Black Gold - Out of Bounds
08-05-15, 03:01 AM
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Black Gold - Out of Bounds
I just bought a 1995 LS400 off Craigslist for 500 bucks (stop me if you've heard this one) and the seller says it has 252K on it. I can't verify that because all the electrical items are non-functional. That may be an interesting story, but I'm writing about the oil problem. Namely, the over-abundance of it in places where it shouldn't be.
When I got the thing trailered home, I started messing with it. I pulled the plugs on the left bank and found evidence of oil fouling. I also found some oil in one of the sparkplug wells. Like, the end of my socket had some on it. I also found the PCV valve to be totally clogged with it. You have to really, really shake hard to get the innards to move. I haven't gotten into the intake yet.
Right now, I've got most of the front of the engine removed in connection with a timing belt replacement. My question is whether there's a chance the oil fouling could be due to the plugged PCV valve, or if I'm definitely in for a rebuild. I was thinking that I'd finish the timing belt, replace the PCV valve, replace the plugs and wires, and see what happens. I bought a leakdown tester, but I've never used one before and what I've seen online says to test at operating temperature. Since so much stuff is disassembled, I can't run it right now so it would be a cold test.
Here are some other little points that might be relevant:
1. It's running really, really rich when it runs. You can smell gas, and the motor idles like my lawnmower before I back off on the choke. When I first cranked it, no visible smoke. When I backed it into my garage, plenty of smoke. Reeks of gas.
2. There was a power steering pump leak, a bad one. The alternator relay is blown, and none of the electrics work. Dash, windows, radio, nothing. With motor running, still had to use the shift lock override to get it out of gear. I haven't put a scanner on it because of this, figuring that circuit is dead, too.
3. The seller, a single woman in her '40s, said that it was running fine and then one day she tried to go to work in it and it wouldn't go more than 5 miles an hour. So she parked in in the driveway, and there it sat. She was vague about when this happened, and I didn't press her--when you're buying a Lexus with a great body for only 500 bucks, you're not picky. But the tires were getting flat, and the battery was completely dead. Car only ran with my charger hooked up to it. I also noticed that her new ride didn't have temporary tags on it, and it looked brand new.
I figure it's been sitting for a while.
4. The oil looks dirty. She claimed to have had it recently changed, along with a new battery. It looks like when she had something done on the car she tended to stuff the receipts in the glove box. I haven't found one for a recent oil change yet. I did find one for a 4-wheel alignment in April, though--I figure folks who get alignments don't skip oil changes that much, so maybe she's telling the truth.
I'm not complaining. I wanted a car with problems, and I got one. I'm just hoping it's not a rebuild, because my lovely CFO is going to start getting ill if I put too much more money into the basket case in our garage. What do you think?
When I got the thing trailered home, I started messing with it. I pulled the plugs on the left bank and found evidence of oil fouling. I also found some oil in one of the sparkplug wells. Like, the end of my socket had some on it. I also found the PCV valve to be totally clogged with it. You have to really, really shake hard to get the innards to move. I haven't gotten into the intake yet.
Right now, I've got most of the front of the engine removed in connection with a timing belt replacement. My question is whether there's a chance the oil fouling could be due to the plugged PCV valve, or if I'm definitely in for a rebuild. I was thinking that I'd finish the timing belt, replace the PCV valve, replace the plugs and wires, and see what happens. I bought a leakdown tester, but I've never used one before and what I've seen online says to test at operating temperature. Since so much stuff is disassembled, I can't run it right now so it would be a cold test.
Here are some other little points that might be relevant:
1. It's running really, really rich when it runs. You can smell gas, and the motor idles like my lawnmower before I back off on the choke. When I first cranked it, no visible smoke. When I backed it into my garage, plenty of smoke. Reeks of gas.
2. There was a power steering pump leak, a bad one. The alternator relay is blown, and none of the electrics work. Dash, windows, radio, nothing. With motor running, still had to use the shift lock override to get it out of gear. I haven't put a scanner on it because of this, figuring that circuit is dead, too.
3. The seller, a single woman in her '40s, said that it was running fine and then one day she tried to go to work in it and it wouldn't go more than 5 miles an hour. So she parked in in the driveway, and there it sat. She was vague about when this happened, and I didn't press her--when you're buying a Lexus with a great body for only 500 bucks, you're not picky. But the tires were getting flat, and the battery was completely dead. Car only ran with my charger hooked up to it. I also noticed that her new ride didn't have temporary tags on it, and it looked brand new.
I figure it's been sitting for a while.
