thernlund

Hey folks. New here. I've read the forum for several months now since picking up a used GS300 and you guys have been an immense help with learning the car and fixing some minor issues to get the car tip top. Thank you for that.

So I have a question that I can't seem to track down a specific answer for...

I was having the car detailed Saturday. It seemed fine when I started it Saturday morning to move it. Later in the day however after the detail was done I went to start it. It started normally and ran for maybe 20 seconds, then quit as if the button had been pressed. Tried again, same thing. This went on a time or two more until it wouldn't start at all, sputtering a bit more with each try.

At this point in the story the car cranks fine, just doesn't start. The first try after powering up acts like it wants to but quits instantly. Subsequent attempts crank for the programmed amount of time before giving up (5 or 10 seconds I guess).

I checked every fuse in the car (all five boxes!!) and none were blown.

I went to check fuel pressure, thinking maybe it was the fuel pump, but couldn't find a valve on the fuel rail. That was aggravating as all hell. No test valve? WTF?

So I dug out the scanner to check for codes. There were none.

At this point I was getting pretty angry so I quit messing with it. I scheduled a tow truck for Monday and had it taken to the nearest dealer.

The dealer called me a bit ago and said that the battery was dead and they needed to charge it. He said the tow driver left the start button on. Makes sense.

But he said after changing the battery it now starts and runs fine and they can't find an issue with it. They tested the battery under load and it tested fine. The car runs and drives without issue.

Now I'm seriously annoyed. $100 tow, $168 diag fee, no issues found. Ugh.

So let me ask this... In these cars, is it possible for there to be plenty of juice in the battery to crank it and run the interior but not enough to actually start it? Maybe the detail guy got the battery wet and drained it to that certain point? I did check the battery and although he did clean it, it was not wet when I checked it.

I feel like an idiot just asking that to be honest. On any other vehicle I've ever owned or worked on the alternator powers the car. If it's running you don't even need the battery connected. And if the battery is dead it simply won't crank. Buuut... luxury cars are always special somehow aren't they.

My analytical mind is doing back flips without an answer to this problem. It'll haunt me until I have a reasonable idea of what's likely happening. That and of course I'm concerned about getting stranded someplace.

Any wisdom your collective knowledge can supply is greatly appreciated. I'd be particularly interested to hear from someone that's had this issue first hand and is reasonably sure of what caused it.

Thanks all.

SILENTM

If it starts over and run for a little bit i dont think its the battery. If it runs for a couple of seconds then dies could be alternator not charging the battery.
You will not find a test port to check fuel pressure since its high pressure at the engine. which leads me to think that the high pressure fuel sensor may be going out (common issue), giving wrong readings and shutting down or not allowing the engine to start.

thernlund

Thanks. I did ask about the alternator and he said it was charging fine.

I'd think a sensor would throw a code, no? There's enough computing power in the car to land it on Mars, you'd think it would at least put up a soft code. Hm.


-T.

thernlund

OK, so I might have figured it out. Last night after a hard rainstorm the vehicle started doing this...


You can also hear a constant high pitch beep. It crackles and fades in and out at times, but is otherwise constant.

In addition, it wouldn't shut off the engine when I pressed the button. It took several tries but I eventually did get it to shut off.

So I suspect a leak someplace. Windshield maybe? Makes sense since the issue appeared after a wash/detail and a rainstorm. I don't know enough about where the electronics are located to find it though. There are no wet spots anyplace I can find. Hmm.


-T.

thernlund

For anyone interested, this got figured out.

I took it to the dealer and they discovered that when the XM Radio was installed the seal around the main cable harness entering the firewall was damaged when the XM antenna wire was puled though. That was installed at the dealer when the car was brand new in 2006, so apparently this isn't a new issue. Indeed, the tech said that it appeared as if this had been going on for a very long time. Being in Arizona it doesn't rain much. So I can see how it might last as long as it did. Might be the reason I got such a clean car for the low price I did.

So they dried it out, cleaned and replaced some contacts, used some FIPG to seal up the entry point, doused it in water a bunch to test it, and it's all good now. $500 later I was motoring on. No electronics damage, thankfully.


-T.