Toyota/Lexus V6 thermostat replacement. (3MZ-FE engine)

[@jeffisaacson6011]

I am a KZbin trained shade tree mechanic. I have watched hundreds and hundreds of these videos and this is by far the best video I’ve ever seen.

[@jimslocomb7098]

I've watched many videos on youtube about changing the thermostat on my Lexus RX330, and yours was the most informative and clear. When you disconnected and laid lack all of those wires it totally exposed a path to the thermostat. I'll be doing this job soon as mine is stuck partially closed and overheats when I accelerate, but temp drops when I let off on the gas. Thank you for keeping we backyard mechanics out of trouble.

[@mrc79]

This is the best video I’ve seen on an rx330/350. So many bad videos on this car compared to my Acura. I guess Lexus is a family car and the Acura more enthusiasts. If I had seen this video I would’ve attempted this. It’s literary in the shop today for this thermostat change. I paid $300 to my mechanic for it

[@HelpingHandAutoRepair]

It’s not a bad price for a shop. Thanks for the kind words.

[@mrc79]

@@HelpingHandAutoRepair subscribed ! Will keep watching you. Thank you for your great explanations

[@Jam_min]

Thank you. Had the same issue (stuck open), it was a bigger job than typically I am up for but this video helped a lot especially in knowing what I was getting myself into. My mom is very happy, it was her car that had the issue.

[@ComputerGeekOnTwoWheels]

Absolutely the best video on replacing the thermostat. Straight forward and easy to follow. Thank you very much.

[@HelpingHandAutoRepair]

Of course. No problem

[@samhoskins8706]

Nice video. I'm coming up on the coolant change for my RX330 and I thought I would throw in a thermostat at the same time. You did a nice job of showing the essentials here. The car has 217,000 mi on it. I don't know if the thermostat has ever been changed, so it will be a good time to do it. I will definitely put a new o-ring on that pipe.

[@leeg7010]

Great video, very informative in explaining the step by step process and tricks to making this as easy as it can be. This engine is a bit challenging in many places, this begin one of them. One thing I might add is to clean the MAF and throttle body inlet while you have them open, it literally takes 1 minute. And it would be a good idea to clean the lower air box as best as you can before reinstalling it. Look forward to watching more of your videos. Appreciate you.

[@MrCopRobo]

I also bought spray for MAF cleaning :) will do thermostat and throttle body + maf this week

[@joesellers5504]

Of all the videos I've watched on this subject, this one is, by far, the best! Images were clear and the instructions were thorough and the to the point. Keep up the good work and thanks for making this video!

[@HelpingHandAutoRepair]

No problem. Thanks for watching.

[@jwccc222]

I don't usually leave comments but I have to on this. What a great job. Two thumbs up

[@jeremykabacinski9451]

Thanks so much for this video/tutorial!! I have 2016 RX350 and I was not changing my thermostat or anything. However most of your generic commentary still applies to my car as I was doing background research on coolant replacement and learning how to find the bleeder, how to gain access to inspect hoses, etc. Turns out my vehicle does NOT have a bleeder valve and it has a black plastic thermostat housing which is different from this video. This means that you really need to purchase a spill-proof funnel for DIY coolant work and you just have to allow time for the air to bubble out with the engine running. Lexus now eliminated the hard line pipe in RX350 and they just fitted the pressure clamp right onto the upper hose and the plastic housing. In general one thing I noticed on RX350 is Lexus makes everything so "tight" meaning it is easy to access stuff but there are no extra unneeded parts. The RX350 is such an amazing refined vehicle in so many ways. As a general rule of thumb when you are finishing your coolant refill work just fill the radiator and spill-proof funnel to its lower level line when engine is cold. Then as you warm up the engine with heater turned on to MAX and with the funnel attached you will burp out enough air and the fluid will start to expand. So just stop your engine when the fluid rises to the top of that funnel. Later after the engine cools go ahead and top off the radiator and fill your overflow tank to minimum. Then do a test drive and you should be good to go. Anyways my point is bleeder valves make a mess and waste fluid. So even if you have a bleeder you don't really need to use it.