4. The oil looks dirty. She claimed to have had it recently changed, along with a new battery. It looks like when she had something done on the car she tended to stuff the receipts in the glove box. I haven't found one for a recent oil change yet. I did find one for a 4-wheel alignment in April, though--I figure folks who get alignments don't skip oil changes that much, so maybe she's telling the truth.
I'm not complaining. I wanted a car with problems, and I got one. I'm just hoping it's not a rebuild, because my lovely CFO is going to start getting ill if I put too much more money into the basket case in our garage. What do you think?
08-05-15, 04:56 AM
#3
For your electrical problems I would look at the ECU capacitor thread and use that to inspect your ECU. Good luck and keep us posted on your progress. Would like to hear how things go. It's always fun to see someone bring a car back from the dead.
08-05-15, 10:37 AM
#4
Welcome to Club Lexus and congrats on the '95. Sound like you have some work ahead to get it humming well.
What comes to my mind is the ECT sensor. Also check-replace the vacuum hoses. Loss of vacuum is a contributing factor to poor MPG among other issues like the EGR getting plugged up. If you can read any codes that will also point out what to spend $$ on.
The ECU thread as mentioned is a good read to be aware.
What comes to my mind is the ECT sensor. Also check-replace the vacuum hoses. Loss of vacuum is a contributing factor to poor MPG among other issues like the EGR getting plugged up. If you can read any codes that will also point out what to spend $$ on.
The ECU thread as mentioned is a good read to be aware.
08-05-15, 11:09 AM
#5
Do a compression test. That will be the best way to find out if your in for a rebuild. I think 95 was the first year for the interference motors. If that timing belt jumped time, you may have to deal with bent valves.
08-05-15, 11:40 AM
#7
https://www.clublexus.com/forums/ls-...e-engines.html
Trending Topics
08-05-15, 12:16 PM
#8
Your not correct, you should study the topic a bit more, its been very well covered. Look all through this linked thread, the shop manual is even posted about the topic.
https://www.clublexus.com/forums/ls-...e-engines.html
https://www.clublexus.com/forums/ls-...e-engines.html
Last edited by RA40; 08-05-15 at 05:10 PM. Reason: comment removed
08-05-15, 12:58 PM
#9
If I Really Cared = IIRC too many meanings for acronyms on the net. I see so many abbreviations and acronyms that I pretty much ignore them, and I'm sure others do as well. So all I saw was the statement after the IIRC. Sorry I didn't mean to offend anyone, just trying to make a correction.
http://www.acronymfinder.com/Slang/IIRC.html
http://www.acronymfinder.com/Slang/IIRC.html
Last edited by dicer; 08-05-15 at 01:04 PM.
08-05-15, 01:07 PM
#10
I had a similar issue in my '96, I have the non VVTi 1UZ, and the car had a bad O2 and Catalytic converters (bank 2) I'd strongly suggest checking your O2. I've heard from other members that with our cars the Cats hardly ever go bad!
08-05-15, 02:51 PM
#11
I just bought a 1995 LS400 off Craigslist for 500 bucks (stop me if you've heard this one) and the seller says it has 252K on it. I can't verify that because all the electrical items are non-functional. That may be an interesting story, but I'm writing about the oil problem. Namely, the over-abundance of it in places where it shouldn't be.
When I got the thing trailered home, I started messing with it. I pulled the plugs on the left bank and found evidence of oil fouling. I also found some oil in one of the sparkplug wells. Like, the end of my socket had some on it. I also found the PCV valve to be totally clogged with it. You have to really, really shake hard to get the innards to move. I haven't gotten into the intake yet.
Right now, I've got most of the front of the engine removed in connection with a timing belt replacement. My question is whether there's a chance the oil fouling could be due to the plugged PCV valve, or if I'm definitely in for a rebuild. I was thinking that I'd finish the timing belt, replace the PCV valve, replace the plugs and wires, and see what happens. I bought a leakdown tester, but I've never used one before and what I've seen online says to test at operating temperature. Since so much stuff is disassembled, I can't run it right now so it would be a cold test.
Here are some other little points that might be relevant:
1. It's running really, really rich when it runs. You can smell gas, and the motor idles like my lawnmower before I back off on the choke. When I first cranked it, no visible smoke. When I backed it into my garage, plenty of smoke. Reeks of gas.
2. There was a power steering pump leak, a bad one. The alternator relay is blown, and none of the electrics work. Dash, windows, radio, nothing. With motor running, still had to use the shift lock override to get it out of gear. I haven't put a scanner on it because of this, figuring that circuit is dead, too.
