motown57

Hi Group;
My wife took her '01 LS430 out for errands this a.m. Upon her return, after about 30 min,.went to back it further into the garage, radiator fans engage with the ignition switch in the "on" position (full dash displays), but when turned to crank...nothing. Battery is less than two months old, terminals clean.. thoughts? That dang starter?

KING

iTrader: (1)

Sounds like the starter to me

rkw77080

Another thing to try... You can try cycling the shifter through all the gears, and then crank again. There's a switch at the transmission that only allow the starter to engage when the shifter is in "P" or "N". You may have a loose, disconnected, or defective switch.

tcr101

iTrader: (2)

Is there any type of clicking? Try to jump the car. If it jumps, use a voltmeter to see if your battery is getting the 14v it should be. If its under 14v its your alternator.

motown57

I did try to jump it..No joy.. I will try the cycle thru the shift positions today. Will try it all before getting it towed to the shop, and get that inevitable $700+ starter replacement diagnosis..

rkw77080

I have a question for you... When you turn the ignition switch to start the car, do you hear a click from the motor solenoid? The solenoid acts as a electric relay. When activated, it pushes the starter gear forward to mesh with the flywheel and provide power to turn the starter motor. If the solenoid does not "click", the starter motor is not receiving any power.

I would first try putting the shifter in "P" or "N", foot on brake, then crank to see if the starter engages (click). If not, take a look at the starter relay per the procedure below...