OceanView

Did you remove it before installing the new solenoid?
Also, did you look at the bottom of the old solenoid to see if something looks like broke off?

I would remove that if I saw it in my engine.

patriots21

Felt like it was part of the opening itself, to remove it, it felt like I'd have to remove the entire assembly. Here's the end of solenoid I took out, it looked exactly like the one I replaced it with. Nothing seems to have broken off.

patriots21

The more I drive the car the more I realize that the rough engine idling is still there. The CEL hasn't come back on though, I've only driven around 50 miles since I changed it (office commute isn't too far from where I live so I don't get a chance to go at it extensively). However, feeling more and more like that part that looked like it broke-off isn't supposed to be like that. Any idea what next I need to replace, can you even replace the housing/assembly of the OCV solenoid?

kyancy

Is there anything like this for an RX350 as the VVT/OCV not near as easy to remove on that model? I posted for help but no response. If anyone gets this, please provide guidance if you can. Thank you. Kevin

Drcoffee

I chuckled reading your posts. There is nothing in the cavity. Nothing broken. Nothing to worry about. When metal breaks it doesnt break with nice smooth edges with purdy curves. What you are seeing is the oil passage at the bottom of the port. Did you buy an oem ocv or aftermarket? I had a bad experience with an aftermarket ocv and bit the bullet and bought a oem ocv.
Here is what I found. Conventional oil gels quickly (evidence the picture in post 137). It gums up small passages and causes all sorts of problems. Switch to synthetic oil like mobil 1. Add MMO marvel mystery oil to the oil 20% by volume (4qts oil + 1qt MMO) and run it 3000 miles to gently clean the internals of the motor. The ocv will perform better along with valve and rings. Then run mobil 1 from then on. Dont go cheap on the lifes blood of you transportation.

you can add MMO to the gas to lubricate and quiet the fuel injectors as well.

99rx

iTrader: (6)

So my cousin ended up with my old RX and she called me on her way home one evening with the car shaking, bucking, wanting to die. Ran out the next day and ran the codes, P1354 and the entire rear bank misfiring. Looked up the issue real quick, got the part numbers, $80 on Amazon for both, 20 minutes of time, and the car is back to normal! Thanks everyone for your help! The hardest part was getting the front bank sensor out of the socket, it didn't want to come out! So all in all, about 20-25 minutes of my time and my cousin is a happy camper again. BTW, only 117k on the ODO.

bustedknuc

Thank you very much! Part numbers are still the same, price is about $150 for both solenoids(such a deal). It took me about two hours thanks to the detailed instructions. Upon the initial start and test drive it ran 1000% better, but still no OD. After disconnecting the battery for 30 minutes it runs/shifts perfectly... 207k and engine performance had gradually deteriorated over the past year and a half until it would hardly run. When it locked itself out of O/D I found this forum. It now runs like a new engine and shifts like a new trans. THANK YOU!! '99 RX300

salimshah

Welcome to ClubLexus.

Salim

marklpc

Thanks to BearsLexus, I finally fixed my engine light on/Trac light on problem after filling my gas tank. I would have a period of rough idle like the engine was going to stall. After awhile they were just on all the time. I changed the gas cap with no change.

The only thing that worried me was that after installing the solenoids, the CEL and Trac lights didn't go off right away. But after driving about 4 hours the lights went off and stayed off. No rough engine either -- not once. And my old solenoids were clean as a whistle.

Thanks for posting easy to follow step by step instructions. I saved hundreds of dollars. BTW- 2000 ES300 with 134,000 miles.

marklpc

I believe I used a pair of pinch plyers to help pull it out.

dugoram

Thanks...put the ole vise grips on it and continued to work it. It was much darker oil on this one. It is also the one that was throwing out misfire on #1, #3 & #5. Figured it would be best to replace both.
I GREATLY APPRECIATE THIS FORUM!!!

WoofWhite

I heard it asked and thought I would let you know what I found.
First I have the same symptoms and same codes random misfire vvt knock.
I've decided to do the whole top while I'm at it but upon removing the solenoid and inspecting both the only problem with mine was the built in rubber gasket has hardened and shrunk into a plastic. I noticed as soon as I went to remove it that it didn't have the same suction upon removing. There was also a bit of oil that had managed to make it past this old o ring.

For those interested the mechanics are still in great shape for an 01 it just needed some skilled labor.

