Picked up my GS4 today. I'm worried guys, please help me out.
01-25-05, 07:22 PM
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Picked up my GS4 today. I'm worried guys, please help me out.
I bought a GS400 out of state, and had it shipped with a vehicle locater service from Florida to Utah.
Anyway, the car is gorgeous. It is a '98, but only has 39K on it. It has a completely clean history according to CarFax. It's black with the new style tail lights, etc. I was disappointed to find that my heater wasn't blowing out very warm. I had the thing cranked up as high as it would go, but even after driving the car for an hour, the heater was still not very warm. There was also some steam coming from the radiator area of the car.
I took it to my local Lexus dealer to change the oil, and have the smog/safety test done, and to have the problem looked at while they had it. It passed the smog and safety tests with flying colors, but they told me that my radiator fluid was extremely dilluted with water. I told them to go ahead and do a radiator flush. They came back to me an hour later, and said that they were getting all sorts of gunk out of the radiator, and that there was a blockage somewhere in the cooling system. They also said that the engine fans weren't coming on, and that the only thing that was keeping me from overheating, was that it was only about 30 degrees outside today.
I'm am just sick about this. With only 39K on the ticker, and all of the services having been performed on the vehicle, I'm just at a loss. They are going to keep the car overnight, and work on it in the morning to try to get the blockage out, but they don't know exactly where it is, and don't know what to do.
The car seemed to run great. It pulls like a bat out of hell, and runs strong, even with a blocked cooling system.
I'm turning to you guys for advice.
Thanks
Anyway, the car is gorgeous. It is a '98, but only has 39K on it. It has a completely clean history according to CarFax. It's black with the new style tail lights, etc. I was disappointed to find that my heater wasn't blowing out very warm. I had the thing cranked up as high as it would go, but even after driving the car for an hour, the heater was still not very warm. There was also some steam coming from the radiator area of the car.
I took it to my local Lexus dealer to change the oil, and have the smog/safety test done, and to have the problem looked at while they had it. It passed the smog and safety tests with flying colors, but they told me that my radiator fluid was extremely dilluted with water. I told them to go ahead and do a radiator flush. They came back to me an hour later, and said that they were getting all sorts of gunk out of the radiator, and that there was a blockage somewhere in the cooling system. They also said that the engine fans weren't coming on, and that the only thing that was keeping me from overheating, was that it was only about 30 degrees outside today.
I'm am just sick about this. With only 39K on the ticker, and all of the services having been performed on the vehicle, I'm just at a loss. They are going to keep the car overnight, and work on it in the morning to try to get the blockage out, but they don't know exactly where it is, and don't know what to do.
The car seemed to run great. It pulls like a bat out of hell, and runs strong, even with a blocked cooling system.
I'm turning to you guys for advice.
Thanks
Last edited by blacksc4; 01-25-05 at 07:38 PM.
01-25-05, 07:34 PM
#4
Originally Posted by blacksc4
I bought a GS400 out of state, and had it shipped with a vehicle locater service from Florida to Utah.
Anyway, the car is gorgeous. It is a '98, but only has 39K on it. It's black with the new style tail lights, etc. I was disappointed to find that my heater wasn't blowing out very warm. I had the thing cranked up as high as it would go, but even after driving the car for an hour, the heater was still not very warm. There was also some steam coming from the radiator area of the car.
I took it to my local Lexus dealer to change the oil, and have the smog/safety test done, and to have the problem looked at while they had it. It passed the smog and safety tests with flying colors, but they told me that my radiator fluid was extremely dilluted with water. I told them to go ahead and do a radiator flush. They came back to me an hour later, and said that they were getting all sorts of gunk out of the radiator, and that there was a blockage somewhere in the cooling system. They also said that the engine fans weren't coming on, and that the only thing that was keeping me from overheating, was that it was only about 30 degrees outside today.
I'm am just sick about this. With only 39K on the ticker, and all of the services having been performed on the vehicle, I'm just at a loss. They are going to keep the car overnight, and work on it in the morning to try to get the blockage out, but they don't know exactly where it is, and don't know what to do.
