Topic: What did you do to your car today?

[Dante]

Took the Audi in to my buddies as there was a "click click click" noise. Thought it might be the metal zip tie on the CV (it did this last year).

Turns out heat shield rubbing ever so slightly on rotor.

While we were under, noticed the headlight leveler arm broken. Absolutely shocked no warning light about this!

Ordered a new assembly..but obviously not an OEM one.

I think I have a similar issue but in the rear. Can only hear it from outside and at slow speed. I was in a quiet parking lot the other day while my daughter was practicing parking and I could hear it from outside while she was driving. It's a rhythmic, metal on metal sound.

I also had a broken rod for self leveling in the front and no light either but in my case headlights were pointing down so basically had no headlights while driving so I noticed right away. Luckily cheap, easy fix. OEM rod was something around $40 and 10 min under the car.

[Dante]

I went to the local Midas store for the exhaust leak (might be a hole actually based on the LOUD sound) but only got an appointment for next week. In the meantime, since there are few days in between, I was thinking maybe I could try the JB Weld tape since I have a pack in the garage if the hole is on a straight section of the pipe. I'll go under the car tonight to see what's what.

I was wondering if anyone here used it and if indeed works as advertised. If yes, any "do's", "don'ts", tricks....

[tortoise]

Will the JB weld tape hold up to the high temperatures?

I've used exhaust repair putty with limited effect. It lasts for a bit but eventually failed.

I've also used an empty can of beans cut lengthwise with the ends removed and a couple of pipe clamps. That worked for a surprisingly long time.

[Dante]

Will the JB weld tape hold up to the high temperatures?

I've used exhaust repair putty with limited effect. It lasts for a bit but eventually failed.

Well, that the question... It's supposed to last as claimed.... I would prefer to have a piece welded but the pipe may already be weak in which case JB Weld tape may still work even if it's only good for a year to two.

[Arthur Dent]

I have used the tape before. Its not great and did not last.

[PJungnitsch]

Same. Putty better than tape, metal better than anything, but harder to seal

Sometimes it's just loose bolts and that's an easy fix, otherwise muffler shops are worth their weight in gold, exhaust repair is nasty work

[draghon]

Does the K20 still sing?

Sure does!

CTC carries Rust Check (both the thinner red colored one and the thicker green/yellow one), as well as Rust Cure 3000. My preference is actually the Rust Cure 3000 as it seems to be the best general purpose consistency and is clear, so it looks better if you end up with excess on the body.

That is what I was looking for, a professional recommendation. 

x2, will try this out when I do the tire switchover. Maybe by May long weekend...

[Dante]

Same. Putty better than tape, metal better than anything, but harder to seal

Sometimes it's just loose bolts and that's an easy fix, otherwise muffler shops are worth their weight in gold, exhaust repair is nasty work

Oh, I agree and this is why I'm trying to find out if it's even worth trying to patch it up, in place, using tape. This is the most I would try myself but by the sound if it even that it's not worth the effort and it's not something I would do just for fun.
I looks like the best course of action is to wait till Monday and hand over the keys to Midas and let them deal with it whatever it is.

Thanks for your input.

[Firm]

The tape sucks, and so does the putty stuff.

Tortoise's idea with the can does work. You can also buy a 'nice' version of that which is sorta like a big band clamp that you clamp over the damaged area. Holds up a lot better and looks slightly less trashy.

Depending on where it is too, you might be able to just cut out the rotten section and splice in a piece with a couple of reducers and some clamps.

That said, exhaust work is tricky, often difficult to access, and DIY results are usually pretty poor. On the flip side, professional repairs are still pretty quick/cheap, so it's one of the few repairs where it usually makes sense to just have a professional exhaust shop execute a repair....Any exhaust shop worth their salt should be able to fab up repair sections and weld in without too much time or cost.

[Dante]

The tape sucks, and so does the putty stuff.

