etj1085

Before replacing your starter please check this!!!!!!!

GS300, LS400, SC300 and SC400 - Park/Neutral safety switch adjustment

1. With the ignition switch OFF, disconnect the battery cables, negative terminal first. Allow 90 seconds to elapse before performing any other work.
2. Raise and safely support the vehicle.
3. If necessary, remove the front exhaust pipe.
4. Disconnect the neutral start switch connector.
5. Remove the control shaft shift lever.
6. Pry off the washer and remove the nut.
7. Remove the bolt and pull out the neutral start switch. To install:
8. Install the Park/Neutral switch and loosely install the bolt.
9. Adjust the switch as follows:
1. Loosen the neutral start switch bolt and place the shift lever in the N position.
2. Align the groove and the neutral basic line.
3. Hold in position and tighten the bolt to 9 ft. lbs. (13 Nm).
10. Install the nut and washer.
11. Install the control shaft shift lever.
12. Connect the electrical connector.
13. Install the front exhaust pipe. Torque the front nuts to 46 ft. lbs. (62 Nm). Torque the pipe support bracket to bolts to 32 ft. lbs. (43 Nm). Torque the No. 2 front exhaust pipe to the front exhaust pipe bolts to 32 ft. lbs. (43 Nm).
14. Lower the vehicle.
15. Connect the negative battery cable to the battery.
16. Verify that the vehicle will only start in the N or P positions.

I have one last comment that has been bothering me for some time. I say this without directing it to anyone in particular or any malice whatsoever but whenever I have an issue and I search Club Lexus to find out if someone else has had a similar issue, I have to tread through miles of peoples stupid post about what they “think” it might when you can clearly tell in one or two lines that they have “0” mechanical experience. I have been trained for years in automotive repair and while I have a lot of experience working on all types of cars I don’t know everything myself therefore I don’t post on it. If I come across something useful I’ll pass it on. I hope I didn’t make anyone mad but if you don’t have the answer to the question in the post, please don’t post about it. Thanks Tracy

dengman

never came across the starter issue with my LS400 yet but I'll keep this in mind. Thanks!

Shmee

iTrader: (3)

Good post!
IIRC this is part of the diagnostic flow chart on many vehicles.

And I agree with the last part, although it's not just on here but common on all forums... Someone read something similar somewhere else, remember a portion of what they read and this regurgitate it as if it were a fact of the universe.

PureDrifter

iTrader: (10)

these failing is actually relatively common on old 1st gen cars...

steve2006

I'd rather readjust the inhibitor switch than replace a Lexus LS400 starter motor any day, mine was the starter motor and a back breaking job it was!

SSAstro

cool thanks cause mine was going bad

freegard

I replaced the bulb below the shifter display and had to pull and twist and pry that connector that
attaches from the shift lock control module to the inhibitor switch and now the starter will not engage.
I am wondering how to check with a volt or ohmeter the switch before replacing it.
I took the cover off of the starter relay under the hood and pressed it to make contact and the starter engaged
no problem. I use the key and nothing...no click sound, no power drain as if a starter is consuming current....nothing.
I pulled that bulb out with pliers, broke it and the filaments shorted, this blew the 7.5 amp starter fuse and apparently did other damage as well
because I still have no power to starter relay.
Will replace anti theft ECU and shift lock control module and see if that does it.

Please tell me what to do.

Newblue

Hey there. I'm having similar problem with my sc400 after auto tranny swap. No power to starter relay. What ended up causing this in yours?

jrmartine

hi steve you got the best of my curiosity , i am not mechanically inclined so what does the inhibitor switch supposed to do????

oldskewel

iTrader: (1)

It's called the neutral start switch or the neutral safety switch. It is supposed to prevent you from starting the engine unless the transmission is in Park or Neutral.

Hopefully I got that right, here's a related question for the experts:

Background info: I'm troubleshooting a no-start problem on my '91. If I jumper the starter relay, it starts and runs just fine - so there is no problem with the battery, cables, starter, and the part of the ECU that makes the engine run. And it runs perfectly. No CEL, smooth idle, plenty of power, etc. I have also bench tested the starter relay and it is fine. Nothing at all wrong anywhere, other than ...

With the starter relay in place, when I turn the key from ON to START, the lights on the climate display go off, but other than that, nothing at all happens. No crank, no click, no hum, no change at all on the instrument panel. All instrument panel lights look just as they should.

So in troubleshooting, of course I come across this neutral start switch as a potential cause. Not that I have anything against climbing under the car, removing, cleaning, inspecting, rebuilding, and re-installing it, but there are lots of things I could do that for.

But ... The PRND2L indicator lights on the instrument panel work perfectly - does that mean I definitely have no problem with the NSS? I would think it does mean that, but I thought I should check with the experts before declaring the NSS to be good based on that alone.

PureDrifter

iTrader: (10)

the indicator lights working are NOT indicative of working NSS.

oldskewel

iTrader: (1)

Thanks for the clear answer. I guess I may understand how that can be once I get in there. But fortunately, it probably won't be today, because ...

As a last thought to try before jacking the car up just now, I figured I should do one more easy thing first (I'm actually not as lazy as I might sound ;-) ) - I checked the 7.5A fuse for the starter in the driver's footwell fuse box. Labeled ST, I think, all by itself on my car since the TRAC fuse is not there and I don't have TRAC.

Sure enough, the fuse had blown. I put the spare 7.5A fuse in there and it started right up. I'm not declaring victory just yet, since I know fuses usually blow for a reason and that reason may still exist.

RayRay496

I picked up this lexus about 6 months ago, I have years of training and exp as a electro-mechanical technician. working for Toyota, Niagara, Advances h20, ect. So this Lexus, has been problematic to say the least. My issues are, I have the starter relay jumpered at pin 5 to pin 2 i think. And now i just replaced the NSS, But ive been adjusting it back and fourth for 2 days now. It will not take off right anymore. 1 gear reves up to 3500 rpms, do you have any ideas about this. Thank you.

dicer

Just a heads up, the security system can also cause a no starter work problem. My wife even talked a friend through such a problem not long ago. The other person thought the starter went out. Wife said just use the key to and lock and unlock the driver door, and it worked. It would also work with the passenger door too.
I was impressed my wife really doesn't know the LS's that well, but figured it out.

flaco1801

Thank you for all your help