Cruzlnls

Hello,I'm new and want to thank everyone who might be able to help me here!
My problem is....I go out to start my car and I turn the key to start and it turns over fine. I only hold it for a few seconds usually it kicks right up. I release the key and the starter is still engaged and turning the engine over! I toggle the key....still trying to start the car! I pop the hood and scramble to pull the negative cable off. By shear Devine intervention the car never started. I was expecting to hear the death of my starter and flywheel,but it did not happen. The starter only was engaged for less than a minute or so before I pulled the negative cable. Long story short I get home from work and take a look under the hood. With the key in my pocket I reconnect the negative cable to the battery and the starter starts engaging again! I pull the cable quickly! I pulled the starter relay out of the fuse box on the fenderwell,it still would engage with the battery cable connected!I'm lost here......
It's my first lexus. It started and drove fine on Monday,it was a nice day in the upper fourties. Wednesday morning it was very cold,around seventeen degrees. Any thoughts on this issue?

RA40

iTrader: (6)

Welcome to Club Lexus.

The starter plunger that engages the flywheel is sticking. Can and does happen but not very often. This may also be attributable to extreme cold weather. The simple fix is to replace the starter but the replacement is time consuming since the intake plenum has to come off.

There are a few threads on the starter and servicing it if you want to DIY.

LScowboyLS

pull the starter relay and probe the black trigger wire to the solenoid - if you have voltage, then you have a short in the starter trigger wire

if you have have no voltage at the trigger wire when the starter is running, then your solenoid has gotten stuck (as RA40 mentioned) - a laborious and/or costly repair (labor-wise, not the part) due to location of starter/solennoid assembly under intake - due to this happening at such low temperature, this is by far the most likely scenario

the reason the car did not start is because you had the key out, no energizing of coils by igniters, no power to fuel pump, etc.

Cruzlnls

The car did not try to start while the key was in the ignition during the initial attempt to start. That was when I scored Olympic gold in disconnecting the battery cable. The subsequent battery connections were with the key out. Thanks for the information. Any chance it would resolve once the car is not below zero?

LScowboyLS

yes, if the solenoid became stuck, it will likely unstick when it warms up, but the problem will recur in the future

if you like to work on cars, and this is not your main car, and you have some mechanicing skill, this job can be knocked out in a week with an hour and a half of work each evening in a heated garage - the parts cost is pretty low, but they will hit you for over $1000 in labor alone at the dealership!

Cruzlnls

It kills me that the starter solenoid is stuck! My starter sounds strong and just fine! It's just cranking non stop. Best choice of parts in starter? I will also replace the knock sensors as well. Are they a dealership only part?

LScowboyLS

the knock sensors from the dealership are prohibitively expensive, and rarely ever fail

as far as the starter, the starter itself is fine, it is the solenoid contacts/plunger portion

hopefully billydpowe will chime in, he has done a bunch of these and has cool pics of the process as well

Cruzlnls

Thank you Cowboy for all your help and info. I want to thank RA40 as well for the info! It's painful to hear but the truth hurts! I'm going to look into doing this myself. I have decent mechanical skills to get it done. Waiting for the thaw while amassing parts.