Tortoise's idea with the can does work. You can also buy a 'nice' version of that which is sorta like a big band clamp that you clamp over the damaged area. Holds up a lot better and looks slightly less trashy.

Depending on where it is too, you might be able to just cut out the rotten section and splice in a piece with a couple of reducers and some clamps.

That said, exhaust work is tricky, often difficult to access, and DIY results are usually pretty poor. On the flip side, professional repairs are still pretty quick/cheap, so it's one of the few repairs where it usually makes sense to just have a professional exhaust shop execute a repair....Any exhaust shop worth their salt should be able to fab up repair sections and weld in without too much time or cost.

Yeah I used the SS flat clamp originally as the mid section was two piece unlike OEM one piece. It held for the first few years and then the pipe started to rust and eventually gave up at the ends of the clamp (I had both ends sealed too but still....). Last summer I had a piece of pipe welded at the joint where the clamp was at the same Midas shop. Pretty cheap and fast too.

I will still check it out for my curiosity but will let the shop fix it for sure.

UPDATE: One of the hangers separated from the pipe around the weld leaving a quarter size hole in the pipe. Pipe around the hole seems healthy on both ends so I hope the shop can cut and replace with new metal.

[aquadorhj]

so, i haven't done waterpumps in forever, but i guess it was time.

lexus required periodic top up for the engine coolant since it was disappearing somewhere, albeit at a very very slow rate.

after the bumper-to-bumper warranty was over, i was doing oil change and notice slight pink residue around the oil filter cap;

and it finally clicked, waterpump is leaking.

did some googling, and found out it's very common issue on 2L turbo engine. (and other lexus/toyota engines too)

it never dripped on the floor, just the residue on oil filter housing before, but i guess the finally warm(er) weather made lexus relax too much.  it started dripping on the floor after a drive.  lexus is at 83,000 km now.  i THINK it started leaking around 60,000km mark cuz that's when i started doing DIY oil/filter changes and noticed coolant disappearing very slowly.

at this point, powertrain warranty is over too, so i guess it's up to me to fix this.

ordered waterpump and accessory belt online, about $150 bucks.
went to canadian tire to pick up some coolant.

put the car on ramps i use for oil changes, and removed undertrays.  these are some nice trays.    bunch of 12 mm screws, and plastic clips removed, and removed 2 trays.

located main radiator drain valve and opened it to drain.  i think it drain about ~4 liters. of coolant.

removed now empty main coolant reservoir by removing couple screws and moving it out of the way.  didn't need to remove hoses.

and now to get to the pump.  (pic 1)

space is tight.  the engine mount and various hoses, are in the way.  but mainly engine mount is a gigantic pain to get around.   thankful that i have dainty hands...   

checked the waterpump area more clearly.  oh, bought a boroscope for something else a while back, but came it real handy for this (pic 2)

verified all the bolt locations, and removed accessory belt to get started on removing the waterpump bolts. was very much a pain.  there are only 5 bolts, but took about 2 hours, swearing up a storm after each one was removed.  2 of them are kinda hidden behind the tension pulley.  tension pulley had to be pulled back to full compression and i had to install position locking pin (i don't have such thing, so i just used small allen key.) from below the engine to get access to those bolts and i had to fiddle around in that small space a lot.

after all the bolts were successfully removed, i removed the waterpump from the area.  this took a lot of tugging and wiggling as well.

but finally success.  (pic 3)

CONTINUED in part 2....

[aquadorhj]

Part 2 of the DIY,

old and new (pic4)

installed new pump.  installed new belt. put every back together.  old belt looked very very serviceable. no cracks anywhere.

total damage.  (pic 5)
bunch of scratches and nicks, 5 pairs of rubber gloves, and 1 plastic clip..  that one broke by its own self.   

refilling the coolant, then bleeding air. (pic 6)
radiator doesn't have a cap...  this stupid nipple thing is the air bleeder.

no more drips.   i have successfully saved enough money to buy some new tools.   

total time and resource = about 4.5 hours for all the removal/install, and about 200 bucks for parts and cleaners and stuff.

