90k service = blown air pump!!!

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate
links, including eBay, Amazon, Skimlinks, and others.

Joined
Apr 30, 2009
Threads
49
Messages
305
Location
Atlanta, GA
Hello Everyone,

I took my wife's 06 LX470 in for the 90k mile service (timing belt, water pump, etc). Car was in perfect running order with no CEL. Went to pick it up $1300 later and the check engine light as well as a couple other lights were on. I literally started the car and they were on. Didn't even sit down. Service advisor took the car back to tech and he said he just had to clear codes. One day later the same CEL and a few other lights came on. Took it back to Lexus................they just called and said that my secondary air pump internal parts blew up and threw all the chunks into all the valves and now the valves are getting stuck open. My service advisor said ,"don't worry it's an expensive fix but I've already gone to bat for you." He said they didn't work on that area and its a complete coincidence that it happened. A rep was called and he'll lower. Me know how much I am responsible for, wtf,,,, my car was perfect before I took it in and this happened while they had it. The lights were on when I picked it up,
, to add to story, my pregnant wife is due withnour second child nth is week! Any thoughts of what to do.? On another note, the letters on myy ih8mud app just disappeared some cant read what I'm typing. Inapoliigize if the later part of story is misspelled. Thanks Justin
 
When I lived in Atlanta that same Lexus dealer forgot to put oil in my wifes car on the 90k mile service. When I drove off oil light came on, went around the block came back into service bay, lift the hood and their were wrenches sitting on the engine and no oil in the engine. They refunded my money for the 90k service and gave me a written warranty to 150k miles for any engine problems. I moved a couple of years later and at 120k miles it started smoking at start up. I got it nice and warmed up so it was not smoking and traded in to my local Toyota/Lexus dealership in Springfield Missouri. My point is they need to pay to FIX your LX now!!! For free.
 
Dam , where was this ? you can name names for others to stay clear. I hope they step up and cover it, I would keep on them and maybe have the car looked at by a second source.
 
Make sure they pay for it to be fixed, no questions asked. If they refuse, call Lexus corporate and get them involved. I had this same kind of thing happen with the wife's Mercedes, once corporate got involved it was fixed FAST.

Sent from my iPhone using IH8MUD
 
Does anyone know if there is anyway the timing belt water pump change could have somehow caused the secondary air pump to fail and break apart? They are saying its a coincidence but what are the chances. Maybe timing being off or something when they reinstalled belt?

Sent from my iPhone using IH8MUD
 
You paid for the service, started the vehicle, and it immediately started throwing codes? Day later the same thing? Not a coincidence, raise some hell, start asking for names and numbers, start calling.

And congrats on #2!

edit: who was the dealer? Nalley?
 
Someone is gonna have to fill me in on what a secondary air pump is. Based on the outcome here I'm guessing its something in the fuel injection system??
 
The air inlet for the pump sucked debris from under the intake manifold. Ask the dealer if there was any debris from a rodent. I've seen it on more than one vehicle. If so, contact your insurance, it would be covered under comprehensive.
 
Somebody put the timing belt on a tooth out, while the vvti timing auto advance could cope for light running, when you put a foot down up the street the valves touched the pistons?
 
Somebody put the timing belt on a tooth out, while the vvti timing auto advance could cope for light running, when you put a foot down up the street the valves touched the pistons?

He's talking air injection valves, not intake and exhaust valves.
 
......they just called and said that my secondary air pump internal parts blew up and threw all the chunks into all the valves and now the valves are getting stuck open.

He's talking air injection valves, not intake and exhaust valves.

I read it as "they are saying" air injection pump shat and all the bits went into the engine air intake and under the valves, so I surmised how else the valves could have been damaged when doing a timing belt replacement..................
Edit: So has the pump exploded into the air control valves?

Edit: what years have the air pump
 
Last edited:
I know it seems like the dealer messed this up but maybe it was just bad timing that the pump went so soon after the t belt replacement.
 
The pump is not easily accessible without pulling the intake. It pulls ambient air without filtration or screening and blows the air into the air injection valves which then allows the forced air into the catalytic converters for the first two minutes of operation. The inlet not being obstructed allows small pieces of acorns, dogfood, birdseed or....to be sucked into the pump.
When that happens, the pump disintegrates then sends the pieces into the valves. I have seen this knock out the air injection driver and engine ecu on separate occasions but not on the same vehicle. Every time I have helped the customer getting it covered under comprehensive insurance.
 
Very interesting. I always thought the inlet would have pulled air from behind the air filter somewhere. From what I understand, the dealer is talking about the valves associated with the air pump but I could be wrong. I am used to working on much older vehicles! Once the pump and possibly valve(s) are replaced, should I be concerned with damage to engine or ruining engine longevity? They are separate systems right?

I am definitely going to look into the insurance side of things if I'm responsible for something. The way it's sounding, I got extremely lucky that this happened while at dealership. I realize how much I love the LX after a few days of driving a 2013 RX

Thanks for all the good info. I'll update on Monday.

Sent from my iPhone using IH8MUD
 
Just a thought...could someone leave a rag, wrench socket, etc in the area where the inlet is or is it pretty much in the back of engine and out of the way?

Sent from my iPhone using IH8MUD
 
The engine would be fine, as the forced air only goes into the exhaust. The concern I would voice to the insurance is if the Secondary Air Injection Driver goes out, or if the ECM goes out after the replacement. I have seen one of each after the initial replacement of the disintegration of the pump, and sequential jamming of the valves. One was within a couple days, the other took a week. Both were expensive parts, as are the valves and the pump.

The inlet hose has an opening about .75", so a wrag wouldn't make it, and it wouldn't pull enough to inhale a socket, but can pull small lightweight debris like acorn shells and bird seed.
 
I just hope i'm not leading you in the wrong direction. I am kind of limited on what I can look at from my phone. Here are a couple screen shots from alldata of the Air Injection system from a 2UZ Tundra.



ForumRunner_20130310_102304.webp


ForumRunner_20130310_102304.webp

ForumRunner_20130310_102304.webp


ForumRunner_20130310_102255.webp


ForumRunner_20130310_102423.webp
 

Users who are viewing this thread

Back
Top Bottom