MEGH79

I have a 1999 rx300 ( Bertha) . It was given to me by my parents. They never had problems with it. It was maintained regularly. My dad is extremely particular about his cars & maintaining them. Just a few months after I got it the CEL came on. That was about 5 years ago. My husband is a mechanic but he’s never worked on a Lexus until mine. We have battled this CEL for 5 years. Husband puts it on scanner to find out what he can figure out.I live in emissions county so I have to pass emissions every year in January in order to purchase a tag. He will patch it up long enough for the car to run thru drive cycle to make sure codes are cleared. Then take it straight to emissions stand and pray it passes. Every year December/ Jan I dread! The CEL always came back on... no matter what he has done. It may be a few minutes, days, weeksor few months before light comes back on but it always comes back on.it read o2 codes and bank 1 lean and several other evap codes in the beginning. . I think the first thing he replaced were 02 sensors. One of the new ones then had to be replaced because it went bad within a week of being put on. That lasted for a while then the light came back on. the cycle repeats. Bertha struggled with loss of power, skipping, idling issues, strange gas exhaust smells, low gas mileage usually all when CeL is on. When I first crank up car & leave house it rev high RPM (3000) plus) . Does this for a mile or so then it will just idle down to normal. Occasionally the CEL will go off mysteriously driving down the road or while parked.Possible it could stay off a few days then come back on I know hubby had worked on mass air flow sensor, charcoal canister, coil packs &, pretty much entire exhaust system. He’s checked for vacuum leaks all except for putting it on smoke machine.I don’t know know all of what he has done. He’s tinkered with it so much I doubt if he remembers it all. Just trying to troubleshoot to figure out what is causing all this craziness. He still thinks it’s exhaust or vacuum leak. stayed in shop 6 months one time but it’s been there 20 times in 5 years. It is our shop. I know a coil pack was replaced one year & that fixed it for several months. I know he cleaned charcoal canister couple years ago. That worked for short time. Last year I got the CEL to go off by cramming a rag in gas cap & closing door. Drive cycle ran.& codes cleared. Passed with flying colors. Emission stand guy was impressed with my ingenuity for a girl. 4 days later with rag still in there light comes back on.
November 2017 I got emissions to pass. Got in car one day & light had went off by itself. Went to emissions stand & it passed with flying colors again. Light came back on 3 days later.
2 weeks ago I just got out of school for Christmas break. Headed to grocery store and Bertha started skipping so bad, brakes hard to push like it doesn’t have full power. Difficult to turn steer wheel.. Stinks like crazy .exhaust fumes strong of gas. Motor sounds like it drags when cut engine off. As soon as it gets warm it starts doing this. Stopping at red light you think it’s going to cut off. I put in park & rev engine. Sounds better for a second after revving. . cEL is flashing. In the 5 years Bertha has never been this bad that I remember. Bertha was reading new code she had never showed us before. Vvt solenoid code ( finally it’s something different)
I have researched the past few years trying to find what is causing all of this stuff to happen. I have never found a forum that had a solution that worked! I showed hubby pictures & this thread and he says I can fix that. He’s practically given up after 5 years in the ring with Bertha the B I don’t blame him! Within an hour he had my car towed to our shop, solenoids off, those filters off and cleaned. They were both clogged slap up. I have a pic of dirty one beside clean one if you would like to see. Ordering solenoids today. He’s going to test those solenoids to make sure they are not breaking down under heat. With just filters cleaned & old solenoids on there he says that thing is running like a champ! Smoother than it has in 5 years!
I hope this fixes Bertha for good! Thank you for sharing this step by step dummy proof fix online! I could have saved a ton o $ if I had found it 5 years ago! And grey hair & stress! I will let you know In a few days how she is running! Crossing my fingers that you have delivered us to the end of this insane CeL cycle!

Drcoffee

There was a member with similar issues and there was a small vacuum leak in the vacuum tank of the brake system. Might explain you sudden loss of brakes.

kyancy

Long overdue follow up just in case can help someone else. I ultimately determined that the misfires in my Wife's RX-350 were because of a leaky head gasket allowing a small amount of coolant into the cylinder while it was parked.

After replacing OCV and resetting codes, it only appeared to solve the problem because the small amount of coolant was getting burned off after the car was started, but misfires returned eventually. Sometimes the same day, sometimes after multiple days. I have no idea why so inconsistent, but I wasted several days troubleshooting/parts/repair before figuring out what was really happening.

As a last ditch effort, I tried some of that engine block treatment and it actually worked! Traded in the Lexus and got my Wife a smaller Toyota. Didn't want to mislead the dealer so told them about the fiber lock solution but they didn't seem to care. I was just glad it wasn't a total loss.Thanks to everyone in these forums. A very helpful group.