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Hello all
My LS400 has 246k miles and had the starter replaced in 218k (Denso) and PS Pump replaced at (232). I am in Austin, TX (heat and sitting outside) and suddenly my LS400 resisted to start. I recall that I left my trunk open yday and so the trunk light was on all day. I measured the battery it was 11.68v and took it to my nearest autozone and they charged it to 12.48v after seven clicks, its sitting at 12.31v now.
I can hear a engaging sound of solenoids but the starter doesnt move, I had this issue intermittently for the past two months (like <10 times out of 40 times). Sometimes it wont crank at all and after a minute or two of rest it would start right up. When I changed the PS pump I think the alternator was clean and my PS Pump wasnt leaking, it was the tube from reservoir to the pump that started leaking but I went ahead and changed the PS Pump anyways.
I have driven very little and short distances (sub 4 mile) in last two months due to quarantine (<300 mi).
Who replaced your starter? I mean they should have some type of warrantee on their work. If you cannot trace it to a bad connection from the exterior wires from your battery to the starter than it might just be your starter again. Hate to state that but it might be that but you got to rule out all the connections first. I'm guessing you asked the guys at autozone what it might be did they tell you anything?
It was replaced at 4/18 ironically. I am wishing that it should be a relay or some wiring but I need to check it out. Does the alternator has anything to do during the starting? I know it charges the system when the motor is running but is there anything else I should look for? I looked into the fuse box but nothing blowup and I am sure the starter is ~2yrs old so thats too soon to giveup so I am going to diagnose the relay. I am looking for the other reasons that 98 LS400 could possibly give up.
It was replaced at 4/18 ironically. I am wishing that it should be a relay or some wiring but I need to check it out. Does the alternator has anything to do during the starting? I know it charges the system when the motor is running but is there anything else I should look for? I looked into the fuse box but nothing blowup and I am sure the starter is ~2yrs old so thats too soon to giveup so I am going to diagnose the relay. I am looking for the other reasons that 98 LS400 could possibly give up.
My starter is 21 years old, OEM, 238k miles, and we replaced just the solenoid contacts in 2010, and it is still starting like new
It was done by previous owner at a shop named Hass Bros Auto (San Dimas, Ca). I have the invoice it shows starter - Denso OS $189. So not sure thats how much it costed back then.
Before you start replacing starters and alternators and fuse boxes, at least try a new battery. It's possible that all of your short trips (~4 miles) with only a few minutes of a running engine charging the battery wasn't enough to keep it charged.
This combined with lots of time sitting, not being driven every day and now leaving your trunk open put a lot of strain on the battery. And then after all of this, you measure 11.63v, that is dangerously low and could have damaged it (especially if it's a few years old).
A year ago, I left my trunk open overnight which killed my battery the next day. Wouldn't charge during a jump. I didn't have a battery tester, so I just got a new battery. Fired right up, no problem. I've done this on previous cars where the ignition would start, the starter motor would "click", but wouldn't crank. It's because the battery was dead as a doornail. Every time required a replacement.
Lots of time sitting + <4 miles to recharge + leaving the trunk open overnight + 11.68 volts measured and now the starter motor isn't able to start the car sounds like a dead battery to me.
Make sure that when you buy a new battery to test, you make sure you can return it if it wasn't the cause of the problems.
Before you start replacing starters and alternators and fuse boxes, at least try a new battery. It's possible that all of your short trips (~4 miles) with only a few minutes of a running engine charging the battery wasn't enough to keep it charged.
This combined with lots of time sitting, not being driven every day and now leaving your trunk open put a lot of strain on the battery. And then after all of this, you measure 11.63v, that is dangerously low and could have damaged it (especially if it's a few years old).
A year ago, I left my trunk open overnight which killed my battery the next day. Wouldn't charge during a jump. I didn't have a battery tester, so I just got a new battery. Fired right up, no problem. I've done this on previous cars where the ignition would start, the starter motor would "click", but wouldn't crank. It's because the battery was dead as a doornail. Every time required a replacement.
Lots of time sitting + <4 miles to recharge + leaving the trunk open overnight + 11.68 volts measured and now the starter motor isn't able to start the car sounds like a dead battery to me.
Make sure that when you buy a new battery to test, you make sure you can return it if it wasn't the cause of the problems.
I thought so and got it recharged from AutoZone, it measured 12.7 before I put in and after bunch of tries it's at 12.2 now and still no signs of life. Battery is 01/18 NAPA legend.
I thought so and got it recharged from AutoZone, it measured 12.7 before I put in and after bunch of tries it's at 12.2 now and still no signs of life. Battery is 01/18 NAPA legend.
