Notices
LS - 1st and 2nd Gen (1990-2000) Discussion topics related to the 1990 - 2000 Lexus LS400

Need help, bad

Old Mar 18, 2005 | 08:08 PM
  #1  
UltraLexx's Avatar
UltraLexx
Thread Starter
Driver School Candidate
 
Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 11
Likes: 0
Default Need help, bad

This problem is worrying me. I few months ago my 93' LS started to shift erratically and became a bit sluggish. A code 25 came up so I figured it was the O2's and left it for the time being and I'll just live with the crappy MPG for a while. Yesterday I had the oil changed at Wal-Mart ( I know what your thinking stupid me) A day later I went to vacuum out the interior and left it ideling for maybe 5 min. got back in and as soon as I put it in reverse I felt something was wrong immediatly. Now the car has zero power barely idles, won't go more than 35 MPH and used 1/8 of a tank to go 6 miles. There was never any CEL.
I felt it was time to change the O2's So, I overnighted 4 new sensors. Well my car didn't even have enough power to go up the wheel ramps. I changed the sensors and nothing changed still has the same problems.
I lifted the hood and the sounds were not to reassuring especially from behind the motor up around the intake manifold. Sounded like a huge air leak but not too sure.
I just replaced the air filter and use Mobil 1
Any help is needed, this is my everyday driver.
Reply
Old Mar 19, 2005 | 09:00 PM
  #2  
GRAND_LS 4's Avatar
GRAND_LS 4
3UZ-FEEEE
iTrader: (2)
 
Joined: May 2004
Posts: 6,253
Likes: 20
From: Northern VA
Default

Please dont Neglect the O2 sensors, because your cats will pay the price. Havent had that problem before, but I heard about it a few times. Search for "limp mode" its been dicussed here a number of times, so you should find a lot of answers.
If my memory serves me right, when somethign goes wrong, the ECU jumps into limp mode to protect the engine from any number of things.


Oh wait, i think i remmeber now, after you let the car idle, what happens is that the cats heat up badly because you neglected the O2 senors. I hope you dont have to change your cats now, thats why you shouldnt neglect the O2 sensors. When the cats over heat, the car gets VERY sluggish and REALLY REALLY slow. So let it idle, then you should see them cats glow red and over heat. Change O2's ASAP.
Reply
Old Mar 19, 2005 | 09:46 PM
  #3  
UltraLexx's Avatar
UltraLexx
Thread Starter
Driver School Candidate
 
Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 11
Likes: 0
Default

Hey Grand, I changed the O2's the very next day.
Do you know how to clear the "limp mode" and or diagnose burnt cats. The air sound I was hearing is seems to be coming from the exh. manifold/cat area. Perhaps I blew the gasket there? I found cats for $127 a piece.
I don't want to waste the money if it's just in this limp mode. Any more help would be great
Reply
Old Mar 19, 2005 | 10:26 PM
  #4  
GRAND_LS 4's Avatar
GRAND_LS 4
3UZ-FEEEE
iTrader: (2)
 
Joined: May 2004
Posts: 6,253
Likes: 20
From: Northern VA
Default

Try and reset the ECU by pulling the fuse for 20secs, or pull the battery cable for 15mins. If same symptom turns up, check for exessive heat coming from under the car, in which you will know its your cats.
Reply
Old Mar 24, 2005 | 04:58 PM
  #5  
UltraLexx's Avatar
UltraLexx
Thread Starter
Driver School Candidate
 
Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 11
Likes: 0
Default

Update: Ordered new Cats. I just took off the old ones and I didn't find what I was expecting. The left one (passenger) there is about 15% blockage and the right one looked clear. I did the test to heat up the cats and the left one got very hot within minutes.
Soi when I removed the converters I was expecting an obvious blockage, can a bad converter be only 25% blocked and can one semi-clogged converter cause the problems as described above?
Thanks to all that reply

Rich
Reply
Old Mar 24, 2005 | 08:55 PM
  #6  
PERRYinLA's Avatar
PERRYinLA
Racer
20 Year Member
Photogenic
Photoriffic
Shutterbug
 
Joined: Jul 2001
Posts: 1,968
Likes: 19
From: Orange County, California
Default Fyi....

