I really appreciate you taking the time and effort answering my question. That was a well reasoned and logical answer to a somewhat controversial question. You have a talent for monologuing in an entertaining and informative way. The addition of a discussion of mortality was not something I expected but its inclusion was thought provoking. I still have not decided whether I will change my transmission fluid or not. That said, I feel more confident that that whatever I choose it will be the right decision 👍👍
We have a 1994 Land Cruiser 80 series in the family. Almost 300k miles and we still like it a lot. In fact it’s the most capable vehicle in the group and is the designated recovery vehicle.
Good discussion. However, I think you left out one very crucial piece of the debate. How you use your GX. If you are towing close to its towing capacity, for instance, you are putting a hell of a lot more stress on your transmission than the average guy. Heat is a transmission destroyer. Towing certainly stresses the cooling capabilities of a vehicle and that has a direct impact on the longevity of a transmission. The GX was designed for off road rigors but that certainly does add heat to a transmission. Climbing steep grades at a walking pace decreases the amount of radiator airflow which has a direct connection to transmission heat. I do both those activities simultaneously. I do boondocking with an Airstream Basecamp X so I opt to change the transmission fluid in regular intervals. I’m new to the boondocking experience so that’s only been twice.
Man.. you talk well. So logical. I was sick and tired of these nuckleheads who knows about Toyota and Lexus cars better than the engineers themselves and talks about changing fluids every so often. And other part of me also questioned what would be life time mean... your perspective gave me some thoughts and i decided that I am not touching the trans fluid (no liability to you 😂) and drive my 2016 GX460 another 10 years and be done with it.. that would put me around 160k based on my historical mileage per year.
Thanks for your kind comments... they are engineered to last... we still have 80s/90s Camrys on the road out here in SoCal with 400k miles and transmission fluid never touched... I'm not sure of any lexus tech that will tell you they've seen transmission problems from not changing the lifetime fluid... regardless, fear prevails with the masses
I’m changing mine every 50k. The cost is worth the peace of mind over the lifetime of ownership knowing you did everything you could to get the maximum life out of the vehicle.
Our 2009 RAV4 had a faulty transmission and was replaced at only 64714 miles. Operating temperature is supposed to be between 158⁰F to 176⁰ F but during the summer on the interstate it runs 10⁰ to 20⁰ warmer. How do you expect the fluid to not deteriorate? I plan on changing the ATF every 20,000 to 30,000 miles in the new transmission (just a simple drain and fill).
Just purchased my gx 460 2 weeks ago, however, two Tacomas, Camry and highlander. I use BG Transmission exchange every 50,000 to 55,000 miles. ALL my vehicles past 260,000 miles without a issue.👍😃 Like your thoughts.
We have gx 460, and 2 3rd Gen 4RUNNERS. We have never changed trans fluid and have a combined 1.5 million miles on the three. Maybe we are just lucky. We change oil with Castrol every 25,000 miles.
@@thepitpatrol that's amazing every 25k oil change with no issues and no trans change. You proved all those debates wrong but can't think of taking the risk.
@pall5114 well, I don't recommend it, but I started doing it with a 91 civic. It was a beater so I changed every 20 to 25. I drove it to 400,000 and gave it to an employee and they drove it another 100,000, she actually hot a deer. It didn't quit. We had to have the trans rebuilt in it. We run Castrol and one thing in do, I never just start and go. I let them warm up for several minutes, longer in extreme cold, and try to let them idle a few minutes before I shut them off.
Great video again man, I honestly would love to keep my gx until kicks the bucket. But you’re right something shiny might take it’s place. New synthetic petrol and a 2055 LX 800 with a future tech v8. 125mpg 800hp engine😂 What is the life at that point?
all electric GX or LX with 1500 LB ft of torque at each wheel, completely flat underneath, 1,000 mile range, 3 minute fast charge...? screens everywhere? 😆.. yes you'll probably want one! 20kw on board power inverter
I have a 2022 and the transmission has an oil pan internal dipstick, a drain plug, and a fill plug. The Lexus internal service has procedure for checking levels and drain and fill procedure. The Lexus computer scanner has a temp range for checking the levels. Dealer even has a drain and fill intervals.
At 170k with no fluid change, its lasted "a long time" but I did a fluid swap and in the future I'll do a pan drop and filter. But glad I have fluid looking more red now.
I don't call engineers out more like marketing peoples . People want car last 20' 30 years but reality is not , even transmission still working there are thousands of others parts of the car too It's not practical to driving an old car from safety to repairs bills. None sense for a normal Americans to driving a piece of rust.
