T4rguy

Hello all. I am new to lexus and this forum. Have been lurking on the forum for several months, reading about common problems, especially tranny issues as mine had 178600 miles when I got it. I come for a 1998 Toyota 4Runner which I absolutely loved, and sold at 250k miles with no real problems. I wanted something more comfortable for long trips, so I picked up a 2001 Lexus rx300 at an auction with front end body and suspension damage from an accident. I got it in August 2017 and put about $2k into it, doing all the repairs myself to get it in good running condition. All in $4500 is not bad as the vehicle is everything I wanted. Comfortable, reasonably quiet, good on the highway, all wheel drive, and enough room to haul my mountain bike, skiis, kayak, etc... It’s been excellent, up until today.

As I was driving back home from cross country skiing in the local mountains, I got about half way and started hearing and slightly feeling a rough noise from the front end. I couldnt tell where it was coming from. Could be anywhere in the front end. But it started when I was about 15 miles from home, and continued to get gradually worse. I was sure I was going to break down, but it made it back.

So it’s a really rough feeling, vibration, droning that you both hear and feel upon accelerating. You can feel it through the whole front of the vehicle, and in the pedal. Initially I noticed it around 40 and above, but as it got worse it was bad at all speeds, including taking off from a complete stop. The closer I got to home, the worse it got at all speeds. Again, it is only on acceleration. So when I let off the gas and just coast, there is no noise or vibration and all is smooth as normal. But as soon as you touch the gas, even slightly, it’s there. The harder you accelerated the worse it gets proportionately.

I didnt get any CEL, and it doesn’t seem like anything was wrong with the tranny, though that is my fear from what I have read about these transmissions. But it was still shifting fine, going into every gear, and it seemed to accelerate normally, apart from the terrible noise and vibration. But it really got progressively worse quickly, like something was failing. I’m afraid to even drive to a shop, as I don’t know if it will make it.

Puttster

Inner joint on cv axle. Get under there and which side the boot is ripped. There is a YouTube on those same symptoms, on a Camry , i think.
edit, video is 06 Focus, at 3:00 min.

salimshah

Have the suspension inspected at a reputable shop. Usually they do it for free. You can pay them for the time too.

Salim

ukrkoz

Hub bearing. You mention about half of the symptoms

.Noise is a classic sign of a bad wheel bearing or wheel hub bearing. Here are some indicators of a worn wheel hub bearing or other wheel-end damage:

• Snapping, clicking or popping.This can indicate a worn or damaged outer CV-joint. However, it also can be related to excessive bearing endplay, usually associated with inadequate clamping. This noise is typically heard when cornering or making sharp turns. • Grinding when the vehicle is in motion.Typically, this means there is mechanical damage in a wheel-end system. Related to a bearing, it means a loss of integrity such as roller or raceway damage. The noise is normally heard when turning or when there is a shift in load. • Knocking or clunking.This can signal excessive play in the CV-joints or U-joints. It also can be caused by excessive backlash in the differential gears. This is not generally associated with bearings and is normally heard either when shifting from changing directions, such as from forward to reverse or transitioning from accelerating to coasting. • Humming, rumbling or growling.These noises are normally associated with tire, electrical or drivetrain components. If bearing-related, the noise or vibration is present when driving in a straight line, but intensifies when turning the steering wheel slightly to the left or right. Typically, the side opposite the rumbling is the defective side. • Wheel vibration and/or wobble.This is generally associated with a damaged or worn tire, wheel or suspension component or severe chassis misalignment. When related to the hub or bearing, this normally indicates the loss of clamp or a bearing with extreme mechanical damage. It also can occur when lug nuts are not properly torqued. • Shudder, shimmy or vibration at a constant speed.This is normally associated with worn or damaged suspension components or tires that are out-of-balance or out-of-round. It is not normally indicative of hub or bearing damage. • Abnormal side pull when brakes are applied.This is normally indicative of a defective caliper or equalizer, but it also can be a sign of worn brakes or rotors. However, severe looseness related to a bearing can also cause excessive runout, which may cause the brakes to pulsate or pull. The most common cause is a warped rotor due to the caliper not retracting. • Uneven rotor or brake pad wear.This is normally indicative of a bad caliper and/or a bad equalizer, which is not bearing-related. Severe looseness related to a worn or damaged bearing can cause excessive runout, which can cause uneven wear on the brake pads and/or rotor. The most common cause is a warped rotor due to the caliper not retracting. • Abnormal or uneven tire wear.There are many causes of abnormal tire wear. The most common are worn or damaged suspension components, misalignment, improper inflation or tire selection. While extreme bearing wear or looseness can cause abnormal tire wear, it is typically related to other failure modes. • ABS failure, which could be internal or external to the bearing or hub bearing assembly.In extreme cases, internal and external sensors can be damaged from excessive movement caused by too much end-play. This indicates a lack or loss of bearing clamp. This normally results from severe mechanical break up or damage. (Additionally, in designs where the sensor is mounted externally, sensor damage can result from corrosion, stones and other hazards.)

