IFixEm

Tilt the motor? Goobers. That process works fine on most FWD GM cars with twin upper dogbone style mounts but not L/T/S products. First let me say it is tight. You need a spark plug socket attached to a 6" extension, attached to a universal, attached to a 4" extension, attached to a hand ratchet. Asseble the tools as I stated and it will make sense. Remove 10mm coil bolts on the front 3 and the coil primary wires. Lift the coils out replace the plugs. Back 3..... if you have wires going back like 96 and up don't install front coils yet. Earlier cars, use the 6" extension and universal with a 10mm socket to remove rear coil bolts. Reach under the plenum (big aluminum engine thingy that is in your way) from the passenger side and unsnap the coil primary leads. Twist the plug wire or coil depending on year, and lift. As you lift you will need to begin to pull it towards the passenger side. As it comes up all the way tilt it on it's side and bring it out from under the plenum. Are your arms scratched? Good you are doing it correctly. Assemble the plug socket onto the 6" extension and feed down onto the plug. Now put the universal on the 4" extension and conect it to the 6". Break the plug free with ratchet and before it is fully loose from the head, disconect the 4" extension from the 6. Twist the 6" with fingers and remove plug and tools. Reverse for assembly. To fully replicate real world conditions, drive the car 1/2 hour first so it is hot and have your wife standing over your shoulder asking why it is taking so long. Regards, Mike

When and if you return, please attempt to learn to use the quote feature. It ain't rocket science. ←

Provost eh? nice rigs. You have two basic options for saving the gearbox.... driveline diconect, or installing an auxillary A/T lube pump. The pump is wired to run anytime the provost is in drive....and has a green/red status/warning light on the coach dash. It suplies nessisary lube oil to the LS's gearbox rear planetary and bushings via an electric pump placed inline on the A/T cooler lines. My daler principals mom gets a new car every year and we keep swaping the kit from car to car so she can tow different cars behind her Provost on her snowbird journeys. No idea on kit cost, and takes about 3 hours to outfit the car and coach. No modern Toyota product can be flat4 towed without mods. Provost and an LS tow car? Hope you left something for the kids. Regards, Mike

TDI still has the dual blower set up from blitz....SCDriver was right about checking out the planet soarer site....lots of great stuff there. Those Ausies are nuts. Some dude took a GS400 eng and trany and shoehorned it into a 1977 celica GT. If I had a daughter I would mail her to him just to get a grandson with his hotrod genetics.

Insuffient data to compute....How does it drive from a stop, hot, in Low then manualy shifted to D2....OK, or still slips? How does it drive with the ECU out of the loop? disconect your A/T solenoid harness. Watch the tach...is it slugish or slipping with no ECU input? ECU problem is unlikely in that year. Why do you say the scanner reads low presure since A541e's do not give presure readings via the scanner like GM's hydromatics do. Did you connect a mechanical presure gauge?Do you have a code? would you like to share it with us? Sounds like a mekacked forward clutch pack but I need more info bro.....Anyway, what does it mater, you need an experienced A541e A/T guy. Not something you can do at home.

you might want to place a call to the service manager where you had the diagnostic done. (was it Inskip Lexus or Lexus of Norwood?) A little feedback is always appreciated since they missed the obvious that was pointed out by an extremely knowledgable Lexus Tech. (you owe him several rum&cokes for the money saved.) ← Thanks Steve, but since I've never been to RI he's probably safe I'll never collect. The funny thing about autoshops, inde or dealer, is that for every 8-10 guys there are usually 2 or 3 aces, 2 or 3 good ones and 3 or 4 young bucks who try hard. Chances are where ever he took it the Aces and journeymen were just busy with tough cars and the simple SES light went to a newB. Fuel trim readings take experience at looking at the scanner because there are no specs. I explained in the IS forum not long ago how MAF's work and why they can cause a hesitation(and got crushed for a 2 page post). When they get dirty, they think less air is going into an engine than realy is. The ECU fires injectors acordingly. But since more air is ACTUALLY going into the engine this is not enough fuel (so say the O2 sensors). The ECU says ok, we are lean for this air flow reading, so I will add more fuel , and more and...soon it takes 20% more fuel than it should (acording to the MAF) and 20% is the threshold for setting P0171 lean code. They should be cleaned at every tuneup. Vince said..."It ran fine for about two weeks or 1/2 tank of gas before the CEL and Track off light had illuminated?" Welcome to 2 trip detection logic. If you get a cylinder missfire that misses over 50% of the time it sets in one trip with a "flashing CEL", below 50% it takes 2 trips and since it may not always check for missfire it may take more than 2 key cycles to set the code. Start-drive-shutdown does not always equal a drive cycle. Water will seep into the plug bores when you washed it and then beome a vapor due to eng heat and not missfire on the way home. It needs to fully cool and condense in the bore at least one cycle before it dribbles down close enough to the plug base to provide a gound path. In theory it would take at least 4 long drives after washing to get the light. Glad it was a simple fix for you...you will enjoy your Lex for years to come. Now I think I'll get started on the Meyers without you.....Regards, Mike

