Engine Rattle On Acceleration

starkey444 · January 30, 2007

You bright guys might be able to give some advice here.

I have an IS200 SE on a 2000 (W) reg.

Running fine, no issues with it at all.

Recently put it into the dealer for a 100k major service and cambelt change.

The day after the service, I was motoring down the M4, down sliproad at J4, stopped at traffic lights, car engulfed in steam. Temp gauge high. Engine off quickly . Mild panic. Calmed down. Lifted bonnet, waited for steam to clear.

Radiator empty.

Then I noticed it - telltale grooves around the hose between Rad and water pump BUT NO HOSE CLIP!!

No sign of clip either. Called Lexus. Not happy bunny. How could they leave clip off when reassembling car?

Found 5 litre water can, topped up, drove car slowly to Lexus, checking temp gauge all the way.

Arrived Lexus, they drain system - refit hose clip - refill system. All ok. Supposedly.

Now here's the weird bit. Ever since that episode I have had a rattle from the engine while under acceleration. Sounds a bit like 'pinking'. Some clues...

- only happens on acceleration

- only happens when engine under load (eg pulling away) - ie doesn't happen if I just sit there and rev the engine.

- worse (louder) rattlling when engine is cold in the morning.

- can't hear it when cruising.

Car is back in with Lexus today - they called me to say mechanic cannot hear the rattle when out on road. I'm not impressed. Must be same mechanic who can't fit hose clip

Getting them to look at it tomorrow.

My worry - could the rattle be engine damage (eg little end bearing) caused by the short period of overheating?

My BIG worry - I'm driving to Paris next week with kids and DON'T need a major engine failure en route.

Any of you have any thoughts? If there IS engine damage, can I link it to the overheating or are Lexus likely to say its a massive coincidence? Who knows.

Anyone got any bright ideas about what the problem might be? I'm sure Lexus wil be very accomodating tomorrow when I pick car up. But if not, I may need advice.

???

Chris

Unregistered_User · January 30, 2007

Don't mean to be blunt, but could it be the hose clip do you think? Or is it not that sort of rattle. Don't know if you would hear a hose clip in the 'bay, but I suppose it depends where it is and if it's in an audible place.

J

starkey444 · January 30, 2007

Don't mean to be blunt, but could it be the hose clip do you think? Or is it not that sort of rattle. Don't know if you would hear a hose clip in the 'bay, but I suppose it depends where it is and if it's in an audible place.
J

Hi Jammy.

Can't rule it out, but the noise sounds too regular. I'd expect a hose clip knocking about to be a little more random. Not only that, I'd expect to hear the hose clip rattle at other times. I only get it on pulling away when the engine is under load.

Chris

lexicon · January 30, 2007

I doubt you'd hear a hose clip if it was just rattling about the engine bay - they only use the sprung metal type and there's hardly any mass to them.

Hard to see why a short overheat would give you those symptoms though - was it OK just prior to the "incident"?. The thing that would be bothering me was did the same mechanic do the cambelt?

If you can, take the mechanic/service manager out to demonstrate the problem and make it clear you're not very happy.

A numpty mistake like that should be worth some goodwill on their part.

starkey444 · January 31, 2007

I doubt you'd hear a hose clip if it was just rattling about the engine bay - they only use the sprung metal type and there's hardly any mass to them.
Hard to see why a short overheat would give you those symptoms though - was it OK just prior to the "incident"?. The thing that would be bothering me was did the same mechanic do the cambelt?

If you can, take the mechanic/service manager out to demonstrate the problem and make it clear you're not very happy.

A numpty mistake like that should be worth some goodwill on their part.

Yes the car was fine before the cambelt was fitted. The 'incident' happened a day after the cambelt replacement. So difficult to tell whether the 'rattle' happened as a result of the cambelt work, or as a result of the overheat. Either way, the rattle wasn't there before so I still blame the rattle on something Lexus have done.

To be fair, the dealer did offer a discount on a future service as a gesture towards the inconvenience I suffered. But that was before I had then spent a couple of weeks trying to work out where the rattle was coming from. Initially I just thought it was something loose (maybe glove compartment or behind dash) but after a while it became clear it was something in the engine bay on acceleration, and more likely it was the engine itself. That's why I booked it in again, (along with an MOT and shock replacement) to investigate the rattle.

I'm hoping their goodwill will extend to paying for all the labour and any damage that needs to be fixed as a result of the rattle PLUS some goodwill for the previous inconvenience. Let's see whether they live up to their heady JD Powers/Top Gear placing!!

javaboss · January 31, 2007

I know this sounds bonkers, but try switching off the air con + fans when you accelerate. My first IS had an issue where the aircon pipes 'rattled' when the car was under load. You could replicate it easily by driving up a steep hill... My current IS does it but not nearly as bad... if you switch off the aircon/fan it stops!

Just a thought and might be worth playing with....

tdiplc · January 31, 2007

I suggest you have it checked by another garage before you attempt to use it for a long run.

If the engine has overheated it is more likely to have suffered piston damage tha bearing damage.

Good luck :)

starkey444 · January 31, 2007

I suggest you have it checked by another garage before you attempt to use it for a long run.
If the engine has overheated it is more likely to have suffered piston damage tha bearing damage.

Good luck :)

Cheers for all the advice. Lexus called me today to say that the mechanic still couldn't hear the rattle. So both the Service Manager and the Foreman took it for a drive and neither could hear it either!!

So I'll be collecting it tomorrow to see if the noise has miraculously gone of its own accord.

Or maybe they switched off the aircon (as suggested by javaboss)

Let's see what happens next!

starkey444 · February 1, 2007

The story is concluded.

Lexus maintained they couldnt hear rattle

So went to pick up car and drive it for myself - guess what, no rattle!!

Now here's the conundrum - did the rattle miraculously and coincidentally disappear at exactly the point when I left the car at the garage (after 3-4 weeks of daily rattling)

OR, did Lexus do a crafty on me, knowing I'd link the rattle to the overheat, so they fixed it then make out they can't hear it - by doing this they wouldnt have to admit, either now or in the future that there was ever a problem. Who knows. I could cynically choose to believe the latter, but that would be tantamount to accusing them of deceit.

So lets choose to believe the rattle went of its own accord.

I need to give the dealer some credit - they did indeed offer some goodwill after the inconvenience they caused me when the engine overheating as a result of their unfinished cambelt job. They dropped the labour charges when sorting out a new rear shock.

So, car seems fine. But mystery still surrounds the rattle. Where did it come from. And where did it go. We'll never know.

spikes · February 1, 2007

The story is concluded.
Lexus maintained they couldnt hear rattle

So went to pick up car and drive it for myself - guess what, no rattle!!

Now here's the conundrum - did the rattle miraculously and coincidentally disappear at exactly the point when I left the car at the garage (after 3-4 weeks of daily rattling)

OR, did Lexus do a crafty on me, knowing I'd link the rattle to the overheat, so they fixed it then make out they can't hear it - by doing this they wouldnt have to admit, either now or in the future that there was ever a problem. Who knows. I could cynically choose to believe the latter, but that would be tantamount to accusing them of deceit.

So lets choose to believe the rattle went of its own accord.

I need to give the dealer some credit - they did indeed offer some goodwill after the inconvenience they caused me when the engine overheating as a result of their unfinished cambelt job. They dropped the labour charges when sorting out a new rear shock.

So, car seems fine. But mystery still surrounds the rattle. Where did it come from. And where did it go. We'll never know.

may be your car was pretending to be one of the new IS's