Sticky Valves = Rotten Egg Smell, Fixed!!!
07-05-15, 07:04 PM
#1
Driver School Candidate
Thread Starter
Sticky Valves = Rotten Egg Smell, Fixed!!!
Hello all,
I wanted to post a possible solution for all the fellow Lexus LS430 owners on here who have been having the same problem I have since I bought my 2001 LS430 five months ago: Rotten egg smell under moderate to heavier load / acceleration. My problem was, as most of the threads have speculated, too much fuel in the mix being unburnt, thus causing the catalytic converters to be bogged down under load.
I had sticking valves that showed no obvious symptoms in drive ability other than the constant choking smell of sulfur any time I needed to accelerate quickly or climb steep hills. The engine had not been very well maintained and has a slight sludge problem. I put in one quart Marvel Mystery Oil to my crankcase, which frees stuck valves and lifters, drove approximately fifteen minutes, and noticed the engine seemed to have the life back into it! I've been driving it like this way for over a week, taken a few out-of-town trips on the highway, and have had not one instance of sulfur smell at all since! I tried Amsoil engine flush first, but the problem continued for months until I used the MMO.
For those of you at your wits-end, give this a try. I'm very happy with my results and wish to share my experience with all my fellow Lexus owners out there desperate to solve this highly annoying problem!
M. R.
I wanted to post a possible solution for all the fellow Lexus LS430 owners on here who have been having the same problem I have since I bought my 2001 LS430 five months ago: Rotten egg smell under moderate to heavier load / acceleration. My problem was, as most of the threads have speculated, too much fuel in the mix being unburnt, thus causing the catalytic converters to be bogged down under load.
I had sticking valves that showed no obvious symptoms in drive ability other than the constant choking smell of sulfur any time I needed to accelerate quickly or climb steep hills. The engine had not been very well maintained and has a slight sludge problem. I put in one quart Marvel Mystery Oil to my crankcase, which frees stuck valves and lifters, drove approximately fifteen minutes, and noticed the engine seemed to have the life back into it! I've been driving it like this way for over a week, taken a few out-of-town trips on the highway, and have had not one instance of sulfur smell at all since! I tried Amsoil engine flush first, but the problem continued for months until I used the MMO.
For those of you at your wits-end, give this a try. I'm very happy with my results and wish to share my experience with all my fellow Lexus owners out there desperate to solve this highly annoying problem!
M. R.
Last edited by MRLexus90; 07-05-15 at 07:42 PM.
The following users liked this post:
RMGould (04-02-21)
07-05-15, 08:14 PM
#2
Thanks for sharing MR. This is not a common issues. Was the oil getting dirty quickly. I run full synthetic with 7500 OTI's and the oil is in good condition even at this interval. I assumed you changed the oil and filter after your cleaned the sludge right?
07-05-15, 09:49 PM
#4
Driver School Candidate
Thread Starter
Thanks for your response. The vehicle was owned all this time by an old lady who drove it around town and rarely saw highway speeds or probably RPM's above 3K, for that matter; used Quaker State conventional oil, wasn't too concerned with regular maintenance so hence the sludge and as a consequence, the sticky valves. I have been a Mechanical Engineer for 23 years and have used Marvel Mystery Oil in some of my vehicles since I was 16-years-old, but forgot how impressive a product it is until my uncle reminded me. I'm glad I gave it a try in this car; it has totally changed the personality of the car and eliminated that choking sulfur smell from the exhaust system!
To answer your questions, the oil was not very dirty until I began the desludging process. I am using Amsoil 5w-30 XL and their high-efficiency oil filters and Marvel Mystery Oil for the process and changing the filter as necessary while topping-off the oil, and changing the oil as it becomes dirty. I'm confident I will be successful following this regimen. She was battling cancer in the later years so car maintenance was not high on her priority list, and short trips in town using conventional oil led to a sludged-up engine and sticky valves.
