AntC

I change it every summer and can confirm that it's clean. It's also the same smell regardless of the filter brand that I use. The only thing they have in common is that they are acting charcoal filters. Though I would like to note that I'm not complaining 😁 The smell is pleasant,so I was just wondering.

Hey everyone, haven't posted in a while and this time it's not about issues.

It's about this AC button in the car (attached). I understand that it changes air circulation to inside only, changes vents to top vents only, and engages the cabin filter. Ever since I got the car which was almost 3 years ago, pressing this button gives off a sweet-ish pleasant smell. I thought of a freon leak, but I have the AC on all the time and this only occurs when this button is pressed.

I'm wondering, is this something factory? Does anyone else have this? 

I would like to note that I haven't sprayed any perfume or deodorant in the vents and I'm getting just any regular cabin filter with active charcoal, nothing special.

Cheers!

If the Battery was taken out during AC compressor replacement, this would have reset all of your settings.

As for the screen, it is possible that it's a faulty digitizer or a flat cable connection. You can take out the center console abd open it to see if all cables are properly connected.

A digitizer you can buy off eBay.

The console is really not hard to open up, you just need to gently take it out of the car so as to not damage your dash. Preferably after the dash has stayed in garage temperature and not in the sun since it makes it more brittle.

I also posted a thread a while ago where I also have photos of how to open the console. You can search my profile, I think it's like my first thread on here.

As for turning off the AC, if voice commands still work, you can say "climate off". Press the climate button before doing so. And you may have to say it a few times since it's an old system.

15 hours ago, Linas.P said:

And that is correct - thinner oil will leak down faster, but that is only desirable when engine is cold, when engine is hot you kind of want for oil to stick as much as possible to protect the surfaces and that is why we have multigrade oils - so that we can have thinnest possible oil for cold starts and thickest possible oil for when engine is warm. It is all kind of relative because all oils will be much thinner when warm, so second number just indicates that they are better at resisting thinning out too much.

How thick you could go? Well, first of all you probably want to keep it thin for cold starts, so 0 or 5, which leaves you with 0W40 or 5W50. I personally used Mobil1 Long Life 0W40 and it was much batter compared to 5W30 Magnatec, stayed clean, didn't burn at all and I didn't notice any negative effects. Obviously Mobil was just better grade oil, fully synthetic vs. hydrocracked Magnatec, so I shouldn't be surprised. 

That said, your issue is just weird, as if there is no issue on cold starts, there should be no issues when engine is warm. I can only speculate but it seems maybe something is expanding the way it shouldn't when engine warms-up and then it starts grinding? VVTI is complex system and hard to diagnose, but I may look to VVTI solenoids or something like that. Solenoids should regulate the oil flow trough the system, meaning that maybe they close little bit when they detects that engine has warmed, but maybe one of them malfunctions and closes too much or not at all.

Thanks for the advice. Maybe I'll try using 0w40 instead and see whether it will have any effect. Otherwise, I'll keep searching for information since I doubt any garage other than a Lexus/Toyota dealership will want to diagnose a VVTi issue.

3 hours ago, Linas.P said:

If it happens on warm engine after 20-30 minutes of driving, then it is different issue altogether. This issue with lifters/valve train/valve chain is specific for cold start.

Not sure how 0W20 helps, as cause of rattle likely to be lack of lubrication and if it happens on warm engine then it probably means oil is already to thin, not too thick, so by adding thinner oil with lower warm viscosity you probably will make it worse rather than better. Thinner oil only makes sense for cold start i.e. using 0W30 instead of 5W30 so that it flows better right away, but on warm you should be looking at second number and generally the higher the better (within reason).

I guess the oil being thinner when warn makes sense as it would leak back down faster. The reason I did consider using thinner oil is with the idea, that thinner oil would flow more quickly during crank and would go to the necessary place to prevent the rattle.

However, I am 100% certain that the rattling sound is the exact same as the one on cols start. Will try making a video and post it here.

If I do use thicker oil, wouldn't this make the car more prone to the cold start rattle issue though?

I would also like to note that this happens only after the engine has reached or almost reached operating temperature. For example, if I drive for 10 minutes and the engine hasn't warmed up yet, there will be no rattle on the next start.

What would be the thickest oil that you can suggest using? 

Per the other thread, none of the suggestions resolved my rattle, unfortunately. Frequentl oil changes at 5k miles, engine flush, Wynn's hydraulic valve lifter, topping up oil when necessary. Tested oil control solenoids, cleaned VVTi filters.

However, mine only happens when the engine is warm, 20-30 minutes after driving, never on a cold start.

There was only one instance, right after an oil change, where there was no rattle for about a month, then it came back.

My next plan is using 0w20 oil to see if it makes a difference.

I have seen mentions of a pre-lube system on the US forums, which involves a small oil tank that serves the purpose of keeping oil pressure up after the engine is turned off. In theory, this should eliminate the rattle entirely since there will be no need to build up oil pressure during crank. However, I have no idea what the cost of this could be, as well as whether it is doable on the IS250, considering the available space under the bonnet.

The thing I'm wondering the most about is the cold vs warm start. If the issue is the oil being drained out, shouldn't it be present on both warm and cold starts?

I may give 0w20 a try on my next oil change. 

Also, I too sometimes park the car nose down, however, the rattle happens on even surfaces as well. I guess parking it nose up may force the oil into place and reduce the rattle.

So I've been driving with the oil additive for a couple of days now and still no effect. To my understanding, the hydraulic valve lifter does require some mileage to work. It's already in the engine oil anyway, so it's gonna stay there until the next oil change.

What I find most puzzling about this is that the rattle was not present when I got the car. It either developed when I bought it, or the previous owner was doing something different. So far, I've been using 5w30 oil only. Would it be worth a shot to use thinner oil? The idea being that thinner oil will flow through oil channels more easily and allow oil pressure to build up during the initial crank. Thus, by the time the engine starts, oil pressure would have locked the VVTi mechanism...in theory. Any suggestions on what oil viscosity I should try? The temperatures here can range from -10C in winter to 37-38C in the summer.

Cheers 

I've bought several aftermarket cabin filters and all if them have been the same size as OEM. Since buying an original one involves waiting about a week for shipping, I just buy the most expensive one with activated charcoal. Think something like 15£.

Thanks for the info. I guess it's going to arrive tomorrow and I'll post an update in a week or so on whether it has had any effect.

Another update. I went to the garage to have my front anti roll bar bushings replaced and had the guys check the VVTi filters. Both of them were clean but they cleaned them up anyway. Seems this is a result of the engine flush, since the oil still looks brand new a couple of thousand km later. Rattle is still there, however.

I just ordered a can of Wynn's hydraulic valve lifter to see if it will make a difference.

Does anyone know if it's ok to pour an additional 300ml of liquid, considering that the engine oil level is currently at max? Or should I wait for the car to burn some oil and add it then?

Keep in mind that most Battery brands are simply rebranded as there are not that many manufacturers.

For example, Bosch is a rebranded Varta Battery. So you can save some money this way since any new Battery will come with a warranty and will last you at least a few years.

The most important part is to get a Battery with the amps suited for your vehicle or more. The Bosch Battery that I bought the car with died last year and I got a new one that runs without any issues. Bosch was 60 amps, new one us 75.

I have the same issue, you can clearly hear the squeak when bouncing the car up and down.

Just went to the garage and they confirmed its the bushes on the anti roll bar. Will be changing them next week.

I changed my stock halogens with aftermarket HIDs and high beam with LEDs l. The difference is night and day. However, I'm not from the UK so I can't confirm whether doing so is legal there.

Low beams are H11 and high beams are HB3.

An update. I checked the oil level a few times and its at max. After the flush the oil is so clear you can put it on your salad. But rattle is still there unfortunately. The only thing I can think of is cleaning the vvti filters. Will post another update when I get the chance to do so. Will appreciate any ideas in the meantime.

I did an engine flush yesterday using a Liqui Molly additive, then rinsed with cheap oil and filter and the oil did come out black so the engine flush did indeed clean something.

However, the annoying rattle is still here and driving me nuts.

Any ideas on what else I can check? Replacing the entire vvti mechanism is really out of the question for me since it will most likely cost a few thousand and is not worth it.

Strange thing is that the rattle was gone for some time after the previous oil change, but now its here even though I only had ~2500 miles with the old one.

Not a difficult DIY job, you just need to use the right tools and need to be careful when removing the old ones and installing the new ones.

