Leaderboard

Hello Everyone, I know IACV has been a huge topic on the forum and I have found various pictures in the RX forum and ES forum on the idle air control valve (IACV) or as others call it the idle speed control valve (ISC). However, I have not found a "step by step" posting to date which definitively shows how to clean this thing so that my car stops giving me idling problems. Symptoms I have had included: - low and rough idling that would cause the car engine to start shaking after starting the car - this eventually got worse to the point that when I start my car, it would not idle unless I gave it gas - idling problems for me tended to occur more often after my engine was warm or had been sitting in the sun I hope these series of postings help you fellow LOC members out there. You've certainly helped me in the past so here's my two cents at this common problem. Additionally, the instructions I give are the way in which I have cleaned it myself. As you go about and attempt this, you may find better ways to do so. Please add and refine my instructions/terminology as needed. I am not a professional. I've only changed my oil, air filters, and conducted minor maintenance previously. The bottom line is that if you have the right tools, you should be able to do this. This discovery/ cleaning took me about 2 hours to do cause I ran into problems and there were major steps left out in previous postings that I’ve encountered read. The next time I do this, I believe I can get this done in about an hour or less. Tools Needed: 1) Tightly fitting Philips Screw Driver 2) Carb cleaner that is O2 sensor safe (I've seen CRC. I used Valvoline Carb Cleaner) 3) Locking Grip Pliers (definitely helped me remove the factory tight screws) 4) Small brush for cleaning 5) Towels for cleaning 6) Pliers (help removed brackets holding the hoses) 7) Latex gloves helps with limit the messiness. * I used the same gasket and did not replace it. No problems found. 1) Remove the hose that comes from the engine/motor that connects to the air intake hoses.( Hose is below in red – we’ll refer to this as Hose A) When you pull back the rubber hose covering, you will see that a metal bracket is holding the hose pretty tightly in place. Use the pliers to clasps the two metal pieces together to loosen the bracket and pull the hose loose. You can also do this by hand if it’s easier for you. 2) Upon removing the hose, you will want to remove the two air intake hoses. Loosen the three screws above in green and remove the hose. Below is a picture of the intake hoses removed. 3)After removing the intake hoses, I opened the lid to the air filter and moved this to the side of the car to create more working room. I believe there are two clips on the right holding the lid in place. Just pop the two clips and move the cover to the side. I also took out the air filter and temporarily moved this to the side. 4)After removing the intake hose, the throttle body/IACV/black electric coil is revealed. At this point, I removed the black electric wire from the black coil. Once the electric wire is removed you can remove the black coil from the IACV by removing the two screws. Note, the screws are factory tight so use a tight fitting screw driver to remove the screws. One of my screws was partially stripped from the dealership’s work, so I had to resort to my locking grip pliers which helped out tremendously. After removing the two screws, the black electric piece pops right off. When the black electrical coil is removed from the IACV, it exposes a small pencil sized metal stud. You will also notice a washer that sits on this stud. Don’t lose this washer. Take it and put it aside so it doesn’t fall off when you continue on in the next steps. 5)Additionally, I removed the hose coming out of the IACV. We’ll call this Hose B. This hose can be removed in the same manner by clamping the bracket and pulling the hose out. You will see that the hose is removed below. Below are pictures of before and after. 6)Here is where the fun begins. I initially attempted to remove the four screws attached to the IACV at this point, but found that after an hour, this would be nearly impossible to remove considering the location of the screws were in an extremely tight spot. The only way I would be able to remove the IACV is to remove right throttle body. Not as tough as it sounds. Three screws need to be removed to accomplish this. Again, be careful when removing the screws. Also you will see I removed another electric plug and I also cut a tie wrap. Once you complete these steps, the throttle body/ IACV comes out pretty easily. Note when you remove the throttle body, there will be one LAST hose connected to the IACV. Be careful when you remove this hose as radiator fluid may spill. Some of my fluid spilled out so I just refilled my coolant after I was done. 7)Below is a picture of the bottom view of the IACV. You now can EASILY remove the four screws connecting the IACV to the throttle body . In the picture below, I have already removed one of the screws. Once the four screws are removed the IACV and throttle body separate. Now you can clean both of them with your carb cleaner, brush, towels, cotton swabs etc…. Picture here is before I the cleaning with all the muck inside Pictures after I cleaned the IACV and throttle body This last picture is the post throttle body cleaning 8) Once you are done cleaning, just put back the throttle body/iacv the same way you took it off, and put everything back in reverse order. Ensure the gasket is in place. Also, ensure you put the washer back on the electric coil. Make sure you place hose A & B back and ensure the electric plugs are back in their original position. Once these things are in place, then it's all about putting the air filter/hoses back and you are good to go. If you have lost any coolant, make sure you refill it to a safe level. After completing this cleaning, my car starts up without any problem and idles as if I just purchased the car brand new. Replacing this at a dealership would have costed me $300-400 easily. Let me know if you have any questions. Cheers (Also, I tried to post these as separate replys, but the software combined all my replies into a single reply and did not keep them separated) *Edited the posting to have the pictures follow step by step in sequential order*

