I am the owner of this car - let me begin with AMD is a genius, he was able to diagnose a problem in few minutes that my local dealership has made me go in circles for 3 years. Thanks!! It is a 2008 (not 2010), just have wheels from the future model. I am hoping to keep for a few more years with the help of AMD! Another dealership story - after they replaced spark plugs, the car would randomly lose power for split of a second (very scary) while driving. After taking it back, they told me the battery terminals were not tightened down!!! Lucky that I have found TCCN that I wont have to go back to the dealership.
@@wholeNwon I just use them out of convenience. They were so incompetent that they would only charge me for 5 quarts of oil even though it took 10 quarts. My synthetic oil changes used to be 80 bucks. I'm glad that at least put in 10 quarts of oil haha Now that I found AMD I am never going back.
Super helpful to also hear the owner perspective. Thank you for adding these comments! You are very fortunate to have TCCN available, because he truly loves his work and wants to help us understand our vehicles.
Being a Toyota dealer tech myself, it amazes me someone with experience didn’t get pulled in. I remember about 8 years ago when I was up and coming a master took me under his wing. He told me on the v8’s or v6’s if you keep losing coolant and can’t visually find it, most likely it’s leaking under the intake manifold. He told me that as I was watching him do a timing belt on a highlander. I can’t tell you how many times that tip has helped me.
Thanks for working on my Lexus today! Your shop looks awesome and I can't wait to go back. I also want to say that this video is an example of why RU-vid channels like this one are so popular. Many of us have gone to dealerships and were given the run around on a problem with our car. This happened to me when I used to drive a different car and like a fool, I kept going back to that dealership with the same problem and kept giving them money. Keep up the good work with this channel...we need videos like these! - Jonathan
Nice to see you receiving the correct advice. Four years ago I bought a mint 08 LS with 25k on the clock for $15000. It had a front suspension problem that the Lexus dealer quoted $10000 to repair. Taking it to the fellow that repairs my classic x300. jag he replaced the ball joints for $500 and the car has brilliant and trouble free. Love this car
I just did a 1,000 mile oil and filter change on a 2022 Highlander after a 20 year hiatus from DIY maintenance. Your videos relit the fire and got me back on the straight and narrow path of car care. Thanks for the videos! They are instructional and motivational. Warm regards. David
Here's something that might interest you for the fix for the "sticky dash" issue. I bought a 2007 LS460 in November 2021 (after the valid cut off date of March 31, 2021 for the program recall) and was looking for a solution to fix the stickiness. After much research, I came across a product out of Australia call "Sticky Dash Fix" and decided to try it out. I had some gashes which I filled in on both the dash and door panel / lower dash areas with a rubber type product called "Sugru". You can get both colors for upper and lower dash / door panel areas. In my case I got brown for dash and beige for lower dash / door panel areas. After the sugru cured, I painted the Sticky Dash Fix with foam brushes, foam roller and small painter type brushes. All in it cost under $100. After completed job, the dash is no longer sticky - even after the present record breaking hot temps found down her in south Louisiana!! Didn't even have to tape off any areas!! Just a slow steady hand! I realize this isn't mechanical in nature, but just thought I would pass it along!! Great Channel you have! Keep up the good work!!
Sugru may be pricey, but it works and lasts unlike epoxy putties that tend to be brittle and break up with vibration. I fixed my lady friend's ski tip delamination with it and she has had two more seasons out of them.
Wow....I bought an 07 on March 30th no lie 2021....I called Lexus and they could do nothing about it....My dash is just fine but I have some stickiness on the front door handles only. The car was actually not to bad. But this is huge.....I was afraid I was going to need to buy new door panels if I really wanted to fix this issue. My biggest issue is the vinyl on the roof drip rails peeled off....but I'm going to try this....
My 2011 LS is close to 400K miles I’m constantly leaking coolant. That explains so much. That’s my only problem with my Lexus constantly pouring coolant in the winter months.
Dealer after Dealer , an upset customer and still not fixed right and this man Mr CCN in 5 min knew what was wrong with mysterious coolant loss ... What a Genius and a Pro ! 👌👌👌
On a 2012 GX I found the pink residue on two plastic heater hose “T” fittings at the rear passenger side of the engine compartment. I replaced both of the T fittings - the old ones were very brittle I discovered upon removal. Thanks for the informative video.
