Gearbox And Transmission

[serryth]

Hi members, I really need some advice on my LS430.

I have a 2001 model LS430. The gearbox and transmission is DEAD.... thats according to Lexus dealership... the car lost its drive when their mechanic test drove it. They say I need a new gearbox, which costs more than the car is worth. I tried to get one from a breakers, but I can't find an honest breaker to deal with. I am really stuck. I never thought that the gearbox would break on a LS430. I only have the car for 2 years. I drive it on the motorway and sit in cruise control. I never abuse it. I cant understand why the gearbox would break? I thought the LS430 was bomb-proof and never went wrong?? Can somebody please help me and tell me what to do with this car? Should I bin it or fix it?

Thanks to anybody who can help.... Im really stuck and need your expert advice.

S

[DaveEdin]

Hi,

PM Maurice (username benfur) as he's a breaker, of LSs and can be trusted on here just fine...

Cheers & hope you get sorted,

Dave

[SteveLS400]

Hi members, I really need some advice on my LS430.

I have a 2001 model LS430. The gearbox and transmission is DEAD.... thats according to Lexus dealership... the car lost its drive when their mechanic test drove it. They say I need a new gearbox, which costs more than the car is worth. I tried to get one from a breakers, but I can't find an honest breaker to deal with. I am really stuck. I never thought that the gearbox would break on a LS430. I only have the car for 2 years. I drive it on the motorway and sit in cruise control. I never abuse it. I cant understand why the gearbox would break? I thought the LS430 was bomb-proof and never went wrong?? Can somebody please help me and tell me what to do with this car? Should I bin it or fix it?

Thanks to anybody who can help.... Im really stuck and need your expert advice.

S

What are the exact symtoms?

[Malc]

Hi,

PM Maurice (username benfur) as he's a breaker, of LSs and can be trusted on here just fine...

Cheers & hope you get sorted,

Dave

I would take it / ask another Lexus main dealer for a simple diagnosis .............. this sounds too incredible to be true that the gearbox has just " died ". Quite simply, they don't !

Ask an automatic gearbox rebuild specialist too.

Has any member ever known this to happen ?

Malc

[SteveLS400]

I would take it / ask another Lexus main dealer for a simple diagnosis .............. this sounds too incredible to be true that the gearbox has just " died ". Quite simply, they don't !

Ask an automatic gearbox rebuild specialist too.

Has any member ever known this to happen ?

Malc

Hi

In short, no. Thats why I asked what the symptoms are. I can't imagine its dead unless seriously mistreated or sabotaged. I also think that with a description of what happened/is happening, we may be able to provide suitable advice.

I am also interested in the comment "the car lost its drive when their mechanic test drove it." Why was he testing it? If it were mine the dealer would be fixing it.

[ROYT]

I would take it / ask another Lexus main dealer for a simple diagnosis .............. this sounds too incredible to be true that the gearbox has just " died ". Quite simply, they don't !

Ask an automatic gearbox rebuild specialist too.

Has any member ever known this to happen ?

Malc

Hi

In short, no. Thats why I asked what the symptoms are. I can't imagine its dead unless seriously mistreated or sabotaged. I also think that with a description of what happened/is happening, we may be able to provide suitable advice.

I am also interested in the comment "the car lost its drive when their mechanic test drove it." Why was he testing it? If it were mine the dealer would be fixing it.

Is there no diagnostic system for this car?

Only time I heard of a dead 'auto' it was short of trans fluid.

[serryth]

Thanks Dave and Steve,

I can't believe that the gearbox would just die... Lexus said that if the gearobx goes, its is a slow process. However, in rare cases, it can just die all of a sudden...... and this is what hapened to me.

