jrmckinley

All-
About 2 weeks ago our 2010 LX570's dash lit up with all kinds of lights. I read the forum and noticed that it could be just about anything (faulty sensor, even a faulty/broken cable at the tail gate, etc). I took the LX to my local indy who I have confidence in based on some history with my LS. He hooked it up to get error codes and mentioned 2 things were happening:
1) Battery level very low
2) There was another part that he said is a single part but is actually 2 separate valves. One of my valves is remaining open when it should be opening and closing but he has to order the part that comes with 2 new valves. I believe* he said it was part of the emission system. He told me it was buried in the engine (I think he said under the manifold maybe?) so it's a decent amount of labor to access it. I point out it being a single part but 2 separate valves because I'm hoping it may help someone here know what it is.

So 2 questions:
1) What is the part I'm describing in # 2?
2) My indy cleared the error code (so the lights on my dash are off) - if there is indeed something wrong, wouldn't the lights come back on? Or does clearing the error code tell the computer that you addressed it? Is there a way for a different mechanic to verify the issue?

I need to have our airbag replaced under the recall at my local Toyota shop and was going to see if they could give me a quote for doing the same work (my Indy cleared the error code) so I need to tell them what the faulty part is. The quote from the indy for the battery and this other part was about $2,200 out the door which is a hefty repair price, so I'm interested in getting a 2nd opinion and quote. I appreciate any help.

hankinid

I'd call the indy guy back and ask him what the 2 in 1 part is, specifically. Sounds to me like something in or around the gas vapor system located in the rear of the truck on the driver's side, but that's a pure SWAG on my part. It might also be EGR valves which are located under the manifold...not a fun nor cheap job.

I'm thinking that you may need a new battery...should be ~ $100-ish plus 10 minutes to remove/replace...ultra simple.

jrmckinley

Yes just trying to figure out how to call the indy and ask without making it obvious I'm taking it somewhere for another opinion and quote. Once I figure out how to do that and get his answer I'll report back with the specific part he said failed. I definitely need a new battery - they don't tend to last too long here in FL so I'll get that done at the same time as doing the airbag warranty work at Toyota.

caesosa

Sounds like the secondary air injection pump to me:

https://parts.lexus.com/p/Lexus__LX-...76100S030.html

hankinid

Definitely possible...kits are available to eliminate the secondary injection pump(s) for around $100 or so. I don't have a link but any Tundra forum will have info.

jrmckinley

OK, here's the update: The part that was showing potential failure is the secondary injection valve. I spoke directly to the mechanic and asked him if we could drive the truck on a 100 mile trip and he said absolutely. He said over substantial mileage, this problem would put extra strain on the CAT converter. Then he said "other than the engine lights being on and annoying you, you don't have to worry about it for a while." I told him the lights had not come back on since they reset the error code and he said that may be great news - he's wondering if the low battery is the main culprit. He said without enough battery power it may not have allowed the valve(s) to function properly, leaving one of them open. The battery died on him while he was working on the truck so he charged it - he said it may have gotten enough juice to allow the valve to properly close which is why the dashboard lights have not gone off again.

So my first step is to get the battery replaced today and I can swing it back to him in a few weeks to have him hook the computer up and make sure there are no error codes. Any other thoughts? Thank you all for the help.

caesosa

umm hate to dis on mechanics but I don’t see how one is related to the other. You can absolutely drive with the secondary air injection pump bad (it’s just an emisión control), the only risk I see (and this happens with my old GX460) is the potential of going into limp mode - if it does, reset again and you should be back in business (not all GX’s go into limp mode when this happened and I haven’t heard of one LX doing so).

I am really not buying the issue about the battery voltage not reaching the pump. A new battery is always a nice thing but secondly air injection pumps fail and it has nothing to do with a battery.

jrmckinley

Good input, thank you. The mechanic did say I could drive it for a while with no fear- his main word of caution was after "significant" mileage the CAT convertor could be put under extra stress as a result. I remain confused - all of my check engine lights have remained off for 2 weeks. It seems logical that the battery would power the opening & closing of the valve - so a low battery could have caused an issue with the valve closing properly - am I wrong? I'm clearly not a DIY so I don't know. I appreciate the help so far. Would you just leave it alone and not do anything other than the battery when it fails?