Need some help with a lexus that won't run

[pvfjr]

My friend and I have been having a hard time with this lexus that he just picked up at an insurance auction. He posted up at a lexus forum, but we haven't gotten much help there. I'm beginning to think that the lexus owners aren't really the types to get their hands dirty. So I figured I'd see if you guys had some insight on our situation. So here's his post, so I don't have to rehash it all.

Hi,

Im new to the forum. This might be a long story so I will start from the begining.

Just got myself a 92 Lexus LS 400. I bought it wrecked. Thought v8 rear wheel drive, built by toyota , I cant go wrong.

The car was hit in the front, just at the top of the bumber, breaking the drivers side headlight and pushing the radiator back just far enough to touch the fan to make it stop.

Well, when I got into the car, it was running fine, no problems, after driving the car for 30minutes, and one burn out...(just to see )The raditator hose hit the drive belt, thus leaking all my coolent out. I was able to repair the hose with a maglite bought from wal-mart. I then drove the car the rest of the 200 miles home with out a hitch.

The next day, I wraped a chain around the front core support and jerked it out a bit, looks good to me, the fan is now operational. Drove another 45 miles no prob. Picked up a friend for lunch, we was completely floored I was driving a lexus... I had to show him how well it could bust the rear lose, so I gave it some juice, well.......burn out #2 was as bad as burn out #1. This time, the radiator bounced back and hit the fan, draining the coolnt agian. Radiator is toasted. My friend had to get back to work, I figured no prob, I can drive maybe one block throught the mall parking lot and leave the lexi there. Didnt make it to his work. She just died.

I figured being as smart as a lexus is, it might have an automatic shut off or something if I ran out of coolent? Well I left it there for the night.

I bought a used raditator swaped it in the parking lot, filled it with some coolent, and started it right up.

It was running smooth at 1000rpsm. I wanted the thermostat to open so I could finish filling the coolent, pressed my foot on the pedel and all heck broke loose.

The car was jumping rpms from 1000 to 3000, then she died, and would not start agian. At this point my check engine light is on.

I thought maybe one of the distributor might have gotten wet? Well I had it towed back home last night.

This morning, went out there, and poof, she started right up. I let it run for a bit at her own warm up idel, and then I held it at 2000rpms, was doing great for about a minuted when it started to cough. let it go back down to its own rpm. Ran smooth, no check engine light. It ran here for about 3 to 4 minutes and then it statred coughing and had a pretty bad idel. I shut it off. and now it wont start agian.

Any ideas? Places to start looking? Anyone have a smilialar problem? I dont have any wheels and need to get this thing back on the road asap.

Thanks in advance for your help.

 

[goldwing2000]

Probably overheated it and blew a head gasket when the coolant drained.

That's what ya get for being a dumbass and trying to show off with a half-busted vehicle.

 

[Jason4x4]

may sound dumb, but does it have gas in it?

 

[pvfjr]

Probably overheated it and blew a head gasket when the coolant drained.

That's what ya get for being a dumbass and trying to show off with a half-busted vehicle.

You're way off base, but thanks for the reply anyway.

It never overheated, and it actually started and ran fine for a bit today, but then started crapping out again after a little while, and then wouldn't start again.

 

[goldwing2000]

You're way off base, but thanks for the reply anyway.

It never overheated, and it actually started and ran fine for a bit today, but then started crapping out again after a little while, and then wouldn't start again.

If it didn't have any coolant in it, how do you know it didn't overheat? Temp gauges don't work in air.

 

[pvfjr]

may sound dumb, but does it have gas in it?

Funny you should mention that, we came to the same thought. Yeah, we checked it, and even threw another 5 gallons in it for good measure. We cracked one of the fuel lines to make sure it was pumping it up front, and it spewed fuel out all over the place, so I'm guessing it's getting fuel. It smells pretty rich out of the exhaust, smells like unburnt gas coming out. So I'm kind of leaning toward an ignition issue, but don't know much about the motor, so I don't know where to start.

 

[pvfjr]

If it didn't have any coolant in it, how do you know it didn't overheat? Temp gauges don't work in air.

Cause the coolant level wasn't low enough to even set off the low coolant light, not until after it had alread been shut off and drained itself further. I know the guage won't read accurately in air, but they will fluctuate and give an indication of improper temperature. This one held rock solid at the half way mark, never even a tad higher at any time. Also, there aren't any clouds of white smoke when it does decide to start, and the oil looks perfect. So there really aren't any signs pointing to a blown head gasket.

