Hey guys, so long story short one day my LS started running poorly (engine rattling). Within a few minutes it was not going anywhere faster than 5 to 10 mph and there was an insane amount of white stinky smoke coming out the exhaust. I feared the worst, thinking it was a blown head gasket, but no. I ran a block test to check for combustion gas in the coolant reservoir and it was negative. So after that I had no other option than to run a diagnostic tool to which it found only 1 code within the vehicle which was a “ Throttle Actuator Control System Stuck Open”. I was wondering what you guys would advise me to do, please help.

P.S Not once has the car overheated.

 

Attached below are the service descriptions and troubleshooting steps for P2111. Hope they are helpful...

BTW, which year model is your LS430. Please note that 2001-2003 has a different throttle actuator design than the 2004-2006. Please refer to Post #59 on the link below.
https://www.clublexus.com/forums/ls-...-to-1-a-4.html

 

thanks, any idea on what the smoke could be?

 

White smoke typically indicates that engine coolant is leaking into the cylinders. I'm guessing that the coolant may have been ingested through the stuck-open throttle valve. Please refer to the sketch below (2004-2006 model) to aid your troubleshooting efforts.

 

This also discusses: https://lexusy.pl/LS430/rm/rm1049e/m_05_0203.pdf

 

Are these videos of any help for understanding:

 

amazing videos, great help! What do you think would be a reasonable first step to check what’s going on? I’m thinking on inspecting the throttle body for anything obstructing it inside?

 

According to AutoCodes . com, that seems to be first on the list:

P2111 LEXUS Throttle Actuator Control System - Stuck Open

Possible Causes

• Throttle Body Plate Binding
• Faulty Throttle Actuator
• Throttle Actuator harness is open or shorted
• Throttle Actuator circuit poor electrical connection

How to fix code P2111 LEXUS? Check the "Possible Causes" listed above. Visually inspect the related wiring harness and connectors. Check for damaged components and look for broken, bent, pushed out, or corroded connector's pins. (Cost of diagnosing the P2111 LEXUS code is 1.0 hour of labor.)

When is the code detected? Throttle valve locked during Engine Control Module (ECM) order to close

P2111 LEXUS Description: The throttle actuator is operated by the Engine Control Module (ECM) and it opens and closes the throttle valve using gears. The opening angle of the throttle valve is detected by the throttle position sensor, which is mounted on the throttle body. The throttle position sensor provides feedback to the ECM to control the throttle actuator and set the throttle valve angle in response to driver inputs.

 

Where could the throttle body be ingesting coolant? Since upon gassing the car white smelly smoke comes out, lots of it.

 

you may wish to take a look at this ES thread here: https://www.clublexus.com/forums/es-...ttle-body.html
and at this LS430 thread here: https://www.clublexus.com/forums/ls-...-cleaning.html
and also here where member wrote in a SC thread that a bad ECU caused a white smoke issue: https://www.clublexus.com/forums/per...you-think.html
(Hopefully a member who has first-hand experienced with this issue in an LS430 may comment....)
In the incident in the video it appears to have been a bad ECM causing the throttle body to not work ...

 

You may also wish to take another look at this post:

 

Not one of these vids or links are applicable to the OPs issue.
The vid shows an older car with a throttle cable the 430 does not have.
The 430 link is MAF related.
The SC link is from an era when bad ECU caps were problematic. An issue that was solved before any 430s were built.
The ES link is simply a fools errand.

Posting uninformed info is a potential dead-end for those seeking advice and a waste of time for everyone involved.

 

i think it might be time to leave it to more experienced hands. Most I was able to do was diagnose with a Foxwell scanner, still. No matter the issue it should not be nowhere near the magnitude of a blown head gasket which was confirmed not the case after doing a block test. I’m writing most of this so anyone in my position knows what steps I was able to take. Most vital maintenance was done, that being; timing belt, water pump and such things.

 

From the description and the throttle body diagrams posted, I would be looking for coolant leaks in the Throttle body that was spraying coolant into the intake.
The coolant is routed through the throttle body to prevent icing under certain conditions so you could probably pinch off the 2 hoses that feed coolant to/from the throttle body and see if it then starts and runs without the white smoke.
I wouldn't run like that for any length of time but should be OK for a few minutes for a test.
If it fixes it, then get a used throttle body and swap them out.

 

Did you perform the block test yourself?
Have you removed the air intake pipe and done a visual inspection of the TB? Assuring the throttle plate is moving when the gas pedal is pressed...
You mention vital maintenance. When was it done and who performed the service?
430 TB failures are very rare. You might try another OBD scanner. The "One Size Fits All " scanners have been known to throw misleading codes. A trip to Autozone won't cost anything.