Donnie808

I test drove a Lexus Certified 2014 IS 350 base model today and noticed that the engine makes a whiney and rather alarming spinning type noise (for lack of a better description) upon accelerating in Sport mode. Is this normal?? It goes away when I put it back in "Normal" mode.

Break2

Probably just the air filter, believe it or not.

nathantse

Car is reving at a higher rpm in sport mode. The sound coming from the air filter sounds about right ^

Correct us if we wrong.

Donnie808

Thank you both for the feedback. I didn't lift the hood to tell where exactly it was coming from as I'm far knowing anything about engines. Are you guys suggesting the air filter is in need of replacement or are you just saying the higher RPM in sport mode is, by its very nature, going to cause more sound from the air filter and that it's nothing to worry about?

Thanks again... hope to buy it this week if all goes well!

Break2

It seems to be the norm with these cars. I changed my stock filter for an F-Sport one and the whiny noise is more noticeable.

nathantse

Its just by nature of how the car is built. Nothing is wrong. But, since your buying a CPO I would change the air filter just cause. Unless the dealer, did it for ya already.

Also the IS350 has a sound generator that amplifies and pumps engine noise into the cabin. So you are more prone to notice this.

Donnie808

Yep, pretty sure that's exactly what I'm hearing. It's actually the noise of the engine "spinning down" after I let off the accelerator the same way it happens in this video. I'm not a car guy but I don't think I've heard that in a car before...just something unique to this engine type, perhaps. I'm coming from an Acura TL where there is no noise upon letting up on the accelerator.

Donnie808

I never understood why car manufacturers deliberately pump fake engine noise into the cabin. I'd rather the cabin be as utterly quiet as humanly possible. Is there any way the artificial noise can be disabled? I honestly expected the Lexus to be quieter in the cabin...even in Normal mode.

nathantse

The engine noise your're hearing is not fake. Best bet is to get an aftermarket air intake. The sound generator is connected to the stock intake. Other than that, the IS is a "performance sedan", if quite ride is what you're looking for the IS may not be the car. Try the ES, they should be much quieter imo.

For the newer IS, 2017+ there is actually a scroll kn0b inside the cabin in which you can control how much noise gets pumped into the cabin. ASC - Active Sound Control. <-- this is fake noise imo

Donnie808

True about the ES but I much prefer the sporty appearance and more compact size of the IS model. I'll probably learn to tune out the noise the more I drive it...

nathantse

I mostly drive in ECO mode, and I rarely notice the engine noise unless I floor it. Cruising under 2000 RPM is decently quite.

However, there is road noise in these cars. Note, I have a is350 fsport it has a slightly stiffer suspension vs the non f sport.

AMNss

It is transmission noise, which is normal for many cars especially sport cars.

arentz07

I heard it had something to do with the fuel pump, also heard it's the transmission... kinda hard to definitively say what it is, but more people agree it's the transmission.
The weird thing is, if it's the transmission, how come the sound still occurs in neutral?

Either way, as others have said, the car's not broken. One thing I have heard is that with an aftermarket air intake, you'll remove the sound generator, which may reduce noise into the cabin (though outside, it'll be the same).

Edit: Found an old thread about the 2IS, which seems to be discussing the same issue. https://www.clublexus.com/forums/is-...just-cold.html
More evidence this is common, if not normal

snabbledab

i heard its the fuel pump or the transmission but it is normal so dont worry about it

Solara350

gen2 gen3 IS got the same noise lol , this is Lexus Performance ?