Is anyone really think that if your transmission will fail after , let's say, 200k mes, you can convince Toyota that it is because of transmission oil never being changed so they have to repair it on their behalf, and they will take care of it? Try to get replacement warranty from any tire manufacturer when your tire will blow out on a side )) even though they do guaranteed 50k-80k miles, they will never admit that this blowup is caused by tire itself and not a sharp object or anything else. And this is a mere $100 +/- thing. Lifetime oil... not such a thing in anything with moving parts. If you are planning to keep the vehicle for the next 20-30 years, I'd keep changing that oil at least every 80k-100k miles, no matter what manufacturer says.
I get the fluid for about $6 a quart from either the dealer or Rock Auto (Aisin WS spec fluid). I built myself a pressurized filler using a garden sprayer. Cut he spray end off, drill a hole in the tank and mount a tire stem and use your air compressor to pressurize to 25psi. Fills very quickly, cost about $20 from Harbor Freight. Works just like the professional grade fluid fillers and took about 5 minutes to make. Then do a drain and fill every 3 oil changes (30k miles). IIRC it takes about 4 quarts, and costs me $25 and less than 30 minutes to do a drain and fill while I am doing an oil change. I do spend the extra $1 on new crush washers. I dropped the pan and changed the filter (1 hour total). Just drain and fill every 30k miles and will never have a fluid related failure. Or do a full "flush" (full fluid exchange) every 100k miles. Filter is just a felt type screen and no point changing it if you keep the fluid clean. Dropping the pan you can get an extra 1.5-2 qt but for the extra hour spent I don't think it's worth the time. Be careful with the fill plug. There is a very sharp bracket I cut myself on, and I've seen several other posts indicating others have as well. Don't forget to grease the zerk fittings on the driveshafts
Oil change every 10k miles? God luck with that! DO NOT completely flush tranny at any point. 60k mile drain and fills, oil changes at 3 to 5k miles will keep the GX going till the day you depart from it.
The reason manufacturers went this way is because people were putting the wrong trans fluid and ruining the transmission. So they chose to remove the external trans dipstick so the average person would not have easy access. Transmissions are very finicky about the type of fluid. Hence why they went for the service tech doing the procedure. But there is a procedure for checking and changing trans fluid.
I’d like to see how many vehicles used in harsh conditions make it to 300,000 - 400,000 miles without any fluid changes and a transmission in good transmission. I’m open minded to it, but from an engineering standpoint, it’s not smart to utilize “lifetime” fluids, but that’s just in general. Maybe there is an exception in this case. I’d also like to point out that some GX460’s have transmission failure prematurely, but I am not sure what is causing it. Also, even though Toyota puts a million miles on their engines and transmissions during R&D, they still have had major issues (historically) that’s didn’t pop up until real world use by customers. Excessive oil slugging & oil consumption, for example. Of course, they rectified that over time and the engine is known as one of the world’s best engines ever made. It’s hard to be for sure without hard data, which isn’t available outside of Toyota’s walls. It’s better to be safe than sorry on what can be a $10,000 repair. That’s me perspective. My Dad has never changed the transmission fluid in his 2005 Doge and it has 270K on it today. Original transmission and engine, but 50% of it is highway miles.
If Toyota's legal department is good with the statement of lifetime transmission oil, then I would prefer to trust the Toyota's engineers and scientists instead of auto body technicians from RUclips and forums. As a layman, this is so far I can only think of.
well, what does "lifetime" mean to you vs. the manufacturer? To most manufacturers, lifetime = warranty period. If it dies out of warranty, they're happy to sell you another transmission, or another vehicle. Thus all the controversy. Same deal with ridiculously long motor oil change interval trend. It's all good as long as the idea is to keep selling new vehicles, rather than maximize the value to the consumer from already existing vehicles.
@freezerlunik people like you have a serious misunderstanding of how tranmission fluid works or deteriorates. I can last for a very very very long time unless it's subjected to extreme conditions like heavy towing or racing. Fluid condition is very rarely the cause of a tranmission failure.
Better to replace it. 2011 with 80,000 miles transmission had trouble engaging reverse and multiple error codes, while all other forward gears worked. Had to repair it, which cost was more than frequent ATF replacement. Lots of Prado and cars with the A750 and A760 have this problem in my country, as they do not come with a separate ATF cooler.
