PCV VALVE

runsgrateasanut · May 17, 2016

I'm not entirely happy with my Lexus. Fact is, that it seems to lack power under load and acceleration from start.

Stuck in the Lorry Lane getting up Hills in France has annoyed me. OK I have a very light right foot but this Car is supposed to give a massive BHP. I feel I daren't press the throttle for fear of a blowback or misfire. Strangely, something like that heppened when on a downhill slope when I thought I'd blast past an ancient Mini. Some form of splutter / hesitation which could have been gearbox or engine. Frightened the life out of me and may account for my not pressing the juice as much as I should.

Found an interesting thread on another forum where guys have had similar frustrating experience and there is a helpful "how to" on the subject.

Having done many things to the Car but not having examined the PCV I took it out today to check. OK there is vacuum if its still attached to the pipe leading to the throttle body, so not blocked. In fact it was pretty clean in there, but I have two concerns.

When I turn the Valve upside down, the valve clearly opens. The second being that I can see the spring and at the pipe end it sits at rather a strange angle allowing part of it to be exposed beyond the abutment. Tried to view this with my endoscope but its just not powerful enough even though I could feed it inside.

I've ordered a replacement with grommet so will definately replace it, but wondering if anyone has turned one of these upside down and noted that the baffle SHOULD NOT open just by its weight. In other words is my spring knackered or even possibly broken and not doing its job properly?

ColinBarber · May 17, 2016

not 100% on the LS PCV design but some certainly do move a bit when just turning over.

runsgrateasanut · May 18, 2016

Thanks Colin, I'll see what the new one does when it arrives from the States in due course. Unfortunately the thread on the subject elsewhere doesn't arrive at any conclusion how the problem was fixed. The title of the thread (rather long I'm afraid) is

Egr Valve - Where Is It - Exactly?!

Reference to EGR valve is I assume a second route to the Throttle body which sends hot exhaust to the throttle body. I've not checked this.

I've cleaned the throttle body,(it needed it) replaced plugs and leads, filters.

The Car runs fine if not expected to carry load, 2+baggage and not up serious hills, but seeing Cars fly bye me is to say the least, slightly embarrassing.

I can't figure if the Car changed down for some reason when I tried to zoom past the Mini. Overdrive is always pressed in. I always drive on economy setting, not power. I never use kickdown.

I've never red lined the Car as mentioned in the thread. Not even sure I've taken it beyond 3k. Might try it to 5k when in the Country where it won't annoy the neighbours. I wouldn't ever red line it. Goes against my instinct for disaster.

Oh I did put Brisk LPG plugs in the Car as a preliminary to installation. Very slight gap difference to normal. 0.01 I think. But then those people on LPG would also be having my experience so can't be the problem.

My Australian friend said that he changed the fuel filter on his 80's toyota and it made a big difference to performance so I've ordered a fuel filter. Daresay his is a somewhat more dusty environment , but at 130k miles on the clock if original it won't hurt to change it.

The Capacitors I've yet to check and replace them and maybe they are my problem?

Maybe I need to do a diagnostic? Will need bone up on that.

runsgrateasanut · May 18, 2016

Enough of my waffle - I've downloaded how to read the Diagnostic codes - seventy one blinks for EGR check - hope I don't fall asleep!

Malc · May 18, 2016

. ......... air filter clean and good ?

Malc

ColinBarber · May 18, 2016

4 hours ago, runsgrateasanut said:

Enough of my waffle - I've downloaded how to read the Diagnostic codes - seventy one blinks for EGR check - hope I don't fall asleep!

Luckily it doesn't blink 71 times You will get seven blinks, short delay, one blink, long delay, repeat (or another error code).

runsgrateasanut · May 19, 2016

Has anybody cleaned/inspected their EGR Valve? I can imagine that its mainly Diesels get clogged up, but be interesting to know? My Car has pretty clean oil for its age and mileage so not expecting a lot of carbon but the car did have difficulty getting through MOT first year of ownership with Emissions issue. Cleaning out the Throttle body sorted for the following MOT. Just other issues then. Also sorted.

cleverdick · May 20, 2016

You say you cleaned out the throttle body - by that do you mean that you took it off the car and thoroughly cleaned it inside and out, also checking that the breather holes were clear?

