92' Ls400 Smoking

[ramnozack]

hi, I HAVE 92' LS400 AND WHILE SOMETIMES DRIVING ON THE HIGHAY AT 80 MPH OR SO THE CAR STARTS TO SMOKE, ESPECIALLY WHEN I FORGET IT IN THE THIRD GEAR, MEANING WITH THE O/D IN THE OFF POSITION.ANY IDEA TO THE ROOT OF THIS PROBLEM.PLEASE YOU GUYS DO NOT IGNORE THIS, BECAUSE THIS PROBLEM IS DRIVING ME CRAZY.WHAT TO DO? I HAVE CHANGED THE ACV VALVE ON THE P/S PUMP.

[RFeldes]

No way to treat a Lexus at 80++mph and not in overdrive, 5th gear... I doubt you have been up on maintenance, as in oil change, probably fried the engine and rings. Turn off your CAPS and switch on the O/D.

[ramnozack]

hi, I HAVE 92' LS400 AND WHILE SOMETIMES DRIVING ON THE HIGHAY AT 80 MPH OR SO THE CAR STARTS TO SMOKE, ESPECIALLY WHEN I FORGET IT IN THE THIRD GEAR, MEANING WITH THE O/D IN THE OFF POSITION.ANY IDEA TO THE ROOT OF THIS PROBLEM.PLEASE YOU GUYS DO NOT IGNORE THIS, BECAUSE THIS PROBLEM IS DRIVING ME CRAZY.WHAT TO DO? I HAVE CHANGED THE ACV VALVE ON THE P/S PUMP.

RFELDES,THANKS FOR THE RESPONSE,BUT NO.I KEEP THE MAINTENANCE ON THIS CAR LIKE YOU HAVE NOT SEEN.DEALER WORK ALL THE TIME INCLUDING MINE.AS FAR THE OIL I USE MOBIL 1 WITH THE USE OF K&N OIL FILTER WHICH I SPENT A GREAT DEAL OF TIME RESEARCHING TO FIND OUT THAT THE BEST LARGE CAPACITY ONE WOULD BE HP-2009 FOR YOU GUYS OUT THERE WHOM WOULD BE INTERESTED.I HAD NEW CAPS AND ROTORS ,PLUGS,WIRES AND A NEW WATER PUMP,PLUS ANEW TIMINGBELT.IN ADDITION TO HAVING HIGH PERFORMANCE BRAKE ROTORS AND CARBON METALIC PADS INADDITION TO HAVING THE BRAKE CALIPERS CUSTOM PAINTED WITH HIGH TEMP PAINT HOT YELLOW THANK YOU.RIMS ARE FROM A 2006 LS 430 17 INCH SIX SPOKES WITH A NEW SET OF BRIDGESTONES.LEVOC SHIFTER AND COMPLETELY REMAN. CLUSTER.A NEW A/C CONTROL UNIT DUE TO THE BLACKOUT PROBLEM ON THE LS AS YOU KNOW.A COMPLETE LEATHER INTERIOR FROM LEATHERSEATS.COM.A NEW STARTER AND A NEW ALTENATOR.SO I SWEAR TO YOU I AM NOT AN IDIOT. BUT YOU KNOW CRAP HAPPENS AND I THOUGHT THAT SOME BAD HAPPEND TO THE MOTOR.BECUASE I FAILED TO MENTION THAT IT HAS A REAR MAIN SEAL THAT IS BAD AND I HAVE YET TO FIX.HERE IS THE QUESTION ,DO YOU THINK THAT OIL IS LEAKING FROM THE SEAL AND BEING BLOWN AND BURNT ON THE EXHUAST. I DO NOT KNOW.WHAT DO YOU THINK?

[JimsGX]

hi, I HAVE 92' LS400 AND WHILE SOMETIMES DRIVING ON THE HIGHAY AT 80 MPH OR SO THE CAR STARTS TO SMOKE, ESPECIALLY WHEN I FORGET IT IN THE THIRD GEAR, MEANING WITH THE O/D IN THE OFF POSITION.ANY IDEA TO THE ROOT OF THIS PROBLEM.PLEASE YOU GUYS DO NOT IGNORE THIS, BECAUSE THIS PROBLEM IS DRIVING ME CRAZY.WHAT TO DO? I HAVE CHANGED THE ACV VALVE ON THE P/S PUMP.

Are you burning oil? How much are you burning per 1000 miles?

[ramnozack]

hi, I HAVE 92' LS400 AND WHILE SOMETIMES DRIVING ON THE HIGHAY AT 80 MPH OR SO THE CAR STARTS TO SMOKE, ESPECIALLY WHEN I FORGET IT IN THE THIRD GEAR, MEANING WITH THE O/D IN THE OFF POSITION.ANY IDEA TO THE ROOT OF THIS PROBLEM.PLEASE YOU GUYS DO NOT IGNORE THIS, BECAUSE THIS PROBLEM IS DRIVING ME CRAZY.WHAT TO DO? I HAVE CHANGED THE ACV VALVE ON THE P/S PUMP.

Are you burning oil? How much are you burning per 1000 miles?

