GBPackers

Like a good number of folks on this forum I too have recently experienced the rough idle, intermittent power/hard-to-brake, seeming unwillingness to go into overdrive at high speeds... I took it to AutoZone to get a diagnostic and it threw codes P0300 & P1354; when I asked which cylinders were misfiring the guy explained their diagnostic tool wouldn't specify which bank or which particular cylinders the misfire(s) are occurring in, just the P0300 random cyl misfire. This isn't consistent with a bunch of posts I've come across. Where can I go (besides lexus) to get a more specific diagnostic, if at all?

Having read all the related threads here as well as other forums/sites I feel pretty confident that the 1st place to start with the P1354 (VVT malfunction) code in congruence with the P0300 misfire code is to swap out the VVT solenoid(s) and clean the filters, then if symptoms persist get on with coils & plugs specific to any misfiring cylinders.

I'm asking anyone willing to help me out:

1) Is this the proper approach, or is it more important to 1st isolate which particular cylinders are misfiring and start there? Or am I missing some things here?
2) Can a diagnostic isolate just a malfunctioning plug or just the coil associated with a particular misfiring cylinder?
3) What exactly does the P1354 code indicate? Considering solenoids are sold as L & R, is it specific to L or R (or at all), and how does L & R relate to each bank (front vs back)?
4) What are the part numbers of these solenoids/OCVs (oil control valves) to reference in searching for their OE replacements?
5) I'm going to do this myself, so can someone PLEASE provide a diagram or pic - something visual - of where the L & R solenoids are to be found on the 2000 ES 300 or the like!? I can definitely dis/reassemble parts but am not so good at actually I'm terrible at identifying components in that mess of stuff that moves my car.

Worth noting, Lex Luther just turned 150K and is soon due up for another tune up, but unfortunately I'm not doing awesome in the money department these days, so I want to get this misfire situation fixed up before the belts, electrical and so on. Also, I just had my ECU switched out this last Oct at a dealership on account of last keys stolen with my jacket, and within 3 weeks noticed the 1st bit of latency in accelerating from idle. I've noticed a small few posts suggest putting in a new ECU as a cure for these symptoms, so is there any chance my new ECU could be a/the culprit here??

Thanks, yall. Really do appreciate all the helpful advice I've gotten here from all my fellow enthusiasts. Well, the ones who know what they're talking about cause...I don't

GBPackers

http://www.oreillyauto.com/site/c/se...d=vvt+solenoid

I know these are considered OE VVT solenoids, but are these just gonna be a bust? I can't find the solenoids at Sewell, RockAuto or any Lexus/Toyota-specific distributor. Suggestions, or run with it?

Thanks

ViPeRs103

15330-0A010 RH & 15340-0A010 LH Those are the OEM Part No's. for the CAMSHAFT TIMING OIL CONTROL or VVT Solenoid... Price is a bit expensive looking at about $83.00 per unit.. ballpark..

Road Rage

I'll over look your Packers love.

The OCV (oil control valve) can cause the P0300 code which is why it runs like crap. There are 2, one for each bank (side). They are held in with a single 10mm bolt and one electrical connection. Remember, the engine is sideways in the car. Bank 2 (left) is the side closest to the front bumper. Bank 1 (right) is the side closest to the windshield. Very easy to replace, like 5 minutes. Careful though, the edges of the valve are sharp and you can cut the hell out of yourself with one slip. The valve will be oily when you pull it out and some oil will spill from the hole. I'll see if I can post a pic. By the way, 1354 is for bank 2 (left). Look just behind the oil filler cap for a cylinder shape with a single bolt and electrical connection. the valve will actually be pointing back at you, located between the two banks.

Road Rage

Hope this helps

SEXI

Lexi had the VSC lights on and Check engine and ran rough for several months. One day I was headed down the road and Lexi would not shift in to high gear. So, I took her to the Old School Garage and the first week we tuned her up and cleaned fuel injection system $675.00 ran great for about 50 miles lights on again! Som Took back in and replaced all three Oxegen senors, so far so good runs like a dream!!!

GBPackers

Yea Road Rage, not feeling so boisterous about the Packers right now.

Anyway, a long-winded "here's-what-happened":

The night I "started" this thread I got under the hood, located my bank 2 solenoid/OCV & filter (P1354 code is specific to bank 2 which is the front-most bank and also referred to as the "left bank" from the perspective of facing the engine from the driver-side of the car where the right bank is under the air intake & rear-most) and pulled them out. Almost hoping I would find sludge in the filter as to decide that was the problem (ignorant, I'm sure), considering she just turned 150K I was surprised to find that the filter was damn near perfectly clean having never, ever done anything but change oil on her in 70+K miles. I cleaned it off anyway, popped it back in, pulled the solenoid just to look at it, did nothing to it, popped it back in, cleaned up the lil dribbled oil and closed the hood. I then took off to go pick up the Dorman solenoids I'd ordered. The cel, VSC, VSC-OFF lights were up but she wasnt misfiring or rough-idling. I got on the highway and the only thing happening was not shifting into 4th - sustained ~65 @ 4k+ rpms with no shift, no overdrive. Got to O'Reilley with the same indicator lights up, shut down, got their diagnostic tool, turned to ACC and no indicator lights. Started the car and still no lights. In an effort to get the lights up again as to get codes I drove in stop/go traffic ~10 miles, got on the highway & drove into the Rockies & back into Denver, ~ 45 minute drive, taking her to 92 mph - absolutely NO issues, misfires, rough idles, no problem changing & going through gears, overdrive...nothing. So that was 8 days, ~400 miles ago, absolutely frigid starts, long drives & elevation climbs up to ski resorts and I haven't felt, heard, noticed ANYTHING but her normal smooth driving, and I'm very much in-tune with her feel. Of course I'm holding my breath and expecting the worst, but that's where I'm at right now.

