darkbluein

Hi all. I'm a new CL member and, as of yesterday, proud new owner of a 1997 LS400 with 76,000 miles. The previous owner just replaced the battery two weeks ago. Prior to that, the Lexus Premium Stereo was functioning (I first saw the car a month ago). Now the power does not come on and I see nothing in the display.

I've scoured the web and the forums here and haven't seen anything related to this issue. I've checked fuses (all fine) but I haven't dived into looking at wiring schematics. Something tells me this is related to the new battery install and the anti-theft security on the stereo.

Also, while pulling the Radio2 fuse, I tried to check several others. Many of the fuses in the engine compartment are extremely difficult to remove due to corrosion in the connectors. I'm also looking at this as a possible issue.

Any ideas, links, help would be appreciated. And I'm very grateful for this forum. As a new Lexus owner, I think I've found a home.

darkbluein

I read in one of the forums that holding down the 1 and 6 buttons on the radio, then pushing power button simultaneously, would bring up the ability to reset the radio's auto-lock anti-theft feature. Thought I'd give it a try. Lo and behold, the stereo power came on immediately and I was thrilled. There were no prompts for resetting the security code, so I just sat and listened to half a song, satisfied with my minor victory. Then, suddenly, the radio power cut out, stayed off for a moment, then flickered back to life. This happened several more times within a period of three minutes until ultimately the stereo power remained off and I could hear the antenna retracting. This indicated to me that the anti-theft may have permanently locked the stereo, unless and until I have the means and know-how to reactivate it.

Also, the car alarm also goes off within two to three minutes of being armed.

Any ideas out there? Computer issue? Wiring? Something related to the new battery installation?

darkbluein

Update: Got into the car today and the stereo came back to life. Then the same behavior occurred: stereo remained on for a few minutes, then crackled for a second, shut off for a few seconds, then came back on. This behavior repeated several times, then seemed to stabilize.

Also, here are some symptoms and details that may point to a solution:

- There is white powdery corrosion on the fuses in the engine compartment. They're also difficult to remove.
- The car alarm goes off intermittently when I lock the doors. This happens irregularly after about 3 - 5 minutes have passed.

I suspect a wire short or that the corrosion on the fuses is causing this behavior. Any experience with this, tips, solutions, etc. much appreciated.

Bali26

Its corrosion. This is why I never wash my engine compartment.