Hi
I've always wanted a Lexus, ever since sitting in an is200 demo car at a motor show years back, just styled so nice inside, so I recently took the plunge. i just wish I had found this site before buying my is220.
anyway, I've done about 200 miles in it and all was well, I got up the other morning to take the Mrs to work and the fuel gauge was reading it had 30 miles range left to go and it started to feel like it was misfiring / fuel starvation after about 2 miles. So I got to a fuel station about 10 miles away hoping this would sort the issue. Unfortunately it didn't and it sounded like is was missing all the way home. Later I've looked under the bonnet to see that it's overflow had lost some fluid and the header was like a pink bubble bath but still at its correct level. The temp gauge hadn't gone above halfway.
thinking back the previous day I had checked all the fluids, when I tried to take the expansion tank cap off , it was difficult and tight, when I finally was able to remove it it seemed to have a sealant around it just above the black o-ring seal.
i've not used the car for a few days and so had disconnected the battery as I'd had the drivers seat repaired, so I thought I'd try it again this morning just in case it was something electrical and it reset it self. After about 2 miles I thought all was going well and it was running lovely, showing 42 mpg but unfortunately I spoke to soon, about 2 minutes later down the road again it starts to feel like it's missing with economy dropping to 30, again it's showing no temperature issues but I noticed that there is no hot air coming from the heaters.
now having read through the forum it appears that it very well could be the head gasket, but I was wondering if it could possibly be something else. I've had headgaskets go on cars before but never so rapidly. I was wondering if perhaps the thermostat, water pump or a sensor isn't working correctly? Or am I in denial 🤔
Theres no milky residue on the cap or in the oil, and it's not smoking at all and with no lights on the dash.
Anyhelp would be greatfully received, if it is the headgasket is it a job that can be done myself, I'm fairly handy with a set of spanners.
kind regards
adrian