The car seemed to run great. It pulls like a bat out of hell, and runs strong, even with a blocked cooling system.
I'm turning to you guys for advice.
Thanks
Anyway, the car is gorgeous. It is a '98, but only has 39K on it. It's black with the new style tail lights, etc. I was disappointed to find that my heater wasn't blowing out very warm. I had the thing cranked up as high as it would go, but even after driving the car for an hour, the heater was still not very warm. There was also some steam coming from the radiator area of the car.
I took it to my local Lexus dealer to change the oil, and have the smog/safety test done, and to have the problem looked at while they had it. It passed the smog and safety tests with flying colors, but they told me that my radiator fluid was extremely dilluted with water. I told them to go ahead and do a radiator flush. They came back to me an hour later, and said that they were getting all sorts of gunk out of the radiator, and that there was a blockage somewhere in the cooling system. They also said that the engine fans weren't coming on, and that the only thing that was keeping me from overheating, was that it was only about 30 degrees outside today.
I'm am just sick about this. With only 39K on the ticker, and all of the services having been performed on the vehicle, I'm just at a loss. They are going to keep the car overnight, and work on it in the morning to try to get the blockage out, but they don't know exactly where it is, and don't know what to do.
The car seemed to run great. It pulls like a bat out of hell, and runs strong, even with a blocked cooling system.
I'm turning to you guys for advice.
Thanks
Gunk? Like a combination of oil and water? Perhaps a blown head gasket/
Engine fan not coming on? Perhaps a nonfunctioning thermostat.
Steam may have been coming from your radiator because the engine may be overheating.
Last edited by rodel; 01-25-05 at 07:38 PM.
01-25-05, 07:36 PM
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Originally Posted by rodel
Gunk? Like a combination of oil and water? Perhaps a blown head gasket/
Engine fan not coming on? Perhaps a nonfunctioning thermostat.
Engine fan not coming on? Perhaps a nonfunctioning thermostat.
It was weird looking. They showed it to me. It was this bright pink color. It looked like somebody had mixed the regular green style antifreeze with the red toyota stuff, but on top of that, there was this hot pink color. They suspected some sort of additive was used.
01-25-05, 07:51 PM
#7
Racer
Mixed antifreezes plus water in the cold sounds like a prescription for coagulation.
The gunk may also be responsible for the thermostat malfunction.
How's the water pump?
A flush, some driving, and another flush will provide better info.
The gunk may also be responsible for the thermostat malfunction.
How's the water pump?
A flush, some driving, and another flush will provide better info.
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01-25-05, 07:52 PM
#8
Originally Posted by blacksc4
It was weird looking. They showed it to me. It was this bright pink color. It looked like somebody had mixed the regular green style antifreeze with the red toyota stuff, but on top of that, there was this hot pink color. They suspected some sort of additive was used.
BTW, I feel your pain. My lexus dealer has treated me well. Hopefully the dealer you went to will too. Send the car back if you need to and sic a lawyer on 'em if need be.
01-25-05, 08:14 PM
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Originally Posted by blacksc4
Yes. It is clean. I ran a Carfax on it. It was a corporate lease vehicle, that was only driven 5K miles per year, and has had only one owner.
sometimes carfax doesn't tell you everything
01-25-05, 08:39 PM
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they could of had a radiator leak and put some sort of sealent into it. if it ws GUNK tho that is BAD probably a head gasket.. but dang a burnt head on a 39k mile car.. seems to be kinda weird...
also cooling fans not comin on is a problem too..
DID You contact the dealer you bought it from?
what did theyt say?
also cooling fans not comin on is a problem too..
DID You contact the dealer you bought it from?
what did theyt say?
01-25-05, 09:06 PM
#11
Lexus Fanatic
you know the latest toyota coolant is pink. What's bad about it other than being pink, is it rusty or chocolat milky? sounds like a relay or sender or something on the electric fan. maybe try jumping it.
01-25-05, 10:24 PM
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Originally Posted by rodel
Carfax will not tell you about neither mechanical nor engine problems.
