tc_emcee

1990 LS400 will not start. I put the key in the ignition and turn to start and everything is normal except for the fact that my car wont start all my dash lights and instrument panel lights up and i have plenty of juice in the battery. all i get is a single click from the starter and what sounds like something stopping the starter from completely engaging. I have heard that this may be my security system kicking in thinking that the doors are still locked and someone is saying it is my starter. If it is the security system what do i have to do to fix this?

NikkaDe

disconnect battery and connect again while car is unlocked?

williamb82

sounds like the starter honestly. if the theft deterrent system was stopping it, the starter would never click. try jump starting it and see if it turns over. if so, its worn out contacts in the starter. a lil work to get to it as you have to pull the intake etc..., but the parts to rebuild the starter are ~$20.

btw, if its the theft deterrent system, lock the doors and close them, and then unlock with the key, that should solve it.

tc_emcee

Thank you both for your suggestions and i will try them this evening as i have been in the office all day looking at my dead car with no real solutions. MAN! i hope its not my starter. i have been looking into what it takes to get to it and it sounds like huge pain. I shall find out this evening and will update with my results.... fingers crossed its not the starter (probably is)

trukn1

Sorry to tell you,, theft deterrent system is not the problem. With the alarm engaged, should it have been set off by something and then shut off, the starter/car would not give you the click that you are hearing. Honestly, it does sound like the starter may have gone up on you.

Question,, when you get that single click, does the lights on your dash disappear for a quick second? In MANY cases, mine included, I have had problem with the negative battery cable not making good contact and I have had to re-adjust the cable. I would turn the key, and just one quick click was all I would hear; plenty of juice and everything would light as it should. Re-adjust your negative cable on the battery post, or possibly tighten it for better contat. Try this as another elimination process before you absolutely rule it to be the starter. Also, I know on alot of the first gens, the immobilizer for the security system in the door(drivers side) would stop working. You could open the door, however it would still set the alarm off. On some occasions when this has happened to mine, I actually had to shut it off by unlocking the passenger side door. This would reset the alarm and everything would work properly again. You may need to take your key and unlock the door from the passenger side, as that side may still be the good side and will de-activate the alarm as well.

Just 2 other things to check, as I have had some similar problems in the past with my 92, before religating yourself to a starter replacement.

RA40

iTrader: (6)

I just hate the sound of a starter that goes click... I'm all to familiar now. If the battery cable adjustment doesn't produce results, this is a high probability. How many miles on car?

Mine is on starter #3.

tc_emcee

Thanks for the support and suggestions. turns out it was exactly what trukn1 said. we went to jump it just to see what happend and noticed that the negative terminal had a bad connection. it was just odd and we didn't even think that it could have been the battery because the interior was still getting strong power. Thankfully it wasn't the starter. i was seriously so bummed by the end of the day thinking it was gonna be the starter. then when we tightened down the contact and it turned right over i was so relieved. to address RA40's question my LS has 149,000 miles on it and still runs like a top. found it down in Dallas on CL had a family member check it out, said it was clean so i gave them the go ahead and they snagged it. I flew down and drove it back to MN.

RA40

iTrader: (6)

Glad it worked out.

trukn1

Glad it worked out for you. For some reason, especially as the cars age, that negative terminal just becomes a gremlin. Most likely just gonna replace mine with a new one sometime in the spring.