Is250 Automatic Gearbox Click

[spacemonkey83]

Afternoon all,

1st post on this fine forum after owning my Lexus for a month now.

Have only just noticed with the window down I can hear a click when moving the transmission from P through R and down to D. I am stationary at this point I might add!

Is this normal?

Bought the car off my dad and he said hes never noticed it but then he didnt really ever have the window down....

Thanks a lot

[ROYT]

I think this will be the 'parking pawl?' the thing that locks the transmission when it's put into'park'

[spacemonkey83]

Is it difficult/expensive to fix? How sure are you its this?

Thanks by the way :) 1st automatic I've had.

I've read the pawl keeps it in park, it clicks when changing to every option but tiptroic

[CHUNKY CHIP]

as you have just noticed it (peobably been there all the time its part of the operating)and is not casuing any issues i take it the g/box selection is fine no problems tip is working etc..

If so forget about it for now and drive it to see if anything changes over the next few weeks eg the click sound and drive of the vehicle you will find nothing will change and it will be driving ok still

[spacemonkey83]

gearbox works fine as far as i can tell.

I only just learned that you dont slip into neutral when rolling up to lights and started to worry I'd caused damage.

might ask mechanic for a quick look as he's a friend's dad.

[ricostuart]

gearbox works fine as far as i can tell.

I only just learned that you dont slip into neutral when rolling up to lights and started to worry I'd caused damage.

might ask mechanic for a quick look as he's a friend's dad.

What do you mean by this? Do you mean that you shouldnt manually go into neutral, or that the car doesnt do it automatically?

[Exdee]

He means that he shifts the car into neutral when slowing down on a set of lights. This doesn't hurt the transmission per se but is unnecessary wear for the transmission. But say an instance occurs where he shifts into neutral anticipating a stop but the lights go green and he changes to D without stopping. This is called popping and this is what kills your transmission.

Automatic transmissions are complex and if broken very expensive to fix.

@spacemonkey: Since you mention it's your first automatic car, another thing you might be doing it shifting from R to D and D to R without stopping when doing your low-speed parking maneuvers. This is bad for your transmission and you need to get in the habit of stopping before shifting.

PS: Don't be upset that you may have caused damage not knowing these things. These cars are pretty much bullet proof and can take the beating in the short-term.

[spacemonkey83]

It's exactly what I WAS doing, thought it was reducing wear on the engine but didn't realise it would destroy the transmission! Now very into the mechanical habit of stopping all the time when maneuvering. It's a tough habit to break tho reversing off my drive on a morning!

Cheers for all tips tho, I'm an enthusiastic driver but know precious little about automatics.

It's only been a few weeks so hopefully haven't done much damage....

Going to hope the click is a normal sound, or go to the Lexus dealership and ask for a sit in one of theirs ;)

[CHUNKY CHIP]

gearbox works fine as far as i can tell.

I only just learned that you dont slip into neutral when rolling up to lights and started to worry I'd caused damage.

might ask mechanic for a quick look as he's a friend's dad.

first time i ever known anyone to do that in an auto it is as it says auto point and go it does it all nice for you i love the autos although the 200 is a manual change of which i have not driven for 10 years autos all the way

but manuals are fun