[@pmolestina]

Thanks for the detailed video. Was able to replace the thermostat and housing, saved me lots of money doing the work myself. Thanks !

[@HelpingHandAutoRepair]

Good job!

[@nyceguy7543]

Thanks a bunch for this video. Following your steps, I have just successfully replaced the thermostat on my 2007 Toyota Highlander 3.3l. The most difficult step is removing the inner lower nut from the thermostat housing without losing it. What I did was to lay a piece of cloth underneath the housing. The inner nut actually fell onto the cloth and, as I did not have a magnet, I rubbed the tip of a long screw driver on a speaker magnet and picked the nut up. Another trick: While putting the nuts back, I laid a small piece of surgical/rubber glove over the 10mm socket and then pushed it down with the nut to make a tight grip. It held like hell. My check engine and VSC lights went off immediately and my heat fired like a kiln. Cost me $25 for thermostat, $10 for 10mm extension, and $8 for coolant.

[@HelpingHandAutoRepair]

I’d say that’s a job well done sir.

[@codyquinn4954]

Dude the surgical glove thing is GENIUS THANK YOU SO MUCH

[@nyceguy7543]

@@codyquinn4954 Lol... I am so happy that the trick worked for you.

[@ralively99]

The component you were unsure about is called a Jiggle Valve. It should not be placed at the top; instead, it should be positioned at 15 degrees counterclockwise from the top, aligning with the top bolt.

[@dinhscot]

Yes, this is a bigger job than I thought.. thanks for the detail Video to help me do it myself and know what i'm getting into!!!

[@HelpingHandAutoRepair]

You can do it!

[@MLOPEZ-qf7ny]

thank you for posting this very detailed video- this helpe alot -much appreciated!

[@djblue8764]

The best detailed video

[@patrickgreen9382]

Wonderful illustration

[@rezkali01]

nice vids and thanks for showing detailed disassembly.

[@TheRogueNapkin]

I tried finding anything to tell me where the thermostat is located on my car but I never got anything, Thanks for making this vid and showing how easy it is!

[@NewShockerGuy]

Thank you for this video! I was doing my wife's timing belt and all the other stuff and never changed the thermostat the first round. Figured at 220k miles during this change might as well replace. It still looked fine honestly..lol Oh well. This is a great video and it was perfect showing everything! Made the job much simpler as I was scratching my head where it was. Great stuff!

[@theactualdarthvader]

i’m glad i have a magnetic 10mm socket! lmao i’m gonna start this job tomorrow

[@ado-yz9rb]

Great video you just convinced me NOT to attempt this myself !!!! think I'll leave it to the pros LOL

[@HelpingHandAutoRepair]

Lol. It’s really not that bad. Just a little patience goes a long way.

[@damienbell3155]

I just picked up a 04 es330 205,000 this will help me out on changing the thermostat thx. I have in olive color I have a 08 rx350 also

[@bentrod4255]

Thanks. This was quite helpful.

[@roncummins9614]

we love our Lexus, but I miss my 67 Mustang when it comes to working on them. The Lexus is one of the more difficult automobiles to do a simple job. Try replacing the spark plugs :-)

[@lusrodriguez8769]

great video very well explain Thanks a million

[@Neonrt131]

Good video , very informative gotta love KZbin , gotta replace my wife’s thermostat interesting that along with p0128 code the VSC light indicating vehicle stability control had an issue , don’t see any relation to thermostat and had no other codes hmmmmmm

[@HelpingHandAutoRepair]

Toyota cars always come with a VSC light. When you delete the code and replace the T-stat, you should be good.

[@davidmotley4207]

Very good video with my "like". I have problem in removing the the white plasting next to the bleeding bolt on the thermostat housing. In your video at 11:35 min, it is broken but it hold the cable to the housing. How do that one gets released since I don't want to break it. Thx

[@trevorambrose5329]

Thanks for the help! Followed your guide every step of the way

[@joshuabissey]

Looks like that splash shield is the same as on my 04 Highlander.