The car was making a noise 3 weels ago and the engine management light came on..... so I brought it to Lexus. They told me the solenoid was gone, and charged ALOT to replace this. After replacing the solenoid, I drove the car that weekend and the engine management light came back on ...and the noise got worse. I thought the noise was the the exhaust blowing??... but I am no expert. I brought the car back to lexus, they looked at it under a ramp, test drove it and told me the car was perfect. I insisted on going out for a drove with their mechanic, and got my way...and only then did he actually hear the noise that I had been complaining of. He told me that the drivers wheel bearing was at fault and needed to be replaced. Therefore, I brought the car back to Lexus the following week to have the wheel bearing replaced. I got a phone call from Lexus that day saying that the mechanic went out for a test drive before replacing the wheel bearing ( I have no idea why he went for another test drive??) and that the car lost all of its drive. The mechanic needed a rescue vechicle to bring my car back to Lexus. LExus then told me that the gearbox was to blame and thst the inside of the gearbox had "melted". they simply said I need a new gearbox.

I cant afford a new gearbox.... and they cost more that the car is worth. I've tried various breakers.....they get very defensive when I ask how many miles the car they are breaking has done. I ended up buying a gearbox from a breaker last week who gave me a chasis number ann registration plate from a LS430 with little mileage.. I got Lexus to check up on it and it was all good, from an LS430, and a perfect fit.........However, in the end, they sent a gearbox from a LS400 down to me... its hard to find somebody honest to help with this problem.

The car is still in Lexus.... I am now driving my wifes car and she is stuck getting lifts to work from friends. I dont know what to do.... the car was driving when I brought it to Lexus and it stopped driving while in their care. I dont know what to do with it....

Any thoughts?

S

[jad]

When you say it was making a strange noise what type of noise was it?

[SteveLS400]

Hi again

Lets look at this carefully.

I still find it incredulous that the gearbox just died. This is not a known fault and the car has been around long enough for such a problem to have been flagged-up on here. You must be feeling very despondent but I feel sure that the car can be back as good as new fairly soon.

I do wonder about your Lexus dealer. The solenoid replacement clearly didn’t cure the problem it was supposed to cure. So I am already concerned about their skills but I accept that you have not got the knowledge to challenge their comments. The problem returns but they say its “perfect.”

On test, the mechanic diagnosed a wheel bearing. If it was making such a noise that you thought the exhaust was blowing, I’m amazed they didn’t insist on it not been driven. The plot really thickens when they “test drive” it again. It should have been straight on the ramp. I hope I’m wrong, but it looks to me as if they are trying to drum up work and the gearbox is the pinnacle.

So you still have the engine management light issue, the noise/wheel bearing issue and now the gearbox.

Have you personally tried to drive the car? If not make an attempt in the dealer’s yard. Try the selector in all positions. If it will drive get it away from them and tackle the issues in the order of gearbox, bearing and engine management light.

Assuming that the gearbox does need replacing then there are plenty of honest people out there who will supply the correct part. I Googled “gearbox for ls430” and got plenty of useful links. Before you do this though, you need to find a local-ish specialist in automatics and let him tell you what the crack really is. You also need to deal with the supplier of the wrong box but let the specialist look at yours 1st. You can then get the right box or your money back.

Just a point regarding second hand parts. The breaker is not concerned with mileage – he is breaking it. He cannot tell you if the mileage – assuming he can power-up the dash – is genuine; simply putting the wrong size tyres on a car will throw the mileage out.

I would also make a formal complaint to the Lexus dealer. Stick to the facts – avoid mentioning that they are drumming up business. Why did they diagnose a new solenoid when it didn’t solve the problem etc and focus on the fact that they had the car for a wheel bearing change and instead rendered the car unusable without doing the work that you had authorised.

Theres are lot going on here but work through it carefully.

[John Lawley]

complain to Lexus HQ they might lean on a dealer who is doign a terrible job and dragign there name through the mud.

[ROYT]

complain to Lexus HQ they might lean on a dealer who is doign a terrible job and dragign there name through the mud.

As Steve says, get it away for a second opinion if you can.

It doesn't add up unless the mechanic selected reverse at 40 mph or something..

[Malc]

complain to Lexus HQ they might lean on a dealer who is doign a terrible job and dragign there name through the mud.