HERE IS THE TRICK,NONE THAT I COULD NOTICE,I MEAN EVERY TIME I PULL THE DIPSTICK OUT IT LOOKS GOOD.SON OF A GON.BY THE WAY DID YOU READ MY FIRST REPLY.THANKS MAN FOR THE RESPONSE.I AM TRYING TO FIGURE OUT THIS ON MY OWN BECUASE THE DEALER CHARGES SOMETIMES MAKE ME SICK.

[ramnozack]

BY THE WAY GUYS THIS HAPPENED A FEW TIMES AND SOMETIME I HAVE IT IN O/D, BUT HERE THE THING AFTER I SLOW DOWN THE SMOKING STOPS. I DO NOT GET IT.HELP.

[chilkoot]

FYI, posting in all caps is obnoxious.

[ramnozack]

FYI, posting in all caps is obnoxious.

thanks polite person ,but i need help here outside the formality issue.any ideas

[sonyman]

Have the compression checked of your engine. How many miles are on it?

[chilkoot]

I forget what they call it, but there's a service where you send in a quart of your used oil after a change and they analyze it for wear materials, essentially telling you the condition of your engine. If you're positive it's not the ACV then that would be a good place to start.

check your PS fluid if you're not losing any oil, the smoke has to be coming from somewhere.

at what RPMs does the smoke start? will a WOT run make your car smoke, or only extended highway travel at high RPMs?

[SRK]

thanks polite person ,but i need help here outside the formality issue.any ideas

You're catching on. We expect you to be polite and to respect our standards for behaviour and posting, otherwise you'll find little help. From your first post it's evident that you "expect" answers to your questions, and you'll get them, as long as your attitude stays appropriate.

As to the oil burning, it sounds very much like an oil leak being blown back onto the exhaust at highway speed, whereas in town the oil drips directly to the road and doesn't get on the exhaust. A quick look under the car on a hoist may show carbon on the outside of the exhaust pipes, indicating the leak has contacted it.

[VBdenny]

If you are burning enough oil to see it in the mirror, your oil level would drop enough that you would notice it. Check all your fluids and see what is low. Oil burning is not good and usually indicates worn piston rings or if seen on harsh deceleration, bad valve seals. Thanks for turning off the caps, they are difficult to read and often ignored.

[ramnozack]

thanks polite person ,but i need help here outside the formality issue.any ideas

You're catching on. We expect you to be polite and to respect our standards for behaviour and posting, otherwise you'll find little help. From your first post it's evident that you "expect" answers to your questions, and you'll get them, as long as your attitude stays appropriate.

As to the oil burning, it sounds very much like an oil leak being blown back onto the exhaust at highway speed, whereas in town the oil drips directly to the road and doesn't get on the exhaust. A quick look under the car on a hoist may show carbon on the outside of the exhaust pipes, indicating the leak has contacted it.

srk,first thanks for the response.as for the conduct course 101 that you are trying to give me,where do see that I was off base with any body on this forum .please note the phrases that I have used that were improper to your delicate taste. come down buba--------come down,thank you. do not jump on the ban wagon as they say and try to find out what is going on first.

[SRK]

I stand corrected. You're not catching on.

[jcrome04]

Wow. . .

Way to sass dedicated members. That will get you a lot of help!!

[eatingupblacktop]

Come on kiddies. Lets wipe our noses, take a breath or two,

and get back to business. :whistles:

[ramnozack]

Come on kiddies. Lets wipe our noses, take a breath or two,

and get back to business.:whistles:

I agree ,personally all I wanted is some ideas from some good people who are willing to give one.some attacked me for typing with my caps on calling me names,some other kitty cats decided to join in the frensy,why you would say? I do not know,instead of coming with constructive ideas the kitties decided to attack me.I want to know who did I offend in this forum by asking for help and I even asked them to qoute the exact offensive lingo if you will that I used so I can go back and apologize.guess what none of them could.I do not get it ,all I want is some good well balanced answers without any nasty attitude.that is all.thx

[chilkoot]

you were given all the advice that we could have reasonably supplied you with given the miniscule details you've mentioned thus far. we requested more information to help you further, but haven't gotten any yet.

ball's in your court, chief.

[jcrome04]

You were attacked??? Wow. -_- Everyone here at LOC is good people (Chilkoot, SRK, RFeldes, VBDenny just to name a few, and everyone else giving you advice)

You've been given a ton of golden advice with the details given. All I've seen from you is sass for people asking you to turn off the caps.

I will admit I totally ignored this post at first because of the caps. It's a pain to look at and to try and read.

No one here is trying to offend you. So try not to reply with smart little comments and names. When you start adding emotions to the posts you're reading, and assume someone is being rude, that's when problems will start.

As for all of the advice given, have you followed any of it? What have you noticed? What's the status of your problem, and requested details?