[@xandercravens199856]

Great video expect my housing feels like it’s welded on, I held on and pulled with all my body weight and it will not come off

[@HelpingHandAutoRepair]

You might have a bolt still attached somewhere. You can dry a rubber mallet to tap it off.

[@xandercravens199856]

@@HelpingHandAutoRepair nope it just took beating the life out of it with a flat head to pry it off and a rubber hammer

[@HelpingHandAutoRepair]

@xandercravens199856 haha

[@Tacoonthebeat]

Very Good 👍

[@icecreamgee]

I just got this code and im dreading this.

[@HelpingHandAutoRepair]

You got this👍🏾

[@SaulTamalezX8]

So for bleeder screw how did u close up with everything back on??

[@hoonetic]

Wow! The work seems simple enough but I'm just afraid I'm going to miss where all the vacuum hoses or bolts go. If I do this I'll have to run a video, so I can use it as a reference if I forget where something goes. It's pretty itimidating!

[@HelpingHandAutoRepair]

You got it. Confidence.

[@jimslocomb7098]

I'm about to do mine and plan on using different colored narrow electrical tape to id each connection and hose/plug end to match them up on reassembly. I'm 73 and these days have the memory of a goldfish.

[@HelpingHandAutoRepair]

Get after it.

[@Ricksdaname]

Great video. It is the best video and instruction I've found so far. I have the original thermostat on my RX at 204,000 miles. Time to change it. I am having issues with the car running hot at idling, but ok when running. From my research it seems like it is the fans, which turn on when my A/C is on but they don't turn fast enough to cool the engine at idle/stops. I'm going through the trouble shooting process to find the issue but it seems that this is a common issue with the fans. Any tips?

[@HelpingHandAutoRepair]

You can replace the t stat first if you would like. 204k miles is quite a bit for an original t stat. I would say that’s a good starting point. Make sure to bleed the air out of the system after you do the thermostat. If that doesn’t work for you then look into the different fan relays for the cooling fan. I believe there are 3 relays that all provide varying levels of fan speed.

[@horaciogomez4494]

Good video day

[@pedrobrun9]

Thak you so much!

[@stevenw2866]

Very helpful and clear! Question: After loosening them with your socket, how did you position the 3 nuts so you did not drop them and you were able to grab them with your magnet?

[@johnathandoerty1021]

This is one helluva video; great job! - 👍🏼

[@anthonyreyes6567]

We’re do you find the 2 piece housing!? Everything I look at is plastic and one piece

[@williamvaughn8099]

Great instructions. Thanks

[@recon1071]

What about the thermostat housing gasket? And where to the heater hoses go? I took them both off to replace them and they are very similar in length. Top to top and bottom to bottom?

[@HelpingHandAutoRepair]

The thermostat has a rubber gasket that goes around it and that is what seals the coolant in. As far as the heater hoses, I didn’t take them off in the video so you probably should have taken a picture of that before taking them off.

[@recon1071]

Thanks. You are right about taking note or a picture, but normaly heater hoses are different length and do not look so similar. I will go to dealer if necessary.

[@HelpingHandAutoRepair]

This can be true or not. I know that the heater hoses on my Yukon are exactly the same length.

[@svrblk777]

What is the part number for the pipe o-ring? I just got back from Oreilly's and the o-ring I bought for the pipe o-ring looks exactly the same as the gasket o-ring for the thermostat itself. Is it the same? Thanks!

[@gary4738]

Thank you Sir! Please tell me, after draining the radiator fluid from the bottom plug on my ‘08 Lexus RS330, only about a gallon came out. After completing the job, I filled the radiator back up to about 1 gallon and topped it off throughout the week. Does this seem right? I was expecting to go through 2+ gallons of fluid. Thank you again. 👍🏻

[@HelpingHandAutoRepair]

No way that you would be able to replace the coolant with more coolant. Where would it go?

[@kimchee94112]

Replacing the thermostat still couldn't get rid of P0128 after driving a few hundred miles. What is the drive cycle and how long did it take for P0128?

