93 Stuck In First Gear

[barnjard]

Hello everyone,

I was driving my 93 LS400 this evening and noticed a wierd problem.

When my headlights are turned off, the car drives/shifts normally.

However, when I turn my headlights on, the car drives as if it is stuck in first gear. The minute I turn the lights off, everything goes back to normal. I also notice that the "R" gear selector light on the instrument cluster stays on, even when I am in "drive." This only occurs when the headlights are turned on though. If I turn off the lights, the "R" light on the instrument cluster goes out, unless I actually choose reverse. Moreover, I notice that the "R" light on the cluster "flashes" brighter when I press on the brake pedal (with the headlights on).

Does anyone have any ideas as to what could be causing this?

Thanks for your help,

Matt

[TA in KC]

This problem is most certainly caused by a broken wire contained in the harness attached to the drivers' side trunk hinge.

[90LS400Lexus]

This problem is most certainly caused by a broken wire contained in the harness attached to the drivers' side trunk hinge.

Dont your love that trunk wiring harness? Its a nasty little thing and should be gotton rid of as early as possible.

I cant for the life if me figure out why Lexus never issued an official recall on these disgusting things. I hear daily of problems caused by this thing. Its probably the bane of many peoples lives.

[barnjard]

This problem is most certainly caused by a broken wire contained in the harness attached to the drivers' side trunk hinge.

Hi Thomas,

Thank you for your kind advice. After reading your post, I opened my trunk, just to get a look at the wiring harness at the trunk hinge. Shortly thereafter I started the car, and noticed that the "R" light had gone out on the instrument cluster, and the car drove normally with the headlights on. So, it appears that the simple act of opening the trunk temporarily cured my problem. I suppose moving the harness around a bit caused the broken wire to regain contact. I have driven the car for the past two days and the problem has not come back....yet! Next time, I may not be so lucky as to cure the problem by simply opening my trunk. However, I am glad to know what the culprit is.

Thanks again for your time and knowledge.

Matt

[SKperformance]

Sorry , but you don't want to be lazy and hope it is fixed . It is not a mystery problem but one that can potentially cause a fire or damage to other electronics. It is an easy fix so save the money now while you can.

[1990LS400]

Sorry , but you don't want to be lazy and hope it is fixed . It is not a mystery problem but one that can potentially cause a fire or damage to other electronics. It is an easy fix so save the money now while you can.

No kidding! This is the problem that bought me to this forum in 2003.

In it's nastier forms, the broken wires in the hinge can keep your car from being able to accelerate and cause it to buck like a bronco. That's what happened to my 90 LS in 2003. Park your car and do not drive it until the trunk hinge wires are fixed. It is an easy fix and shouldn't take you more than an hour.