Doc Yota

Ok fellas. Please help. 99 LS400. This morning I get the no start with the click again. Seems like more of us are having this problem. Today I was running late for work and kept turning the key non stop in a blind rage. All of a sudden the car starts cranking but not turning over. This happened twice. If any of you have tried to start the car without the remote, the car was reacting in that manner exactly. The third time she cranked right up. While I was fighting with it trying to start it, I heard a humming sound coming from under the crown near the throttle body. Also, the car seems to not start when my gas hand gets around 1/8th tank well before the fuel light comes on. As soon as I fill her up, she seems fine, but I will have one or two more episodes before she gets back to normal. The funny thing about this, shes running faster than ever...seriously. Has this happened to anyone before? Does this sounds more like a fuel problem than a starter issue?

billydpowe

iTrader: (1)

nope, sounds like starter, your contacts are worn and pitted, just replace them.

LScowboyLS

this sounds like two issues, the not starting at all is likely starter contacts, or some other connection issue (battery terminals, grounds, etc.) but this does not account for why it doesn't fire right up sometimes when it does turn over.

so I would say you have two separate issues to track down, and they are likely unrelated.

since replacing the starter contacts is a royal nightmare of a job, I would start with some easy things that could be the problem, such as replacing the + battery terminal with the dealership part (about $15) which is a known area for hidden deterioration and will give the same symptoms as worn starter contacts

johnnyg66

Is it a wise idea to replace the +terminal anyway as a preventive measure?

After 20 years?

Doc Yota

LScowboyLS, you may be heading in the right diredtion. All of these issue's began after I replaced my battery, and positive post with an O'reilly's look alike. I think a trip to Park Place is next. I am still not sure why the car was cranking just fine but wouldn't turnover during the last episode. It's seem to me, Billydpowe, if it was a starter issue, the car would not crank, or rather, crank and not turn over as if the remote wasn't attached to the key. I want you to understand what I mean by that. I am sure we have all, by now, replaced the battery on our keyless entry system. Last time I replaced mine, just to prove a point to my wife, I showed her that the car would not start if you do not have the remote on, or near the key stalk. All the car will do is crank countionuosly and not turn over. That is what happened during the last episode. This clearly would not happen if it was the starter, as the car will not crank at all, just click. Does that make sense. I am not going to tackle that starter unless I am certain. I don't like wasting time or money.....

LScowboyLS

I think we have a nomenclature issue here, so to not get things confused, cranking and "turn over" mean essentially the same thing, I think when you are saying turn over, you mean start or run or "crank up" - so saying it cranks but won't turn over is confusing us, because that is not possible, unless the starter itself has become disengaged from the flywheel during cranking (very rare)

it's confusing because some folks who are younger and didn't grow up working on their own cars, didn't get "turn over" defined correctly from their father, where they should have learned it! - if the engine is turning (the crank is rotating) then the car is turning over, but it isn't necessarily going to start (i.e. fire up, crank up, run)

and O'reilly's look-alike positive terminal is a bad plan!

I would make darn sure I had a brand new battery and fabulous connections and no fuse or fuse link or relay or engine grounding issues, before I spent over $1000 to replace the starter solenoid contacts (the job is basically all labor, and a LOT of labor!) - and if it turns out I had to replace the starter contacts, I would replace the knock sensors and their pigtails while I was in there! - sure don't want to have to do that job twice!

yamae also found an issue with the park neutral safety switch thingie, look in his recent posts, that can also give this same symptom, he fixed his with HIGH VOLTAGE! - heck yeah, baby!

billydpowe

iTrader: (1)

thanks cowboy, that was needed... IF when you turn the KEY, you only get a click (sound), no movement, AND your battery/charge/connection has been eliminated..... it will be starter time. but it will usually start and run after a few clicks have been endured.... mine did... also, a lot of folks would rather replace the whole starter, than just the contacts. I have owned 12 different LS400's, and have replaced the contacts on 3 of them.... never a starter or brushes... my belief is the rebuilt/replacement starter you install is not as good as the original (unless you buy a new Lexus starter). so, there, I am done.. (ps, I have never replaced a knock sensor either)

Doc Yota

Thanks fellas. I really appreciate your help and concern. My father was a ASE certified mechanic from way back. I have heard crank and turn over used so many times, it confuses me....ha. I think you get what I am saying, it rotated but didn't fire up after the click and not start thing. Sorry if I confused anyone. I will take care of the battery post issue ASAP. I hope that is the problem , and it certainly started after I replaced the battery and the terminal and NEVER happened before that. I will update you guys on the outcome. I have never had any major issues with any of my LS'S(3 so far) so I can't be mad a the car. Just want it to run correctly.

LScowboyLS

make sure to thoroughly wire brush and clean the end piece that connects the cable to the replaced + terminal, where the bolt area is, corrosion can be lurking within and underneath things

also, I would still check all fuses, fuse links, etc. (the fuses we are concerned with are primarily those under the hood, not so much the ones inside the car.)

ttyR2

The "book" lists replacing the starter in an LS400 as an 8 hour job from what my mechanic tells me. It's one of the few things I didn't want to tackle myself.

steve2006

I did mine it took around 8 hours and I still walk with a stoop from that day!
I could be wrong here but seem to remember reading some where that until the engine crank speed reaches a certain RPM (250-300) on starting the fuel injectors don't operate to avoid flooding the engine. This could explain the cranking but not firing problem if the startering crank speed is slow due to the contacts/plunger defect.
So repairing the starter may solve both issues.

Doc Yota

Alright fellow LS owners with the notorius no start accompanied with a click. This has been an ongoing problem for some of us including me. The next time this happens to anyone, pay attention to your fuel level. We all know a number of things can cause this problem, for me it seems to be my fuel level(knock on wood). I say this because I would notice that when my fuel level got low, around the point where the fuel light would come on, the problem would begin. Normally, I would refuel just as my fuel light comes on. For the last two months I have refueled around 1/4 tank and I have not had the "click and no start" happen not one time. Hopefully, now I can address the issue correctly. Hope this can be helpful to someone....

fixmiester

Sorry, but you're making my head hurt, when you said and then you said later "Alright fellow LS owners with the notorius no start accompanied with a click. Are you talking about TWO separate problems? Please use the words: Clicked, but wouldn't turn over, OR Turned over, but wouldn't start. Because they are completely unrelated as to the cause. Your comment about the engine not starting (I think) when your tank was below 1/4 full MAY be related to a bad/inaccurate fuel sender, and you may actually be out of gas, or have so much trash in your tank floating around that it is plugging up the fuel pump intake screen when the level is near the screen height. But this would have NOTHING to do with a "clicked, but wouldn't turn over" problem. That problem has already been discussed at length. Please clarify which problem you have.

Doc Yota

I am just letting it be known that the issue everyone thinks is starter related may not be. Click and no start means you turn the key, hear a click, and the car doesnt do anything....no turning over...no nothing. Does that make sense to ya. I am starting to feel unwelcomed here even though I have directed may Lexus owners to this site when they were in need of assistance. Now, if you guys don't want me to post anymore....anyone of you guys who runs this site can simply tell me not to. If my help is not wanted, I will simply go elsewhere...no sweat of my back lil buddy Fix Miester...