No Idle

[revronrowl]

Took my 99 Rx300 to get a new Idle motor after having problems with it stalling each time i tried to start it and even after it had warmed up. Lexus calls to ask if I want to do a ? cleaning to clean carbon off valves which can cause this problem to reoccur. Should I? It's my first visit to the dealer and I must say i'm skeptical. Cost of the cleaning was $140 on top of the $500 to replace the idle motor. Any thoughts?

Thanks,

Rev

[dirtypwntang]

Took my 99 Rx300 to get a new Idle motor after having problems with it stalling each time i tried to start it and even after it had warmed up. Lexus calls to ask if I want to do a ? cleaning to clean carbon off valves which can cause this problem to reoccur. Should I? It's my first visit to the dealer and I must say i'm skeptical. Cost of the cleaning was $140 on top of the $500 to replace the idle motor. Any thoughts?

Thanks,

Rev

You're probably having the same problem I'm having. Search for IACV on these forums, and there's a lot of info on it. That's the "correct" term for the "idle motor" you speak of.

Need to finish up the cleaning tonight, once I find a proper replacement screw.

Long story short, you probably should try cleaning it before you buy a new one. It'll be $5 (tops) for a can of throttle body cleaner, $1 (tops) to replace any screws you strip trying to remove the heads, and $15 (tops) for a damaged screw removal bit.

Of course, if you don't end up stripping the heads like I did, you'll only need the cleaner and a screwdriver. It's worth it before spending $640 on potentially pointless "repairs". As for cleaning up valves, you might be well off w/ a $10 bottle of fuel additive. That's probably all the stealership will do anyway. I personally would buy two bottles and use for two full-tank fillups.

[Karl K]

Hello dirtypwntang,

what is the 10 bottle of fuel additive you would use called?

I am sort of fuzzy about what to put onto the tank

If you have something that really works, please let me know.

Thanks,

Karl

[lenore]

use search and type in Seafoam Cleaner, their is a lot of discussion on how to use this product and its benefits....

[dirtypwntang]

Hello dirtypwntang,

what is the 10 bottle of fuel additive you would use called?

I am sort of fuzzy about what to put onto the tank

If you have something that really works, please let me know.

Thanks,

Karl

I mean like one of those STP fuel treatment additives. You might have mistaken what I was trying to say... This will NOT clean out the IACV. But the dealer is recommending they clean engine valves directly (not the IAC Valve), if I read the original poster's thread correctly. At their stated price, you could probably buy a dozen bottles of fuel treatment and it'd essentially do the same thing, really.

[dirtypwntang]

Update:

I did the IACV cleaning and it turned out GREAT. For anybody who is hesitant to do this procedure because you're afraid of stripping those notoriously difficult screws, you MUST MUST MUST read this post.

My recommendation to you is NOT to even try using a screwdriver to break the heads. I have a properly fitting screwdriver and it was still not grabbing the heads. And yes, I'd label myself as a fairly advanced DIYer.

Go to SEARS and pick up a BOLT OUT damaged bolt remover bit set. This is different from SCREW OUT, and works better. It doesn't matter which set you buy, as long as it has both #2 and #4 bits (it'll say clearly on the package which bits are included). The difference is that the SCREW OUT (aka GRABIT) tools completely obliterate the screw, whereas BOLT OUT only damages the outside of the head. Thus, you can screw the same screw back normally using a standard screwdriver. Don't worry, the car is fine without torqueing back to insane factory specs. I rechecked the screws a week and 300 miles after my cleaning, and none of them are loose from rattling.

When you use BOLT OUT, it'll still be a pain at first, but it WILL work. Don't worry if it doesn't seem to grab immediately. It took me a lot of patience to get it to grab early on, but don't worry because you're not compromising the screw by using this tool. I found that the best way to grab the screws is to take the BOLT OUT bit, and use a hammer or other heavy object to strike it until it's seized onto the head of the screw. At THAT point, insert your socket wrench and twist away. Go slowly, and make sure to apply pressure directly downward onto the head of the screw. Repeat from the start if needed. The natural tendency is to yank the wrench to "break" the seal. Try not to do that, you'll only be wasting time.

You'll need the #4 bit for the throttle body screws (3 of them), and the #2 bit for the IACV<-->Throttle Body Screws. If I recall correctly, the #2 was the one I also used for the two screws holding the black plastic piece.

Long story short, BOLT OUT works wonders. I was incredibly skeptical at first, but once I got the hang of it, those pesky screws came right out, and I didn't have to buy replacements for them. I can think of a handful of times when knowing about BOLT OUT would have helped me with previous projects.