strmrdr23 Posted September 22, 2004 Share Posted September 22, 2004 so i was driving along yesterday and all of a sudden my check engine lite starts flashing and my idle is real, real ruff - the entire vehicle is shuddering...lt's like she is not firing on all cylinders or something...this happened to a friend of mine on his honda but it was because he had cleaned his engine and water got on something (spark plugs?)...he dried everything off and it seemed fixed. i'm not sure if the same thing is happening here...i had gotten my car washed earlier in the day but i didn't have my engine cleaned as my friend had before, tho...it was driving just fine at that point...i went out later that day and as i was coming out of a parking lot, i drove thru a big dip in the parking lot right before this happened...i didn't hit anything but it was a rather large dip in the road...anyways, today when i start my rx the check engine light isn't flashing, it just stays on - and i can smell something funny from the exhaust...like it's too rich maybe...any ideas? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RX in NC Posted September 22, 2004 Share Posted September 22, 2004 You need to get your trouble code read and identified first before any troubleshooting can be effective for you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
strmrdr23 Posted September 23, 2004 Author Share Posted September 23, 2004 yeah, i figured that part out...i was just wondering if anybody had something similar happen...the ride's in the shop now so i'll put up my results...pray that it's not too much $$$$ :( Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Unlisted Posted September 23, 2004 Share Posted September 23, 2004 lift up the oil cap and check for sludge. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
strmrdr23 Posted September 23, 2004 Author Share Posted September 23, 2004 ok, the service guy at lexus just called me back...it's the #4 spark plug...it died and coil for that plug shorted out too...not too bad, $300+ :( Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ericok Posted September 25, 2004 Share Posted September 25, 2004 Just for the record, you cannot "lift up the oil cap and check for sludge." There's a baffle plate under the oil cap. When you remove the cap and look in, you're looking at the top of the baffle plate. Sludge, if any, would be hidden underneath the plate. You have to remove the valve cover(s) to see if there's any sludge. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Unlisted Posted September 27, 2004 Share Posted September 27, 2004 sludge shows right under the oil cap . it gums up and can be detected that way. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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