I have posted this in another area, "Maintenance" and no responses or views. Guess I need to be more specific.

I drive an 2004 LS430 with GPS with 72K miles and it has several problems I need to address.

1) Why does my drivers window switch suddenly get a bur under its saddle? It will suddenly refuse to move the window more than an inch and then stop. Wait a few min and it will again move another inch. But if I pull over and recycle the ignition, it will return to normal operation.

2) Is the rear window heater removable and replaceable? It looks like an after market heater that was just glued to the surface and not a heater in the glass as I would have expected of Lexus. It still works but the edges are curled up.

3) How do I clear the Maintenance Required message after I change the oil? I went to the maintenance screen on the GPS and selected the choice that put all the maintenance items on the screen. Only the oil mileage one was activated. I set the mileage to 5000 and the red triangle has not reset. The mileage is counting down as I would expect but the warning has not cleared. What is meant by the "ON" and "OFF" selection on the upper right corner of that screen. It doesnt make sense either way.

 

Here's the quick answer for #3;
https://www.clublexus.com/forums/ls-...red-reset.html

And here's a possible solution for the window switch.
The window switches occasionally need recalibrating due to a battery change or some other power loss;
https://www.clublexus.com/forums/ls-...ess-reset.html

 

Yep, thats it. Thanks. Now all I need to know is if I can peel off the rear window heater and replace it with an aftermarket heater. But that is not critical. I think the other two problems were caused when the dealer serviced the car...probably disconnected the battery.

 

My pleasure.. Not sure about the Rear Window Defrogger.... Last time I looked I thought the elements were embedded in the glass, like 99% of the cars out there...

Texas sun I suppose...

 

Well the procedure to extinguish the red triangle worked but the window is not any better, In fact it is worse. I finally got the window closed and plan on leaving it that way from now on. I hope I am not pulled over by the police because I wont be able to roll down the window. The other windows work fine but the drivers window will only move an inch or less and then often retraces that distance.

 

Probably the master window switch going bad.

 

For the inch or so that the window travels is it at normal speed? Is it making any odd noises? Sounds like it could be a failing regulator motor. To eliminate the switch as an issue hold down the unlock button on your key fob for a few seconds until all the windows come down. If your car still has a key hole on the driver's door you can accomplish the same test by twisting the key to the unlock position and holding it there until all the windows lower. Any difference?

 

Yes.
No.
I tried both up and down with the key. All the other windows worked, but the drivers widow did not.

The window will works perfectly for days on end. Its working now. But then it will get obstinate and go in only 1" to 6" spurts always retreating half the distance when the switch is released. After 5 minutes or so I can coax it closed where I then leave it until the next time I forget and open it. And it will work fine or a week or so and then back to the intermittent behavior. So far I can usually coax it closed but one day it will be raining cats and dogs and I will not be able to do it and I will be HIGHLY pissed off.

 

My last post was in November of last year and shortly after that I replaced the battery when it failed 20 miles from home, wouldnt start but would spin the starter/engine just fine....about 8 mo ago...and the gremlins went away..
Two weeks ago I started having gremlins again, GPS re booting every time I started the car, drivers window intermittent, and I was thinking...Battery??. And then today the car failed to start(AGAIN) at the same place, same parking lot!!!!!. Almost starts but wont continue after I stop twisting the ignition to start position. So now I am thinking the battery is bad again. I called AAA to come get me. Then about 15 minutes before they were to arrive, I tried to start it and it was as though nothing had happened. It started perfectly and drove me home. I canceled the service call.

Could ONE cell being bad cause a low enough voltage so it would spin the engine but not be high enough voltage to run the cars electronic ignition system? Not sure why an 8 month old battery would give me that same failure.

Tomorrow I will take it back to the battery shop and have it tested....assuming it will start..... But I cannot have a car with an unknown fault that I cannot trust and cannot test because by the time the mechanic sees it it is OK!!!

Any ideas???????

 

Could be a bad battery but I would see if the shop can test your alternator as well. It should be tested for output voltage and amperage.

The battery's primary function is to store energy to start the car. Another often overlooked job is to act as a "filter" for the charging system. It filters out voltage spikes and drops, amperage spikes and drops, etc to feed stable current to all the systems on the vehicle. This is why the electrical system on cars is wired to the battery and not the output post on the alternator. This is why even if the battery has enough power to start the car you can get phantom issues in other systems on the car. In my car the sunroof had a mind of its own when the battery started to fall. The car started fine but the sunroof would open and close as it pleased.

I have noticed batteries don't seem to last as long as they used to. I live in AZ so battery life here used to be 2 years on any vehicle. I've switched to Costco Interstate batteries and now get about 6 months to 1 year out of them and if one is ever run dead, they will never hold a charge again.

 

I routinely replace my Costco battery ever other year. No cost and never a dead battery or other issues.

 

How is it No Cost???

 

When you take a battery back to Costco they just give you your money back. They will then reduce the price of the new battery to match what you paid previously if it has gone up. You then purchase a new battery and the 46 month free replacement warranty starts over. You obviously have to purchase the initial battery but it's free replacement from there on out.

 

We dont have Costco in Corpus Christi.

 

Took the car to the battery shop and battery is in perfect condition as is the alternator. Still dont know why it would not start but started without a whimper two hours later. I am prety sure that a closed FI system doesnt have problems with "vapor lock".

Is it possible to "flood" a fuel injected engine? I am Old School and still remember how an accelerator pump could flood a carbureted car on a hot summer day. But I didnt think that could happen with fuel injection with no accelerator pump. But because I am Old School and started driving in 1946 I instinctively pump the accelerator when the car wont start. Could that have been the problem? It wasnt that hot, only 92 degrees.