Entire Instrument Panel is DEAD - HELP!
07-07-06, 09:41 AM
#1
Entire Instrument Panel is DEAD - HELP!
Hello,
My bro has a gs400 and has gone on vacation with my parents. He told me to drive his car around once in a while. Well, last week I went to start his car and it didn't start, so I just left it at that thinking I will jump it later on.
Today, I brought my uncle's GS300 over (2000) and tried to jump start the my brother's GS400 with it. I had both the cars off, I plugged up the cables CORRECTLY on the GS300 first (the working car) and then I plugged it up to the GS400 (my bro's car that doesn't start). I then started the GS300, waited a minute, then went over to the GS400 and tried to start it, it sure did start...but the INSTRUMENT PANEL DIDN'T WORK!
I started to freak out, I waited a while and then I took it for a drive for about 5 min, still didn't come on...I then came back and left the car on for another 10 min, still no luck.
The worst part about all this is that when I told my dad that the GS400 is not starting he told me not to try to start it and ask for my uncles help (since I have never jump started a car before). And he told me specifically that if I do it incorrectly that I could mess up the car's computer which would cost $1000. I thought he was just being too careful, what's the big deal in jumping a car, right? I had seen people do it and I followed the directions so I just gave it a shot and now what my dad said is true....the instrument panel is dead, not just the lights...even when I drive it, the rpm doesn't go up, the speed is at 0 the whole time, the fuel, gear, etc...
The AC, radio, etc all work fine, just the entire instrument panel is dead. Please help!! I have searched all through the forums and found a couple of issues where the wire was loose but I don't know. Could it just be that it has been a while since I started it or is it really dead?
My bro left on June 14th, I started it on June 23rd or so once just to back it up so I can move something in the garage, it did vibrate a bit when I first started it that time (even when the car was in park), but I didn't think much of it...I just thought the engine was cold. Then last week, it didn't start, and now, I jump started it and it works, but the instrument panel is dead. Please help!
My bro has a gs400 and has gone on vacation with my parents. He told me to drive his car around once in a while. Well, last week I went to start his car and it didn't start, so I just left it at that thinking I will jump it later on.
Today, I brought my uncle's GS300 over (2000) and tried to jump start the my brother's GS400 with it. I had both the cars off, I plugged up the cables CORRECTLY on the GS300 first (the working car) and then I plugged it up to the GS400 (my bro's car that doesn't start). I then started the GS300, waited a minute, then went over to the GS400 and tried to start it, it sure did start...but the INSTRUMENT PANEL DIDN'T WORK!
I started to freak out, I waited a while and then I took it for a drive for about 5 min, still didn't come on...I then came back and left the car on for another 10 min, still no luck.
The worst part about all this is that when I told my dad that the GS400 is not starting he told me not to try to start it and ask for my uncles help (since I have never jump started a car before). And he told me specifically that if I do it incorrectly that I could mess up the car's computer which would cost $1000. I thought he was just being too careful, what's the big deal in jumping a car, right? I had seen people do it and I followed the directions so I just gave it a shot and now what my dad said is true....the instrument panel is dead, not just the lights...even when I drive it, the rpm doesn't go up, the speed is at 0 the whole time, the fuel, gear, etc...
The AC, radio, etc all work fine, just the entire instrument panel is dead. Please help!! I have searched all through the forums and found a couple of issues where the wire was loose but I don't know. Could it just be that it has been a while since I started it or is it really dead?
My bro left on June 14th, I started it on June 23rd or so once just to back it up so I can move something in the garage, it did vibrate a bit when I first started it that time (even when the car was in park), but I didn't think much of it...I just thought the engine was cold. Then last week, it didn't start, and now, I jump started it and it works, but the instrument panel is dead. Please help!
07-07-06, 09:52 AM
#2
could be a blown fuse man. i did a quick search and the LS guys have issues with their clusters as well.
Here's a link from that threadl: http://www.mrwhizard.com/
good luck.
Here's a link from that threadl: http://www.mrwhizard.com/
good luck.
07-07-06, 10:24 AM
#3
I just checked the fuses and they are all good. I read the manual and it said that if the fuses are ok but some of the electrical components are still not working (in this case the instrument panel) that I need to check the cartridge type fuses. I did and they are all fine, except one of them is missing....but my bro has always driven it that way and he has a high-powered amp and subwoofer system installed directly to the battery so maybe that's why he had to take that cartridge type fuse out.
Anyway, no fuses blown, and I checked the battery indicator he has installed next to his subwoofers in the back and when the car is on it says 12.72 and when the car is off it is at around 11.7.
Anyway, no fuses blown, and I checked the battery indicator he has installed next to his subwoofers in the back and when the car is on it says 12.72 and when the car is off it is at around 11.7.
07-07-06, 10:57 AM
#5
Yep, I tried that too, and it is all the way up. Like I said, its not just the lights/illumination part, the actually needles don't even move when I am driving the car.