I have new GX 460 I am assuming it has the transmission the Prado's in your country (which country?). The Prado's in your country do alot of towing and need the ATF cooler? or simply you think all of them should have the cooler. I plan to change the ATF at every 50K and don't tow. I am curious what does it cost to rebuild or replace a new Prado Trans in your country? Thanks!
I'll have to check my manual, but I own a 19 GX and it states to change the trans fluid at 60k miles if you are doing a lot of towing and or off roading or heavy loads. It also states to change your diff fluids and transfer case fluids every 30k miles. Are you doing any of that?
Great vid. Wish my unmodded daily drivers had lifetime! I’d still recommend a change on a modded Toyota… especially if you start smelling the tranny fluid burning 😂
@@LexusGX460-OFF-ROAD I think the powertrain warranty is 5 years or 60k miles. They do recommend 60k transmission fluid changes under extreme conditions. I own several Toyotas and do not change any fluid except for engine oil. I never have any issues. I generally keep cars until about 150-200k miles.
The fluid is cheap when compared to a transmission, so why not change it every 60k? And no, this isn’t a 90s Chevy transmission, changing the fluid for the first time at 100,000 miles won’t damage it. I bought a used GX with 134,000 miles and the first thing I did was have Lexus change the transmission fluid. I am a Toyota technician, but I needed a spare key so I decided to just have them do the transmission while they programmed the key. The service advisor argued with me about it, but eventually gave up. 5000 miles later, no shifting issues or anything. I do see Toyotas with 200,000 miles come in occasionally and need a transmission. It’s not common at the dealer, because by the time they need a transmission it’s usually on its 5th owner who doesn’t care about the car and it’s not going to the dealer anymore. Fluid changes every 60,000 is cheap insurance for the transmission.
My brother, there's a flaw in your reasoning that I hope I can effectively illustrate. I say this as an engineer for one of the world's largest engine makers and one who has written specification documents given to customers. Many colleague came from other companies and indicated to me that things at GM and Toyota worked similarly. That said, here goes: Engineers work to requirements. If it meets the requirement, it's good. When Toyota says a trans fluid is "lifetime", it's NOT the engineers saying that. Engineers have to define what "lifetime" means because by itself the requirement is too vague to have any utility. Instead, we engineers would work to some defined target-- say 100k miles at an average load of 40% perhaps. But therein lies the rub-- they never tell us what a "lifetime" is. "Lifetime" therefore cannot be an engineering term because it has no units. Rather, it is a marketing term. More specifically, it is the marketing interpretation or "spin" on what the engineering team's requirements drove them to develop. So if the engineers deliver a validated life of 100k miles at 40% load, then marketing might say that's a full warranty period so we'll call it a "lifetime". But what if you the owner want more life than the marketing people consider to be a "lifetime"? What if you want 200k or 300k and not just 100k? Well the "lifetime" the engineers worked to was only 100k, so maybe it lasts 120k or maybe it goes 300k. Nobody knows because they just tested it to 100k (perhaps a B10 life). The devil is in the meaning of "lifetime." Lifetime certainly does not mean "lasts forever" because nothing does. So we have to manage the uncertainty between "last long enough for my purposes" and "last long enough for Toyota to call it a lifetime". I recommend periodic but infrequent drains of "lifetime" fluid-- it's similar to, say, a Honda timing belt needing a replacement every 100k miles. Honda could have called it a "lifetime" timing belt and just accepted that at some point around 150k-250k miles, and engine might catastrophically fail. Instead, they recommend a rare but periodic servicing. Assuming you have added a trans cooler if you tow and aren't abusing the trans with high heat, I'd suggest the factory fill is good to at least 50k miles to more like 100k. No need to go bonkers swapping the fluid. But neither should it be considered to last indefinitely. Thus, for many GX owners who bought new and won't keep it very long, the factory fill is indeed a lifetime fluid as far as they are concerned. But for the more budget-minded folks who are buying older GXs already over 150k miles, a drain and refill of the trans is absolutely a good idea.
Toyota will specify "lifetime" as over 500k miles which most people would reasonably agree is a "lifetime" for a car these days and beyond... Aisin will engineer to 500k. Toyota will test it to that mileage to verify. "Lifetime" is set at an actual numerical value which is secret to Aisin and Toyota BUT it's an "open secret" that Toyota engines and transmissions are given a 500k benchmark.
@@LexusGX460-OFF-ROAD I didn't realize the definition of lifetime was out there. Thanks for that. Anyway, I'm going to swap fluid on my 2011 and that'll be it for my "lifetime" owning it most likely. I have the radiator out and have to top off the trans fluid to account for lost fluid anyway, so draining isn't such a big deal. Love your content, thanks for the comment and the video.
