SW17LS

You know why divorces are so expensive? Because they're worth it!

NobodyHere

Unless they take your car!

SW17LS

Good point!

dseag2

The way I see it is I could have paid almost the same for a fully loaded 5 Series or A6 with a 4 cylinder engine and they may have been quiet at idle but I doubt I would have liked the sounds they make when stepping on it.

ItzFilyO

Best comments ever!

FishBike

I heard the "diesel" noise over the winter, but didn't worry about it too much as most of my driving was with the engine cold (often really cold, the way this winter has gone). Every car I've had was noisy in sub-zero weather. I was hoping it would improve now that it's warmer, but if anything it's more noticeable as the fan is not blasting away trying to heat up the interior. I'm also not a fan of the sort of whizzing noise the engine makes when revved in the slightest, and I'm not sure what causes it--timing chain maybe?

However, this evening an Audi A6 started up from a light beside me, and oh dear god what a racket! It was noticeable from inside my car, with the windows rolled up.

I have a feeling part of the "problem" is the car is otherwise so quiet. Other cars I've had probably made a similar amount of engine noise, it was just drowned out by everything else.

The sound when giving it some serious gas is wonderful, of course.

az-dave

Funny I hit this thread after forcing the wife to take the car to Lexus over the sounds. The clicking from the injectors is quite louder than old style (I have a 98 which is still dang quiet at idle). Anyway, the reason I had her take it was over the slight "Whining/gear-type" sound when reving at lower speeds or while parked.

Its some electrical motor, I think for PS, which is exactly what I thought it sounded like...In any even, comparing my '13 to a brand new '14, they sounded identical.

I dont mind the piped sound at all...my question is whether or not that piped sound might be robbing a tad amount of potential power via the intake system...

Anyone have any thoughts on that?

FishBike

Seems unlikely the intake sound creator is costing us any power. I don't think any air actually flows through it anyway. If it did, it would let dust in downstream of the filter. Also the 3GS, that has the same engine with no sound creator, makes 3 less HP officially. Identical engines probably vary more than that from car to car though.

az-dave

Yeah, I have no idea what a "piped-in sound" is anyway, not sure if its in the actual intake or not, I know my Avalanche had some extra chambers in its intake system.

I wonder if there is a misconception as to exactly what this "sound generator" is...maybe its not in the intake path at all, maybe its a tube from the engine compartment to the firewall? But then that could let in some bad fumes...so I think not...

FishBike

The intake sound creator is connected to the intake pipe and has an open pipe on the other end of it that points towards the firewall. The inside of the 'sound creator' itself is a chamber with a little accordion sort of device in it. So pressure pulsations from the intake go into this thing, make the accordion looking widget expand and contract, which makes air go in and out of the pipe pointed at the firewall. So it's a way for sound to come out of the intake without having a path for air to actually flow through from outside.

Some very informative pictures can be found in this thread: https://www.clublexus.com/forums/is-...generator.html

az-dave

Thx 4 the link - Thats kinda what I expected it to be.

In the "old" days, sound was "generated" by the actual pull of the pistons on intake and exhaust gasses...Im not really big on "fake" stuff to be honest.

Plus, in order for the sound waves to be generated, it means air has to move in-and-out a small amount thru that open tube, that probably creates a little bit of turbulence in the intake path. Probably not enough to significantly impact performance, but from a purist point of view, since its in the path, it has some impact.

My 6.0L Avalanche had a similar intake "muffler" device as well..its gone. Straight 4" pipe from Air intake box to the throttle body. Nothing to impede the air. Prob wont bother with the GS because I dont feel like having a frankenstein under the hood of this one like my 98 has with its old-fashioned "CAI" setup...which basically just makes noise and looks ugly now.

Anyone else have any thoughts on the whining gear sound? To me, its louder than it "should" be...

JeeEss350

Thank god I stumbled across this forum. I too get the engine tick which I realized might be normal, but I popped my hood while engine was running and noticed the fan belt was working fine, but the belt was slightly wobbly (just in one place). Is that normal? Also I get that same "whirling sound" when I accelerate slowly and would be very curious to hear someone's thoughts on that. But once I get it on the highway the everything sounds fine and the car runs smoothly. However- I can't help but think the car may have lost a bit of pickup from when I drove it out of the dealers lot a few weeks ago. Overall it still runs smoothly, but it feels like I need to press on the gas pedal just a bit more to get it moving. Do I sound crazy or should I actually get this back into the dealer? I've got just about 1500 miles on this thing.....

punch10

Just bought a 4th gen, same issue, I was like WTF is going on? My 2nd gen was super quite. Now I have the little diesel, without diesel mpg, that I always wanted. Ha, I guess I'll have to deal with it.

AL13NV8D3R

Dont forget the diesel Torque!

az-dave

I hopped into the GS the other day after not driving it for almost a month. Got into the throttle straight-away, and I realized it sounds down-right great.

At idle the tapping and whizzing are def more noticeable than the 2nd gen, but the 2nd gen is a full 2 seconds slower 0-60, and I will take the power over pure silence any day...plus, the car is quiet enough that a few times ive been in the garage with doors open and wife pulled up and I hear the door close and realized I never heard the engine...Lexus did so good on some sound deadening designs that some of these sounds are probably exaggerated since the rest of everything is so whisper quiet.