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It's definitely not a fuse. Fuses are not intermittent. They either work or are blown. Will it start if you jump start it? If so, this means something is draining the battery or it is not being charged properly. You might need to go ahead and pay for a professional diagnosis at Toyota / Lexus or a good independent shop so you don't go in circles. There is a test for parasitic draw that can be performed by a competent technician.
It started on a Jump so I took it back and got it tested again. From the looks of it I say it the starter motor not engaging everytime, but an extra charge helps get it started. It's not the battery or alternator so the last thing I can think of is the starter.
I once saw a Ford Crown Victoria that had a similar no-start condition. The cause was a faulty crank position sensor, replacing it solved the problem. I would bet on a crank or cam position sensor based on what you are saying.
But to be thorough, regardless if you have a check engine light or not, plug in an OBD2 code reader or Techstream and see what it says. See if there are any pending codes that were not repeated enough to turn on the check engine light.
Did you re-test the battery after you experienced the latest no-start condition? Does the car only start if jump-started? If the battery is still fully charged, then troubleshoot the starting steps by analyzing every step of the ignition process in procedural order.
For example, does the immobilizer recognize your key and unlock the fuel system? Does your fuel pump prime itself when you turn to the ON position, prior to turning to the CRANK position? Is there sufficient fuel pressure? Is the cam position sensor between 835 and 1000 Ohms when cold? Is the crank position sensor between 1630 and 2740 Ohms when cold? Does your transmission input/range sensor report that the car is in PARK or NEUTRAL? Is the starter working correctly? Are injectors firing correctly? Are ignition coils firing correctly?
Just break down the order of operations and verify each subsystem one at a time. Or if you want to take the faster/lazier, less analytical approach, change out the crank, cam, and transmission range sensors and hope for the best.
The clicking sound you are hearing is the solenoid on the starter. If this was going bad it would not drain your battery. It would click, click, and then finally engage and start the vehicle. If the battery is draining overnight you have a parasite draw. In other words, some component is malfunctioning and draining the battery. The starter is under the intake manifold and I seriously doubt it got wet. Also, your loaded amperage test on your alternator was not done properly. As RKW mentioned it should be putting out a minimum of 30 amps under load at 2k rpms I believe. He had that posted and removed it. The fact that you have to jump start the vehicle is clear that the battery is being drained. You need to have a parasitic draw test done and maybe a proper alternator test. I'm not 100% convinced your alternator is working as it should. It's either one of those two but my logical estimate is a parasite draw since it kills the battery overnight.
Try this. Take the car out for at least a 15 min drive on the highway before you park it for the night to make sure the battery is charged. Then disconnect the battery before you park it for the night. In the morning hook it back up and I bet it will start up without any problems.
I'm curious as to where I can have a test like that conducted, I no longer have a dealership warranty through Lexus. I really don't know what is happening. This is my fourth Lexus I've owned and I have never come across this once. I have been able to fix all types of repairs this is a bit more complicated. Thanks for all the advice I'm going continue to trouble shoot the problem today and see if I can find a sound source from what could be creating a parasite draw.
If the is a tape left inside the tape deck will that be enough to draw power.
I own one of these clamp-on current-meters, and it's exactly what you need to troubleshoot current-related problems.
As you know, the traditional way to measure current flow requires you to break the circuit and insert the meter in series with the load. The clamp-on meter allows you to take current measurement directly, instead. Be sure to purchase one that can measure DC current. The meter I have can measure AC or DC, and cover the range of 0.001 to 100 amps.
A typical SMART LS430 will draw 0.25-0.40 amps when it's not running. In other words, after you turn off your car (give it about 10 minutes to go to sleep), you can put the clamp over the positive battery lead and you should not see current draw larger that 0.50 amps.
You can also use the meter to measure current output from the alternator. At 2000 rpm with both high and low headlights on, and your heater set to high, your 130-amp OEM alternator should put out at least 30 amps.
RKW is the man. He has taught me a lot. I just went out and tested mine and when I first hook up the meter it hits 1.1 amps and settles down to 0.42 after a min or so. I picked up one of these a while ago for $26. I may not have waited for it to sleep long enough honestly, it was a quick test.
06-16-15, 10:06 AM