How could just jump starting your battery mess it up like that? And how could my dad have predicted it so precisely? i could call him and tell him while he is on vacation half way across the globe...but I don't want to ruin his vacation.
How could just jump starting your battery mess it up like that? And how could my dad have predicted it so precisely? i could call him and tell him while he is on vacation half way across the globe...but I don't want to ruin his vacation.
07-07-06, 12:03 PM
#7
I did, I checked both fuse 5 (gauge) and fuse 10 (readings)...they are both fine. Could a fuse blow out just by jump starting a car?
Also, is it normal for the car to shake a little bit when starting it after a week to 10 days? And also, when I came back from the test drive, the car was idleing pretty low....enough to where I thought it was going to shut off so I pressed the gas pedal while the car was in park and made sure it didn't die, and then after 4 min or so, I let it go and it seemed to idle very low...ofcourse I couldnt' tell what it was idling at because the rpm readout was dead. I let it run like that for about 10 min without holding down the accelerator and it didn't shut off. I then shut it off myself and came back to restart it and it restarted fine....and I have done that twice already.
Do you think it has anything to do with the grounding of the wires/battery...I read that in a post somewhere on this forum when I was searching for this problem an hour or two ago.
Do you think it would be safe to atleast drive for today, without any readouts? Maybe it will just come back on by itself?
Also, is it normal for the car to shake a little bit when starting it after a week to 10 days? And also, when I came back from the test drive, the car was idleing pretty low....enough to where I thought it was going to shut off so I pressed the gas pedal while the car was in park and made sure it didn't die, and then after 4 min or so, I let it go and it seemed to idle very low...ofcourse I couldnt' tell what it was idling at because the rpm readout was dead. I let it run like that for about 10 min without holding down the accelerator and it didn't shut off. I then shut it off myself and came back to restart it and it restarted fine....and I have done that twice already.
Do you think it has anything to do with the grounding of the wires/battery...I read that in a post somewhere on this forum when I was searching for this problem an hour or two ago.
Do you think it would be safe to atleast drive for today, without any readouts? Maybe it will just come back on by itself?
Trending Topics
07-07-06, 12:07 PM
#9
do you mean the negative cable on the battery (black, -)? Wouldn't that reset everything, such as the presets on the radio, memory seating....and even the keyless entry system? I don't care about anything but the keyless entry system, I don't want to have to reprogram it....but then again, if this will do the trick, I am more than willing to take the negative cable out.
But like I said, the car does run fine, changes gears fine, ac/radio/cd are fine....just the instrument panel....not only is it unlit, but none of the needles move at all.....but the indicator/check engine/seatbelt lights part works....ofcourse that's not part of the electroluminscent gauge cluster system....but I thought I would point it out so that it would be even more obvious that it is just that one system.
But like I said, the car does run fine, changes gears fine, ac/radio/cd are fine....just the instrument panel....not only is it unlit, but none of the needles move at all.....but the indicator/check engine/seatbelt lights part works....ofcourse that's not part of the electroluminscent gauge cluster system....but I thought I would point it out so that it would be even more obvious that it is just that one system.
07-07-06, 12:08 PM
#10
Go ahead and replace the fuses anyway - sometimes they look fine but are actually blown. I have had this happen before. Also, check all fuses, not just the specific one relating to the cluster.
The whole point of the fuses is to stop anything getting fried because it will blow the fuse first.
At any time during the jump start procedure did you touch anything and cause a spark??
Keep us posted,
Jonny
The whole point of the fuses is to stop anything getting fried because it will blow the fuse first.
At any time during the jump start procedure did you touch anything and cause a spark??
Keep us posted,
Jonny
07-07-06, 12:11 PM
#11
Lexus Fanatic
Originally Posted by nanotech
do you mean the negative cable on the battery (black, -)? Wouldn't that reset everything, such as the presets on the radio, memory seating....and even the keyless entry system? I don't care about anything but the keyless entry system, I don't want to have to reprogram it....but then again, if this will do the trick, I am more than willing to take the negative cable out.
But like I said, the car does run fine, changes gears fine, ac/radio/cd are fine....just the instrument panel....not only is it unlit, but none of the needles move at all.....but the indicator/check engine/seatbelt lights part works....ofcourse that's not part of the electroluminscent gauge cluster system....but I thought I would point it out so that it would be even more obvious that it is just that one system.
But like I said, the car does run fine, changes gears fine, ac/radio/cd are fine....just the instrument panel....not only is it unlit, but none of the needles move at all.....but the indicator/check engine/seatbelt lights part works....ofcourse that's not part of the electroluminscent gauge cluster system....but I thought I would point it out so that it would be even more obvious that it is just that one system.
I believe there is something that cuts power to "unnecessary" electrical items when the voltage gets too low. that's why you need to reset the ecu.
