Thanks Tony!
Transmission Fluid Drain and Refill on 2011 LX570 (2 Viewers)
- Thread starter Fzj80 1997
- Start date
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I've done it twice now and the Toyota procedure is a little confusing. The page posted by @TonyP shows step 3 of the procedure. Step 2 is to fill the pan until fluid comes out the overflow plug, then you replace the overflow and add the additional amount listed in step 3. See my post here which also has the full FSM pages:
Do y'all recommend a transmission fluid flush?
Do y'all recommend a transmission fluid flush?
bloc
SILVER Star
I bet reusing the fluid comes from the stories of transmission failure just after changing original fluid with a ton of miles. Something about stuff being carried in the fluid impacting the friction qualities and ditching it allowing clutches to slip and transmission to fail. If lexus/toyota says it’s “lifetime” fluid then the shops are covered in saying they choose to reuse it.
I think I paid $6 and change per quart for OEM fluid from a discount site with local pick up.
The same toyota dealership didn’t blink when I asked for a fluid exchange quote. Gave me a price and acted as though they do it all the time.
I think I paid $6 and change per quart for OEM fluid from a discount site with local pick up.
The same toyota dealership didn’t blink when I asked for a fluid exchange quote. Gave me a price and acted as though they do it all the time.
32cls6speedmt
SILVER Star
bloc
SILVER Star
I think it was $295 including fluid, $187 if I provide my own.
I bought 12qts planning on doing it myself but am now leaning toward paying the fluid exchange labor to get most of the old stuff out, then changing the filter at home myself
Do the transmission plugs require the crush washers or are they reusable on both the drain and fill plugs?
Did tranny flush yesterday. I followed this DIY and all the parts from this DIY and it's spot on for 2011 LX570 in terms of parts and procedure including activating the temp detection mode (it took 5 min to warm up) and flushing the coolers:
The problem we ran into was 11 out of 12 pan bolts snapped. My car has excessive amount of rust underneath, and the bolts are not alum, thanks toyota. I gotta give it to germans and their use of alum and shielding. My 10 year old GLK does't have any rusty bolts or any real rust for that matter.
So...heat won't work, because alum casing is excellent heat sink.
Studd extractor...broke...don't do it. It can snap inside of the bolts remains. So the best fix that worked was drilling out and tapping the holes.
Use dremel to cut the bolt remains flush with tranny case.
Then use drift to mark center of the bolt, and then use 3-4 drill good bits starting with a really small one and building up. We got to factory threads on a few holes and a quick simple tap was needed. Other hold were not as lucky, but just took longer.
Another option you have on a 7 out of 12 holes is drill through an M6 hole and just use longer bolt and a nut on top, since bolts go through the case lip. Toyota should have done that from factory.
Oh yea...check plug was seized. Hammering the hex in and then using heat worked on that one.
Drain plug required wire wheel to get build up of rust on the bolt to get 12mm socket on.
Fill plug was non-event.
The problem we ran into was 11 out of 12 pan bolts snapped. My car has excessive amount of rust underneath, and the bolts are not alum, thanks toyota. I gotta give it to germans and their use of alum and shielding. My 10 year old GLK does't have any rusty bolts or any real rust for that matter.
So...heat won't work, because alum casing is excellent heat sink.
Studd extractor...broke...don't do it. It can snap inside of the bolts remains. So the best fix that worked was drilling out and tapping the holes.
Use dremel to cut the bolt remains flush with tranny case.
Then use drift to mark center of the bolt, and then use 3-4 drill good bits starting with a really small one and building up. We got to factory threads on a few holes and a quick simple tap was needed. Other hold were not as lucky, but just took longer.
Another option you have on a 7 out of 12 holes is drill through an M6 hole and just use longer bolt and a nut on top, since bolts go through the case lip. Toyota should have done that from factory.
Oh yea...check plug was seized. Hammering the hex in and then using heat worked on that one.
Drain plug required wire wheel to get build up of rust on the bolt to get 12mm socket on.
Fill plug was non-event.
I would assume if am doing a drain and fill, I can ignore the jumping on the OBD pins to run the warmup mode?
TLC2013
SILVER Star
More then likely you would be fine. Just measure what you take out and replace with the same amount. I would still double check to ensure that the fluid was at the correct level prior to your drain and fill. There have been reports of other member encountering lower levels from previous transmission fluid changes or even from the factory.
I used the carista OBD2 adapter and the OBD2 fusion app on my phone to get a live temp reading at the pan for the check procedure. Draining the pan only replaces 3 or 4 quarts of the 12 quart capacity. Doing the full exchange is much preferred but can be a messy process as I encountered.
I used the carista OBD2 adapter and the OBD2 fusion app on my phone to get a live temp reading at the pan for the check procedure. Draining the pan only replaces 3 or 4 quarts of the 12 quart capacity. Doing the full exchange is much preferred but can be a messy process as I encountered.
This is a very critical part. Most people tend to just fill how much they removed. Which is a good starting point, but you need to do atleast 2-3 check and add fuel if required to make sure the fuel level is accurate and you see some oil drop or trickle flow from the check valve. Do this atleast 2 times after a short drive or after the car is started and runs for 1 minute.