I need an advice guys, I just got a 2019 GX 460 and it has a K56000 on it, do I need to change the Transmission fluid? My concern is that I don’t know how the previous 2 owners treated this truck. Thank you guys
Transmission failed on my lexus gx 460 with only 75k miles cost to fix 7500$ and you don’t get new you get rebuild trans remind you Lexus dealer was changing mine and I admitted that you can’t buy new transmission unless you buy a brand new GX 460.transmission manufacture does not build a new transmissions for a market build it only for LEXUS exclusive to put in a new cars that being said I also had Lexus GS 400 that’s the V8 version for 2o years purchase new in 1999. Traded it in 2019. And had 279,000 miles and transmission was never touched. Oil was never changed and never had any issue . So I really don’t know what camp to trust lol but this is my story Project460 on RUclips.
There's no way your transmission failed because of fluid condition at 75k miles, UNLESS you did some heavy towing a lot of its life and caused overheating. Something else caused the failure. Unfortunate of course. But very very unlikely because of 75k mile fluid. That's nothing for modern ATF.
@@LexusGX460-OFF-ROAD Mine is at 60K with light off roading and dirt roads. I see a inor harshness in shifting. I asked the dealer to check and they recommend a change (why would they not). I am going to it and getting the stuff analyzed. I also did the diffs and transfercase. Diff oil was pretty dirty.
I saw 1 video he changed his GX460 transmission fluid at around 110K, it is dirty as dirt. He probably can continue using that dirty fluid but if you love your GX460 and want it to last 500K, you should change at conventional wisdom.
All new cars have a warranty. That warranty requires service, to keep it valid. "Lifetime" simply means, that no service is required, to maintain a valid warranty. Warranties often range from 36,000 miles up to 100,000 miles, sometimes, 125,000 miles. That's your "lifetime". To get 300,000 miles, you really need to do those oil changes on both the engine and transmission. Anything with friction surfaces,(clutches) sheds material, especially during break-in. If you do a couple of services when new, flushing the particulate matter out of it, you can go a long time, without further service, because the particulate shedding will be so fine, that it remains within the film thickness of the oil. The first transmission oil changes should be done the same time as the engine oil changes during break-in. After that, you can go 50-100,000 miles between changes. It's all about cost per mile of ownership of the car. Sure, you can change oil more often, but, compared to the cost of a new car, you can reach the point of "diminishing returns". The money you might save with less frequent service near end of life, might be better spent on the replacement vehicle.
"Dirty" trans fluid is a BS thing mechanics say. You can't tell the fluid is dirty by observing it with your eyes. You have to send it to a lab. They think because it's dark that means it's dirty. It just means the dye has worn off, and means nothing.
BMW has been using ZF transmissions with lifetime fluid for over 20 years. If your cars lifetime is 75k miles, then there’s no need to change it. However every knowledgeable BMW owner and tech (and even the ZF engineers I’ve talked with) will recommend a change every 40k miles. Toyota has a great transmission, keep it that way by changing the fluid every 40k or so.
NO ONE IS SAYING TO DROP THE PAN OR CHANGE THE FILTER. YES YOU SHOULD DRAIN THE FLUID AND REFILL AT 60000 MILES OR SO. EASY QUICK AND NEEDED. ANYTHING ELSE IS UNESSESARY.
This video is by subscriber special-request. Who is correct? Lexus engineers or conventional wisdom? The choice is yours.
I really appreciate you taking the time and effort answering my question. That was a well reasoned and logical answer to a somewhat controversial question. You have a talent for monologuing in an entertaining and informative way. The addition of a discussion of mortality was not something I expected but its inclusion was thought provoking. I still have not decided whether I will change my transmission fluid or not. That said, I feel more confident that that whatever I choose it will be the right decision 👍👍
@@FatalAnimal always remember, toyota ❤️s you! You're in good hands... thank you for your kind comments 🙏
One thing I love about your vids/channel, you can feel the passion & excitement you have for these iconic trucks. Keep on brother.
thank you for your kind words and for subscribing ❤️
We have a 1994 Land Cruiser 80 series in the family. Almost 300k miles and we still like it a lot. In fact it’s the most capable vehicle in the group and is the designated recovery vehicle.
