Bought An Is220D And It's Got A Huge Coolant Leak. Please Help.

newman2000000 · February 17, 2012

Hello,

New member and lexus owner.

Poured about 2 ltrs of antifreeze and then noticed it all gushing out underneath the car.

And is this a common problem that you are aware of.

Thanks to your replies in advance.

Newman.

steve2006 · February 18, 2012

Hello and welcome to the LOC.

As far as I am aware there should be no water supply going to the turbocharger as it is oil lubricated/cooled.

The most probable cause is failure of the head gasket and the escaping steam/water is leaving the engine via the exhaust and entering the TC.

There have been many serious reports of head gasket failure (and other problems) on these engines that Lexus have been rebuilding them.

How long have you had the car? If you bought from a dealer and you have only had it a few weeks take it back, if you bought private you have a lemon I'm afraid.

What ever the case you have serious problems which are going to cost serious money to repair.

If you have a cylinder compression tester I would start there but my money is on the head gasket.

As for the brakes this could be a seperate problem, if the pedal is very hard this would indicate a loss of brake servo vacuum, as this is a diesel engine the vacuum is supplied by a pump rather than the engines intake manifold vacuum as it is in a petrol engine. So check the pump and hoses.

newman2000000 · February 18, 2012

Thanks Steve,

Will go to a garage to diagnose.

steve2006 · February 18, 2012

If you know of a good independent garage they should be able to diagnose the problem but perhaps Lexus would be the best bet.

Just make sure you are sitting down when they come through with the diagnosis and the repair costs!

Please keep us updated what ever decision you come to.

fjcfarrar · February 18, 2012

Are you sure the seller is not a dealer. Someone who frequently advertises and sells cars "on the side" is still a dealer as far as refunds etc. are concerned and cannot fall back on "as seen & without warranty". He is responsible that it is roadworthy & fit for purpose unless sold for spares or with notified faults.

Otherwise, to get rid without fixing is surely going to be a problem unless you are prepared to lose badly or can persuade a genuine private seller to refund you on the basis that he could not have been unaware of a major fault he failed to mention.

steve2006 · February 18, 2012

Above advice is very true, was it definitely a private purchase?

newman2000000 · February 18, 2012

Will see what they diagnose.

mikeymo5 · March 13, 2012

Any update on this? I left my car in for a service (not Lexus) and said that i have a slight coolant leak and to keep any eye on it. My warranty runs out in a week or two and need to know whether to act fast.

normski2 · March 13, 2012

Any update on this? I left my car in for a service (not Lexus) and said that i have a slight coolant leak and to keep any eye on it. My warranty runs out in a week or two and need to know whether to act fast.

You would be wise to advise Lexus of this right now. Better to have proof of the occurence being advised to Lexus before the end of your warranty. You need to find where the coolant is leaking from. Check your oil filler cap for emulsified oil stuck inside the neck. Check your coolant expansion tank for oil contaminated water. The coolant should be a nice clean pinky colour.

There are some Head Gasket issues with the 220d, so much that Lexus have increased their warranty on this to 7 years or 110,000 miles. You can find much information by doing a search of the posts here ...... look for Head Gasket.