I was also sold this "invisible" ad on! Only to be told by the dealership "after" that it's not adjustable. So basically it's just a dimly lit thin strip! This should be included. Lexus could and should've done better!

Hi. Some friends of mine suggested that I should post this here for more people to see. Hopefully it'll help people for years to come. You will need: About 50 bucks budget for the balljoint rod and the pipe clamp. Height sensor with bracket. 10mm wrench Washers that fit 10mm/M6 bolts. 10mm/M6 nuts Some smaller (8mm wrench) I own a 2001 LS430. The height sensor control arm's slider has rusted and become damaged over the last 19 or so years. The ball joint rod to the height sensor has also seized too. The height adjustment rod there in the red was seized, and the height slider in the blue was badly corroded and broken off. Rather than buy an entire control arm (green) this is an alterative method to repair it The arm is ~26mm in diameter. Buy yourself one of these pipe clamps in 26mm diameter. Or make one. Shouldn't be expensive. The hole needs to fit a M6/10mm bolt. Grind off the remnants of that slider from the control arm, and slide the pipe clamp over, and put your 10mm/M6 bolt and nut through and secure it in place where the slider used to be. Rather than using the control arm as a slider, we can instead use a sliding ball joint rod such as this one; This is a 220 320 00 32 from Mercedes - a height adjustment rod with a 8mm locking and a 10mm/M6 ball joint bolt. You can pick one up off eBay for cheap. Or find some other M6/10mm adjustable ball joint rod. Look at the diagram and try to imagine it in your head. This is what your bracket and rod/clamps should look like. One day I might snap a picture of what my repair looks like, but I hope you can make out what I mean via the diagram. This repair should be very easy. Maybe some sanding/grinding and surface preperation. The clamp will hold on tight and is easy to replace. The adjustable link rod will last longer and allow for easy adjustment, and less risk of corrosion damage. Hope this helps. This is a fairly easy job and took me less than 2 or so hours to do.

Did I mention this?..... I don't like the fact that our governments plan to force us to buy EVs. I wouldn't mind having one, as we already have solar panels and don't pay for electricity, but I think we should be able to choose what we drive (within reason).

At the part store they run a load test on the battery that mimics a big draw. If it holds up to a certain voltage it means the battery itself is not weakened yet. As the battery ages it will weaken as in not be able to supply a given amount of cold cranking amps. When its cold the oil thickens some thereby making the engine have to work harder to rotate. Hence the term "cold" cranking amps. I'd say you should investigate why the check engine lamp is lighting up. It could be a sign of what is taking place to cause your car to struggle to crank over. The part store can often "read the code" and determine why the CEL is lighting. My gut tells me your voltage regulator in the alternator is hit and miss. A long time ago that was a little box on the fire wall or fender. These days they are inside of the alternator. It determines how much electricity goes to the engine to keep it running and to the battery to charge it. It only has to be off by a little to keep the engine running but not have extra to charge the battery. Another issue could be a parasitic drain. An out of the ordinary draw on the battery when the car isn't running. In my 04 GS 300 for example the CD changer kept trying to change discs and the seat memory kept activating. Now I could not hear the disc changer nor was the seat memory moving the seat, but they were drawing on the system leading to a weak or dead battery if I didn't drive the car every day. Yet another issue may be short trips don't allow the battery to charge enough. Example; start the car, drive to a store 10 minutes away, finish there, start car and drive 10 minutes to another store. Never giving the engine a good 30-45 minutes to charge the battery back up to the voltage used to start the car can also lead to the hard to crank or dead battery issue. Hope you find it soon and it's a cheap and easy fix.