Okay, Thanks for your response. I will start with cleaning the MAF and then dry out the wires. You hit the nail right on the head about cleaning the motor, but it was I who did. I took it over to my local self wash and pressure cleaned the engine after I bought it. It ran fine for about two weeks or 1/2 tank of gas before the CEL and Track off light had illuminated? I also at the same time started with 87 octane and had only burned half of the tank since then. We have had a lot of snow in my area, so I have been using my other car. The Manual states that 87 octane is okay, but premium is perferred. Question#1 Does anyone think that octane can be playing a factor in my situation? Thanks Vince I will also post all my results....... ← ← Vince, you just saved $900. Congradulations. Octane will not affect the MAF or fuel trim. May cause ping depending on driving habits. Sounds like next time I'm in RI you owe me a Rum & coke.

Okay, Thanks for your response. I will start with cleaning the MAF and then dry out the wires. You hit the nail right on the head about cleaning the motor, but it was I who did. I took it over to my local self wash and pressure cleaned the engine after I bought it. It ran fine for about two weeks or 1/2 tank of gas before the CEL and Track off light had illuminated? I also at the same time started with 87 octane and had only burned half of the tank since then. We have had a lot of snow in my area, so I have been using my other car. The Manual states that 87 octane is okay, but premium is perferred. Question#1 Does anyone think that octane can be playing a factor in my situation? Thanks Vince I will also post all my results....... ←

heh, i saw the lines are a little tricky, but are they hard or soft lines? they look like hard lines to me. ← They are stainlees steel lines. The poblem with these is they were overtorqued at assembly. The line with the 14mm male fitting will have slightly rolled threads. It breaks free with some effort, turns easily about 2 times and then locks up. It is hard to turn for about 2 twists and then frees up again. Same issue upon assembly because the damage is already done. Go slow and use a 14mm flarenut crowfoot from underneath (wheel opening) if you have one. Start the fitting by hand and don't get frustrated. The top fitting(banjo bolt) is tight but nothing to wory about here. Be sure and replace the 2 washers that should be supplied with a quality filter. ← i will do that. will PB blaster help the nuts turn at all? ← Nothing really helps because the threads that are rolled are the ones deepest inside the filter. For a long time we techs swore it was a missmatched thread pitch issue until the factory fessed up. I dont know I guess someone set the robot at the factory for Neuton meters instead of foot pounds of touque. Just go slow and don't fret if the old filter's braket bends a bit before you get the bottom line out. You can do it.

Electrically they are the same, it is the harness lenth that is different. May work fine.

STOP! O2 sensors may be sluggish but the o2 performance codes are not displayed so do not replace them. P0171 is a fuel trim error. The MOST LIKELY cause at this mileage is dust particles on the Mass Air Flow sensor wire. Find the air cleaner, look at the big black hose that goes to the engine coming out of the air filter box. In this hose there lives a MAF. Remove 2 mounting bolts and 5 wire conector. Purchase a can of aeresol brake cleaner. invert the sensor and look down the little bazooka tube thingy...see those wires inside it? spray them with a good long blast of brake clean...now do it again. Reinstall sensor. Remove efi fuse for 20 seconds to clear codes. Now then...P0300 is a random missfire code, p301 is #1 cylinder specific missfire, P303 is #3 etc. I smell a rat. Is your engine clean looking like they just presure washed it? bet it does. The front 3 plugs have coils on them with sparkplug wires going to the back 3 cylinders. Very odd for 3 missfires on the same bank unless someone misstimes the tbelt. 32k the tbelt should be oem. So I think when thier detail department presure washed the engine, they got water past the plugwires in the back head and you now have intermitant missfires. The wires need to come out of the head, dried off and remove and inspect the plugs for carbon tracking. $900 for o2 sensors won't cure squat. Just my 2cents worth and diagnosis over the net is worth what you pay for it. Try a local toyota dealer and ask for thier MDT to clean and dry your plugs and wires for $80 if you can't do it yourself. We did have a bad run of coils but 3 dead ones all at 32K all aon the same bank....No. Please post your results.

heh, i saw the lines are a little tricky, but are they hard or soft lines? they look like hard lines to me. ← They are stainlees steel lines. The poblem with these is they were overtorqued at assembly. The line with the 14mm male fitting will have slightly rolled threads. It breaks free with some effort, turns easily about 2 times and then locks up. It is hard to turn for about 2 twists and then frees up again. Same issue upon assembly because the damage is already done. Go slow and use a 14mm flarenut crowfoot from underneath (wheel opening) if you have one. Start the fitting by hand and don't get frustrated. The top fitting(banjo bolt) is tight but nothing to wory about here. Be sure and replace the 2 washers that should be supplied with a quality filter.

