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02 IS300 loss of throttle and fluctuating RPMs

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Old Jan 7, 2019 | 01:02 PM
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Default 02 IS300 loss of throttle and fluctuating RPMs

So I recently purchased a 2002 IS300, had some issues but after doing some TLC, chainging oil, air filter, cleaning maf, throttle body, fixing a couple broken harnesses etc etc, I got it running strong and smooth, the only issues I have now is after driving around the city for a 20-30min period sometimes the RPMS just drop while I’m cruising at around 40mph and after I push the gas pedal in about 2/3 or 3/4 sometimes and it will catch back up and drive fine, but it’s very random and pops up while I’m at a constant speed most of the one in the 20-40mph range. The only check engine codes I get are p0420 and p0430 for the o2 sensors, has anyone had this issue before?
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Old Apr 28, 2025 | 09:42 AM
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Originally Posted by Kash813
So I recently purchased a 2002 IS300, had some issues but after doing some TLC, chainging oil, air filter, cleaning maf, throttle body, fixing a couple broken harnesses etc etc, I got it running strong and smooth, the only issues I have now is after driving around the city for a 20-30min period sometimes the RPMS just drop while I’m cruising at around 40mph and after I push the gas pedal in about 2/3 or 3/4 sometimes and it will catch back up and drive fine, but it’s very random and pops up while I’m at a constant speed most of the one in the 20-40mph range. The only check engine codes I get are p0420 and p0430 for the o2 sensors, has anyone had this issue before?
Goodmorning! Ive been having the same issue as you described for a few months, did you ever figure out the problem?
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Old May 9, 2025 | 08:04 AM
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420 & 430 codes are bad cats.
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Old Aug 20, 2025 | 02:43 PM
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Assuming 420 and 430 are genuine codes and not dummy lights because you're running an aftermarket exhaust, bad cats can cause sudden loss of power.
That still seems somewhat unusual, though. I'd triple-check that throttle body. I'm gonna do my standard thing of bringing up the fact that it could be the VVT system, I've seen that happen before. A lot.
But what really concerns me, is that specific set of steps you detailed make it sound like it could be a transmission issue, which is harder to diagnose for certain without ruling out engine-related issues first. Does it feel like a misfire, or does it feel like the whole car is jerking?
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Old Aug 20, 2025 | 05:34 PM
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With my car at least it feels a small misfire, i was able to replicate the issue stopped in neutral, but it will do the same dip while at freeway speeds at the same throttle position, around 4k rpm with no change to the throttle pedal the rpm dips down a few hundred enough to feel the loss of speed and picks right back up, its not constant either it will dip once or twice in a row and wont do it for a while, ive replaced the aps and tps, the throttle control motor, all maintenance done, i have a vid of the throttle dipping while parked but the file is too big to post here
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Old Aug 20, 2025 | 08:17 PM
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Well that makes transmission issue significantly less likely and a throttle body issue significantly more likely.
Are you 100% sure it's dependent on throttle position, or could it be RPM dependent? If it was VVT, you'd expect it to be more dependent on throttle response, while a leak of some sort would be more dependent on RPMs. A smoke test might be in order to see if you're losing vacuum or crankcase pressure anywhere.
The main culprits as I see them are your MAF sensor, a vacuum leak and/or oil leaking at an important seal, and lastly one of those throttle-related sensors you already replaced.
Are you using OEM parts, or are you using aftermarket ones? I can't tell you how many repairs I've done that were entirely due to someone using an AutoZone part, going crazy because they couldn't figure out what the hell the issue was after replacing a ton of parts, and the whole job was just me putting an OEM one in and then it worked perfectly fine. Tbh, I don't think stores like AutoZone should even be legally allowed to sell parts with how religiously they fail.
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