Hi fellow yelpers!

Does anyone know where I can get a transmission FLUSH?  Does it matter whether I take it to a dealership or just any auto shop?  Lexus charged me almost $1500 for the 60k maintenance and didn't even flush my transmission; 2 months later I get my oil change at my friends place and he showed me the transmission fluid; it looked pretty dark.
I called Lexus up and they said they only 'drain' cause they don't have the machine to flush it.  They also went to say that had I been diligent with taking better care of my car and bringing it in every 3 months for a transmission 'drain' there would be no need to do a 'flush'...  They also told me that Mercedes and Toyota have transmission flush machines and that I can look into that.   I left the dealership utterly disappointed;  Being a 3rd generation Lexus owner, it saddens me to say that I'm never buying Lexus again!

I've never heard of draining the transmission every 3 months.  This sounds like a crock of bullshit to me.   I think once a year is a lot for transmission fluid replacement;  4x is unheard of.  

autos.yahoo.com/maintain…

If you change the fluid per the recommended interval, a flush should be unnecessary.

Yeah, I think most cars can go at least 30K between fluid changes.

if you insist on a flush chk this site out, and look for a recommended shop

bgprod.com/home.html

BG as co. has a very good reputation , I have used their machines and  the end results were always good.  good luck

Transmission fluid you are supposed to change every 24,000 miles or every 2 years
Same thing with brake/clutch fluid
That also applys to the cooling system.
But no one ever does this anymore

If you have a Lexus I think the transmissions have an internal filter
My buddy changed his on his LS400 and it took him about 2 days
you have to remove th oil pan from the transmission which means if you take it to a shop its going to cost big bucks.

Amanda----if the transmission fluid is dark and smells "burnt", it is time to change or flush the transmission fluid.  The transmission fluid should be "pinkish" in color.  You did not mention the year/make of your Lexus.  

There is a big difference between a "drain" and a "flush".  The time between transmission flushes vary depending on how you drive.

If you want a dependable, honest mechanic-----LeadFoot Automotive---510-226-1249 and ask for Chuck or George.  Yes, they are in South Fremont, off of 880 and Auto Mall Parkway.

I have an Infiniti------and I take my car there when it needs work done.  Very dependable and reliable.  They won't give you the wrong information.

amanda, lexus makes a living on service.

which dealership did you go to?

pm me if you are in sf. though i personal hate lexus, i have personal experience with their utterly fanfuckingtastic service advisors.

as a lexus owner, you should never have to worry about getting ripped off.

does lexus have "permanent" transmission fluid?....some cars have "permanent" transmission fluid and only have a drain plug....and special equipment is necessary to flush and force new fluids back up and in through the drain hole...going against gravity...

Flush a cooling system on a regular basis?  (3 yrs recommended) YES!

Flush a transmission?  Nope! Just a good drain and replacement is all that's required... once every couple of years or so unless it overheated and the fluid "burned."

Fords run the hottest and our fleet goes upwards of 300K for the 'spares.'  I don't think Dave has ever done a flush on them, but, (important... remember, important) regular drain/replace is necessary. Kinda needed like an oil change is.

hen from what i know, and i dont care to know shit about lexus, most newere models do run with the "lifetime" tranny fluid. 100k+ fluid is more accurate. the machine for drain is a simple topsider, for a flush, is a bit more complicated, and certain models with lifetime fluids, you need to drop the pan which is a bitch. most of the "higher end" cars these days go with the lifetime, pos lexus is trying to mark up the brand with such details, which is lame.

i think the real issue is that your dealer, who LIVES on being the BEST high end car company service wise would try to fuck you over like that. even the "simple" tranny fuild does not have to be changed that often.

Wow!  You guys rock!  I haven't checked for responses in a week and once again Yelp has come through for me!  Thanks so much guys for all the useful information;  Now I just have to sort it all out =) But sounds like I may just need a second opinion as to whether I need a tranny flush or another drain or not.  will check out some of the places you guys mentioned.

Once againl...lots of thanks and a very happy holiday season to you all!

-Amanda

18K?  Is that what your manual say or the shop employee?

Check your owners manual.  I just recently changed my transmission fluid.  It is not difficult to do, just messy.  Repair manual says change at 90K and ONLY if it is burnt or has been driven hard at high speeds.   Otherwise it is not necessary.  The shops told me 10K to 30K for transmission fluid.

Forget about the flush.

I change my engine oil every 5K miles per my owners manual, not the 3K often quoted by the shops.

Wow that's a lot of work.  I think I'll stick with my low performance vehicle.