DannySz

So this problem had happened before maybe 4 times. First was like 3 months ago and then like a month later, then last week and finally today.

The battery is fine because I tried already 3 different ones and nothing. The car just make a click and wont turn on.
Normally when this happens after i try for a while, the car decided to work after around 30min - 60min. I checked the fuse box near the battery and replace one of them and switch between them and nothing.

Please check out these videos i took:

http://s684.photobucket.com/user/Dan...6ad67.mp4.html

and then eventually turns ON...

http://s684.photobucket.com/user/Dan...79ed6.mp4.html

Im tired of this

LScowboyLS

you had better hope it is a bad battery cable end, the positive one is replacable and about $15 at any Toyota dealership and can get hidden corrosion under the bolt where it attached to the cable a few inches away from the end.

otherwise it is likely the starter solenoid contacts, a nightmare of a job that takes even a pro about 10 hours to complete, although the actual parts that go out, are pretty cheap - it is like spend $1000 in labor to fix a $50 part! (because it is buried in the valley, and all of the intake, fuel injection stuff and about a bajillion things have to come off to get to it!

the good news is, if you are a great auto mechanic, or have a close friend who is, it is almost all time, the part is cheap!

there are a couple of other possibilities, such as a bad ignition switch or a sticky relay, but these are extremely remote chance, given your symptoms

I would really inspect those positive and negative terminals, cables, etc.!

RA40

iTrader: (6)

Check as LScowboyLS mentioned. Starter issues usually begin with that click and nothing but it gives you a good amount of times it will crank the engine before it goes on permanent vacation. If all else checks out you have a starter job to face.

Legender

Didn't check the videos... but can you jump start it.. and it starts..? That would point to the battery and possibly loose/corroded terminals...as they would then get power from the exterior of the terminal and not the internal area.
Just a thought...

DannySz

i did try jump start with another car and with and extra battery connected to the car's battery and still nothing.

does this mean is not battery or cable? maybe relays?

BTW, i went just now to the location to see if the car was starting up, and it was right away. so i got her back home, but now i dont trust it to DD it.

johnnyg66

I say its the starter i had a different car before that started to not start or take a few tries to start. Had the battery checked all good than finally it started for the last time. Jumps didn't help it replaced the starter than all was good.

I noticed that after it ran and engine got nice and hot it would not start for awhile till it cooled off some.

LScowboyLS

jump starting it would only eliminate a bad battery as the cause, and you have already ruled that out, you said you tried several different batteries, right?

jump starting the car tells you nothing about the condition of the battery cables, connectors, etc. or anything about the starter, unless jump starting were to work every time, but then it would be a bad battery

just be a detective and pretend you have to find the corrosion between the battery terminals and the starter, if everything is solid, then you may well need to do the starter contacts - billydpowe has written several good write ups of the starter contacts repair!

personally, I would buy the new + terminal from the Toyota dealership and take that possibility out of the equation, it has been a miracle for some LS owners!

DannySz

thanks guys.. today happened again. and while is like this, the horn/claxon sounds weird.. like, one sounds first and then the other and not as good as when the car is ON. everything else works just fine (lights, radio).

i bought some new battery terminals and will replace the cable too as a first check, based on your information.

Legender

I'd say battery cables / terminal connections... just a guess on my part...loose / corroded or both.

Crybicki

I hate to say it, but more than likely this is your started going bad...I got my car last September and dealt with a bad started for 4 months before finally being able to get it fixed. All the electronics in the car would turn on, but when you try to turn the car over, it would just click. And you can keep turning the key, and click, click, click. If this is what happening and you have eliminated all other problems, like battery, terminals, cables, etc. then check the starter.

I got my starter at autozone with a lifetime warranty for 145 dollars. And then had a good mechanic friend of mine install it for 450 dollars. I would buy the part yourself though, so that you get the warrantly. The job, like LScowboy said, is an 8-10 hour job so you can expect it to be in the shop for 2 days if the mechanic has other cars to work on.

JoshWhite

I'm having the same issue with my 1994 SC300 :/

The crazy thing is, I just replaced the battery and terminals, so I doubt its that, so I guess my starter is going bad.

I have a 5speed, so I can do push-starts or rolling starts, but this is not convenient with me having to drive to Atlanta and Gainesville in the next few days.

LScowboyLS

the starter motor is almost always fine, here is the real issue:

JoshWhite

So...... After some experimentation, my car will normally start when its in gear and being given a little gas, any explanation for this? I'm still going to replace the Starter Contacts sometime in the near future, but for now I'll see how long this lasts. I have also noticed that the most difficulty comes with starting the car after it has been left alone for a while, ergo hasn't been turned over or run. Other than that its normally fine. Anyone have any ideas as to why this is the case?

Gene01

I think that if the car will start in anything other than PARK or NEUTRAL, either the transmission linkage is out of adjustment or (more likely) the neutral safety switch is not working correctly.
The switch could be mechanically wrong (bent bracket, etc) or electrically fried.
If I recall correctly, there is an excellent post by Yamae showing how to check and fix the neutral safety switch.
I would fix this problem because it is a safety issue.

Lavrishevo

iTrader: (1)

Check this thread out:

https://www.clublexus.com/forums/ls4...djustment.html