cherishzm

I have noticed this strange sound during idle since few months ago but did not have a chance to get it checked out by a dealer or shop.

Can someone guess what it might be based on the video below? It may not be easy to isolate the noise from the normal idle sound from the video but in person it's very noticeable.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d2qc...ature=youtu.be

It's a 07 IS350 and all recalls including cam gear recall done were earlier this year. I always thought it idles loud but the car seems to run just fine.

It is a good idea to have it checked by a Lexus dealership? If so, do they usually charge a diagnosis fee? I've never done maintenance services at a dealership but some recall works since I bought this a year ago (only two oil changes with a synthetic done by a friend).

Or would it be better to bring it to Toyota dealership and save some money?

Any inputs will be appreciated!

Ants350

iTrader: (1)

You ever do water pump? Does it get louder when you press gas?

Serifiyah

I know that sound all too well. Definitely the water pump. You can hear the bearings going out. Check for any pink coolant near the oil filter housing. Get it replaced ASAP.

cherishzm

Thanks Ants250 and Serifiyah for replies!

No, I don't think a water pump was ever replaced before. Do I need to go under the car to look for pink coolant near oil filter housing or can I find it from top with hood open?

What would be cost of replacing a water pump at Lexus dealership? Possibly cheaper at Toyota dealership?

Ants350

iTrader: (1)

when my pump went 2 weeks ago there was no fluid leaking! Just the noise..I'm at 95k

Serifiyah

You can find it from the top looking down at the oil filter housing. But whether its leaking or not, it still needs to get replaced. It would probably cost at least $600 to get it fixed at the dealership.

Or..

You can try to do it yourself.
https://www.clublexus.com/forums/is-...-is-250-a.html

cherishzm

Mine is at 82k miles so it seems a water pump doesn't last long in our 350's?

EDIT: looks like it's a common issue in all 2IS'

Ants350

iTrader: (1)

yea I'm still under warranty till October I got pretty lucky it went when it did lol. Goodluck.

Serifiyah

Yea its pretty common for it to fail early. Some failed as early as 40k.

Zinda

iTrader: (1)

Mine failed at 95k... Was covered under warranty somehow

Gville350

iTrader: (10)

Mine failed and was replaced by Lexus at 26k miles.

I'd definitely start by looking at replacing the WP as well.

cherishzm

Looks like Toyota/Lexus dealers want over $600 for replacing the water pump so I decided to buy parts myself and find a good mechanic to do the labor to save some $$$'s.

Can someone confirm that I would only need the water pump part (OEM part #: 16100-39436) and coolant?

Any recommendation of a good mechanic in Greensboro/Raleigh/Charlotte area would be appreciated!

jennie

Mine sounded just like that until I changed it this weekend. I followed a few DIYs but this one was very good.

Serifiyah's awesome DIY.

I bought my OEM pump from ebay and coolant from Toyota (cheaper than Amazon). Only other thing I needed to buy was the small hose from Home Depot. The hardest part of the DIY was removing the damn hoses.

cherishzm

Thanks for the reply!

Did you buy/need two gallons of coolant (as shown on the DIY)? How long did it take for you to get the job done? Is 3~4 hours good estimate for a mechanic to complete it with the right tools and experiences?

jennie

Yes, you need the coolant! A lot will drain out from the radiator but there's also a bunch that stays in the water pump so you can't reuse it since it ends up on the floor. It was only $48 for 2 gallons. 1 gallon isn't enough.

The job took me about 4 hours and I have very little experience. The most time consuming part was actually disconnecting the hoses since I didn't want to rip them. Everything else is pretty much self explanatory once you read the DIY a few times.