Chuckie888

These engines (built in Poland) have a tendancy to blow head gaskets and warp the all-alloy engine. This will mean a new head & block if it happens. The gearbox noises may be clutch related and you will get the brush off. Variants of this ASIN gearbox are used in several Toyota products in the US (FJ Cruiser and Tacoma) and in a Cadilac. The stainless steel release bearing wears channels into the alloy release bearing shaft and makes movement jerky. You will notice a chattering noise from the footwell of the passenger compartment which disappears when you press the clutch. This is the bearing moving around because of excessive freeplay due to the wearing of the shaft. Sorry to put a dampner on your new purchase, but this is my experience. I won't be buying a manual Lexus again or a newish one for that matter. Toyota have lost their quality standards.

Make sure it is a 6 pin plug, not a 3 pin.

Are there signs of coolant leakage from the expansion tank near the radiator (f/n/s)? Is there a big whoosh when you take the cap off? Does it keep having a low level even though you top it up? (Due to excessive pressure caused by gas leakage and the relief valve activating)

I'd check if it under warranty as I'm not 100% that it is 100K.

joking my car no longer falls in the extended warranty period, although it is only 3 years old it has done a mammouth 132 000 miles.

thanks for the reply though

Blown Head Gasket? Should be a 7 year 100K warranty me thinks.

hi new to this forum so hello everyone,

recently bought a 2008 (57 plate) is220d, love the car,

the heaters aren't heating up until well into a journey when the engine is warm and the car is over 2000rpm, the engine temperature gauge is around half way but then will suddendly clime to high in the red and then the heaters work and the gauge drops to just over half and back up to high intermittently please tell me there is an easy fix!!!!!

You don't need to take off the console, the leather is on a plastic surround which just slots into place between the top piece and some placeholders. Just pull one end until it is free and the gently prise the rest.

You really need a manual as it is easier to do it after you take out the kneebags etc., but it is not impossible to do it with everything in-situ.

You need to get on your back and inspect the clutch mechanism. Mine had the specified tolerance of freeplay, but I adjusted it out as I would rather it release fully and vibrate than not vibrate and not release fully. I added a couple of washers to the connectors which seemed to have too much freeplay too (white plastic connector/stop) - the pedal is at an angle and so it seemed to me that too much freeplay would have a catapult effect.

This helped a bit but I noticed that smooth changes were not helped by the pedal arrangement - High clutch, medium brake and low accelerator, especially as you sit slight skewed due to the offset pedals (RWD). Therefore I decided to lower the clutch pedal stop height to the min amount so that it just a wee bit higher than the brake pedal.

I have these two adjustments to greatly alleviate the gear change problems I experienced.

I have yet to change the MTF to AMSOIL GL4 (gearchange is better in the warm, look at the leaver ball/socket as there is a lot of freeplay there too and check out the release bearing shaft on the gearbox which the Americans have a solution for. All this should have been done by my Lexus dealer of the local Toyota dealer where I bought it of course, but they are really stupid, in which case they really shouldn't be selling/servicing cars or they are liars.

Do you think you could write a tutorial on how to do it, as the thread is not very clear.

U could solve definitely the problem, closing all the circuit of EGR as i and Fonserg did and explain around here in the forum.. Your car will run much better.

EGR2? Do they mean the DPF? (D-Cat)

Work it out brim to brim as the computer id pessimistic (shows a lower MPG than actual), whereas most other brands are optimistic (show a higher MPG than actual). The gearing 1-2 is terrible. I have to rev to 3.5K in 1st for it to drop to 1800rpm in second (to keep the turbo working)

Hi, new to this forum so please bear with me.

Recently bought a IS 220d on a 56 plate and my MPG is very very low. I'm using it as a taxi in Sheffield which is very full of hills, which I know add to the problem but I have only been getting 23 mpg. I know that isn't right. All advice welcome and needed please. If I got over 30 mpg I would be fine with it but 23 mpg just isn't acceptable.

All makes and models have niggles, it's how these are sorted out by the dealerships. My experience has not been one of satisfaction as purported in the press. I and many others here just get lied to about there not being a problem with the gearchange/DMFs. Apparently, according to Lexus it is normal for the clutch to be jerky, not dis-engage, judder and the gears to crunch. It's a shame because it's a lovely car being spoiled by these problems. Things like the ergonomic deficiencies (position of cruise control stalk etc) can be overlooked, but major mechanicals, no.

Hello everyone,

I'm an owner of 2006 IS 220d and I'm very happy with it apart of one small but annoying problem - squeak from gear box lever (?). Sometimes when changing gear from 1st to 2nd you can hear annoying squeak. It was reported twice to Lexus dealer in Twickenham and it was repaired twice. Surprise, surprise it came back again. Car is still under warranty from dealer and on the last visit on the work report it say - no problem found, lubricated leather gear lever cover. Does anyone have any idea what to do now? What is the problem? Who to ring or e-mail?

Metal press stud on leather gaitor

Thank you for that.

Have you had the same problem?

I have to meet with test driver from service tomorrow to resolve the problem. I will be taking my movie clip with me which I recorded to proof it is happening too.

I will try your clue after my meeting with him, will see what he will tell me.

Hope it works because it is so annoying.

I only get it when reversing up my slightly inclined driveway. I just hold the lever and stud now to stop it. I don't know what else could be done except a little grease.