[@HelpingHandAutoRepair]

You’ll want to replace the coolant temp sensor located just behind the radiator cap area (where the upper hose from the radiator goes into) There is a sensor sitting sort of on top of the block there. If you google it, you should be able to find a picture or video of where it is. It is point straight up. It should be pretty easy to find

[@kimchee94112]

@@HelpingHandAutoRepair I'd replaced the temp sensor at the same time as the thermostat. Today I reset the check engine light, so far didn't come back after 30 miles. We'll see in couple more weeks. Maybe the trick is to reset it rather than than let the check engine light go off by itself. So far so good, coolant temp at 203 degrees F steady state. Thanks for the reply.

[@HelpingHandAutoRepair]

Oh yeah. Always delete the code after or just before you’re going to fix the issue. This code won’t go away on its own.

[@codyquinn4954]

Guy at the auto parts store said I can do it without draining the coolant is this true

[@HelpingHandAutoRepair]

You can, however once you pull the thermostat out, all the coolant will just come out from the thermostat housing. It’s really a matter of how much mess do you want to try and clean up lol. He obviously likes spilling coolant absolutely everywhere. I like to drain the radiator neatly from the drain plug. This way when you pull the thermostat, coolant doesn’t just come out everywhere. You can think of him using the thermostat as the drain plug lol. It’s a giant mess.

[@codyquinn4954]

@@HelpingHandAutoRepair you’re about fifteen minutes late but I appreciate you 😂😂

[@HelpingHandAutoRepair]

Lmao.

[@revhomas]

Great video. Considering doing this for my Mom's car but im not getting a code for a bad thermostat however the car overheats after idling for about 30-40mins even though I've done a radiator flush. Do you have any suggestions as to a possible cause?

[@HelpingHandAutoRepair]

Make sure you fans are coming on. If not that would cause problems

[@revhomas]

@@HelpingHandAutoRepair okay I'll check it out first thing tomorrow. Thanks for the reply.

[@Ricksdaname]

Mine does the same thing. I'm looking at swapping out the fan assembly. Did you end up figuring bout the problem in yours?

[@revhomas]

@@Ricksdaname yeah, the fans weren't turning on so I replaced the whole fan assembly. Haven't had an issue since then.

[@Ricksdaname]

@@revhomas ah ok. Thanks Trevor. My fans turn only when A/C gets turned on. It could be time to replace the fans.

[@Bosstrout]

how do i know if have the 3mz fe engine? probably a dumb question but i saw another youtube video and his housing was a black tube so idk if it was different or not

[@HelpingHandAutoRepair]

The 3mz engine was offered from 2004-2006 on this model (RX330)

[@brianhewitt5070]

Any idea what the 2 wire connection is for above the thermostat toward the front of the car? My daughters came apart now I am trying to find the wires

[@HelpingHandAutoRepair]

The one that is held on by a single bolt?

[@mikeyriley8959]

Might as well change the old hoses while you’re at it, then you can gain better access to the housing nuts. Cheers

[@HelpingHandAutoRepair]

Firm believer in not disturbing anything if not needed. As you can tell it’s completely doable leaving the hoses intact. Unless I see obvious damage to hoses I leave them be.

[@mikeyriley8959]

Helping Hand Auto Repair wow that was a fast response! Also, new O rings! 😬

[@robertthegeek]

Hello Help Hand Auto besides the thermostat, water pump, radiator, thermostat housing fuse what can make the Lexus RX 330 or 350 overheat

[@HelpingHandAutoRepair]

Not being bled correctly. Air bubbles in the system. If it’s overheating at idle, bad cooling fans)

[@robertthegeek]

@@HelpingHandAutoRepair yeah the engine fan will not turn on but some Toyota Lexus specialist told me that it doesn't turn on unless it gets really hot but that makes no sense This is the engine fan I'm pertaining to it never turns on it seems like And just to confirm it's the engine fan is the one right in front of the engine basically

[@HelpingHandAutoRepair]

Yes. If they are like a typical Toyota/Lexus, they should turn on at a set temp on low speed and then if the temps are still high a faster speed will be commanded on. They should both turn on when the ac is turned on. That is a good test for them. If they do then you know they at least work. If they don’t turn on when the car gets hot, then you might have a faulty coolant temp switch. These are typically located on the bottom of the radiator on these cars.