I just purchased a NX200T. During the test drive I did not realize the headrest was a little too far forward. It is sharply angled toward the driver at the top. I am on the shorter side at 5' 6 1/2" tall and have good posture. When I sit in the driver seat with good posture my head is pushed forward about 1/2". I have to lean the seat back so I am slouching to avoid neck discomfort. I asked my dealer, service center and the U.S. corporate office for advice. There was nothing they could do. Very disappointing. The worst part is that the headrest is available outside the US with adjustable forward and aft movement at 4 intervals. I asked a few after market car parts dealers for advice. I was told it is a common problem. I was given many solutions (get another brand car's headrest, cushions, heat the metal and bend the rods, padding, etc.). Some ideas were unsafe and of course illegal I thought. For now I put some 2" cushioning in the seat to bring the rest of the seat inline with the headrest. It is better but not quite there and makes my A/C venting fairly useless, & is a little dorky. After just having paid about 50K for the fully loaded car I want a professional solution to improve the headrest. So far I have not solved it. I am curious if anyone else has had this issue and solved it? Any advice is appreciated. I am 95% happy with the car/SUV and am looking for that last 5% of comfort/fit.

No reason to upgrade, Those stock wheels are Classic on the SC 😉

But you love the Covid virus? 🙄

I just installed the rr racing supercharger. It’s the only way to go bud

That one is my son's new puppy. Her brother came home with me Chocolate lab mom, stranger in the night dad Yesterday they played all afternoon.

Purchase has been made!...I could not turn down the deal I got & the actual ES...2020 ES 350 'premium' with only 11k miles in Nebula Grey Pearl (windows are already tinted)....over 2 years of full factory warranty remaining; 1 owner, full service history & Lexus CPO. Our 'premium package' in Canada is equipped quite differently than our friends south of the border....with more features / standard equipment. Originally I wanted the UL package....but in these parts, they are very rare (I reached out to 17 Lexus dealers in a 400 mile radius of me...the UL units that are available are 5 to 6 k more & only about 20% are actually at Lexus dealers...the premium pkg checks 95% of the boxes I was looking for....as the expression goes 'don't look a gift horse in the mouth'. I literally have a 6 minute drive to work... I pick the car up this Saturday.

I like it when I'm trimming a rose bush, grab one to place in a jar and while heading indoors the Mrs arrives from work so I hand her the rose. Or when I come from work and the dog greets me at the door, tail all wagging-like. And the parrot says "welcome home"…… Or when a nice breeze blows just as the grass cut chore is over and the Mrs brings out a tall glass of ice cold spring water. Or when a new baseball cap fits my noggin just right without adjusting it. Or I step on the bathroom scale expecting to have gained weight but the scale shows I actually lost a little. Or when my son and I went to do the first start after an engine swap, expecting a hard to start issue but ole bessy fires right up. Or when the lawnmover starts first pull……again. Or helping out old people. Or thanking a soldier/veteran. Or tipping the person at the toll booth. Yes I stop and pay in cash so I can do that. Or when the voicemail on your phone was not a robo-call and instead was a friend telling you "hello, here's my new phone number" Or when you sneeze and a perfect stranger says "bless you". Life is short. But smiling makes you live longer. Trouble with being dead is it lasts so long.

The cost of dental work, especially deep cleaning by laser and periodontal surgery, but also including implants.

That's the view when I pull into the driveway after work. Unseen in the photo is the dog wagging his tail "it's that guy, he's back, yay!!"

Update: I think I have got it after all the work, time, and money spent. I started checking again I found an unbelievable vacuum leak around lower intake manifold. replace gasket today runs great thanks for all of the support. something that simple fix. when the engine was swap the starter was replaced. The gasket moved or something apparently cause a vacuum leak. I had no idea a vacuum leak could cause random misfires. I was sure it was an ignition problem.