Getting Super Nintendo Pilotwings vibes from the intro music. Love it. Haha
Good discussion. However, I think you left out one very crucial piece of the debate. How you use your GX. If you are towing close to its towing capacity, for instance, you are putting a hell of a lot more stress on your transmission than the average guy. Heat is a transmission destroyer. Towing certainly stresses the cooling capabilities of a vehicle and that has a direct impact on the longevity of a transmission. The GX was designed for off road rigors but that certainly does add heat to a transmission. Climbing steep grades at a walking pace decreases the amount of radiator airflow which has a direct connection to transmission heat. I do both those activities simultaneously. I do boondocking with an Airstream Basecamp X so I opt to change the transmission fluid in regular intervals. I’m new to the boondocking experience so that’s only been twice.
BMW is like that too. I’m at almost 100k miles, so far so good.
Love this channel on mostly gx stuff. It helps a lot. Been looking to get a 470/460. Hopefully get one this year.
Thank you for your support 🙏 🙌 and thank you for subscribing 😃 ❤️
Man.. you talk well. So logical. I was sick and tired of these nuckleheads who knows about Toyota and Lexus cars better than the engineers themselves and talks about changing fluids every so often. And other part of me also questioned what would be life time mean... your perspective gave me some thoughts and i decided that I am not touching the trans fluid (no liability to you 😂) and drive my 2016 GX460 another 10 years and be done with it.. that would put me around 160k based on my historical mileage per year.
Thanks for your kind comments... they are engineered to last... we still have 80s/90s Camrys on the road out here in SoCal with 400k miles and transmission fluid never touched... I'm not sure of any lexus tech that will tell you they've seen transmission problems from not changing the lifetime fluid... regardless, fear prevails with the masses
I’m changing mine every 50k. The cost is worth the peace of mind over the lifetime of ownership knowing you did everything you could to get the maximum life out of the vehicle.
All fluids are lifetime. They'll work until the part fails. It's just a matter of how long you want that lifetime to be
Our 2009 RAV4 had a faulty transmission and was replaced at only 64714 miles. Operating temperature is supposed to be between 158⁰F to 176⁰ F but during the summer on the interstate it runs 10⁰ to 20⁰ warmer. How do you expect the fluid to not deteriorate? I plan on changing the ATF every 20,000 to 30,000 miles in the new transmission (just a simple drain and fill).
Just purchased my gx 460 2 weeks ago, however, two Tacomas, Camry and highlander. I use BG Transmission exchange every 50,000 to 55,000 miles. ALL my vehicles past 260,000 miles without a issue.👍😃 Like your thoughts.
We have gx 460, and 2 3rd Gen 4RUNNERS. We have never changed trans fluid and have a combined 1.5 million miles on the three. Maybe we are just lucky. We change oil with Castrol every 25,000 miles.
@@thepitpatrol that's amazing every 25k oil change with no issues and no trans change. You proved all those debates wrong but can't think of taking the risk.
@pall5114 well, I don't recommend it, but I started doing it with a 91 civic. It was a beater so I changed every 20 to 25. I drove it to 400,000 and gave it to an employee and they drove it another 100,000, she actually hot a deer. It didn't quit. We had to have the trans rebuilt in it. We run Castrol and one thing in do, I never just start and go. I let them warm up for several minutes, longer in extreme cold, and try to let them idle a few minutes before I shut them off.
Great video again man, I honestly would love to keep my gx until kicks the bucket. But you’re right something shiny might take it’s place. New synthetic petrol and a 2055 LX 800 with a future tech v8. 125mpg 800hp engine😂 What is the life at that point?
all electric GX or LX with 1500 LB ft of torque at each wheel, completely flat underneath, 1,000 mile range, 3 minute fast charge...? screens everywhere? 😆.. yes you'll probably want one! 20kw on board power inverter
@@LexusGX460-OFF-ROAD oh yeah 😎
I have a 2022 and the transmission has an oil pan internal dipstick, a drain plug, and a fill plug. The Lexus internal service has procedure for checking levels and drain and fill procedure. The Lexus computer scanner has a temp range for checking the levels. Dealer even has a drain and fill intervals.
At 170k with no fluid change, its lasted "a long time" but I did a fluid swap and in the future I'll do a pan drop and filter. But glad I have fluid looking more red now.
thank you for the data. How did it shift at 170k before the change??
@@LexusGX460-OFF-ROADdid a drain and fill at 140k and felt the shifts were more crisp afterward
I don't call engineers out more like marketing peoples .
People want car last 20' 30 years but reality is not , even transmission still working there are thousands of others parts of the car too
It's not practical to driving an old car from safety to repairs bills. None sense for a normal Americans to driving a piece of rust.
