How much to service the sealed transmission on a GS250?

[Werewolf1976]

Hi

Just wondering if this is a service I must do at a Lexus dealer and how much I should estimate for costing

Many thanks

John

[ColinBarber]

You are better off finding a transmission specialist which experience of the GS transmission. Most Lexus dealers wouldn't have touched one.

[Werewolf1976]

When I said service what I really meant was a drain and fill of the ATF...not sure if I was clear

[Werewolf1976]

Spoke w a local Lexus deal c1100gbp to service the transmission (LOL)

Anybody have a local mechanic recommendation for W3 London?

[ColinBarber]

On 8/23/2020 at 10:36 PM, Werewolf1976 said:

When I said service what I really meant was a drain and fill of the ATF...not sure if I was clear

Just doing a drain and fill will only change 1/3 of the fluid - which may be all you need to keep the fluid in good condition if you do it regularly.

I'm not sure the Lexus dealer was quoting you correctly, or they just didn't want to do it. They probably included dropping the pan and changing the filter but even then it is a couple of hours work and £150 in parts and fluid.

[Werewolf1976]

3 minutes ago, ColinBarber said:

Just doing a drain and fill will only change 1/3 of the fluid - which may be all you need to keep the fluid in good condition if you do it regularly.

I'm not sure the Lexus dealer was quoting you correctly, or they just didn't want to do it. They probably included dropping the pan and changing the filter but even then it is a couple of hours work and £150 in parts and fluid.

Thanks Colin - appreciate the feedback. Context here is the car has 85k miles with Lex FSH but no record of transmission service. Given this, my thought is to do a series of drain and fills (no flush) to dilute down the worn fluid.  Does this make sense?  

 

 

[m4rkw]

There's really little point in just draining the fluid and not changing the filter assembly. Don't flush it, if anyone says "flush" - run away. Probably a bit far from you but I'd always recommend Toyotec in Redhill, they'll give you a loan car too while it's being done.

[m4rkw]

Just now, Werewolf1976 said:

Thanks Colin - appreciate the feedback. Context here is the car has 85k miles with Lex FSH but no record of transmission service. Given this, my thought is to do a series of drain and fills (no flush) to dilute down the worn fluid.  Does this make sense?  

I had the same query when I got my RX with 77k on it. Advice from Toyotec was to replace the filter assembly and drain and fill once, doing it twice isn't necessary although I'm sure if you insisted it could be done. A double drain and fill is usually only necessary if the box doesn't have a replaceable filter assembly.

[Werewolf1976]

Just now, m4rkw said:

I had the same query when I got my RX with 77k on it. Advice from Toyotec was to replace the filter assembly and drain and fill once, doing it twice isn't necessary although I'm sure if you insisted it could be done. A double drain and fill is usually only necessary if the box doesn't have a replaceable filter assembly.

Thanks Mark!  How much did this cost (ballpark)?

[m4rkw]

Also since mine was done late (77k as opposed to the ideal 50k) I did it again at 97k, although that was mostly because it was easier to get the car to Toyotec while I'm working from home.

[m4rkw]

Just now, Werewolf1976 said:

Thanks Mark!  How much did this cost (ballpark)?

About £300.

[m4rkw]

Also just to add a bit more explanation of why a double drain and fill isn't necessary, although you might only get half or two thirds of the fluid out, once refilled there is then plenty of new fluid going around the unit which is enough to keep the seals pliable and lubricate sufficiently. It's the lack of clean fluid that causes damage rather than the presence of used fluid, if that makes sense.

[Werewolf1976]

Just now, m4rkw said:

Also just to add a bit more explanation of why a double drain and fill isn't necessary, although you might only get half or two thirds of the fluid out, once refilled there is then plenty of new fluid going around the unit which is enough to keep the seals pliable and lubricate sufficiently. It's the lack of clean fluid that causes damage rather than the presence of used fluid, if that makes sense.

Super helpful - possible to analysis the fluid (same way as motor oil) to see if there are issues?

Again, preventive but I tend to own vehicles for a long time

[m4rkw]

Not sure if analysis can be done in the same way as it’s done with engine oil, but a competent tech can certainly sieve it to check for metal shavings. If your transmission has a dipstick you can pull it to check the fluid, if it looks black and smells burned then it’s pretty well used up. If it looks dark with a hint of cherry red that’s a good sign and suggests it may have been changed at some point. If the box shifts ok then hopefully changing it soon will buy you a good long lifetime with it.

[m4rkw]

Also if you use a good garage (Lexus specialist ideally) they should test drive it before and after the fluid change to make sure it's shifting right and that there aren't any issues with delayed engagement, weird shift points or slipping. As I said mine was done at 77k which is also late and Russell showed me the jug of black burned fluid that came out of it, but it's still going strong 20k later so hopefully there wasn't any significant damage.

[ColinBarber]

7 hours ago, m4rkw said:

although you might only get half or two thirds of the fluid out

you won't get that much out. For the GS250 transmission in question a pan drain only needs 1 litre of new fluid. The whole system holds 7.2 litres. Most is held in the torque converter/valve body/external cooler and pipework.

 

7 hours ago, m4rkw said:

If your transmission has a dipstick you can pull it to check the fluid

Unfortunately these transmissions don't have one which makes it more difficult to keep an eye on the quality of the ATF.

 

7 hours ago, m4rkw said:

Not sure if analysis can be done in the same way as it’s done with engine oil, but a competent tech can certainly sieve it to check for metal shavings.

if the pan is pulled then they can also check the magnets for any shavings.

[Werewolf334]

On 8/29/2020 at 10:57 AM, m4rkw said:

There's really little point in just draining the fluid and not changing the filter assembly. Don't flush it, if anyone says "flush" - run away. Probably a bit far from you but I'd always recommend Toyotec in Redhill, they'll give you a loan car too while it's being done.

Hi all

Ending up using Toyotec - a bit of a wait but knows what he's doing.  Thanks for the reco!