You removed...nevermind. There are 3 cats on the IS. Two in the header pipe one for bank1(#1-3) one for bank2(4-6), and a sub cat under the car halfway down the intermediate pipe. This is probably the one you removed. There is no O2 sensor to check performace on the last cat. The first 2 sensors (B1S1/B2S1) feedback voltage the ECU interperates as rich or lean and adjusts fuel trim accordingly. The next two sensors monitor strorage capacity of the front cats. When a front cat dies or is tampered with you will get SES P0420/p0430. That's one of the funny things about our society...they make you wait 5 days for a handgun, but will sell a car to anyone.

When I purchased my RX300 the dealer recommended premium. However, after many services they "retimed" my car and the service manager recommended regular. He said if I had any problems to just give it a couple of tanks of premium and then go back to regular. ← Retimed? :chairshot: Never talk to svc managers. Gary if you read this, sorry but you know I'm right. They know profit/loss on excell thats about it. You cant retime a car with no distributor. What did he tell you they did, slot the mounting holes on the coils and rotated them? Reflashed the ecu to wash out the short and long term fuel trim memory yes, retimed no. Whatever. I belive the question at hand was fuel grade and it's benefits. Look in the owners manual...probably says 89. Run name brand 89. Pemium is slightly less volitile, reduces ping in high compresion car like my IS(especialy a blown IS). It can (and does localy) cause hard start after hot soak....long cranking times after you drive 20 minutes to the store, go in for 3 minutes and attempt a restart. 87 in an 89 car MIGHT ping. Many variables here. Washington has some of the highest fuel prices in the US, and I have run chevron 91 since mile 1. I pay more than anyone I know since the old gall will no longer get 18-20 mpg with extra timing, injector durration and a 7th injector. It will not save sensors or extend thier life. You WILL have to clean your MAF every 40,000 miles. You WILL burn out a heater on O2 sensor B1S1, You WILL be plagued with evap codes, you WILL develop valve cover leaks where the #1 cam cap meets the head....

ASK THEM...Depends on the year, but should be lof/rotate brake inspection...coolant flush not drain and fill....tuneup with plugs, remove and inspect caps and rotors. scope check for failing coils and wires, scan check for pending codes. Trany srevice, diff service and (possibly)t-belt(it's due). Your toyota dealer will probably do it all plus a t-belt for 6 bills with oem parts. Ask for a toyota master or MDT to work on it and you will get the best the shop has... better than you average certified Lex tech. The MDT's are usually bussy with the harder problems/complaints. They will appreciate the service work and personal request. Every time you go in ask for them. You will get to know the tech and they you. We all have access to TIS that has all bulletins, campaigns, and svc manuals for Lex, Toyota, Scion. Toyota part may not have Lex parts on thier system because it is different...in house programing not web based like TIS. When you start feeding techs good service work is when you start to get freebies done on your car. Talk to the tech not just the svc writer.

There is a soliniod/valve on the left top side of the RX engine as looking from the front of the vehicle, not sure what the function is of yet, no manuals on hand yet, but it seems to awfully ticky...........near the FI rail. Do you know its funtion ?? This is actually the right side...left is always drivers side, right passenger. Evap purge soleniod. ON the ES/camry/solara it is under the plastic eng cover. RX it pokes out by the (coolant fill) radiator cap that sits in the center right of the engine. It is part of the evaporitive emission self diag system. When conditions are right vacuum purges vapors out of the tank and charcoal canister. They are loud. You can wrap it in closed cell foam to deaden the tick. they tick most of the time, but not always. Hold the soleniod and see if the tick you find objectional feels to be the same rate as the evap purge sol...about 6hz. You can pull the plastic cover off with a 6mm allen wrench, and untwist the L emblem...cover just comes up. Now look for the injection rail, it sits where the valve cover ends and the intake manifold starts. 3 injectors are visible. Touch the rail...is that the tick speed? about 12.5 hz. If you read the valve stuck post carefully you will notice he had a stalling/starting problem. Stuck valve lifters will cause a missfire. They are 0 tolerance fit steel lifters in alluminum heads. Not changing oil regularly causes micro scrathes in the lifter bores (head) and the different thermal expansion rate of alum and steel cause a binding condition. The valve hangs open, the cam smacks the lifter, and there is a missfire on that cyl and hard start because exhaust gas went into the plenum when the intake valve opened, diluting the mix on the other 5 cyls. Usually high mile lack of maint problem.

