Timming Belt / Oil Preshure 99 Rx300

[RPNaples]

I have a 99 RX 300 that we love - have had the car since 2001. This is the first time that we have had anything major go wrong. The rx 300's are very tough cars.

All wheel drive, 148K,

Timming belt jumped, engine would spin but would not start. I replaced the belt (see my qualifications), car started fine. Checked fluids and the oil was down almost 3 quarts, filled - drove and all seemed fine. My wife took the car about 15 miles and as I understand it, the oil light went on and after driving it (trying to get home) the engine stopped again. Same symptoms, I assume timming belt jumed again. After discutions with my wife, the oil light was on for a couple days before the engine stopped the first time.

I have the manual, the oil pump inspection, oil screen cleaning and replace filter job does not seem to bad but they talk about the vvt system. Could that have any berring on oil preshure or is it unrelated.

** Marine mechanic for over 25 years, done my fair share of working on differant types of cars, built and raced boats for off-shore racing and ran and repaired all types of heavy equiptment over the years. Yes the check engine lite has been of for over 5 years, I know, have you ever heard the one about the cobblers kids shoes?

[PK_3]

Tough? Your joking right?

My 99 with 84k has been through one transmission and now needs a a complete tear down due to "oil gel".

Look here http://www.engine-light-help.com/lexus-che...gine-light.html if you feel lucky.

Otherwise check this out http://www.oilgelsettlement.com/

Regards, Pk

P.S Am I asking to much? My Porsches and BMW's can't be killed. It was 20 yrs and 30 cars ago that I experienced a heap like this...a 1965...GM Corvair.

[code58]

I have a 99 RX 300 that we love - have had the car since 2001. This is the first time that we have had anything major go wrong. The rx 300's are very tough cars.

All wheel drive, 148K,

Timming belt jumped, engine would spin but would not start. I replaced the belt (see my qualifications), car started fine. Checked fluids and the oil was down almost 3 quarts, filled - drove and all seemed fine. My wife took the car about 15 miles and as I understand it, the oil light went on and after driving it (trying to get home) the engine stopped again. Same symptoms, I assume timming belt jumed again. After discutions with my wife, the oil light was on for a couple days before the engine stopped the first time.

I have the manual, the oil pump inspection, oil screen cleaning and replace filter job does not seem to bad but they talk about the vvt system. Could that have any berring on oil preshure or is it unrelated.

** Marine mechanic for over 25 years, done my fair share of working on differant types of cars, built and raced boats for off-shore racing and ran and repaired all types of heavy equiptment over the years. Yes the check engine lite has been of for over 5 years, I know, have you ever heard the one about the cobblers kids shoes?

My sympathies to you RPN but in all seriousness, should your wife be driving? What does she think an oil light means? I would be strongly tempted to take the keys away from my wife if she pulled that. I hope for your sake you don't have to buy an engine, but you, being a mechanic know that with an oil light on for 2 days before it stopped the 1st. time and she drove it with the oil light on again to try and get home- if you dodge this bullet , I'd go play the lottery RIGHT AWAY! Good Luck, you're gonna need it.

[Grumpa72]

While I haven't replaced the timing belt on my 330 yet, I have done it on two other cars so let me ask the question. Does the Lexus have a belt tensioner built into the system? My other front wheel drive cars with timing belts do and I suggest that the reason the belt jumped is the tension isn't proper.

Not going to get into the "talk to your wife about what a warning light means" discussion but good luck and hope you don't need a new engine.

Let us know what you find.

[RPNaples]

Well let me say I do apriciate all the responces, thank you. As far as taking the keys away and so on, we are talking about a car, a pice of metal and plastic. lets keep some perspective ok. She like me are not perfict and I knew she was very hard on equiptment when I maried her so it is ok, even if it needs a engine. Not the end of the world. With that being said, The oil jelling makes sence. Is it comon for the jelling to acure in oil passages, oil screens or in any way that will restrict oil from reaching the top of the engine? and is it repairable? or does it damage the oil pump and cause low oil pump preshure? At this point If I squeek by with only uperend damage, not so bad. I am sure that the reason the belt jumed again was that the cams got sqweesed when the head heated up due to no oil and slowed or stopped the cams from turning. If impact to the piston then all this is mute and a long block is in order. Still cheeper than a new car. Have you checked out what you get for 26k reasently (and that is for a low end suv and not repacing it with a new lexus, cant aford that at this point). Im not imprest with the options avalable.

Thank you for the links and so on.

