Could Bad Igniters Cause Engine To Quit

[eds92sc]

Last night I drove my SC400 and after several miles my headlights and everything else started going dim. I shut the engine down and couldn't start it again. Initially I thought I have a possible bad alternator, but when I went back to the car an hour later, the car started right up. It did the same thing again after several miles. This morning, I went back to the car and it started right up again, and wouldn't restart after I turned the eng off.

If my alternator was bad, wouldn't I have a problem restarting since my battery should have drained. My brother thinks I have a bad ignition module, and he has heard of Toyota igniters going bad and giving problems similar to mine when the ignitor starts to get hot.

Anyone with any opinions?? When I turn the eng off, I can't even crank the eng at all each time. It seems as if the battery is dead. Before I turn the eng off, I get the following lights on my dash: trac off, and the battery symbol.

[python]

i would say ur alternator is out....the reason it restarted after u let it sit awhile is because a battery will regenerate itself somewhat if its not completely dead....have ur charging system checked out after u get ur battery charged up

[eatingupblacktop]

Check your connections to the alt/batt/ground. Charge up the batt and check the batt's voltage while it's running with a load on it, at idle and at higher revs. You can check the tension on your S-belt as well.

[Threadcutter]

Last night I drove my SC400 and after several miles my headlights and everything else started going dim. I shut the engine down and couldn't start it again. Initially I thought I have a possible bad alternator, but when I went back to the car an hour later, the car started right up. It did the same thing again after several miles. This morning, I went back to the car and it started right up again, and wouldn't restart after I turned the eng off.

If my alternator was bad, wouldn't I have a problem restarting since my battery should have drained. My brother thinks I have a bad ignition module, and he has heard of Toyota igniters going bad and giving problems similar to mine when the ignitor starts to get hot.

Anyone with any opinions?? When I turn the eng off, I can't even crank the eng at all each time. It seems as if the battery is dead. Before I turn the eng off, I get the following lights on my dash: trac off, and the battery symbol.

In my experience, ignitors usually work or they don't.

When was last time the battery cables and terminals were cleaned?

Guys;

I must be in one of my moods because I've had to spend half the day working on expenses for work........so I'm probably a little too persnickety.......Sorry in advance.......But;

I am not aware of any part or component on an LS that is correctly referred to as an "ignitor". If you are referring to a Gas Turbine Engine (eg; JET Engine), then yes, it has "ignitors".......

Are you referring to the ECM? If not, then what?

[python]

ignition control module=ignitor

[eatingupblacktop]

Last night I drove my SC400 and after several miles my headlights and everything else started going dim. I shut the engine down and couldn't start it again. Initially I thought I have a possible bad alternator, but when I went back to the car an hour later, the car started right up. It did the same thing again after several miles. This morning, I went back to the car and it started right up again, and wouldn't restart after I turned the eng off.

If my alternator was bad, wouldn't I have a problem restarting since my battery should have drained. My brother thinks I have a bad ignition module, and he has heard of Toyota igniters going bad and giving problems similar to mine when the ignitor starts to get hot.

Anyone with any opinions?? When I turn the eng off, I can't even crank the eng at all each time. It seems as if the battery is dead. Before I turn the eng off, I get the following lights on my dash: trac off, and the battery symbol.

In my experience, ignitors usually work or they don't.

When was last time the battery cables and terminals were cleaned?

Guys;

I must be in one of my moods because I've had to spend half the day working on expenses for work........so I'm probably a little too persnickety.......Sorry in advance.......But;

I am not aware of any part or component on an LS that is correctly referred to as an "ignitor". If you are referring to a Gas Turbine Engine (eg; JET Engine), then yes, it has "ignitors".......

Are you referring to the ECM? If not, then what?

"persnickety"? Haven't read that one in a while. As soon as you read this, it'll all come back to you. ECM is definitely close. It sends a voltage signal to the igniter's transisitor which turns on/off the current to the coil. Essentially, the igniter controls the firing of the coil. There, you can go have a beer now and chill after all that work. Btw, you're not alone, I'm up to my eyeballs in receipts and spreadsheets ... gonna be either sending out an SOS or raising a white flag soon! :P

[93ls400walt]

Toyota in the early to mid 80's had ignitor issues. They are to my understanding electronic points.( Anyone remember these? ) Anyway the were replacing them for free when they went bad.

The car would act exactly like you were running out of gas. And if you let the car sit for a while, I assume that the ignitor would cool off, it would re start and run fine for days/weeks.

The ls has two of them.