2013 LX570 Engine Valve Seal Question (1 Viewer)

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Oct 19, 2022
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Location
Fayetteville
We have a 2013 LX570 with 160,000 miles. Still under Certified extended warranty. We had an engine rattle that was diagnosed as the valve lash adjusters on one side. We had all of them replaced under warranty. While the mechanic was in there I had them replace the timing tensioners, guides, and chains at our part cost.(mechanic suggested reusing the existing chains - replaced anyway). We also paid for new spark plugs, belt, belt tensioner, idler pulley and resealed the cam towers at our cost.

At the last minute, I was asking the mechanic if there was anything else recommended while he was in there. He mentioned replacing the valve seals if we wanted to keep the vehicle for a long time. (and we do). We replaced all valve seals at our part cost plus 7 hours of labor while he was in there (this ended up being about 3 hours more than expected due to the complexity). The engine sounds like new - hardly any noise at all.

We have the car back finally after 3 plus weeks (parts, etc). We had it back one week ago and it was immediately dumping quite a lot of oil on the drive. (no prior leaks). It turned out that one of the valve cover gaskets was pinched. (I hope this is all that it was - just got the car back yesterday)

After getting the car back with the initial oil leak, it made me question the wisdom of spending the money to replace the valve seals. Was this overkill? Do valve seals commonly cause problems on these engines over time? Slightly concerned that I spent money to potentially introduce new problems/leak potential.

Thank You
 
I couldn’t find any posts on here about valve seal failure with a quick search. They’re a few rare cases of valve spring failure. I wonder why the mechanic suggested the seals? And what warranty do you have that goes to 160K miles!
 
6 one way, half-dozen the other. The valve seals are not a common failure item but I wouldn't call it overkill either.
Thank You, I was initially concerned about the new oil leak after waiting so long for the car and spending a fair amount of “extra” money for us. The car engine is essentially silent now. It is extremely smooth and quiet. I feel good about the extra work performed.
 
I couldn’t find any posts on here about valve seal failure with a quick search. They’re a few rare cases of valve spring failure. I wonder why the mechanic suggested the seals? And what warranty do you have that goes to 160K miles!
Thank You, we bought it L/Certified with about 60K miles on it. It came with a 2 year unlimited mileage warranty and we purchased the additional 5yr/unlimited mileage Lexus Platinum zero deductible warranty. (7years/unlimited miles). It is still active through October 2024.

I asked the mechanic anything else he would recommend while in there. He said that he has seen few issues with the Japanese made engines, but more with the USA Tundra engines. Specifically about the cam towers. He had not seen them leaking on a Japan engine, but said that it’s not a bad idea to reseal them - it was 2 extra hours of Labor. On the valve seals, he said that it is basically a 200K engine and it would not be a bad idea to do it if we plan on keeping it a long time. I was nervous initially after spending the money. He did a great job and it is quieter/smoother than it has ever been. It is definitely smoother quieter than when we bought at 60k and sounds like new. He said the only gaskets/seals that have not been taken care of now are the oil pan gasket and rear main seal. Part of the decision for me was that he is a very skilled/honest mechanic and to take care of most any potential issue with his skill and all at one time while he had it disassembled.

Hopefully, we will be in good shape for a long time.
 

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