A similar discussion dealing with the same symptoms (but with a much more informative title) is going on right now in the SC300/400 forum:

https://www.clublexus.com/forums/sc-1st-gen-1992-2000/94079-sudden-loss-of-power-catalytic-converter-glowing.html

Last edited by PERRYinLA; Mar 24, 2005 at 08:59 PM.
Reply
Old Mar 25, 2005 | 08:43 AM
  #7  
UltraLexx's Avatar
UltraLexx
Thread Starter
Driver School Candidate
 
Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 11
Likes: 0
Default

Well after all the troubleshooting I did and labor I finally found the culprit. It was the right bank coil wire, The wire was almost shredded in half. I put the old cats back on and now waiting for Toyota to find a replacement. On my Jeep this would have been a simple find and fix.
I learned a valuable lesson, Always check the simple stuff first. Because it was a Lexus I held the problem to different level.
Reply
Related Topics
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post
nezlyfe
GS - 2nd Gen (1998-2005)
6
May 3, 2018 07:49 AM
johnblagg
ES - 1st to 6th Gen (1990-2018)
10
Feb 8, 2012 02:57 PM
JOHNBRAY11
RX - 1st Gen (1999-2003)
9
Oct 28, 2009 05:16 PM
zealexus
ES - 1st to 6th Gen (1990-2018)
8
Jul 19, 2009 08:27 PM
phillipin
LS - 1st and 2nd Gen (1990-2000)
1
Jun 21, 2006 09:05 AM


Thread Tools
Search this Thread

All times are GMT -7. The time now is 05:03 PM.

story-0
2026 Lexus IS 350 F Sport Review: The Last of Its Kind Still Rocks

Slideshow: the 2026 IS 350 isn't all that new, and that's why we love it!

By Michael S. Palmer | 2026-06-04 14:35:23


VIEW MORE
story-1
Top 10 Most Confusing Things Lexus Has Ever Done!

Slideshow: 10 most confusing things Lexus has ever done.

By Joe Kucinski | 2026-06-04 09:40:55


VIEW MORE
story-2
2026 Lexus ES Review: Lexus Re-Embraces Founding Principles

Slideshow: Our First-Drive Review of the 2026 Lexus ES!

By Michael S. Palmer | 2026-05-29 20:30:16


VIEW MORE
story-3
10 Lexus Bargains That are Cheaper Than a New Toyota RAV4

Slideshow: 10 Lexus bargain that are cheaper than a new Toyota.

By Joe Kucinski | 2026-05-20 10:28:20


VIEW MORE
story-4
8 Weirdest Things Lexus Has Ever Built

Slideshow: From hoverboards to luxury yachts, these are the strangest projects Lexus has ever attached its badge to.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-05-16 11:34:36


VIEW MORE
story-5
10 Lexus Designs That Have Aged Like Fine Wine

Slideshow: Some luxury cars chase trends, but these Lexus models look better now than they did when they first rolled into showrooms.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-05-06 17:58:29


VIEW MORE
story-6
8 Tips for Improving Your Hybrid or Plug-in Hybrid's Efficiency!

Slideshow: How to Get the Best Fuel Economy with a Hybrid and Plug-In Hybrid!

By Michael S. Palmer | 2026-05-05 20:54:44


VIEW MORE
story-7
10 Best Lexus Models No One Remembers

Slideshow: 10 best Lexus models no one remembers.

By Joe Kucinski | 2026-05-05 17:33:28


VIEW MORE
story-8
TRD Off-Road Premium: Best 2026 4Runner, Except This One Thing

Slideshow: diving into 4Runner TRD Off-Road Premium's pricing, performance, fuel economy, features, and amenities!

By Michael S. Palmer | 2026-04-23 13:09:18


VIEW MORE
story-9
Top 10 Lexus & Toyotas to Drive Before You Die!

Slideshow: the 10 Lexus and Toyota vehicles you need to drive before you die.

By Joe Kucinski | 2026-04-23 10:34:24


VIEW MORE