The vehicle was asymptomatic, other than the smell, unless you knew what to look for, and my next clue besides the sludge and smell was the fact that the engine would occasionally seem to misfire, following no pattern, and would be slightly jerky while slowly reversing, as could be felt with the brakes lightly applied. Ignition problems ruled out, following differential diagnosis led to scrutiny of the fuel system which also passed. Where it failed was the compression test and leak-down test on bank 2, cylinder 6 and 8. I added the MMO, drove for 15 minutes, and the engine seems to continue running at full power and efficiency. There as been not one instance of sulfur dioxide from the exhaust since, but after I have completed the desludging to my satisfaction I will perform follow-up diagnostics and post the results.
I had read at least six threads on this one site alone of various people having the same problem and figured it would be more efficient to post a new thread with MY solution rather than respond to every one of them in the hopes that it may help someone else out there who is sick of the smell ruining what should otherwise be a pleasant driving experience, and more importantly, hopefully save someone shelling out thousands of dollars on new catalytic converters in what might be a futile attempt to correct the symptoms when the cause could in fact just be sticking valves.
M. R.
07-05-15, 10:39 PM
#5
Pole Position
Do you think the sludge was preventing the lifters from actuating correctly? Did you ever open up the valve covers and see if there was sludge?
I've heard of MMO doing some good work, but if I was ever working with a bad engine, I'd really consider pulling the valve covers and oil pan and scraping things off manually. But I'm a young person and have enough time and HondaBond (well I actually have Yamabond because marketing works on me) to take things apart and seal them back up.
Would you ever consider filling it up with ATF and just letting it idle? I've heard of sludge just falling off when you run ATF through an engine. Just make sure to change it really quickly, ATF can't really handle combustion byproducts and the viscosity isn't really appropriate for an engine with a high load.
Glad to hear that the MMO fixed what ails you. Amsoil is good stuff, would you ever try redline? I think redline oil is even better than amsoil (but at the price they charge for redline - it better be good!)
Either way, it seems like you're well on the way to making it better! Jah bless you for taking care of this car. Every mech (and aerospace) engineer I've ever had in my car has absolutely loved it. Toyota really knows how to design and build a car!
I've heard of MMO doing some good work, but if I was ever working with a bad engine, I'd really consider pulling the valve covers and oil pan and scraping things off manually. But I'm a young person and have enough time and HondaBond (well I actually have Yamabond because marketing works on me) to take things apart and seal them back up.
Would you ever consider filling it up with ATF and just letting it idle? I've heard of sludge just falling off when you run ATF through an engine. Just make sure to change it really quickly, ATF can't really handle combustion byproducts and the viscosity isn't really appropriate for an engine with a high load.
Glad to hear that the MMO fixed what ails you. Amsoil is good stuff, would you ever try redline? I think redline oil is even better than amsoil (but at the price they charge for redline - it better be good!)
Either way, it seems like you're well on the way to making it better! Jah bless you for taking care of this car. Every mech (and aerospace) engineer I've ever had in my car has absolutely loved it. Toyota really knows how to design and build a car!
07-06-15, 08:10 AM
#6
I am considering doing a Toyota motor flush just because. This may be pointless I'm not sure but I can't imagine it would hurt. Carbon builds up in any engine no matter what you do and the fact that so much ethanol is used in fuels these days it does make the problem worse. I also have very good experience using the Dura Lube Sever System Cleaner. I get better highway mileage now then ever before. I recently set a personal record of over 31 highway over 35 miles without tailwind help.
Trending Topics
07-06-15, 10:52 AM
#8
Pole Position
I used Marvel Mystery Oil when doing engine rebuilds on muscle cars. Used it to lube new parts (lifters, rockers, timing chain, gears, cam lobes, bearings and journals, etc.) , as well as added the recommended amount to the crankcase oil for engine cleaning, and initial start-up and break-in period. It helps clean upper and lower engine parts and oil passages, as well as gunk that accumulates in oil pan. MMO is also a solvent that helps free sticky valve lifters.
