, just personal preference
- Use a graduated container to catch the ATF fluid when draining, that way you know approximately how much needs to go back in (I got mine in the paint section at Lowe's)

Others will recommend pulling the pan to clean the magnets or going with a full exchange, but the drain and fill felt sufficient to me. Since I have 3 more quarts of WS sitting in the garage, I'll probably pick another quart and do another round then leave it alone for 30k.

 

[abuck99]

I haven't done this yet, so I'm posing the question: Assuming the fluid level is correct to begin with, and you do a basic drain and refill (3.0L) measuring what comes out, you simply replace that quantity. Not much else to it?

 

[fjfodee]

I haven't done this yet, so I'm posing the question: Assuming the fluid level is correct to begin with, and you do a basic drain and refill (3.0L) measuring what comes out, you simply replace that quantity. Not much else to it?

No. Even though you replace what you removed you still have to check the level at proper trans temp. Somewhat of a procedure but not too difficult. Details are in the "WS flush" link I posted above.

 

[aging fleet]

Yep, if you take 3.5 out and put 3.5 back in, you should be fine.

Edit...just saw @fjfodee 's post, clearly YMMV.