Because I had a lot of trouble finding DIY's on solenoids/OCVs & filters for the 2000 ES300 and the diagrams I've come across (gotten from Lexus) are near worthless, with exception of the one linked in a post above, I've included pic(s) of where exactly to locate the bank 2 solenoid & filter - truly easy. Just put a rag under the filter as couple tsp's oil will drool out, and be careful not to drop the bolts & washers. What's opened up in the pics is the OCV filter. Carefully pull the filter out with a needlenose pliers. In the pic you'll notice the exposed female end of an electrical connector just above & to the right of the opened filter- that's connected to the top of the solenoid/OCV. To get the solenoid out unscrew bolt w/12mm socket. Once the bolt's out you'll notice the solenoid'll spin in place, but it's difficult to simply pull it out - that's cause there's a lil rubber gasket in there. Because of the lack of space it was impossible for me to get a grip on it and pull it out. Instead, I used a screwdriver as a lever, put it underneath the tab sticking out and carefully pried it out. Aaand that's where my exploits ended, so I've got nothing else to add other than that's where you'll find it & that's how to take it out.

For anyone looking for this particular info, bank 1 is the "right" bank (again, looking at the engine from the driverside of the car) and is rear-most/closest to the firewall/under the air intake, and the cylinders are 1, 3, & 5. This bank is associated with codes P1349 (VVT System Malfunction bank 1), P0300 - P0301, P0303, & P0305 (Misfire(s) Detected) pertaining to symptoms I've been experiencing. "Left" bank is bank 2, cylinders 2, 4, & 6, and these are associated with codes P1354 (VVT Sys Malf. bank 2), P0300 - P0302, P0304, P0306 (misfire(s)). Cylinders 1 & 2 are far passenger side, cylinders 5 & 6 are far driverside. I'm only adding this because I had a ton of trouble finding this definitive information. But, if I got any of this mixed up (I'm not exactly a car guy) PLEASE correct, berate & shut it down.

I hope this in some way helps folks out. I'll update if/when the problems pop back up. Thanks so much for all of your help and information. And I hope every team left in the playoffs right now lose and they cancel the superbowl

RXGS

iTrader: (2)

This sounds like an oil control valve issue. I had both of mine go at 180k miles and paid about $600 to the dealer to change both.

Arwelch

GBPackers is your car still running good after the fix? Having the same issues and tired of throwing parts at it. Thinking this may be my issue as well.

GBPackers

Arwelch,

No such issues since all that...that I'm aware of. I haven't gotten an indicator light, haven't noticed anything as far as abnormalities or inconsistencies in firing, idle dropping below 750, or shifting or going into OD in the 800 miles driven since I cleared the CEL. But I really don't expect this good "weather" to continue for much longer - I didn't do anything but pull & put back the bank 2 VVT solenoid and clean its already clean filter. Actually, I did pull the bank 2 coil packs and carefully cleaned & pulled on the springs to decompress them a little in case one or more weren't quite making a connection with the plugs. I also checked and cleaned all the exposed wiring associated with the coils & plugs, solenoids, so maybe that did something.

However... while I'm in no way mechanically inclined when it comes to diagnosing engines, having read probably half the reports available in all of cyberspace pertaining to this particular subject, an undeniable portion pointed to &/or hindsighted the VVT solenoids & filters as absolute or very probable culprits to these subsequent issues, so that's where I started.

I will say, no matter the weather outside unless she's good and warmed up, ie been driving for 20 min or more, the initial shift into drive/reverse since after start-up is pretty jerky, and until the engine does warm a bit the shift up to 2, in particular, seems really strained. I understand this is a function of the car warming up the tranny (fluid) before it shifts at a more normal RPM (and she does settle into smoother shifts after not too long), but Im pretty sure this has gotten a little more pronounced since all these aforementioned issues popped up early this month. Unsure if it's related.

Best of luck. Maybe, just maybe, the solenoid and/or filter just needed to jostled around a little, or similarly the ignition coils - that's where I started and have tentatively finished as of now.

sidneyj

Hi all, great informative info here. Hoping I can seek some advice from you pros. My son has a 2000 ES300 and threw a check engine light and a "trac off" light. Ran the codes and got the following: P1346 vvt failure, P1130, P1135, P1133 air fuel ratio sensor malfunction. An indy mechanic says it's the left rear vvt oil control solenoid.

So based on the codes, which are different then any of the ones described in this thread, do you think I should just get the left vvt solenoid and see if that fixes the rough idle and engine light? Will the engine go off on it's own or will I have to reset the codes?

Thank you all for any help! Much appreciated. PS-I miss my old 2003 GS300!!!

Trenton

I also have a similar (if not exact) problem. I'm getting the P0300, P0302, P0304, P0306 (cylinder misfire codes, and they are repeated twice on my diag. computer), P1354, and whatever the knock sensor code is (but I've recently replaced both of the knocks). I've been concerned that the tranny is going bad (although it was replaced several years ago). I've also cleaned the MAF, but was thinking that maybe it is beyond repair. As someone else said, I'm tired of throwing parts at it. I've replaced all plugs and all coils. Is the OCV replacement my most-likely solution?