Cold Idle Too Fast?

[appleton]

I bought my ES 350 at the beginning of winter. Noticed that it revs fast when first started. 1500 or 1600 RPM. If put into gear I feel catapulted out of the garage. I thought that it was a cold weather trait but now that spring has arrived, I'm still rocketing out of the garage. I will be asking about this at my 24,000 KM check up (15,000 miles). Has anyone else noticed this fast idle? Was it an easy fix / adjustment at the dealership? Oh and yes, my car is noisy with what has been reported as piston slam until it warms up.

[amf1932]

The idle speed is determined by the ECM, so there is NO fast idle speed adjustment. There are many factors involved, such as coolant temperature, ambient air temperature, etc. Naturally, the warmer the outside air is, the quicker the idle speed will drop.

[wwest]

Hmmmm......

I guess I haven't noticed that any new car with electronic engine controls and EFI, since about '92, has a fast idle mode....

Consistent ~800 RPM idle speed, yes, even with additional, intermittent, extra loads, A/C, power stearing use when parked, etc.

[appleton]

Hmmmm......

I guess I haven't noticed that any new car with electronic engine controls and EFI, since about '92, has a fast idle mode....

Consistent ~800 RPM idle speed, yes, even with additional, intermittent, extra loads, A/C, power stearing use when parked, etc.

My Lexus definitely idles on the fast side when first started. It does drop down after two or three minutes. Don't know much about the mechanical explanation, but it consistently revs at around 1500 RPM on start up. I don't like to run the car inside the garage for any longer than necessary so am forced to put it in gear causing it to 'bolt' out at a fairly quick pace. It's true that none of the cars I've owned in recent years displayed this characteristic.

[KBRX330]

Both my RX and ES do that. It is programmed into the ECM as said before. Normal.

From the service manual:

The Electronic Throttle Control System (ETCS) controls the engine idling speed. The ETCS operates the

throttle actuator to open and close the throttle valve, and adjusts the intake air amount to achieve the

target idling speed.

In addition, the ECM retards the ignition timing and the ETCS increases the intake air amount to quickly

increase the catalyst temperature at cold start to reduce emissions.

However if you are getting engine knock at cold start you may want to take it in and have them check your AICV (air intake control valve) and your knock sensor. You may also consider changing gasoline brands or octane rating. I doubt you have piston slap.

[TroyLexus]

I bought my ES 350 at the beginning of winter. Noticed that it revs fast when first started. 1500 or 1600 RPM. If put into gear I feel catapulted out of the garage. I thought that it was a cold weather trait but now that spring has arrived, I'm still rocketing out of the garage. I will be asking about this at my 24,000 KM check up (15,000 miles). Has anyone else noticed this fast idle? Was it an easy fix / adjustment at the dealership? Oh and yes, my car is noisy with what has been reported as piston slam until it warms up.

Any update on this ? Mine also has 1500rpm even in warm weather, and I was wondering what the dealership reported on this ? once it's warmed up, it goes down to 700

[JGTNewLexusOwner]

I have the same experience as Appleton. My 2008 ES350 has a fast idle but after a few minutes it slows down. Also, sometimes I put my foot on the gas a little and the idle slows down. I usually make sure I keep my foot on the brake if I don't let it idle for long.

[Ira d]

I bought my ES 350 at the beginning of winter. Noticed that it revs fast when first started. 1500 or 1600 RPM. If put into gear I feel catapulted out of the garage. I thought that it was a cold weather trait but now that spring has arrived, I'm still rocketing out of the garage. I will be asking about this at my 24,000 KM check up (15,000 miles). Has anyone else noticed this fast idle? Was it an easy fix / adjustment at the dealership? Oh and yes, my car is noisy with what has been reported as piston slam until it warms up.

Fast idle on most if not all cars built since the late ninety's is too high but its done for smog control reasons, However on my 07ES I can back

out of the garage as soon as I start it with no problems and the idle drops from 1500 to about 1000 I would say in about one min or so.

[peteanello]

My '09, when cold, starts out at 1400 rpm. As soon as I put it in reverse (right away) the rpm's drop to 1000. After a couple of minutes it's down to 625-650 rpm.