Just because it's measuring volts doesn't mean it can output enough cranking amps to turn the motor over. The battery is the first place I would start because of the conditions your car has been in for the past several months and I don't think you've ruled it out yet just by getting it recharged.
Have it tested under load to make sure it's outputting the necessary amps. Then make sure the cables and connections are good and not corroded. Then starter motor solenoid. Then the motor itself. A dead alternator won't prevent a car from turning over so that isn't it.
The battery I killed in my LS was 2 years old when I left my trunk open overnight. It can happen.
Start at the easiest\most likely solution, then work your way down to the more expensive\problematic solutions. Starter motors in these cars are a pain.
I've had starters do this simply due to a bad connection that do the exact same thing, Also I know its already been stated but yes I'd make darn sure it's not something else like a bad ground maybe from the negative battery cable. Tbh I do not know where the neg. battery cable trails off to opposite the neg. battery terminal to a frame component or whatever but yes I'd check all of it as much as humanly possible. Less than 30K miles on that starter is not good for it to go out this soon. But the idiocy with parts stores is they like to call rebuilt starters new starters. They are not new so it just depends on who rebuilt the starter at the warehouse where they rebuild them. If you had some guy that cut a few corners that day to save a little money and didn't replace some parts in the starter because maybe he thought they didn't need them but yea it kind of did but it would still work for a time then you know you just never know. For the price you paid for that starter it is almost assuredly a remanufactured starter. I am not even sure if a brand new oem starter can be found any more, it might be discontinued. If a dealer even had one I imagine it would be around 400-600 dollars just a guess. You just got to sift through all the comments and look at everything. These engines were a race bred engine design for Toyota racing way back when for Indy that never really happened so they ended in early Lexus cars tamed down of course that's part of the reason why the starter is in the top middle for the most part because of the original concept for the engine.
The problem is most likely with the starter. Have it tested for excess amp draw. The same problem happened at around 160K on the 2000 LS400 I used to have. It's apparently easy to test the starter since a repair shop owned by a former Lexus dealership service writer figured it out in a few minutes. A new starter resolved the problem and spun far faster than the old one too.
Just because it's measuring volts doesn't mean it can output enough cranking amps to turn the motor over. The battery is the first place I would start because of the conditions your car has been in for the past several months and I don't think you've ruled it out yet just by getting it recharged.
Have it tested under load to make sure it's outputting the necessary amps. Then make sure the cables and connections are good and not corroded. Then starter motor solenoid. Then the motor itself. A dead alternator won't prevent a car from turning over so that isn't it.
The battery I killed in my LS was 2 years old when I left my trunk open overnight. It can happen.
Start at the easiest\most likely solution, then work your way down to the more expensive\problematic solutions. Starter motors in these cars are a pain.
Good luck!
Autozon load tested and said me it was a good battery. Is there a CCA or anything I should ask for?
I've had starters do this simply due to a bad connection that do the exact same thing, Also I know its already been stated but yes I'd make darn sure it's not something else like a bad ground maybe from the negative battery cable. Tbh I do not know where the neg. battery cable trails off to opposite the neg. battery terminal to a frame component or whatever but yes I'd check all of it as much as humanly possible. Less than 30K miles on that starter is not good for it to go out this soon. But the idiocy with parts stores is they like to call rebuilt starters new starters. They are not new so it just depends on who rebuilt the starter at the warehouse where they rebuild them. If you had some guy that cut a few corners that day to save a little money and didn't replace some parts in the starter because maybe he thought they didn't need them but yea it kind of did but it would still work for a time then you know you just never know. For the price you paid for that starter it is almost assuredly a remanufactured starter. I am not even sure if a brand new oem starter can be found any more, it might be discontinued. If a dealer even had one I imagine it would be around 400-600 dollars just a guess. You just got to sift through all the comments and look at everything. These engines were a race bred engine design for Toyota racing way back when for Indy that never really happened so they ended in early Lexus cars tamed down of course that's part of the reason why the starter is in the top middle for the most part because of the original concept for the engine.
I kind of guess so its a reman Denso as most at $200 all I can get now (2020) is reman. But yeah as you said it could have possibly failed/poor QC and here I am.
The problem is most likely with the starter. Have it tested for excess amp draw. The same problem happened at around 160K on the 2000 LS400 I used to have. It's apparently easy to test the starter since a repair shop owned by a former Lexus dealership service writer figured it out in a few minutes. A new starter resolved the problem and spun far faster than the old one too.
To have it tested do I need to remove the inlet manifold or any hacks around?
and also to get this car moving how could I start it? Push starting works on this 4000lb car or tow it? I have replaced the PS Pump myself so I was thinking if I could get it inside my garage I can tear down and replace the starter.
05-07-20, 06:01 PM
98 LS400 Clicks but doesnt start
