So, after searching for many pages on this forum, I couldn't really seem to find the exact problem I've been having.

Today after charging my A/C, i started noticing that the TractionOFF light has been staying on, as well as the TRAC and sometimes the CEL. later into the night, I noticed that it had lost almost all of it's power. I had to floor it to hit 40 mph in drive, and it struggled like hell to go beyond that. If i pulled over and shifted into 1st, and started out working my way through the gears, it would shut the TRAC lights off and work fine for a while, and then repeat the issue. I got out and disconnected the battery for about a minute and hooked it back up and it stopped the problem for a little bit, but it has since come back. I'm at wit's end with this problem, and I don't know what to do.

Also, i couldn't for the life of me get to the coolant temp sensor. I just bought an OEM sensor from Parts Plus today for $28(i have a discount there). I took off the cover that says 1UZ-FE, the 2 plastic covers on the driver's side valve cover(including the distributor cover), and I just couldn't get to that sensor. Do i need to disassemble the throttle body and what not on the passenger side too? Sounds like a TON of work to reach a sensor. There has got to be a simpler way.

 

See if there is a code stored for the Trac system. http://www.lexls.com/tutorials/intro/codereading.html As it says "For air bag codes, ABS and TRAC codes, you place the jumper wire in Tc and E1."
As for the ECT sensor change, it's pretty easy, some people have removed the passenger side coil to get it out of the way. You don't need to do anything with the throttle body.

 

Also a search would have revealed this

https://www.clublexus.com/forums/ls4...ange-pics.html

 

Hmm, well, the problem seems to have just gone away. I don't know why.
I had already read that page, and it was missing a couple of pictures that would have helped a little more. My problem was I was thinking that the passenger side spark plug/distributor cover would be harder to get off than it really is(I though you had to take off the entire throttle body). After seeing the pictures of the spark plug change on Lexls, I think i can tackle this when I get the time and the will to work on this thing again. Until then, the sensor is in my trunk. BTW, do you actually have to disconnect the spark plug wires to move that plastic piece that is directly above the sensor?

 

No you don't have to take out the plug wires. I remember now that I did take off the coil (2 10mm bolts) so I could just move forward the plug wire channel to get enough room to get to the sensor.

 

Now, i'm not exactly an expert on these newer engines, so pardon my ignorance on this term, but what is the 'coil'?

 

ignition coil...

 

Ah....makes sense now. I'm used to the typical old distributor on a pushrod engine(Ie, one round distributor which is connected to all 8 wires). This DOHC engine with the 2 distributors is like greek to me. What does the coil look like? where is it? Is it the small square box right near the sensor(the one connected with 4 screws?) Or is there one coil for each distributor?

 

old pushrod engines had ignition coils too, just often (for GM anyways) they would have them under the rotor. look for the wire feeding to the cap that ISNT going to the spark plugs. should be on top of the dist iirc. one coil per distributor.

 

Ah, thank you very much.

 

There isn't too many ignorant questions, everyone is at thier own level of mechanical knowledge. But yes the coil is square, and there are two of them. The one on the front passenger side of the engine, held on with 2 10mm bolts, (not the 4 screws on top) and the other one is drivers side down near the A/C compressor. That one is harder to remove and is usually the one that goes bad first.
PD; the old coils were also seperate from the distributors. You might be thinking of the "points" that were under the rotor inside the dist. Man, those engines were so much easier, I miss the old engines.

 

driver side, u can see the ignition wire


passenger side, box on top left

 

Thanks for the pics and description, very informative. I'll have to get cracking at it once I get the time and a place to work out of the sun.