No Start!

[shy]

My son was giving my 97 LS400 a boost from another car. He connected the positive jumper cable to the negative battery terminal of the LS and the negative battery terminal to the carbody of the LS. There was some arcing and it won't even crank. The dash lights, blower fan heater all work. But the car won't crank. The starter fuse 7.5A is good, starter relay is good, engine main good. Please help. Thank you in anticipation.

[eatingupblacktop]

My son was giving my 97 LS400 a boost from another car. He connected the positive jumper cable to the negative battery terminal of the LS and the negative battery terminal to the carbody of the LS. There was some arcing and it won't even crank. The dash lights, blower fan heater all work. But the car won't crank. The starter fuse 7.5A is good, starter relay is good, engine main good. Please help. Thank you in anticipation.

???????????? You're kidding me right ????????????

Positive to Positive ... Negative to Negative!!!!!!!!!!

[N.C.O.]

My son was giving my 97 LS400 a boost from another car. He connected the positive jumper cable to the negative battery terminal of the LS and the negative battery terminal to the carbody of the LS. There was some arcing and it won't even crank. The dash lights, blower fan heater all work. But the car won't crank. The starter fuse 7.5A is good, starter relay is good, engine main good. Please help. Thank you in anticipation.

???????????? You're kidding me right ????????????

Positive to Positive ... Negative to Negative!!!!!!!!!!

Are your dash lights working before you jump it or when you are jumping it or still working after you jump it? Wrong connection with the jumper cables can fry a lot of stuff and blow fuses.

You may have problem with the starter and not the battery.

N.C.O.

[Alexander the o.k.]

Disconnect the neg. cable for 20-30 seconds. This will clear all codes and reset anything that is not fried.

Reconnect to correct terminals, and try again.

Post back if it works this time.

Starter solenoid or a fuse may be fried if it does not even crank.

Tell us what it does once you crank it.

[shy]

My son was giving my 97 LS400 a boost from another car. He connected the positive jumper cable to the negative battery terminal of the LS and the negative battery terminal to the carbody of the LS. There was some arcing and it won't even crank. The dash lights, blower fan heater all work. But the car won't crank. The starter fuse 7.5A is good, starter relay is good, engine main good. Please help. Thank you in anticipation.

???????????? You're kidding me right ????????????

Positive to Positive ... Negative to Negative!!!!!!!!!!

Are your dash lights working before you jump it or when you are jumping it or still working after you jump it? Wrong connection with the jumper cables can fry a lot of stuff and blow fuses.

You may have problem with the starter and not the battery.

N.C.O.

The dash lights all work and I don't see any blown fuses. That may be because he didn't connect the jumper to the positive battery terminal. He connected the positive jumper to the negative terminal and the negative jumper to a car body ground. Also, the starter was good just before he jumper it. It always started on first turn of the key.

[shy]

Disconnect the neg. cable for 20-30 seconds. This will clear all codes and reset anything that is not fried.

Reconnect to correct terminals, and try again.

Post back if it works this time.

Starter solenoid or a fuse may be fried if it does not even crank.

Tell us what it does once you crank it.

It still doesn't crank. When I turn the key, some dash lights go off like they normally do when you turn the key to the start position, but when I release it, since it doesn't start, they come back on. However, I could hear the starter relay picking up and the engine main relay, but it does not crank.

[shy]

My son was giving my 97 LS400 a boost from another car. He connected the positive jumper cable to the negative battery terminal of the LS and the negative battery terminal to the carbody of the LS. There was some arcing and it won't even crank. The dash lights, blower fan heater all work. But the car won't crank. The starter fuse 7.5A is good, starter relay is good, engine main good. Please help. Thank you in anticipation.

???????????? You're kidding me right ????????????

Positive to Positive ... Negative to Negative!!!!!!!!!!

No I'm not kidding, this is just what happened.

[python]

u can fry the ecm doing this, check the fuses under the hood

[IansLexus]

I don't THINK you hurt anything major. I did this on my LS (it was dark and I didnt have light...). I did blow a few fuses, but I replaced all them, but I was still freaking out cause the car wouldn't start. I then checked the circuit breaker, and low-and-behold, I blew one. They put the breaker in there so the surge wouldn't hurt anything else, so I replaced it.... $3 from autozone, and I was good to go. I had the same issues as you, but I have no dash lights on, and the car wouldn't start either.

the circuit breaker (120A) is like $3 from any parts store... this is where it's located on my LS.. maybe your's is different. ANyways, you should try and figure it out.. my guess is that this is your problem. My car fired up immediately after replacing it.