Is anyone really think that if your transmission will fail after , let's say, 200k mes, you can convince Toyota that it is because of transmission oil never being changed so they have to repair it on their behalf, and they will take care of it? Try to get replacement warranty from any tire manufacturer when your tire will blow out on a side )) even though they do guaranteed 50k-80k miles, they will never admit that this blowup is caused by tire itself and not a sharp object or anything else. And this is a mere $100 +/- thing.
Lifetime oil... not such a thing in anything with moving parts. If you are planning to keep the vehicle for the next 20-30 years, I'd keep changing that oil at least every 80k-100k miles, no matter what manufacturer says.
I get the fluid for about $6 a quart from either the dealer or Rock Auto (Aisin WS spec fluid).
I built myself a pressurized filler using a garden sprayer. Cut he spray end off, drill a hole in the tank and mount a tire stem and use your air compressor to pressurize to 25psi. Fills very quickly, cost about $20 from Harbor Freight. Works just like the professional grade fluid fillers and took about 5 minutes to make.
Then do a drain and fill every 3 oil changes (30k miles). IIRC it takes about 4 quarts, and costs me $25 and less than 30 minutes to do a drain and fill while I am doing an oil change. I do spend the extra $1 on new crush washers. I dropped the pan and changed the filter (1 hour total).
Just drain and fill every 30k miles and will never have a fluid related failure. Or do a full "flush" (full fluid exchange) every 100k miles. Filter is just a felt type screen and no point changing it if you keep the fluid clean. Dropping the pan you can get an extra 1.5-2 qt but for the extra hour spent I don't think it's worth the time.
Be careful with the fill plug. There is a very sharp bracket I cut myself on, and I've seen several other posts indicating others have as well.
Don't forget to grease the zerk fittings on the driveshafts
Oil change every 10k miles? God luck with that! DO NOT completely flush tranny at any point. 60k mile drain and fills, oil changes at 3 to 5k miles will keep the GX going till the day you depart from it.
The reason manufacturers went this way is because people were putting the wrong trans fluid and ruining the transmission. So they chose to remove the external trans dipstick so the average person would not have easy access. Transmissions are very finicky about the type of fluid. Hence why they went for the service tech doing the procedure. But there is a procedure for checking and changing trans fluid.
I’d like to see how many vehicles used in harsh conditions make it to 300,000 - 400,000 miles without any fluid changes and a transmission in good transmission. I’m open minded to it, but from an engineering standpoint, it’s not smart to utilize “lifetime” fluids, but that’s just in general. Maybe there is an exception in this case. I’d also like to point out that some GX460’s have transmission failure prematurely, but I am not sure what is causing it. Also, even though Toyota puts a million miles on their engines and transmissions during R&D, they still have had major issues (historically) that’s didn’t pop up until real world use by customers. Excessive oil slugging & oil consumption, for example. Of course, they rectified that over time and the engine is known as one of the world’s best engines ever made. It’s hard to be for sure without hard data, which isn’t available outside of Toyota’s walls. It’s better to be safe than sorry on what can be a $10,000 repair. That’s me perspective. My Dad has never changed the transmission fluid in his 2005 Doge and it has 270K on it today. Original transmission and engine, but 50% of it is highway miles.
If Toyota's legal department is good with the statement of lifetime transmission oil, then I would prefer to trust the Toyota's engineers and scientists instead of auto body technicians from RUclips and forums. As a layman, this is so far I can only think of.
well, what does "lifetime" mean to you vs. the manufacturer? To most manufacturers, lifetime = warranty period. If it dies out of warranty, they're happy to sell you another transmission, or another vehicle. Thus all the controversy. Same deal with ridiculously long motor oil change interval trend. It's all good as long as the idea is to keep selling new vehicles, rather than maximize the value to the consumer from already existing vehicles.
@freezerlunik people like you have a serious misunderstanding of how tranmission fluid works or deteriorates. I can last for a very very very long time unless it's subjected to extreme conditions like heavy towing or racing. Fluid condition is very rarely the cause of a tranmission failure.
Better to replace it. 2011 with 80,000 miles transmission had trouble engaging reverse and multiple error codes, while all other forward gears worked. Had to repair it, which cost was more than frequent ATF replacement. Lots of Prado and cars with the A750 and A760 have this problem in my country, as they do not come with a separate ATF cooler.
I have new GX 460 I am assuming it has the transmission the Prado's in your country (which country?). The Prado's in your country do alot of towing and need the ATF cooler? or simply you think all of them should have the cooler. I plan to change the ATF at every 50K and don't tow. I am curious what does it cost to rebuild or replace a new Prado Trans in your country?
