Lexus Is220 Head Gaskett Gone

[LisaDarren]

Hello,

We purchased our lexus in Feb last year so it is still within the 1yr warranty it came with from the dealer.

The car is just over 3yrs old and the fan started to make a very loud noise over Christmas so I took the car to the local dealer.

They have told me the Head Gaskett is about to go so the car has to go in be stripped down tomorrow. They tell me this is a known problem on the IS220 so there should be no problem getting this fixed through Lexus.

My previous car was an Alfa 156 and due to countless problems and huge amounts of money spent it was traded in for what I thought was going to be a very reliable Lexus.

I am now concerned my lovely car has been a bad purchase and I have now just gone from bad to worse in the car stakes.

Has anyone else heard of this problem in the Lexus 220s from 06-09 plate? Also does anyone else know of any known problems with this car that I have not been told about.

I have always wanted to own a lexus and I currently fell a little bit let down.

[Matus]

head gasket is problem mainly of wrong use of the driver. When the engine is cold, and without additional heater is the engine cold for long time during cold days, the headgasket can be very easily damaged when pressing too much on accelerator pedal.

In another words, when the engine is cold, the headgasket is not properly pressed between the block and head, and because of very high pressures in the cylinders the headgasket may move.

[fjcfarrar]

head gasket is problem mainly of wrong use of the driver. When the engine is cold, and without additional heater is the engine cold for long time during cold days, the headgasket can be very easily damaged when pressing too much on accelerator pedal.

In another words, when the engine is cold, the headgasket is not properly pressed between the block and head, and because of very high pressures in the cylinders the headgasket may move.

Sorry, but if a garage told me that my diesel head-gasket had failed because I had thrashed the car from cold, I would suggest they need help or were trying smoke & mirrors on me. If it were true, the country would be permanently littered with broken-down Transit vans.

[TigerFish]

Sounds odd to me that it is "about to go". If it was "about to go", it hasn't gone so there would be no difference with anything, if it "Had gone", then that is different. I would get a second opinion.

[Steve ( West Mids )]

Hi Lisa and welcome to LOC :)

Does sound strange. If the "fan" was making a noise could this either the belt slipping or the engine frozen. As Tiger says if they can tell when a head gasket is about to go then they are in the wrong business. Is this a Lexus dealer it went to? If not take it to one for a second opinion.

[Matus]

head gasket is problem mainly of wrong use of the driver. When the engine is cold, and without additional heater is the engine cold for long time during cold days, the headgasket can be very easily damaged when pressing too much on accelerator pedal.

In another words, when the engine is cold, the headgasket is not properly pressed between the block and head, and because of very high pressures in the cylinders the headgasket may move.

Sorry, but if a garage told me that my diesel head-gasket had failed because I had thrashed the car from cold, I would suggest they need help or were trying smoke & mirrors on me. If it were true, the country would be permanently littered with broken-down Transit vans.

the question is, which transit van makes 177hp out of 2.2litre diesel engine....

Anyway, the car is in the warranty, so Lisa, let them change the gasket and that't it.

However it doesn't change the fact, that headgasket problems are mainly caused by wrong usage of the car.

[mattc]

My first question is,

Why is the fan making a noise if the head gasket has gone?

If the head gasket goes you get a drop in coolant level, a drop in engine power, oil and water mixing. A head gasket is either broken or not.

As for not revvin when cold, thats not right. If the ehad gasket is not a good fit then you would get a car with no coolant in when left over night. A head gasket seals the join between the block and the head at all times even when cold, hence why the headbolts are torqued up, to sandwich the headgasket.

[Matus]

of course it seals all the time. If it wouldn't seal, you would not start.

All engine parts are torqued to degree, where they have minimal wear at the operation temperature.

Revving is not the main problem when cold engine. The real problem is high pressure in cylinders = high turbo boost. You can get full boost of turbo also at 2000rpm when you fully press the accelerator. And when is the engine cold, the headgasket may by literally blown out of its place.

[knitware]

Revving is not the main problem when cold engine. The real problem is high pressure in cylinders = high turbo boost. You can get full boost of turbo also at 2000rpm when you fully press the accelerator. And when is the engine cold, the headgasket may by literally blown out of its place.

