1998 Transmission Flush.

david_hornet27 · November 24, 2009

Hi All,

Has anybody done a transmission flush themselves as described on Lexls and what was the result?

Really only interested in people who have actually done it themselves, as there seem to be lots of tales of woe from people who have had a third party do it, or know someone else who had problems.

Thought it may be interesting to know what mileage the car had on it, what year it was and the previous maintenence the transmission had (if any) or if previous maintenance was unknown. Also could be interesting to know what condition the fluid that came out was in.

Thanks in advance everyone...

David

moriwaki · November 24, 2009

Yes ...I did mine myself...was simple but messy....you will struggle if not on a lift...I dropped the pan off...cleaned the magnets etc....then disconnected at the rad to start the flushing...I had a mate start the car for a few seconds while I kept an eye on the pipe going into the waste tank etc....kept topping up till it came out cherry....and it was very dirty...dont think it had ever been done properly in 120 thousand...Good Luck....

david_hornet27 · November 25, 2009

Yes ...I did mine myself...was simple but messy....you will struggle if not on a lift...I dropped the pan off...cleaned the magnets etc....then disconnected at the rad to start the flushing...I had a mate start the car for a few seconds while I kept an eye on the pipe going into the waste tank etc....kept topping up till it came out cherry....and it was very dirty...dont think it had ever been done properly in 120 thousand...Good Luck....

Thanks Moriwaki,

Good to know somebody has done it without probs. I thought it would be interesting for anyone thinking (but worried) about doing a flush to know from others who have actually done the job. There are lots of old wives tales on here that seem to be from people giving second or third hand experiences!

My box seems fine, fluid is a dirty red but I think I have convinced myself to flush. Got the 10 litres of T4 sitting in the garage, and luckily have a lift.

BTW there seems to be some confusion over whether the fluid drains directly out of the rad, or from the pipe that connects to it. Can you remember which it is?

Thanks very much

moriwaki · November 25, 2009

It was from the pipe...start the motor for a few seconds and you will soon see the old stuff getting pumped out....dont let the pan run dry...keep it up to level....you will do it on your lift no problem...but it can be messy...follow the instructions on this site.....

Cheers. :)

david_hornet27 · November 27, 2009

Did my transmission flush today, along with engine oil and filter change. Took around 4 hours for the lot just plodding along making sure I kept the fluid in the gearbox sump at a good level, replacing around 1 litre at a time.

The existing fluid in the box was red but very sooty, and although there were no problems with the way the box operated (apart from it hesitating occasionally when at VERY low speeds and when putting my foot on the gas) I wanted to have all new fluid for my own peace of mind. Have done a few miles and all seems to be fine. The tricky part was getting the level right in the box, I will re-check tomorrow as I deliberately erred on the low side.

Box seems to be as smooth as it was before the flush, don't know if it's cured the hesitation but from the research on here it seems that may be a generic problem and is something you have to adapt your driving style to????

Had my LS400 1998 series 4 for a week now and I am still loving every minute of driving it. Still finding things I have missed, like the coin drawer that I discovered today!

Thanks for the advice and reassurance...

ManicMark · November 27, 2009

Hi im sure it will grow on you more & more, have you spotted the 3rd sun visor yet, also if you switch the mirror adjust button to the right hand side the left mirror dips down when you reverse to see the kerb. Ive had mine a over a year now & am still marveling at things ( last friday night I drove to Wales, my girlfriend wanted to read, so sat in the back, they even seem to have set the rear reading lights so the dont interfere with your rear vision as a driver). Enjoy :D

david_hornet27 · November 27, 2009

Hi im sure it will grow on you more & more, have you spotted the 3rd sun visor yet, also if you switch the mirror adjust button to the right hand side the left mirror dips down when you reverse to see the kerb. Ive had mine a over a year now & am still marveling at things ( last friday night I drove to Wales, my girlfriend wanted to read, so sat in the back, they even seem to have set the rear reading lights so the dont interfere with your rear vision as a driver). Enjoy :D

Third sun visor? No I haven't spotted that yet, where is it? Somewhere in the middle I guess...

Everyone I have shown the car is amazed it is 11 years old because it still looks mint, and are blown away by all the electrics, the dash, the heated seats, the front cup holders that can be hidden out of sight, the list goes on and on!

I still keep going for an imaginary hand-brake though which makes me look a bit of a fool!! lol