All my crazy Lexus issues SOLVED!! (ECU-leaking capacitor)
07-18-18, 04:28 PM
#1486
As I said, I thank him for figuring out what the source of many issues actually was, which is the caps in the ECM. Yamae I can garauntee played a bigger hand in providing info for various ECM models by year, and probably for locating the correct capacitors, but I can’t do business with someone that would blatantly lie like that to a potential customer. First off, he is not the only person in the US that does the repair. Second, he is not the only person that can acquire the capacitors since the parts numbers are listed here and links to where you can order them from. So yes, thanks to him we know the source of the issues. Not forgetting that since he started this entire thread almost a decade ago, but I don’t trust anyone to work on anything of mine that will straight up make false claims about anything.
07-18-18, 04:31 PM
#1487
07-19-18, 12:10 AM
#1488
Racer
No self interest.EXTREME generosity.And total complete unimpeachable integrity. Kudos to you Mr Yamae.
07-20-18, 09:56 AM
#1489
07-31-18, 04:47 PM
#1490
Racer
Cant wait to hear the repair ECU story when you get it back from Driftmotion in Montclair Calif.
08-19-18, 11:56 AM
#1491
08-26-18, 07:35 PM
#1492
Driver School Candidate
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Thank you (and the guru) for this information. My '93 LS400 just started many of those symptoms. Two questions:
1. If the problem is so common in early cars, why hasn't there been a recall?
2. Board fixing is beyond my skill set. Where/who can you recommend to replace the capacitors in my ECU?
Thanks, Jim
1. If the problem is so common in early cars, why hasn't there been a recall?
2. Board fixing is beyond my skill set. Where/who can you recommend to replace the capacitors in my ECU?
Thanks, Jim
08-27-18, 04:19 AM
#1493
Racer
Thank you (and the guru) for this information. My '93 LS400 just started many of those symptoms. Two questions:
1. If the problem is so common in early cars, why hasn't there been a recall?
2. Board fixing is beyond my skill set. Where/who can you recommend to replace the capacitors in my ECU?
Thanks, Jim
1. If the problem is so common in early cars, why hasn't there been a recall?
2. Board fixing is beyond my skill set. Where/who can you recommend to replace the capacitors in my ECU?
Thanks, Jim
08-27-18, 06:11 AM
#1494
08-31-18, 08:38 PM
#1495
Moderator
Another failed example
You can find another failed example of QAS (Quaternary Ammonium Salt) capacitors at the link here. Things are all written in Japanese but you might understand the problem just seeing photos and you'd worry about ECU capacitors if those were not replaced yet. The product is a temperature controller made by an American company Watlow based in St. Louis, MO USA. They had used Nichicon's P series capacitors that contain the liquid QAS and those products have been causing problems.
09-07-18, 06:47 AM
#1496
Wow, this would explain the experience I had with my SC400 the months before I had sold the car.
It had been solid and stable as far as performance had been, but the lower rpm power had been lacking, oil wasn’t as clean.
Great writeup, thanks for sharing what you’ve done.
It had been solid and stable as far as performance had been, but the lower rpm power had been lacking, oil wasn’t as clean.
Great writeup, thanks for sharing what you’ve done.
09-08-18, 01:20 PM
#1497
Driver School Candidate
My 1996 LS400 completely died, so I figured it was time to replace the capacitors. I removed the capacitors and cleaned the ECU, but after the 91% isopropyl alcohol dried off, it left a white film substance on the pcb. Similar to dried glue. I don't know if the board is screwed or not, but I figure this project is out of my scope (should've taken the warning.) and would like to purchase a used ECU and have someone replace the capacitors for me. Does anyone know a reputable dealer and repairman who I can pay to order a ECU, replace with the required capacitors and send back to me? If anyone is open to this work please email or message me. Thanks!
09-08-18, 02:18 PM
#1498
Racer
Go to pick a part,get an ecu from same year car. Send it to driftmotion in Montclair Ca,and 90 bucks later its rebuilt and your problem is solved.
09-12-18, 10:18 PM
#1499
Rookie
I am going to do this fix in the next few weeks.
I also have some symptoms like:
Transmission jerks Slightly from 1st to 2nd.
Speedometer not working reliably. In my case it reads 30kph less at any speed.
Tachometer not working sometimes.
Cruise control not working.
I knew all of this before the car was mine, and the previous owner suspected a transmission issue. He didn't told me that there was probably a AT issue. When I tested the car I felt this slight 1st to 2nd gear jerking but didn't mention anything about it to the owner. Because I already knew the instrument cluster and cruise control didn't work, I knew the ECU would likely be the problem here. Thanks to the forum and reading this post for weeks prior to purchasing the car, I didn't even had to negotiate a cheap price for it.
Next morning when the owner drove me towards the car registry office to transfer the ownership, he smashed the gas pedal coming out of every single intersection in order to make sure the AT didn't had to shift to 2nd gear before the next traffic light, just to make sure I didn't notice the jerks
That 5 minute drive was quite funny.
Got a good deal on a (hopefully) misdiagnosed 1999 European LS400, with everything electrical wise working properly except for the above mentioned and a radio antenna that I will probably remove entirely because I don't listen to the radio.
So thanks to LScowboyLS who isn't here anymore and Yamae for all the help provided during all these years.
I also have some symptoms like:
Transmission jerks Slightly from 1st to 2nd.
Speedometer not working reliably. In my case it reads 30kph less at any speed.
Tachometer not working sometimes.
Cruise control not working.
I knew all of this before the car was mine, and the previous owner suspected a transmission issue. He didn't told me that there was probably a AT issue. When I tested the car I felt this slight 1st to 2nd gear jerking but didn't mention anything about it to the owner. Because I already knew the instrument cluster and cruise control didn't work, I knew the ECU would likely be the problem here. Thanks to the forum and reading this post for weeks prior to purchasing the car, I didn't even had to negotiate a cheap price for it.
Next morning when the owner drove me towards the car registry office to transfer the ownership, he smashed the gas pedal coming out of every single intersection in order to make sure the AT didn't had to shift to 2nd gear before the next traffic light, just to make sure I didn't notice the jerks
That 5 minute drive was quite funny.
Got a good deal on a (hopefully) misdiagnosed 1999 European LS400, with everything electrical wise working properly except for the above mentioned and a radio antenna that I will probably remove entirely because I don't listen to the radio.
So thanks to LScowboyLS who isn't here anymore and Yamae for all the help provided during all these years.
09-18-18, 07:12 PM
#1500
Driver School Candidate
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I ordered these parts Friday to fix my 1993 ECU. Parts arrived on Monday, I soldered them in a couple of hours ago and now my car is working again. Thanks for this information, I love the Internet!