ArmyofOne

First of all, it is not a clunker, it is a Lexus. It has numerous moving parts that will fail just like any other automobile. Now, with that said, it is very possible that the oil pump has died. This sends oil to the top of the engine. I wouldn't drive it anymore till you have a reputable shop check it out. Check it out before you get rid of it. Good Luck....... ;) ← I agree with ford's statement. is it a LOUD persistant knock, or is it a sopfter more subdued knock. if it is the latter, it is probably just the lifters clattering from not getting enough oil, and little serious damage has resulted. if it is a loud persistant knock coming from the bottom end, its engine rebuild time. dont drive it anywhere, its almost certian your oil pump is gone. even so much as a few blocks could ruin your engine. have it towed, dont even drive it out of your driveway. If the oil has been changed on time, every time, then sludge is not likely a factor.

My biggest noise source by far, is wind. on a scaleof 1-10, 10 being worst: Road noise at 80-1 Engine noise at 80-3 (i have a hole in my exhaust) Wind noise at 80- 8. my gen car doest slice through the wind, it is a moving brick. LOL.

The rack and pinion mount and bushing are #'s 2 and 3. should be the same for both sides :) Definately repalce the control arms with OEM instad of aftermarket. this si not an A/C compressor (thus not good aftermarket). if this part fails at any speed, you are looking at damage to your car, and anything over 35 you are looking at SERIOUS damage, and anything higher than 65 could mean death...so definately opo the extra and go OEM. where are you located? i may be able ot help you with a connection i have.

not sure...i wouldnt think so.

hmmm, i didn't ask about that. Vandalism, I presume, would be something that they are not responsible for and i highly doubt that my tint guy warrants my tint for that. ← probably something special for me then since i have knwon the guy forever. (my dad knows him even longer LOL)

will do!

Verizon most certainly does NOT offer Bluetooth. They cripple all the bluetooth features in their bluetooth phones except whats neccisary to run a bluetooth headset so you have to use their pay per use data services. No file transfer or dial up networking which is where Bluetooth really shines. Verizon is also the slowest carrier to add new phones to their lineup because they are suspicious of how new technologies will effect their bottom line. I have 2 of Verizons POS excuses for Bluetooth phones. Cingular for instance may not have as strong service (depending on where you are) but their phones come with all their features intact. ← Steve, Bluetooth and video really isnt what i want the phone for. yeah it would be nice, but i dont need it. nor do i want it at the moment. i can get the V265 for free witha 2 year contract, with the option to upgrade the phone in 6 months, so i may just do this. my only other issue with this is CDMA is only in the US, Korea and a few other small countries (japan may have it as well). if i have GSM and i get shipped to Iraq, i can use it there. BUT, i have to pay the $500 deposit if i do this...i hate choices. I hear what you say about debt, but i have made a vow to not take out any kind of major loan until i am finished with school, with the exception of possibly a car laon, when the time is right. I have one credit card that i use for emergencies...and i have never used it. maybe i should start using it for gas or something. PM me if you have any suggestions for credit building...i suppose if i had VZW service it would build up credit as well.

lexusk8 - who tinted your windows? ← Tint King (from Bridgeport CT, 203-384-2100). They did the whole job for $160, including lifetime warranty for whatever happens (i.e. peeling, cracking, bubbling). ← what brand is the tint?? I know that only Lumar and 3M tint films never bubble or fade ( what my tint guy said). ← The person that did mine (a very good friend) has warranted mine against eerything, including vandalism...is that normal? or is that a special deal because he is a friend? for instance if someone shatters my window to break into my car, if i get the glass replaced, he will re tint free of charge. i have Llumar High Performance Metallic on mine.

It's unheard of for the PS pump to go bad on a 5 year old Toyota. Steering column squeeks can happen, however, and the cure sometimes involves removing the steering wheel and greasing some parts. Which specific parts? I don't know because I've never done the job. ← no it isnt. i have heard of it. many times. I'll not get into this with you again. toyotas arent gods gift cars.

yeah but will it happen to me? The Phone program at my office is getting dropped due to budget cuts, so no more phone for me. this has been known for awhile, since the fisrt of the year or so, but i have been so busy i sort of forgot. i went to 3 different carriers, and because i have no credit history (i have never financed anything)... they all wanted a deposit of around $500. AT&T/Cingular: $500 T-Mobile: $440 Sprint: $465 The only one that came back with $0 for a deposit was VZW. so guess what? i may have to go that route. i have to have my phone for work, and motorola isnt offereing their "employees only" service anymore after the 15th of april. but i dont want to get screwed...i also dont feel like taking out a signature loan (which i probably cant even get without a cosigner) just to pay a security deposit on a *BLEEP*ing cellular plan. <_<

ok thanks steve :) really appreciate it guys!

thats more than likely what it is. no reason to not drive it. :) post a pic if you can :)

no, my concorde has more miles if you divide it out... 55,000 and its a 2002.

