pes350

I heard a tapping noise from the engine and bought to the local mechanic for inspected and they said it might be caused by the faulty camshaft and needs to be replaced. Fortunately my current mileage is over 90K and no longer under warranty by lexus corp. I would like to know how much it cost to replace faulty camshaft.

Thanks,
pes350

jcat_350

I doubt severely that the camshaft has failed. I'd take it to a different mechanic. Tapping is common in these cars and can be from the valvetrain or from the injection system. Run a bottle of Lucas fuel system cleaner through your next tank and see if it quiets down at all.

Dave Mac

Yes, I would certainly get a second opinion on replacing the camshaft. These engines have had a problem but I don't believe replacing the camshaft was the solution. Is the noise there all the time or does it seem to go away sometimes? As far as cost - I would think it would be quite a bit and I've just never heard of someone having to do it.

Dave Mac

pes350

Hi Dave,

I probably go to the dealer to check it out and see what they come up with....

The noise there most of the time but sometime I barely heard it. Curious if it is still drivable?

Thanks,
pes350

jcat_350

if it goes away after the car warms up, it's NORMAL.

These cars have a documented history of having tapping/ticking noises and being perfectly fine. Lots of even brand new cars have a valvetrain tick or injection system tick. It's annoying, but it doesn't mean there's anything wrong. If the camshaft had failed, your car wouldn't run.

garsarno

My 2007 Ultra had it from day one. 2007 RX350 loaner was quiet as a mouse back then. My 2011 ES350 is quiet too. There were plenty of posts here about the noise on 2007 models. I would not invest in a camshaft replacement.

pes350

I went to the dealer and they said a tapping noise caused by faulty lifter not camshaft and it costs between 2-3k to replace. They also said it is okay to be ignored the noise however when the noise is getting louder and louder in the near future then it definately needs to be fixed otherwise it will break other parts of the engine.

12jimmyjam

It's just piston slap. Don't spend your money on it.

mlacomb

It's not piston slap. The paperwork I have on the TSB that covers this has information about covering the top end of the engine, not the pistons themselves.

I haven't had any work done, but the symptoms my 2008 has is: Ticking sound (loud enough to hear it INSIDE the car with windows up/moonroof closed) until the car fully warms up. Once warmed up and running for 5 minutes, under idle load (stopped at a light) the noise shows up enough for me to notice it lightly in the interior; if I have to open my windows (drive thru etc) I can hear it plain as day. Lexus dealership has it down as "normal"; I took it there the first month I had the car just to get their opinions, especially if something down the line happens.

Some days I really would rather have a quieter engine; I know from the many posts that it's not causing any damage - at least with the people with higher milage on their engines. But - I bought a luxury car to be quiet. Aside from this issue, I love my ES350 and wouldn't trade it for anything. Except a quiet engine lol. The way I see it most days - as long as it holds up, I'll probably just deal.

garsarno

At my church, back in 2007, two women liked the car but asked me what is that tapping noise. They bought BMW 5 series cars intsead.

oldgrump

The 2GR-FE engine valvetrain should generate very little noise and we know that the majority of these engines in fact are normally very quiet. It has hydraulic (oil pressure) valve lash adjusters with roller rocker arms unlike a lot of cars that use solid bucket cam followers that are not as quiet. If you have an ES350 that is making audible (engine cover installed, hood down) tapping, heavy clicking, or other ugly noises then something is going on........and it isn't normal.

diagtime

let's put it simply. if it only happens cold and goes away when the engine is warm .....it is normal.

If it happens all the time, especially when the engine is warmer.....you may have a serious problem with the the cam gears that can cause CATASTROPHIC ENGINE FAILURE. if this is the case, it will be expensive but does need to be fixed.

by the way, lifter problem?? lash adjuster is what they're talking about but that's not common. more likely than that would be broken valve spring. it has happened. but if IT DOES NOT GO AWAY OR GET A LOT QUIETER WHEN WARM, you need to get it fixed.

diagtime

let's put it simply. if it only happens cold and goes away when the engine is warm .....it is normal.

If it happens all the time, especially when the engine is warmer.....you may have a serious problem with the the cam gears that can cause CATASTROPHIC ENGINE FAILURE. if this is the case, it will be expensive but does need to be fixed.

by the way, lifter problem?? lash adjuster is what they're talking about but that's not common. more likely than that would be broken valve spring. it has happened. but if IT DOES NOT GO AWAY OR GET A LOT QUIETER WHEN WARM, you need to get it fixed.