I don't believe that. I need to see proof. And if it were the case then surly the would be some sort of electronic wizardry to stop over revving from cold etc.

[mattc]

Revving is not the main problem when cold engine. The real problem is high pressure in cylinders = high turbo boost. You can get full boost of turbo also at 2000rpm when you fully press the accelerator. And when is the engine cold, the headgasket may by literally blown out of its place.

I don't believe that. I need to see proof. And if it were the case then surly the would be some sort of electronic wizardry to stop over revving from cold etc.

I couldn't agree more, Knitware

So what you are saying is if I rev a car it will blow the headgasket out. What a load of old rubbish

[Matus]

So what you are saying is if I rev a car it will blow the headgasket out. What a load of old rubbish

maybe my english is not clear but obviously you don't understand, or don't want to.

forget about revs, it is not the main problem for the gasket (more for the sealing rings)

what I say is, if you demand high power out of cold engine (=full throttle even at low revs), you may blow the headgasket out if its place. This doesn't mean you will find it on your bumper, mate...it is enough to move couple of mm and this is enough to have it "gone"

I don't believe that. I need to see proof. And if it were the case then surly the would be some sort of electronic wizardry to stop over revving from cold etc.

some cars have it, but most don't...

[Swindon Andy]

I don't know about the Lexus engine, but the logic is sound. I do know chipped Cosworth engines used to blow head gaskets unless you let them warm up gently for a few minutes before putting your foot down.

[The-Acre]

I don't know about the Lexus engine, but the logic is sound. I do know chipped Cosworth engines used to blow head gaskets unless you let them warm up gently for a few minutes before putting your foot down.

All possibles, but to be told your head gasket is about to blow?

As other have said, it's either gone or it hasn't.

[Davison]

Im lead to believe head gasket will go as the cylinder head will heat up alot quicker then the block,

the expansion on the head cause gaps and therefore 'blows' the gasket.

[The-Acre]

Im lead to believe head gasket will go as the cylinder head will heat up alot quicker then the block,

the expansion on the head cause gaps and therefore 'blows' the gasket.

Makes sense. I suppose when you're not there listening to the conversation in the first place, and only getting it secondhand it's not so easy to comment.

[ormi]

Right dont listen to it's all your fault crap!!!!!!!!

It's a common fault!!!but it won't just need a gasket it'll need a block and head.the gasket shuffles and damages the block and head.I dont work for lex I work for Toyota but the 2.2 is used in the avensis and the auris and the rav 4.

(around before the is220)

The warranty on these have been extended to 7 years or 110k..

I have rebuilt more of these engines than a care to remember.

I've just finished a rebuild I'll post pics up of the damage that is caused....

Hope that helps mate and gets rid of all the it's your fault driving it hard in the cold crap!!!!!

[ormi]

Ps the gasket doesn't get damaged it's the block and head that get all the damage...

[Matus]

Right dont listen to it's all your fault crap!!!!!!!!

It's a common fault!!!but it won't just need a gasket it'll need a block and head.the gasket shuffles and damages the block and head.I dont work for lex I work for Toyota but the 2.2 is used in the avensis and the auris and the rav 4.

(around before the is220)

The warranty on these have been extended to 7 years or 110k..

could you pls post, or send me technical bulletin about this? (extended warranty etc)

thanks

[ormi]

to the above if you are in the toyota-lexus network check tots all the info you need is on their if your not in the network ie toyota/lexus main dealer im not allowed to post the bulletin as you should well know....

anyway heres a 60k old 55 plate auris 2.2

note the gasket is metal and theirs nothing wrong with it

the block damage

close up of the damage(no shuffle marks allowed at all)

head damage(if the gasket hadnt shuffelled the mark would be the same width all the way round any wider than 3mm wide and its scrap)

close up...note you cant skim these heads also the same applys the mark no wider than 3mm

....

i will say it again its not the drivers fault, full boost from cold wont do this either neither will giving the car a hard run......its a fault with the engines end of

[Matus]

head cracking / headgaskett problems result in general from wrong use of the driver, as I wrote above. You, as a mechanic should know this and not say that it is bull****, rather normally explain what is not publicly known - that toyota/lexus is probably keeping secret important information about their manufacturing fault.