 

[goldwing2000]

*shrug* K. Good luck, then.

 

[g_mo]

i don't have any ideas, but i work for a toyota dealer. i'll ask one of the techs if they have any ideas.

 

[pvfjr]

Thanks, I'd appreciate it. It seems like it wants to start, and will actually try and start sometimes. Sometimes it starts and acts like it's running on a couple cylinders for a few secs, almost like really bad ignition timing, then dies. Then there's the weird fluke where it just started and ran fine for a bit, then quit again.

 

[mr.smartass]

take it to a mechanic... let them put it on the machine... new cars suck trying to diagnose unless you have the proper equipment...

 

[pvfjr]

take it to a mechanic... let them put it on the machine... new cars suck trying to diagnose unless you have the proper equipment...

It won't drive...

A mechanic would be about 50 miles away too, we're in podunk.

 

[87BrnRsd]

Dont those cars have timing belts that like to break/slip out of time and do what you are describing?
-Harrison

 

[pvfjr]

Yeah, it is a timing belt application. I was thinking that for a while myself, but then I don't know why it would start up just fine after sitting overnight, and then crap out again.

 

[87BrnRsd]

Hmmm. I would think timing belt...or some sort of sensor malfunction that is causing the crappy condition. Have you hooked a scanner under the dash yet?
-Harrison

 

[beater_k20]

Cause the coolant level wasn't low enough to even set off the low coolant light, not until after it had alread been shut off and drained itself further. I know the guage won't read accurately in air, but they will fluctuate and give an indication of improper temperature. This one held rock solid at the half way mark, never even a tad higher at any time. Also, there aren't any clouds of white smoke when it does decide to start, and the oil looks perfect. So there really aren't any signs pointing to a blown head gasket.

keep in mind that you are dealing with a new to you car here. you dont know if the low coolant light works or not. were you with your buddy when all of this was going down? if not, how do you know there wasnt smoke and he just missed it?

 

[Leper]

Not an uncommon problem. What do your plugs look like? Are any of them cracked? Spark jump can do some crazy stuff. I cant remember if that car has coil packs or not. Does it? Coil packs will act goofy if they get water around them, or if water or oil get into the plug tubes.

On a side note, does the car have a hydraulic cooling fan. Look and see, there kinda neat. The es300s had them back in the early ninetys.

 

[nvrenuf]

No coil packs, it's still got wires and it's got a belt driven cooling fan. I doubt the low coolant sensor is doing anything with this because it's in the overflow resevoir.

Check the air intake boot going from the air flow meter to the engine. If it's torn or pulled apart it will create all kinds of wierd running problems. Since the car took a front hit and the rad has been flopping around the air cleaner assy and/or boot could be damaged or moved.

 

[pvfjr]

keep in mind that you are dealing with a new to you car here. you dont know if the low coolant light works or not. were you with your buddy when all of this was going down? if not, how do you know there wasnt smoke and he just missed it?

Well the sensor is in the radiator, and the light came on after it had been shut down, after the remaining coolant had leaked out. The light went out as we started refilling the radiator. So it's behavior seemed normal. I know what you mean about the "new to us" car thing though. Who knows what mysteries this thing holds.

Edit: Oh yeah, forgot to mention, I have been with the car the whole time, so there shouldn't have been any unnoticed white clouds of smoke. And when it does decide to run, it runs pretty darn smooth, which is quite odd and irritating.

 

[pvfjr]

Well we've been looking for a way to get it scanned, but haven't had any luck yet. We were able to use a jumper and get the light to flash out a code, and it threw out a code for cams sensors. Both cam sensors were tested, and were withing specs, so who knows. It started again today and seemed to run the longest so far, but ended up crapping out on us again.

We took a look at the timing belt, and it appears to be in PERFECT condition, looks brand new. I'm pretty sure it hasn't slipped or anything. All the plug wires look pretty good, and all connections are nice and tight, bright, shiny, and clean. Checked the coils, and they seem to check out as well. But since this is an intermittent problem, who knows what part might bench check OK and then fail to operate after the car starts to warm up.

And yeah, its just a normal clutch fan.

We'll look into the air intake system, but I don't remember it appearing to have any damage.
We haven't taken any of the spark plugs out yet, we'll have to look for some cracks. They all look really clean from the top side though, and I figure they've still got good gap to them, and I wouldn't think they're fouled, cause as mentioned, when it does decide to run it does so quite smoothly.