ToyoTechs, Specializing in Toyota and Lexus Service

In our August 2010 Auto Logic newsletter, we posed the question:

Which is more expensive?
A. Synthetic oil change or
B. Regular oil change

At the outset, the answer might appear to be “synthetic oil change,” because right off the bat, synthetic oil is more expensive per quart than regular oil.  However, if you plan on keeping your car for an extended period of time, you may want to consider switching to synthetic oil.

Why?  Synthetic oil runs cleaner longer and doesn’t break down as quickly as conventional oil, especially in extremely hot (or cold) conditions.  Synthetics were first produced for the aviation industry, and 20 years later were developed for automobile engines.  Synthetics do not evaporate as quickly as regular motor oil, and are more chemically stable.  Because they are resistant to oxidation and thermal breakdown, use of synthetic oil can prolong the life of your engine.

And, synthetic oils can last for approximately 7,500 miles.  The money you spend at the initial oil change is saved in your time waiting for oil changes and engine life in the long run.  As the old mantra of “every 3 months or 3,000 miles, change your oil” has been exposed as a myth, be sure to check your owner’s manual for exactly how often you should have your oil changed if you choose regular oil.

Bottom line, although a synthetic oil change costs more than a regular oil change at the time of service, in the long run synthetic oil saves you time, money and wear on your engine.

And actually, the most expensive option is to not change your oil at all.

The LX470′s hydraulic suspension system will fail due to a quickie lube shop or the vehicle owner mistakenly installing washer fluid (water and ammonia) in the hydraulic reservoir…not good. The lids to all fluids read what is to be added so please look, even if it means cleaning the lid off to do so. The result of adding the wrong fluid to the reservoir makes the SUV buck, pitch and act all crazy, making it very uncomfortable and sometimes dangerous to drive.

Our technical staff figured out an exact diagnosis of the parts that are damaged, from this preventable mistake and how to correct the situation.  Unlike using the “shot gun” approach (replacing everything related to the suspension system – damaged or not) the dealers may use, at added expense to an already expensive repair.

 This reservoir is located near the windshield on the passenger side of the engine compartment. Please, be very careful- adding the wrong fluid is instant death to this system.

In one week of March 2008 we replaced 3 transmissions in 1999-2000 year SUV’s. We had been seeing this early failure in RX 300 that have, what we consider, low mileage 80k to 130k . I started asking the “why” question.

It seems quite like the engine sludging or gelling issue that Toyota had with their 4 and 6 cylinder engines. ToyoTechs believes that with timely servicing of these transmissions, the life of this major component will be extended immensely. Just like our insisting you service motor oil service at least 1,000 miles before the 5,000 mile service recommended by the factory. Fred and the guys point out the service interval is printed right on the dip stick as 100K and is in the owners manual as such.

What We Are Finding

That the filter is getting clogged up with transmission fluid that is similar to sludge in consistency, along with normal wear debris that the fluid is made to suspend. This combination is clogging up the filter making the transmission starved for its cooling, lubricating oil.

The Solution

To flush the Transmission system out sooner than the manufactures recommendation we suggest doing the first service at 60,000 miles with a new filter then just flushes every 30k after that. As of this post, no TSB has been issued but we think they soon will

How this service gets done matters a whole lot. Our shop has two BG flush machines because this is such a time consuming process and we do so many 60k services. The advantages of using this machine: The BG system has the transmission pump in the correct pressure and in the same direction as in normal operation. The transmission flush process calls for first running a cleaner/solvent through then followed by a Dextron 3 transmission fluid flush then a BG shift additive.

Depending on the circumstance we often pull the pan, clean it, and replace the screen filter at the pick up tube. If this step does not get done and the filter stays clogged your trainee is still starved and overheating causing an early death.

We have seen the RX 300 with 300k on them so we believe spending a little money now can save you big bucks. I’m talking about close to half the value of the car! Note: Toyota transmission failure uses this same transmission across their product line Camry Avalon ES300 models and have not have the same degree of problems.

In Closing

Minor transmission service, a drain and fill, is waste of time and money. Only complete fluid exchanges will help in early transmission failure. On highline vehicles such as the Lexus RX300, replacement of the filter screen is necessary as these vehicles are prone to premature failure problems. We strongly advise you that if you can keep this system clean and flowing it will prevent very costly repairs to this otherwise very good Toyota SUV.