sifrido

so i took my car in for this and a few other problems......they fixed the other problems and kept the car for almost two weeks because there was a back order on something. anyway they said they started up the car every single day at least twice a day and heard nothing!!!! i said that was b.s. because i hear the noise at least every other day. anyway i took the car home and the next morning when i started it up, what do i hear? that noise!!!!!! dealership said they have to hear it themselves if not they cant just go off what i say or show them on the internet.....i even said that people on cl have the same issue. so im screwed. the rep said that when i take the car in for the recall they'll try to reproduce the noise again.

BurgBoxstr

Interesting, my dealer went w/ my word. Maybe you just look shady? j/k

Anyhow, I know this is a major PITA but if you have an iphone or any basic digital camera that shoots video w/ sound... just cue it up when you start the car a few times until you get it. It is an intermittent sound in mine but from you're saying, it should only take a few starts. Just a thought and good luck.

BinaryJay

I'm still not even really sure what this noise is supposed to be. Is it a really obvious/loud thing? I keep listening for it but I can never tell if it's just normal starter sounds or what. I mean, no car starts up silently.

MelYW

BJay, you will know it when you hear it. It is a grinding noise that makes you think...Oooo, that didnt sound right.

Sounds like starting an engine with no oil for a split second or two.

Dealer took mine and said they didnt do anything. I havent heard it since.

j0emama

You will DEFINITELY know it when you hear it. I know NOTHING about cars and noticed it right away. After reading this thread, took it in and told them it's the "Actuators" that need to be replaced and they agreed (a well-known problem).

Usually happens on cold start-ups (might need to keep the car overnight to let it sit). Thanks to everyone for the tips/info!

sifrido

maybe youre right!!!! yea the tech rep said to do that and email the videos to him and he'll see what he can do....but now the car is behaving and hasnt done it at all besides a very minor one and i was in a rush and didnt record it. but its bound to happen again soon! either way im gonna wait until august for the recall and take it in for both, hopefully......at least they gave me a nice loaner 2010 GX 470 for two weeks while they tried diagnosing and awaiting the repair parts for my side view mirrors that were on back order

lenierdw1

All, here is the link to the .pdf file for the TSB. It is a lengthy process and covered under the power train warranty.

My 06 GS300 is being repaired now and I will keep you posted on how it runs. The dealer has parts on order so far I have been waiting 2 days.

http://bestpics.ru/full/gs_vvti.pdf

MI350_55

Thanks for providing this! Mine is going in tomorrow for the valve spring recall and now I'll be adding this TSIB to the work order while they already have the engine open. I have the sound recorded on my BB, so I hope they'll accept it.

mitchkrane

Thought it was time to chime-in at this point concerning start-up ticking or tapping or grinding sounds on IS350, GS350, and LS460, etc with VVT engines. Here's the deal: ALL variable valve timed engines make these noises at certain times. Lexus devised a TSB fix for the noise for certain owners who complained and where the issue could be duplicated. Obviously it is not at every start-up. My personal feeling: Don't bother with the TSB and here's why. The dealer will fix the issue, albeit temporarily, and you will have your cams and valve covers removed and for no reason other than that you are worried about the sounds. The VVT in our engines is both hydraulic and pneumatic, meaning air and oil. When the actuators don't have the right balance of air and oil pressure, they pop for 1-2 seconds, although it is really only 1/2 second or so. Agreed a Lexus should be 100% silent, but if we want power, low fuel consumption rates and everything else out of a seemingly small v6 engine, we need to cope with some drawbacks. If, however, the sounds bother you, here is how you avoid them 100% of the time. When the engine is warm, hot, cold, or freezing, simply place foot on brake, tap the start button, and the very moment you hear the starter engage, remove foot from brake. In other words, your foot is off the brake before you have engine ignition. The sound of the actuator or valve clatter as some call it will NEVER be heard. Why you ask? Because the removal of the foot from the brake pedal also increases the vacuum level of the intake manifold which in turn increases the vacuum pressure by 1.2-1.7mb at both cam actuators rendering them synchronized instantly. It sounds like an odd procedure, but if you do it 5 times, you'll learn to start your car that way every time. Most of us simply get in, shut the door, press the brake, press the start button and start the engine. The same applies, but instead of holding the brake pedal until the engine ignites, we remove our foot as the 1-2 second starter process is involved. No more sounds. Does this effect he valve springs themselves..Probably not. I'm on the list for my 07 gs 350 for the valve spring recall. Will I have it done? No way. I will wait for the engine to implode before I allow a guy to tear my engine into 50 pieces to replace 24-32 little 3.3 mm springs that more than likely won't ever break. If it is nothing then why is Lexus bothering? Because they are Lexus and they have had the crap beat out of them of late and there are some of us who will experience a broken valve and if it happens on the highway at 60mph, it can be an issue. If you know how to drive and it happens, you locate the proper sequence of pulling over safely, calling them, getting it fixed and calling it a day. If I keep the car long enough, the rear gear box and transmission will fail, but I'm not replacing them at 24,000 miles. Run fully synthetic oil, change it every 5k and drive the car as hard as you'd like. These are non-interference engines. If a valve spring breaks at 3,000 rpm or less, the valve will be suspended by the retainer and not fall in to the chamber. 100% of the breaks so far have started at cold crank because that is when the bad spring, which has been compressed all night or fully extracted all night is getting the most beating. 100% of the small amount of breaks have happened at cold crank and at cold idle. You'll know when it breaks the same way you’ll know if a tree falls on you while you are golfing. However, if you are at redline at a valve breaks, it could fall into the chamber and the engine will come apart quite fast. No fires, no explosions, just a big bang and a totaled motor. Will it happen to you? Nope. The less you need to have the motor touched by mechanics, the longer it will run. I had seven German cars, three of which had bad valve springs. One had some piston damage. The other two just shook like no tomorrow. No big deal. Was there a recall? Nope. Fixed them as they broke. One bad batch of springs and about a 5% break-rate. With Lexus, it is about .2%, but will grow to about 1%. 1% of 140,000 cars in the U.S is about 1,400 cars. Even in this economic depression, that is the number of Chevy's sold this afternoon. Don't rush to have your engine torn apart because a valve spring that might break doesn't break. Lexus is being OCD on the issue. Fix it when it is broken. That is me and my 15 cents. Anyway, please do try the procedure for start-up I mentioned. Oh, it will not harm the motor in the least if the actuators for the VVT rattle. If it bothers you, follow my procedure. It works on EVERY VVT engine and that covers about 12 brands and 125 models. The dealer can't tell you this as it would make him/her look stupid and I understand. But, it works every time. Good luck and thanks for allowing me the long post. Oh, use any quality synthetic oil 5w-30. It keeps the valve spring temps about 15-20 degrees (f) cooler which will greatly lowers the risk of a break at the supposedly weak spot.

