1999 Lexus Rx 300 Metal Rubbing Sounds.

[K-Lexus-AZ]

My wife and I recently bought a used RX300 around February of this year and got all the fluids changed, brakes done, it was running good. One day she was driving home from work and the oil light started flashing then went solid (she did not say what color the light was). She pulled off to the side of the road and shut off the car, once she restarted the car had a kocking noise, and when you turn it off it sounds like metal is rubbing.

My question is, has anyone had this problem before and what was the outcome?

I really do not want to try to find a new engine, hope it is something I can repair.

[ricco750]

My wife and I recently bought a used RX300 around February of this year and got all the fluids changed, brakes done, it was running good. One day she was driving home from work and the oil light started flashing then went solid (she did not say what color the light was). She pulled off to the side of the road and shut off the car, once she restarted the car had a kocking noise, and when you turn it off it sounds like metal is rubbing.

My question is, has anyone had this problem before and what was the outcome?

I really do not want to try to find a new engine, hope it is something I can repair.

Unless you rebuild engines, I doubt it is something you can repair. And that "knocking" noise is probably a rod knock. You should definitely not drive it, and it should be towed to a shop.

My "99 RX threw a rod though the oil pan at 109,000 miles. It was my mother-in-law's car at the time, had been cared for very well, and was being driven at a highway speed when it happened. I was not driving the car at the time, so I don't know if the oil pressure light was on...it was being driven by my brother-in-law, who tends to ignore stuff like CEL's and such.

Anyway, I bought the car after that, and Lexus put in a new short block, and gave me a 25% reduction in the parts. Still, the total bill was about 7 grand. The crankshaft bearings on the old block were blue from friction heat, so there had to be an oil starvation problem, but the original cause, be it low oil level or a bad oil pump, or a restriction somewhere...was never determined.

Anyway, I hope you have a good relationship with your wallet, because you are probably about to ask for a favor! Good Luck.