My car is also a '93 and it goes like the wind. I did check my ECU capacitors (purely as a precaution) with an ESR meter, but unless you have one and know what to expect, seriously don't go there! (They were fine, by the way.)

Blocked fuel filter does sound like a strong possibility though.

runsgrateasanut · May 20, 2016

Now you are taxing my memory - did I or didn't I. ???

I took off the Throttle body and decaked it.

I have a spare in front of me. Are you talking about the three pipes on top? One marked P, one R and one E

I imagine that I did, but it was more than a year ago. Is the one marked E (the very smallest hole to the venturi) for exhaust?

runsgrateasanut · May 23, 2016

Messing with the Dash kit so not checked for error codes yet.

Saw this on the tube and thought, no way have I ever seen such performance. Forgive my ignorance but to get the sort of gear changes seen in this video you have to be on "Power" setting presumeably. Reading a comment it suggests that performance is rather like Battery life where you can gradually reduce the performance/life where it will no longer charge if you don't let it fully discharge before doing a full charge. (Mobile phone or similar batteries).

Anyone occasionally do what the comment suggests?

runsgrateasanut · May 23, 2016

These were the comments

stroock63941 year ago

how do you get yours to rev so high? 2nd went all the way up to 6400

Bryan Moore11 months ago

+stroock6394 if you disconnect the Battery for 5 minutes and reconnect, and then turn off the a/c and turn on the power button and do about 6 wide open throttle runs through at least 3 gears. it should start revving out more before it shifts.

Malc · May 23, 2016

............ what's this piccy from ? Rev Counter is reversed from the Speedo ! as is all else ( or is it somehow a mirror image ) or does left hand drive car have stuff this way around ?

Malc

runsgrateasanut · May 23, 2016

Not sure but goes like stink on Empty !

ColinBarber · May 23, 2016

1 hour ago, Malc said:

............ what's this piccy from ? Rev Counter is reversed from the Speedo ! as is all else ( or is it somehow a mirror image ) or does left hand drive car have stuff this way around ?

Malc

Toyota do RHD / LHD conversions properly, everything gets swapped over including the dials and centre console switches.

runsgrateasanut · May 24, 2016

I just pulled out of a Car park with the power button on, so OK it was in a 30mph area and so I didn't floor the accelerator, but the Car changed from first to second to third before it reached 2000rpm. Not exactly the power I was hoping for.

Not sure if that Vid was taken on a rolling road.

Finding a road where you can do six max throttle drives back to stop, in low and 2nd gear won't be easy, if I understand the principle of what is suggested?

Titch LS · May 24, 2016

Stuart, the gearbox will only 'kick down' if you shove your foot down. If you pussyfoot around you won't get anything like the performance the car is capable of. In fact there are two stages of kick-down on an LS400. You have to find a clear road and 'give it some beans'. You will NOT harm the engine in the slightest. It's the most robust V8 out there.

runsgrateasanut · May 25, 2016

16 hours ago, Titch LS said:

Stuart, the gearbox will only 'kick down' if you shove your foot down. If you pussyfoot around you won't get anything like the performance the car is capable of. In fact there are two stages of kick-down on an LS400. You have to find a clear road and 'give it some beans'. You will NOT harm the engine in the slightest. It's the most robust V8 out there.

Thanks Brian, I'll have to try it some time. Just wondering if that "advice" on the Tube should have said "turn off Overdrive" rather than Air con ?

Malc · May 25, 2016

........ Stuart, I read somewhere on here a while ago now that one gets better fuel economy by driving permanently in " power " mode ...... the car certainly drives with a little more passion when it's on " power " ... and a good " kick down " from time to time exhilarates the car, not just me, and makes me feel great driving this amazing V8 with the purr of a pussycat ............... to the amazement of other road users seeing this 21 year old veteran whizzing past all and sundry.

Malc