One of the best resources for honest repair information on toyota/lexus products as well as tips and tricks for the DIY crowd, so glad I found your channel AMD.
I cry seeing these videos. People living close by are so damn lucky! I will attempt a drive from down here in Houston to get my car checked out by this miracle of a human being.
Great video! AMD did a door lock replacement on my LS430 recently…can’t even tell the door panel was removed. Works great--I feel like I have a luxury car again just in having working door locks!
I love the line, "This is what we signed up for." Bingo! I am just a DIY but I learned from my mechanic brother that when you have a difficult repair, just do it. Otherwise you have no business being a mechanic.
Every time I went to the lexus dealership it was going to a mad scientist! And the price for service shocked me! I would rather set at my local mechanic in the small town that I live! I asked my mechanic before I bought my lexus which I have 2 can he work on a lexus? His reply was priceless! He said, my wife drives a convertible jaguar! So yes, I can work on anything! When you have a mechanic you can trust it is like Christmas!
Lighting suggestion: you have a very bright background with the white walls. To offset that situation, the subject (the engine in this case) needs to be illuminated with a brighter light such as a spot light or under hood bar light. Your handheld flashlight isn't enough. Also for spotting items, use a red laser pointer or a long screwdriver. Videos are great, just a few pointers to improve visual presentation.
I've worked for Lexus for over 30 years and this problem is easily missed when you aren't looking for it. I have been checking every one of these engines with a bore scope to verify they are not leaking. They will loose all the coolant before any signs appear under the car. The first sign is the heater stops working then the a/c shuts off. I had a car come in that another dealer said "no problem found" the customer drove until it wouldn't move. It got so hot that the intake manifold and the knock sensors melted. The total bill to repair it was 37 thousand dollars. The factory did end up covering the repair because of the failure diagnosing the leak in the first place. The LS460 is an amazing piece of engineering and if well maintained should continue to be a good reliable automobile. Just make sure the people maintaining your car know everything that can go wrong with the car so they know what to look for.
@@Mabeylater293 They may have improved the sealant on the valley plate but this engine and all of its variants still has it glued in place and is a potential failure.Its easy to monitor the coolant level and if it starts to loose coolant the first place i would inspect is the valley plate.
Had a 2011 LS 460 got used from a dealer. After driving it for 500 miles was hearing a clunk sound found out all the upper and lower control arms were bad which I found out was a common problem with the control arms from that time period. They quoted me 7k to fix it. The parts alone were like 5k total. Couldn’t believe how expensive control arms are. Lucky the dealer took the car back and ended up getting a Corolla for my son.
❤ your videos, I have had Lexus ES’s 350 since 2008. Had 3 of them. . My wife has a 13. And I bought a 13 Benz E350….it has been a good car, 125k, but every time I drive my wife’s car, I wish I had bought a Lexus. I am now looking for a 12-14 LS, in blue or Red….We are going to be a Lexus family again. I love your honesty and presentation…keep it up.
A great detailed explanation of a common fault with that type of engine, I drive the 2.2 RAV4 diesel and for some reason the inside of one of the rotors has worn thin as usual a delay in parts reaching the garage so on foot for a couple of days, love your work and I’m delighted for you keeping us informed
Yes the lexus ls430 is the best car ever made and I have one with almost 500000 kms and still kicking in dubai hot weather, I recommend lexus ls430 for every one who wants a reliable and a headache free car, the ls430 will last for a long time with a proper maintenance 🌹🌹
WOW !! ... thank you for a terrific presentation on the 460 ... FWIW, we own an '06 LS 430 Base Model - bought 3 1/2yrs ago with 95k miles - now at 137k - yes, we have pulled some maintenance, but all wear items - this is a dandy car! ... Keep your channel going!
AMD, this is so interesting, we have a 2007 LS 460 L that we love, we purchased it about 7 years ago and fixed everything that it needed at that time including new bumpers front and rear, and repair of the cd player. the car now has about 90k miles and has been so trouble free, I exercise the air suspension monthly with cycling it through its three modes and also to high ride height. I also use only synthetic oil and have the battery replaced every three years, Lexus dealer said to do this because of all the electronics.
