Electrical Gremlins....

[wolver1ne5167]

I'm desperate here with a slight gremlin....

I replaced the atl. back in May of 08 had no probs. til we took a fiels trip from Brattleboro, VT. to Chuckie Cheese's in springfield, MA. roughly a 45 min drive..... car died at the toll booth as the window was coming down to recieve ticket... replaced battery... prob. solved... so I thought... a month later same stuff happened daily for about two or three months every idiot light would light up like an xmas tree just B4 stalling, I'd usually get about 5 to 7 miles ( just enough to make it to work). removed the alt. to get it tested... Perfectly good... re-installed now the prob. goes away for about 500 to 600 miles... I'm going thought the wringer trying to figure this out... I even got a buddy with 25+ yrs experience in Toyota tech including TRD training & even He's scratching his head like a monkey too. :chairshot:

anyone else experience this?

[IanRShearer]

I'm desperate here with a slight gremlin....

I replaced the atl. back in May of 08 had no probs. til we took a fiels trip from Brattleboro, VT. to Chuckie Cheese's in springfield, MA. roughly a 45 min drive..... car died at the toll booth as the window was coming down to recieve ticket... replaced battery... prob. solved... so I thought... a month later same stuff happened daily for about two or three months every idiot light would light up like an xmas tree just B4 stalling, I'd usually get about 5 to 7 miles ( just enough to make it to work). removed the alt. to get it tested... Perfectly good... re-installed now the prob. goes away for about 500 to 600 miles... I'm going thought the wringer trying to figure this out... I even got a buddy with 25+ yrs experience in Toyota tech including TRD training & even He's scratching his head like a monkey too. :chairshot:

anyone else experience this?

Sounds like the broken and shorting wires at the l/h boot lid hinge? Lots of posts on this

[wolver1ne5167]

what on earth is an l/h boot lid hinge...no offense but I'm not from scotland & don't quite understand what that means. I even Googled it & still not a clue... Can U help me out here & show me any of the posts on this? Any help would be appreciated....

[landar]

what on earth is an l/h boot lid hinge...no offense but I'm not from scotland & don't quite understand what that means. I even Googled it & still not a clue... Can U help me out here & show me any of the posts on this? Any help would be appreciated....

"Boot" is British for "trunk". A hood is a bonnet. I think fenders are birds.

Clear as mud?

The poster is saying that alot of early LS's have a problem with intermittent or broken trunk lid wiring.

Causes all kinds of weird things to happen. Do a search on trunk lid wiring.

[90LS400Lexus]

what on earth is an l/h boot lid hinge...no offense but I'm not from scotland & don't quite understand what that means.....

"Boot" is British for "trunk". A hood is a bonnet. I think fenders are birds.

Clear as mud?

The poster is saying that alot of early LS's have a problem with intermittent or broken trunk lid wiring.

Causes all kinds of weird things to happen. Do a search on trunk lid wiring.

LOL, that is funny.

Thats right, its the wiring loom that is attached to the trunk lid hinge on the driver side. Not sure if thats the problem though.

[SKperformance]

I think you have a bad battery terminal or ground wire.

[IanRShearer]

what on earth is an l/h boot lid hinge...no offense but I'm not from scotland & don't quite understand what that means. I even Googled it & still not a clue... Can U help me out here & show me any of the posts on this? Any help would be appreciated....

"Boot" is British for "trunk". A hood is a bonnet. I think fenders are birds.

Clear as mud?

The poster is saying that alot of early LS's have a problem with intermittent or broken trunk lid wiring.

Causes all kinds of weird things to happen. Do a search on trunk lid wiring.

Ah, yes, trunk, thanks- separated by a common language... fenders are bumpers here, or guitars..

[wolver1ne5167]

I think you have a bad battery terminal or ground wire.

Nope been there, done that. Plus New battery N Alt. checked all fuses, & noticed My Cig lighter is out, "&" found I cannot replace it because If I Do... I can't get my key out after trying to start the car... Can U figure that? (& Yes, the car was in park when this was happening )

[wolver1ne5167]

Whatever , I only ask for a simple Q: & get a box of free comics instead... Oh well guess I'll have to do more testing in the wiring again.... Do any of you know, or have the wiring diagrams for a 91 1st gen.? If so It would be greatly appreciated.

[curiousB]

Best best is to isolate the problem a little further to get some more specific suggestions.

• Its not clear whether you have a battery problem (can’t hold charge)
  
• A charging system problem (can’t replenish the battery from all the drain/loads on it)
  
• You have some power leakage when the car is off that is draining your battery
  

Changing the alternator is pretty expensive and then following it up with a new battery is less expensive but hardly free.

Here’s what I would try.

1. Get a voltmeter (DVM) and measure battery voltage (at the battery terminals) with car turned off (no battery load). Should be around 12.6 volts (fully charged 12.9V, fully drained < 11.4V).
   
