So i go to start my car the other day and it wont start, i check the battery and its not dead or anything. I charged it anyway for a few hours, came back, car still wont start, now im getting worried. So i call Lexus, and they tell me maybe its the starter, and they said starters goin out on GS400's are really rare. A tech told me to try and push it in neutral back and forth then try to start it, still didnt start, he aslo told me to take off the engine cover, and to find a small oval hole on the right side of the engine, inside that hole is the starter, he told me to tap it with an extention. So our starter is under the intake manifold, between the valve covers, in the hollow area. Well anyways i tapped the starter that i barely could see through the hold 3 times, went to start the car still didnt start. Second turn of the key, started the engine. And it has started at least 75 times since then. Has anyone had the same problem or excperiene with the starter like this before?

 

I had a car with the same problem once but it had to do with a switch or something not telling the car that it was in park. It was in the shifter area I guess so moving the steering wheel a little and shifting the car in and out of park would sometimes jiggle it to work... far fetched, but possible I guess.

 

My starter went out at 80k miles. It would click but do nothing. I replaced the battery to no avail. Lexus fixed it under warrenty. Not sure if it was the solenoid or starter armature/brushes.

-Jeff

 

My es just was doing same thing. It was the negative battery terminal. ($10)even though it was tightened all the way the terminal was streched out and not grabbing battery post tight enough Also, like Cinflux said, sometimes the shifter has to be jiggled around because the switch in there that tells the car it's in park is not fully activated

 

I HAD THE SAME PROBLEM WITH MY 99 GS400, BUT MY CAR WAS STILL UNDER THE EXTENDED WARRANTY LEXUS GAVE ME SO THEY REPLACED IT FOR FREE, NO CHARGE....

 

THEY GAVE ME A BRAND NEW STARTER

 

Is your computer's keyboard still under warranty? Because I think your caps lock key might be defective.

 

Thanks guys for the info, i appreciate it. Too bad i dont have warranty on my car anymore, and they want 1000.00 bucks for a new starter installed here in Scottsdale, AZ