lexixel

Hello,

I just looked at a MY02 LS430 with just under 100k miles, well maintained. One-wner, full dealer history with invoices, great interior / exterior, great price, has keyless go as well. The leather still looks new (has some treatment in the history). The timing belt has been done.

However, I found some silver / grey sediment on ATF dipstick. The fluid is fresh. It has been changed (drain & fill) every other service. Still, I don't think there should be any sediment in the ATF. Yes, I wiped and re-inserted and pulled the dipstick again, and there was still some, guess it was floating in the ATF. From what I understand, this is probably the friction material from the clutch packs.

Is this normal? (I didn't buy this car, so I'm guessing it's not. It took me 4 hours each way to go to see this car, and I was almost sure to buy it before I pulled the ATF dipstick.)

How can a car this well-maintained have this much internal wear on the AT? Yes, the ATF was documented to have been changed (drain & fill) at the last service, so probably something was dislodged from the filter. But this seems excessive to me. Everyone is talking about how durable the Lexus 5AT is, but this doesn't give confidence. (Thank God it still has a dipstick! I won't buy an AT car over 3yo without a dipstick again!)

Also, there is some red residue under the oil cap. The oil cap also smells of gasoline. (The engine oil is new.) I have a feeling that this may just be a slow-leaking head gasket (not enough to start foaming the oil, but gathers a little bit of coolant that is immediately evaporated and condensed on the oil cap). Yes, the coolant level is well below high, even though it was changed at the last service. Is it possible for a 3UZ to have head gasket problem at 100k miles?

Such a nice car. The ride is dream-like. If not for these two points, I would certainly have bought it.

toddmorr

would really have to see it, but assuming the car has truly been maintained well, I'm very skeptical it has both head gasket and AT issues. Those are just too rare and to have both...doesn't make sense. I guess anything is possible, but you have too many other data points to suggest this is solid car.
does it shift fine, both hot and cold?
the red in the oil cap could also be from use of Gunk Oil Flush...that stuff is red and it can leave a residue easily. I use it every other oil change.
if they truly did a trany drain and flush every other service...how could it possibly be bad.

lexixel

I'm completely puzzled myself.

My theory is that either 1) one of the times it wasn't refilled right or 2) some dirt went in. I was really surprised to see the grey/silver stuff. I wiped with a tissue to see the colour of the fluid, which is quite fresh. But I noticed the grey/silver stuff. Maybe this is normal? Some people seem to suggest that before the tube for the dipstick is long and narrow sometimes stuffs in the fluid don't get picked up by the filter. Maybe I was wrong and passed on a good deal?

Maybe the thing is gunk oil flush, then. This is in Europe, though; do they use this thing here? I have only seen brown residue (sludge) before. I would actually take sludge better than the red stuff. So this gunk oil flush would also smell of gas? The oil in this car is new, btw, less than 200 kms. The red stuff is also on the neck of the thing where the oil cap goes.

The guy already ran the car before I got there (I wasn't quite sure about that, either; would've preferred to check the drive train from cold). He picked me up from the train station; the car shifted fine. I didn't test drive as I already ruled it out. I couldn't / can't say whether either is a real problem, but at that time I felt if either was I'd be in trouble.

Btw, at least three upper control arm bushings were cracked (not bad, just split). I was lying on the ground to check them with a torch, so couldn't get every angle on everyone. Don't know if that's common, either. The arms appear fine. The air suspension struts were all solid, though; one had some wet stain, but it's that high up that I though it could be anything.

Other imperfect points are: 1) alloy rim corrosion, 2) worn + mismatched tyres, FL tyre seems to have more worn on the outside (din't care enough to properly determine whether it really did).

Such a great car. If I have my own garage I would've bought it. Drive it 2000 kms, and I'll know what the red stuff is about. I would also drop the pan and change the filter.

Better safe than sorry, I guess.

Lavrishevo

iTrader: (1)

Any evidence of it on the tube or in the atf itself? I would clean it all off and see if you notice it return. Could have come off when the tech handled it.

lexixel

The tube is very long, so naturally I couldn't say whether it's on there at the bottom. Most of the top half is dry anyway. I wiped the dipstick and dipped and pulled again. The stuff did come back, but it could still be just in the tube.

May I ask if you can find any on your dipstick?

Lavrishevo

iTrader: (1)

Does not sound normal to me. I would have it checked. Who does your drain and refill and are you positive they used Toyota type IV fluid?

There is no dip stick on the 04+ LS but my 99 never showed any signs of anything but red transmission fluid. I wonder if the transmission pan was resealed and they used way to much sealant and it's now inside the pan and fluid as well. If this is the case, you should do a full flush and remove the pan and reseal with a preformed gasket. Robots apply this at the factory in the exact places in perfect amounts. Something that is very difficult with human hands.

lexixel

Great to know. Not my car. I walked away; guess it was the right move.

lexixel

I've got a theory: They have been trying to sell the car for almost three years. In the meantime, I'm sure they turned it on to idle to charge the battery. The red stuff under the oil cap could therefore be rust from the condensation. (there is no record of any engine flush). Maybe some water also got into the Atf.

Not really a good idea to buy an old car that has been sitting that long.