T4rguy

Hey guys, thanks for the replies. Something I just confirmed, this happens when revving the engine in park as well. So, I’m 99% sure this is in the engine. First thing I’m going to check is for a loose spark plug. I’m just not sure why I’m not getting a code?

ukrkoz

Ah, good to know. Spark plug would have thrown error codes.

Engine mounts.

Particularly rear bottom engine one as it's transverse lean back positioning so it puts lots of torque onto it. That one and dog bone up at the top. Just get a helper, pop hoof open, and watch engine while someone revs it. If it jerks back-fore....

Otherwise, it's your IVVT-I acting up. Did you ever clean solenoid filters and solenoids? It's rather easy maintenance item. If VVT is off kilter, you will have all kinds of vibrations.

T4rguy

j

ukrkoz

https://www.clublexus.com/forums/rx-...ement-diy.html

Be very careful with the screen filter next to solenoid. It has plastic base and is very brittle. Tiny little prongs that hold it back in place snap in heartbeat. And find his Part 1. You have 2 of those, one per bank.
You did run full diagnostic on the vehicle, right? To eliminate electronics as cause? As then it's mechanical cause, and that needs to be investigated with vehicle up on lift and LONG pry bar. Find what's loose.

ukrkoz

Sorry, finally woke up. You have that noise with vehicle not moving. Then it's something rotating on or inside the engine. Buy automotive stethoscope from Harbor Freight and scope all pulleys and water pump. Alternator, AC clutch. Things of that nature.

T4rguy

salimshah

Enjoy what you have at hand. Dont let possibilities ruin your joy. It can be major or trivial like a loose shield.

When things warm up a bit, first try to narrow down when you hear the noise ... rolling/moving or stationary.

Salim

T4rguy

salimshah

One of the more frequent problems has been break in the exhaust system between the flex joint and the Warm up Cat. As you gas the engine, it torques and the break gets wider as the exhaust is supported by the body. There is a shield around the cat and at times it is harder to see the break.

Based on your latest post, you can scratch off the suspension.

Salim

Australian

I am with Puttster on this as have same problem.

T4rguy

Hey guys, there is another detail I forgot to mention. A few weeks back I had my cel come on, so I drove to autozone and had them scan the code. I didn’t write it down unfortunately, but they told me it was an oxygen sensor. I asked if it was upstream or downstream of the cat and they said upstream. But when they said it was $180 for their aftermarket sensor I said I’ll go home and look for a better price first, maybe try to find one used oem. Anyways, I never replaced it, and a few days later the cel went away on its own, probably due to the cold spurt we just had.

So, could that be the cause of my engine vibrations? I’ve only replaced o2 sensors downstream of the cat, so I don’t have any experience with how an upstream sensor will affect the engine, apart from what I’ve read.

Also, I was searching some threads trying to find the locations of the sensors. I found the one under the vehicle near the exhaust manifold. Can anyone tell me where the other upstream sensor is? And how would I know which of the two is bad without getting it scanned again? They just told me it was upstream of the cat. I should have written down the code! My stupid mistake. I’m afraid of driving there now as I live 5 miles outside of town, and I’m not sure it will make it there