BobDana400

Has anyone had this happen on their '98--'00 LS 400, the "Miles Since Refuel" function of the Multi-Information Display resets to "0" even though the car had not been refueled. It has happened to me on a couple of rare occasions, but three weeks ago it reset itself FIVE times on the same tank of gas. Since then, no problems--weird stuff.
There is a technical service information bulletin (SB622172) by Lexus dated 6-1-01 that provides a repair procedure under warranty. My local dealership told me that the corporate Lexus tech guys say that they are no longer doing the fix since it is apparently not entirely fixing the problem, so they'll do nothing until further advised by corporate Lexus.

Any suggestions or thoughts are appreciated.

Thanks, Bob

Robert Kon

Hello Bob, I just traded a 2000 Ls400 that had the same problem. I now have a 2004 LS430 with less than 500 mi. and it's doing the same thing!!. Very frustrating as it makes me lose confidence in the fuel guage itself. On the 2000, Lexus applied both fixes as per the TSB (the dashboard computer & a sending unit in the trunk area) but the problem re-occured. As you said, it is wierd, as I can't really describe the exact conditions setting it off. Months went by on the 2000 w/o seeing the reset then it would do it multi times on 1 tank refill. I complained to the 1-800 no. last week and am awaiting a reply. I'm frosted about it and am considering looking into the lemon law option if it isn't taken care of. My experience with the 2000 (taking it back to the dealer multi times for the reset problem) wasn't enjoyable.

DaveGS4

iTrader: (2)

I've never noticed the problem in my 98 LS400.

Wow Robert, that indicator must really bother you! Personally, if I had the issue I would also consider it a problem I'd want fixed, but would never even remotely think about taking back my LS and invoking the lemon law for such a minor nit.

I guess if I really had to know the miles since refuel I could reset one of the trip indicators. I very seriously doubt the problem has any impact on the actual fuel gauge.

Kansas

The same thing happened on my 2000 LS a few weeks ago after filling the tank and then driving about 200 miles at about 70 mph. According to the TSB, "Due to the nature of the design of this system, resetting of this display may occur if the vehicle is parked on a steep incline or decline. This is a normal condition, and will not be impacted by the procedure provided in this builletin." I didn't park on a hill the day this happened and wondered if the extremely windy condittions might have had something to do with it. My warranty expires in four months so I will have the issue recorded by the dealer in case they come up with a reliable fix.

Robert Kon

Hello Jim, I wish I could determine exactly what condition causes the resetting but it appears to be random. I never considered high wind conditions but who knows? Thanks for responding and good luck with yours. I'm awaiting a response back from lexus (I called their 800 no. on 3/19) as my '04 LS430 (which has less than 500 mi. on it) is experiencing the same problem. I'll post the response when I get it.

lotus

My '99 has only done it once in the 2 years I have owned it. My neighbor has a 2000 LS and he said he has had it happen quite a few times, but he found that if he didn't over-fil his tank the problem vanished, but he also states that may be coincidence.

BobDana400

It's been more than a year since I posted this question. It still resets itself sporaticly. I can tell you being on a hill has nothing to do with it. One day I happened to have it on display, and as I was driving in to my level garage it reset itself.
Since I use the trip odometer this really doesn't bother me. The car has been fantastic and trouble free! It's a quirk I've accepted. But that's sure weird that Robert's new LS 430 is doing it too.

Horta

Hey All

I live in South Florida and we have Zero Hills. My "Miles sence last refulr" gauge is always off. My instant milage works great. My average MPG works ok and mt Tank MPG works ok. I say ok because this morning as I was driving in I notice my Tank Avg said 24.7 "Wow" I thought. Later in my drive to work I looked down as I was pulling away from a traffic light and it said - - Nothing then 5 mpg 10 mpg and worked its way back to 22.7 mpg then 23.9. If this is supposed to be a tank avg why is is acking so goofy?

Sometimes I switch the different setting and check my AVG MPG and it read 11 mpg avg I know thats way of and my tank avg may say 10 mpg. I just brush if off. I will not have them tear aprt my dash to fix this. If I want a good reading I just set it there and leave it. over all it work really good but it does act up from time to time.

jerry

98 LS

Interesting ...........

Mine use to do the "Random Reset" routine as well and I got use to not using that function.

What I have found recently, however, is a little step that seems to make it work and reset only at a fill-up time?

What works on my car is to have the "Miles Since Refill" actually showing when filling up the car and before leaving the pump and driving off ...... cycling through the available info screens and leaving it on "Miles Since Refill" and my resets as soon as I drive away.

