CalCUtrex

I am having my daughter's 1992 ES300 repaired by a moonlighting Toyota mechanic. It was overheating and the head gaskets had blown and were replaced. The mechanic sent the heads out to be resurfaced and something with the valve seats or whatever. He also replaced some other parts like the water pump and timing belt and other stuff since he had to take apart a lot of the engine.

Now he can't seem to get the thing to run again. It has spark, fuel, and will turn over. However, when it starts, it runs a few seconds then stops. He has checked all the sensors and rechecked all the vacuum and wire hookups. He rechecked the timing and everything else seems okay. It won't start again until he takes out the key and waits some time before trying again. He said he gets a code "24", but doesn't feel that means indicates the problem.

He said he thinks there might be some problem with the security system or some need to reset some electronic setting or something. The vehicle sat all winter without a battery, and he said the Lexus has a lot of electronic idiosyncrasies that he does not know a lot about. He said there is a radio security code that I need to get him (as well as some complex sequence of rubbing your tummy and patting your head when entering it). However, he thinks it should just affect the radio and not the running of the engine. I would like to get this thing running again so I can get my car back from my daughter.

Does anyone in CL have an idea of what may be happening here, or is there something my mechanic may have overlooked?

PS: my mechanic is also an in-law, so I cannot fire him.

Hayk

iTrader: (1)

I don't think it's a security problem if the car starts. Normally you wouldn't be able to go that far, if it was.

I would check the MAF sensor. I once forgot to hook it up and the car would not run/start without it. I'm not sure if your 92 has something similar.

LeX2K

I don't think that year ES has any engine run disable but I could be wrong. Tell your mechanic to check the AFM specifically the connector going to it.

ES300NZ

if it fires and dies it can sometimes be a bad crank sensor (or one that is not plugged in). but I'd thinking a disconnected MAF or a MAF with a fault would be a main issue.

Code 24 = "Intake Air Temperature Sensor signal" which is also a part of the MAF, it might be that a pin is damaged in the plug or pushed back inside the plug, or the sensor (MAF), is damaged. If that is confusing it should read the MAF and Air temp sensor are the same unit (hence 5 pins).

Also, if the car has been cooked it could need a new water temp sensor (the two pin), and a replacement thermostat, but neither would cause this issue.

Lexus do not have "a lot of electronic idiosyncrasies" in fact toyota in general (obviously the same company), are extremely reliable, both in the engine bay, and inside the car.

CalCUtrex

Hey guys,

Thanks for the quick response. You folks are the greatest. I'll relay this information to my mechanic, and hopefully it's as simple fix as the MAF (whatever that is), or it's connection.

As for Lexus "being just a Toyota", I beg to differ. Other than people willing to pay 3-4 times the price for one over the other, just the griping of my daughter for having to drive a Corolla while her ES300 is being fixed has convinced me of it!

Cal

CalCUtrex

Today my mechanic rechecked the MAF, checked the crank sensor, tested the wiring and pins. Same symptoms as before. Anyone have any other ideas?

Cal

jenga

Try cycling the locks a couple of times with the remote. If the theft deterrent is working, on some cars, it will allow it to up a for few seconds and then cuts power to the fuel pump relay. Enough to discourage someone.

Also, check the fuel pressure to see it the pump regulator is bad. The pump can build some pressure but bleeds it off quickly enough that the injectors don't have enough pressure.

ES300NZ

Well, you'd be wrong the lexus brand is a subset of Toyota, from a mechanical/electrical view it's just a Toyota which is a good thing, cos if it was a Porsche it would spontaneously burst into flames and bill your credit automatically for the repairs.

Fritz330

FWTW, I recently had my battery disconnected for 3 days and had zero problems when I installed a new battery. Something must have broke in yours.

ES300NZ

I had mine disconnected for almost a month while I did a major engine service / clean up. Zero issues, started right up.

lostape45

I don't think your 3 days is enough to compare with his whole winter without a battery. Just think of the car sitting there without any power for that long, there has to be something in there that was reset or cleared as a result of sitting for so long.

jadu

iTrader: (42)

I had a bad maf cause those symptoms. I killed it by cleaning it with maf sensor cleaner. Just my experience. Sounds like the engine starts so that's a good sign, but sounds like it doesn't idle. Does the engine stay on if you give it a little gas? Does it smell like gas when attempted to turn on?

LeX2K

This is a red flag to me. Your car does not have any idiosyncrasies in fact the car is about as well designed and straight forward as you will find on the road. Is he sure he checked the MAF properly? A common mistake is to remove the two screws securing the connector instead of removing the clip that holds it on. Doing this damages the solder connections and the MAF won't work again until repaired.

But the first thing your mechanic needs to find out is if the car has a security start lockout. If it does then the car will do exactly as described, it will run for a few seconds then turn off. If the ECU was not tampered with or replaced then cycling the door looks with the remote or the key will clear the lockout. But I don't know if your year ES has this feature as I've never owned one.

...BTW the time the battery was disconnected makes no difference, it could be 10 minutes or 10 years.

....K I scanned over the service manual, the door lock control ECU is also responsible for the theft deterrent system. Near as I can tell the ECU will disable the starter if the alarm is tripped. So it does not look like the anti theft system is causing your issue. Don't take that as gospel though I didn't read all the pages on the theft system. It does say that the alarm will be cancelled if you unlock the door with they key or remote, or turn the ignition to ON.

ES300NZ

There's nothing. The ECU's internal battery would run out in about 5 minutes, if there even is one.