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LS 400/LS 430 Electrical Questions & Problems

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Comments

  • j7wildj7wild Member Posts: 14
    I had a similar problem on my 92 LS 400 where it wouldn't go faster than 30 mph at night with the headlights on and the engine over-revs and when I stepped on the brakes, the instrument panel dims out.

    but if I turn the headlights off, it would speed up to normal speed.

    I took it in and they found that the bundle of electrical wires that in the trunk next to the left hinge of the trunk were shorted out from over the years of opening and closing the trunk; and the hinge catching that bundle of wires and cutting into them.

    They replaced several of the wires and now the car runs normally!
  • lexus401lexus401 Member Posts: 2
    Thank you for info I checked the wires in trunk hinge and found 2 cut wires 1 is white 2nd is yellow.dont know if it fixed transmission problem yet but i will keep you posted.. Thanks again.
  • forelioforelio Member Posts: 2
  • forelioforelio Member Posts: 2
    Ok my lexus's radio does not work throughout the day(it does not turn on). At the same time everyday when i get off work at 5pm the radio turns on and works fine. It is the stock radio and the issue is powering on and off. Thank you for any solutions or ideas : )
  • lise19lise19 Member Posts: 6
    edited July 2010
    I have a 2001 Lexus LS 430 -just went on a road trip- I was using a GPs- plugged-into the front lighter -after several hours of driving I noticed the Low battery signal on the GPS come on-clearly the GPS wasn't getting power to it to re-charge. I figured it might be a fuse so I stopped at an auto parts store and replaced with a 15 amp as directed by the manual. After several hours
    it blew again, I replaced it again and finished my journey so it is an intermittant short. Do I need a special Lexus fuse or does anybody have any idea how to fix this? I'm killing my back each time I contort my body to replace it! Thanks!
  • dandydon2dandydon2 Member Posts: 77
    Lise,

    Your message is a little confusing. The GPS first indicated that the battery was low, so you replaced a fuse. Then you said "it blew again". Did the fuse blow out the first time or did you just assume it had?

    I had a similar experience with my 2004 LS430, in that the GPS kept saying it was low on power. Turned out the problem was that my car battery was failing. When I replaced that, the GPS problem went away.

    Dandydon
  • lise19lise19 Member Posts: 6
    Dandydon,
    Thanks for your reply. The fuse had blown and then blew again after a couple of hours.I replaced the fuse both times and it is currently working and charging-However I was hoping to not do a repeat performance of constantly replacing the fuse. I was on a 7.5 hr road trip today however! May be I should have the battery checked out- altho it is about 1.5 years old- I'm in FL. and the heat kills batteries!
    Maybe that is getting ready to go too!
  • wwestwwest Member Posts: 10,706
    The GPS charger, cable, or cigarette lighter plug, has an intermittent short.
  • dandydon2dandydon2 Member Posts: 77
    Lise,

    Depending on how your LS430 was ordered, there may be a second cigar outlet in the back seat, just below the front seat center armrest. If it is on a separate circuit, you could at least keep the GPS operational while you are tracking down the short.

    Dandydon
  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    Cigarette lighter outlets are notorious for shorting out because people often put adapters into them which aren't quite the right fit--due to cheapo engineering---and so they tug and twist and this often damaged the wiring or the socket itself.

    I'd consider adding an auxiliary 12V outlet from a kit you can buy, and installing it perhaps in the glovebox. I'm sure a radio shop could do this for you for not a lot of $$$.
  • lise19lise19 Member Posts: 6
    Yes there is one in the console whichI had forgotten about and one behind the front seats- a lighter- I found a different fuse circuit for the rear one- I'm not sure about the one in the console. Thanks for your feedback!
  • lise19lise19 Member Posts: 6
    Thanks very much for the suggestions-I didn't know you could do that... I may check out the other outlets also...since it is intermittant it might cost alot of $$ to repair or replace the socket in the front. I have checked the fuse in the GPS and the cord seems fine so I have a feeling the problem is in the front outlet .
  • lise19lise19 Member Posts: 6
    Thanks- I noted the info- how would you connect it to the electrical system?
  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    Well you have to be careful there. On a modern car, it is not wise to just tap into any old "hot" wire. Some people run it right off the battery terminals--in some cases, there is a spare circuit in the fuse box you can hook into. You might get away with de-activating your factory 12V outlet and putting this one in the circuit instead---this presumes, of course, that the fuse-blowing was caused by your old cigarette lighter itself, not by the wiring.
  • lise19lise19 Member Posts: 6
    Well thank you very much for the explanation-sounds like a bit of a risky proposition and one I wouldn't even try myself. Hopefully the outlet in the console
    is not on the same circuit and that will work. I really appreciate your input- it helps clarify the problem and challenges!
  • spydermandanspydermandan Member Posts: 1
    Try the drivers side trunk behind the gas tank paneling
    ;)
  • wwestwwest Member Posts: 10,706
    That's the bass speaker driver, in '91 the speaker amplifier was integrated into the radio head. In later years the amplifier was/is under the passenger seat.
  • wwestwwest Member Posts: 10,706
    edited November 2010
    "..lighter outlets are notorious for shorting out..."