[code58]

Well let me say I do apriciate all the responces, thank you. As far as taking the keys away and so on, we are talking about a car, a pice of metal and plastic. lets keep some perspective ok. She like me are not perfict and I knew she was very hard on equiptment when I maried her so it is ok, even if it needs a engine. Not the end of the world. With that being said, The oil jelling makes sence. Is it comon for the jelling to acure in oil passages, oil screens or in any way that will restrict oil from reaching the top of the engine? and is it repairable? or does it damage the oil pump and cause low oil pump preshure? At this point If I squeek by with only uperend damage, not so bad. I am sure that the reason the belt jumed again was that the cams got sqweesed when the head heated up due to no oil and slowed or stopped the cams from turning. If impact to the piston then all this is mute and a long block is in order. Still cheeper than a new car. Have you checked out what you get for 26k reasently (and that is for a low end suv and not repacing it with a new lexus, cant aford that at this point). Im not imprest with the options avalable.

Thank you for the links and so on.

RPN- Didn't mean to get you upset, was concerned about other aspects of her driving with limited comprehension of what an illuminated oil or check engine light meant.

You, being a mechanic, know the consequences of running without oil. It's very easy to pull the front valve cover and check for jelling. The moment you pull the cover it will be very easy to tell if you have it and it will definitely cause oil starvation. One other thing I would consider among things to consider is pulling the lower pan. Easy to pull and check the oil pickup screen. I don't know the exact reason for it but though the screen is maybe 3 in. in diameter, it has over the opening a metal disc that only has about an 1 1/2 in. hole in it. If there is tendency because of jelling or sludge, varnish, to clog, it would be much more prone to clog because of the small opening. It was mentioned that the automatic timing belt tensioner may be weak- I suppose that is possible- it isn't adjustable, it's just spring loaded to a given tension once you get the belt on and remove the pin that keeps the spring retracted, it is free to apply that tension to the belt system. My guess would be that the added friction on the cams allowed it to jump the spring tension. The small pickup screen opening because of the disc is one reason I would be very leery of using an engine flush in these engine for fear that it would easily overwhelm the oil screen pickup.

[RPNaples]

thanks for the info again. I had intended to change the water pump, the tentioner and both the Idler and the tentioner pully but I wanted to know if there was any impact on the head from the valve. Engine seemed to run great. my intention at this point is tentioner, both pullys, waterpump, pull oil pan and clean screen and pan, pull oil pump housing, check tolorances, clean and replace with new o-ring and put all back together. Hope for the best, if not I got a lead on a compleat engine w/25k in maryland for 3k.

[code58]

thanks for the info again. I had intended to change the water pump, the tentioner and both the Idler and the tentioner pully but I wanted to know if there was any impact on the head from the valve. Engine seemed to run great. my intention at this point is tentioner, both pullys, waterpump, pull oil pan and clean screen and pan, pull oil pump housing, check tolorances, clean and replace with new o-ring and put all back together. Hope for the best, if not I got a lead on a compleat engine w/25k in maryland for 3k.

RPN- It has been debated on this and other Lexus forums whether the RX is an interference or non- interference engine. I'm not sure because the places I looked it said interference but others chimed in and said Toyota mechanics had said non-interference. Don't believe it was ever resolved. I have a factory manual on DVD and that never gave any indication which it is. Report back to us which it is if you are able to positively determine which it is.

I would think from the way it turned over when you tried to start it you could tell if it was rolling over on 1 cyl. Maybe not if the belt jumped enough that it was out of sync. with pistons.

[lenore]

Well let me say I do apriciate all the responces, thank you. As far as taking the keys away and so on, we are talking about a car, a pice of metal and plastic. lets keep some perspective ok. She like me are not perfict and I knew she was very hard on equiptment when I maried her so it is ok, even if it needs a engine. Not the end of the world. With that being said, The oil jelling makes sence. Is it comon for the jelling to acure in oil passages, oil screens or in any way that will restrict oil from reaching the top of the engine? and is it repairable? or does it damage the oil pump and cause low oil pump preshure? At this point If I squeek by with only uperend damage, not so bad. I am sure that the reason the belt jumed again was that the cams got sqweesed when the head heated up due to no oil and slowed or stopped the cams from turning. If impact to the piston then all this is mute and a long block is in order. Still cheeper than a new car. Have you checked out what you get for 26k reasently (and that is for a low end suv and not repacing it with a new lexus, cant aford that at this point). Im not imprest with the options avalable.

You know with a oil lite on maybe the tensioner lost its tension (assuming it is oil driven) I cant remember whether that is a fact of this engine....

Thank you for the links and so on.

[KBRX330]

One question: When you replaced the timing belt did you rotate the engine via the crank pulley nut to be certain the belt was seated correctly before you buttoned it up? If you did...did you double check the timing alignment marks?