DIO94LS400

Ok I got a 94 Lexus from my grandmother it was working fine for a while then all of the sudden it just has more and more issues I've done what I can but being a 18year old teen funds are limited and I'm waiting to leave for Universal technical Institute soon for a future in the automotive field.
Ok for starters things that have been replaced cleaned or checked, are as fallows spark ECU, plugs, wires, primary coil pack, battery, aftermarket head unit, timing belt, water pump and serpentine belt. The symptoms are as follows low compression in cylinder four extremely loud exhaust from a gaping hole in the Y connectors, sluggish and hesitation when accelerating will not pass 65 miles an hour if you try to use the radio it will cut out above specific volumes in all speakers, in addition to those symptoms the air conditioning condenser fans in the front will not come on unless driving and that's probably from the wind pushing against the blades, check engine light is on too, the codes that were pulled are 13 and 25, trac off light stuck on (when driving not in diagnostics) there is no rpm signal, it also has sluggish shifting almost as if it lets the engine redline then when you take your foot off the gas and then put it back about half way it will shift almost like I have to switch the gear and hit an imaginary clutch and car will fill with emissions(at least that's what I believe it is) after a while of driving due to the broken y pipe, the smoke will flood in from behind dash radio AC and vents or openings connected to AC or engine bay, and in addition to all that if I'm at idle and put my foot on the break you can hear the RPMs drop to almost stall levels the car has no power I've done everything in my power at this point to try to fix it now I need some advice from the CL experts please help, I'm going to automotive college starting next year in another state and this is the only option I have I'm not allowed to buy another car since this one has such meaning to my family (been in the family one owner for 21years) but at this point it's not even safe for highway driving can barely handle in town please please any advice

djamps

VERY hard to read your huge run-on sentence... but I'll bite.

Start by re-capping the ECU (see the mega thread in this section regarding ECU capacitors) and fix your obvious issues (exhaust, ect). Your EGR tube is probably leaking fumes into the A/C vents as well. Power steering fluid may be leaking into the intake via the idle-up valve, causing smoke. Low compression in #4 only implies the engine is hurting internally, so it might even require a new engine.

If it were mine, I'd quit driving it until you get it sorted. If it's really that important to the family why would they want you to drive it straight into the ground? Honestly seems like it's got 1 foot already in the grave.

DIO94LS400

So the ecu has just been recapped and coated with something the guy said "incase one of them does ever bust or leak the acid won't eat away the board as quickly" or something. this is the only car available I've actually been trying to uber or use other family members cars seeing as I have to pickup and babysit children about 7days a week. the low compression I'm thinking is due to either a broken pistion ring or dirty valves, but my main concern right now is defiantly the exhaust and that pistion

dicer

Gapping hole, then either fix it or replace it. So when did all this stuff start to happen? Was it after the new head unit was installed? When doing electrical work disconnect the battery if it was not then theres your problem. Code 13 respective cam sensor possibly, code 25 maybe o2 sensors, does it idle okay? How many miles?

DIO94LS400

so just had the hole repaired and the issue is still persistant now tho sometimes when putting the car into drive the N light and L and D all come on and will not switch out of !st gear unless i move the shifter to 2nd

jaaa

"the issue is still persistent". You really need to be more articulate. Your original post had all kinds of issues.

DIO94LS400

Yeah I'm so sorry I'll try better the issues are still it's still smoking in the cabin after long periods of driving I can't tell if it's blue smoke but it smells almost like oil or rubber burning. in addition the transmission is very "iffy" and by that I mean it simply will not shift ( probably bc the RPM meter is not working so the ecu dosnt know when to tell the trans to shift i don't know just a wild guess) but the radio issue is prob just a dying amp I'm not sure if it's the one under the passanger seat or how I would go about fixing that. that's the least of my worries at this point. Also I'm extreamly sorry for all these run on sentences and not being as specific as I could be I'm trying my best and being a senior in high school. finals have just drained me to the point of writing everything like a damn long text. But this Lexus is just killing me, I'm going to try and check the egr pipe tomorrow but having such little time and funds and knowledge on the Lexus brand I need to reach out for some sort of help. I have an volt meter and I plan on testing the resistance of the senosrs that were mentioned earlier. I also put in a can of Restore today while fixing the exhaust and it seemed to perform somewhat better but still sluggish over all. Any other advice or things to try to help pep this girl back up she's in perfect condition otherwise. I've also been looking into some good engine rebuilders near me to maybe fix that bad cylinder #4. but any suggestions would help or I may just try and find another 1uz-fe my generation. I honesty don't know I'm about to lose hair over this damn car

Legender

Sorry for the pain you're having to endure here. Sounds like someone made an emotional decision and you're having to pay the price for it. Was proper maintenance done on the car prior to you receiving it? Sounds like maybe no. How many miles on the car?

