"Lurfys Maw" <invalid@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote in message
news:br1914pc3jgddrg68kug05cgqle8fokv84@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
>I would appreciate any comments on the story I am getting from my
> Lexus dealer.
>
> My wife has a 2001 RX 300. We bought it CPO (Certified Pre-Owned) in
> 2003.
>
> Friday afternoon, she called me from a friend's house saying it was
> making strange noises and seemed to have difficulty ****fting out of
> low gear.
>
> I called the dealer where we bought it and who has done all of the
> service. They sent a flat bed truck to get it.
>
> The tow truck driver drove it onto the flat bed truck. I didn't hear
> any noises. He showed me what appeared to be oil streaks on the lower
> side of the car just behind the right front wheel. I also noticed what
> appeared to be quite a bit of oil on that wheel housing. But there was
> no oil under where the car had been parked while it was waiting for
> the tow truck (about 90 minutes).
>
> A few hours later, the service tech called. They had not had a chance
> to work on it, but it will not move at all and they believe it is the
> transmission.
>
> I asked him what ha caused this. He said they wouldn't know for sure
> until they take it apart, but they just wear out.
>
> I asked him if it could be caused by a service mistake, like not
> replacing the transmission oil or not tightening an oil plug or
> something. It was just in for service in February. He said "No, there
> is still oil in there". There are no oil spots in the garage where it
> is parked.
>
> I am puzzled by the oil streaks on the side of the car (if that's even
> what they were) and the oil on the right front wheel housing. Isn't
> the transmission in the rear?
>
> He quoted me $6,300 for a new transmission.
>
> What is the expected life of an RX 300 transmission?
>
> What chance do I have to get this covered by Lexus. I believe the CPO
> warranty was for 5 (more) years or up to 100,000 (total) miles. We are
> well past the 5 years, but well under the 100,000 miles.
>
> He also said that they usually do not even open up the transmission if
> is it completely frozen, like this one is. They just replace it.
> should I insist that they try to figure out what the problem was?
>
> The car had 35,000 miles on it when we bought it. It now has 68,000.
> My wife puts about 7,000 miles on it each year, 90% city driving. She
> is a very careful driver.
>
> Thanks for any suggestions.
Was the oil on the side of the car and not underneath? Oil leaking from a
powertrain component is more likely to be on the undercarriage than on the
side of the car, so I would imagine that oil on the side came from an
external source. What kind of oil did you see? Was it automatic
transmission fluid?
The transmission is located under the hood to the left (from the
prospective
of the passenger compartment ) of the engine.
Transmissions are pretty complicated, and dealers have gone to complete
replacement rather than try to repair it with unacceptable results. There
are some basic tests like pressure tests and solenoid checks that they
should do before replacing the transmission. If the transmission is not
producing the correct pressure, then it probably needs replacement. What
is
the condition of the automatic transmission fluid (ATF)? If a ****ft
solenoid is not engaging, a solenoid replacement is relatively simple and
inexpensive compared to a transmission replacement.
You can try contacting Lexus customer relations and plead your case there
to
see if they can offer any out-of-warranty assistance.
Good luck!
--
Ray O
(correct punctuation to reply)
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