[ramnozack]

okay,well I am going to do a report on the issue ignoring the phrase (sass). I went to the dealer and explained the problem and I am going to use the phrase as one member on this forum used they the dealer thought I was talking in a foreign language.they looked at me and replied that they never heard this one before,then they suggested a valve seal job which they said it would be at (28) hrs. of labor at 129/hr.did I mention the fact that I hate talking to them guys about complicated issues like that,because they strike me usually as incompetant and sadlly amature.reason for that ,I one time took the car for an a/c leak, the guy screwed up my compressor by forgetting to add some oil first ,after the evac. job.I do not know what to say and I am not saying that all of them guys are idiots not at all.then they told me that they would ship the heads for some machine shop to finish them.I do not know if I should trust them or trust that some machine shop or what not. I am willing to agree on the valve seals job ,it sounds logical ,because under high rpm that tends to create high suction thus resulting in some oil passing by the seal and getting sucked into the combustion chamber and then burnt.did not do the compression test yet ,for one reason only that the car takes off so incriddibly fast and performs so well on the highway it just does not make any sense to me that it is a compression issue due to some sticky rings at all.dog gone it.WTF

[nc211]

ramnozack, I'm not being a smartass here, but in another thread you had mentioned that your dad use to add 1qt of tranny fluid to a full tank of gas sometimes to clean out the engine. I've never heard of this, but I'm not knocking it down either. Did you do this to your LS recently? I ask, and I'm only assuming, that when your dad use to this to his cars, that they might of been a bit older, without all the electronic stuff of current, and could handle it better. If you did do this recently, you might want to give it a little more time to flush through completely. But if not, then I would assume you're probably right and you've got a bad ring somewhere, allowing the oil to get into the chamber, which in my opinion, isn't THAT specialized of a repair on these engines. If you've got a mechanic that can't handle working on the 4.0 liter Toyota V8, then it's not your engine's fault, it's the mechanics, and you should try another one. I'd check the phone book for a lexus specialized repair shop, and start there. Going the dealer route, will cost so much money that it's probably not worth it, in terms of the value of the car in general. Might as well sell it, and try again with a different one, in my own person opinion.

[SRK]

It's not valve seals - that much is for sure. Ignore the "mechanic" who says that. An analysis of the spark plugs would reveal oil burning in a combustion chamber quite quickly.

As to adding a quart of transmission fluid (ATF?) to the gasoline - give up on that old "myth-old wives tale-dogma" immediately if not sooner. As bad an idea as it was in the old days, with modern engines equipped with O2 sensors and catalytic converters, it is a terrible idea now.

Find someone intelligent to examine the car and give a definitive answer as to the smoke problem. Lost in the shuffle is my original idea that you have an oil leak dripping on the exhaust, overlooked in your over-reaction. Get the car on a hoist and confirm that the engine is tight in terms of oil leaks.

[ramnozack]

yes,I do that once every month or two and I am serious, it does wonders .do not be afraid to do and you will notice a big difference in the performance and the responsiveness of the engine.my dad was one of the best mechanics you will ever meet.he used to overhaul his engines on regular basis every year and his cars and trucks are show pieces.he used to show me the condition of the pistons during the overhual and let me tell you I witnessed that my self. I do that on all my cars including my 06' ls430,my 90'chevy caprice and my wife's winstar mini van.it works all the time.another tip for you is the use of kerosene k-1 as a fancy name for charcoal lighter fluid to add to the gas tank to clean you fuel injectors,and if you do not believe me buy one of those STP fuel injector cleaners and smell it .I also use kerosene k-1 to flush my engine oil before an oil change twice a year.nc211, man you live and learn every day.my old man was one of the old time greats.he drove mostly mercedes-benz cars,some with carb.,some fuel injection.I am not telling you this out of my head,but no I have experienced it first hand.I wish he was around....................he knew a thing or two.you may be right about waiting.I will give it a shot.Iam working on this car for the value of it ,because I know it is old ,it is just the love for that car,of course I can always get rid of it and drive my 06' ls430 but why, it is in such prestine shape and I keep it that way. thx for the intelligent response. (check out my post on the thread dead tach) and let me know.

[Chrissy]

We just had a 2000 ES300 that had the same problem. We thought the driver damaged the engine somehow. We took it to a Lexus dealer and they rebuilt the engine under warranty as supposely it is a known problem. We were a little surprise as this vehicle had really high mileage.

[90LS400Lexus]

Wow - interesting.

First of all, I would highly recommend to start by not driving on the freeway without the car not in overdrive, much less in 2nd gear. That is surely not good for the engine and it only increases wear and could ruin the engine. One time I accidentally placed my car in "2nd" after turning in a dealer lot and obviously (as observant as I am :)), realized it was in 2nd (when I was at about 3000 rpms at 35 mph) and knew it was in a lower gear. I have never took my car over 3000 rpms.

I wonder- how fast was your engine turning in 2nd gear at 80 mph? 6000 rpms or more? :o I would change the oil, use the O/D and see what happens.

I have never investigated this problem, because neither of my LS400s (1990 & 1991), both with over 200K, never lost a drop of oil between the 3K changes. (Knock on wood).

Lastly, I do not think anyone was trying to be hateful or mean. On any forum, if someone types in all caps, it does tend to ruffle feathers and annoy. I do not think these people were trying to be hateful or mean. Sometimes it seems that way when you are just reading type and not a persons tone.

Anyway, I hope all goes well!