Agree with the suggestion to keep OEM wipers and just replace the blades…have done that in our Prius since they have strange designs that aftermarket don’t fit well (and they last 2-3 times longer!)
@Colarado Boo some people don’t like aftermarket stuff, and I get it. I go aftermarket for a lot of things, but stuff like Oxygen sensors, Thermostats, etc, you want to buy those O.E.M. I use silicone advantage wiper blades for my 16 year old Matrix, & it’s the best pair of wipers I’ve ever had. No more replacing wipers every year. You can’t change my mind on silicone wiper blades. They are fabulous, especially combined with Rain-X glass cleaner & rain repellent. You can’t buy silicone wiper blades at auto parts stores though, get them online in the right size for your car.
@@Blakecryderman7244 Scotty Kilmer has said thing about silicone wiper blades that you have. He says that wiper blades need some frequent maintenance consisting of cleaning the edge of the blade with a paper towel and water.
I love wipers that take inserts. Still have the factory wipers on my Honda and replace just the inserts every year. Much better than the aftermarket wipers.
The mechanic changed out my original 2015 Lexus rx350 wipers. I didn't realize at the time about the inserts. One of the wipers flew off while driving in the rain. Had to replace it. Now, I think I should search for the original wipers to replace these. Too many dishonest mechanics. I will search using the great parts video CCN provided for us. Anyone have suggestions.
@@wildhorses6817 yeah, many don't know about them... You have to get them from the dealer usually, so no independent shop will usually replace wiper inserts. I would see if you can find used ones, or if you want new ones go search a dealer parts catalog... Not every dealer sells parts online though, so you have to search.
Great video AMD. Honest mechanic and there are very few of them in today’s world! After watching this I now have More reasons to love and keep my 2002 ES300 !!
Also a relatively common problem with 2010-2012 GX460s. No fun! It started happening to a lot of them when they were low miles, too, so I think it's an assembly defect rather than an age issue. The problem happens much less often on GXs after 2012.
I’ve got a 430 and a 460, your comment near the end is interesting to say the least. The 460 is light years ahead in performance, but the 430 is a better car. Cars aren’t really getting better, they’re just getting fancier. I had a 2022 truck that I sold this year because the electronic “features” were actually iPhone/infotainment nonsensical nightmares. The American consumer is a strange animal. I know. I’ve been one all my life!
Great video on the Valley Plate leak, I own a 2012 LS460L with 98,000 miles on it and the valley plate is leaking coolant and i was going to tackle the job myself, as i am a Certified Aircraft Mechanic, and by chance did you make a video with the removal and assembly of the whole process for the Valley Plate, which will facilitate my efforts. Thanks Henry
Henry did you ever replace your valley plate that was leaking? If so how did it go? Was there anything you had to do to it that may had harm any sensors while the plate was leaking? Thanks 😊
Hello again Mr. Car Care. Thank you again for another GREAT video, as ALWAYS. Unfortunately in life, not all mechanics are created equal. Some of them are lazy. It would be nice if all mechanics are like you, highly ethical and extremely knowledgeable of your crafts. Best of all, you enjoy of what you are doing & sharing. I have a 2004 Lexus LS 430, in pearl white with tan leather interiors. My car is in excellent condition, even much better condition than the one currently in your shop. I always have it serviced at my local Lexus dealership and always use OEM parts. I plan to keep this car and drive it until it can longer can drive. I currently have about 235,000 miles on it, but it still drives like a new car, super smooth and super quiet. Both interior and exterior are almost like new. My local Lexus dealer asks to buy it every month. I plan to replace the front & rear suspensions (struts, springs, upper & lower control arms, inner & outer tie rods, ball joints, cross links, bushings for cross bar) with all OEM parts. I wish that I live near your state, so I can drive there to have you work on this job. You are the best of the best. Best of luck with your new shop. This channel will hit 1 million subscribers very soon. Keep up the GREAT work, and thank you for sharing.