you got to think of it like this: does the cop have anything personally to gain by wiriting you a ticket? no, he gets no comission. you think he wants to risk his life coming up to you rcar window in the middle of the night? that is the most unnerving feeling, not knowing how a driver is going to react. i know, cause i have seen it from the officers Point of View. granted i was still in the car, but when he came back, he said: "my heart was pounting pretty good". (i rode along with an alaska state trooper for a day in high school, for a report, they dont do this anymore, but it was a neat experience). so you have to remember, he is porbably more scared of you that you are *BLEEP*ed off at him. i had one cop that pulled me over about 2 months ago, he would have liked to *BLEEP*ed his pants when he saw me, he was shaking and had a cracking voice. very timid. (i'm built pretty good at 5'8 and 200lbs ;) ) it all has to do wth the situation. often times officers get defensive when they are scared. thats normal behavior. and i agree with the statement above, i have NEVER gotten a ticket i didnt deserve.

EDIT: oh haha, you wanted to know which bolt to move, its the one on the front side of the pump. closest to the oil pump. its tucked away you may have to feel around... sorry for the confusion... :)

you miss that i had 5 gallons of water in there?:whistles: :) 3/4 of a cup was a guestimate, i didnt actually measure it. but maybe i should. guess i need to rewax now. can i get the waffle weaves at autozone? i appreciate the help steve, and others :)

then take it in. no problems there :)

hmm... sounds like you timing may be off a degree. if the belt has jumped a tooth, it will cause this. the engine only running rough at certian times. is it pretty consistent? either way its evident that you aren't doing any SERIOUS damage to the engine by driving it. i wouldnt put a rediculous amount of miles on it, but you are probably ok until you can afford to have whatever it is diagnosed. if you can now, take it somewhere. without hearing it it will be almost impossible to tell. a malfunctioning fuel injector isnt goin to be helped by fuel injector cleaner, but you can try. if it is just carbon build-up, i have a solution to this that will work 10x better. if you know how to change a spark plug you can do this. PM me for it. but if the injector itself isnt working correctly, more than likely its due to the injector being bad. this is fairly common and not nessecarily hard to fix either.

thats key because its at the beginning of the powerband, the very beginning. good info. i would shoot for injector. try resetting the ECU. see what that does. even if it only makes it better for a minute, thats a minute we have to figure out which one is causeing the problem. any hesitation or rough idle from this? try holding the gas with the car in park at 2000 or near there...notice a misfire? try to hold the revs as steady as you can and reallly feel for it. if no, do the same in drive, but DONT do this for long, only about 10 seconds, as it could overheat your tranny if you arent careful. the only reason i reccomend this is because it may be an "under load" type of situation. that is to say, it will only do it when the engine is being used to pull the wieght of the car.

that is early, but not unheard of. have your poser steering system flushed, that may take care of the noise. i see you car is a 2000, so any chance its still under the manufacturers warranty?

possibly a light bulb out? for the city lights icon i mean.

you are in san jose cali? use the email feature on thes board to email me(click on my uysername on this post, it should be an option in the lower right corner of your screen), i may be able to help you with the part. (have a connection at a toyota/lexus dealer) can you install yourself? if so you will save $$$$.

Ford purple metallic was not clearcoated (on the mid 90's mustangs). thats the only instance i know of, and it didnt last long. i think 94 and 95 were the onlyu years they had it and clearcoat could be applied at the dealer, but it came with no clearcoat from the factory. likewise with the prarie tan metallic on the contours and taurus's from 98-2000. they werent the greatest paints.

5 gallons of water and 3/4 cup of meguiars gold class soap. i get the smears whether i use a bath towel or a chamois. havent treid the microfiber yet. what do you mean no nap?

that right there rules out a rod bearing. if it were a rod, it would do it, irregardless of whether the tranny is engaged. so your engine is ok down on the bottom. what it may be, is ylour valve clearances have come out of adjustment. but then, that should be constant all the time as well. having to guess without hearing the sound is like trying to pin the tail on the donkey, i (we) may not even have it right. does it become more pronounced when the engien is revving in neutral, any particular speed this happens at? even at idle? could be a ticking fuel injector...in fact, i would be willing to bank on it. i dont know exactly what causes that, but it has to do (i think) with the injector delivering the fuel too early or too late. the unltimate test of your internals and what they are doing woudl be a compression test, there is no other way short of tearing it apart. do a compression test. if you have no compression on one cylinder, you have a dead cylinder and a rod bearning gone. but that probably isnt the case. also with a blown bearing, you would have metal shards in yoru oil and possibly bubbles in your oil too. since you have dual overhead cams, my thoughts here are: Camshaft Bucket (lifter) tapping. Valve clearances out Ticking fuel injector. just a hunch here... fill up your tank with the premuim gas, and before you drive anywhere other than home (while the tank is still on full) reset the ECU by pulling the negative battery cable off for a few minutes (10 should do it). this will cause the ECU and more importantly, the Electronic Fuel Injection System, to reset. just a hunch, but it cant hurt.