Here is it... circled in red. Its under the hood..its ROYAL PAAIINN to take out, but hopefully it will solve your problems.

[shy]

I don't THINK you hurt anything major. I did this on my LS (it was dark and I didnt have light...). I did blow a few fuses, but I replaced all them, but I was still freaking out cause the car wouldn't start. I then checked the circuit breaker, and low-and-behold, I blew one. They put the breaker in there so the surge wouldn't hurt anything else, so I replaced it.... $3 from autozone, and I was good to go. I had the same issues as you, but I have no dash lights on, and the car wouldn't start either.

the circuit breaker (120A) is like $3 from any parts store... this is where it's located on my LS.. maybe your's is different. ANyways, you should try and figure it out.. my guess is that this is your problem. My car fired up immediately after replacing it.

Here is it... circled in red. Its under the hood..its ROYAL PAAIINN to take out, but hopefully it will solve your problems.

Thanks a lot , will try as soon as possible. I'm just spending the holiday weekend at my parents' house. Thanks once again.

[Vern Dias]

That may be because he didn't connect the jumper to the positive battery terminal. He connected the positive jumper to the negative terminal and the negative jumper to a car body ground.

If this is EXACTLY what he did and he did it on the Lexus side of the jumper cables, then he did not hurt the Lexus. All he did is put a short across the 12 volts from the OTHER car. You should probably check to make sure that the heavy cable from the negative battery connection to the chassis on the Lexus is OK. However, this sounds like a bad solenoid contact or starter motor and if so, a jump won't help you to get it started.

You will probably need to have the starter and or solenoid replaced.

Vern

[eatingupblacktop]

My son was giving my 97 LS400 a boost from another car. He connected the positive jumper cable to the negative battery terminal of the LS and the negative battery terminal to the carbody of the LS. There was some arcing and it won't even crank. The dash lights, blower fan heater all work. But the car won't crank. The starter fuse 7.5A is good, starter relay is good, engine main good. Please help. Thank you in anticipation.

???????????? You're kidding me right ????????????

Positive to Positive ... Negative to Negative!!!!!!!!!!

No I'm not kidding, this is just what happened.

I say that because it's somewhat incredulous that in this day of tech advanced vehicles, people don't read their manuals. Even more so for a sophisticated car like the LS. In the manual you will find the instructions for "JUMP STARTING PROCEDURE" show very clearly the positive of the booster battery connected to positive of of the discharged battery, negative of the booster battery connected to body (negative) of the discharged battery car with a warning in the "NOTICE" sidebar that states: "DO NOT JUMP START UNLESS YOU ARE SURE THAT THE BOOSTER BATTERY IS CORRECTLY CONNECTED".

It also states in bold type: " TO AVOID PERSONAL INJURY AND DAMAGE TO YOUR VEHICLE WHICH MIGHT RESULT FROM BATTERY EXPLOSION, ACID BURNS, ELECTRICAL BURNS, OR DAMAGED ELECTRONIC COMPONENTS, THESE INSTRUCTIONS MUST BE FOLLOWED PRECISELY".

I've posted this information for whomever that either couldn't find these instructions or couldn't care less to read them!

[IansLexus]

My son was giving my 97 LS400 a boost from another car. He connected the positive jumper cable to the negative battery terminal of the LS and the negative battery terminal to the carbody of the LS. There was some arcing and it won't even crank. The dash lights, blower fan heater all work. But the car won't crank. The starter fuse 7.5A is good, starter relay is good, engine main good. Please help. Thank you in anticipation.

???????????? You're kidding me right ????????????

Positive to Positive ... Negative to Negative!!!!!!!!!!

No I'm not kidding, this is just what happened.

I say that because it's somewhat incredulous that in this day of tech advanced vehicles, people don't read their manuals. Even more so for a sophisticated car like the LS. In the manual you will find the instructions for "JUMP STARTING PROCEDURE" show very clearly the positive of the booster battery connected to positive of of the discharged battery, negative of the booster battery connected to body (negative) of the discharged battery car with a warning in the "NOTICE" sidebar that states: "DO NOT JUMP START UNLESS YOU ARE SURE THAT THE BOOSTER BATTERY IS CORRECTLY CONNECTED".

It also states in bold type: " TO AVOID PERSONAL INJURY AND DAMAGE TO YOUR VEHICLE WHICH MIGHT RESULT FROM BATTERY EXPLOSION, ACID BURNS, ELECTRICAL BURNS, OR DAMAGED ELECTRONIC COMPONENTS, THESE INSTRUCTIONS MUST BE FOLLOWED PRECISELY".