Hello, regarding LS430 mirror, as I remember, you need to open that case, than you will see the lock ring, problem is, the ring came off the cylinder (guide), so you will need gently drill this cylinder, making 2 holes in it, then put a ring on top, press it down hard and insert 2 custom pins into these two holes. Be careful not to cut the wiring!
Hello AMD, I really enjoy listening to the Q&A sessions. Generally I listen while I'm doing something else, driving, etc. Have you ever thought of posting the audio to a podcast site for those of us that listen instead of watch? I just think that those sessions would make an excellent podcast! Thank you for all you do for the Toyota community!
One of the advantages of the pink Toyota coolant is that crust it forms. Highly visible - unless it's buried like in this vid. It helped me spot an impending water pump failure on an 07 Camry because of the small amount of dried coolant leaving a stain on the engine.
As always good honest content on the heat exchanger valley plate leaking coolant. I like how stated head gasket or heat exchanger leaking? even thought you had a strong experience possibility it was the heat exchanger leaking, you recommended to remove the intake manifold to confirm first before guessing and throwing parts at it which is not the right thing to do- no parts changers to see what sticks here-keep up the good honest diagnostic work.
This is the same problem that the ISF, GSF, RCF runs into as well. They're solid engines except for this easy to miss problem. They are commonly known as the valley plate leak. The early ISF models from 08 - 10 seems to suffer from it more often than later years, GSF and RCF seems to be less but there are some cases. It happens to low milage earlier ISF owners and those who didn't have the problem early on caught it later on milage. Owners suspect that Lexus used a lesser quality sealent that caused it to deteriorate over time. I used to own an 08 ISF I purchased from a Missouri dealership and drove back to Minnesota in the summer about 3 years ago. It wasn't until the fall of the first year of my ownership that I noticed that the heat wasn't blowing as hot as it's suppose to. I check my coolant and it was low, refilled it and drove for 2 weeks, checked coolant again and it was low again. I suspected the valley plate leak so I purchased a borescope to look underneath the intake to verify that it was indeed the leak. The fix is a simple, but a time consuming job that I had no problem doing but my wife wanted a new car for our growing family so we traded the car in at the local dealership for a 2021 Sienna.
Wasn't the valley plate leaked fixed on the 2010+s? I got a 2022 IS500 the last of th 2URGSE era & was wondering. Nonetheless I love the raw V8 Lexus refinement I had a STI before & do not miss it.
@@moonman_8935 it was fixed on the 2010s but there were still few cases last I read about it. It wasn't as common on the 10s and up compared to the 08s and 09s. Yeah I loved my 08 even with the leak problem. I had an ap1 S2k before owning the ISF. Loved every bit of that car. I will most likely get another one once my kids grow older. 😁
Thank you! Have a 2012 LS460L with only 65000 miles and debating if it's time to let it go. I usually go 10 years. But this one has been exceptionally trouble free. Only issue now is a leak of refrigerant of the rear unit. 2000$ repair according to the shop so I had them plug the line that goes to the rear unit instead. Seeing this now, maybe I'll let it go.......
Consumer reports has data for the 2011+ years and they really are bulletproof. Perfect marks in almost every category expect for the suspension and the brakes.
Oh.... Thank you for the info. Was lucky enough to find one without the air suspension, so I guess that leaves the brakes. But they've only been replace once and we don't drive much! I appreciate!
very, very insightful analysis and I have a Lexus LS 460 2010, recently change all spark plugs with 8 Bosch Double Iridiums, replaced upper and lower control arms front and rear 8, 4 wheel alignment, oil change
Valley plate leaking is common to all 2UR platforms. Same bad design, should have been friction welded at the factory, but regardless, the IS F, RC F, and likely the GS F will all suffer this same problem. I fixed mine myself to ensure it was not done in a hurry by a flat rate technician. In the IS F community we have seen everything from small leaks like mine to a fully flooded valley with crusty pink residue thick enough to require extensive cleaning before removing the valley plate itself. I am an owner, not a tech, but I've built a lot of engines for street and competition. It's not difficult, but it is a tedious job and it can be fraught with peril if you are not extremely careful removing the injector connectors. Some have had to buy new injectors when the dealership tech was too exuberant and broke the connection at the Direct Injector causing the repair bill to skyrocket (DI units are not at all cheap). I replaced the connector bodies on the harness that broke (half of them, strangely only the gray ones broke, not the black ones), and was able to do other maintenance while in there. Again, tedious, but not difficult, and you would be foolish to follow the factory service manual to the letter. You'll be removing a lot of things that don't need to be removed at all, and you're far better off not removing them especially on high mileage units because the plastics get extremely brittle. IMHO, if you can visually discern the difference between #1, #2, and #3 phillips screwdrivers, you can probably do this yourself in a day.