It’s been working consistently when I do those steps. Give it a try. I’d be interested to see if works for you guys or is just an idiosyncrasy of my car?

Kansas

The dealer today offered to replace the entire combination meter per the TSB on the 2000 LS - my basic 4-year warranty expires 8/1/04. But do I really want them to rip out an otherwise fully functioning instrument cluster for this occasional inconvenience? After considering that the odometer would have to be reset to zero or an approximate mileage burned into the new cluster's odometer, I decided not to bother. They are, however, going to replace the climate control module because of debri - probably part of a gasket - in the outside temperature display - a minor issue but it looks a little tacky from the driver's seat.

Robert Kon

Hello Jim, I finally got a call back from Lexus regarding the reset problem after waiting 3 + weeks. I spoke yesterday with a Lexus district mgr and Lexus customer service via a conference call. The district manager said he will speak with engineers and promised to get back to me at the end of the month. As history, perhaps repeating myself, My 2000 LS400 had the TSB applied (although according to Lexus, my 2000 VIN wasn't within the group that needed the fix). When that didn't solve the problem, they informed me that another possible solution was within the sending unit located in the trunk. That too had some type of repair/Mod done to it without solving the problem. I know I'm being fussy but I would like the feature to work as expected ("The relentless pursuit of perfection", as Lexus advertises). I traded the 2000 about a month ago and the '04 has the same reset problem. Go figure.
I too was concerned about the dashboard being disassembled to access the display computer but can honestly say I could not discern any damage/cosmetic change when they finished. The bottom line, my opinion, is that Lexus is stumped as to what is causing the resetting of the computer but they are trying to come up with an answer. I am convinced, based on my personal experience, and reading threads of other LS owners who have the same problem, that other factors besides inclines/declines can cause the computer to reset. New Jersey, my home state, doesn't have a lot of hills or much elevation!

Kansas

Based on VIN number ranges described in the TSB, I think that all US VIN 2000 LS cars were subject to the "miles since refuel" display problem. The issue at the gas tank was resolved after 2000 LS VIN JT8BH28F#Y0149000.

Only the combination meter part of the solution is specified after the above VIN. My 2000 LS is about 205 before the ending VIN number (JT8BH28F#Y0181876) covered by TSB which I assume is also the end of the US spec LS400 model run since my LS was assembled in June 2000.

Personally I regard the "relentless pursuit of perfection" slogan as tired U.S. marketing retoric. My 2000 LS is manufactured and assembled at substantially looser tolerances that was my 1990 LS. It is more like our 98 Camry than like the old 1990 LS that we sold last year. Having torn apart the interiors of both cars while installing and removing cell phones, I found that the larger gaps in the interior trim of the 2000 made the job a lot easier.

I have been surprised at how much some trim pieces in the 2000 LS were lightened to save weight and how they seemed much more fagile that in our 90 LS. I can understand why all these changes were made in order to cut manufacturing costs and to reduce weight and improve fuel efficiency. Still, I am disappointed at what I see as a step backward in quality. Actually I get a kick out of seeing the exact same (easily addressed) sloppy assembly mistakes that are also in our Camry. It is as if the Camry and LS were assembled on the same line. It is a reminder that all these cars are just Toyotas no matter what brand label is placed on them.

I really doubt that many people have noticed these changes although Toyota's revised design and manufacturing stategy, implemented beginning in the mid 1990's, was mentioned recently in the national press. While it may seem like I am knocking Lexus, I still think they are very nice cars and still ahead of all other brands.

Robert Kon

My VIN no. ended in Y180199 and according to the TSB, should not have needed the Fuel sender gauge work (repair procedure 2) done, just the combo meter plate. The ending VIN was Y0181876 for the combo meter and Y01149000 for the fuel gauge. Why they did procedure 2 when the TSB didn't call for it, I'm not sure. I didn't learn of the details of the TSB until recently.
As to "the relentness pursuit of perfection", it may be, as you said, "tired marketing retoric", but I'll continue to hold them to that goal.
Good luck with yours.

clipster

My 98 only used to do this sporadically after I had parked for a while over a spot of hot asphalt in the summer, but lately it resets after every drive (and I keep it garaged).

Does anyone else have this problem or found a way to resolve it?

Losiracer2

my 99' that was garage kept its entire life w/ 150k does this every tank. About halfway through the tank it resets and distance since last refuel gets reset. I know my battery is good and the car aside from this doesn't have any electrical issues whatsoever.

Do you think this could be ECU capacitor related? Again, I'm not having any drivability issues whatsoever either.