DeadRX

I know--great timing. I literally have $100 for the week--not even a joke. My father's way on business, so legitimately no help this week.

I definitely hear something coming from my exhaust area, and for the past month, I've popped her into neutral and held gas at red lights because she seemed light she would go too low and stall. Almost like before I cleaned IACV and then replaced a few years ago...along with cleaning MAF, but I've never let her idle so low that she'd die. When I start her, different from before replacing IACV and those symptoms, she starts and idles just fine, as opposed to needing a push of gas to even start.

Well, yesterday, I started her up and she was just very rough after about 30 seconds idle. I barely made it to work. Got her going, but as I accelerated, I really did not. She was stuck at 40mph, but then out of no where, got a burst of energy and accelerated just fine. She then died down a bit...but I barely made it to work. It almost seemed as if the final yards into the parking garage were the best few minutes of my 13 minute drive. On the drive home, I didn't let her idle for more than a second, I popped her right into drive, I may not have even fully turned the key--and drove the same drive home, but this time she seemed "fine," except she wouldn't shift into OD. 45mph close to 3k. And only minimal shaking as I slowed at 1k. But, shaking like when I first started her in the morning was not as persistent in the evening. Shaking--recently she's shaked like that while I held her at 1100k in neutral at red lights. That's new to me. The shaking. For months, she hadn't shaked.

The CEL has been on for months. I assume it's literally from lack of a muffler. The exhaust piping stops right where the muffler would attach. I know--that's a problem, but I've just been trying to keep her run. (since found out that the CEL on is most likely not for lack of muffler itself)

Now, my question is... what does this sound like to you? Could it be simple spark plug, could it be vacuum leak (definitely hear something underneath car), could it be that I need a whole new muffler..

I'm sure he could diagnose and easily help me on spark plugs, but my $100 won't go as far as a vacuum leak or exhaust leaking problem.

What do you think could be wrong and do you think I should go out start her up and risk her totally dying before taking it to mechanic? I don't have a reader and would have to take it to mechanic to have codes read...

It's a really **** situation for me, of course, as I move down to start a new life--and embarrassing to have to go to such a good guy with these current emotions. I can't go to him with nothing and ask for something.

Let me know if you can.

Thank you,
AK

DeadRX

Friday, on a new tank of gas, and a route that allowed for 55mph driving, she did 19.4mpg. Just throwing that out there.

Drcoffee

Check your battery ground wire. When they corrode the available energy for running the engine goes way down and will affect the idle. If it looks corroded, start there and replace it. I fabricated a bigger cable for mine for $10 in parts and you can find the thread I started on it or just buy a new one from Lexus. It will also help with start up.

If the tranny wont shift to OD it could be the oil control valve(s) VVT system. Have you tried cleaning the IAC. it could be malfunctioning.

DeadRX

The IACV is about two years old. When the IACV went, the car required gas to get it to even turn over. That's not the case, at least not yesterday. And--I can understand why the car did not shift into OD yesterday. I started it immediately and got driving. The engine could have been too cold and prevented the car from going into OD. Although, I will say, different from day's I've let her warm up and then still stayed in second and third a bit longer, yesterday the ten minute drive home really shouldn't have been done without OD, like the day before. I cannot see the ground attachment without taking everything out. I think I will head to mechanic in an hour and at the least as to troubleshoot in the lot with maybe the possibility of getting my hands on the tools in order to inspect ground cover. The battery connections are actually super clean. No green corrosion at all. Interesting. What say you now?

sktn77a

iTrader: (2)

Probably not a plug, could be a coil. Get a cheap code reader, if you don't already have one (you can get codes read for free at autozone, also), and see what you get.

DeadRX

p0171
p1150
p0300
p0301
p0303
p0305
p1130
p1135

salimshah

Clear codes and report back the first code you get.

Salim