IS220d - loss of power , dpf doctor clean

[rtho]

IS220d - 108k

4 months ago the engine management light came on along with the traction control - did not go into limp mode but mpg down to 34mpg from 40mpg

Got some Wynne Extreme Diesel Clean and filled up with Shell V power - seemed to do the trick with a good blast and all lights went out. MPG crept up to 37mpg. However I did have an intermittent problem with White smoke pouring out of the exhaust once the engine was up to temperature - after around 40 miles travelling. Thought the dpf was going into regen so would give the car a good blast if the road conditions were right , whenever this white smoke appeared. Did not do anything else about it....

Last week lights came back on , and this time no power whatsoever, car would not go over 40mph. Just the same engine management light and traction control. Called the dpf doctor and for £240 the lights are off and power restored. He said the dpf filter was blocked. For a few days after the White Smoke was pretty bad - again when engine was warm . I disconnected the Battery overnight and White smoke does seem to have gone - MPG up to 38mpg - car running ok but not at its best I don't think.

Need the car to last another 12 months so looking at other investigations I can carry out to look for any underlying problems - oil and coolant levels always been ok.

Any tips appreciated

[rtho]

Car has just had the major 100k service at Lexus. Lexus could not find anything wrong regarding the white smoke problem - only advising it could be something to do with the dpf filter

Although the car runs ok - mpg down from where it should be, currently at 36mpg - white smoke is still persistent - bellowing out when engine is warm but not every day.

Can anyone recommend a good independent Lexus garage in the North West area - need to get this investigated further

 

[Shahpor]

Hello,

Sorry, I seemed to have missed your original post.

The general consensus on here is that white smoke points to a 5th injector problem.  Although, if this is the case, then I am surprised Lexus didn't find anything wrong with the car.

I am not sure if you want to investigate the problem yourself or not, but if so, then a copy of the TechStream software would give you an idea of the DPF blockage and would allow you to force a regen yourself.  They are quite cheap on eBay along with the appropriate cable.

[rtho]

Thank you for the reply - just seen techstream for £19.95 on ebay - so probably worth a try to begin with

[Shahpor]

Cool.

Keep us posted on the result.

[steve2006]

Loss of power and plumes of white smoke sounds like the EGR valve is sticking, has this been cleaned recently as it is a straightforward DIY job?

[rtho]

Ok thanks - was thinking about egr as the last time it was cleaned I think was as at 70k ish

I have seen the you tube videos online although it does look straightforward - would still be too fiddly for my liking

will get someone to strip it down for me

Thanks

 

[Daniellmoisa]

Hi! I also had the white smoke when the car reached a certain temperature! It will only be visible in low temperatures (and i am talking thick white smoke with a very bad smell to it like a steam train) ... i have no idea why!

To stop it I had to keep going on the M1 with it but that did not really help! Also Lexus said that nothing is wrong... It is a very common issue! 

After a very bad experience with a service somewhere around Wembley (Will not name the garage) I decided to buy some tools and open the EGR valve myself! 

After first try the car was better and the smoke had gone but not all of it! The EGR does play a role in the hole situation and it is worth cleaning! Fuel additive like the one that was mentioned by the OP and Shell V-Power (BP made the smoke a bit worse)! But i soon found out that it was sticking and had to reopen it again! My first ever try at being a mechanic failed! The second time after i opened the valve again i used a small tube attached to the hoover to try and pick up as much carbon as i could from the manifold and boy was there a lot of it there! Since the bonnet was up i got some cleaner and cleaned the MAF as well! Just make sure that you can easily operate the EGR valve manually after cleaning it! 

The next thing on my list is the fuel filter, but Lexus Edgware almost gave me a heart attack by quoting me £45 for the filter itself and about 2 hours work for £180.00 an hour.......  If anyone had the fuel filter changed at a less ridiculous hourly rate please let me know! 

But when i First started the car after the second procedure, I swear it felt like a complete different car all around! 

Hallfords has the right carb cleaner ( careful it is strong, USE OUTDOORS)! 

If you live in close proximity to Edgware or Wembley National Stadium maybe I can show you how it is done! 

Cleaning the EGR and MAF plus Shell V-Power with Extreme Diesel Cleaner are a great way to keep your car from feeling like half asleep all the time! Also very important thing that @Shahpor has taught me is that IT NEEDS A LONG AND HARD RUN once in a while! It works wonders! 

[Shahpor]

Well done tackling your EGR cleaning Daniel

At least Lexus managed to place the EGR valve in a very accessible location.

Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for the fuel filter.  I have changed mine once, and next time I am finding a garage to do it for me!  Believe it or not, 2 hours labour is actually quite good for doing that job, but I would obviously not recommend paying Lexus main dealer labour rates.

Have you tried JEM in Colindale?

https://www.jemservice.co.uk/contact

I have never been there myself, but I know someone who has and he told me they were good.

You just have to make sure that they drain and clean the fuel sediment filter at the same time since it is a separate unit.

@rtho If you haven't cleaned your EGR valve in ~38K miles, I can pretty much guarantee it is going to need a clean.  As you have no doubt seen, all you need is a basic socket set and about an hour to get it done.  You also don't need to remove the metal pipe, as some people suggest in their videos, since you can move it out of the way enough to remove the EGR valve.

[Daniellmoisa]

On 1/7/2018 at 7:41 PM, Shahpor said:

Well done tackling your EGR cleaning Daniel

At least Lexus managed to place the EGR valve in a very accessible location.

Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for the fuel filter.  I have changed mine once, and next time I am finding a garage to do it for me!  Believe it or not, 2 hours labour is actually quite good for doing that job, but I would obviously not recommend paying Lexus main dealer labour rates.

Have you tried JEM in Colindale?

https://www.jemservice.co.uk/contact

I have never been there myself, but I know someone who has and he told me they were good.

You just have to make sure that they drain and clean the fuel sediment filter at the same time since it is a separate unit.

@rtho If you haven't cleaned your EGR valve in ~38K miles, I can pretty much guarantee it is going to need a clean.  As you have no doubt seen, all you need is a basic socket set and about an hour to get it done.  You also don't need to remove the metal pipe, as some people suggest in their videos, since you can move it out of the way enough to remove the EGR valve.

I will ring them today! That is the last thing the car needs done! Thank you for the suggestion!