Thanks!
I'll have to check my manual, but I own a 19 GX and it states to change the trans fluid at 60k miles if you are doing a lot of towing and or off roading or heavy loads. It also states to change your diff fluids and transfer case fluids every 30k miles. Are you doing any of that?
So 60k trans fluid change?
Great vid. Wish my unmodded daily drivers had lifetime! I’d still recommend a change on a modded Toyota… especially if you start smelling the tranny fluid burning 😂
The life time of a transmission for a company is it’s warranty time.
typical Toyota/Lexus warranty is 36k. internet reports owners never changing transmission fluid and are at 300k... 😃
@@LexusGX460-OFF-ROAD I think the powertrain warranty is 5 years or 60k miles. They do recommend 60k transmission fluid changes under extreme conditions. I own several Toyotas and do not change any fluid except for engine oil. I never have any issues. I generally keep cars until about 150-200k miles.
The fluid is cheap when compared to a transmission, so why not change it every 60k? And no, this isn’t a 90s Chevy transmission, changing the fluid for the first time at 100,000 miles won’t damage it. I bought a used GX with 134,000 miles and the first thing I did was have Lexus change the transmission fluid. I am a Toyota technician, but I needed a spare key so I decided to just have them do the transmission while they programmed the key. The service advisor argued with me about it, but eventually gave up. 5000 miles later, no shifting issues or anything. I do see Toyotas with 200,000 miles come in occasionally and need a transmission. It’s not common at the dealer, because by the time they need a transmission it’s usually on its 5th owner who doesn’t care about the car and it’s not going to the dealer anymore. Fluid changes every 60,000 is cheap insurance for the transmission.
My brother, there's a flaw in your reasoning that I hope I can effectively illustrate. I say this as an engineer for one of the world's largest engine makers and one who has written specification documents given to customers. Many colleague came from other companies and indicated to me that things at GM and Toyota worked similarly. That said, here goes:
Engineers work to requirements. If it meets the requirement, it's good.
When Toyota says a trans fluid is "lifetime", it's NOT the engineers saying that. Engineers have to define what "lifetime" means because by itself the requirement is too vague to have any utility. Instead, we engineers would work to some defined target-- say 100k miles at an average load of 40% perhaps. But therein lies the rub-- they never tell us what a "lifetime" is.
"Lifetime" therefore cannot be an engineering term because it has no units. Rather, it is a marketing term. More specifically, it is the marketing interpretation or "spin" on what the engineering team's requirements drove them to develop. So if the engineers deliver a validated life of 100k miles at 40% load, then marketing might say that's a full warranty period so we'll call it a "lifetime".
But what if you the owner want more life than the marketing people consider to be a "lifetime"? What if you want 200k or 300k and not just 100k? Well the "lifetime" the engineers worked to was only 100k, so maybe it lasts 120k or maybe it goes 300k. Nobody knows because they just tested it to 100k (perhaps a B10 life).
The devil is in the meaning of "lifetime." Lifetime certainly does not mean "lasts forever" because nothing does. So we have to manage the uncertainty between "last long enough for my purposes" and "last long enough for Toyota to call it a lifetime".
I recommend periodic but infrequent drains of "lifetime" fluid-- it's similar to, say, a Honda timing belt needing a replacement every 100k miles. Honda could have called it a "lifetime" timing belt and just accepted that at some point around 150k-250k miles, and engine might catastrophically fail. Instead, they recommend a rare but periodic servicing.
Assuming you have added a trans cooler if you tow and aren't abusing the trans with high heat, I'd suggest the factory fill is good to at least 50k miles to more like 100k. No need to go bonkers swapping the fluid. But neither should it be considered to last indefinitely. Thus, for many GX owners who bought new and won't keep it very long, the factory fill is indeed a lifetime fluid as far as they are concerned. But for the more budget-minded folks who are buying older GXs already over 150k miles, a drain and refill of the trans is absolutely a good idea.
Toyota will specify "lifetime" as over 500k miles which most people would reasonably agree is a "lifetime" for a car these days and beyond... Aisin will engineer to 500k. Toyota will test it to that mileage to verify. "Lifetime" is set at an actual numerical value which is secret to Aisin and Toyota BUT it's an "open secret" that Toyota engines and transmissions are given a 500k benchmark.
@@LexusGX460-OFF-ROAD I didn't realize the definition of lifetime was out there. Thanks for that. Anyway, I'm going to swap fluid on my 2011 and that'll be it for my "lifetime" owning it most likely. I have the radiator out and have to top off the trans fluid to account for lost fluid anyway, so draining isn't such a big deal.