Last edited by Tom57; 07-06-15 at 12:52 PM.
07-06-15, 10:58 AM
#9
Pole Position
Hi Lavrishevo,
Thanks for your response. The vehicle was owned all this time by an old lady who drove it around town and rarely saw highway speeds or probably RPM's above 3K, for that matter; used Quaker State conventional oil, wasn't too concerned with regular maintenance so hence the sludge and as a consequence, the sticky valves. I have been a Mechanical Engineer for 23 years and have used Marvel Mystery Oil in some of my vehicles since I was 16-years-old, but forgot how impressive a product it is until my uncle reminded me. I'm glad I gave it a try in this car; it has totally changed the personality of the car and eliminated that choking sulfur smell from the exhaust system!
To answer your questions, the oil was not very dirty until I began the desludging process. I am using Amsoil 5w-30 XL and their high-efficiency oil filters and Marvel Mystery Oil for the process and changing the filter as necessary while topping-off the oil, and changing the oil as it becomes dirty. I'm confident I will be successful following this regimen. She was battling cancer in the later years so car maintenance was not high on her priority list, and short trips in town using conventional oil led to a sludged-up engine and sticky valves.
The vehicle was asymptomatic, other than the smell, unless you knew what to look for, and my next clue besides the sludge and smell was the fact that the engine would occasionally seem to misfire, following no pattern, and would be slightly jerky while slowly reversing, as could be felt with the brakes lightly applied. Ignition problems ruled out, following differential diagnosis led to scrutiny of the fuel system which also passed. Where it failed was the compression test and leak-down test on bank 2, cylinder 6 and 8. I added the MMO, drove for 15 minutes, and the engine seems to continue running at full power and efficiency. There as been not one instance of sulfur dioxide from the exhaust since, but after I have completed the desludging to my satisfaction I will perform follow-up diagnostics and post the results.
I had read at least six threads on this one site alone of various people having the same problem and figured it would be more efficient to post a new thread with MY solution rather than respond to every one of them in the hopes that it may help someone else out there who is sick of the smell ruining what should otherwise be a pleasant driving experience, and more importantly, hopefully save someone shelling out thousands of dollars on new catalytic converters in what might be a futile attempt to correct the symptoms when the cause could in fact just be sticking valves.
M. R.
Thanks for your response. The vehicle was owned all this time by an old lady who drove it around town and rarely saw highway speeds or probably RPM's above 3K, for that matter; used Quaker State conventional oil, wasn't too concerned with regular maintenance so hence the sludge and as a consequence, the sticky valves. I have been a Mechanical Engineer for 23 years and have used Marvel Mystery Oil in some of my vehicles since I was 16-years-old, but forgot how impressive a product it is until my uncle reminded me. I'm glad I gave it a try in this car; it has totally changed the personality of the car and eliminated that choking sulfur smell from the exhaust system!
To answer your questions, the oil was not very dirty until I began the desludging process. I am using Amsoil 5w-30 XL and their high-efficiency oil filters and Marvel Mystery Oil for the process and changing the filter as necessary while topping-off the oil, and changing the oil as it becomes dirty. I'm confident I will be successful following this regimen. She was battling cancer in the later years so car maintenance was not high on her priority list, and short trips in town using conventional oil led to a sludged-up engine and sticky valves.
The vehicle was asymptomatic, other than the smell, unless you knew what to look for, and my next clue besides the sludge and smell was the fact that the engine would occasionally seem to misfire, following no pattern, and would be slightly jerky while slowly reversing, as could be felt with the brakes lightly applied. Ignition problems ruled out, following differential diagnosis led to scrutiny of the fuel system which also passed. Where it failed was the compression test and leak-down test on bank 2, cylinder 6 and 8. I added the MMO, drove for 15 minutes, and the engine seems to continue running at full power and efficiency. There as been not one instance of sulfur dioxide from the exhaust since, but after I have completed the desludging to my satisfaction I will perform follow-up diagnostics and post the results.
