BlckGhst

Thinking about possibly getting into an IS-F sometime soon. Have some interest in a 2011 with 88k miles. No accidents according to Carfax. Found this while checking the service history and wanted to know if its any cause for concern. The date and mileage of this particular service was December 2012 at 17k miles
Also question regarding the valley plate leak. Wanted to confirm if in fact the leak cannot be seen anywhere under the hood and the only way to find out is by watching the level of the coolant or getting under the car and looking for signs of coolant

Thanks for the help

kzlflash

iTrader: (1)

Re: the valley leak, correct, you can't see the leak in plain view. You will notice the leak due to your reservoir levels fluctuating and dropping below the min. line. Dealers use a borescope in order to see the leak puddling under the manifold.
Could be wrong, but I don't think you'll even be able to see the leak from under the car as the leak puddles in the below picture:

https://www.clublexus.com/forums/is-...ml#post9784991

When I had the leak I couldn't find any fluid on the underside of the car. I only noticed it due to the severe drop in coolant level.

BlckGhst

This is what's making me very apprehensive about purchasing an F. A very prevalent issue that costs a lot to fix, and you can't really confirm its existence until AFTER buying the car

kzlflash

iTrader: (1)

The same could be said about any other car. With the GTR you have the bellhousing, transmission issues, the e92 you have the rod bearing issue, etc. The list goes on for many performance (and non performance) cars.
With the valley leak you can at least take it to a shop or the dealer and ask them to specifically check if there's an existing leak.
If the valley leak is your main concern, then go for a lower mileage, newer model as the factory powertrain warranty will still be in effect (6yrs/72k miles).
And Lexus corp. is sometimes willing to help you out on large out of warranty bills (provided you've given them some maintenance revenue). All you have to do is just given them a call and state your case. I've done this successfully twice, one time for 100% coverage, another time ~80% coverage (both very expensive jobs that required either the engine/transmission to be dropped in order to repair).

cleethree

Since it's been 5 years and the car has run for another 70k miles I would feel okay about it. I would still definitely inspect the ECU to put my mind at ease. Perhaps use it as leverage if it's badly damaged.

cleethree

No one is forcing you to buy. Have a mechanic inspect for a leak in the PPI BEFORE sale, done.

BlckGhst

Went to check out the car. I was able to see coolant on top of the transmission with a flashlight from the passenger side. The level in the expansion tank was also low. Beautiful car, but with the price not very negotiable, needing tires, valley plate leak, and that particular item in the service history, I'll keep looking

But after test driving one for the first time today, my desire for an F is even stronger now

ZDCATC

On the valley plate leak part of your question:
The coolant level in the reservoir can only be checked when the engine is completely cold. Once the fluid is warmed up, the "low" and "full" marks on the reservoir mean nothing. When you go to check out the IS F you're interested in, request to see the car before they start the engine (or don't tell them you're coming so they don't drive it to get it detailed or whatever). If the coolant in the reservoir is below the low line, either the car has the valley plate leak or it's just been neglected. If it's between the low and full marks, the valley plate is probably fine or maybe the dealer topped off the coolant recently. If you think it might have the valley plate leak, lower your offer by $2000 so you can afford to have the leak fixed. If the dealership doesn't budge, move on to the next car. Btw, even if it's a Lexus dealer, they probably won't know what the valley plate leak is so they might look at you like you have two heads.

Hopefully the valley plate leak isn't as common as this forum makes it out to be. Although the pessimist in me tells me it's a failure that will happen to all IS Fs eventually. Like kzlflash said, every car has it's achilles heel. If you suspect the leak in the F you're looking at or are paranoid about it, just budget for it before making the purchase. Don't tell my car I said this, but I secretly wish it would develop the valley plate leak now so I could get it fixed and just get it over with. Anyway, don't let this issue deter you. Buy an IS F. Good luck.

Vitveet

Use the noted issue as a bargaining tool to lower the price. I can definitely see the concern with that being on the carfax though. Very strange.
As far as the valley plate thing, I've learned not to worry about things I can't control or prevent. You'll worry yourself to death in life like that.

V.