jhanbhaia

Hi Guys,

I purchased a 2007 RX 350 a few years ago. She runs great and I take great care of her but she's fighting back now. Unfortunately the car has developed the dreaded cold start cam gear rattle. I reached out to Lexus here in Canada and they offered a whole $800 off the $6000 bill they made up to replace the cam gears. Has anyone had any luck getting this fixed through an independent shop. Any ideas on the parts needed? Thanks for your help.

jhanbhaia

Here's a link to what the rattle sounds like:
Here's a link to the IS and GS recall for the same issue: http://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/acms/cs...3v395-3180.pdf

jhanbhaia

Update: Didn't make the noise this morning but hunting down the parts that I need. From the TSB it lists intake VVT gear as the one that fails. This is also true from some videos I've seen: I found an ex Toyota mechanic who said he would do the job for $250, not including parts. Sounds very reasonable. The last problem I'm having is with the parts. When I call the dealer they tell me I need part: 13050-31141 but when I search online it looks like it's been replaced by: 13050-0P071. Anyone here have a Toyota technical resource that can confirm that these two parts are in fact the same and the updated P/N is 13050-0P071? I hope this helps others down the line too.

Edit: Called Swells and they said the actual part number for my car is: 13050-31170 and that 13050-0P071 supersedes it. Going to go ahead and order 13050-0P071 and change it out. Hopefully this solves the rattle and I can stop worrying about the engine blowing up.

jhanbhaia

Bump to see if anyone else has more information.

1ferdinand

Hello,
With me has also started with the rattle.
Should be repaired. It will certainly be expensive.

BlackLexRX

Here's a link to the TSIB: http://www.revbase.com/BBBMotor/TSb/...dPdf?id=148110

1ferdinand

Hallo,


It is enough when I change Variable Valve Timing Oil Control Solenoid VVTi.
In Germany is not a recall action.
I have a rx 350 2007 and starts as in the video from time to time when cold.
Thank you

unebonnevi

I have the exact problem with my 2007 LExus RX350. The real explanation of the rattle is at . Should be the same part like the 2007 Lexus RX350.

Make sure that if your have val cover gasket (NOT head gasket) leak, replace it. Here is my temporary solution AND this is JUST MY OWN solution. Do not follow.

1) Use thicker engine oil 10W-30 instead of 5W-30.
2) Before going to bed at night start your car and drive for a couple minutes. That will have the car with enough oil pressure to start in the morning, so that the oil wont drain off completely due to the pin not moving back, as explained in the video.
3) Restart your car EARLY in the morning. If I leave my car without starting it for 8 hours, I will hear the rattle when I start it! But that's my car! Yours is DIFFERENT for sure!

Note at the end of the video, the guy says that for the Lexus it is dangerous if not fixed, because the bolt from the VVTI gear mechanism can FALL OFF! *****!!! It is going to cost!

Margate330

Makes me wonder if a couple Seafoam Engine Oil Treatments could clean the VVT internals.

Felix

Then I'd wonder, Why some would use a thicker oil? Possibly to keep some oil in the vvti for start up? Are some of the later 2gr's having vvti start up isssues or what? As well as the type of oil used & the oil/filter changing intervals.

uksparky

I had the slight cold start rattle using synthetic 5/30 went with regular 5/30 oil and no rattle, also use the Toyota filter.... using thicker oil will delay the oil getting to the cams. i always change the oil and filter 4,000 miles reg oil

Margate330

Hi Felix,
Not sure, all I know is on my 3MZFE engine the Seafoam oil treatment and Seafoam intake treatment together fixed my lifter tick & lower crankcase tick & my sticky VVT.
Maybe it improves the oil flow to tiny places and fixes sealing in VVT but only a theory.

Felix

Say Phil, you having a 3mz, your vvti's are easy to get out vs the 2gr's vvti's. You could remove your vvti's & soak them in seafoam or similar to clean them. btw, the 3mz's have solid lifters, which need a running clearence.

Margate330

Hi Felix, if it wasn't my only car I would've yanked the cams and pulled apart the VVT's and cleaned and replaced as needed.
I hear they are different from the 2GRFE VVT's and I saw a video of them taken apart but I still don't fully understand the path the oil takes to actuate them.

The video I saw I'm not fully convinced yet that the VVT's require oil in the startup as much as they rely on a mechanical locking mechanism to keep them locked in a fully retarded position on startup at idle. It's this locking mechanism that I wonder gets gummed up or not working correctly that allows it to slap and make noise but I don't know, just a theoy and probably wrong. lol

Felix

Hi Phil, You'll find your 3mz vvt solinoids fairly easy to replace, specially the bank 2, the bank 1 is a little tougher to get to, but its doable. Possibly removing it, could be kinda gummed up thou. Dorman offers both sides. Oh & no need to remove cams, ect, just unplug the contector & small bolt & remove, similar to a cop coil.