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It will fail again, it's a battery......it can't NOT fail again lol!
of course. But the question as with ANY component is how LOOOOONG it will last. So I wouldn’t be so blazé about the importance of RELIABILITY and LONGEVITY. ESPECIALLY when it comes to the expectation toyota/Lexus has built its reputation on.
That's funny the Prius battery bank was on the ground. Sounds like your car is functional again, bet your happy about that.
You might consider replacing your spark plug tube seals too.
I swapped out my left bank of spark plugs about 1000 miles ago. Last week I noticed a burning smell coming from the engine. It was bad enough I was concerned about an engine fire developing. I had ordered new hpfp gasket kits as I knew they were seeping oil. When I went to replace them it was pretty obvious there were other leaks. My spark plug tube seals were shot. They were hard as a rock and distorted. When you replace your spark plugs it's almost impossible not to disrupt the tube seals. You'll need to remove that inner plastic ring out of nearly every spark plug seal to get the coil packs out. The spark plug closest to the passenger front seat is the most fun. It's a lot easier if you remove the hpfp. All of the inverter cables need to be removed too.
To avoid doing things twice I ended up replacing my valve cover gaskets too, the gaskets were pretty hard but nothing like the tube seals. They were covered in oil but the oil was likely just from my other leaks.
Down in the groove there is a black plastic insulator that is a magnet for oil.
Mine was saturated with oil. The insulating foam had turned black from oil cooking on it. ( left bank)
Another view. Still the left bank insulator. I think this is what I smelled burning.
These are the distorted, rock hard, spark plug tube seals.
All of them except one were cracked. I took a few out very gingerly and they were still cracked. I think they cracked long ago. Note the top ring that pops out. This gives the coil packs a little more freedom to slide out.
The right bank insulator was in much better shape. It was only slightly damp with oil.
Valve cover removed. This side is a pain. There is a horizontal bolt on the inverter wire bracket near the valve cover. If you remove that one bolt the inverter has about 1/2" of play to remove the coil pack.
All cleaned up. Pic taken right before I mounted the hpfp.
of course. But the question as with ANY component is how LOOOOONG it will last. So I wouldn’t be so blazé about the importance of RELIABILITY and LONGEVITY. ESPECIALLY when it comes to the expectation toyota/Lexus has built its reputation on.
If you care about that buy a new car or an easy to fix older one. A hybrid is not that.
If you care about that buy a new car or an easy to fix older one. A hybrid is not that.
the most reliable cars built are toyota/Lexus hybrids. So I’m not so quick to dismiss Lexus’s responsibility to uphold its reputation for reliability and durability.
Can you provide a source for your declaration? Opinions are fine, unless they're presented as fact. I'd love to read your source and for you to be accurate and correct.
the most reliable cars built are toyota/Lexus hybrids. So I’m not so quick to dismiss Lexus’s responsibility to uphold its reputation for reliability and durability.
Lol. Okay man, sure. I have replaced and rebuilt enough batteries on toyota/lex hybrids to know that's hilariously untrue since they also make non-hybrid versions of the same cars that go 100k more miles with ease before needing major work like that.
Nice job. Pass side hpfp likes to send an almost invisible stream of oil downwards, best seen from under the car.
After replacing tube seals (when they are still soft and good) using FSM screwdriver trick (carefully) makes accessing plugs a walk in the park.
To pull that pass side plug we use a contraption made of a swivel wrench, floating head and a couple of extensions.
Thanks. I did manage to remove the pass plug On my gold 600 without removing the hpfp. I remember it being painful lol.
I wonder what made these tube seals turn rock hard. This car has the lowest mileage. I figured they'd be in better shape. Our other Ls's had leaky tube seals but were not hard like these. Perhaps it's just age.
Lol. Okay man, sure. I have replaced and rebuilt enough batteries on toyota/lex hybrids to know that's hilariously untrue since they also make non-hybrid versions of the same cars that go 100k more miles with ease before needing major work like that.
In consumer reports they have repeatedly said that Toyota’s hybrid versions of their gas counter parts (same model) have proved to be even more reliable than they already reliable gas versions.
I believe that Consumer Reports would say something like that. They also have made many statements others disagree with. But that's not the same as what you stated "the most reliable cars built are toyota/Lexus hybrids." I believe that many would argue that Honda/Acura are in that category. We are glad you are a member of this forum and appreciate your opinions and contributions.
Happy New Year. So, I had pretty much everything replaced on the front end. That includes:
Lower ball joints
Upper control arms
Lower control arms
Sway bar end links
CV axles
However, the noise still persists. At this point, I think (hope) it's the air struts. I took the actuators off to see if the struts weren't bolted to the tower tightly enough, and the strut on the right (which appears to be where the noise is coming from) had oil seeping out of the top.
Question 1: Is the oil seepage normal, or an indication that the damper on the strut has gone bad?
Question 2: The noise is almost like the strut mount is bad, but the mount is built into the strut, correct?
Question 3: If I do have to replace the struts, I was looking at these ones, but noticed that they lack the bottom fork to connect to the lower control arm. Do I transfer that from the existing strut that's in it? EDIT: Never mind; I was looking at the RWD air strut. The AWD air strut has a separate curved fork that bolts to the bottom of the strut.
Question 4: Does anyone have any tips as to how I might diagnose the noise? The best I can do is put the car on jack stands, since I don't have access to a lift.
1 - it's gone
2 - yes
3 - these are fake
4 - chassis ears? but if it leaks it's gone for sure
5 - you're going to have noises if non-OEM suspension parts are used
Strut mounts do separate often, producing heck of a noise.
11-20-23 | 07:43 AM
