so this morning i got a phone call from my gf that my gs300 wasn't starting....After driving up to the apartment and taking a look at it i couldnt really find the issue. The car has never given me an issue and this was very unexpected.

I tried to reset the ecu, tried to lock and unlock the car. All with no luck thinking it could be the factory alarm messing with it. The key fob is broken so i cant really do anything with that.

The car cranks and it does have spark. but i can't hear the fuel pump prime so i'm thinking it may be fuel related.


Any ideas???

 

If you have spark it isn't security related. Usually that is first thing to get disabled. And often, fuel is also.

If you spray carb cleaner in throttle body and it starts and you can run it off carb cleaner, (short sprays to keep it going), you know it is fuel.

Grab a fuel pressure gauge, see what is going on.

 

So the car started after i went back to figure it out....no idea...just started right up.

 

could possibly be the starter then if it just started now, there were a couple threads about starters going out and how they don't always go out but every now and then they do.

 

cant be starter if its cranking

 

If the starter armature has a bad spot on it, then it very well could be. I had one that would great but if it got stopped in a certain position wouldn't start, if you tapped with a bar on the starter, it would start and be ok for a while. You just never knew if it would restart or not.

Do NOT hit a starter hard, the magnets will break if you do. Gentle taps with the key on will usually do the trick, for a while.

It cost me $25 to rebuild that one myself. Local starter/motor shop will often sell parts for good prices. Seeing how the parts store rebuilts are done, I would MUCH rather rebuild my own or have my starter rebuilt and keep my original starter.

 

hmm starter was just my two cents, good luck,

 

hmmm so the car was running and starting fine for a few weeks. This morning the car turned on for a few seconds and then shut off....then it wouldnt start again. Same issue as before...

im stumped and i need this vehicle to run as its my DD......

any ideas? if it turned on for a few seconds then it cant be the starter?

 

Read what I posted earlier. it is screaming it IS the starter. Take one apart, you will see. If it was me, drop the starter off and take it apart and look for the worn parts and replace them. Starters aren't rocket science, they are very simple. As long as it isn't a GM PG250 which WILL hurt you putting it together, it is fine. PG250's did not last long.

NEVER rule out an intermittent start thinking the start is good, it most likely it IS the starter. I would be betting it is. Read my post on this issue in this thread on it.

https://www.clublexus.com/forums/8248875-post6.html

 

I went out and i tapped the starter as stated...no luck.

i always thought the sole purpose of a starter was to just crank/turn the motor? That it's doing...i just think there isn't fuel being delivered. Usually i'd be able to jump B+ and Fp on the diagbox to prime the pump but i dont see a pin in the Fp slot.

 

Tapping on it only works IF it turns the starter enough. Very hit or miss. I would NOT rule out the starter, still betting it is the problem.

On my mother in laws Corolla I pulled the starter apart at 75k miles and was able to flip a contact disc and gave it another 75k or more miles. Was same, an intermittent start.

Pull the starter off and look into it. Local parts stores all can test them for you. But repeat the test over and over. The key is if it stops in the "bad" spot, it won't start.

I would find out what type starter it is and open it up and see what you find out.

 

If it died after running for a short while it is certainly not the starter. It might be the fuel pump control module or the fuel pump itself.

 

Do you know if the natiosStarterAlternator.com sells alternator rebuild kits as well? I did not see them on their site.

 

Where's the fuel pump control module?

 

On a 400, it's mounted in the trunk on the wall that supports the rear seat. Not sure on a 300 might be the same place. On the left side as you look into the trunk. I believe it's covered by the plastic trunk liner.

Just to repeat this. This is how I'd trouble-shoot it. Not just guessing what it might be. If this works then you need to put a fuel pressure gauge on it.

The ECU controls the fuel pump controller. If you determine it's fuel, I might experiment with bypassing the fuel pump controller. I imagine I could do it with a couple jumper wires at the fuel pump controller harness.