I need some help. My wife's 07 IS350 has started making a horrible noise at startup at random times. It's got about 18K on the odometer and has the F-Sport intake and Exhaust on it. The first time it made the noise was back in July after we took a drive down to Austin about 3 hours away. After we checked into the hotel and got back into the car to go out, that is the first time we ever heard the noise. It sounded like all the valves clattering without any sound deadening or intake was there to baffle the noise of startup at all.

Since that time, It has happened maybe half a dozen times randomly. Last time it made it was Thursday morning and it scared the crap out of me cause I was starting it for my wife on a cool morning. It sounds almost as though there is a butterfly valve or something that's wide open at startup and then it closes almost instantly and that's what kills the noise.

Anyway, I am concerned It runs great except for this noise which makes it sound like a crap, but thusfar it happens randomly and I could leave it at the dealer, but they could have it for weeks before the noise ever happens again.

Suggestions? Ideas?

 

All the info you need https://www.clublexus.com/forums/sho...=crank+startup

 

Basically there is a recall.

 

Not a recall because if it was you would have received something in the mail or a phone call. Its a TSIB referring to your crankshaft, I have had this noise for about 55,000 miles now and it doesn't cause any harm. Every time I took it in for the noise they weren't able to duplicate it so next time you go to the dealership just tell them you hear an akward noise and bring up the crankshaft TSIB. Good luck and don't worry the car will still run fine.

 

I don't think there is a recall only TSIB. Otherwise, I'll be inline for it as mine does NOT replicate very often (Maybe twice in close to the 3yrs I have it or at least when I paid attention to it). It MAY not harm the engine, but it's something that kinda stick in the back of my mind.

 

There is a TSIB, essentially a bulletin from Lexus that explains how to fix the problem. Unlike a recall, which applies to all cars that fall within a particular range of VINs, a TSIB only applies when the dealer can verify that you are actually having the problem that the TSIB addresses. If you read the thread that AzNLeX350 linked, it's the master thread for this problem, you'll see that many people have had problems getting their dealers to address this because the dealer was unable to reproduce the problem. Others had the fix, only to have the problem recur at some point in the future, while still others have not had a recurrence since getting the TSIB done.

 

Well, on my car, it had to be off for 5+ days for it to make the noise. I have two cars, so I just left the IS off for 5 days and recorded the noise with my camcorder.

 

Yeah I noticed it makes the noise on cold start ups.

 

Mine actually did it for the FIRST time the other day..I would always kinda snicker to myself whenever I heard about someone complaining about it. It's not so funny anymore now that it happened to my baby.. Thought I finally strayed away from lemon cars. ONLY happens on cold starts.

 

Thanks for replying to my question. I read the thread and heard the soundbyte posted in there. That noise is exactly what I have.

I am so glad I am not alone on this one cause the noise sounds terrible, like the engine is gonna spit out nuts and bolts on the ground if it keeps up.