Valley plate leak - also effects the 2URGSE V8 in the IS-F, GS-F, RC-F and IS500. If your car is older let the dealer handle it - all the plastic turns to glass and is going to break.
I had to replace the passenger front door lock actuator on one of my LS430's. While it was a bit of a pain getting it out and back in, it wasn't too difficult. I've also done the same on my wife's GX470.
Wow great video! This is also a very common problem on the Lexus f 5.0 engines. I could probably send you all of the isf, rcf, Gsf, lc500, and is500 owners that have this issue. Luckily dealer repaired mine at 60k, but wish I knew the heat exchanger was recommended to replace due to possibility of cracking, but seriously, the f community could learn from this video.
@@repairvehicle true this is probably the biggest issue I've seen with these engines even when being punished with nitrous and forced induction superchargers they are going to 200-300k. The 8 speed is pretty bulletproof as well, not a dct, but with locking torque converter still quite fun and reliable! Car care nut nailed it with this problem, its probably the biggest issues with the 5.0 engines that are similar in design with the valley plate he is showing here. Still not sure what a 100% fix as sealant is being used to seal the plate rather than a gasket. I wished a lived closer to this guy, hard to find good techs nowadays or at least good techs with all of the history and experience this guy has.
@@jk_isf sealant instead of a gasket???? You mean to tell me that’s all Lexus had to do to prevent this from happening in the first place????!!!!!!! Something tells me that was a management decision not an engineering one. TOYOTA NEEDS TO FIRE THAT MANAGER ASAP!!
Thank you for this video. I have a 2012 LS 460. So far no problem with it. I was wondering if you can talk about the brake actuator. I hear that they go out on these cars and would like to know the symptoms before they go out to avoid any problems.
Have you seen this problem in the 3UR-GSE, the engine powering the ISF, GSF, RCF, and LC500? Also, broken radiators are a common problem for the LX570. The area between the neck of the radiator and the tag are prone to cracking in the OEM plastic radiators. Are you seeing this in other V8 Toyotas and Lexus'? Great content.
@@prietos_chanel Good to know. I have an LX570 that I am sure has this problem and I also have a 2009 IS-F that I suspect, may have the same problem. Thank you
In late 2019 I bought a 2014 LS 460 CPO RWD with 43M miles. I also purchased a 5 year transferable unlimited mileage warranty from the dealership that expires in 6/25. I have had the car religiously maintained by the dealership. Due to Covid my annual mileage needs declined to about 6M miles per year. Fast forward to 2024 I have 73M miles and have not had to put any additional $$$ into it other than oil changes and new tires. It's been a joy to drive, I love it. I have had none of the issues, wind noise etc. as well as the issues AMD has cautioned about associated with this LS generation. Evidently I likely will have available to me to extend the after market warranty. My question is am I looking a gift horse in the mouth in considering continuing to own this car after 10 years?
I just had the infamous valley plate leak on my '11 GX repaired at a local Lexus shop. 114k miles. Noticed I was topping off the reservoir every month and found slight seepage of antifreeze by the transmission bell housing.
AMD congratulations 🎈 on your new shop I lost track of you I guess because of settings on my Phone I’m so happy watching this video you continue to share very useful information and show us how to find common issues and ways to deal with them 👏🏻 bravo This is a 10 star video ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Best wishes always from Las Vegas Craig
I’ve always been a fan of the 460, love the styling. That said, I know the can be expensive to maintain since IMO is the LS that most resembles an S Class in tech, suspension, and everything else.