There is a video where the guy routes the fill tube to the engine bay area, if you do this method, you can leave the fill tube and funnel there until you complete this procedure. Fill till your see fluid spills out side the main fill hole. Start engine and let it run. (move car few feet back and forth and make sure the trans oil pan temp is within range), then open fill plug to see if a stream of fluid drops. 1st time you see some fluid drop in check plug, do the fill again and drive and test it again in check valve.
If this is not done satisfactorily, there is a risk of underfilling the oil and cause damage.
One thing I noticed with the transmission drain is, the measure and fill method works if you dont drop the pan and do the drain and fill quickly.
Once you drop the pan, all the fluid in the torque converter slowly drains, so your initial measure will not account of the trickling drain which will happen for next few hours. Hence checking the fluid level multiple times is critical to make sure you filled it correctly.
On a different note, my local chantilly lexus dealer offers a BG transmission service for $495 .
My local Toyota dealer charges ~$250 for the full 12 quart swap, IIRC
I may regret it but @NLScooby 's video is giving me the confidence to give it a go. That and the AHC fluid on my '09 LX570. Purchased my LX back in Nov...1 owner vehicle, exclusively maintained by Lexus. I would love to continue that trend but I am genuinely concerned by the lack of knowledge I've read about on this forum and personally encountered by dealers regarding both Trans and AHC fluid exchange.
Don't mean to hijack the thread, but I would love to hear thoughts on Toyota WS fluid vs. Amsoil. Is Amsoil really worth the price and that superior to Toyota??? That's the direction I'm leaning if im going through the trouble.
Don't mean to hijack the thread, but I would love to hear thoughts on Toyota WS fluid vs. Amsoil. Is Amsoil really worth the price and that superior to Toyota??? That's the direction I'm leaning if im going through the trouble.
TLC2013
SILVER Star
@aubie . I agree, Great video provided by @NLScooby . Watch it a few times and take your time. His contribution Made it a relatively painless experience for me. I debated the WS vs AMSOIL SS ATF and ultimately went for the AMSOIL. Watched a bunch of YouTube videos and reviews/tests. Other then it being super pricey I have no regrets. Doing the full exchange provided slightly improved and smoother shifting. Had 95k on the original WS. A lesson learned is to ensure the tubing used to route the old fluid from the cooler/radiator is connected securely and is the proper diameter for a tight seal. I ended up dumping embarrassingly too bunch of the old fluid on my driveway. Using an OBD2 Reader and app that gives live readings of the transmission pan temp makes checking the fluid level a simple painless process.
@TLC2013 Thanks for the tips! I thought about using a hose clamp on the radiator fitting to prevent slippage. I think I'm sold on using Amsoil and just ordered a ScanGauge II to make checking ATF temps easy. Not planning on a permanent installation but figured I could use it for monitoring MPG and ATF temps on occasional light towing trips as well. Did you drop the pan and change the filter/strainer or just fluid exchange?
TLC2013
SILVER Star
You are welcome. Hose clamp is a good call. I did drop the pan and change the filter and pan gasket. The gasket was a mess to remove. Was super stuck on and left pieces fused to the pan that had to be carefully scraped off to avoid scaring the pan. Next fluid change I won’t mess with the filter and gasket. I was fortunate to not have any stuck pan bolts. All came out easily.
Roger that...thanks! My local dealer has the gasket in stock for $29 so I'll be replacing that too.
bloc
SILVER Star
Be careful with recent AHC fluid, there has been a bad batch for a year with damage being done to pumps. There are pictures and steps people have posted to verify quality before using it, also I seem to remember the stuff in the metal can being ok, the plastic bottle having issues.
You don't need a scangauge if you get a basic bluetooth OBD module and run OBDFuison with the toyota PID add-on. You can configure custom gauges and watch ATF pan and torque converter temps in it, along with lots of other stuff, in a screen format that is far more usable than scangauge.
DIY Smartphone Scan Gauge - OBD Fusion
Having spent some time messing with an OBD-II smartphone monitor app on several long road trips, I think this topic deserves its own thread. Specifically using OBD Fusion to monitor the plethora of info available on the OBD-II data port of the vehicle. I can't take credit for this, but would...
forum.ih8mud.com
Thanks, @bloc the AHC fluid contamination was on my radar. McGeorge Toyota in VA still has some of the 2.5L metal jugs and sells them online, so I ordered those. I haven’t inspected the fluid yet but the cans are sealed and I’m hoping they’re ok. Figured I’d do AHC first and build a little confidence for the trans flush!Be careful with recent AHC fluid, there has been a bad batch for a year with damage being done to pumps. There are pictures and steps people have posted to verify quality before using it, also I seem to remember the stuff in the metal can being ok, the plastic bottle having issues.
You don't need a scangauge if you get a basic bluetooth OBD module and run OBDFuison with the toyota PID add-on. You can configure custom gauges and watch ATF pan and torque converter temps in it, along with lots of other stuff, in a screen format that is far more usable than scangauge.
DIY Smartphone Scan Gauge - OBD Fusion
Having spent some time messing with an OBD-II smartphone monitor app on several long road trips, I think this topic deserves its own thread. Specifically using OBD Fusion to monitor the plethora of info available on the OBD-II data port of the vehicle. I can't take credit for this, but would...
you should go buy a lottery ticket
, the previous owner must have done a fluid change on tran or you live it a rust free zone.