3. The seller, a single woman in her '40s, said that it was running fine and then one day she tried to go to work in it and it wouldn't go more than 5 miles an hour. So she parked in in the driveway, and there it sat. She was vague about when this happened, and I didn't press her--when you're buying a Lexus with a great body for only 500 bucks, you're not picky. But the tires were getting flat, and the battery was completely dead. Car only ran with my charger hooked up to it. I also noticed that her new ride didn't have temporary tags on it, and it looked brand new.
I figure it's been sitting for a while.
4. The oil looks dirty. She claimed to have had it recently changed, along with a new battery. It looks like when she had something done on the car she tended to stuff the receipts in the glove box. I haven't found one for a recent oil change yet. I did find one for a 4-wheel alignment in April, though--I figure folks who get alignments don't skip oil changes that much, so maybe she's telling the truth.
I'm not complaining. I wanted a car with problems, and I got one. I'm just hoping it's not a rebuild, because my lovely CFO is going to start getting ill if I put too much more money into the basket case in our garage. What do you think?
When I got the thing trailered home, I started messing with it. I pulled the plugs on the left bank and found evidence of oil fouling. I also found some oil in one of the sparkplug wells. Like, the end of my socket had some on it. I also found the PCV valve to be totally clogged with it. You have to really, really shake hard to get the innards to move. I haven't gotten into the intake yet.
Right now, I've got most of the front of the engine removed in connection with a timing belt replacement. My question is whether there's a chance the oil fouling could be due to the plugged PCV valve, or if I'm definitely in for a rebuild. I was thinking that I'd finish the timing belt, replace the PCV valve, replace the plugs and wires, and see what happens. I bought a leakdown tester, but I've never used one before and what I've seen online says to test at operating temperature. Since so much stuff is disassembled, I can't run it right now so it would be a cold test.
Here are some other little points that might be relevant:
1. It's running really, really rich when it runs. You can smell gas, and the motor idles like my lawnmower before I back off on the choke. When I first cranked it, no visible smoke. When I backed it into my garage, plenty of smoke. Reeks of gas.
2. There was a power steering pump leak, a bad one. The alternator relay is blown, and none of the electrics work. Dash, windows, radio, nothing. With motor running, still had to use the shift lock override to get it out of gear. I haven't put a scanner on it because of this, figuring that circuit is dead, too.
3. The seller, a single woman in her '40s, said that it was running fine and then one day she tried to go to work in it and it wouldn't go more than 5 miles an hour. So she parked in in the driveway, and there it sat. She was vague about when this happened, and I didn't press her--when you're buying a Lexus with a great body for only 500 bucks, you're not picky. But the tires were getting flat, and the battery was completely dead. Car only ran with my charger hooked up to it. I also noticed that her new ride didn't have temporary tags on it, and it looked brand new.
I figure it's been sitting for a while.
4. The oil looks dirty. She claimed to have had it recently changed, along with a new battery. It looks like when she had something done on the car she tended to stuff the receipts in the glove box. I haven't found one for a recent oil change yet. I did find one for a 4-wheel alignment in April, though--I figure folks who get alignments don't skip oil changes that much, so maybe she's telling the truth.
I'm not complaining. I wanted a car with problems, and I got one. I'm just hoping it's not a rebuild, because my lovely CFO is going to start getting ill if I put too much more money into the basket case in our garage. What do you think?
I hope you replaced the Cam and crank seals when you did your timing belt.
Off subject, but what's a CFO?
08-05-15, 10:08 PM
#12
Almost sounds like how my LS was when I got it. Good thing you got it for $500. I paid $1600 but mine ran very nicely. If you do all of the work yourself you're probably looking at $500-1000 in parts. So far I've replaced ECU, starter, alternator X2, PS pump X2, Steering rack busings, Timing belt, cam seals, crank seals, valve cover gaskets, AC charged, PCV valve, wheel bearings, fluid replacements. I'm sure I'm leaving something out. If I were you I would make it run right before doing anything to it.
Last edited by KA8; 08-05-15 at 10:13 PM.
08-07-15, 11:36 AM
#14
to the OP (original poster), replace the alternator and add new battery, change the oil and spark plugs, clean up up the engine bay and oil sludge so you can see the source of the leak, and go from there. power steering leak could simply be a $3 o-ring at the bottom of the reservoir, easy fix!
08-07-15, 11:45 AM
#15
WON'T MAKE THAT MISTAKE AGAIN.
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