nbowman

Hello! I started my 2011 GX 460 this morning (this hasn't happened before), and my 4LO light was flashing (it was not turned on, I tried that), the traction light was on (I also checked that button), engine light was on. When I got a few miles from my house, the engine started to get hot. RPM's seemed normal. I immediately turned it off, but am wondering if anyone has experienced this and has any insight or advice. Thank you in advance.
Nora

gfcipriani

Low voltage can cause the electrical system to misbehave. Check the battery voltage at the terminals with the vehicle off. If less than 12V, your battery life is limited and may be contributing to this problem. If you have low voltage, have the electrical charging system checked (dead battery and/or bad alternator.)

nbowman

Thank you for your reply. I will try that. Would that also result in the engine temp getting high?

WRD4chano

how did you know the engine was getting hot, was the temp needle going past the center mark?

also the flashing 4LO and NO TRAC are signs that theres a fault, either drive it to an auto parts store if you feel safe doing so and have they plug in a scan tool and tell us the codes you get. (call first to ensure they have one available)

if you can, open the hood and look for signs of pink fluid or flakes (leaking coolant) near the water pump, also get on the ground and look behind the engine for the same pink flakes.

please understand im assuming you have a coolant leak due to the high engine temps and it could be something else, but we need those check engine codes first.

Acrad

Coolant level in your recovery tank?

I'd pull codes as well

https://www.clublexus.com/forums/gx-...and-gx460.html

HRoscar

looking for advice here...Car set in the garage for 4 months, and this happened...is this the Valley plate leak or it's tranny oil? if it's the valley plate what price range I'm looking at ?

Gerf

Does the fluid feel watery or oily?? Looks like coolant.
Can you trace the leak up to the point it begins on the outside of the engine?

HRoscar

its very hard to trace all the way...however a Lexus tech checked it out today and said it's the valley plate for sure...it'll be out of commission for few days

Gerf

That will cost a few bucks but it's only money right??

People will recommend you change the pcv valve and maybe even the heat exchanger while the intake is off.
I haven't had to do this yet.....but other people will chime in and give you an idea what should be changed to get the most out of the repair, good luck.

Romanova

Year/mileage?

29er

I bought an endoscope and confirmed I have the Coolant Valley Plate Leak in my 2015 GX460 with 110,000miles.

I'll be doing the fix myself, but how urgently do I need to fix this? Can I go for a month or two? Coolant is staying pretty consistent.

Any tips or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

NewB2Lexus

As long as you monitor the coolant level you should be ok. I'm quite positive there are several non-DIY owners who do have the same leak but have no clue about it. The small amount of coolant that leaks out just evaporates. If you see a puddle then I would put it onto the top of the list.

29er

Here's a pic from my endoscope.



Looks like it's a good amount.

IanB2

Coolant seems to expand as it dries and crystalizes, keep an eye on the coolant level in the overflow reservoir. You might want to look into an OBD2 app like Torque or similar that would allow you to monitor coolant temps closely.

The sooner you get it repaired, the sooner you can relax about it.

CFAI

Resources for non DYI owner to check to see if one has this issue - or questions to ask shop when bringing it in for oil change?