I've posted this information for whomever that either couldn't find these instructions or couldn't care less to read them!

Maybe you don't realize that people don't always run to their manuals for every little problem...Accidents do happen, and assuming that he has no idea how to properly jump a vehicle is probably not correct.

[eatingupblacktop]

Maybe you don't realize that people don't always run to their manuals for every little problem...Accidents do happen, and assuming that he has no idea how to properly jump a vehicle is probably not correct.

I agree that accidents happen. I also agree that manuals aren't consulted for every little problem. However, while jump starting a battery may be simple, it is not a little or trivial problem/procedure. If it were, then the manual would not emphasize the dangers involved.

assuming that he has no idea how to properly jump a vehicle is probably not correct

This statement I don't understand. If he knew how to do it correctly, don't you think he would have done it that way. If he did know, then he was sloppy. Being sloppy or overlooking important details while working on a car indicates to me someone who would be better advised to leave the job to a competent tech or at least someone who knows what they're doing and takes care to do it properly. There are consequenses for doing otherwise. Take someone who forgets to put out their cigarette when replacing a fuel filter. You know what's going to happen there. Just forgot he said? How many mechanics do you know who smoke while working on a car? It's all too common, especially with the indies.

Some things are reduced to common sense and I suppose it escapes many people because of how rare it is. I do sympathize with Shy but urge him/her and the son for their safety and peace of mind, to read the manual for their car and not to take things for granted. I say, measure twice and cut once!

[IansLexus]

Maybe you don't realize that people don't always run to their manuals for every little problem...Accidents do happen, and assuming that he has no idea how to properly jump a vehicle is probably not correct.

I agree that accidents happen. I also agree that manuals aren't consulted for every little problem. However, while jump starting a battery may be simple, it is not a little or trivial problem/procedure. If it were, then the manual would not emphasize the dangers involved.

assuming that he has no idea how to properly jump a vehicle is probably not correct

This statement I don't understand. If he knew how to do it correctly, don't you think he would have done it that way. If he did know, then he was sloppy. Being sloppy or overlooking important details while working on a car indicates to me someone who would be better advised to leave the job to a competent tech or at least someone who knows what they're doing and takes care to do it properly. There are consequenses for doing otherwise. Take someone who forgets to put out their cigarette when replacing a fuel filter. You know what's going to happen there. Just forgot he said? How many mechanics do you know who smoke while working on a car? It's all too common, especially with the indies.

Some things are reduced to common sense and I suppose it escapes many people because of how rare it is. I do sympathize with Shy but urge him/her and the son for their safety and peace of mind, to read the manual for their car and not to take things for granted. I say, measure twice and cut once!

Ok... agreed! :D

[shy]

Just an update for everyone who replied to my post and anyone else who is interested. It turns out, I charged the battery and asked my son to turn the key while I listened to the relays picking up under the hood. I took the cover off the starter relay and noticed that it wasn't picking up. With the key in the run position I used a probe from my meter to close the contacts (on the starter relay), and the car started. Now I have to figure out why the relay is not picking up. Could be the relay is bad, or has a bad ground. I'm open to suggestions.

Thanks again for all the input.

[shy]

Just an update for everyone who replied to my post and anyone else who is interested. It turns out, I charged the battery and asked my son to turn the key while I listened to the relays picking up under the hood. I took the cover off the starter relay and noticed that it wasn't picking up. With the key in the run position I used a probe from my meter to close the contacts (on the starter relay), and the car started. Now I have to figure out why the relay is not picking up. Could be the relay is bad, or has a bad ground. I'm open to suggestions.

Thanks again for all the input.

Problem solved. I just moved the gear shift through all the positions and then back to park, and the car started right up. I guess that might have reset something? Probably the theft deterrent ECU? I dont really know, but everything is good now. Thanks to everyone for all the helpful comments.

[TEA]

how did you guys remove the huge fuse set away from the regular fuses? I have a '98 LS400 and i can't remove them away from the small fuses to replace this 120a fuse. I figured there are two screws holding the fuse in and I could only remove one. Please help. I'm stuck with no lights in the instrument cluster, no radio, tail lights... blah blah blah

[BillyShaft]

Isnt there a switch on the shifter in the park position that senses wether the shifter is in park in order to start it? If so, that lil switch could be getting grumpy and not working consistently.