DennisG Posted September 16, 2009 Share Posted September 16, 2009 My 2000 ES 300 has stalled twice and I've spent $700 at my Lexus dealer for them to tell me they can't duplicate the problem and don't know what is wrong. The check engine and TRAC lights were on both times the car has stalled after having sat in my garage, undriven for 4-5 days. Both stalls occurred as I was accelerating off a down ramp onto a freeway, with the air conditioner on, during a hot (mid 80's) humid MN summer day. The engine stops and I just coast to the side of the road. The engine will turnover but not start. Both times I waited for 10 or so minutes and it started again. The first time this happened the car drove fine. The second time this happened it started and then stalled again within a mile -- had it towed to Lexus dealer. The dealer found code P0446. From the dealer invoice: "Scan Tested. Monitor Tested. Checked fuel pressure. Road tested car over several days." Dealer said I needed a "new canister with new switching value" based on the code; however, they admitted that this issue should not have caused it to stall. Having held my car for two days while unsuccessfully trying and replicate the stall, they reset the warning lights and told me they had no clue. Since then, the car has been driving fine, but now the check engine and TRAC lights have been on for 3 weeks. Before I spend another $700 for the dealer to tell me they don't know what's wrong -- I wanted to see if anyone else is experiencing similar issues. Cheers! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
camlex Posted September 16, 2009 Share Posted September 16, 2009 code# please ? Go to autozone or orailly, they will check for free. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DennisG Posted September 16, 2009 Author Share Posted September 16, 2009 code# please ?Go to autozone or orailly, they will check for free. Code P0446 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DennisG Posted September 16, 2009 Author Share Posted September 16, 2009 Also, is there an easy way to reset the check engine light rather than paying the Lexus $100 to once again tell me they don't know what is wrong? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
George_Jetson Posted September 16, 2009 Share Posted September 16, 2009 You could purchase a USB scanner, you can find them on ebay for around $30. When you car stalls, does it sputter or any other indication? Or does it shut off as if the key was turned off? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DBrucher Posted September 16, 2009 Share Posted September 16, 2009 My boss once had the stalling/not immediately starting problem in his GS. He spent a pretty penny at the dealership for them to discover a loose ground cable somewhere. That did it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DennisG Posted September 17, 2009 Author Share Posted September 17, 2009 You could purchase a USB scanner, you can find them on ebay for around $30. When you car stalls, does it sputter or any other indication? Or does it shut off as if the key was turned off? No other indication -- it just stalls. I'll be driving and it's like the car passes out! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
George_Jetson Posted September 17, 2009 Share Posted September 17, 2009 Since the car is just dies with not warning, it would be a safe bet to rule out fuel starvation. Assuming that, I would recommend a little bit of shotgunning (keeping in mind a buget of course). First I would swap out the EFI relay, you could check to see of the A/F heater relay is the same part number. If it is, I would just swap the two. The logic behind this is if the EFI relay was dropping out, intermintently, the engine would die as if the key was turned off. The car will run with bad relay for the a/f heaters, but it would set a code. I would also suggest closely checking the wiring harness to the crankshaft position sensor, and the camshaft position sensor. Paying very close attention to the crankshaft. If you do not find anything wrong, you may want to consider replacing the crakshaft sensor, (now to save money, I would recommend purchasing at a Toyota dealer, you want OEM quality, but there is no point in paying the Lexus markup). I would not recommend a aftermarket crankshaft sensor. Of course this assumes that you have already checked for loose wires under the hood, the battery terminals are clean/free of corosion. Most people do not realize how much affect a little bit of resistance can affect a circuit. If you consider OHM'S law, 1 ohm x 1 amp = 1 volt drop, so in a circuit that pulls 10 amps, just 1 ohm resistance can drop 10 volts, which leaves almost no voltage to run the circuit. Also that you have tried wiggling the key, and "light taps" ie read as hit, but do not go medievel ont he dash, near the key. You want to check for loose connections. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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