I have had my 98 GS400 for 2 years and every 4 months or so the car won't start. I changed the battery last year, but it came back a few months later. I have read a lot of posts on this but not much after people solve the problem. I know we've heard this before, but here I go.....
When you turn the key, all the lights come on but no clicking and no engine. I try all the basics like shifting it all around from P, 2nd, N, back to park and nothing. I put it in neutral and move the car a few inches to turn the starter and nothing. I turn the wheel back and forth, punp the brakes and open and close the door. This week it took almost 15 minutes to start it, usually it is only a few minutes. This problem never repeats in the same week or even in the same month for two years now, but it did happen twice this week for the first time. I live in South Florida, but the garage was cold, about 50 this week?

Any ideas? I have heard maybe a loose wire either from starter or gear shift. Since this problem goes away I can not show my mechanic. It can not be the battery since the clock is not reset ever and the lights and radio come on fine. Changing the battery last year did not change anything.

Please help me.

 

if there is "no clicking", then you should double check the connections to your starter. are there any corrosion on the terminals of the battery?

 

I had exactly the same problem two days ago and posted a thread here. After all the car just came up and started with nothing being done from my side. I spent 15 minutes trying to start it and ended up driving my wife's car that day. Then 30 minutes later my wife called me telling that she just turned the key and my car started. So, with several replies to my thread I blamed it on battery connectors. However, I'm still clueless if this was the battery or something else.

 

I posted this after reading your post.

No there is no corrosion on the battery terminal, but I will check the wire to the starter.

You would think after 8 years and lots of these problems a sigle answer would have surfaced by now to a common problem.

 

sounds like a problem with the key, maybe the key remote battery is low?

 

You've just described the same problem I had. Your starter is failing. It's a common issue with 98 and 99 GS400. Cold weather will make starting harder, but like you've found after a few minutes it will go. Once the engine is warm, or car was sitting in the sun (for us Black Onyx owners), the car will start easily. But eventually the starter will just stop working.

I believe member chuckb did (or found) a rebuild kit if you're a DIY type.

I took mine into the dealer and it cost ~$1200 for the new starter installed. It's a lot of work to replace a starter on the GS400.

 

If you are a DIY person, look into a starter solenoid repair kit on ebay. Much cheaper than a whole new starter.

 

don't bother with ebay, they are only $15 from the dealer. if it's your solenoid contacts though, you usually hear a faint click when you try to start.

if you don't hear it clicking, you should somehow check to see if power is reaching the starter .

 

if the starter is bad, there should at least be a click sound. he is stating he hears no sound at all. as for checking the connection from the battery to the starter, you would have to take the whole manifold off and then be able to check the starter. not an easy job. i just replaced the starter contacts in my starter a few weeks ago and it was a PITA.

 

mine does the same thing, sometimes when i start it it shuts right down then it wont wont restart or it will then shut right back down. I sometimes have to use my remote start.....i was told it was my fuel pump or something like that.......................I havent got it fixed yet!!!

 

If the plunger is stuck, there won't be any clicking.

However, before blaming the starter, it would be wise to check if +12v is being sent to the starter wire when the key is in the "Start" position. Unfortunately, doing this may involve all the other labor involved to get to the starter in the first place.

The fact that there's full power and lights makes me believe that the battery connections are good.

One other thing to try is to run a voltmeter across the battery while having the key in the "Start" position and all accessories/lights off. If you can see the voltage continue decreasing while holding the key in "Start", then I would lean more towards the solenoid plunger being stuck.

 

That's true! Thanks, I forgot to mention that.

If power is getting to the starter and the starter is failing, then he should get a click when he turns the key. I had the same problem. After many tries, the car would finally start.

warrendanz, be sure to have the driver side window down and listen for a click when you turn the key. If you do, then look into getting the rebuild kit or take it to the dealer.

 

This happened to me this morning, after a couple of tries it started right up....

 

I went through this problem about two years ago-- intermittent no start with no starter activity.

After changing the starter-- which took me and a friend a few weeks (busy at work, and I had a spare car), the problem persisted. I was pissed.

After changing the starter relay (in the engine compartment fuse box)-- which took about four minutes and cost less than $70-- the problem was solved.

Given the ease and relatively low cost in changing the starter relay, you may want to look into that.

I have a couple of old posts with more details.

f_p

 

Not only did the dealer take my $1100 in the same scenario for a rebuilt startter without telling me upfront it was a remanufactured unit, but they told me this is a very common problem. So I called Lexus themselves and they deny up and down that this is common. Lexus isn't as different than the others as you'd think. Mine failed at 69K! Screwed.