What's the frequency kenneth......A quick and easy diagnotic approach to engine noises. 1mz/3mz engines are a v6 with 6 individual pistons that move in pairs 120* out of phase with the other 2 pairs. Every revolution there is a firing event of one of the injectors so injetor tick at 750 rpm is 12.5 hz....12.5 clicks a second. We all drive 4 cycle cars that have 4 phases to each firing event...intake(piston down, intake valve open), compression(piston goes up, no valve open), Power(no valve open) and exhaust(exhaust open). Lets say there is a sticky lifter bore on cyl #2 exhaust.....at 750 rpm/4 cycles we get just over 3 clacks a second. injectors tick....like tapping a capped pen on a wood desk. Valves snap if stuck in guides, or clack if the lifter binds...kinda like snaping your fingers as hard as you can. Sticky gides and sticky lifters may not bind every cycle so frequency drop to 1 or 2 hertz. Out of adjustment lifter/valve will be back up to 3.25 hz. Rod bearings, piston slap, and main bearing knock.....sounds deadly, no one should mistake it. Certain vacuum switching valve for the evap system have a verry loud solenoid. It will not do it all the time, it is around 6hz and is burried under the plasic engine cover, about in the middle near the T or L logo. Perhaps the audiable difference between your solara and Rx have more to do with the RX having more dead air volume around the engine....ie, a bigger drum = more noise. It is not being a pain in the !Removed! to ask whats up. If you screeched to a stop in the service drive, threw down you keys and yelled "its broken fix it now, fix it free! I won't take it's normal for an answer!" Thats being a pain. Rationaly explaining the how and why of technology to customers is part of a dealer tech's job. The good ones anyway. Try explaining to an old man who slurs over loose dentures why the voice recogniton part of the nav wont set. "Huumme" does not equal "home". You have to get closer than that.

Oh shoot, i just remembered we're in 2005. I thought this post was only 7 days old :chairshot: ← Bartender, 3 shots of Meyers...3 ice cubes...and a splash of coke for both of us on me.

A/C and defrost works by dehumidification. In order for water vapor to be reoved,the moisture is collected on the evaporator fins and drips onto the bottom of the evaporator housing floor. A small rubber hose exits the evap housing at the passengers left foot. This then drips out past the firewall and onto the ground. You might notice a clear odoorless liquid on the pass side on high humidity days. Normal. Blockage of the AC drain is typical of veh's W odorless clear waterleak at pasenger feet and a funky sweat sock odor. Mildew on the evap fins causes the smell.

I'm not quite sure how to take that sir. i have my opinins about things but they will stay off the board. ← Stand down trooper. First off let me say that it is hard to compete with 20 years L/T/S experience. Second, my lil bro is for the second time in 10 years in Iraq in the midst of the shiznit. Since you go by "army of one" I assume you are active duty. Thanks for serving. Oppinons are like assh#@es and everyone has one. Especially on the net. You might be right and I wrong....who knows. Don't ever take anything on the Net to heart. SK performance is laughing at my dead cats comment not you. No one is trying to p!&& in your cherios. Trying to fix a car via the internet is an act of total futility. The dude with the LS400 starter issue might have corroded battery contacts, and we assume he is savy enough to check this first......your comments about smacking the starter are right on, but he may never try it if he is a Suit wearing highbrow investor. I and everyone else welcomes your comments. I have more to lose than anyone by commenting and being wrong because IFixEm. Hell if I had a crystal ball I would work for Meyrl Lynch not Lexus.

perhaps it's just the 1/5 of rum I have drank today but LMFAO!!!!!!!!!!!!!

if there is a "flat spot" in the starter, you can get out, tap it with a screwdriver, and try it again and it may start. ← Tapping on the starter is another way to make better contact on the solenoid contacts, or armature brushes. Armature brushes are rarely a problem on starters. Tapping on an ls400 starter requires going under the car. Most ls 400 owners neither own a ball pien hamer nor would be caught dead laying on the ground with one arm under the car smacking on the starter. IMHO.

Shhhh....be vevey vevy quiet, I'm hunting starters. Pop the hood and have someone listen, or turn off the fan, radio etc and roll your window down. Do you hear one muffled "click" when it should start? Lex/Toy/Scion starters are notorious for smoking the solenoid contacts. Pitting on the contacts prevents sufficient current flow to engauge the "turny part" of the starter. Are you mechanicaly inclined? if so remove the soleniod contacts and replace them. If not whip out the visa. Do not buy aftermarket toyota/lexus starters.....they rarley last very long. While the 2 month old part is under warranty, the $120 an hour labor is not. You have been warned.

Our detail department is pro when it comes to fillingthe cap with moisture. Pop the ap and dry it out with a kleenex. Check for grey lines in the cap if you have run with the miss for a long time. To prevent this in the future be carfull where you spray, and coat the bottom of the cap sealing surface with lipbalm. I prefer the wife's expencive avon lip balm.