If manufacturer made damaged parts (design problems / material problem / manufacturing problem) nobody can blame the driver, of course, and I did not want intend to.

Why is this information secret? I don't understand. Why it is not in VOSA? Is it legal? How many owners have already paid for the repair, because they don't know about manufacturers fault and do not service their cars in toyota/lexus network anymore?

BTW I am quite horrified about quality of toyota. So 2.2 DCAT has problem with the block and head, engine 1ZZ-FE (1.8vvti) had until 2005 serious problems with oil consumption due to design, My dads company owns Corolla Verso and Yaris - both had to get fixed bearings in the transmission with about 50.000kms on the clock. Then accelerator pedal problems, power steering, rear calipers, 5th injector, egr, dcat.... something's going wrong, don't you think?

[LisaDarren]

Thank you so much everyone for your help with this.

With the comments about the fault being down to the driver I can assure you I am a very good driver and currently do around 30k miles a year. I do not drive my car off from standing to hit 60 miles an hour as soon as some peopple do nor do I over rev my engine whilst stationary at traffic lights like some people do. I drive my car as it should be drivn and will continue to do so.

If over reving your car caused the head gasket to go then garages across Britain would be open 24hrs a day 7 days a week after some of things I see driving up and down the motorway.

The car has gone to a lexus dealer and it was the dealer that told me this was a recent known problem in the 06-09 plate 220d that they were aware of? They can't speak for all dealers.

The reason behind my questions was to find out if anyone else had had the same problem? i.e was it a more common problem across the UK or just locally to where I live.

I trust the dealer I use and they warned me about the problem as they know how many miles I do each week and they didn't want me drivng down the M1 to London one day and the car fail on me.

They have assured me even if my car wasn't under warranty they would do the work and when I receive my car back in a weeks time they say it will drive like new.

I am currnetly driving a brand new 220d which apparantly does not have this know fault and it drives just as mine did when I first picked mine up last February. So I am confident my car will come back to me as new.

So I go back to my original question - Does anyone know if this is an official known problem or not or will each dealership deal with the problem based on each case given to them?

So again thank you all for your comments I do value everyones opinion

[ormi]

As I have said it is a WELL known fault we have an other rav 4 in today that req this type of engine work.

I myself have done over 10 rebuilds on this type of engine and that's just me we have 8 other tecs who have prob done around the same..

I'm not just a sales man or a pen pusher spraffing I am a Toyota licenced tech..and have been for approx 5-6 years now..

[Matus]

if it is well known, send me the bulletin, pls. I want to have something in my hands if this problem occurs to me or my friends. That's all.

matuskoje(at)podvodnik.cz

PS: I don't live in UK

[lexus 220d /rav4t180]

Hello,

We purchased our lexus in Feb last year so it is still within the 1yr warranty it came with from the dealer.

The car is just over 3yrs old and the fan started to make a very loud noise over Christmas so I took the car to the local dealer.

They have told me the Head Gaskett is about to go so the car has to go in be stripped down tomorrow. They tell me this is a known problem on the IS220 so there should be no problem getting this fixed through Lexus.

My previous car was an Alfa 156 and due to countless problems and huge amounts of money spent it was traded in for what I thought was going to be a very reliable Lexus.

I am now concerned my lovely car has been a bad purchase and I have now just gone from bad to worse in the car stakes.

Has anyone else heard of this problem in the Lexus 220s from 06-09 plate? Also does anyone else know of any known problems with this car that I have not been told about.

I have always wanted to own a lexus and I currently fell a little bit let down.

[lexus 220d /rav4t180]

HI,l have an 07 is220d 49000 miles, with the head gasket gone. The car is booked in for jan 31st in lexus cardiff for re-build. lexus cardiff have agreed to repair, free of charge. Coolant all over engine and topping up every 2days.l am going to complain to lexus uk and ask for an extended warrenty.

l have a rav T180 which has the same engine. no problems at moment but had new water pump last week. The problems started 4 months after changed pump on my lexus,

Paul