These are not simple cars to diagnose as there are a lot of sensors and modules that control the car. It's more than just your basic engine. It's going to take some time and some analytical skills to get this back on the road.
I suggest you start with the known issues, working the two engine codes. Look at the possible causes and then eliminate them one by one until you find the cause. I don't see any quick fix to your problem, outside of another car and that does not appear to be the problem. Forget the radio issues and items that don't pertain to getting the car on the road safely. Those items can come later.

I wonder if the ECU was repaired correctly, or if there already was some damage done to the PWB that might not have been seen after the repair.

Another lexus owner had the same 13 code... seems it was a jumped tooth on the timing belt that when corrected fixed the code 13 and the low compression.
http://us.lexusownersclub.com/forums...shows-code-13/

If some of these problems started after the timing belt, perhaps it's off a tooth.
If the car was working fine before you did some work on it, then the logical place to look is the recent work.

There is a lot of information on the forum and a lot of assistance can be found here.
I understand your frustrations and your desire to have an immediate fix that allows you to get back on the road, but understand that's not going to happen.

It seems you've been put in a difficult situation by being given an old car with lots of problems and no additional assistance. But just think how much you'll learn by getting this car back on the road.

DIO94LS400

Thank you so much and yes their decision is putting me in a tight spot, but at the same time I've grown to love this car. Even some kids in my school went out and bought Lexus's because they loved my LS. I just went today to look up some of thoes code and when I did I found may be o2 senosrs so I went to check them out.... Well to my suprise the repair that had been done exhaust wise just came off dangling with the o2 senors and one bold holding the pipes onto the cat. The cat is completely hallow now there is no longer catalyst in it at all period. So one side of the Vblock is now running with open headers. and the other connected to a broken y pipe connection that looks as if it's about to go aswell. so far the exhaust is now destroyed and needs to be (at least the parts before the resinatiors including senors and that's just the beginning I plan on having the timing redone as soon as possible to see if it truly is a tooth off. since these JDM engines are so intricate I plan on taking my sweet time with the timing to make sure it's precise. But any other suggestions. Is there anyone that maybe I can send the ecu too to have a look? Anything is helpful and to all those who have helped me this far thank you so much! the shifting issue isn't as bad as before its kind of an on and off thing. In addition I need to buy a new gas pedal bc the heat from the exhaust that came into the car melted th plactic that grabbed the two round ball like joint bolts that held it to the floor now it will slide off or get stuck so the car is not drive able period I do want a working car but I also don't want to lose the Ls and I feel like if I put all the money that I'm putting into this one into buying a new one, in a couple months time that may just have the same issues even with me keeping the maintenance up as if I was A Lexus mechanic......

Legender

Well, now you know where the smoke in your cabin was coming from. One problem solved.
And it's a shame, but the other lesson here is just because someone says it's repaired, does not mean it is.
I had timing belt done on my 98 including all the seals that had to be redone as the guy did not know how to work on a Lexus, just new cars. When he finished it sounded like a diesel it was clacking so much.
But the independent lexus shop fixed it up right and corrected his mistakes.
Good luck on your journey.

brybo86

Is grandma still alive? If so I would go ask her who she took it to for any repairs/work. Then I would probably go ask them WTF they were doing. Chopping off a single cat and leaving the other? Ghetto/gangsta to say the least.

DIO94LS400

Yeah she is I asked her and she said her sons took it to Lexus the only recipt so ever found from Lexus were for ecu and inspection and other then that nothing. Ghetto/gangster try track/rally with open headers, it was so loud just as a user before posted sounding almost like a truck it set off someone's car alarm when it drive past ridiculous, but thanks for this help it really is helping I may just have to go the route of indipendnt Lexus shop. maybe ask them if I can help as an intern on it so I can learn alittle before college. But my mom is leaning twords a new engine from some website that's is a used 4th digit 1uzfe with California emissions and in addition it has some 3 year warranty but even that seems like it may not resolve the issues

Legender

With your exhaust issues melting your accelerator pedal sounds like you need more than a new engine. I'd still get it inspected by and independent shop to get another perspective on what might be wrong.

DIO94LS400

It was blowing hot air through the flange for the cat and y pipe are and going through the hole where the downstream O2 sensor is that's why that happened. I ordered 2 new Cats and a new y pipe to replace the old one witch had rusted out completely. Now all I have let to do is crank angle sensors and new O2 sensors and I will have gotten rid of most of the CEL codes