Hi all, I believe I have posted here before a long time ago with my old LS430 LEX, I now have a 2007 LS460L with 110K on it now. I have owned it for a few years now, since 65K miles, and recently I started having acceleration/hesitation problems. I did alot of research, and didn't find very many good answers. I did have the transmission and engine ECU update flashed, with some improvement, but after that didn't solve the problem, I was convinced it was the cylinder head replacement deal, which was way out of my budget with 5 kids....and I thought it was ridiculous that a flagship sedan would need that kind of serious motor work with just 100K on it. Anyway, my mechanic suggested BG 44K fuel system cleaner, NOT available at places like autozone. He sells it for $28 per can, but I found on Ebay for $16.75 and up with free ship. First and foremost, I ALWAYS used quality, premium gas (Shell V-Power or QT), and Techron additive from time to time, so I was super unconvinced about his recommendation. I had even listed my LS for sale, again, convinced that the motor had cylinder issues after reading blogs about LS460 acceleration issues. Also, for the record, I have NO affiliation with BG or anything like that. THIS STUFF WORKS! It truly fixed my hesitation problems, completely. I am no longer selling the car, and am happy again, as it accelerates like it is supposed to. Feel free to read many other peoples reviews on this stuff, its amazing and really seems to work. After i drove it to wrok (25 miles one way) I thought i felt a difference, by the drive home, I KNEW I felt the difference, after the full tank, i was truly smiling. I have ordered 4 more cans for my other vehicles and boat, and suggested it to my friend with a ISF, my brother with an SC430, and my buddy with a Vette. I guess these LS460 cars are just picky after a while and maybe the injectors get gummed up? I don't pretend to be a mechanic, again this was suggested by my Lexus mechanic, After alot of depressing research with no real answer, just wanted to share my experience with any other LS460 owners, as it is a beautiful car, and I was disappointed in what I was thinking the problems I had. It was the best $17 I have recently spent, and if you are having similar weak/lack of acceleration or hesitation issues, i would say TRY IT for less than $20. I believe you can go to BG's site and find a local dealer, again, not autozone or O'Reilly or anything like that, says professional use only lol. Also, need a funnel, comes in a coke can basically. Just my 2 cents, hoping to help out any other LS460 owners out there depressed about their car, it seems most people just said they'd trade it in and buy a new one, but I'm not that rich :)

My Daily 😀

The Lexus brand cell phone that was a dealer installed option lowered the HVAC fan speed and muted the audio system while a call was in progress. I even connected an aftermarket Nokia CARK-91 phone system I installed in my second (2000) LS400 to mute the audio system but I didn't bother to connect it to lower the HVAC fan speed. Even when a Lexus phone system was never installed, corrosion of the factory installed cell phone harness in the trunk can cause HVAC and audio system issues.

20 years ago I swapped a domain name for a Lexus. The love affair started and I am now on my 10th Lexus

And Because We All Love Pictures 🙂

My Lexus is my weekend car. My daily is my 2009 Mazda 3i.

Here are a couple of tips I have picked up regarding maximizing fuel efficiency 1. Replace the spark plugs if you have not already, I prefer NGK Iridium plugs 2. Look for Cooper CS5 Grand Touring/Ultimate Touring tires, they are excellent for these cars 3. Use OVERDRIVE on the highway or at speeds in excess of 60 MPH (most say 40-50 MPH, but in my car I have observed minimal difference at those speeds). Note that you can use Overdrive at all speeds and it will keep the RPM's down but from what I have learned at slower speeds this translates to negligible fuel economy gains. 4. Set your ECT mode to NORMAL and not PWR 5. Keep the RPM's as low as possible aka don't floor it 6. Make sure your wheels are balanced and aligned properly and that your tires are also correctly inflated. 7. Mythbusters proved this, KEEP YOUR CAR CLEAN, it does SLIGHTLY affect gas mileage for the positive. 8. Turn off your A/C system if you want, it does affect gas mileage slightly, but its also a comfort, not really necessary unless you want to maximize fuel economy. 9. In reference to replacing the spark plugs, you may also want to consider replacing the ignition coil, distributor cap & rotor, and plug wires if they have not been replaced in quite some time as they can lose spark and cause poor performance, this would be within a general tune-up. 10. Replace the fuel filter, this is commonly missed on every car, and they get NASTY, unclean fuel = bad performance. Also consider getting a professional fuel service done on your car, this can help too, especially if it has not been done in some time.

Folks, and Forum Admin, Please make a separate section on the Forum for 2016 RX models. THese have had major changes since 2015. The engine has been tweaked, there are scores of safety improvements and the look is way different. I am sure the issues will be different as well. So please rename the 2010-Present section to say 2010-2015 and keep it separate from 2016 onwards. Thanks.

