fastnoypi

Ok, our 02 rx has oil consumption again. I changed out the pcv last year and went to check it out tonight and it is still good. Any oil that is on it is clean and it rattles fine and doesn't stick.

Before i go through the whole seafoam ritual again, which appeared to work for several months,
can anyone confirm if indeed 2002 models have the updated valve covers or if it was a mid year production update?

thanks in advance

hypervish

What oil are you using?

For the record, I burn no measurable amount of oil in my 5k OCI using Pennzoil Platinum.

fastnoypi

when it was really bad i was using 5w30 and 10w30 oils, the consumption didn't matter with brand or synthetic or conventional. I was convinced synthetic actually consumed quicker.
The past 2 years oil consumption is more predictable and less when i switched to 10w40 castrol. The consumption is most noticeable during highway drives more than 80 miles. Around town driving, virtually no consumption is present.

timmui

If your PCV valve is plastic and pushes into the valve cover, you have the older style valve cover. New style valve cover PCV is made of metal and screws in.

2KHarrier posted a nice pic of the new style valve cover and PCV that he did a week or so ago:

fastnoypi

I guess I have the new style valve cover. I have the metal pcv.

timmui

That's good, it means you don't have to change out the valve cover. The reason I brought it up is that the older style valve cover caused the symptoms you described, oil consumption in highway driving. They re-engineered the valve cover to help resolve this, but this is the first I've seen anyone with the newer style valve cover reporting a similar issue.

At this point, I'd suggest checking for blockage in that hose coming out of the PCV and going back to the intake side of the engine.

jimsRX300

I would pull that front valve cover. Take a look.

If you have sludge, run a case of carb cleaner through the engine, drop the pans and clean it out. Maybe change the oil pump.

300.00 is worth it vs. 3000.00 for a motor swap. Believe me, I know.

fastnoypi

I accidently pulled the hose off last night, in the attempt to remove my pcv. Its nice and clean.
Actually it was a nice surprise to find it is the easiest way to remove your metal pcv. Pull the hose off the intake side, then the pcv end. Then grab the 19mm open end wrench to take your pcv off.

Are you speaking of using it as a top end cleaner? If so, yes it works. I think i need more frequent top end seafoam treatments. I came across another post that someone thinks it could be the result of sticking piston rings causing a high pressure situation.

hypervish

Have you tried cleaning the PCV Breather Hosegoing from the air cleaner assembly to the front valve cover?

Oh, and how much oil are you consuming?

Also, it appears that other 02' RX have needed the "new" valve cover too! Take a look at this thread: https://www.clublexus.com/forums/rx-...750-miles.html
Not sure why, that part number matches for 1999, 2000, 2001 RX300 & 2005 - 2006 RX330 according to Sewell.

fastnoypi

i haven't checked the front valve cover breather yet, is there another pcv in there? I haven't come across many posts talking abou the front. But i have been suspicious of how the design actually breathes. The pcv orifice on this Lexus is tiny!

I can't be sure how much oil has been consumed lately, my sister has been using it as a commuter from Philly to DC over the past 4 months but she reports to me in vague terms that she has to keep topping it off. Fwiw, there is no smoke upon startup or driving normal. So that seems promising that i don't have a valve seal problem.

hypervish

No PCV in the front, just a plain old hose to clean out.

jimsRX300

nope, scrub the heads with a toothbrush and cheap carb cleaner. I let the residual fill the block, (oil drained). then try to start it with just the metal flat key. that will run that stuff everywhere.

drain the block. drop both the pans, change the oil pump and scrub out the pickup tube.

its gonna be a huge PIA but worth it.

fastnoypi

Thanks for the detail, i'm going to watch the consumption again during this oil change interval, if it doesnt improve or get worse..this is my next step.

fastnoypi

It was worth the look but the hose was fine. It must take ALOT of sludge to gunk up the front breather hose, its got a hefty inner diameter compared to the rear pcv breather hose.