[@forgottenchild7935]

I had to laugh when you took all those bolts out so easily, up here in the northeast I broke all of them even using heat were it was safe to do

[@HelpingHandAutoRepair]

Yikes. I don’t envy you guys in the salt and rust and snow.

[@brianpham7777]

I just fix my car today 2000 Lexus RX 300 Thermostat not closed. Thanks so so much your videos during fix thermostat this tube broken any one know what that tube is what important it is. One end had plastic tied to transmission please tell me what is any body knows

[@HelpingHandAutoRepair]

Make a video and post it and I will try and look at it.

[@philipkim2990]

How much would this roughly run at an auto shop? I don’t have the time nor tools to get something like this done by myself. Thank you in advance!

[@HelpingHandAutoRepair]

It would vary tremendously. In my area it would probably be a $200-300 job.

[@tengzturiagaiii3185]

Quick question sir. My 06 rx330 while idling sometime it will act like its anout to stall and die.. then it would go high idling pretty quick.. then back to normal. But after that all happens when press on the accelerator pedal.. seem like nothing is happening. It wouldn’t accelerate. Like its on limp mode.. i have to turn the car off to restart it.. then the pedal will work again. I kept getting a code mas air flow low current. And sometime i hot a code for throttle body acuator spring getting stuck. I have an idea but want to ask a second opinion. The mas low current is that mean i need to replace the mas sensor. And or am i having a problem with the throttle body sensor as well?

[@HelpingHandAutoRepair]

MAF will cause odd idling issues. I would replace it

[@tengzturiagaiii3185]

Helping Hand Auto Repair ok thank you.

[@Norharis-p7d]

Is the thermostat position same with 1mz-fe?

[@HelpingHandAutoRepair]

Yes

[@Norharis-p7d]

@@HelpingHandAutoRepair thank you

[@richardhaen]

Very good video, now u got urs finished u can come do mine, thanks very informational

[@HelpingHandAutoRepair]

Of course

[@chivinchour1886]

For RX300 the same that or not Bro?

[@HelpingHandAutoRepair]

Yes.

[@suhtangwong]

Guy: it's not that hard of a process. Continues to pull out the entire engine, hose and wires.

[@HelpingHandAutoRepair]

Engine is still there. Literally pulled out the intake box. Not hard at all. That’s the biggest thing. I get your joke, but really. It’s not that difficult. It only took me about 45 mins to do this job.

[@suhtangwong]

@@HelpingHandAutoRepair so just take the box out and we're good? And yeah, lame joke lol thanks for the info! Very informative.

[@HelpingHandAutoRepair]

Joke wasn’t bad really. I know it looks like a lot of work. It’s not that bad.

[@gary4738]

Thank you sir! Please tell me, after draining the radiator fluid from the bottom plug, I only had about 1 gallon drain out on my 2008 Lexus RX330. After the completion of the job, the radiator accepted about the same amount. Even after topping it off throughout the week. Does this seem correct to you???

[@HelpingHandAutoRepair]

If a gallon came out and you put a gallon back in, I’d say you’re ok.

[@numberjuanrealtor7417]

I just need to change the inlet pipe I think thats what is call is leaking from the top I wonder if I can just put liquid cemet for pvc pipes will that work? Pipe is only 48 bucks buck is a hassle to get out

[@SanyaM-t8g]

А я думал что у вас там на таких не ездят уже

[@RAMZEZvideoDesign]

Greetings. Would you like to make a screen saver with a trailer on your channel?g

[@HelpingHandAutoRepair]

No thanks.

[@davidnguyen7025]

8

[@jucklowe]

Holy Moly that's a lot of pfaffing about for a thermostat.