2 new short blocks and still having engine issue

C

Chelsea

Member
Hi guys,

First post here and I could be posting on the wrong forum but I'm desperate for help. I have a 2008 Lexus IS250. Long story short about June of 2014 my car was burning oil. The dealership put a new short block in it because it had a scored cylinder(it was under extended warranty). After the new short block in June 2014 the car progressively got worse with sputtering while cruising . When I would come to a stop after the sputtering I would have no acceleration, this is intermittent and only happens around 40mph. My tranny would shift through the gears, the RPMs would rise in accordance with tranny, but the car would only go about 20 mph. This would happen regardless if I stabbed the gas to to floor, babied it, or accelerated normally. After a few seconds it would clear out and go normally until I would cruise again. Took it back to the dealership, where my throttle body was replaced, and that didn't fix the problem. They then replaced my timing chain tensioner, that didn't fix it. They checked for carbon build up, checked the injectors, checked the gas, checked the gas tank, checked the fuel pump, checked the fuel psi, all of which was normal. They even tried a new computer which didn't fix the problem. There has never been a check engine light and there has never been any codes when put on the computer. Finally in July of 2015 (after in and out of numerous dealerships) they found out that there was a handful (8) of defective short blocks in the entire USA that caused an inaudible knock causing the engine to retard. Another new short block was put in and I picked up my car in August 2015. Now I'm here looking for answers or similar experiences because I have the exact same problem again with the sputtering, no acceleration, no check engine light and no codes. All the dealerships within 150 miles of me are stumped. Now the dealership is telling me I need new tires because they make road noise and the knock sensor is picking up the noise and causing the timing to retard.

Does anyone have any ideas of what this could possibly be?!?! Could I have that good of luck to get 2 out of 8 defective short blocks in the entire United States??

Any input is greatly appreciated.
 
step one NEVER rely on a single source of info, or diagnosis
ok your car has a computer and trouble codes so have a local advanced auto parts store down load and print those out for you, if its as bad as you describe its throwing a couple codes, don,t let the dealership B.S. you, get an INDEPENDENT DIAGNOSES and VERIFY THE ENGINE BLOCK NUMBERS
and what PROOF do you have that the original engine was ever replaced?(other than the the dealership paperwork)
(keep in mind they would hardly be the first place to bill for work never or only partly done)
Id also point out that sensors like knock sensors don,t come installed on new blocks so if a deffective knock sensor was removed from the old block and re-installed on the new block it would as a result cause similar issues on the new engine


owning a scan tool and a factory shop manual would be my first thoughts here as Id sure want to know what was going on vs relying on someone else's diagnosis
http://www.carcarekiosk.com/video/2008_Lexus_IS250_2.5L_V6/check_engine_light/diagnose

http://www.amazon.com/ScanTool-4258...7?s=automotive&ie=UTF8&qid=1448900289&sr=1-17
 
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I have had the car hooked up to a scanner and there are no codes not even when the car fails. I've never had a code. As to the proof I dont have any except for the dealership paperwork, and I never paid considering all this was done under warranty.
 
You didn't mention if you are the original owner?
I know a bit about these cars as my wife' partnership leased her the same car and she was plagued with problems after 16,000 miles? It's very surprising that Lexus with their 23 sensors didn't pick up anything. The noisy tires is just plain BS. Where the knock sensor is located it couldn't happen. A simple uncheck of the timing retard in the computer's programming and quick road test would disprove that theory. Does your paperwork show the block ID numbers? What is the ID number and date codes on the replacement block (the original block too). I doubt these two blocks could have been of the same time period in production.
Aside from finding the cause and solution to the running correctly problem I would investigate FL's Lemon Law as it seems you have been left without use of this car while in for major service long enough. These engines are plentiful and a low mileage replacement with a limited warranty is under $2000.
 
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I do not have any of the block numbers. I'm solely relying on the dealerships information. Mistake on my part. I am the second owner I bought the car in 2010 when it was 2yo with 30,000 miles. I never had this issue with the original motor only after the 1st "new short block" was put in. I took the cR to a local auto zone when it was failing and had them run computer scan which no codes came up. You would think something would, at this point I'm wishing for a check engine light and codes. When they told me about the tires my jaw dropped in disbelief, I don't think I could have heard a more stupid explanation.
 
Did you try JM Lexus in Margate? They're into racing and their service department is rated the highest around.
 
Chromebumpers, that's where my car is now and that is who told me the BS about my tires causing the problem :-/
 
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