Also, while the original Denso iridium plugs are not on the cheap side, keep in mind that the plugs can last you more than 100,000 miles.

I got mine at 120k miles, there was no mention of a spark plug change in the service history. Decided to change them anyway and was told that the old ones are fine.

Regarding the gear change, keep in mind that the car also has position sensors. When driving in auto mode, it may not shift to a higher gear if you're driving uphill as it needs higher RPM to maintain speed, but will shift when the road evens out.

Well, rattle is still there after cleaning both left solenoids and oil top up. Will post more updates after engine flush and cleaning both VVTi filters.

I did replace both filters when I bought the car initially and have had them cleaned once since, however, that was like 3-4 oil changes ago. I should probably give them a clean during the next one.

I also checked all 4 solenoids yesterday and even managed to break one bolt (resolved after a couple of hours fortunately) and all of them are working fine. I only cleaned the two on the left side with MAF cleaner though since taking out the right ones required removing the intake manifold. I also topped up the oil as it was in the middle of the dipstick.

Will do some tests to see if the rattle is still there, though if it's not I wouldn't be sure whether its due to the two solenoids being cleaned or the oil top up. Regardless, I'll post an update here when possible.

I also plan on flushing the engine and cleaning both filters during the next oil change. In fact, I might even do it sooner just to see if this will have any effect.

As the rattle did stop for some time after my last oil change, I'm thinking that the oil level being at maximum is what did it at the time, so I'm thinking I have to figure out how much oil is being burned so I can keep it at the max, though it is kind of difficult since I can rarely park on a completely even surface to do a proper check.

Thanks for all the help everyone! I'll make sure to post updates and any additional information on how to get rid of the nasty rattle is greatly appreciated!

Thanks for the info. I'll try testing the solenoids and if they're not the issue I'll try an engine flush at the next oil change.

Will make sure to post updates.

Cheers

I do indeed like to floor it on a regular basis 😁 I've also done oil changes at 5k miles since I bought the car almost two years ago. However, as I mentioned, I have never done a flush on any car that I've owned so far.

Ordering a bottle of ZX1 shouldn't be an issue, even tough it will likely come at triple price with delivery, import tax, and VAT. Though I wasn't able to find the engine flush specifically on either eBay or amazon. I'm only seeing a ZX1 oil additive, and no flush.

I may check out some reviews and order a different brand. Just to double-check, when flushing the engine, it should also be rinced with some cheap oil and a cheap filter before using the actual oil correct?

Also, has anyone tried changing the left and right VVTi solenoids in regards to this issue? I saw a comment on a Youtube video saying this has resolved it, but the solenoids are quite expensive.

In this case, you shouldn't have any issues with oil and coolant. Can't provide any info on the rear differential oil though since I had a garage do it. All I can say is use genuine Toyota oil for it.

I would also suggest reading through the forum regarding common issues with the 220D and how to possibly prevent them.

Hey there,

Air and cabin filters are pretty straight forward. Air filter is in the big plastic box under the bonnet, has a few metal clips and the top of the box pops out, just replace with the new one.

Cabin filter is in the glove box compartment. See video below:

Make sure to set the AC as shown, otherwise the filter will be blocked.

As for oil and coolant, I would recommend having a garage do it. The reason is that changing the coolant will require you to take air out of the system which can be kind of a hassle. Oil is pretty straight forward, but then comes disposing of the old one.

I would also recommended changing brake fluid and differential oil as well.

So the rattle has been back for some time now even though I haven't reached 5k miles since my last oil change. Oil level also appears to be at max from what I can tell, considering how the IS2 dipstick likes to smear everything.

I'm wondering whether to change the VVT oil control solenoids, however, there's two of them and they aren't very cheap either. Not to mention that doing so may not resolve the issue as well.

I'm also considering an engine flush, though I haven't done one before on any car. Any tips on how/if the flush should be done? I have seen other threads regarding the rattle mentioning that it goes away after an engine flush, and the fact that it was gone for some time after changing my oil gives me some hope. Though I am somewhat skeptical, since I've heard that doing a flush can release all kind of gunk from the engine and cause issues depending on the build-up. I assume there's no way to tell without taking the entire engine apart which I don't plan on doing.

Would appreciate any advice that can help in getting rid of this horrible noise.

Cheers