I can answer that. Those zany Brits particularly like "mark" designations: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mark_(designation Maybe it is a longing for Jaguar sedan series names. In the UK, the model year ranges of the LS400 are referenced thusly: Series 1, Mark 1 = 1990-1992 Series 1, Mark 2 = 1993-1994 Series 2, Mark 3 = 1995-1997 Series 2, Mark 4 = 1998-2000

Replaced the Y pipe. Almost one month and no more problems.

okay guys, I am going to give you a very constructive advice on how to fix this problem.first remove the cluster and if you do not know how go to lexls.com and follow the instructions.then remove the face cover .first grap the tach needle gently and pull untill you hear a pop,again be gentle and do not ge scared.once you hear the pop move the needle clockwise untill it pops again then gently release it.now move the needle slowly counterclock till you sit it over the zero an on the dot and make sure that it sits right on the zero.to check your work move it gently say to the mark 3 then let go it should snap right back to zero,once you have accomplished this ,you are rock & roll baby.the same thing goes for speedometer.back light is not working change cap 212,after making sure your cathodes are okay meaning the bulbs.if not you can get them at a very good price from plano lexus,they are awsome as far as price goes.gas guage slow change cap 142.while you are at it change any bad or weak bulbs ,be the warning ones or the indicator ones such as shifter position.by the way guys the cluster lexus has on the first gen is the 1992,because the psb are so robust,where the 1993 and 1994 are made a little bit on the cheapy side.this job should take about an hour if you how to handle things.good luck and let me know. please make a donation to lexls.com,this guy is great.may god bless his soul.

Just acquired a 97 LS400 with 5 keys, second owner, all original paperwork from the dealer including the peel away handbook that came with the car. Have the original window sticker even! Crazy come up from working on the car for a neighbor during the plandemic. Just like to say hi and start helping where I can here, been a tech for over 15 years professionally, 26 cars owned probably more including bikes. Hope to help out and be helped if inrum into some issues here on this new venture. Hope to add an air ride system in the future, tint, visors, etc. Who knows..

I reached out to the place that sold me the car and they recommended a locksmith they use. He provided same day service, cut 4 keys for me, and programmed them All in for $160. Thanks for the help!

Yes, indeed, John! Jeff, to fully answer your questions: The Continental Pure Contact tires are great, in my opinion. When I drive the RX, I am mostly very conservative, especially now that gas is almost $6/gallon. As with most all-season tires on a heavy vehicle, aggressive cornering will solicit slight squeals from the tires. The advantages of these tires are longer life and quiet/smooth ride.

A vehicle with salvage/rebuilt title has historically been valued at 50-60% of a "clean" title vehicle of same or similar make, model, trim level, and mileage. Based upon my conversation with a very experienced auto body shop technician, try to stay with those vehicles that had rear damage, not front with air bag deployment. The "before" repair photos can be very helpful. If possible, take it to an auto body shop for inspection. I bought a 2008 Mazda MX5 PRHT, back in 2012. It was a salvage vehicle with slight front and mostly rear damage. It had 42,000 miles on it and it has been almost bulletproof for all these years. One suspension component had to be replaced but everything else was fine. Check with your insurance company to see what value they would place on your possible purchase.

That doesn't look boring to me.

USNews claims the Lexus RX provides 18.4 cubic feet of room behind the second-row seats and 56.3 cubic feet with the second row folded down. Unlike the 3-row model which keyesLexus.com shows that for the RX350L, with all rows in an upright position, it has 7.5 cubic feet of cargo room. Folding down the third row increases the SUV's cargo room to 23 cubic feet. Congrats, Mike! If your dealer is like mine - they put your Lexus in a special delivery showroom with lots of lights. Then they bring you in to inspect the 350.

The cost of gas and food...Thanks o'biden

Japan

A new one can be found here.... I have used this supplier from their Japan located warehouse. worked well. https://www.amayama.com/en/part/toyota/8174050080

Lexus, Boating, Cooking, Gardening, Beaches etc...

