Lexus SC exhaust leak symptoms

I'm experiencing some irritating issues with my 2002 Lexus SC with a gasoline engine. It's got 67415 km on the clock. Recently, the engine has been running unevenly. The check engine light illuminates, and an error code is stored. When accelerating, the car jerks noticeably. I've checked the ignition coils, fuel injectors, crankshaft sensor and spark plugs, but they seem to be fine. Could a leak in the exhaust system cause these symptoms?

4 comment(s)

Whoa, that sounds awfully familiar! I had almost the EXACT same thing happening with my old Volvo V70, a completely different beast, I know! The check engine light was driving me nuts. I was also getting jerking which was really annoying. Have you checked for any obvious exhaust leaks? Like, can you hear anything hissing or feel any puffs of air when the engine is running?

Thanks for the reply! I haven't been able to pinpoint the exact location of any leak just by ear or feel. Is there a specific area of the exhaust system on your Volvo that caused the problem? What error codes were you getting?

Ugh, finding the leak was a pain! On my Volvo, it turned out to be a cracked exhaust manifold. I was getting misfire codes. Honestly, exhaust leaks can be tricky to locate. I ended up taking it to a workshop in the end. Saved me a lot of frustration to have them find it and deal with it. The constant jerking was doing my head in!

Appreciate the insight! I'll take it to the workshop. Turns out there was a leak in the exhaust system, exactly as suspected! Cost me 265€ to repair.

Join the discussion now: