I own a 1999 GS400 and recently noticed a gravelly-sounding noise at the front of the engine. The noise isn't loud enough to be noticeable with the hood closed. At first, I thought the noise was coming from the idler pulley that puts tension on the accessory drive belt. However, after placing a stethoscope on the pulley, that's not the problem.
I let the engine cool for a few hours and restarted it. On restart, the noise was not present, but it returned after running the engine for several minutes. That pretty much convinced me that the problem is internal to the engine and that the noise can only be heard after the oil warms and thins out. I use 10W-30 oil, which is acceptable according to the owner's manual, and change it every 5,000 miles. The car only has 35,000 miles on it.
Before I take the car to my super-expensive Lexus dealer, I wanted to get this group's opinions on what the problem might be. Thanks in advance.
John