2015 Lexus ES 350 Transmission Service

DIYDave dares to try and follow the steps of ‪@TheCarCareNut‬ and perform 60,000 mile maintenance on the "sealed" transmision on his 2015 Lexus ES 350. Will he succeed, or will he destroy the transmision? Can what he learns apply to other Toyota tranmissions, like the Camry, Corolla, or Sienna?
Thanks to ‪@TheCarCareNut‬ for his great tutorial video!

[@Lexus_ES350]

Did this service today on my ‘18 ES. It has 25k miles but The Car Care Nut said 60k miles or 6 years. I used a ScanGuage 2 to monitor transmission temp and at 94 degrees Fahrenheit, I opened the drain plug until it trickled. I drained out 1.5 liters on the initial drain. It had never been done before but the fluid looked really good but at least it’s done now. Have a good day.

[@DIYDaveOK]

Great to hear! Thanks!!

[@ahmadghosheh3104]

Good job. Yes, I bought a tall funnel with a 3 foot clear Hose. The funnel has a drain open and close so I can fill it and then open the drain, boom, all fluid in, close it and done.. Much easier than pumping. I stopped at the Car Car Nut shop when he opened, I drove from Kansas City to Chicago in my 09 Camry XLE. He's awesome, we both speak Arabic so it was a great visit. As far as the temperature, I used the same thinkdiag tool and watched the temp with it too.

[@DIYDaveOK]

Fantastic!! I don't live anywhere near him or I'd gladly use his shop. We need quality mechanics like him! I'd absolutely do the tube with a narrow funnel from the top next time around. That ThinkDiag is a super tool. Thanks so much for watching and the great note about meeting CCN!!

[@lexusguy9127]

Awesome video and awesome endorsement of AMD at Car Care Nut.

[@DIYDaveOK]

Thanks!!! I think AMD is terrific!!

[@PeterHernandez-lg2eh]

AMD d best. Es el mejor

[@briankalagher6687]

Thanks Dave. I'm also a huge fan of carcarenut but the extra detail you give is super helpful. I'm going to try this with my 07 es350.

[@DIYDaveOK]

Fantastic and thanks for the kind words!! Let me know how it goes!!

[@KIETTRAN-uj7ry]

I have done twice for my 2015 ES 350. First time when the car had 100k miles. Just changed the fluid again yesterday at 125k miles. Changing transmission fluid sounds really complicated but actually not at all. Just follow the procedure that The Car Care Nut has mentioned and we should be fine. I trust nobody but my self touching the transmission fluid😂😂.

[@rudyzamora1]

Thank you, sir. I found this video after the neighbor asked me to take a look at his E350... nice little video, but all this effort to take advantage of customers. temperature sensors and overfill tubes, lol. A bunch of nonsense just to get rid of a simple dipstick!

[@DIYDaveOK]

Oh yeah. It's a mess. I think part of it is being driven by making it harder for people to maintain their own vehicles, sadly, along with the fiction of "lifetime fluid."

[@CP-pb3pj]

Nice Video! Looking to do the same on my 2010 ES. I have a little over 120,000 miles and have no clue if the previous owner ever changed it (I doubt it). I’ll buy 3 quarts just to be safe. Well done, Thank you. 👍

[@DIYDaveOK]

You are very welcome!! Thanks for watching and commenting!! I hope it works out well for you!!

[@nynex909]

I have the same car and mileage. How did this work out? Any issues afterwards?

[@DIYDaveOK]

Transmission is smooth as silk and car is fantastic. No issues whatsoever.

[@brianl6964]

Good effort. Rectifying what must have been a low fluid level would also be extra satisfying for me. You protected and improved things.

[@DIYDaveOK]

Absolutely!! There was a subtle whine that transmission would offer and this service eliminated it!! Thanks for watching!

[@diakonosmusic3728]

Hey Dave, what is the temperature range of the transmission fluid? I must have missed it.