Hello everyone,

I'm an owner of 2006 IS 220d and I'm very happy with it apart of one small but annoying problem - squeak from gear box lever (?). Sometimes when changing gear from 1st to 2nd you can hear annoying squeak. It was reported twice to Lexus dealer in Twickenham and it was repaired twice. Surprise, surprise it came back again. Car is still under warranty from dealer and on the last visit on the work report it say - no problem found, lubricated leather gear lever cover. Does anyone have any idea what to do now? What is the problem? Who to ring or e-mail?

Metal press stud on leather gaitor

That's the clutch release mechanism not working correctly. Seems to be very common and not fixable by the numpties at Lexus or Toyota UK. Mine used to be pretty bad and caused gear crunching but I have adjusted it myself - the Lexus and Toyota Techs tell you it's not adjustable, but it is. I have detailed it elsewhere.

LOL! I'm getting around 40-42mpg on my 11 mile route to work. I'd probably be better off with a small capacity petrol turbo but company car rules dictate otherwise! In winter I was down to 32mpg at one stage and had to buy a seat warmer as the engine never got up to temperature and the 1200rpm idle annoys me so much I have do switch off the fan. I've never experience so many idiosyncratic features in a Japanese car and I've owned quite a few.

AISIN AY-6 box and may suffer from the same Release Bearing and Shaft scoring problems as well as too much lateral free play from the DMF. Jence a larger clearance is needed

Maybe because the engine has 'bed' in and the weather has warmed up. I noticed the strange characteristic of idling at @1200rpm when the heater is on until it is FULLY up to operating temperature. Maybe a 'de-coke' every now and then is worth doing using the Italian tuning method! LOL! 6 mins @ 3500rpm should do it.

I don't see the connection between the EGR and D-CAT(DPNR) as I understand there is a Pressure Differential Sensor which determines when to regenerate.

Wow! It's true! I tried this and now my windows ARE now working from the master console. Thanks Boris.

I still find it rather idiosyncratic though! The linked door operation again next me thinks.

It's an AISIN AY6 Box and I wonder if we are suffering from the release bearing shaft problem. I will investigate when I have a spare afternoon, but in the meantime I have adjusted out the freeplay from the clutch master cylinder (who cares if you can feel the vibrations) and lowered my pedal height so that it is easier to use as one of the problems is the respective pedal heights of the clutch (high), brake (medium) and accelerator (low). This, along with the RWD offset position, inhibits ease of use in my opinion. The warm weather has certainly helped so I will replace the box and diff fluid for some thinner GL4 stuff too.

Si have a similar problem - disconnected the Battery and upon reconnection the passengers windows won't work from the driver's master console. They work individually though. I have read the manual and can't see where it says to reset the system. Also, the fuse documentation is strange - I pulled the mini fuses for the electric windows from the drivers footwell and the windows still worked! There are multiple references for the electric windows in the 3 fuse boxes!

Why does the ECU need to learn someone's MPG/driving style. Sounds like c@ck to me - the Long Term Fuel Trims will be reset, but the ECU should compensate accordingly and you will see this on your Short Term Fuel Trim figures. Eventually the Long Term Trims will adjust, but the ECU doesn't really need to 'learn' anything in my opinion.

Same Same

I had a similar problem with my IS250 Sport. I've got the Multimedia pack and the dealer said it was a known problem with this option. The cure is to remove most of the dash and centre console and re-position the wiring. I had this done 3 years ago and the seriously annoying, temperature related creak has gone, never to return. Any little noise on these cars always stand out as they are normally so quiet.

I have this problem with my brand new F-Sport as well. When I contacted Lexus they told me they weren't aware of the issue and told me to show it to them. When I took them out for a drive it didn't do it...dammit! I'm now left with the problem which still occurs occasionally! Thank Lexus!

Creak or crack? Mine cracks as though a stone has hit the windscreen, but it's plastic shrinkage. I can't believe Lexus allow their dealerships to fob off customers like they do - it's an entry level model so chances are we would be buying a higher model in a few years if the service lived up to the reputation. (the reverse is true in my experience - polite but useless). It's a good car let down by the inability of the dealers to fix a few simple [for a trained and experienced Techs] problems. The Germans must be laughing all the way to the bank (although I've heard their service has suffered too in the last few years). Their stuff used to be average reliabilty but fixed without complaint, Japanese stuff was reliable and simple, now it's probably still above average but problems are swept under the carpet. I get better, more knowledgable service abroad, so maybe it's just here. Nice coffee though.

Blimey, a Lexus dealer changing clutch parts (especially out of warranty)! Must not be in the same group as Derby, who say it's normal for gears to crunch and thud and the clutch pedal to graunch and be really heavy as well as juddering drive take up. Well, at least they don't blame driver error like Sheffield.

Seems to be a standard Manual Box Lexus "problem". I've had two IS200SE's and currently run an IS250 Sport. They all clunk going from 1st to 2nd, and I don't think they have the same box. I've made a point of getting the dealer to change the oil at the 1st service for a multigrade gear oil. This seems to sort it for a few weeks but it always comes back. It's not my heavy handed driving either as I have driven many marques over the years and not had this with anything else. The only quirk in what is probably the best car I have ever owned. Saving up for an IS-F, :tsktsk: manual,8 speed autos rule. :winky:

Why doesn't it clunk all the time if it is a design fault? Maybe you could persuade your Techs to have a closer look next time