BangarangX

Hello,

I have a 1992 Lexus SC300, automatic that will not start all of a sudden. The first thing I did was to ground TE1 to E1 at the diagnostic port, but all the CEL does is flash repeatedly, with no breaks or stops in the string at all. Just starts flashing, and keeps flashing.

So far, I have verified:

*Spark from coil
*Spark at plugs
*Fuel pressure
*Injector power
*Compression

The weird computer diagnostic results tend to lead me toward the possibility the ECU has crapped on me, but I don't know these cars well enough to know offhand.

Any advice is appreciated. Thanks.

FastCarsBG

how many miles on the car and when is the last time the timing belt was changed? If you have fuel and fire, timing is the next thing. does it try to start?

SC400slide

iTrader: (11)

Could be ECU, does the car crank?

BangarangX

204k miles. Checked timing belt. All teeth are present, cam gear marks match eachother perfectly. Think I am at the point where I ought to just disassemble the entire timing cover and have a closer look-see?

BangarangX

Cranks, and even sounds like it's going to catch, but only gets 95% of the way there. Maybe I'll take a video in just a bit.

SC400slide

iTrader: (11)

You said you checked the fuel pressure so I'd say ECU.

Jostar

ECU.. My ECU crapped on me on my driveway at home, I was just idling with the AC & boom, car just shut down, on me, For me minute I was thinking... Did the fuel ecu go bad?? but I had done the 12v mod, thank god I had a spare ECU in the trunk so I swap them, I go & crank the car & sure enough, Fired right up, I was a little hesitant & I put the old ECU just in case & no start..

BangarangX

I have access to a spare ECU. Gonna have to make a trip to get it, but I can do that. Let me start with that and see where I get, because I have never TE1/E1'd a Toyota anything and gotten such stupid results from the computer. Just flashes on and on and on without any change in cadence. Makes me think the ECU is just going "Oh what the f&#%.......". We will see.

Piratse

iTrader: (1)

Gonna have to say ECU. Had the exact same problem. Got it repaired for like $200 or so and has worked great ever since. ECU will just keep flashing a steady flash on the dash (when jumping the wires to run a diag) when it is bad. Make sure if you have a spare ecu it is the same numbers on there or else it could cause problems/make things not work.

BangarangX

I have read that a continuous flashing is what the ecu does when it is not detecting any faults. Possibility?

FastCarsBG

still screams timing belt where it almost starts. I ma not sure what the symptoms are when the caps go bad in the ecu, but i understand that is a problem. I know when the DSM cars have bad caps, anything is possible!

FastCarsBG

Okay, sorry, I just saw that the engine has good compression. That being the case, maybe leans toward the ECU. Sorry I couldn't be of more help

BangarangX

New development. Out of a visceral suspicion, I borrowed a Snap-On compression tester, and an OEM compression tester to repeat the compression test. My Actron tester must be bad. Engine flunked both tests badly with the 2 other testers. Both read 30 psi on #1, 15 psi on #2, 45 psi on #5, and 60 psi on #6. That must be the "good" cylinder that is nearly firing.

My adventure is probably over. Might be time to call Juan J. Zee.