Rippaflow

iTrader: (4)

My friend just bought a 01 or 02 IS300. Auto.
The car came lowered on tein suspension with BBS wheels. Also has an aftermarket alarm with remote that has never worked (atleast the remote hasn't).

He has had the car for about a month now. On sunday, he was driving and his headlights/taillights, radio etc stopped working, so he turned around and took the car home and turned it off. Now the car won't start.
His windows won't go up or down, his radio (aftermarket deck) will eject cds but won't physically power on. His headlights work but taillights don't. The doors will not lock but will beep to the unlock function. He got his battery tested and recharged and it was fine. The car tries to turn over but isn't getting fuel.
I just got back from his house. I discovered the 120amp ALT fuse under the hood had a 40amp fuse in it. When I took it out, it was completely melted to crape to the point where the plastic was about half as long as it should be. The actual connectors inside where the fuse plugs in to on the car are bent and damaged.
I discovered that when the key is in the ignition, the under hood fuse box is making a loud clicking/vibrating sound. When you remove the EFI fuse it stops. The horn hasn't worked since he got the car and we haven't tested it with extra fuses yet as all parts stores are closed at the moment.
Bring me to the point...do you think it's just as simple as a fuse being replaced with smaller than should be and that putting the proper fuse in will solve things....or do you think it is related to the aftermarket alarm system?
Another thing to consider is the car had 4 gauge wire hooked up to the battery and we can't seem to actually find the wire in the car. We found the RCAs and Remote lead in the truck and I taped them off. After I got there, the first thing I did was remove the inline fuse from the Power wire which wasn't blown.

The car is under dealer warrenty for 2 more days and he purchased a 3 year/36K mile warrenty on top of that. The car currently has Low/Mid 90K on it.
Anything to help would be greatly appriciated, thank you.

IS3_FTW

iTrader: (3)

OMG...what a story.

I had never had that experience before. Sorry. If it was just a starting problem. Then it would be an alarm issue.

Have him take it in. And show them what you observed. DOnt change anything.

Take it in to get it serviced and have them putting it in writing. So if they make an appointment after the 30 days, your supposeably covered. If they find out its the alarm, then you are screwed.

Rippaflow

iTrader: (4)

Yeah it's quite the story. I've never even been in the car since he got it until today. He got his IS300 on the 21st and I bought my GS430 on the 23rd. So you are telling me he is screwed because a warrenty wouldn't cover the damages of the aftermarket alarm that he had on the car prior to purchasing it or screwed because no one knows anything about the alarm?

We tried to call the local Toyota dealer and some auto parts stores and Toyota was closed and auto parts stores didn't have what we needed. When he went to go connect jumper cables to the car it started sparking all over the place as well. Not like sparking like touching the post, like sparking like you put a piece of metal and held it there for a hot second.

mkiiina

sounds like it might be a buggered alarm system. if the alarm has a kill switch wired in somewhere (or even if it doesnt but has the option of one in the "black box") that would explain the messed up fuel system too. Get Lexus to look at it but they might tell you to go out to an alarm specialist.

crazymikey

iTrader: (2)

sounds like it went into "safety mode" where it shuts pretty much all electrical off in the car. one thing you can do is unplug the battery for 15-20 minutes. If that does not work, there is a combination of brake and shifting to get it out of it.

Rippaflow

iTrader: (4)

Ending up just plain and simple being the alternator.

IS3_FTW

iTrader: (3)

thanks for the update