anewname

When my car is completely cold, it makes a clicking noise on startup. Only when it's cold, and only the first time I start it up.

Any ideas?

L3XOTIC

How many miles are on your car? It can be many things, it can even be your waterpump or waterpump bracket. Does it make any sounds when your on P and give it gas till like 3k RPM and let it drop? It can be many diff. Things.

worker

my first guess is the system check. there's a video of it somewhere on here.

anewname

It's a 2007 with 98,000km.

It doesn't make any sound while revving in park, neutral, or while driving.

It's only when starting up, and only the first time. So I will start it up, and it will make the sound. I try to replicate the sound by immediately shutting it down and starting it again, but it won't do it.

msgs350

iTrader: (2)

Is the sound like a "chatter"? It might be the Camshaft Actuators.....I, along with a few people here have gotten these replaced under warranty.

lkapimp216

iTrader: (2)

Your car is ruinned and broken!!!!! Sike its the cold engine knock/cam gear tsb. The problem is for the dealer to fix it under warranty its going to need to be reproduced by the tech. They all do it, my "friend and I, both started our cars, one right after the other, one morning leaving the hotel after a car show. I have a 06 GS300, he has a 07 GS350, and they both clattered bad 2 seconds apart from one another. Wish I caught it on video. Anyway mine does it intermittently, and I run full synthetic oil. I actually had my local shop put a engined additive in, and haven t heard it for awhile. I also I have a "friend" (would have said boy however there has been confusion with this term with the elderly Club Lexus members) that is a master tech for Lexus, and has told me he has fixed the cam gear issue on the same car 3 times, and it has come back so the tsb isn t a permanent fix. So, I think id rather have a additive added vs a tech pull the top of my engine apart unless the issue became much more common and or severe. Good luck, try getting it on video and showing the service advisor this may help if your set on getting this fixed.

anewname

Is it really knock? It's just for a second while the engine is cranking up cold.

Do you have any details / link to the TSB?

I'm out of Lexus factory warranty though. This might be a problem...

msgs350

iTrader: (2)

Does this help?

https://www.clublexus.com/forums/gs-...ib-eg7027.html

anewname

Yes! That is exactly it!

Since it's a TSB and not a recall though, I'm pretty much screwed I think.

This is a good starting point anyway. Thanks for posting this.

LexinTex71

It sounds like it may be the dreaded cam gear chatter/clatter. My 07 developed this about a month ago. It only did it when cold and the first start up....seems that the oil settles and the clatter has something to do with something not opening or closing properly. There is a TSB for it and I researched and found it starts to affect cars at around 60K miles. Mine got it at 78K miles. If your car is under 70K miles, it will be covered by the car warranty. Mine was not, but luckily, I purchased an extended warranty for 2 years / 24000 miles...and it was covered by this warranty...final bill from Lexus dealer was almost 1400.00...

Tomcio78

Yup!!!!!!! had the same issue and took it into the dealer... the service tech told me they were unable to reproduce the sound but stated it will usually happen once the oil is changed (not sure if that was a gimmick) but I was due for an oil change so told him to go ahead with it.... received a call a few hours later that this was the issue and was covered under the power train warranty 72 months or 70K..... have an 07 with 34k on it so all I paid for was the oil change.... It did resolve the knock

aLexGS350

iTrader: (5)

hmm I heard that today. I've heard it before and didn't know what it was. I'm at 55k miles now. Maybe I should let the dealership know? What you think? Don't want to get charged an arm and a leg for it.

msgs350

iTrader: (2)

Why not just get it repaired? It should be covered under the Power Train Warranty until 70k, right? My 07 is CPO, so it was covered. As others have mentioned, its about a $1400 bill.

anewname

My latest update is that I changed the oil last week and have not experienced this problem since.

LexinTex71

The problem with the oil change fixing the issue is that it will return. The thing with this cam gear issue seems to be that some cars never experience it, while others do....Ive never heard of someone hearing it and then it goes away.
Some of the temporary fixes for this issue for those that are out of warranty have been to 1) add a half quart of oil(seems to help) or 2) do some weird start up procedure each time they start their car(seems to get oil flowing before engine actually cranks).

I would recommend listening carefully each time you start up and see when it returns. When it does return, carry around something to record the noise (I used my iphone), and get it on tape...I went in, played it for my service advisor, and he did not question the issue at all, in fact he asked me to email it to him so he could play it for the tech.

Hope this helps. I waited too long before I decided to address this issue, luckily, I had purchased the extended warranty.