2. Start engine and leave running but turn off all accessories you can (radio, lights, a/c, …). While motor is running (be careful) measure battery voltage at same point as #1. Should be around 13.5-14.5V.
   
3. With car running start turning on electrical loads, headlights (high beams) A/C blower on full speed, rear defogger, sound system,…. Check to see voltage at battery is still at same level as #2. If battery voltage is < 13.2V then your alternator is unable to service the load. This could be a faulty alternator, a slipping drive belt, or loose/broken/corroded wiring between alternator and battery.
   
4. If the battery level seems fine with engine running and full loads then I suspect a leakage current after you shut off car. Maybe a trunk light always or a power inverter left in cigarette adapter turned on, or… something is slowly draining the battery. To check for a leakage drain attach DVM to the battery and record reading. Come back in a couple hours and see if reading has dropped (indicating battery is draining).
   
5. Of course it could be a faulty battery cell. Seems unlikely given it’s a fairly new battery but you could measure specific gravity of each cell with a battery tester if the caps can be opened for each cell. If one (or more) cell is flat then that indicates a bad battery.
   

Anyway steps above should be able to help you isolate the problem to most likely culprit.

[jcrome04]

Try the trunk wiring harness first

http://www.lexls.com/tutorials/lighting/bulbout.html

[wolver1ne5167]

Best best is to isolate the problem a little further to get some more specific suggestions.

• Its not clear whether you have a battery problem (can’t hold charge)
  
• A charging system problem (can’t replenish the battery from all the drain/loads on it)
  
• You have some power leakage when the car is off that is draining your battery
  

Changing the alternator is pretty expensive and then following it up with a new battery is less expensive but hardly free.

Here’s what I would try.

1. Get a voltmeter (DVM) and measure battery voltage (at the battery terminals) with car turned off (no battery load). Should be around 12.6 volts (fully charged 12.9V, fully drained < 11.4V).
   
2. Start engine and leave running but turn off all accessories you can (radio, lights, a/c, …). While motor is running (be careful) measure battery voltage at same point as #1. Should be around 13.5-14.5V.
   
3. With car running start turning on electrical loads, headlights (high beams) A/C blower on full speed, rear defogger, sound system,…. Check to see voltage at battery is still at same level as #2. If battery voltage is < 13.2V then your alternator is unable to service the load. This could be a faulty alternator, a slipping drive belt, or loose/broken/corroded wiring between alternator and battery.
   
4. If the battery level seems fine with engine running and full loads then I suspect a leakage current after you shut off car. Maybe a trunk light always or a power inverter left in cigarette adapter turned on, or… something is slowly draining the battery. To check for a leakage drain attach DVM to the battery and record reading. Come back in a couple hours and see if reading has dropped (indicating battery is draining).
   
5. Of course it could be a faulty battery cell. Seems unlikely given it’s a fairly new battery but you could measure specific gravity of each cell with a battery tester if the caps can be opened for each cell. If one (or more) cell is flat then that indicates a bad battery.
   

Anyway steps above should be able to help you isolate the problem to most likely culprit.

As said B4 Been there done that too, This isn' t the 1st car I've owned & repaired... I'm just trying to see if anyone has had the same problems b4 & was hoping for a easy search n solve as opposed to going through all the trials N tribulations with wiring woes. I just finished doing the same S#!% with my 98 Jeep Grand Cherokee limited 5.9 which drove me Kucoo. & that's an American made beast... What can I expect from one of Japans biggest flag ship?

[wolver1ne5167]

Try the trunk wiring harness first

http://www.lexls.com/tutorials/lighting/bulbout.html

IanRShearer Thanx for the input, I wish I understood U with more clearity, & You were the 1st to answer what I needed &

Now I understand the "Boot" wiring harnes is the same as above stated thanx to jcrome04 (lexls.com...etc.etc.)

We need more translaters in this forum :chairshot: (no offense IanRshearer)

This is all I needed guys....Thanx

cheers

[steve2006]

what on earth is an l/h boot lid hinge...no offense but I'm not from scotland & don't quite understand what that means. I even Googled it & still not a clue... Can U help me out here & show me any of the posts on this? Any help would be appreciated....

"Boot" is British for "trunk". A hood is a bonnet. I think fenders are birds.

Clear as mud?

The poster is saying that alot of early LS's have a problem with intermittent or broken trunk lid wiring.

Causes all kinds of weird things to happen. Do a search on trunk lid wiring.

Nearly right but the fender is a bumper and what you guys call brake rotors are brake discs in the UK.

When I post on here I always try to translate from UK to US terminology :D

[jcrome04]

So if the fender is the bumper...

..what is a bumper?

[90LS400Lexus]

..what is a bumper?

A fender! :D

Seriously, I have no idea.

btw, I would hate to have someone bumping into my fenders. :)

Wolver - good luck with that wiring.

[wolver1ne5167]

btw, I would hate to have someone bumping into my fenders. :)

Wolver - good luck with that wiring.

Thanx, I'll need it 90LS400Lexus.