[@DIYDaveOK]

@@diakonosmusic3728 According to the email CCN sent me, it should be between 95-113* F

[@bearpuf]

I completely loved your very comprehensive and detailed video for changing the trans fluid on your Lexus. Your straight forward directions and comments were terrific. I too follow AMD (The Car Care Nut) religiously and find him not only very clear in direction but ingenuously thoughtful in the way he speaks. I'm about to do the same operation as you have already done on your vehicle for our 2016 Camry with 29K miles. I only have a surface reading thermometer, but from AMD's video for using one that should be OK. On a side note I think you were pretty brave to drain the fluid first and then unloosen the fill plug. I think I would have loosened that plug first, just in case. Thanks for sharing your work.

[@DIYDaveOK]

Thanks for the kind words!! I'm glad you found the video helpful!!

[@QingyuLin]

I guess the reason you only get 1 1/2 quarts is just because you drove the car to the position then start to drain the fluid shortly. The Car Care Nut did park the car on the jack stand over night, then started draining it without running the engine (trans), so he got most of the fluid out of it.

[@DIYDaveOK]

@@QingyuLin The car was parked on a flat surface in the garage, so it's elevation would have no impact on the amount recovered. I honestly think mine was just underfilled.

[@QingyuLin]

@@DIYDaveOK Sorry, I didn't make the point clearly. The key is "park overnight", when the car was driven, the oil pump sucked the fluid into the torque converter, gears and friction bands/plates to lubricate then. When you park the car, it needs time for the fluid to flow down to the oil pan, then can be drained out of the hole. The longer you park the more fluid can be drained. Even moving the car a little distance, the fluid will be sucked back into the gear again.

[@briankalagher6687]

Just finished doing this on my 07 es350 with 200K miles. Previous owner had done a full flush at 146K at a local shop so I know it was not filled with Toyota WS. I decided to use 3 quarts of Valvoline maxlife ATF. Mine seemed to be 1/2 quart overfilled last time. Your funnel idea worked perfect! The drain plug really fought me on this one though. I'm up in the Northeast and it's been 8 years since that was off so it was rusty or the last guy way overtightened it. Used PB blaster to free up some of the rust and had to walk away from it a few times after bending allen wrenches but after a couple hours it was off. I was not expecting much improvement but i was pleasantly surprised. I notice the biggest difference on mine up at highway speeds. It feels like more power is getting to the wheels and I have a 1 MPG improvement over the last 200 miles. Very happy it's done and now I know how to do it on future es350s! Love these cars and carcarenut. Thanks again for the help Dave!

[@DIYDaveOK]

@@briankalagher6687 Awesome!!! Glad it was helpful!

[@PeterHernandez-lg2eh]

My daughter has the same vehicle. I need to do this . Current mileage is about 44,000 miles. I recently did my son's 2011 Lexus is250awd.

[@DIYDaveOK]

Oh that's great. Glad you were able to get this service done. These are such good cars we surely want to take care of them as long as we can!! Thanks for watching!!

[@dylan40cal]

Good video! I have the same car as you but a few years older 2013 ES350 in the same red color! My car currently has 35,000 miles and due to the age (not the miles) I have decided I'm going to go ahead and change the transmission fluid as CarCareNut describes. I purchased a Lexus TechStream subscription and the proper fluid level adjustment temperature is actually 104 degrees to 113 degrees specifically coming from Toyota's official diagnostics and procedures instructions website. Not to be alarmed I'm sure everything will still be okay but if you feel you want to be on the safe side you can always repeat the process again.

[@DIYDaveOK]

Thanks for watching!! My Lexus has been running fantastically since that service and the transmission has been butter smooth since - even smoother than *before* the service. I neglected to mention it in the video, but the service also eliminated a very slight whine in the transaxle. Thanks for the kind words!!

[@dylan40cal]

​@@DIYDaveOKI can't wait to change the fluid in mine too since you experienced positive results! Living in Fort Worth, Texas myself just trying to find a somewhat cooler day to spend some time out in the garage!

[@jahjahtown1359]

If fluid is low.... Can that hurt the torque converter???

[@DIYDaveOK]

Yes. Any kind of transmission fluid provides three critical functions: Lubrication, cooling, and hydraulic force. A low fluid level necessarily impairs all three of those. The devastating consequence of low level is the consequent lack of cooling, which can be absolutely devastating to aluminum components. Consistent, proper amounts of clean, fresh fluid are absolutely essential, and is precisely why I absolutely despise the lies of "lifetime fluid."

