Engine Rattle

[esp]

Hi ladys and Gents I started my IS200 tonight to go home from Work and the engine sounded like it had a Tin Can rattling very loud around the engine this stopped after about 2 mins and engine was smooth again any ideas what this could be. also there was no loss of power and everything was normal when i drove it home.

[texpilot]

Hi Matthew,

Did this ever happen again for you? Did you find a resolution? My car just did the very same thing when I went to leave this morning. Hadn't been run for 4 days (had the flu over New Years', sux), with overnight temps around 30F (-1C) every night.

I only left mine running for a couple of seconds at a time for three start attempts, as it sounded so bad I didn't want to leave it running. Obviously you had a bit more pressure to leave it running (gotta get home from work somehow!). My oil is due for a change (I use full synthetic Mobile1 and change it every 8K or 10 months, whichever comes first), but it still looks fine (nice caramel color), though it does look to be a little low (it's right in the middle in between the two dots on the dipstick).

My car is a 2005 IS300 US-model with 66,000 miles on it. No repair issues with it to date (it's been a dream, love it).

I'm thinking I'll wait until the afternoon when it will be warmer and try it again. I'll post the results after doing so.

Thanks gang,

Terry

[texpilot]

FYI gang, the car is fine. I rolled it out of the garage and into the sun and let it sit for a few hours to warm up the engine bay. When I attempted to start it, it was difficult to start (didn't start until the third try). It ran a tad rough for about 10-15 seconds, and even lugged a bit, idling way lower than normal. But after running a bit, it ran fine.

So, lesson learned -- don't let that girl sit without running in freezing temps for 6 days or so (I was wrong, it wasn't 4 days, it was 6). Should I be using an oil other than Mobile1 5W-30? The owner's manual calls for 5W-30 ...

Thanks in advance,

Terry

[steve2006]

The oil should be fine, one thing to check is the VVT oil filter this is often a missed service item and because the valve timing relies on good oil pressure this can be affected if this filter is partially clogged.

Either remove it and wash it out with petrol or preferably replace it, there only around £6.00 from Lexus.

[sjrainsford]

Where's the VVTi filter?

[texpilot]

Thanks Steve2006. Where is the VVT oil filter at? Cheap fix for a well running vehicle it sounds like. Thanks in advance.