websurfer

Not sure Seafoam is the one to use. I'm not an expert in this area.

SilentSC

GS is not the type of car that needs “carbon cleaning” since it utilizes both port-injection AND direct-injection engine. I would think again before adding chemical additives…

websurfer

Yeap, that's true on this for Lexus and Toyota.

UDel

It sounds pretty normal but maybe just a little louder/deeper then it should be, you should not hear it or feel it inside the car. My car has a whine like a supercharger when I accelerate but that is common and there are no issues, it still makes the noise with the TSB being done. I think you have to change the oil after adding seafoam to crank, I would also check your spark plugs in case they got fouled from the seafoam and just check their condition. I would pour a botttle of Redline fuel treatment into your gas tank and drive it around, get some new gas, could be a fuel injector that is a little clogged. Check your accessory pulleys and make sure they are not making extra noise, if they have to be replaced they make a lot of noise. None of this should really be happening at 45K miles though.

adict2rice

yes, i'll change the oil out after driving 300 miles and add feul treatment like you said. i can tell this additive reduce the engine noise about 70% ! this makes me think either the valves or the lifter got issues. but ... what can you do? Lexus dealer already checked and said nothing's wronggggg. i'm about 3 months away from 72 powertrain warranty. i hope the ficken engine blow up by then so Lexus can suck it

Byprodrive

iTrader: (1)

Now you need to dump that oil & fill with new oil & filter.

adict2rice

man, my car dont sound nothing like this car. this car sounds like rain fall, soft, light and smooth at 80k miles. my car sounds like a tractor! loud, heavy and noisy. not be able to dianose this is bothering me alot!

UDel

I would take it to a different Lexus dealer or Toyota dealer. They should be able to tell if it is your valves, there are no valve issue with this engine so it is unlikely, if there is it is likely something the previous owner somehow did. Are you hearing all this noise while inside the car with the doors shut? I still think it is either a injector, spark plug, or accessory pulley though none of that should be a issue with your mileage.

adict2rice

it's definitely not the accesories because when i did the Seafoam treatment. the car quiet down ALOT! like 70% quieter, to the point that i was thinking "this is how a Lexus should should like". i did the oil change last week and now the noise comes back! even louder! yes, it's loud, you can hear inside the car. that couples with the light shake and the whinning noise that people on here say "it's normal with this car" is bothersome. i used to drive an 2002 Accord with over 230k miles and that car IS relabile. Lexus is going the way of BMW now, so many issues. disposible car.

jgscott

iTrader: (1)

You can also call Lexus Customer Service and open a case. Need to have it documented with a Lexus Dealer. I would also Vid that you can distinguish the noise isolated and ask the Lexus Case Rep how you can email attach it to them. Would also be good to have if.... later down the road something lets go in the Engine.

Is also why I would not do, and/or buy a car with 10k oil changes. Especially with all the tight tolerances metals break-in in the beginning mileage. That's my personal preference at least. You can also try the old school PVC pipe to your ear and place around the engine to see if you can narrow down top, bottom, left right exactly where outside you hear the noise. It works.

Someone else just had this problem and the Dealer made a detirm and fix some where here not to long ago posted up. Not sure if your was the same sound condition though.

websurfer

Probably can also try an independent mechanic to have a second look at it or another Lexus dealer. You can ask the CarCareNut mechanic on youtube, he helps people online also. His channel is: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCEK...oRUw3wpPpDOUaA
Just share your video link in the comments.

He may know more about Toyota/Lexus besides Scotty, whom knows a lot also.

I agree with jgscott on used vehicles. I got burned 2x on used Lexus CPO vehicles myself. Some 1st owners just don't change the oil on time or don't really care for the vehicle if they return them to dealer. Some people only sell the vehicle when they discover costly repairs coming.

Good Luck.

jgscott

iTrader: (1)

So I had the chance to ask a few Guys who are Lexus/Toyota experienced Guy's about the multiple people who have this tap. knock, tick, slap, Tractor, whatever noise. Don't want to say exactly who they are, but they do Toyota/Lexus everyday at work all day.

Seems other Lexus like the 3.5 Engine SUV and Toyota's with with our same 3.5 Engine have been having the same problems with this at start up. So Toyota and Lexus shops have worked on the issues on a few knowing and identifying what the problem is. Went in did a new part swap. Some worked, most did not. Noise came right back and/or did not go away. The one thing that's been claimed around here that got a big No from them was that it's not VVTi controller problem. not injector noise or oil type either. Not this problem.

So just so you know. Its a problem, the Vacuum Pump. Seems Toyota/Lexus does not have answer at this time as far as I can tell. I almost think a lot of us are going to be hearing this noise on the 4th Gen GS350, as others with the same motor have the same problem. Want to know more? Google the noise on other 3.5 engines like ours.

adict2rice

thank you for all the help guys, i'll make another appoinment with Lexus to document this noise. The Seafoam treatment did tell me that it's diffenitely an internal problem. the car sometimes shakes as i wait at red lights, only sometimes, not all the time. so fustrating

UDel

I don't get why the seafoam would quiet it down so much and then a oil change would cause the noise to come back. Is there a pressure issue with the oil in the engine where less oil/fluid causes the noise, adding a can of seafoam would raise the level of oil. The whining is only during acceleration for me at certain rpm levels, it just sounds like you have a mild supercharger and I have gotten so used to it I don't notice it. Did you check your spark plugs? They may need to be replaced, also maybe there is a issue with the fuel injectors. Try a can of redline fuel system cleaner but if there is a more serious issue the injectors will need to be cleaned by a shop. I would take it to a different Lexus dealer or a Toyota dealer and see what they say. You aren't going to a indy gas station are you, you are using Top Tier gas? Have you tried cleaning the MAF sensor/checked its condition, might want to give it a spray of MAF cleaner.

