Lexus ES smoking on acceleration

Alright Lexus gurus, my 2004 Lexus ES with a gasoline engine is throwing me for a loop. Check engine light's on, power's down, and I'm seeing smoke when I punch it. Compression is good, spark plugs are new, no vacuum leaks that I can find. Could a faulty crankcase ventilation valve be the culprit after 183747 km? Seems like classic symptoms, doesn't it?

4 comment(s)

Smoke on acceleration? Dude, I had something similar with my ES. It was the PCV valve. Is your idle rough too? That's another sign. Cheap part, annoying to get to though.

Rough idle sometimes, yeah, but not all the time. So, you're saying PCV valve fixed your smoking issue completely? Did you have any other symptoms? Was it hard to diagnose?

Yep, PCV valve sorted it. Although you need to check it yourself - I'm not saying yours will be definitely broken. It can be a pain to diagnose without the right tools. If you're getting smoke, though, and have that mileage, maybe it's time to visit a workshop.

Appreciate the insight! Bit the bullet and took it to a shop. You nailed it – crankcase ventilation valve was shot. 360€ later, and she's running like new. Thanks for pointing me in the right direction!

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