Light, LIGHT, and more light! A penlight ain’t gonna cut in in a purpose built shop and 300k RU-vid subscribers. Check out Rainman Rays Repairs. His camera angles and lighting are phenomenal
I wasn't a fan of the LS430 3UZ-FE timing belt, I've always wanted it to be a chain. I thought the LS460's1UR-FE was better because of the timing chain, but after watching this episode I think I'll keep my 3UZ-FE. Also, I heard the early years of the LS460 had problems with the unit that replaced the brake booster and it is very expensive as well.
We have had both. At least in our case, the 430 proved far more reliable than the 460. So we sold the 460 and just have the 430 (and a 4Runner) now ... very very few trips to the mechanic needed. The 430 is a lot easier to fiddle with yourself, too ... try changing the spark plugs on a 460 in your driveway ... yikes!!!
The reason you replace a water pump is not only leaks. Usually the belt which turns the pump goes from one side of the pulley, this puts uneven pressure on the pulley bearing and wears it. This can start a week after you do a major work in that area and you'll be sorry for not replacing the pump when you could. If you need to replace a timing belt, usually it's a good practice to replace the water pump as well, even if it's not leaking or making noises.
Great Video, need more light to show the engine valley. Always enjoy ur stuff. Just sure now should I buy a Lexus or an imported Prius prime here in Australia. Keep up the good work
So, as great as the LS-460 with the 1UR engine is, the moral of the story is ... get yourself an ES, IS, or GS with a good Toyota/Lexus V6 if you want something that's going to be more reliable and maybe a bit less costly to maintain and repair.
@@raymondcanessa7208 True, most reliable of all will be the 4 cylinder engines. But I was talking about Lexus cars. But, the current Corollas are fairly nice and smooth cars, as well as supremely reliable.
My brother is a retired master michanic and he always says the "technicians" at dealerships are not michanics, they're just part changers. And I've seen that myself whever I've taken my Lexus/Infiniti cars to dealers which were under warranty.
And the reason for a soft door lock is????? All the cars/trucks/suv's I have owned ALL the doors took hardly any pressure to close. I suppose someone with severe arthritis may need this as a feature but until I saw your video I never knew there was such a thing. See, I learn something all the time. May I add why do you need Direct Injection when Port Injection works just fine? My 18 RAV4 XLE Hybrid just has the Port Injection and runs perfectly. I don't get some of this stuff., sorry.
@@repairvehicle Fuel economy has more to do with how one drives. As far as more money for repairs with dealer-BINGO! Isn't it amazing if there fix doesn't solve the problem there is no refund-Hmmmmmm!
I'm having the same problem with my gx460. After about a month I'm down about a cup of coolant. Radiator has been replaced and hoses are in good shape.
If you look under the car by the transmission bell housing, sometimes, you can see the residue of coolant in that area as it leaks towards the back area if it's bad enough.
I have a lexus ls430 2001 with 350,000 miles original starter and alternator. Original engine and transmission. I had the radiator replaced at 250000 miles. I have had the timing belt pulleys serpentine belt spark plugs replaced every 100,000 miles. Just replace the fluids and brake pads regular maintenance. Every mechanic that has worked on my ls430 2001 said that it will easily go over 500,000 miles if I continue with the maintenance. These ls430 are bullet proof cars best car I have ever owned.
Had the opportunity to get ones of these quite cheap a few years ago but went A8 instead…..lesson learnt…sworn off German cars for good (car was brilliant, but even maintenance was scary)
Re the water pump replace-it-while you're there or leave it be decision @06:12 that everybody has had to make type enigma. I had my 2002 V6 Camry in the shop and asked the guy to change the CV drive-axles. He told me he thought they didn't need changing, thus confirming my trust in this mechanic that I had already before) but I told him change them anyway. At 150,000 miles it was an easy decision. And IF and only if it was CarCareNut asking me the water pump decision, I'd tell him to change it based on mileage. Because I know CCN is using OEM water pump and he'll do it right. Almost any other mechanic who asked me the same question I'd tell them to leave it be. If I don't know the skills of the mechanic already, I generally assume they barely know one end of a wrench from the other and so the less things they touch is the fewer things they'll screw up. Ask me how I know -