[@Lexus_ES350]

Dave, I forgot to ask you…did you run through the gears before the temp was reached? Thx. Keep up the great work.

[@DIYDaveOK]

Yes, sure did!

[@IamGroot786]

I love that ES350, I definitely wanna get me one of them.

[@DIYDaveOK]

Oh it's a fantastic car. I bought it used about four years ago with only about 40k miles and just love it. Best car I've ever had. Thanks for watching!

[@IamGroot786]

@@DIYDaveOK I test drove a 2014 the other day that only had 45K miles. I wish I could've pulled the trigger on it but the timing isn't right currently.

[@DIYDaveOK]

Hey I understand! Gotta be the right car at the right time! Keep looking!

[@elleng7658]

Thanks for doing this!😊

[@princeahlawy1450]

Thank you so much for the video. Do you know when the fluid needs to be changed? I recently bought a 2010 Lexus with 45k on it from a guy who barely drove it. He last changed the fluid at 37k but that was in 2019, so close to 4 years ago. Should I change it or wait until it hits 60k?

[@DIYDaveOK]

If he changed it you're good until 60k. Thanks for watching!

[@princeahlawy1450]

@@DIYDaveOK Just because it's been sitting for a while, do you recommend I change it just for peace of mind?

[@user-lc9gb8zt4z]

I started this today on my '15 RX350. I stripped the oil filler tube and have ordered another one. Would you say hand tight is enough? I've done this on my '16 RX350 and the oil filler is much easier on that model.

[@DIYDaveOK]

@@user-lc9gb8zt4z Not sure about hand tight, probably go a little more snug than that. Is there a gasket/o-ring on it?

[@user-lc9gb8zt4z]

There is not....I'm guessing there should be?

[@Catsanime]

Hello sir Do I change the fluid at 120k miles, do I empty it or there’s an amount I could remove and replace ?

[@DIYDaveOK]

Has it *ever* been changed? What year vehicle are you working on?

[@Catsanime]

@@DIYDaveOK I can’t tell if it has been, got the vehicle 2 years ago at 120k mills and it still at 120k miles. I really don’t drive a lot.

[@mybluestar-v8r]

I have a 2010 es350 with 109,000 miles and drained 3 qts exactly and install 3 qts. That’s not a flush, but at this age and mileage it will refresh without giving any issues.

[@DIYDaveOK]

I've always contended that replacing identical amounts of same-temperaure fluid is a no-risk proposition. Now *different* temps could be a problem because of the thermal expansion of the transmission fluid, but in general like-for-like is a pretty safe plan - and you still have a dipstick to measure the fluid level!! Thanks!!

[@dunkirkable]

I Toyota made vehicles

[@05cesarleo]

Great vid.......thxs!!!

[@DIYDaveOK]

Thanks!!

[@Lexus_ES350]

Good video but you made me nervous. Always remove your fill plug first…what would happen if you drained that and that fill bolt didn’t come out/off?

[@DIYDaveOK]

Well, valid point, but I have to figure it was going to come out eventually 😁

[@Lexus_ES350]

@@DIYDaveOK I was nervous until you broke it free!! lol. I made that mistake years ago on a rear differential on an old truck. Took forever to get it out. Great video though and I’m doing my ‘18 ES next week.

[@medinasadri]

Great video Dave!

[@DIYDaveOK]

Thanks!!

[@Brian-fo8sh]

Great video!!!!

[@DIYDaveOK]

Thanks!!

[@rubenflores3624]

Great job!!!

[@MosescDYoung]

I love this❤

[@krisnathan906]

Great video! I have a 2015 Lexus Es350 that I bought from someone. It has 83k miles on it and I’m not sure if the previous owner ever changed the transmission fluid. How bad do you think my transmission could be right now? Any damages not replacing the fluid could have caused?

[@DIYDaveOK]

Impossible to say, unfortunately. You're kinda on the edge of whether you should change it or let it ride at this point. If it were mine, I'd probably change it, but mine had 20k fewer miles than yours...

