LS430inDE.

Today I had a bit of a scare while I was over an hour from home. While running errands and attempting to start the car for my drive home, I turned the ignition to start the car, but let go just a second too early for the car to start. (I frequently release the ignition too soon and often have to attempt to start the car 2x before she runs. I have a phobia and dislike to hear the starter GRIND, similar to people's reaction to running fingernails down a chalkboard)

Anyway, I quickly tried to restart, but AGAIN, let go of the ignition just a fraction of a second too soon. I verbalized some curse words, shutoff the radio and the vent/ac, waited until folks in the parking lot walked passed me, and tried starting AGAIN, but said to myself I'll hold the ignition this time, until she's running. I ended up holding the ignition for about 5 seconds, which felt like an eternity, and she STILL didn't start!!! I was waiting about 10 seconds between each of these episodes mind you.

I attempted starting AGAIN, probably my 4th or 5th time, and again, I held the ignition for at least 10 seconds, and still WOULD NOT RUN! I thought about pressing the gas pedal to the floor while cranking this time, but didn't know if that would help or hinder starting it!?

I sat there, heart pounding, feeling helpless, thought about FUEL, SPARK, OXYGEN, and confirmed I had fuel, then wondering who I was going to call 1st to help me out of this jam? I thought about posting for an emergency on here, lol, I read some news on my phone, and wasted/waited about 6 minutes, then pleaded please please please start this time? I turned the the ignition and held it for about 3 seconds and then thank GOD she started!!!

I sat there saying to myself WTF? I'm going to try and not short cycle the starter anymore!

Anyone ever experience this? I've never had an issue starting before. Plugs have maybe 10k miles on them and always use top tier super unleaded. Can these engines still get "flooded" like cars of the 60's or 70's?

warminwisc

Prolly just a wierd once in a great while quirk. I see few starter problems on this forum. I am like u just turn she fires effortless usually. 250k miles never a starter problem.

Johnhav430

Taking what you call "short cycle," I will say this. For whatever reason, the LS430 cranks longer than any car I've ever had. Since we drive them daily, maybe we're biased. So take an unbiased person like my wife, who drives it at most 1/week or even 1/two weeks. Everytime she gets in it for the first time, she fails to start it on the first try, proving it needs to crank longer than most cars. Then, she feels the brakes are extremely soft. Also that the car has more than enough power to easily accelerate. These are unbiased views. When I check my carfax, the original owner had the fuel pump replaced under warranty, in the 30's as he was complaining of long cranks.

Now, I'm not sure if a Lexus dealer would replace a fuel pump because of a customer complaint or not (meaning yes they replaced the pump, but was it really faulty, in the 30's?)--I do know that BMW has specific tests that they must peform (again used to be able to print these online, now they are gone, but I have them somewhere where they test the HPFP and LPFP, and it had an elaborate visio diagram for the tech to follow).

The question is, is it really you, or the car, that is the reason for the no start condition? I kind of think it's the latter. In other words, not starting the first try, that's explainable by the fact that our cars seem to need to crank longer than expected and perhaps you didn't crank it long enough, but probably not starting after 5+ tries is something else...my .02. I would have a new set of eyes like an indie try it....I believe that pumping the gas pedal would have no effect since it is an electronic device, however, holding it to the floor would imho change something electronically, but is not normal if needed to start...

jayclapp

My car starts instantly and always has (have had it since 2007). The only time it hasn't was because of a dead battery.

Johnhav430

I'm new, but the topic is not, seems that it's been discussed forever

https://www.clublexus.com/forums/ls-...-to-start.html

edit: I just replayed the LS430 starting in my head, and used a stopwatch, and came up with 1.1 sec. to the guy in the thread's 1.5 to 2 sec. To contrast, I had that 328xi '16 loaner for 4 1/2 mos, and it had the stop/start feature at a traffic light. Our two other cars do not start "that" fast, but close. think of driving a golf cart, or a fork lift for that matter--that is instant on, as are cars with the stop/start feature. Always wanted to see how BMW does that with a stick, rather than an auto.

tallcaguy

Same. Twist the key and it starts almost immediately.

Jabberwock

My 2006 LS430 starts almost instantly - within 1/2 sec or less. If your plugs and gas are good, I'd speculate (pure guessing so take with grain of salt) that maybe the fuel pressure is not being held by the fuel pump between starts or the battery is weak.

Engine may be turning over slow, or spark may be weak, or ECU is seeing a power sag. I'd get battery tested and replace if even slightly marginal with biggest, highest crank power battery that would fit.

As a diagnostic also try turning key to on position for 5-10 seconds (so the fuel pump can come on and fully pressurize the system) and only then over to start - see if that makes the engine start immediately - if it does it might point to a fuel pump or fuel pressure issue.

OkNowWhat

Just my two cents but in my 2001 it is a longer crank time than most other cars I've owned. It's a solid 1 second from cold a little quicker when warm.

LS430inDE.

Turning key to ON position and waiting 5-10 seconds before actually cranking to see if she starts any quicker than what she's usually started on is a great suggestion. I'm not really that concerned whether or not it takes 1.0 or 1.5 or 2.0 seconds to successfully start the car. I've come to accept my LS has a longer crank to start time than every other car I've touched, owned, and started---although my OCD with not liking to hear the starter run very long sometimes gets the best of me.

I'm just wondering what happens mechanically if/when in my situation of several 'short' cycling of the starter, then holding the starter for every bit of 5+ seconds and STILL no start----what's actually happening in the engine? Can these engines become "flooded"? That's my original thought because nothing else changed between when 1st start attempt to my 5th attempt, then getting worried/frustrated, shutting everything off and sitting in the car playing with my cellphone for about 6 minutes (yet seemed like an eternity).

Does everyone have similar crank to start times whether it's the 1st start of the day or whether car is warm?? In my case, I swear the car starts quicker if left to sit for several DAYS versus a warm start!

Johnhav430

I guess the long story short is my car starts the first try, every time. I feel it should not be questionable whether that will happen. If it doesn't, something could be wrong. It is not instant, it takes about 1.1 sec. imho most cars take a fraction of a sec., 0.6 at most. It does matter as it's perception, no different than if a phone rings 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 times. It's like saying I would like my 3 y.o. to answer the phone in 3 rings, that's courteous. But he usually takes 5 rings, he's a toddler, he responds a split second later than an adult. Rings are completely artificial, even in the analog days. My wife is my reality check, because when she gets in my car for the first time in 2 wks, she doesn't consciously think, oh yeah, it's the lexus, it takes a split second longer. So she often turns the key and it doesn't start, she needed that extra .5 sec. Why would my car have been taken in in the 30's where the original owner felt the cranks were long? If the fuel pump were replaced 60k ago, does one really think that Lexus' parts would be faulty already? Then again, there's a thread from 2011, confirming at minimum there is a perception that it's slow to start, to some.

Even though this is not DI, since the days of EFI, there should be no need to touch the gas, nor should there be a difference when starting hot, cold, or motor warm, when things are running properly. There is no need to turn the key to on and wait.

Jabberwock

Modern ECU driven fuel injected cars don't easily flood like older cars with carburetors and drivers pumping gas pedals. I'm assuming you keep foot off the gas peddle when starting your car under normal conditions. Another thing you might try is holding gas peddle to the floor and attempting to start. Pedal to the floor tells ECU the car has or may have flooded engine.

If you suspect flooding I think the only way to tell for sure is to pull a plug and see if it wet when car refuses to start.