beththomas

Hello,
I'm having an issue with my 2007 IS250 and thought maybe someone here had experienced a similar issue.

About two months ago, with my car having about 47K miles, the check engine light came on and started flashing. In addition, as a result of the check engine light being on, the VSC warning came on also. When this occurred, the car was unable to accelerate and when I stopped at a stop light and hit the gas, the car could only go about 20mph and then slowly was able to make up to about 40mph.

I called Lexus, took it in and they suggested that it was a cylinder misfire due to carbon buildup on the engine. So, they cleaned the engine and gave the car back to me.

This same problem came up 4 additional times in the next 5 weeks. By this point, my car was up to 50K miles. Each time I took it in, they said they were able to pinpoint it to carbon buildup. They also replaced the oil filter and went in with a camera, etc.

I picked up the car about 3 weeks ago and it was driving smoothly with no issues until today when the check engine light started flashing again. I drove it straight into Lexus (so they wouldn't have to reproduce the problem which is problematic because it seems to be an intermittent issue) and they are one again looking at it. This time the car is about 51K miles. The car warranty is going to be up soon and I'm worried about running into the same problem when I get the car back.

Has anyone experienced this same issue? If so, what was done to resolve it?

Thanks in advance!

Raralith

Beyond the few hours it takes for them to clean the entire engine, there's no real way to avoid the carbon buildup beyond cleaning. The carbon is building up because the engine was poorly designed in that manner; lack of port injection I think it was (I don't remember)?

jogagr

This sounds similar to the issue I'm having with my 2006 IS right now. It's been in the shop 5 times in the past 2 months and has unfortunately gone over it's warranty now. I'm starting to think they are just clearing the code and giving it back to me.

TokerIS350

iTrader: (13)

my 2006 IS350, was doing this for about 2-3 days straight...

the Check Engine / VSC / Traction Control Lights stop showing today after i took it to the state ref though..

should i be worried ?

It was pretty random

tobyman

my car is in the shop for same exact issues... check engine light, vsc, traction control all lit up. in addition, my engine had a slight abnormal shaking issue as well. we'll see how this goes but i have taken my car in multiple times for the engine shake issue in the past. hmmm, might be time to unload the car before the warranty comes up.

TokerIS350

iTrader: (13)

anyone else want to chime in?
my Check VSC Check Engine Traction control lights wont go off,

XhyDra

iTrader: (8)

They should be performing the latest L-SB

L-SB-0029-10 MIL "ON" DTC P030# and/or Intermittently Runs Rough

Check your documentation, here's a PDF of it in case it isn't what they performed and you want to bring it up to them. In a worst case scenario there might be damaged injectors so that could be causing some issues, although rare, valves have also been a cause of this kind of issue.


Have you had your VIN checked for the valve springs recall? And from what I know you might have an issue with either your gas cap, O2 sensor, cats, or even your MAF sensor. Seeing as your car is an 06' there might be little things that are probably off. Go to a local autoparts like Autozone and have them check your code.

Bichon

That's a different problem than the original poster's flashing check engine light.

A flashing check engine light indicates a misfire -- not a great idea to drive the car in this condition.

A steady check engine light can indicate a wide range of problems -- check for a loose gas cap as this is the most frequent cause, if that's not the problem, then you'll need to bring your car to someone who can read the computer codes. (If you are out of warranty, AutoZone will read your codes for free)

The check VSC and traction control lights always come on when the check engine light is lit, they'll probably go out when the check engine light is extinguished.

IXI187IXI

iTrader: (3)

Yes a flashing CEL is a lot different then a steady CEL. as mentioned if your CEL is on steady and the VSC is also lit up, i bet its just a loose gas cap.

Drawde

OBD code description read as follows (P0305 and P0306)

Cylinder 5 misfire
Cylinder 6 misfire

Solution: change spark plugs, used NGK Iridium type

Tip: since problem may also be on the coil packs, mechanic transferred 5 and 6 to the front so they are easily accessible if in the future, the check vsc light came up again and misfires on cylinders 1 and 2. It'll save tons of labor as cylinders 1 and 2 are out in front and reachable compared to 5 and 6 that are way at the back.

Been driving two days at > 100 km and no issues so far.

meera1974

ok folks,my car is a 2006 GS430 which does the same thing..i received a letter from lexus saying that my VSC box under the hood is covered under supplimental warranty
So your lexus dealer is turning a blind eye on that to make money or they are not aware of the problem..its that little box under the hood that controll your VSC that is failing which cost about $3000 to change.
Getting mines done today at lexus for free with rental...please call lexus headquarter and explain the situation,its call WARRANTY ENHANCEMENT NOTIFICATION..let me know if i were any help to you,best of luck and the correct part thats failing is called BRAKE ACTUATOR ASSEMBLY and it covers from the date of first use to 10 yrs after.

meera1974

the car actuator assembly is going bad which is covered under warranty enhancement program which is done for free with free rental at any lexus dealer,they also reimburse you any money you spent fixing this problem if it is said to be the same problem,make sure you have all your receipts.

nosurprise

iTrader: (1)

This is probably the carbon buildup that's common in the IS250, not the other issue on the GS.

Antoniobro

I had the same thing happen to me about 5 months ago. I was on the way to work & I exited off the highway & just as I am pulling into the parking lot at work the check engine light comes on & the VSC light. Long story short, I looked up a guide on my lunch break on what the cause may be & I believe the guide said to
1. Turn the car on
2. Get the car warmed up to normal operating temperatures ( I drove with the little power I had, up to like 20MPH, to the empty mall parking lot across the street & raced around, then went back and parked)
3. Press down all the way on the brakes to discharge all the power stored or something like that
4. Turn off the car
5. Disconnect the battery for 10 - 15min
6. Start the car and try again

It took 3 tries to do the trick. but within those 30 minutes I had I fixed the issue & my car has not had an issue since then. I took it to the Lexus Dealership first thing that morning & they said all seems to be fine. They reset my battery correctly because I guess I did not when I disconnected it 3 times lol but besides that, all was fine.

Gville350

iTrader: (10)

^Just goes to show that a daily "beating" on your car can help with "controlling" those carbon deposits.