2010 RX450h engine ticking sound when cold.
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Oct 2016
Posts: 857
Likes: 47
From: Oregon
2010 RX450h engine ticking sound when cold.
First morning startup, outside air temps around 50, engine has a "ticking" sound that follows rpms. If it were a Chevy V8 I would swear it was lifter noise. After five minutes as the engine warms up, noise goes away.
The car goes in for service on Monday, service adviser says "They all do that--it's the high-pressure fuel injection." That's news to me. The engine runs great in all other respects. I would assume a partial teardown to replace a worn part would be very expensive, though the car is still (barely) under the two-year warranty I received from Lexus in 2016. Does the adviser have a point? Do I push the issue? 80K miles.
The car goes in for service on Monday, service adviser says "They all do that--it's the high-pressure fuel injection." That's news to me. The engine runs great in all other respects. I would assume a partial teardown to replace a worn part would be very expensive, though the car is still (barely) under the two-year warranty I received from Lexus in 2016. Does the adviser have a point? Do I push the issue? 80K miles.
Pole Position
Joined: Dec 2012
Posts: 2,145
Likes: 960
From: Toronto, ON
Mine's been doing that for ever, but in my case it's more of a very light knock than a tick, like a very quiet diesel. I can only hear it under very light acceleration when cold, go faster and the rest of the normal engine noise drowns it out.
Its normal as far as I'm concerned. A bit of extra play until all that metal heats and expands.
Its normal as far as I'm concerned. A bit of extra play until all that metal heats and expands.
Racer
Joined: Mar 2011
Posts: 1,817
Likes: 229
From: wa
Do you actually have GDI? I had 2012 Hihglander Hybrid, which is SAME engine and it was not GDI. Gasoline direct injection.
I say, you are right. It's rocker noise. Then it goes away as oil pressure builds up, aye, mate?
So what you need to do is this:
1. clean VVT strainer filters, you have two, one per each bank. Very easy to get to. Just be careful as their base is some crumbling plastic in shape of four or five prongs, and they break easily. Clean with brake or carb cleaner.
2. run can of Seafom through your engine, for maybe 200 miles of driving. ABSOLUTELY safe, I had it each one of my engines and for 2500 miles in Ranger once, just to see what will happen. Then drain that oil, pour some cheapest oil from Walmart in, run engine for 15 minutes, drain that, replace filter and oil.
This should clean all oil passages in your engine and help with noise. Does for my engines. You may also consider switching to a heavier weight oil. 5W20, if you were running on 0W20, or to 10w30 if you were on 5W20. Heavier oil builds up pressure faster. Or, add Lucas oil stabilizer to whatever you run on.
I say, you are right. It's rocker noise. Then it goes away as oil pressure builds up, aye, mate?
So what you need to do is this:
1. clean VVT strainer filters, you have two, one per each bank. Very easy to get to. Just be careful as their base is some crumbling plastic in shape of four or five prongs, and they break easily. Clean with brake or carb cleaner.
2. run can of Seafom through your engine, for maybe 200 miles of driving. ABSOLUTELY safe, I had it each one of my engines and for 2500 miles in Ranger once, just to see what will happen. Then drain that oil, pour some cheapest oil from Walmart in, run engine for 15 minutes, drain that, replace filter and oil.
This should clean all oil passages in your engine and help with noise. Does for my engines. You may also consider switching to a heavier weight oil. 5W20, if you were running on 0W20, or to 10w30 if you were on 5W20. Heavier oil builds up pressure faster. Or, add Lucas oil stabilizer to whatever you run on.
1st Gear
Joined: Sep 2022
Posts: 1
Likes: 0
From: France
First morning startup, outside air temps around 50, engine has a "ticking" sound that follows rpms. If it were a Chevy V8 I would swear it was lifter noise. After five minutes as the engine warms up, noise goes away.
The car goes in for service on Monday, service adviser says "They all do that--it's the high-pressure fuel injection." That's news to me. The engine runs great in all other respects. I would assume a partial teardown to replace a worn part would be very expensive, though the car is still (barely) under the two-year warranty I received from Lexus in 2016. Does the adviser have a point? Do I push the issue? 80K miles.
The car goes in for service on Monday, service adviser says "They all do that--it's the high-pressure fuel injection." That's news to me. The engine runs great in all other respects. I would assume a partial teardown to replace a worn part would be very expensive, though the car is still (barely) under the two-year warranty I received from Lexus in 2016. Does the adviser have a point? Do I push the issue? 80K miles.
1st Gear
Joined: Feb 2024
Posts: 1
Likes: 0
From: London
Do you actually have GDI? I had 2012 Hihglander Hybrid, which is SAME engine and it was not GDI. Gasoline direct injection.
I say, you are right. It's rocker noise. Then it goes away as oil pressure builds up, aye, mate?
So what you need to do is this:
1. clean VVT strainer filters, you have two, one per each bank. Very easy to get to. Just be careful as their base is some crumbling plastic in shape of four or five prongs, and they break easily. Clean with brake or carb cleaner.
2. run can of Seafom through your engine, for maybe 200 miles of driving. ABSOLUTELY safe, I had it each one of my engines and for 2500 miles in Ranger once, just to see what will happen. Then drain that oil, pour some cheapest oil from Walmart in, run engine for 15 minutes, drain that, replace filter and oil.
This should clean all oil passages in your engine and help with noise. Does for my engines. You may also consider switching to a heavier weight oil. 5W20, if you were running on 0W20, or to 10w30 if you were on 5W20. Heavier oil builds up pressure faster. Or, add Lucas oil stabilizer to whatever you run on.
I say, you are right. It's rocker noise. Then it goes away as oil pressure builds up, aye, mate?
So what you need to do is this:
1. clean VVT strainer filters, you have two, one per each bank. Very easy to get to. Just be careful as their base is some crumbling plastic in shape of four or five prongs, and they break easily. Clean with brake or carb cleaner.
2. run can of Seafom through your engine, for maybe 200 miles of driving. ABSOLUTELY safe, I had it each one of my engines and for 2500 miles in Ranger once, just to see what will happen. Then drain that oil, pour some cheapest oil from Walmart in, run engine for 15 minutes, drain that, replace filter and oil.
This should clean all oil passages in your engine and help with noise. Does for my engines. You may also consider switching to a heavier weight oil. 5W20, if you were running on 0W20, or to 10w30 if you were on 5W20. Heavier oil builds up pressure faster. Or, add Lucas oil stabilizer to whatever you run on.
CL Community Team
Joined: May 2005
Posts: 7,194
Likes: 1,729
From: VA
There is information on this elsewhere for the 2GR-fe engine. The links below include video and photos.
https://www.toyotanation.com/threads...ation.1650250/
https://www.toyotanation.com/threads...aning.1717221/
https://www.toyotanation.com/threads...video.1685768/
https://www.toyotanation.com/threads...ation.1650250/
https://www.toyotanation.com/threads...aning.1717221/
https://www.toyotanation.com/threads...video.1685768/
Rookie
Joined: Dec 2020
Posts: 32
Likes: 4
From: MA
Try Valvoline restore and protect, it's the hottest new thing out there. You can watch a few videos on YouTube about it. People swear by it. If it does what is claimed by everyone using it, it should be able to clear out anything sticking within its reach.
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