Letsuck dealer: "Change 'Lifetime' transmission fluid every 30k."

Was wondering because I did recall seeing one but never had time to look.
Transmission removed to replace the filter? Or is that its “lifetime” ?
Thank you.

Some like the ZF engineered 8 speeds that FCA uses reccomends no changes for life . We all know that isnt true but a lot of the dealers wont touch them because of that reccomendation . If you can find someone the procedure is quite involved and has to be done on a lift and would probably be at least $400 if you can find someone to do seeing the fluid is over $20 a quart .

I haven’t seen the filters in the 8 speed transmission, however the filters in the 6 speed transmissions (your other RX350) are pleated, more surface area.

How long does the filter last? If the filter is clogged with clutch material the problem is more serious than a dirty filter.

Based on your other posts I’m convinced you do NOT have the technical ability to do this service. You need to take it to dealer or a trusted mechanic.

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I do it better thanyone. But I take too long.
As a perfectionist, I OCD clean everything with individual toilet paper squares to prevent any kind of contamination.
But do not have suction or pump or way to get under withe vehiclevel.

I seriously doubt that.

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I observe whathey do and knowhat I do.
They are practical and I am OCD.

No…they are technically trained…you are not. You’ve proven that many many times in this forum. You shouldn’t be touching wrench.

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Apparently they ignore such things as contamination in their technical training.
Yes, they have the instruments and machines I do not have. I will not do anything which requiresuch devices.
But I tighten everything to specification when they feel-tighten.
I measure accurately and take accurate measurements when theyeball it.
And while working as a student engineer in aerospace in college, I.nvented the metric Crescent Wrench!

That’s funny. I had to argue with mine to get them to change the transmission fluid. “No sir, it’s a lifetime fluid.” Yeah, it’ll last the life of the car, which will be shortened if that fluid isn’t exchanged. :wink:

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When I took my friend’s '08 Rav-4 to the dealership for a trans fluid change, I had the same experience, including the thing about “lifetime fluid”. The service writer asked, “Is he having problems with the transmission?”, and my response was, “No, we are trying to prevent problems.”.

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From what I hear, Mercedes mechanics charge you $700 just to drive vehicle into the shop…after that, it is your retirement fund, kid’s college money, your first-born, and upwards from there!

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Q. So, lived here your whole life?

A. Not yet…

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That 350 may sound high but once sliced and diced and sent on its way to various places it is not that high.

About half a dozen years ago I went through an epidural injection on my spine., The neurosurgeons bill for his roughly 7 minutes of time came out to 2600 dollars and change. That did not include the hospital, X-rays, or pharmaceuticals. Extrapolate that out to an hourly charge…

That being said, I don’t regret the cost because the neurosurgeon is the best go-to MD around and his word is gold. Not bad for a guy who started out in college to be a veterinarian…

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A few months ago, I had outpatient abdominal surgery, and my total time in the hospital was something on the order of 7 hours. I no longer recall the precise numbers, but the hospital’s charge was somewhere north of $16,000. The surgeon’s fee was more than $4k, and the anesthesiologist billed more than $2k.

I have had a number of outpatient injections for sciatica nerve pain. Mine was under Medicare, when I saw what Medicare authorized charge was, seemed to me they barely broke even.
Hospital based services are totally different, part of what you are billed helps cover the uninsured using the ER.

This is all Monopoly money. The actual amount which an insurance company “reprices” the claim to is probably somewhere around $2600 for the hospital, $1600 for the surgeon, and $900 for the anesthesiologist. The “allowed amount” is then apportioned between the insurance company paying the provider and the patient’s copay/coinsurance/deductible.

This is why healthcare in this country is such a joke. In most of the civilized world, a person without insurance pays the same exact price as a person with insurance; the only difference being that a person with insurance has an insurance company paying the bill (less any deductible/coinsurance) on their behalf. However, here in the U.S. a person without insurance–or a person whose insurance does not cover the claim–gets charged a “fantasy price” which is many time higher than what an insurance company would have paid.

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It is not a joke if you don’t have insurance. My new hip, 79k, 21k after insurance discount. And had already met my deductable so no cost.

Many year’s ago I got hurt on the job covered under workman’s comp there was a mix up somewhere and they sent me the bill with everything itemized I called them and told them insurance was covering it they sent me another bill to turn in to company it was identical to the first bill except the price’s jumped up by about 35%.

Somethings not right there. Insurance companies have negotiated contracts with Hospitals and doctors. If you go the the hospital and you DON’T have insurance then that procedure will cost significantly more then someone who DOES have insurance. it’s called negotiated rate. I have physical therapy for my knee after knee surgery. My therapist lived 2 doors down from me. He could not survive on just insurance injury’s or workmens comp. Either he accepts the negotiated rate or he doesn’t get their business. His normal rate was $150/hr…insurance negotiated rate - $40/hr. With overhead and equipment and receptionist…he’d be out of business in a month.

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