As Steve says, get it away for a second opinion if you can.

It doesn't add up unless the mechanic selected reverse at 40 mph or something..

The car is less then 10 years old ............ not fit for purpose comes to mind !

I would go see the guys at Lexus HQ in the UK about this straight away and tell then that this really isn't on and that LOC Members in the UK and worldwide now know of this serious deficiency.

The car, whislt out of the usual warranty is nonetheless amazingly and debiltatingly defective.

I am, quite shocked, that the Main Lexus Dealer hasn't offered to deal with Lexus at the Centre for you to take this worry from your mind.

I think that if you play your cards right then they just might see the error of their ways and sort the problem for you, GRATIS.

Do let us know if this helps at all !

Malc

[ROYT]

On my '94 LS400 there is a diagnostic system for the trans.

Surely the later 430 has a diagnostic system..some code would surely be thrown up.

What about all this OBD2 system and the like..?

The dealer surely has provision to come up with something better than 'the

trans has melted'.. Simplest first thing, whats the fluid like?, is there enough in there?

what's it like?

Something very wrong here...

[steve2006]

I've got to agree,there are many issues here and a lot of questions to be asked and answered.

When the problem started there was a noise so you took it to a Lexus dealer for diagnosis and repair, they must have surely done a diagnostic check first to get an idea of the problem, they then replaced a solenoid but which one?To replace the solenoid ( assuming it was a shift solenoid) they would have to remove the transmission sump so did they then refill the transmission to the correct level?

Everything was OK for a week then the noise returns and this time it is a wheel bearing! If this was the cause of the noise in the first place how is it that replacing a solenoid made the bearing quiet for a week before returning.

They then changed their minds in your absence and decided to take it out for a test drive and broke the gearbox!l

So basically you took your car to a Lexus dealer with nothing more than a noise and they return it to you undriveable!

Get onto the dealer,tell them it is their fault the car is now in the present condition after firstly misdiagnosing a solenoid fault, then a wheel bearing fault and now damaging the transmission,if they do not respond favourably contact Lexus GB.

You have already paid money for a job that did not fix the issues you paid for don't pay anymore out until you get some answers.

BTW maybe on this occasion you could name the dealer concerned (Mods permission requested) I will certainly avoid it.

[serryth]

Thanks Steve, John, Malc and Royt,

Lexus took the gearbox out of the car to compare it wiht the gearbox from the car breakers.... and it doesnt match. The car breakers have taken their one back. I explained to Lexus that I am stuck and cant afford a new gearbox. They told me they would consider doing a deal by taking my car in against some random car in their stock of cars. I cant afford that, and told them so.... So, they said they would send the gearbox to somebody local who will do some diagnostics on the gearbox to see if they can fix it.... I really dont know whats going on?

Whatever happens, this looks like it is going to cost me an arm and a leg... I just spent £1.5k getting the solenoid replaced, service and 4 tyres put on 3 weeks ago....honestly, I cant afford any more. I never thought anything under the bonnet would go wrong... thats why I bought the car in the first place.... I thought the LS never went wrong... Maybe I am naive or just unlucky?!

S

[SteveLS400]

Thanks Steve, John, Malc and Royt,

Lexus took the gearbox out of the car to compare it wiht the gearbox from the car breakers.... and it doesnt match. The car breakers have taken their one back. I explained to Lexus that I am stuck and cant afford a new gearbox. They told me they would consider doing a deal by taking my car in against some random car in their stock of cars. I cant afford that, and told them so.... So, they said they would send the gearbox to somebody local who will do some diagnostics on the gearbox to see if they can fix it.... I really dont know whats going on?

Whatever happens, this looks like it is going to cost me an arm and a leg... I just spent £1.5k getting the solenoid replaced, service and 4 tyres put on 3 weeks ago....honestly, I cant afford any more. I never thought anything under the bonnet would go wrong... thats why I bought the car in the first place.... I thought the LS never went wrong... Maybe I am naive or just unlucky?!

