Crusader

We own a 2007 Lexus ES 350 and have had no problems at all with the vehicle. We bought it new and it now has 60,000 miles on it. Back in November 2011 I could not avoid hitting a raccoon while driving home late at night. The front left lower wrap around was cracked and the panels that button up the wheel well and underneath were damaged and the fog light was hanging down. My body shop did a temp repair with the fog light and wrap around so we could safely drive the car. We drove the car the rest of November, December and into January with no problems. Two weeks into January, I was driving home from the airport (it was a mixture of rain/snow) when I realized that the car had no power. All the lights on the dash went on as I glided over to the right lane. The engine had shut down. After coming to a stop, I started the car and went on my way. Within a few minutes the car died again. This time the car would not start after repeated attempts. Some thirty five minutes later I tried to start the car again and it started. I proceeded to drive home (about 40 miles) with no problems whatsoever.

I called the Lexus dealership and they wanted me to bring the car in. I checked all the fluids and they were fine so I drove the car to them. They kept the car for two days and the only thing they could find was 1 malfunction code in the trac/ecu (Code U0100 cannot communicate). They put a computer on it and drove it for two days without finding anything wrong. They checked the damage done by the raccoon and said that there was no connection with this current problem.

A week later my wife drove the car in rainy weather and it bucked on her twice and it felt like she was loosing power but the engine did not shut down. We brought it back to the dealership and they kept it for two more days. There were no codes showing this time. They spent alot of time trying to figure out what happened but could not duplicate either problem. They even opened up a case with Lexus and they have not had any input at this time.

Last week the raccoon damge was repaired and all the bottom of the engine and wheel well areas were buttoned up.

My apologies for such a long description, but I hope someone can shed some light on this or has experienced something similar.

Thanks in advance for your comments.

jmcraney

When I see these reports of mysterious engine problems, "ice" in the fuel system comes to mind. Although freezing temperatures may not have been present during the event, was the car exposed to very cold temperatures at some time? Ice can form and break loose and block fuel systems and then melt leaving no trace. Of course, water in the fuel is the underlying problem.

Crusader

Temperatures were not freezing and the car is in our garage when not being used. That morning of the incident the car was driven some 45 miles before it happened. I always use the plus grade of fuel and use the same Hess station as well. I have not had any problems with their fuel previously. Also the day it bucked the temperatures were mild.
Thanks for your reply!

retired

After reading your question, fuel system delivery problem came to mind...Then computer /sensors were my next thought...Finally, I thought of a battery problem...Is this the original battery...In my 07 es350, the battery was on the verge of going bad (short) and the engine shut down with all the dash lights coming on...This ocurred at 65k miles and 4,000 miles later the battery was determined to be defective...I suggest that a load test be performed on your battery and a charging system check be made..Hope this helps

Crusader

Thank you for responding. Yes, the battery is the original. I do not know if they did a load test and charging system check. I will be calling them later this morning and asking that question. Again, thanks for the suggestion. I will get back with their answer and/or the battery test results.

Update:

I just spoke with the service tech at Lexus and he said that was the first thing they did was a load test and check of the charging system. It proved OK.

Thanks again!

retired

Honestly, I am not very impressed with the es 350..I have an 01 lx470 that is twice the auto that the es350 is...The 07 / 08 es350's does have a problem with the plastic tabs that hold the side windows in place....When the tab cracks the window has to be replaced dealer cost of $660 ( I had my done for $220 from a glass shop)...Also, if the waterpump starts to leak..The engine has be removed to replace the water pump..Dealer cost $250 for the pump $2000 Labor...

Now, on with your problem...I believe that this intermittant problem will be hard to diagnose. However, If your car is taking a little longer to start when it cranks (three to five seconds) I would replace the battery with a heavy duty 24F..Any battery 4 to 5 years old is on the verge of failure...I had my replaced at Sams Club for $79 plus tax....When the battery is removed, I was sure to request that the backup memory was plugged into the under the dash computer...This saves the pinch protector in the side windows and radio settings...This is only a suggestion, but no one wants to be stuck on the highway and this would eliminate the possibility of a battery issue. I know that trial and error approach can become expensive...It this does not fix the problem...u might have a lemon and it might be time to get another car..sincerely

Crusader

Retired:

Thanks for the advice on the battery and how to keep the settings. So far we have not experienced the problem again. Hopefully it is gone for good.... Also, thanks for the heads up on the other items. My low beam HID's are on their way out, something the dealer noticed when the car was being looked at. They quoted me $705.00 to replace the two low beam HID's. Their only comment was that they were very expensive! This also can be done for a lot less money elsewhere... (see the other thread on Xenon HID lights)

retired

Just another thought...Maybe a vapor lock...How much gas was in the tank when the shutdown problems occurred...I would suggest that you consider always refilling the tank when it reached half full...Also, make sure that the gas cap is fully tightened...one click...Just a side note...my 07 calls for 90 octane..I put in a two to one ratio..Two gallons of regular and one gallon hi-test..It runs well with this mixture...These new cars are not designed to allow the average man to work on them....Too many sensors and computers.........

RyanC

iTrader: (1)

retired - can you explain more about what needs to be done to backup the settings when replacing the battery? Is this something you can do yourself? I tried searching for info on how to do this but didn't find anything. Is it in the manual? Thanks!

retired

No, it is not in the manual and you cannot do it yourself (unless you have the battery backup unit)...The dealer has the backup unit, but Auto Zone and Sams Club also has the backup that plugs in the under dash computer and they do it for free when they install a new battery......( They plugged it in when they replaced the battery in my 01 lx470 and 07 es350)........Another note, if the check engine light comes auto zone, advanced auto and most local auto parts store will check the cause of the problem for FREE...I had a friend that had if checked at the dealer at a cost of $98..His problem was that express lube failed to reconnect a vacumn hose.......