bsl888

I used to have a GS300 and just recently traded in for an 07 CPO LS460 SWB, Mercury Metallic with light gray interior. Love the car, big difference in quality of material and build. Anyways, I noticed that the hood and front fenders get really hot to touch after driving. It seems to be hotter than all my other cars. The coolant gauge in the instrument panel stays in the middle and does not show over heating. The hood stays hot and takes quite a while to cool to ambient temperature. Has anyone else notice with their LS? Is it attributed to the engine compartment covered both top and bottom (for aerodynamic reason), which may delay air flow and cooling?

Recently Car and Driver had an article regarding brake overheating in Nissan 370Z Nismo, under harsh repeated braking. The brake fluid would boil and loose vacuum. After analysis, the suspicion was that in the zeal to improve aerodynamics, the engineers did not design adequate brake cooling. I'm wondering if Lexus engineers, in pursuit of aerodynamics, may have compromised the cooling and airflow through the engine bay. Like I said, there are no indications of the engine overheating, just the hood getting pretty hot after even a short drive. Most likely, I'm just paranoid and my OCD is kicking in. Anyways, glad to move over from the GS forum to here.

cmasten

Welcome, I too traded in a GS300 for an 07 LS460, they are night and day different, the LS is better at everything IMO.

I have black too that tends to hold heat longer, but the hood and fenders can get really hot if you let it run at a standstill, I learned this when I had my audio system redone. The coolant never showed any issues, but your right it can get hot. I have noticed this to a lesser degree when its moving and the air is flowing, but overall it does run hotter than any other car I have owned and definitely hotter than the GS300 did. I would not worry about it, Im sure that was all taken into consideration as I have not seen any TSB related to overheating recently. Enjoy the ride

bsl888

Thanks cmasten, that's reassuring that you also notice the hood getting hot. Like I said, I figured I was just being paranoid.

It's amazing what a difference the LS is compared to the GS. Big difference between the top of the line and second in line.

Mike_TX

Probably just the heat of re-entry.

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Tee

My 460 def produces more heat than my 430 did, and do not stand near the exhaust with shorts on!

Doublebase

Just did a search on this because I too notice this. My hood gets hotter than any car I've owned, and all the covers on the engine and underneath make me wonder if this engine doesn't get enough circulation. Someone posted on another thread that they did some work on the engine and every electrical connector broke because they had been heated so much over the years that they became brittle.

I'm thinking of taking the covers off inside of the engine compartment - I hear it has no effect on noise, etc, and is nothing but decoration...plus I hate having to remove it every time I need to get under it.

DJWLDW

I believe the hood on my 2010 LS460L is made of aluminum which might add to it getting a little hotter.

Dennis

1Putt

I believe the 2007-2009 hoods are also aluminum

Devh

There is a very good reason why the LS460 engine is perceived to be hotter then other cars and it has everything to do with the orientation of the engine in relation to the location of the exhaust manifold and the proximity to the fender or firewall. Exhaust manifold temps are in the thousands where as the general engine and it's components are in the hundreds.

Transverse engine generally have the exhaust manifold facing the rear firewall and it's usually set a little low.
As a result the heat on the cars hood is not that bad. In some other front rear cars the headers are set low and not near and not as close to the fenders.
This engine is not significantly hotter then other engines, its just fine and Toyota engineers know what they are doing when they designed this car and their designs generally never have any overheating issues what so ever unlike some of the other makes.

sktn77a

iTrader: (2)

Hood on my 2007 is aluminum, fenders are steel.

roadfrog

Yep my 08 as well. I haven't noticed high heat.

nsaldanh

That might be because of where you live. If the ambient temperature is low the hood doesnt get very hot. However if it's 85+ then it does. This happens with a GX 460 as well.

In summer I come home and park the car in the garage as soon as I get home. The hood is still warm the next morning and the ambient temperature in the garage is way past 90 the next morning. Sometimes I will pull the car out of the garage after sunset and leave it out for about an hour to cool. My house and driveway face west and if I leave it outside it warms up even more as it absorbing the sun's rays.