Car dies/Starts/low/rough idle/no acceleration?!?!
02-02-09, 02:36 PM
#16
Just gonna throw this out there......but how about bad Catalytic converters??? My friend had bad cats on his S/C Tacoma and it did some similar things that you described. And when I say bad....I mean broken/clogged. Hit them with your hand when they are cool and see if you can hear some things moving and shaking in there.
I think that might be contributing to the problem because i did get CEL codes on something with the catalytic converters, i asked a shop that worked on my car b4 and they said its nothing to worry about unless i need to get my emissions test and they just deleted the code, but on hot days and hard driving i would get the same code. Something i will look into when i have more green, i heard that replacing them is quite expensive.
02-02-09, 02:40 PM
#17
Lexus Test Driver
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I think that might be contributing to the problem because i did get CEL codes on something with the catalytic converters, i asked a shop that worked on my car b4 and they said its nothing to worry about unless i need to get my emissions test and they just deleted the code, but on hot days and hard driving i would get the same code. Something i will look into when i have more green, i heard that replacing them is quite expensive.
Ahhhhh....we might be getting somewhere....lol
If that is the problem....don't replace them with factory/Lexus cats. You can get some universal Magnaflow cats from Summitracing or where ever else you can find them for like $60 bucks a piece....then have them welded in.
02-02-09, 04:48 PM
#18
Ahhhhh....we might be getting somewhere....lol
If that is the problem....don't replace them with factory/Lexus cats. You can get some universal Magnaflow cats from Summitracing or where ever else you can find them for like $60 bucks a piece....then have them welded in.
If that is the problem....don't replace them with factory/Lexus cats. You can get some universal Magnaflow cats from Summitracing or where ever else you can find them for like $60 bucks a piece....then have them welded in.
, ignore what i wrote about the TC in my previous post 
, It is the Cats because a) there is the clunking noise when i hit them. b) the noise that would pop/clunk when i accelerated and would let off was the thing inside the cat jumping up and down. d) the slow acceleration was the back pressure that was building up and not opening the exhaust valves on time( im guessing?Well im going to try and get new cats then, but since i paid $80 for new plugs should i install them anyway, i took out the old ones today which was PITA!!! But how can you tell when they are going bad? I will post up a pic of them to maybe show you guys and you can give me an opnion if i should replace or just keep? Im just asking because i could just replace them as a precaution, its just that the ones that i took out are Denso Iridioum plugs and since iridioum plugs are supposed to lastttt y replace them.
Last edited by Oleg400; 02-02-09 at 04:53 PM.
02-02-09, 05:01 PM
#19
Lexus Test Driver
Just gonna throw this out there......but how about bad Catalytic converters??? My friend had bad cats on his S/C Tacoma and it did some similar things that you described. And when I say bad....I mean broken/clogged. Hit them with your hand when they are cool and see if you can hear some things moving and shaking in there.
As for the radio going out and other power issues that sounds like a good case of a alternator issue. Check the ground wires cause you live up north as there is a good chance of rust/corrosion. Not charging the battery and running your accessories so the computer cuts the power sources. Do a alternator test and if it fails replace it. If it has never been replaced ever i would do so if over 130,000 miles. It could be a small problem that is hinting to you that it is going to straight out die soon.
02-02-09, 05:13 PM
#20
SHOLEXMAN;I agree with this clunking noise because that should be your restriction causing you to bog down. You hit the cats and they sound like chunks of something inside them. You hit the gas the pieces go flat and restrict the exaust flow. This happens usually when you run the car rich and or don't maintain the car. Thats why the check engine light is there to prevent cat damage.
BTW thanks to everyone that posted up a response you got your post count and helped a fellow CLer
03-24-09, 07:06 PM
#21
A little update, installed new cats today, the slow acceleration and the car bogging down is gone, the plugs were fine no need for replacement. But i still have the p0171 CEL popping up. The Maf sensor could just be bad, might as well replace it and hope I am in the clear.
04-13-09, 10:39 PM
#27
Quick update.
-low/rough idle fixed for now= Cleaning maf/Throttle body about 30 min job.
-acceleration about 45% better but from 1.5krpm-2krpm car accelrates then bogs at 2.5k rpm then it accelerates again till about 3k rpm then a quick bog then after that the acceleration is smooth but when car was 100% working it was a beast at around 3krpm all the way to 6k.Now it just seems like a gs300 which is bleehhh in speed.
-im getting ready to change the sparks and see what will change.
Now i just have a couple of quick questions.
When the shifter is in park the car idles around 7.5-800 rpm, switch it to nuetral it goes to 1k rpm, then to D it goes to 500rpm and same for reverse. Now is that an ok Range??
while i did a quick drive i started to hear a poping noise right under me. When i would accelerate slightly then let of quickly i would hear a very clear/crisp kind of POP or Clunk could that be the TC locking and unlocking, it happens around 1.5-2k rpm, its pretty loud. Anyone have a clue what that might be?
If its the TC then i have an excuse to get the PI TC 2.8k
any info would be greatly appreciated,still have a bunch of things to check out and see if the slow acceleration will go away.
-low/rough idle fixed for now= Cleaning maf/Throttle body about 30 min job.
-acceleration about 45% better but from 1.5krpm-2krpm car accelrates then bogs at 2.5k rpm then it accelerates again till about 3k rpm then a quick bog then after that the acceleration is smooth but when car was 100% working it was a beast at around 3krpm all the way to 6k.Now it just seems like a gs300 which is bleehhh in speed.
-im getting ready to change the sparks and see what will change.
Now i just have a couple of quick questions.
When the shifter is in park the car idles around 7.5-800 rpm, switch it to nuetral it goes to 1k rpm, then to D it goes to 500rpm and same for reverse. Now is that an ok Range??
while i did a quick drive i started to hear a poping noise right under me. When i would accelerate slightly then let of quickly i would hear a very clear/crisp kind of POP or Clunk could that be the TC locking and unlocking, it happens around 1.5-2k rpm, its pretty loud. Anyone have a clue what that might be?
If its the TC then i have an excuse to get the PI TC 2.8k
any info would be greatly appreciated,still have a bunch of things to check out and see if the slow acceleration will go away.
04-28-09, 06:38 PM
#30
Soo, what's the update. What cats did you go with, stock or afermarket? I have everything you got and probably going the same route. I have a buddy that abuses his GS430 l-tune jeust as hard, he is getting the same symptoms now as we are. I have come to the conclusion that these cars were not meant to be driven like this. I will fix this whip use it as a daily, and then its time for an M5 upgrade.