    No, not really.

    It is most commonly the plug in adapters that short out, are shorted out, and when you plug them in the fuse blows. If the outlet fuse blows then the first thing to do is disassemble and check the adapter that you last used.

    But the lighter outlets do have two "protective" devices, the fuse that we all know about, and the "fusible link" integrated into the base of the light outlet itsself. This is simply a short lead solder link that will melt away and open the circuit if for some reason the lighter is held down long enough that the heat would otherwise be a danger.
  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    Yeah true but what happens is that folks buy some device, which is probably made in China, and plug it into the outlet---the fit is very poor and they have to tug and twist, and the factory outlet wiring gets yanked--that's what I mean.
  • wwestwwest Member Posts: 10,706
    "..factory outlet wiring gets yanked--.."

    That's not what I have experienced, noted, over the years. In my expereince it has virtually always been a poorly designed/built plug-in adapter that shorts the outlet power and blows the fuse, or worse.
  • nvbankernvbanker Member Posts: 7,239
    Interestingly enough, all there LS' that I have owned, have had a shorted out socket, only one, but nonetheless. I don't smoke so one is enough for me, I just live with it. Guess I could probably get it fixed under warranty, eh?
  • nick1000nick1000 Member Posts: 1
    hello mike,
    I just ran into this problem on my 2005 ls430. it has only 41000 mi. I wanted to know what is it that they did on your car to charge such an outrageous amont ($2800) . non of my keyless devices work anymore. did they change an entire control board, one microchip, switch , or what.
    thanks
    nick
  • nvbankernvbanker Member Posts: 7,239
    I have regrettably found out, being on my third LS, that once the warranty is up, Lexus repairs at the dealer are all outrageous!
    At that point, I go elsewhere, or get a new Lexus. So far, mostly the latter.
  • cove148cove148 Member Posts: 117
    my 2005 lS430 has 80,000 miles on it. Because of age should I change belt now or wait til 90K?
    Any safe mileage above 90K? What would I expect to pay?

    Bought new, really like this car.
  • wwestwwest Member Posts: 10,706
    edited August 2011
    Our '92 was pushing 200k with no belt or water pump problems. Insofar as I know the new owner, local/friend, still hasn't had any problems. Our '95 had a new belt at 240,000 miles only because the water pump seal was allowing seeping through/around the bearing.

    In '92 valve belt drive was a fairly new thing so the 90,000 mile "range" was more of a guess, now proven wrong, than otherwise.
  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    Figure 4.5 hours labor (whatever labor rate exists in your area) to do the belt, the water pump and the camshaft seals. The belt is $56 and the pump $150. Don't cheap out on parts, buy the best parts you can.

    Where I live in CALIF the total would come out to around $900 out the door. You'd have to add a bit more if you want to replace the timing belt tensioner, which isn't a bad idea.

    If you're planning to keep the car, I'd plan to do it at 90K as specified, as the consequences of the belt breaking are somewhat catastrophic.
  • nvbankernvbanker Member Posts: 7,239
    I agree with shifty. The timing belt will likely go for a long time more, there is safety built into the recommended change schedule so there is virtually no chance of breaking it before the change time, but lots of driving factors can affect the life of the belt. In the desert like here, it's so hot and dry, the belt may fail sooner than in coastal climates, for example. You don't want it to break on you. Why take the chance? I have long said, if you want to drive a luxury car, why would you treat it like a cheap car? Buy the good gas, do the required maintenance, and the Lexus should last you 300,000 miles without breaking a sweat.
  • wwestwwest Member Posts: 10,706
    edited August 2011
    "..why would you treat it like a cheap car?.."

    With a "cheap" car I would expect the use of sub-standard, in comparison, components.

    So I would never "treat" a cheap car like a Lexus.
  • wwestwwest Member Posts: 10,706
    It is my understanding that Lexus began the use of rubber timing belts in order to reduce the NVH, less engine noise. At the time the "life" of those belts was only computationally predictable so we ended up with the 90,000 mile estimate.

    Lexus is now going back to timing chains not due to the short life of timing belts but due to the extreme willingness of their dealers to RIP-OFF the customers with SCARE stories such as above.
  • nvbankernvbanker Member Posts: 7,239
    When, and in which engines has Lexus reverted to chains?
This discussion has been closed.