I have a '92 LS. It has 173,000 miles on it. For the past couple of years, it has developed a really annoying habit. When I have been driving it for a good while or on a highway trip, the engine seems to start chugging and acting like it's not getting any gas. It acts like it wants to cut off, and often does. As long as I remain at highway cruising speeds, this does not occur. But at city traffic speeds, and more frequently on inclines, this chugging and engine cutoff seem to occur. I try to stomp the accelerator to try to give it more gas, but this only makes things worse - the car will then start lurching violently and the transmission slams hard. The only way I have found to keep it running when it does this is to put the car in neutral and punch the accelerator, and the engine will always rev that way. Then I have to put it right back into drive and force the car to move forward. Obviously this is very hard on the transmission. I have taken it to Lexus. They say they can't diagnose it unless they experience it. And they can't test drive it long enough to make it happen. I have also taken it to three other mechanics who have said the same thing. My Dad experienced the same thing in his Toyota Camry, and it turned out to be the EGR valve. I have had people tell me that's what they think it is. But I don't want to shell out who knows how many hundreds of bucks to replace that if it isn't the root of the problem. Has anyone else experienced this, or does anyone know what might be causing this? It's making me CRAZY! And it's a dangerous problem in busy traffic.
Thanks!