[@amandajohnson4576]

Hello, just wondering why you might "let it ride @ this point?" I'm curious to know, because unfortunately I have never drained/refilled my trans. Fluid and I also have a 2015 es350 with about 118,000 miles now. Would it be harmful to the transmission to do it so late in the game? Thank you for any info!

[@DIYDaveOK]

There does come a point where if the fluid is old and dirty enough that changing it can actually do more harm than good, odd as that sounds. In the OPs situation, I'd probably favor changing it. Over 100k it becomes a very iffy proposition.

[@pookie4660]

@@DIYDaveOK Hello, I had this procedure done at "The Car Care Nut" shop yesterday since he was only about 40 miles from my home. My 2015 es 350 had 102,700 miles, 6/14/24. The shop parts list was for 4qts of trans fluid which means that 4 bottles were opened. So, drained was at least 2.6 quarts plus the extra half quart. That is the minimum because the drain process could have been up to 3.5 quarts. I never thought to ask. I also had a little whine from the transmission which is now gone. Understand this was a very slight whine. I'll update over the next few days if you would find helpful. Great vid and helpful showing a diy guy doing the work properly. Also, TCCN shop and professionality are really great. In addition to having the fluid changed I also asked for an inspection of the car. TCCN came out after the trans fluid change and spoke with me for a few mins and let me know that an inspection of the car was not really needed and that he thought it might not be worth the money for me. I had a pass side accident a few years back and asked him to do it anyways. He completed the inspection, drove my car and complimented it. I felt like a 1st grader getting a gold star from the teacher since I use his videos to do all my maintenance.

[@Mikegastaldo]

Maybe on next fluid change try leaving the fill plug open and the drain plug removed with the plastic fluid level tube installed...and with engine running at operating temperature... KEEP ADDING FLUID AND LETTING IT DRAIN FOR A FEW QUARTS...try changing a substantial amount of fluid...1 and half quart? Thats hardly a fluid change

[@DIYDaveOK]

Adding fluid decreases the temperature and, correspondingly, the volume of the fluid added. The steps I followed were, as stated, what was prescribed by The Car Care Nut, and frankly I think he's the top Toyota tech on YT. If it's good enough for him, it's good enough for me.

[@Mikegastaldo]

Did you erase my response to your comment? 😂...do as you please..but reality Is if your only replacing what came out your doing a mickey mouse job and have no business touching any transmission...it might have been on low level when you started..so your going to service it and still be on low level when done? look Einstein...any transmission has a proper fill level and it's up to you to find that level with no consideration of what came out of it..or if you just installed a new transmission/torque converter and it's completely empty when you started...if you can't do that you should bring it to someone who knows what they are doing and stop playing mechanic 😂... measuring what came out and replace that amount? are you crazy 🤣....

[@pookie4660]

@@Mikegastaldo Have you watched the TCCN video with the explanation? Regardless, all of YT is awaiting your video.

[@Mikegastaldo]

@@pookie4660 send the link I will watch it..why not.. this video was a algorithm recommend and I watched..I'm not an owner of this car but I watched.. looking at my comment I can see a rocket scientist is giving advice of changing 1 1/2 quarts of fluid to serving a automatic transmission..lol..that's funny stuff.. speaking in general because like I said I don't own/work on this car..a typical automatic transmission has about 10 quarts in the system..oil in the torque converter..oil in the cooling system/radiator..oil in the valve body..the pan..I can assure you that with time the additives that keep the o rings and seals in the transmission clean and vibrant have broken down and the fluid needs replacement..unless your changing at least 80 percent of the fluid your just wasting your time ... the transmission will see no benefit whatsoever by changing 1 quart...zero..nada..zip..0... understand? hope this helps you or whoever reads this thread..

[@DIYDaveOK]

I take my advice from established Toyota experts, not random semi-anonymous keyboard warriors. I fully realize this isn't a complete fluid change. It is a *partial* change as recommended by CCN. If you don't like it, fine, don't watch. I'll take CCNs advice over yours any day of the week.