jbarhorst2

Definitely burning coolant. I had to add 1/2 gallon to get me back to my mark. What is the most common failure that would cause this? Is the head gasket the most likely cause? Tom

Uh oh. My coolant reservoir looks lower tonight. I'm going to mark it and check it every day. The white cloud coming out of the tailpipe did not smell like normal "green" coolant. Does Toyota coolant have a different smell when burned, or should it still smell "sweet"? Interestingly enough I did not experience the rough idle today. The saga continues...

I unfortunately don't have my drawing anymore, but I can recreate it pretty easily. I am going to take my console apart this weekend to hook up a new FM modulator, so I'll just measure it when I do that. Tom

If it is the coil could it be acting up only for a short time after I start the car? I'm not real familiar with coils. Thanks Tom

Yes, I did. Actually I drew out what I wanted and had a fabricator make it for me. I think he charged me $10 or something like that. I have since removed my SkyFi unit and put a GPS with built in XM in its place. It works great. If you want some more detailed pitcures, let me know. Tom

Thanks for the reply. Here's a little more info. I am at nearly 214,000 miles. The rotor, cap, plugs, wires, timing belt (and all associated stuff including water pump) were replaced about 59,000 miles ago. This started just a few days ago (and rather suddenly I might add). I am getting a nice plume of white "smoke" out of the tailpipes during this rough idling. Then the idle smoothes and about 30 seconds later (or less) the smoke clears. Sometimes the idle is rough for 5 seconds and sometimes it can be about 30 seconds. The smoke, in my opinion, is not coolant. It does not have that sweet smell that I am used to. It also does not leave the greasy residue on your hands. I think it is raw fuel being vaporized and spit out the back. Is this possible/probable? What might be a likely cause for this? Could a fuel injector have gone bad to start causing this? Can it be leaking fuel into the cylinder after I turn the engine off? I do not get the rough idle in the morning for the first start of the day. Could something else be causing this condition? I do get the trouble code 0401 periodically (EGR flow insufficient), but I have been getting that on and off for about 18 months. I have changed the EGR temp sensor and cleaned out the EGR valve with no results. The EGR valve is functioning. I have not seen this before and am stumped. Thanks for any ideas. Tom

I also (by your definition) would be advanced. However, I do have one that is really stumping me right now...

I have some pictures in the gallery of my old install. I think they are near the end of the SC section. Tom

Group, a couple of days ago my '97 SC300 ran rough when I got back into the car after running an errand. The RPM was around 1200 or so and the rough idle lasted about 10 seconds. Then everything smoothed out and the idle dropped down to normal. Here I am a few days later and I am still getting the problem on initial startup when the engine is warm. I have not noticed it the first start of the day. Sometimes it lasts longer than others. I do smell raw fuel at the tailpipe when it is running like this. I did a search, but did not find a situation that was exactly the same. My MIL is not lighting up (it works, but no trouble codes). Could a spark plug be going bad? I have not had one fail this way before, but there is always a first time. Current plugs and wires are 55,000 miles old. Thanks in advance for any ideas. Tom

I have the Proxes TPT on my SC300. I'm not impressed. The wear I am experiencing does not really match their treadwear rating. I think they are noisy. In fact, the more miles they have on them the noisier they seem to be getting. I'm not going to buy them again. To be fair, they did have good traction and performance. I have driven these tires through 2 winters and the only time I could not drive was when the snow reached the undercarriage of the car. I do mostly highway (country 2 lane) driving and I drive about 35,000 miles per year in this car. Tom

Guys, I would not "clearcoat" them when you paint your car. Most clearcoats have solvents which can melt your plastic lenses. SK, do you agree? Tom

Rubber feet on the back side of the lower part of the license plate worked well for me. Tom

Your exhaust pipe also has several heat shields along its length. It could be one of those. That's what it was on my car. I secured mine with a radiator hose clamp. You can get under the car and lightly "bang" the exhaust pipe with the side of your fist. You should be able to trace down the rattle. Tom

2001 was the first year for NAV in the RX, but are you sure you have the NAV screen?? Do you have radio memory preset buttons right below the screen? If so, then you have the standard screen, not the NAV. Tom

OK experts out there. What is the proper situation? Are you supposed to have pressure in the tank when you remove the cap or not? Mine also releases a lot of pressure when I remove the cap. Maybe I need to replace mine as well?? Thanks for the help. Tom

I think as with any repair shop, it depends on the dealer. You should specifically ask this group about the dealer near you. Lexus of Dayton is fantastic. I have never had such good experiences both in purchasing and servicing my cars. But, that would be a bit of a drive for you. As a comparison, I have been to about 10 different Lexus dealers around the country while on business travel. I like to look at the condition of their used vehicles and the prices they put on them. I have yet to find a dealer that compares to mine in Dayton. I have heard some bad stories about some dealers, but you should ask around. Tom

I think you need to find the leak. It could be as simple as a leaky o-ring or valve seat on the new connections. At least then you could get it fixed and not have to worry about recharging every year. Plus, if you don't find the leak and just keep putting in freon, you may also be losing oil. Once you lose enough oil then you will damage your compressor and really be looking at a big repair bill. Tom

Maybe it's the second code keeping the compressor from running to protect itself. When they changed your refrigerant to the newer type, did they change the seals and hoses that needed changing?? If not, you could just be losing your freon over time. Tom

Is it really the compressor that is leaking? Or the system? You may want to confirm with them. If it is just the system in general, and not the compressor specifically, you could have them put some dye in the system to find the leak. Maybe it's an o-ring or something. Might be worth an extra question. Tom

You are welcome. Glad to help. Tom

Watch the compressor as you have someone else turn the system on and engage the clutch. Does it really spin, or does it just jerk while the fanbelt "slides" by? My guess (and that's all it is) is that the compressor might be toast. Tom

Good point WWEST. I completely passed over the low freon path. AustinGT, yes, the clutch can be replaced without changing the compressor. Tom

Have someone else press the auto button while you watch the compressor and clutch. Does anything happen? If not, then you have an electrical issue. Perhaps a wire has been disconnected, a fuse has blown, or the clutch has gone bad. Let us know what you find. Tom

Maybe he doesn't have time to go to the dealer at this time. Or, maybe he doesn't want to go to the dealer just for this. He could pull a fuse in the meantime to accomplish his goal while getting it done "cleanly" on his next service visit. It was merely another option. Tom

When you removed the transceiver from the trunk, what did you do with the two large wire connectors?? You need to unhook all connectors until you are left with just the two ends that are attached to the car with wires. Then connect those two together. Try that and let me know. Tom