I had read at least six threads on this one site alone of various people having the same problem and figured it would be more efficient to post a new thread with MY solution rather than respond to every one of them in the hopes that it may help someone else out there who is sick of the smell ruining what should otherwise be a pleasant driving experience, and more importantly, hopefully save someone shelling out thousands of dollars on new catalytic converters in what might be a futile attempt to correct the symptoms when the cause could in fact just be sticking valves.
M. R.
07-06-15, 03:52 PM
#10
Driver School Candidate
Thread Starter
Hi Tom, Thanks for the response. Yes, I replaced the pre-cat O2 sensors as part of my "vehicle reconditioning" I've been performing on this used car. While they were not very dirty or fouled-up, they were 14-years-old, and not knowing how long the sticky valve condition has been going on prior to my purchase in October, I thought it would be a good idea to do. I ordered them from Rock Auto for approximately $60 each, as I recall, so were good insurance against future problems and also gives the computer as accurate pre-cat information as possible as I go about fine tuning this slightly neglected car. It has come a long way since I bought it and is awesome to drive, but I still get out my old 1990 (one of the first manufactured in August 1989) every week for a drive!
M. R.
07-06-15, 04:17 PM
#11
Driver School Candidate
Thread Starter
Do you think the sludge was preventing the lifters from actuating correctly? Did you ever open up the valve covers and see if there was sludge?
I've heard of MMO doing some good work, but if I was ever working with a bad engine, I'd really consider pulling the valve covers and oil pan and scraping things off manually. But I'm a young person and have enough time and HondaBond (well I actually have Yamabond because marketing works on me) to take things apart and seal them back up.
Would you ever consider filling it up with ATF and just letting it idle? I've heard of sludge just falling off when you run ATF through an engine. Just make sure to change it really quickly, ATF can't really handle combustion byproducts and the viscosity isn't really appropriate for an engine with a high load.
Glad to hear that the MMO fixed what ails you. Amsoil is good stuff, would you ever try redline? I think redline oil is even better than amsoil (but at the price they charge for redline - it better be good!)
Either way, it seems like you're well on the way to making it better! Jah bless you for taking care of this car. Every mech (and aerospace) engineer I've ever had in my car has absolutely loved it. Toyota really knows how to design and build a car!
I've heard of MMO doing some good work, but if I was ever working with a bad engine, I'd really consider pulling the valve covers and oil pan and scraping things off manually. But I'm a young person and have enough time and HondaBond (well I actually have Yamabond because marketing works on me) to take things apart and seal them back up.
Would you ever consider filling it up with ATF and just letting it idle? I've heard of sludge just falling off when you run ATF through an engine. Just make sure to change it really quickly, ATF can't really handle combustion byproducts and the viscosity isn't really appropriate for an engine with a high load.
Glad to hear that the MMO fixed what ails you. Amsoil is good stuff, would you ever try redline? I think redline oil is even better than amsoil (but at the price they charge for redline - it better be good!)
Either way, it seems like you're well on the way to making it better! Jah bless you for taking care of this car. Every mech (and aerospace) engineer I've ever had in my car has absolutely loved it. Toyota really knows how to design and build a car!
Absolutely I believe the lifters / valves were sticking, and Marvel Mystery Oil has freed them up where standard oil flushes / engine cleaners did not. I believe this is because MMO is able to be used while driving the vehicle, and most flushes cannot. MMO has a very high film strength, is compatible with my synthetic oil (Amsoil), and is an excellent solvent against carbon and sludge deposits. I am ashamed I had forgotten all about it over the years, but am very happy I rediscovered what it can do and am very happy with the continued results I am getting as it cleans out my engine.