Let's pretend to forget that if i noticed the leak earlier, and been more aware of the details of powertrain warranty, this would likely have been fixed under warranty....   

[draghon]

60-80k km seems early for a water pump to go but good job on getting it sorted!

[Firm]

Great work, that's a bear of a job. These modern systems are extremely sensitive to air pockets, in my experience, so I always get nervous about bleeding them 100%. Sounds like it was a success job though, and lots of $ saved!

Does seem really early for a water pump; especially on a Lexus that's suppose to be the utmost in reliability.

[aquadorhj]

Great work, that's a bear of a job. These modern systems are extremely sensitive to air pockets, in my experience, so I always get nervous about bleeding them 100%. Sounds like it was a success job though, and lots of $ saved!

Does seem really early for a water pump; especially on a Lexus that's suppose to be the utmost in reliability.

thanks buds.

yeah, i'm being extremely careful about air pockets; since the waterpump change, i have not driven it.  went thru multiple start/air bleeding/refilling coolant procedures so far, just to make sure. 


the waterpump leaking is very common, it looks like.   this topic gets mentioned everywhere on lexus nx forum.
i.e. https://www.clublexus.com/forums/nx-1st-gen-2015-2021/959777-coolant-leaking-2016-nx200t.html

some guy claims he had to change it twice in 60k miles  (under warranty).

but there were no detailed DIY info anywhere, other than air bleeding, so it look over 4 hours...   

 oh well.   would have likely cost me 600~1000$ if at a shop, so i saved some money.   

[rrocket]

.  there are only 5 bolts, but took about 2 hours, swearing up a storm after each one was removed. 

Sounds like the Boxster.

Leaking at 60k?? Also sounds like the Boxster...though 60k water pump changes was "normal" for that car.

[aquadorhj]

.  there are only 5 bolts, but took about 2 hours, swearing up a storm after each one was removed. 

Sounds like the Boxster.

Leaking at 60k?? Also sounds like the Boxster...though 60k water pump changes was "normal" for that car.

U make me not want a boxster, RR….

[draghon]

Great work, that's a bear of a job. These modern systems are extremely sensitive to air pockets, in my experience, so I always get nervous about bleeding them 100%. Sounds like it was a success job though, and lots of $ saved!

Does seem really early for a water pump; especially on a Lexus that's suppose to be the utmost in reliability.

thanks buds.

yeah, i'm being extremely careful about air pockets; since the waterpump change, i have not driven it.  went thru multiple start/air bleeding/refilling coolant procedures so far, just to make sure. 


the waterpump leaking is very common, it looks like.   this topic gets mentioned everywhere on lexus nx forum.
i.e. https://www.clublexus.com/forums/nx-1st-gen-2015-2021/959777-coolant-leaking-2016-nx200t.html

some guy claims he had to change it twice in 60k miles  (under warranty).

but there were no detailed DIY info anywhere, other than air bleeding, so it look over 4 hours...   

 oh well.   would have likely cost me 600~1000$ if at a shop, so i saved some money.   

Surprising and unfortunate, especially since most manufacturers don't even recommend replacing coolant until ~160k km or 10 years.

[Arthur Dent]

Nice work on the water pump.

Amazing how these are not designed for work to be done. My Cadillac has a huge engine compartment. Earlier cars had a massive 425 cu in engine. Yet its still hard to get to almost all the stuff like spark plugs and belts on my little 307cid V8. 

[rrocket]

.  there are only 5 bolts, but took about 2 hours, swearing up a storm after each one was removed. 

Sounds like the Boxster.

Leaking at 60k?? Also sounds like the Boxster...though 60k water pump changes was "normal" for that car.

U make me not want a boxster, RR….

Did I tell you the part where it's easier to remove the water pump if you remove the passenger seat?  And how you need (more like want? ) a special vacuum bleeder to bleed to coolant system?

Oh..and replace the coolant cap yearly.