sydb17

I have almost given up trying to figure out what is wrong with my 2007 GS 350 AWD. First issue ever was the radio. I would turn on the car and it would make a popping sound and say that it was on but nothing would play, not even the beeping sounds of pressing the buttons. Not a big deal, until other stuff started. Had frequent dead battery problems so I replaced battery and got new alternator. Worked for a bit. Then my headlight started going in and out. Now I’m having even more serious issues. It will shut off while I’m driving and steering wheel will lock up, exactly when I’m braking. Works fine while driving but as soon as I hit the brake it cuts out my dash and all electrical in my car and then will restart and come back on. Finally she was done for when I went to back up into a parking spot and she completely died on me and would not restart without a jump. Luckily I was home! I have taken her into my usual mechanic numerous times but they do not seem to know electrical issues with my model and nothing comes up on their scans so they state “if it doesn’t happen when we drive the vehicle, we can’t do anything about it or know what’s wrong.” I should mention these issues mostly happen when it’s raining or has rained. Im about to just junk the car at this point as this is so dangerous. Please let me know if anyone can help. She does have 195,000 miles on her so I’m guessing nothing would be worth fixing. The check system light has been on forever with the tire pressure light but I was told it’s unrelated.

ibidu1

iTrader: (1)

The radio issue is seperate from others, what happens is moisture forms in the trunk and the amplifier internals get moisture and shorts the amplifier, it usually comes back on once the amplifier drys internally.

As for the alternator did you install a oem or denso alternator? Or was it a cheap aftermarket? How do the battery terminals look, are they solid internally? Sounds like possibly low voltage issues

sydb17

I figured the radio issue was because of the amplifier considering that was the first thing to happen well before all my other electrical issues. Is there a way to prevent moisture from getting in there? Or is this just a common issue with this model and how it was made?

Im going to be honest, I have no idea what kind of alternator I had installed. Im sure it is not a cheap aftermarket, but I could have been “scammed” and one put in without knowing, I’m not much of a car person so it could have happened without my knowledge, is there a way to check just by looking under the hood ?

im thinking I have a connection issue with my battery terminal. Erosion is possible. I will have to look better to check for signs of erosion, bad wiring etc. I am taking her into a Lexus or Toyota dealership soon because I do not trust the place I have been going to, they clearly do not check these things properly if I take it in regularly to get checked and they can’t even see that this is destroying my car.

In your opinion, she has 195,000 miles on her, what’s the most you’d spend on repairs before deciding it’s not worth it? She does not have engine problems, mostly electrical, other than that she runs great. Just deciding whether or not to continue dropping money to fix or if I should just invest in a new vehicle.

thanks for your help!

CruzinGS

There are flap vents in the trunk wells, and the rubber flaps shrink, rot, and eventually fall out, allowing water to get into your trunk wells where the amplifier lives. You can replace those vents with this part number (one on each side): "Quarter panel vent / Duct assembly, quarter 62930-12161" ... Once you do that, you may be able to dry your amp out, clean off any corrosion, and continue on your merry way, or you may need to replace your amp.

A good DIY'er or a decent mechanic can inspect your alternator and, if it's running, do some testing of output voltage, voltage drop, and ripple current. They could also test your battery to ensure proper operation. I would also suggest that if you've been running with failed body vents, you may have enough corrosion to ground out the system voltage enough to cause other problems with your car.

The headlight "going in and out" (on and off?) might be due to a failing bulb or ballast (assuming low beams here). It is easiest to replace both bulbs (assuming they are more than a couple of years old), but if you are on a budget you can swap bulbs from side to side to see if the problem follows the bulb.

In any case, I'd suggest addressing some of the basic stuff if you can, then having a qualified mechanic perform a larger diagnostic to get a better idea if the problem can be addressed inexpensively. A few hundred dollars seems relatively inexpensive to get enough information to make an informed decision about keeping or replacing your car.

sydb17

Thank you for the info! Especially about the radio! It’s honestly such a bummer when I start my car and the radio goes out and I can’t listen to music. So I will definitely try this suggestion out and hopefully it helps.

I recently took her into the Toyota dealership and they did a full diagnostic test. Sure enough, it was the alternator! Plus the drive belt was very very worn out so I got that replaced as well. Looks like the repair place I took it to before to get it checked didn’t actually replace my alternator, just my battery and cables. They scammed me good and I have reported it. Honestly probably my fault for not checking, I feel stupid but sadly I trusted they were doing the right thing.

Repairs at Toyota were around $1,000 but I love this car and the engine still runs perfectly, so repairing this electrical issue I believe will greatly improve the cars quality considering it was an easy fix.

I guess lesson learned! Always take it to the professionals because you may end up paying a bit more but at least it’s trusted work!

DLACam

So everything works perfectly now?