PlatinumV8

Update. Car still runs perfect. Starts up in half the time and has loads of power. Fuel mileage still 20% higher even running mid grade every other tank.

Note: Stopped by Meade Lexus yesterday to ask about a spare valet key. Got the runaround and a ridiculously high price and told even if it is an OEM blank they won't cut it. It must be bought from them for DOUBLE the price other dealerships are charging. Their $10,000 laser machine cannot be risked on one, even it comes in a sealed factory Lexus parts bag.

Mentioned how I fixed the hesitation problem and he looked at me like why are you wasting my time telling me about your DIY? My friend then pulled me out of there and said they won't be seeing me for the new LS460 F Sport I'd been contemplating.

I think I'd rather take a trip to some nicer areas of the country, give my down payment to them and drive my new car home than give Meade Lexus another inflated cent.

Moreover, I might just wait until the LS500, I'm that upset about my dealer experiences lately, here in Michigan.

RugbyDad

So I did the fix platinumv8. Tightened the throttle cable, then readjusted it when I over tightened it. The warm idle is still roughly the same.

No lights, no a/c - 400.

I also did the gasket fix. The only difference is I didn't cut out the inner rectangle that the original gasket has. Permatex'd it. Seems to run the exact same as before. I also retried mattylex and Yamae's fix of drenching the two bigger holes with carburetor cleaner.

At first, I tried it with the engine off and with a can of compressed air. Without compressed air, the cleaner is forced back out of the holes regardless of how far the supplied straw is shoved in there. It begins to pool in the recesses and overflow all over the throttle body. With compressed air, it's only further exacerbated. So I'm really unclear as to how mattylex pulled that feat off.

So I just turned the car on, used my newly tightened throttle cable to idle the engine up and drenched the two large holes with a bottle of carburetor cleaner each which would be my third time doing that. Still, no change in idle behaviour or the surge. (Side note: I've had the fuel injectors cleaned @ the dealer about 2 months ago.)

I will conclude however that a tightened throttle cable does make the surge much more bearable. It's less noticeable but still there for me. All of the other things that are normally attributed to a tightened throttle cable are present as well. The thud, so to speak, when shifting out of Park into reverse or drive is much smoother. Shifts are slightly better. "Off the line" has considerably improved as well.

**sigh**

PlatinumV8

RugbyDad,

Didn't the fix say the throttle body cleaner spraying had to be done with the engine running and working the throttle cable to keep it running? Once I found out where those ports go, it makes sense. Otherwise the fluid would not go anywhere except in cylinders where the intake or exhaust valves are open.

As far as thuds going in and out of gears, I'd think mechanical issues with the shifter or trans itself.

I've never adjusted a Lexus LS transmission shifter/cable, so I don't know if there is any stretch that can be taken out like the throttle cable. My race mustangs had heavy auto gear engagement due to high line pressure. It keeps sending me back to that guy that said the computer can call for max line pressure if a shift is being made by the ecm and the shifter is moved manually at the same time.

I wish I could get some consensus on that theory.

Thanks for trying my fix with the Permatex, even zero results are something for everyone to consider when tacking any drive ability issue. At least tightening the throttle cable is making things more manageable for you.

Keep your chin up!

I want to get a service manual CD for this series of LS years. Member on here gave me a link to an eBay listing from Australia, but one closer to the US, will be better for shipping. I don't want to download, a disc is ideal so I can put it in a file with all the TSB's that are available.

RugbyDad

Yes, yamae's instructions say to keep the engine running. But mattylex specifically said that the engine was off when he cleaned the air mix path and that he used compressed air to force the cleaner in. Unless I read that completely wrong. In which case, silly me.

I do thank you for going as in depth as you did regarding, well, everything. And for following up with results.

PlatinumV8

You are quite welcome, I'll post here again if anything changes on my 2000, with respect to this or if I find out if there is a transmission code we can clear with the right kind of ecm reader.

Scratchy

just fyi, looks like there's a hex shape on the far right of the threaded piece in this pic you took. could use that rather than trying clamp onto the threads.

PlatinumV8

If I remember correctly, that is not a hex, it is smooth. The line you see is a refraction of the lighting from the pb blaster soaking on the cable end.

I will stand corrected if shown another close up with a clear hex or parallel flat sections on that part of the cable, really busy this week and no time to take the engine cover off and take another pic.

I agree on not wanting to touch the threads and that is why I asked how to get the stuck nut to rotate, in the previous part of this LOOOONNNNGGG (partly my fault ) thread.

alien1974

when in i adjusted mine i just used a pair of grips on the outer rubber cable cover

MngreLMatt

Hey RugbyDad,

Are you referring to me as mattylex? Both of us are Matts and I'm not sure if you were referring to my experiences or his regarding the cleaning although it seems like you're referencing the procedure I used on all 3 of our 98-00 LS's to much success.

I have a slanted driveway so naturally when the cleaner is sprayed in it pools back in the pathways. I know that the car doesn't necessarily have to be running for the cleaner to reach the injectors. I think I saw that earlier in the thread where someone said it needed to be on or else something this or that wouldn't reach the injector. Anyway, nonsense. When I pooled the cleaner back into both holes and then followed it with compressed air I could see the injector jiggle just a tad with each burst.

As far as the low idle, I would definitely check your Idle air boost on the power steering pump. I'm not exactly sure what it is called. Basically, it boost the idle speed to assist low speed turning of the wheel. When removing this idle boost valve the idle went from 650~ in drive to about 400. I have deleted it on all of our LS400s (98-00) and now get the low idle in drive speed. If you still have yours in tact, check it out and see what you can find, maybe it is on its way out. Both hoses from the top middle back of the intake manifold as well as the one on the front left of the resonator lead down to this valve.

I don't have the knowledge of each of these systems or the time to hunt for surperfluous words to describe everything that is going on. I have done this exact procedure to all 3 98-00s that were suffering from this kind free spool then harsh engagement with great success. Shoot me a private message if you would like and I'd be happy to help further or I can give you my number and I'll try to walk you through it the best I can. I don't always check the forums, but I've always got email or my phone ready to rock. I know how frustrating this can be and just want to help the best I can.

Hope this helped a little,

Matt

PlatinumV8

Hey Matt, why don't you just go ahead and straight call me out. I can smell the Cali smug from here.

Using engineering and mechanical process terms is not superfluous, it is accurate and correct.

I've dealt with tons of salesman types as a business owner with clients like Boeing and GE, where the smarmy speech had to be ignored to save face. I'm on a public board and have no contract at risk, so shoot me a private message next time when you think my tech advice is laughable.

Debbie

PureDrifter

iTrader: (10)

the personal banter needs to end from all sides. this isn't the place.

One and only warning for everyone involved.

sha4000

iTrader: (1)

Lol I'm pretty sure they have all forgotten about this internet dust up.

pishta

That stamped dichromate block off plate is SOOOO un-Lexus like. I would have expected a cast AL topper with an O-ring gasket. That looks like a US emissions retrofit of some "not for US consumption" assembly. Take a look at the lowly EGR cover for an 1UZ-FE, its even cast AL. I think you should have studded the 2 screws so you can get maximum thread contact and while you are at it, just make a 3/8 AL block off plate so your thermal expansion variance is nill as well as a robust stiffness. Plus it would look better......

Daspyda

iTrader: (1)

Not going to read through all these pages, but this is a viable cause. With cleaning, your lurching problems go away.

Rogerwolf1

Is the hard shifting a hard problem to fix? I been reading some of the post and it is a little hard to wrap my head around.