Details:

-Car has never had a starting problem in its lifetime before
-This happened at 5pm today.. last time it was driven was 1pm
-Press the engine start button.. it has a huge CLICK (once), hangs then the speedo/tach turns off
-ALL electrical related works (lights/headlights/navi/etc)
-Battery measures at a healthy 12.6 volts
-Brake pedal is extremely firm to press, maybe less than an inch of travel
-Car is able to go into neutral/reverse etc (not locked out)
-I have been pressing engine on and off for 3 hours.. nothing just a huge CLICK every time
-I have jumped the car 4 times with tow truck and multiple cars, nothing
-Car has 70k miles. 2008 IS-F.. nothing electrical was tampered with the car.


As of now.. the possible culprit:
-Starter?
-??

PLEASE HELP.. I might need to get it towed tomorrow to dealership, but if its something simple my friend (a Lexus Tech) can do it but even he hasn't seen anything like this with any IS models.

 

You try to check the brake light switch b/c sometime it happens to lately model with Start/Stop button.

 

how do I check the brake light switch??

 

You find somebody stand behind the car and you press the brake pedal to see the stopping light still working if the stopping light does not work maybe that"s it.

 

the brake light works just fine!

 

you do know your hosting a meet this Saturday lol..i wish i could help but i wouldnt know where to start..or get started

mine freaked out when the battery was dead in the key ..also alternator, starter etc?
check fuses and your negative on ground on the battery (not the terminal on the battery but where the battery grounds )

 

oh man! something wrong with your F hopefully it get fixed tomorrow. Good luck bro!

 

I know! Ill try to get it fixed by then

 

LOL.. good luck.

 

someone had a problem in the past where one of the fuse holder joint came apart you should check that to be sure..


blue/teal fuse..someone in the past ghetto fixed with a paper clip and that was causing his problems


also is250/350's had an issue with the brake pedal "sensor" not registering

 

Sounds like the contacts in the starter solenoid are bad. I haven't had this issue (yet) with the F, but did have it with the Supra (and it's pretty common with higher mileage Supras). Sewell doesn't list the part, but the part number you need is 28150-38020 and it seems to be going for $135- $145. Supras have a kit for $35 to solve this problem. Too bad Toyota is "reducing parts count" by selling larger (read more expensive) assemblies instead of the small parts you need to fix something like this.

 

Thanks for the help guys! Lobux, that may seem to be the case.. this is so rare for these cars though, I've only found 1 person on CL who noted this as the culprit. Anyways, on the ISx50 its under the drivers side exhaust manifold, on the IS-F its on the back under the intake manifold correct?

 

I second that. I had to rebuilt mine a few years back.

 

Yeah I agree. A big clunk when you try to start sounds like a problem with the solenoid on the starter.

 

you guys won't believe what needs to be done to get the starter out... updates to follow.