Love your content, thanks for the comment and the video.
excellent point👍👍👍
I need an advice guys, I just got a 2019 GX 460 and it has a K56000 on it, do I need to change the Transmission fluid? My concern is that I don’t know how the previous 2 owners treated this truck.
Thank you guys
I would recommend doing it. 56,000 is within range to change it and changing it via the dealership has almost no cost for a *drain and fill*
@@TheAndersonOBrien that’s exactly what I did.
Thank you buddy
Transmission failed on my lexus gx 460 with only 75k miles cost to fix 7500$ and you don’t get new you get rebuild trans remind you Lexus dealer was changing mine and I admitted that you can’t buy new transmission unless you buy a brand new GX 460.transmission manufacture does not build a new transmissions for a market build it only for LEXUS exclusive to put in a new cars that being said I also had Lexus GS 400 that’s the V8 version for 2o years purchase new in 1999. Traded it in 2019. And had 279,000 miles and transmission was never touched. Oil was never changed and never had any issue . So I really don’t know what camp to trust lol but this is my story Project460 on RUclips.
There's no way your transmission failed because of fluid condition at 75k miles, UNLESS you did some heavy towing a lot of its life and caused overheating. Something else caused the failure. Unfortunate of course. But very very unlikely because of 75k mile fluid. That's nothing for modern ATF.
Exactly.. something is ( missing ) in your story !!!!!! 75 k is nothing for the gx !!! so please ( elaborate ) ..
A lot of the older 460s are starting to have problems with their transmissions, likely could have been prevented by a fluid change
citation?
@@LexusGX460-OFF-ROAD I’ve tried answering 3 times but my comment is being censored
@@brwi1 unless you cite something comment has no validity
@@jaycarl1562 I did. Did you read the replies?
I will be getting the oil tested every 100k and see what comes back. Atleast something objective to decide on.
that would be some very helpful scientific data... thank you! ❤️
@@LexusGX460-OFF-ROAD Mine is at 60K with light off roading and dirt roads. I see a inor harshness in shifting. I asked the dealer to check and they recommend a change (why would they not). I am going to it and getting the stuff analyzed. I also did the diffs and transfercase. Diff oil was pretty dirty.
I saw 1 video he changed his GX460 transmission fluid at around 110K, it is dirty as dirt. He probably can continue using that dirty fluid but if you love your GX460 and want it to last 500K, you should change at conventional wisdom.
I want my FJ Cruiser’s transmission to die the day I do 😏
Just kidding but I do hope it lasts as long as I own the rig.
All new cars have a warranty. That warranty requires service, to keep it valid. "Lifetime" simply means, that no service is required, to maintain a valid warranty. Warranties often range from 36,000 miles up to 100,000 miles, sometimes, 125,000 miles. That's your "lifetime". To get 300,000 miles, you really need to do those oil changes on both the engine and transmission. Anything with friction surfaces,(clutches) sheds material, especially during break-in. If you do a couple of services when new, flushing the particulate matter out of it, you can go a long time, without further service, because the particulate shedding will be so fine, that it remains within the film thickness of the oil. The first transmission oil changes should be done the same time as the engine oil changes during break-in. After that, you can go 50-100,000 miles between changes. It's all about cost per mile of ownership of the car. Sure, you can change oil more often, but, compared to the cost of a new car, you can reach the point of "diminishing returns". The money you might save with less frequent service near end of life, might be better spent on the replacement vehicle.
Lifetime transmission fluid?!? False! I've had my fluid replaced by my Lexus dealer, it was pretty dirty at 74k miles.
Lifetime definitely not safe.
"Dirty" trans fluid is a BS thing mechanics say. You can't tell the fluid is dirty by observing it with your eyes. You have to send it to a lab. They think because it's dark that means it's dirty. It just means the dye has worn off, and means nothing.
BMW has been using ZF transmissions with lifetime fluid for over 20 years. If your cars lifetime is 75k miles, then there’s no need to change it. However every knowledgeable BMW owner and tech (and even the ZF engineers I’ve talked with) will recommend a change every 40k miles. Toyota has a great transmission, keep it that way by changing the fluid every 40k or so.
NO ONE IS SAYING TO DROP THE PAN OR CHANGE THE FILTER. YES YOU SHOULD DRAIN THE FLUID AND REFILL AT 60000 MILES OR SO. EASY QUICK AND NEEDED. ANYTHING ELSE IS UNESSESARY.