S

I wouldn't say lack of mechanical knowledge and hence putting faith in a dealer is nieve. The LS (almost) never goes wrong with the correct maintenance. The trouble with any used vehicle is not having a clue how its been driven in the past, although to the experienced there are tell-tale signs even if the car has FSH.

I'm also not convinced that luck, or lack of it, has anything to do with your problem.

I do think steve2006 puts the position very well and succinctly describes the action you need to take.

Once you are back up and running, I suggest that you ask around - on here as well - for a local firm to provide you with serving in the future.

[Malc]

Thanks Steve, John, Malc and Royt,

Lexus took the gearbox out of the car to compare it wiht the gearbox from the car breakers.... and it doesnt match. The car breakers have taken their one back. I explained to Lexus that I am stuck and cant afford a new gearbox. They told me they would consider doing a deal by taking my car in against some random car in their stock of cars. I cant afford that, and told them so.... So, they said they would send the gearbox to somebody local who will do some diagnostics on the gearbox to see if they can fix it.... I really dont know whats going on?

Whatever happens, this looks like it is going to cost me an arm and a leg... I just spent £1.5k getting the solenoid replaced, service and 4 tyres put on 3 weeks ago....honestly, I cant afford any more. I never thought anything under the bonnet would go wrong... thats why I bought the car in the first place.... I thought the LS never went wrong... Maybe I am naive or just unlucky?!

S

How ru getting on with it all ?

Malc

[steve2006]

I'm a little confused now. Lexus removed the transmission from your car to physically compare it to the one from a breakers and decided it wasn't the same, surely there are type numbers and serial numbers stamped on the transmission housing which can be easily read without first removing the transmission from the car,this is comparable to going into a tyre fitters and them telling you they have to remove the wheels to tell which make and type of tyre you have fitted!

The dealer is now considering sending the transmission to a local specialist for diagnostics, the car has OBDII (On Board Diagnostics) so a code reader should show some code with the transmission still fitted.

I would imagine making a bench diagnosis would be difficult,for example you need the transmission ECU to control the box, the original pipe work for the cooler and a source to turn the input shaft,stripping down the transmission and having a look inside is unlikely to yield any positive results.

I notice form your last post the dealer performed a service on the car, they didn't by any chance do a transmission fluid flush as part of that service did they?

[serryth]

Hi Malc and Steve,

Yes, they did flush out the transmission fluid. Maybe they forgot to put the fluid back in? I'll never know.

The mechanic at Lexus said he knows of a local guy who has worked on toyota gear boxes..... he sent my gearbox over to him on Monday for a "diagnostic". Lexus previously told me that the inside of the gearbox had "melted".... but now they need a non lexus local boy to make the dioagnosis?!?.... what is going on here??

I've been run off my feet at work this week, but phoned lexus at 12.30pm today.... the receptionist said there wassnt anybody about who could speak to me because everybody was at lunch. I left a message and asked for one of the bosses who knows about the car to phone me back with an update... its midnight now, I've just finished work but havent received a call from them. I phoned Lexus GB last Sat morning,.... they said that I have to talk to somebody from their customers services dept, but they dont work at weekends. I work for the nhs and dont get a chance to stop all day...believe me, I work shifts like you wouldnt believe. I wont be able to talk to lexus gb. This is turning out to be a nightmare. Im really not an expert but there is something about this that stinks....

S

[Malc]

Hi Malc and Steve,

Yes, they did flush out the transmission fluid. Maybe they forgot to put the fluid back in? I'll never know.

The mechanic at Lexus said he knows of a local guy who has worked on toyota gear boxes..... he sent my gearbox over to him on Monday for a "diagnostic". Lexus previously told me that the inside of the gearbox had "melted".... but now they need a non lexus local boy to make the dioagnosis?!?.... what is going on here??