I had a rough/low idle issue with my GS430, it was not really noisy but when you were stopped and especially if you had the AC off the idle was low and the car shook a little and this is on a more balanced smoother V8. I cleaned the throttle body, cleaned the MAF, used injector cleaner and it seemed to help, it was much less noticeable but I can't be 100% certain if they helped.


What is the history of the car, any accidents, is this the original engine.

This car/engine is very reliable, look at Consumer Reports and just the forums here, hardly any issues with this car unlike a LS460, don't be too discouraged, if there is a problem it is likely something the previous owner did and even then Lexus is not finding any issues so it is highly unlikely it is something that will require a big repair.

adict2rice

got this write up from a Tacoma Forum. Yes, i have clean the MAS, and the throttle body. not helping with the noise. when i did the Seafoam, the "supercharger" noise tone down too! and it seems to get better gas mileage too! basically the it got so quiet that i was liking the car so much and thinking "this is how a Lexus should sound like"!!!!! now 200 miles after oild change the noise back to before. And no, this engine is not as reliable as they claim. when they only sell a mirely 3000 GSes per year! if only 1% of that has problem, you wont hear about it. compares to if they were sold 1 million/ anunally, then 1% problem would be a BIG problem and you will hear about it. so no, i dont think the statiscal data means anything for this GS (when the population is so low)

For those that said this motor does not have lifters! And also said the tapping noise is normal!! Yes this motor does have lifters and they are caller cam followers( small with rounded tops / lifters).
2- 2019 tacomas came into a LI , NY , toyota tech school while my friend which is a Boces teacher was their learning new systems.. on LI, they both had the same complaint( Loud Tapping noise on passenger side of motor). They took valve cover off and determined the middle cylinder on passenger side, while being milled at factory the cam follower sleeves were bored over specs! Causing the followers to slap side to side as they move up and down also creating more play between the the rockers and the cam! Leading them to believe there is probably over 100, 000 - 300,000 vehicles with the same issue that Toyota will not acknowledge. Strictly because of cost and would rather wait till there are breakdowns and deal with each one as it occurs! Mean while toyota came up with a TSP - R&R for the vacuum boost pump noise. To supposedly satisfy their customers that come to them with this complaint. (Loud tapping noise!) Which it actually does not make a tapping noise. And the only way to hear the vacuum boost pump is with an engine thesthiscope! The fuel injector cleaner has its own specific sound when at idle which comes on for few seconds and turns off! Common sense in this situation is as the revs go up and down so does the tapping noise and the higher the revs the louder the tapping!
The bad cam follower will cost 1000,s to repair on one vehicle compared to under 100.00 for the vacuum boost pump. Which they told me they replaced on mine and they didn't. I marked the one on my motor before I brought it in,, and the same one was still on my motor after I left dealer. After them telling me they replaced the vacuum bost pump verbally and on paper.This how dealerships operate!!! Also this is for the people that are not mechanics and are not familiar with motors and the sounds each and every part on a motor makes when working or not working properly. Also for those people that keep responding with thats normal (comment). Don't comment if you do not know what is really the problem, your just making a bad situation worse. End Note: I was certified mechanic back in 1980. And have worked on more cars than could never count. For me, this was and is driving me crazy knowing what the problem is and going back and forth to the dealer and being told by a person that had no mechanical past experience is very disturbing to say the least. I've had 2 toyota mechanics already walk up to my truck and react( oh **** that's bad. You need a new head!). And tell me toyota if they were to fix the problem they would just replace the head. Said to my self, they must know that the sleeves are out of spec? Instead of just taking cam off and replacing the follower? Which would not solve the problem. Only replacing the head with new one with updated sleeve borings will solve this problem. I've read so many posts about this, and some responds are just dumb. For those dumb stupid responses, I hope to he'll you don't ever work on mine or any one I knows vehicles. Lack of knowledge is a crime when it comes to vehicle repairs! If you don't know do your research and learn, before opening your mouth and don't know what your talking about!! Please! Better not to say anything if you don't know then to say something to mislead someone looking for advice and help! Goodluckbto all of you that have the same issue. Remember our tapping noise is not normal on a new gasoline engine!!! Don't forget that! These are not diesel motors!! The part shown is specific to the 2GR- FKS / 3.5 V6. This the part along with the valve train in line. That is rapping loud. If you replace this part it will not fix the loud tapping noise. A new head needs to be replaced with the right follower sleeve bored correctly. This no speculation, or an assumption. This was done and fixed the loud tapping nouse!! There is too many details to list in this a post! this was just to make toyota owners that have the 2GR-FKS in their tacoma aware that this problem has been diagnosed and repaired. That simple. The vacuum pump replacement will not stop the loud tapping noise in the production #"s that the heads were bored over specs! Take with a grain of salt, 2 that I know of have been repaired qnd mine is in process! For those that have not done this repair don't speculate until you have done this repair yourself! I feel bad the people that are so stubborn to ignore just common sense in this matter. Don't waste your time with your immature comments. I just delete them. In a few days my toyota won't be tapping loud as I drive it, and that is all that matters! Can't wait to put all the upgrades I have for my Tacoma!!!