I agree

 

If it was only the head gasket, and the rest of the engine block is fine, I dont understand why they cant just replace thr head gasket? Have they confirmed that engine has other damage or they just dont want to be responsible in case there are other issues beyond head gasket? I would not be surprised that they dont want to be responsible for head-gasket repair in case there is other damage they can not see.

I am frequent visitor on these forums for 10+ years, including es350, I have never heard of head gasket issues in 2gr-fe, you must have won the lottery (joke)

Yeah i think is my luck , my mechanic noticed about two weeks ago , since then i booked a appointment with the lexus dealer and yesterday they confirmed the leak , they quoted like 20 something hours in labour and like 1406 CAD in parts taxes included , so the bad part is when they open it if they find scoring it will have to be swapped .

 

The 2GR-FE external head gasket leak is common enough to warrant an article in a professional repair publication: I posted this link before in post 20 of this thread, but somehow the link was not active and I edited it.

https://www.torquenews.com/14093/toy...warning-engine

It states the following:
The 2GR-FE 3.5L V6 is used in many Toyota and Lexus models in which a common problem emerged with head gasket leaking. However, rather than leaking coolant into the block as is typical with many head gasket problems, this one is unusual in that the coolant leaks outside of the engine---a telltale sign of this is coolant stains found on the block surface.The cause of this problem is due to two chemical events occurring near one of the coolant ports on the cylinder head: corrosion due to road salt and water on the outside of the block along the cylinder head in conjunction with a coolant port that is blasting acidic coolant against the head gasket near the same area. When coolant gets old it turns acidic and can eat away at the head gasket.

Therefore, the best prevention measures are to occasionally hose the outside of the block if you live in the rustbelt region and/or winter road salt is an issue. And, changing your coolant regularly so that the acidity does not build.

 

There are few extra checks [will increase cost of diagnosing] that can be done ... again the proof of the pudding will be eating it ... but you may find a go/no-go situation bit early ..
Ask the mechanic to use bore-scope to examine the cylinders. Mechanic can pressurize the coolant and see leak inside and outside of the chamber.

Also a machine shop can determine if the block and the head are flat. Personally If warped, I would punt on the engine ... that is just me with limited experience.


Salim

 

[QUOTE=salimshah;12064591]There are few extra checks [will increase cost of diagnosing] that can be done ... again the proof of the pudding will be eating it ... but you may find a go/no-go situation bit early ..
Ask the mechanic to use bore-scope to examine the cylinders. Mechanic can pressurize the coolant and see leak inside and outside of the chamber.

Also a machine shop can determine if the block and the head are flat. Personally If warped, I would punt on the engine ... that is just me with limited experience.




True , the boro-scope can be done and if its leaking inside the the piston head will be clean like been steamed , but right now i am dealing with Lexus Canada on the advise from my mechanic , will see what they say and i will take it from there . coolant pressurized test its been done from the dealer report

 

Since OP is sure that car never overheated, it should be possible to replace head gasket only. I would definitely not do this job at dealer.

 

9.5K is way too much for that job. Even a decent independent (indy) shop would usually be in the ~$2.5–3K range for labor, plus whatever you pay for the engine.

At that point, the math just doesn’t make sense unless the rest of the car is absolutely perfect. You’re probably better off selling it as-is to the highest bidder and putting that money toward another Lexus RX with lower miles. Less headache, and you’re not gambling on a swap.

 

Lexus recommended to do the gasket ,their cost was 6400(CDN) plus tax plus the cost of alignment , but i have seen somewhere that dealers ask 9-10 k for a engine swap,, right now i am taking it up with Lexus Canada ,then i will make a decision , swap , do the gasket or sell as is .

 

How much is your car actually worth in your area right now? Just curious.

For reference, I paid about $10K USD for my 2013 last August in decent condition. Since then I’ve put a bit into it—upgraded headlights and taillights, refreshed the suspension—so I’m a little deeper into it now.

 

To trade it in to a dealer the offered me like 13600 , in private you can sell it way more for sure, this was before the head gasket diagnoses .

 

If this was my car, jobs like these, I'll be sending it to CCN in chicago

 

Although this car has mainly been stored in heated garages and aside from yearly washing will likely start ACF-50 Corrosion Block used by bikers and pilots to mitigate exterior engine corrosion, also good for electrical connections.
https://www.acf-50.eu/