Because LFA's are one hell of a car 🙂 And we love Lexus 😉

If it still drives take it to a shop and pay the $125 diagnose fee. That'll save you a ton of aggrevation and quite possibly money too. I've swapped motors and rebuilt cars stem to stern but when I can't figure something out mine goes to a place who can. It could be as simple as a vacuum leak, valves out of adjustment or something the monitor can find. They have machines now that can tell you all kinds of things you'd never find at home. My mechanic was working on a van that kept running hot and the machine discovered the engine was low on motor oil.

Sure thing, Northwoodsperformance.com. The spacers are the same as the 01 to 07 Toyota highlander. Ask for Nathan the owner and he can give details. Much better quality than the Russian spacers. They have a kit that includes 4 spacers, front end links, and hardware. I am also going to lift my 2013 Toyota Highlander with their Gen 2 Highlander spacers. It has nearly the same suspension as the 04-09 Lexus RX series.

Welcome to the Lexus Owners Club Charles! Pearl white is one of my fave colors.

Hi Nathan. I apologize for not connecting with you sooner. I am always amazed at the depth of friendship and caring that can be built with someone you have never met nor never knew what they looked like. The LOC is a place where those who enjoy their hobby can find others who like swapping stories with like minded friends. Landar was a great part of the LOC and was a great source of Lexus info and technical help. Thank you for letting us share your journey. Paul

I have a 2008 LS-460 with 72K miles and it starting making a popping noise in the front right when braking at slow speed. Dealer said the control arms are bad and need to be replaced. Dealer estimate $over$ $9,200.00. I searched around and found the parts on Rock Auto--$538 for all eight control arms. I gave my son and his buddy-(who has access to a lift) $1,000.00 to replace all eight pieces---took them about 4 hours. It is amazing how much smoother and better handling the car is now. And saved $7,700.00 Now all I need to do is get a 4 wheel alignment and I am good to go.

Hi there! Just moved over from the IS forum after selling my 2008 IS 250 and replacing it with 2015 ES 350. Really liking this car so far!

Too bad they don't use Apple systems in their cars. That way people wouldn't have to understand folders and fat things.

Hey, anyone that has 20's or anything larger than stock, could you tell me how your ride quality is ? before and after ? how big of a difference etc etc I have a 2004 ES330 , and am thinking of getting 20's , but might just go with 18's or something more moderate if the ride quality suffers too much... any personal experience would help thanks !!

Hi Jeff and welcome to the Club. This particular problem is not unheard of but very few members are unable to find a solution. Personally, in a mild way, I'm not satisfied with the head rest adjustment just like you. Did Lexus Customer Service say they could get the other head rest package from Japan and retro fit it to your current installation. Try that idea if you haven't already. Also, as you drive around you'll find that most foreign cars have the same type headrest.

I wonder if you would be so cheeky if it was your wife or kid driving the vehicle when it happened.

1995 LS 400 and the entire back tail lights are out!!! Only when I press the brakes, the back lights comes on but once feet of the brakes no lights at all. Is this electrical? Is it major? Any recalls? Help

the pdfs are posted on Page 19, thanks to mann777, It took me well over 90 minutes to read from start to end ( all the posts of this thread). So, I am including the pdfs here anyway if anyone reading random pages. I too have both Clunk issue and 55-75MPH vibration issue on my '07 GX470 with 54K miles on it(just bought pre-owned from a remote non-Lexus dealer), hoping mann777 posted TSBs will fix my issues. I will try to call the local Lexus dealer tomorrow and see if I can get them fixed. I hope mine are covered as the TSBs say 72K or 7Years(72 Months). and couple of questions about the vibration TSB, does it have to be under the floorboard because in the TSB in mentions under diagnostic procedure that," Confirm customer complaint of vibration/drone felt in the floorboard or seat between 55 -- 75 mph by test driving the vehicle and note the speed range in which the vibration/drone occurs." I am not quite sure if I feel under the floorboard but my steering vibrates/vobbles like anything between those speeds, I feel like the whole car is vibrating. I feel this vibration in my car is between 60-75MPH, does that mean I have both the problems mentioned in the TSB, i.e. 55-65MPH and 70-75MPH, ? and why is 65-70MPH not covered in the TSB? I think I have the issue between these speeds too I guess. is there any chance that they may deny as not being the floorboard and classifying as a different issue and try to rob me? Thanks in advance. CLUNK_TSB_2008.pdf Steering_Drive_Line_Vibration_issue_Feb_2008.pdf