niteflite

well i finally took the car in. of course they couldn't reproduce the noise. when i went to pick it up i actually waited about an hour there to go start the car a couple of times with a mechanic, but still didn't have any luck. i asked if i can send them video clips but said they need to see it in person, and can't do anything until they reproduce themselves, otherwise it would be fraud or something like that.

BinaryJay

In response to the large post... this is not my first car with VVT Toyota, it's my second, and I never heard any weird startup noises with that other car. Now, honestly, I have yet to hear anything weird with this car either though.

Also, the brake pedal thing... I'm pretty sure if you take your foot off the brake pedal too quick it makes the car decide to not start up. At least a couple times I've pressed the button took foot off brake right away and then the car doesn't start. Drives me crazy when it happens because I think something has broken but it's the only thing I can think of that might cause it.

GS350Lexus

iTrader: (5)

Guees i had this done on my car and i haven't heard it since, All i did was take the car in mentioned it to the test driving guy and all he said no problem give me a day we will do it. Now if he wasn't going to do it i would of recorded the start up and raise hell until they would of done it. So yea its a win win situation. I had to bring in videos of few things to prove to them that yes this isnt working as it should be. Had no problem and everything replaced. Make sure to video take registration, VIN # and plates so they wouldn't say its ure friends car or what not. As much a evidence as possible that yes this is you're car. I even offered to email it to them just incase lexus starts to bust they're ballz but he said its all good.

JBasco20

iTrader: (1)

anyone know if the GS430 has this problem??? my car has been sitting for about 4 days and i had to move it and when it started i swear i heard that noise for a split second....

niteflite

i think i remember reading somewhere that the 430 is affected.

well i contacted lexus corporate through their web site the day after i picked it up from the dealer after they failed to duplicate the problem. i gave them the details and said i would not be going through all this trouble if the problem really didn't exist. they were great and called me the next day and then soon enough got a call from the local dealer customer relations rep telling me to bring the car back in. this time they took it and replaced the gasket and actuators and everything within two days. i took a peek at the paperwork and it was a $1,200 repair and i paid nothing. i've only driven it a day after picking it up so i will give it this week until i am convinced the problem has been fixed, but overall i am satisfied with the service.

MI350_55

Had ours fixed last week at Stevens Creek Lexus in San Jose. No problems with trying to replicate it since I had it recorded on my Blackberry and made my advisor hear it a few times. That was enough to include it on the workorder in addition to the valve spring recall and the front right door lock solenoid replacement. Thank goodness it's all covered under warranty. Considering the mileage the car has and who knows what other "issues" might come up, we're glad that we purchased the extended warranty from the beginning. I haven't been able feel/hear any difference with the engine since we got it back. I'll do some evaluation this weekend and provide another update.