NYDesi80

Can someone comment on what exactly is being replaced and fixed? Is this addressing the oil burning issue?

RandomTech

Lexus corporate laid down the law and put extremely specific duplication criteria on the technical website that has to recorded and reviewed by Lexus in California before you'll get the repair made.

The beauty of it is, however, that their procedure for duplication has yet to let me down in duplicating the issue. I had to keep the car overnight once to do it after a cold-soak, but it acted up perfectly with the procedure.

Also, this is not a recall - it's a badass warranty for one very specific issue.

BinaryJay

Could you post it, or paraphrase it? It would be helpful to know if your car is going to trigger the right alarms before bothering bringing it in. In my case, they have already previously done a valve spring replacement and then later a top engine clean and the car does run better than it used to but still has it's off moments. It has pretty much had RPM wandering on cold startup forever that none of the things they did resolved which I complained about over and over while the car was still in warranty.

My concern is basically, the previous thing (top engine clean specifically) is now sufficiently masking the problem from occurring in the near future but isn't any kind of long term solution and by the time the car again meets the "criteria" the special warranty will be long gone (if I ever get it to begin with).

I'm guessing all of my prior history of complaints about this very issue and prior attempts at fixing it won't really carry any weight either from the sound of it. Lexus Canada seems for whatever reason much more deaf or at least impotent to do anything about customer concerns compared to the stories I hear about Lexus US. I called them once and basically all I got was go talk to your dealer.

benbuilt4u

iTrader: (5)

what is the repair?

BinaryJay

I believe it's a combination of the top engine clean previous repair plus new piston rings as the new part. Apparently the piston rings don't seal well in the cylinders.

If anybody has some time to call Lexus Canada and ask if they have any position on this CSP offered for our neighbors please let us know, I just don't have a free minute these days to do it I can barely get time to myself on the toilet.

gojeezy123

iTrader: (5)

here's how to reproduce it....


Confirm and duplicate the condition by performing the following:
1. Prior to starting the vehicle, start recording an Engine “All Data” snapshot on the Techstream
2. If the engine is cold, start and allow the vehicle to reach operating temperature while monitoring
for misfire activity
3. Once the engine is at operating temperature per the “Coolant Temp” data parameter, repeat
the following steps:
a) Increase engine speed to 4000 RPM and hold for 30 seconds
b) After 30 seconds, momentarily rev the engine above 4000 RPM and allow the engine to
return to idle
c) Monitor the data list for misfire activity once the engine returns to idle
d) Perform steps a) through c) up to 10 cycles maximum or until a multiple misfire count
event is duplicated
4. Create a TA case and attach the Techstream file with any relevant data
5. Contact the TAS hotline for further assistance prior to starting any repairs

ravman007

I got the letter in the mail also and called up my Lexus dealer (Lexus of Glendale). They had absolutely no idea as to what I was talking about. They knew nothing of this support notice. Then they told me that they would run a diagnosis on the car, but would charge me $125 for it. I called another dealer (Keyes Lexus), and they too had no idea what I was talking about. I'm in Los Angeles, California BTW, not some small city in the middle of nowhere.

I ended up calling Lexus Corporate and they said they would get back to me. 20 minutes later, they told me to take my car into the first dealer, and everything would be done free of charge. The vehicle has been in the shop since 10am this morning as we speak, it's 3.30pm now.

My car also has been suffering from the rough idling and the check engine light coming on now and again. I have a IS250 with about 71,500k miles on it. Got the engine decarbed the other month, but that seemed to do nothing.

Shall keep you updated at to the results of my car.

Rikus

Wow I am in Orange County and I'm worried I'll get the same reactions! I did get the letter too and what I find even more funny is the service receipt I just found of me complaining of this SAME issue a few years back! I must have brought this car in 4 times for this problem and not a single dealer could help me. These are the same dealers that couldn't find a problem with my back up sensors that went off for NO reason since I've owned the car...oddly when I brought the car to them OUT of warranty they suddenly found a problem.

stefnee

I was able to get a GS loaner a few weeks ago. Was not fully loaded, but surprisingly it felt more cramped then my 06. Only had it for a few hours. But my reaction is the new GS is just ok.

ravman007

I just picked my car up. The dealer said they ran all the various tests, and the vehicle computer logged absolutely no problems at all. I guess not much more I can do about it. They said my car is now in their system and on the radar and if it happens again, then to bring it in.

Make sure when you visit your dealer, to take the letter in. I'm thinking this support letter has only just started going out, and not many dealers are aware of it. I guess over time, they will get to know all about it. Good thing is that Lexus has increased the powertrain warranty to 9 years/unlimited mileage, so that is cool. I plan to get the brand new IS model when it comes out next year, so that'll be a new set of problems to deal with.

Good luck.

springring

Have faith in Lexus and the highly trained techs in resolving this issue.

BinaryJay

It's a step in the right direction but since every car is going to seemingly develop the issue after a long enough period of time they ought to just replace everybody's piston rings that goes in and claims to have the issue or has done so at any point since ownership in the past and be done with it if they really want to make the customer happy.

I don't really enjoy the part about the dealer needing to "reproduce" the issue which at worst is like winning the lottery unless you've got the issue really badly. I think it also puts those of us that have that the previous top engine clean service for this issue at a disadvantage for getting the "real" fix as that service almost certainly was just like a bandaid.

If I ever get this notice in Canada, I'm really going to have to find more reasons to drive the car to get the mileage on the thing before the 9 years is up to dirty things up sufficiently again.

kpax478

After reading this,
now what is the major difference between the two engine( 3.0, and 3.5) and do you think Lexus will do the same for the 350? My engine also burns a little oil like some of the gs300.

Charlie088

I think I might be having this problem my car idles at 500rpms it dropes down from 1000rpms within 10 seconds. Two questions, will this problem trigger a cel? And did y'all recently got these notices on the mail because I haven't got anything.

stefnee

Just got the car. Will take a couple of days to see if the rough idle (stutter) is still there.

But will be taking it back tomorrow. When I got off the beltway I down shifted and could not get it back in drive. I finally got it back in drive (was in 3rd gear). Do not know what they could have done to cause this. It shifted smoothly before. Has that happened to anyone?