I have a 2009 SL600hl, over the last couple of weeks the engine light has come on for a few days

and then stayed off for a few days only to come on again and repeat.......

What do owners think is the most likely problem developing?

Could the addition of ( a bit to much ) upper cylinder lubricant in the fuel tank lead to this?

Thanks in advance

12 minutes ago, colinfaeshetland said:

What do owners think is the most likely problem developing?

Rather then guessing best thing is to get the fault codes read.

Any meaningful help and advice can only be given if you have the OBD codes read and tell us what they are. Anything else is just complete guesswork.

1 hour ago, colinfaeshetland said:

I have a 2009 SL600hl, over the last couple of weeks the engine light has come on for a few days

and then stayed off for a few days only to come on again and repeat.......

What do owners think is the most likely problem developing?

Could the addition of ( a bit to much ) upper cylinder lubricant in the fuel tank lead to this?

Thanks in advance 

Yes if there is too much oil in the fuel or it has washed oil residue it may have slightly clogged the cat and be giving different readings on the lambda O2 sensors on the exhaust.

use a OBD11 to read the code causing it. If you have one.( cheap at toolstation)

I would be concerned If it doesn't clear on the next long run .

 

5 minutes ago, LexusRbest said:

1 hour ago, colinfaeshetland said:

I have a 2009 SL600hl, over the last couple of weeks the engine light has come on for a few days

and then stayed off for a few days only to come on again and repeat.......

What do owners think is the most likely problem developing?

Could the addition of ( a bit to much ) upper cylinder lubricant in the fuel tank lead to this?

Thanks in advance 

Yes if there is too much oil in the fuel or it has washed oil residue it may have slightly clogged the cat and be giving different readings on the lambda O2 sensors on the exhaust.

use a OBD11 to read the code causing it. If you have one.( cheap at toolstation)

I would be concerned If it doesn't clear on the next long run .

 

This is a good one to start with

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Fits-Toyota-RAV-4-OBD-OBD2-CAR-FAULT-CODE-READER-SCANNER-DIAGNOSTIC-TOOL-/153753302214?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&_trksid=p2349624.m2548.l6249&mkrid=710-127635-2958-0

Thanks for all the replies, further developments this morning...

Drove the car 100 yards this morning but had to limp home home on electric motor.

Restarted the car and took these photos, guess its a bit more than a duff 12 volt battery.

1 hour ago, colinfaeshetland said:

Restarted the car and took these photos, guess its a bit more than a duff 12 volt battery.

Sad to say but yes, it is.

If at all possible you need to get the codes read with Techstream, which is the very same diagnostic software used by the techs in the Lexus dealer workshops. A basic code reader like those mentioned above may not be able to read Lexus-specific codes to do with the hybrid system or, if it can, it may not be able to narrow it down far enough.

For example, code P0AA6 covers SIX problem areas so the sub-codes help to narrow it down. P0AA6-123* will point to one thing; P0AA6-124* will point to something else; P0AA6-125* to something else again and so on.

*Not actual sub-codes, but just for illustration.

If you have a Windows laptop (even an old one running Windows XP) you could buy one of these cables. They almost always come with a pirated copy of Techstream but as we can't be seen to condone software piracy, the correct way would be to freely and legally download it from here https://www.lexus-tech.eu/DiagnosticTools/Setup and pay for a block of time to use it (€5/day, €10/week). Either way, you'll still need that miniVCI cable.

I don't have the answer but my 2007 Ls600hl displayed the same message and went into limp mode.  I was on a 70 mph dual carriageway and 200 miles away from home and friendly dealer so I just hit the gas pedal harder and it eventually recovered.  Drove the 200 miles back home and took the car to my friendly Lexus dealer who could find nothing wrong with the car, no codes, just nothing.  This was last year and about 6000 miles ago and it had been running fine ever since.

5 hours ago, Herbie said:

Sad to say but yes, it is.

If at all possible you need to get the codes read with Techstream, which is the very same diagnostic software used by the techs in the Lexus dealer workshops. A basic code reader like those mentioned above may not be able to read Lexus-specific codes to do with the hybrid system or, if it can, it may not be able to narrow it down far enough.

For example, code P0AA6 covers SIX problem areas so the sub-codes help to narrow it down. P0AA6-123* will point to one thing; P0AA6-124* will point to something else; P0AA6-125* to something else again and so on.

*Not actual sub-codes, but just for illustration.

If you have a Windows laptop (even an old one running Windows XP) you could buy one of these cables. They almost always come with a pirated copy of Techstream but as we can't be seen to condone software piracy, the correct way would be to freely and legally download it from here https://www.lexus-tech.eu/DiagnosticTools/Setup and pay for a block of time to use it (€5/day, €10/week). Either way, you'll still need that miniVCI cable.

