alan.skinner1

Hi, further to my other comments regarding the type of atf used for the LS430 gearbox. There are an awful lot of myths and misconceptions published over what atf to use in a particular gearbox. First, vehicle manufacturer do NOT produce their own transmission fluid, they order it to a particular specification from the same place as everybody else, an oil or fluid processing plant and then rebadge it, in the case of Toyota, to JWS 3309, who rebadge it Toyota Type T-1V. Second the atf specification is not laid down by the vehicle manufacturer, who uses a particular model of gearbox in their cars, it is actually laid down by the gearbox manufacturer for pretty obvious reasons, which In the case of the LS430 which uses the Aisin Warner A650E model gearbox happens to be JWS 3309 and NOT Toyota Type T-1V That is the title Toyota decided to give the fluid they use and sell... Now, any fluid which meets that specification would be absolutely ok to use, that is the reason why the suppliers that stated their fluid was ok on Andy of Cheltenham comment were correct. The fact is an awful lot of Lexus and Toyota dealers use Dextron III, the reason? Dextron III is produced to JWS 3309. Mobil actually put the Spec number on the fluid Mobil 3309 it is also on Motul fluid and Mannol fluid. I would suggest that anybody that is not clear about what fluid to use should contact Aisin Warner for clarification The conclusion to this is that any fluid that meets the JWS 3309 spec. is ok to use in the A650E gearbox therefore it is ok to use it in the LS430. So the owners of the Lexus LS430 might want to have a rethink on buying very expensive atf..

I would totally agree that owners should do their own research and make their own judgements on what type of fluid to use. and Phil is correct when he states that the type is stamped on the end of the dipstick, but any manufacturer of any goods has a vested interest to sell you one of their products i.e. transmission fluid, it is the same with any part that is used on any vehicle or for that matter any goods that they sell. As an ex member of the commercial industry I have first hand experience how corporations sell products. As long as the part in question meets the specification that is required that part may be used. Also there may have been a misinterpretation of what I was stating in my previous comment it would not be good for a mix of say T-1V and Mobil 3309 or Jas 315 type 1A. I was simply making a comment that if any member was doing a complete atf change and not just topping up or changing the fluid as per the capacity stated in the LS 430 handbook it would be ok to use a substitute of the same specification. If you look at the design of any automatic transmission gearbox you will actually find common parts in all of them one example is clutch plates the in the LS 430 are the same as the plates Audi and dare I say it, Ford. Also if you look at some of the horror stories that you read about the LS430 after it has done a few miles with regard to their gearboxes are they any better than any other manufacturer. I would be grateful for any comments on this article.

Hi everybody, as a retired engineer I have done lot of research into this over the last week as it seems to be very difficult to purchase atf fluid for the ls430 at a reasonable price. I have examined the specifications for Toyota type T-1V, Mobil 3309, and most importantly Mannol Jas 315 type 1A which is badged as JWS 3309. All the specifications are the same, the only difference being in the price which as the Mannol JWS 3309 is very cheap compared to the other two. I have also contacted Lexus and Toyota and the answers they have given me would suggest that there is no reason why this can not be used in their vehicles, the only proviso is that if used on a warranty vehicle it would void the warranty. Saying that, drivers with vehicles under warranty should not have to top up their vehicles anyway if they did their would be a serious problem with that vehicle and it would have to go back to the supplier. I have also contacted Mannol and they assure me that their transmission fluid can be used in all Toyota and Lexus models. The warranty issue is slightly irrelevant for the reason already stated, the same thing applies to also anything you purchase that carries a warranty. Aisin Warner also state that the Mannol fluid can be used in their gearboxes. There appears to be quite a lot of scaremongering on this issue and owners of Lexus vehicles need to make their own decision on what type/make of fluid they wish to use. If you read this thank you for your time.

Yes, I have got the same problem atf in coolant and vice versa, did not drive the car once it happened had to be relayed 309 miles. The gearbox still worked of sorts just a slight lumpy change from first to second, no funny noises so it might not be a complete write off. I changed the radiator and flushed the cooling system. I now need a method to get the contaminated fluid out of the gearbox, can I pump out via the return cooler pipe at approximately 1.5-2 litres at a time and replace with the same so I gradually remove the water/fluid mix using the gearbox pump., although pink the mixture is a lot more fluid than water as it is very oily. Would appreciate any input on this problem Alan

I have the same problem atf in coolant and vice versa, the gearbox still worked of sorts when this happened, so hopefully can recover gearbox. I have replaced radiator and now need to get fluid/water mix out of transmission the mix is pink in colour and very oily still. Can this be done with disconnected cooler return pipe into a container by running the engine long enough to pump out approximately 1.5-2 litres of fluid at a time and replace with same until I get a clear response. Would appreciate any help on this? Alan