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a few weeks ago I Purchased my first LS430, I love the car! It’s an amazing machine, the vehicle has 290,000 miles.
my issue is the following, when I was driving 2 weeks ago on the highway the RPM went really high and the vehicle stopped moving, I was able to get on the side of the road. I let it cool off for 10 minutes and was able to get it off the highway.
I was in shock I wasn’t expecting this, well the vehicle kept driving for the next 10 minutes. The autozone I was able to get to the code reader was not working lol, it threw a check engine light on.
so I had no choice but to tow it home, I towed it to the mechanic and he replaced the throttle body control sensor, but was still not driving. He then called me and said it could be a transmission issue and I would have to take it to a transmission shop. On my car fax it says the transmission was rebuilt 80,000 miles ago. And it was showing code P0500 which is a VSS. I proceeded to buy both VSS from Toyota and the vehicle still won’t drive, I also did a drain and fill with Type IV fluid but it still won’t drive. The second VSS looks like it was melted and the connector looked broken to me.
could you guys please enlighten me on this problem? I don’t want to take it to the Lexus dealership yet, I’ve tried to research this problem but I have not yet found an answer. Thank you all in advanced.
I will also like to add that I noticed the transmission pan was leaking from the gasket, not too much but enough for it to be noticeable.
Last edited by LussoLS430; Jul 19, 2020 at 10:10 PM.
Lusso, Sorry to hear about your issue. Considering that the transmission has already been worked on, we don't know exactly what was done, and it is not the original transmission. It might be prudent, to invest in a $99 diagnostic fee and take it to Lexus for their evaluation. Of course you are not going to have them do any of the work (unless it is a lesser than rebuild/replace fix). This way you will not be throwing good money at bad to guess what is needed. It might end up being a very good investment to get to the bottom of your problem. Good luck and let us know how you make out.
If the car doesn't move, it needs transmission work at minimum. Any reputable shop should be able to verify the manual valve and linkage is OK. By the sounds of it, something failed internally and you will need a rebuild or replacement. The good news is that these transmissions are not expensive used, and not super labor intensive to replace. That is the route that I would go...
you need to be more specific that just say "it wont drive". what happens when you put it in gear? does it make the RPM change? what happens when you press on the gas ?
you need to be more specific that just say "it wont drive". what happens when you put it in gear? does it make the RPM change? what happens when you press on the gas ?
rpm’s do change. When I press the gas rpm just go up and the vehicle does not move, only when it’s cold.
Based upon your description, "I was driving 2 weeks ago on the highway the RPM went really high and the vehicle stopped moving", my first impression is that your torque converter clutch has failed and decoupled the transmission from the engine.
You mentioned that you replaced both Vehicle Speed Sensors (VSS) and that one of the connectors maybe damaged. Please give the "Manual Shifting Test" procedure below a try to determine if you're dealing with a mechanical or electrical problem.
2002 LS430 will not shift drive after it warms up