I've been run off my feet at work this week, but phoned lexus at 12.30pm today.... the receptionist said there wassnt anybody about who could speak to me because everybody was at lunch. I left a message and asked for one of the bosses who knows about the car to phone me back with an update... its midnight now, I've just finished work but havent received a call from them. I phoned Lexus GB last Sat morning,.... they said that I have to talk to somebody from their customers services dept, but they dont work at weekends. I work for the nhs and dont get a chance to stop all day...believe me, I work shifts like you wouldnt believe. I wont be able to talk to lexus gb. This is turning out to be a nightmare. Im really not an expert but there is something about this that stinks....

S

I think that maybe you need some profesional help here with dealing with the Lexus Dealer who doesn't seem to take on board the deficiencies of his Dealership in sorting ( and maybe initially causing ) this problem that you find yourself in.

I would refer it all to the MD / CEO of that Dealership right now ......... can you tell us which Dealer it is ?

Maybe a Member on here would have some clout to help you out ( possibly ).

Or some experience of being dumped upon by a Lexus Dealer and how to get over it all, successfully.

Malc

[steve2006]

It's amazing that basically other owners can give possible causes as to why your transmission may have failed without even seeing the car and over the internet but a supposedly professional Lexus dealership cannot with the car right there in front of them or even have the courtesy of calling you back!

I smell a rat here let me predict the next move,Lexus will tell you that the "independent" transmission company have examined the box and confirm it is "melted." Chocolate melts transmissions don't! If the transmission has melted it has overheated probably due to a lack of cooling transmission fluid, that is of course assuming they used the correct type if any.

I know with your work commitments it will be difficult but you must make that call to Lexus GB and get something sorted,as I said before you trusted them and paid them in good faith for they're servicing/repairs and THEY appear to have damaged your car.

If there is no objection from the moderators would you please name the dealership concerned.

[serryth]

Hi Malc and Steve,

Yes, they did flush out the transmission fluid. Maybe they forgot to put the fluid back in? I'll never know.

The mechanic at Lexus said he knows of a local guy who has worked on toyota gear boxes..... he sent my gearbox over to him on Monday for a "diagnostic". Lexus previously told me that the inside of the gearbox had "melted".... but now they need a non lexus local boy to make the dioagnosis?!?.... what is going on here??

I've been run off my feet at work this week, but phoned lexus at 12.30pm today.... the receptionist said there wassnt anybody about who could speak to me because everybody was at lunch. I left a message and asked for one of the bosses who knows about the car to phone me back with an update... its midnight now, I've just finished work but havent received a call from them. I phoned Lexus GB last Sat morning,.... they said that I have to talk to somebody from their customers services dept, but they dont work at weekends. I work for the nhs and dont get a chance to stop all day...believe me, I work shifts like you wouldnt believe. I wont be able to talk to lexus gb. This is turning out to be a nightmare. Im really not an expert but there is something about this that stinks....

S

I think that maybe you need some profesional help here with dealing with the Lexus Dealer who doesn't seem to take on board the deficiencies of his Dealership in sorting ( and maybe initially causing ) this problem that you find yourself in.

I would refer it all to the MD / CEO of that Dealership right now ......... can you tell us which Dealer it is ?

Maybe a Member on here would have some clout to help you out ( possibly ).

Or some experience of being dumped upon by a Lexus Dealer and how to get over it all, successfully.

Malc

[serryth]

I dont know if I can say online who the dealership is? if you phone me on 07894743416 I'll talk to you about it,S

[serryth]

I would be able to talk to you late tomorrow pm or Saturday. I still havent had a return of phone call from LExus...havent a clue what is going on with my car? Its all very odd and suspicious for sure....

[Malc]

I would be able to talk to you late tomorrow pm or Saturday. I still havent had a return of phone call from LExus...havent a clue what is going on with my car? Its all very odd and suspicious for sure....

It might be that the Dealer would welcome the exposure here to confirm it's actions in all of this and to ensure that we at LOC are happy with it's actions.

Simply, if the Dealer has nothing to fear then why wouldn't it wish to be named !

If the Dealer has failed then it can defend itself in this Forum.

Either way, I can see little justification for the Dealer's name to be withheld.

Malc