A Lexus technician told me that I would never get all the sludge out of the valve covers and would need to just replace them with new covers. I'm not against doing just that, but at over $500 for simple valve covers from Lexus, I believe there are other options in my case because it is not terribly gunked-up, and I have used MMO in the past to thoroughly clean some older small block Chevy's with no ill effects whatsoever.
I did pull the oil pan to fix the seal and there was a light varnish inside but no serious gunk so I feel I'm pretty safe following my regimen to clean-up this engine, but if it turns out it cannot penetrate through all the baffles in the cam covers then I will order new ones in due course.
I have heard of using ATF or even diesel fuel in the crankcase to desludge an engine, but not in the past fifteen years or so. I think it is more of an old-school treatment from back before we had better chemicals, as today, but I do not know one way or the other whether they are effective or harmful to today's engines with their close tolerances, thinner oils, and different metal composition and construction as pertains to valve train components, and more importantly, cam and crank bearings. They could strip the metals off of them, or cause no harm whatsoever: Use at your own risk if you choose to do so. I am only recommending Marvel Mystery oil as it is proven effective for me in the LS430. I also tried Redline oils in the past, but my LS400 didn't seem to like it very well (made the engine a little noisy). I plan to install an Amsoil filter bypass system soon; it siphons off 10% of the oil flow and runs it through two filters that clean down to 2 microns and returns the clean oil to the engine... Now that is some serious filtration!
Since there seems to be some interest, I'll keep this thread updated on my progress. Thanks!
M.R.
07-06-15, 04:32 PM
#12
Driver School Candidate
Thread Starter
I am considering doing a Toyota motor flush just because. This may be pointless I'm not sure but I can't imagine it would hurt. Carbon builds up in any engine no matter what you do and the fact that so much ethanol is used in fuels these days it does make the problem worse. I also have very good experience using the Dura Lube Sever System Cleaner. I get better highway mileage now then ever before. I recently set a personal record of over 31 highway over 35 miles without tailwind help.
Dura Lube Severe System Cleaner is an excellent product. I order it by the case from amazon for approximately $60, and have been using it in each tank of gas since I bought the car. I have systematically tried nearly every off-the-shelf, and some specialty fuel system cleaners, and the only one I ever found to be effective besides Dura-Lube is Royal Purple fuel system cleaner.
It sounds like you are a good owner for your Lexus!
M.R.
07-06-15, 05:22 PM
#13
Pole Position
The local Lexus dealer is using BG products for oil and fuel injection cleaning. I've seen compression test before & after graphs on the parts manager's '01 LS UL showing increases. Manager said it made a noticeable difference in engine performance. I have not tried this or any such product on my '01. Guys used 5-Minute Motor Flush back in the day and had great success with internal sludge and varnish removal.
07-07-15, 06:35 PM
#14
Driver School Candidate
Join Date: Oct 2014
Location: California
Posts: 7
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Might be dumb question but how did you add the cleaner to the crankcase?
I have 02 Ls430 been doing all my own Maintence lately finally fixed my overheating issues and am always reading posts looking for ways to increase engine performance and internal engine cleaning. You said u add the MMO to your crankcase. Sorry if this sounds dumb but is that done by just adding to oil fill spot or gas tank(people started posting about fuel additives kinda confused me) or is it done by performing some more extensive diy procedure? Please anyone feel free to answer question is for post starter but anyone who won't steer me wrong please reply. For post starter can u list your steps in the "sludge cleaning process" you talk about from how u added or applied the cleaner to how often u change oil & filter . Thank you in advance if u get a chance to do it
Last edited by Sw02LS430; 07-07-15 at 06:39 PM. Reason: Mispelling
07-07-15, 08:01 PM
#15
Pole Position
Marvel Mystery Oil is added directly to the oil crankcase the same as adding oil down the oil filler tube. Raed the directions on the MMO container regarding how much to add to the oil. Do not overfill the crankcase. MMO is typically added after an oil and filter change.