A friend is going to call around tomorrow with his autel code reader and see if he can call up any fault codes. No Lexus dealers in Shetland so fingers crossed, serviced by Lexus and hybrid battery checked last October prior to me purchasing her in November.

Just had her detailed, beautiful car when she moves.

2 minutes ago, colinfaeshetland said:

Just had her detailed, beautiful car when she moves.

 

She certainly is very, very nice.

1 hour ago, GEN said:

I don't have the answer but my 2007 Ls600hl displayed the same message and went into limp mode.  I was on a 70 mph dual carriageway and 200 miles away from home and friendly dealer so I just hit the gas pedal harder and it eventually recovered.  Drove the 200 miles back home and took the car to my friendly Lexus dealer who could find nothing wrong with the car, no codes, just nothing.  This was last year and about 6000 miles ago and it had been running fine ever since.

I couldn't be that lucky. This happened to me from cold start first thing in the morning.

25 minutes ago, colinfaeshetland said:

No Lexus dealers in Shetland so fingers crossed

I believe there is a Toyota dealer, maybe they could help.

Why would you put any kind of upper engine lubricant in a Lexus engine unless it had done a million miles.

Lexus engines are renowned for their reliability and highly engineered working surfaces so you could have identified the issue by causing it.

1 hour ago, ambermarine said:

Why would you put any kind of upper engine lubricant in a Lexus engine unless it had done a million miles.

Lexus engines are renowned for their reliability and highly engineered working surfaces so you could have identified the issue by causing it.

I understand and agree with your engineering statement Phil but I don't think it's the problem. I would imagine that to throw either an engine code or an emissions code, not bring up a hybrid system message.

Whatever it is, I hope it's not a very expensive fix for Colin.

3 hours ago, ambermarine said:

Why would you put any kind of upper engine lubricant in a Lexus engine unless it had done a million miles.

Lexus engines are renowned for their reliability and highly engineered working surfaces so you could have identified the issue by causing it.

Was my question too Phil.

Friend arrived this evening and started the car, awful smell of petrol while the car warmed up, still with warning symbols on dash. Ran the code scanner and came up with....

The car spluttered and held back as i took her around the block but with no warning symbols on the dash, as she warmed up she started to run cleanly and the charge indicator for the hybrid battery rose to full charge.

I think my over generous application of upper cylinder lube could be the cause of this problem, unless the error codes indicate anything other. help Herbs.

3 hours ago, colinfaeshetland said:

I think my over generous application of upper cylinder lube could be the cause of this problem, unless the error codes indicate anything other

I think you could be right - or it's just one of those weird coincidences that happen occasionally.

P3190 means low engine power and the other two are self-explanatory. The good news is that, despite the dire warning about the hybrid system, it's quite unlikely to be that.

I haven't got a service manual for the LS600h but the RX450h manual has about 10 pages of stuff relating to P0172 and P0175, the first one of which is below showing possible problem areas, starting with the most likely. The first thing I'd do would be to clean the mass airflow sensor.

It does sound like it may already be sorting itself out so fingers crossed for you mate.

@GEN

Your car has a mind of it's own 🤣😂😅

5 hours ago, Herbie said:

I think you could be right - or it's just one of those weird coincidences that happen occasionally.

P3190 means low engine power and the other two are self-explanatory. The good news is that, despite the dire warning about the hybrid system, it's quite unlikely to be that.

I haven't got a service manual for the LS600h but the RX450h manual has about 10 pages of stuff relating to P0172 and P0175, the first one of which is below showing possible problem areas, starting with the most likely. The first thing I'd do would be to clean the mass airflow sensor.

It does sound like it may already be sorting itself out so fingers crossed for you mate.

Thank you very much for your help, it means a lot to an LS owner in the middle of the north sea....lol.

Cheers mate.

Took her for a long run yesterday, for most of it (for the first time) used the manual select/shift which allowed me to use more of the rev range and now the engine appears a lot less lumpy.

In auto the normal rev range on Shetland roads is 1000 - 2500, I think because of the extra upper lub added to fuel this helped clog a censor, injector or plug. 

No dual carriage ways or motorways on the island.

Thanks again all.

Hopefully that'll solve the problem Colin - and don't put any more lube in there 

Got a chance to remove and clean the maf sensors yesterday, what a very marked difference in overall performance. Engine light still on but i think that needs cancelled with a code reader (ordered one). Thanks again all.

Always great to hear a success story, well done mate