ajfinoak

I have heard stories of needing to change spark plugs or other maintainence after pouring in Seafoam- true? Would throwing a bottle of techron in the tank help? I have always used techron but maybe an increased dose is needed.

Koz

I would change the oil and plugs after Seafoam and/or water. As far as a fuel injection cleaner additive, it will never reach the intake valve where the issue is. That's why the cleaner/water is injected into the intake system. The issue is, this problem is inherent with direct injection (design problem) and it will only come back. Lexus does a VERY involved top end cleaning (3.5 hrs.) and the problem only comes back. Cleaning is a band-aid. Treating the symptoms not the problem!

My recommendation is to get it cleaned and dump the beoch, cut your losses and eliminate the aggravation!

Koz

Infra

iTrader: (1)

You should switch between different brands imo. Each brand has slightly different detergents that will clean up residue left behind by a different brand. If you only ever use 1 brand, whatever it leaves behind will continue to build up.

PandaBear

iTrader: (1)

Anything that throws into the gas tank will not help, because the build up is from PCV valve (ventilation from your crank case) and there is no injection before the valve to clean it up.

Pretty much anything (the stronger the better) spray into the intake will help. Carb cleaner is easy because it is pressurized, seafoam works but you have to either spray it in from a bottle or suck it in from a vacuum tube (PCV or brake booster), water works if you know what you are doing instead of causing hydro lock (it is non combustible so you have to be careful the amount you spray unlike carb cleaner and other combustible cleaner).

Don't worry about seal, these cleaners are short term use and your car is still very new, non of the rubber will be cracked if you only use it once or twice a year in moderate amount.

Fouling a spark plug is possible if you clean it too quick too fast, and it is too dirty. All the stuff cleaned out aren't burnt up fast enough. Or, if you have ignition related carbon build up then anything will foul, because if you dissolve the carbon, it is still around and unburnt.

GiantsFan

iTrader: (9)

Read through this thread, and what I got from it was if you switch up your gas brands, and go WOT once in a while you won't get the carbon build up....

I do both ... and I have no symptoms of carbon buildup

XhyDra

iTrader: (8)

How many miles on your car?

From my own personal experience & tests, I've used both Chevron and Shell continuosly mixed in the same week or one week one station the next another, and in some ways sometimes the car will run better. That could be attributed to different batches of gasoline all together. Either way the car will eventually hit a rough patch where it begins to act up. WOT only temporarily patches the issue it eventually comes back.

You have to see the bigger picture, not everyone that drives these cars ever runs any of their cars hard. They don't WOT to prevent some persistant carbon related issue, that would be a very huge inconvenience especially to the older crowd that just wants comfort and reliability.

I for one know this issue is bad, it's something completely indefinite and the truth is no one knows what issues this will eventually cause down the road, especially for those who never run their cars hard and eventually lay outside their vehicle warranty.

Regardless of whether or not you run the car at WOT it won't prevent it entirelly. Now I'm sure that I run my car harder than most people on CL. I've tracked the car, dragged the car, and taken every step possible to rule out that WOT won't prevent it. And well surely enough if I try driving conservative for one week by the next week it's idiling rough again. So what use is having a car that is supposed to be economic when I'm having to run it hard one week to prevent carbon build up and run it conservative another to save money. Even then there's still a way bigger picture to look at...

This issue won't just go away, it's like a cancer, you can suppress it with meds, but if you don't get it treated it won't go away and only get worst.

Clay Easto

THIS IS A LEXUS THAT WE ARE TALKING ABOUT!!!! We shouldn't have to change brands of gas on a weekly basis. Hyundais run better than this!

LexIS007

iTrader: (1)

Thats what I'm im talking about...

There is a guy at work with a 2001 GS300 with over 130K miles on the clock...and I swear, when the car is at idle, you can't even tell its running. God how I miss the old inline motors. DAMN YOU TOYOTA FOR GOING CHEAP ON US LOYAL CUSTOMERS!!!!

panda327

iTrader: (3)

blame that Katsuaki Watanabe cheap bastard that ruin toyota

Kurtz

iTrader: (1)

No, they don't...they just switched to DI more recently-

http://www.hyundai-forums.com/index.php?showtopic=46814


Go price a 2JZ motor sometime, then price the motor in an ISx50, and tell me it's about being cheap.

Not to mention the 2JZ, lovely motor that it is, would be killing Lexus/Toyota right now in trying to meet both low emission targets and CAFE standards.

is250gurl

how about more testing then before releasing them??? they should have know about this and fixed it beforehand had they really tested this engine and about all the carbon buildup in the 250.

ajfinoak

After bringing in my '08 now with 20K miles in to dealer 4 times for this they did do the top engine cleaning and car still vibrates at idle. I called Lexus Customer Service and they told me it is "normal". Why did they keep it for a week and try to fix it if it was normal? I have asked to escalate this to a Supv. After my family has purchased 5 Toyotas and 2 Lexus I am beyond frustrated.

LexIS007

iTrader: (1)

Kurtz,

If Toyota/Lexus really invested the money and research time, they would be able to create the same output, efficiency, and weight of the current GR motor in an inline type engine. Look at BMW, they have it down cold how to build these kind of motors, and I know Toyota can do it. Its all about cost, they want compact motors so they can distribute the parts between different models. Think about it, an inline would never make it into the RX or GS of today because they made these cars bigger and engine bays smaller due to space saving of the V type design. Don't get me wrong, I still think the IS350 motor is a hell of a technological marvel. However, when building luxury cars, especially LEXUS, it is something out of the norm when you have rough idles (to name a few problems). These cars are known for being smooth, just like the ole' saying "its as smooth as a LEXUS!" Ever see the commercial for the Lexus LS400 with the champaign glasses on the hood while running? Or how about the commercial for the Supra Turbo that had a quarter laying on top of the engine and was revved to over redline to show how solid and smooth the engine is? I dare anyone to try the two methods about on any ISX50 and see what happens. Bottom line, they are trying to cut cost, obviously, I hope they return to their roots for building cars.

I mean seriously....a 5 liter V8 ISF???? I guarantee you throw in a inline six twin turbo direct injection and all the goodies of today in a ISF and watch the waiting list pile.

Kurtz

iTrader: (1)

Ok, lets look at BMW.

To compete with the IS350 they had to slap two turbos on their inline 6.

And have had serious, repeated, mechanical problems with it... (lack of oil cooler, high pressure fuel pump failures, etc....)

If you want to trade Lexus reliability for BMW reliability I'm getting off the bus....BMWs is far worse.


Further, BMW is moving to direct injection too... see if they don't have the same issues Audi, VW, and all the other germans who went to DI have.

You can surely complain about Lexus "cost cutting" with interior rattles... DI issues? Not so much.

Koz

You have got to be kidding! The BMW 3.0 TT 6 (Their most popular engine)has got to be the best example of how NOT to build/update a motor. They rushed twin turbos on a good outdated engine because the competition was embarrassing them. The only thing that saved them was/is the blind following of the auto media and their fanboys!

Sorry, but BMW is a BAD example.

This problem with carbon is a growing problem for all the manufactures of any type combustion engine. The problem is generated from bad fuel formulas not the design of the engine.

Koz