CubFan22

Hello All, I appreciate all the helpful information on this forum and could you some assistance now. I have a major problem with my 1999 Lexus RX 300 with 70,000 miles on the engine. I am not very knowledgeable of motors.

First of all, I live in the Caribbean so Lexus mechanics are hard to find. There is a Lexus dealership here one private Lexus repair shop. I have been using the private shop without problems until now.

In January, my oil pressure light came on and I took it to the mechanic.
According to him the engine had some sludge build up. I was told they cleaned out some sludge to fix the problem. I had never heard of it being possible to do this. Anyway the oil lamp was not on anymore and the car ran fine for 2 months. This week the oil lamp came on again after driving the car for about ten minutes. The following day I started the car and the motor performed fine for ten minutes, then the oil lamp came on again. Again on the third day the motor ran fine for ten minutes then the oil lamp came on again.
I then had the car towed to our mechanic. He said we need a new motor as some valves and cylinders and such are damaged. I now find out in January he cleaned out the oil pump which temporarily solved the problem. It appears he put a band-aid on the problem. As I believe a new oil pump should have been installed at this point.

So I guess I have the following questions:

What is the ballpark price for a used motor for the 99 RX 300?

Is it possible I can put a new oil pump in and be good to go?

When I buy a used motor will it come with an oil pump?
If not then I may as buy a new one now and try it right?

Thanks all for your help in advance.

JAB

While anything is possible, I doubt the cylinders and valves have been damaged. But at your low mileage, you should investigate the sludge warranty that I believe extends to 100,000 miles. Talk to your dealer. You will probably need to demonstrate that the car has received relatively regular oil and filter changes.

thomas1

Unfortunately the warranty is for 8 years 120days....Yes you can get a used motor from a junkyard, price will vary from 1500 to 2200. The labor to install it is what will cost you.
Also it has to be for your car, The highlander and camry engines may not have the proper motor mount positions. If you are not mechanically inclined and depend on your mechanic, have him check the used engines available from Japan. My neighbor and I just rebuilt his Highlander engine for your exact problem. Changing the oil pump and taking the bottom oil pan off to see what really is going on is your only way to find out if the problem is fixable. I suspect the Oil pickup screen clogged and you lost pressure. You may be cheaper to scrap the car and buy another used RX that is running in your case, as having the engine fixed can be pricey. Some have picked up running RX's for $5000 to $7000....That is what someone is going to charge you to fix yours if the engine needs to be rebuilt or replaced.

sktn77a

iTrader: (2)

I would take it to the Lexus dealership and get a second opinion (sounds like you only have those two options in your location, although a Toyota dealer should be able to confirm this also, as the engine itself is the same). Plus, while the official sludge warranty was 8 years +/- you never know, you might get lucky and Lexus might cover it if it is a sludge problem. Is the engine idling roughly, down on power, or running roughly - this was a hallmark of the sludge problem.

code58

Quote:

If you are not mechanically inclined and depend on your mechanic, have him check the used engines available from Japan.

Since you live in the Caribbean that is a good suggestion, if they have access to the used Japanese engines there like we do here. They are generally low miles and cheaper than a junk yard engine. If it were my car, I think I would try clearing the oil return galleys and pull the lower oil pan and clean the pump screen real good and then use Auto RX. If it can be saved that way, it would sure beat the replacing the engine route, especially with the mechanic situation where you live. Good Luck!

tomstep2

Definitely check with Lexus, mine had more than 100,000 miles on it and the dealer still replaced my engine for free. The only definitive way to check for the sludge issue is to remove the valve cover and look, it will be obvious...