Omg! Now What? Missing, Gassy Smell, Funny Starting Sound!

[90LS400Lexus]

UPDATE - I went back out, started it and it was still doing it, but I let it run for about a minute and it cleared out and was running fine. Also started normally after. Must have been where I started it yesterday I didnt let it warm up long enough before shutting it off.

I went to leave in my car (1991 LS400 with 225K) this morning and the starter sounded funny.. almost as if the car had low compression.... it was like it was missing when it was cranking. When it started, it made a funny sound (as if a spark plug was out!) as the RPMS went up and then it started shaking, missing, pouring out smoke that smelled like gas, etc!! I shut it down and took my other car to work. So finally the LS has let me down again. Timing belt was done only 24K ago. It was running perfectly yesterday.

The gas is less than 1/4 tank... I was thinking maybe water in gas... bought gas treatment, came home, started it again and its doing the same thing and it sounds bad. I am not sure what has happened. The CEL (check engine light) is not on, so its not like its tripping any codes. :(

Thanks for any help.

[landar]

How much "ya unt fer it"? :D

[90LS400Lexus]

How much "ya unt fer it"? :D

before or after I take a sledge hammer to it? ;)

UPDATE - I went back out, started it and it was still doing it, but I let it run for about a minute and it cleared out and was running fine. Also started normally after. Must have been where I started it yesterday I didnt let it warm up long enough before shutting it off.

[landar]

before or after I take a sledge hammer to it? ;)

UPDATE - I went back out, started it and it was still doing it, but I let it run for about a minute and it cleared out and was running fine. Also started normally after. Must have been where I started it yesterday I didnt let it warm up long enough before shutting it off.

Preferably before the sledge. There would need to be an additional discount after. B)

When was the last time you changed distributor components?

[90LS400Lexus]

before or after I take a sledge hammer to it? ;)

UPDATE - I went back out, started it and it was still doing it, but I let it run for about a minute and it cleared out and was running fine. Also started normally after. Must have been where I started it yesterday I didnt let it warm up long enough before shutting it off.

Preferably before the sledge. There would need to be an additional discount after. B)

When was the last time you changed distributor components?

Well, since it seems to be OK now, it may not get the sledgehammer. ;)

Never have changed the dist components... really has never gave this problem before. Kinda shocked me. I could not afford it anyway. All I can basically afford is basic oil changes (which I do religiously) and things in needed like tranny mount and fan bracket bearing. I am now awaiting a rack solenoid for the PS.

I am going to post a video of it starting after I get it downloaded and the strange sound it made when starting... that starter sounded so funny... it was like it had no compression. :o Started normally after that though. Oil dont smell gassy. I think its a combo of where I have let it run too low on gas and where I started it yesterday it only ran for a couple of minutes, then I shut it down.

[billydpowell]

you really need to sell that thing and get you a 95-97 dependable car.

[90LS400Lexus]

you really need to sell that thing and get you a 95-97 dependable car.

I like the first part of that... but not sure if I will ever buy another LS400 again. If I did, it would have to be a low-mileage 1995-97 model, thats already had a new starter, timing belt and steering rack before I would buy it.

Anyway, here is a little 2 minute video.... sorry, its in the dark, but you get the idea. First few seconds you can hear it start... the cranking sounds funny and it never sounded like that before. It did that this AM too. After I let it run some thing evening, it didnt sound like that when I restarted it.

video.... (around 40-42 seconds, I dont know what that sound is... its the camera, it wasnt the car. LOL, you can hear my neighbor around 1:50 saying something. lol.

HERE is the other video.... by this time it seemed OK... I normally dont ever race the engine like this, but seemed like it was helping clear it out.

[914lps]

In the vedo, was that you reving the eng or the car just doing it on it's own? I have a reason for asking.

[90LS400Lexus]

In the vedo, was that you reving the eng or the car just doing it on it's own? I have a reason for asking.

I was doing that. It was up to about 2500 rpms. Sounded higher because the cars against that wall.

[curiousB]

Anything new happened lately? Have you power washed the engine? Ran through a big puddle, lots of rain? Sounds like missing ignition so unburnt gas getting into exhaust hence the odor there. Should probably have some backfiring too.

I'd open up distributors and see if wet. may a couple minutes with a hairdryer on the inside will dry it up enough to fix things.

[90LS400Lexus]

Anything new happened lately? Have you power washed the engine? Ran through a big puddle, lots of rain? Sounds like missing ignition so unburnt gas getting into exhaust hence the odor there. Should probably have some backfiring too.

I'd open up distributors and see if wet. may a couple minutes with a hairdryer on the inside will dry it up enough to fix things.

Nope, hasnt rained enough to cause puddles in a few days and I normally always avoid big puddles. Havent washed the engine either, but it needs it.

I DID start the car yesterday (first start of the day) when checking the PS and only let it run for about 30 seconds and shut it off. I am wondering if where it was still in its "cold engine mode" and I shut it off that it had some unburned gas on the plugs or something? I have never done that before.

[landar]

Never have changed the dist components... really has never gave this problem before. Kinda shocked me. I could not afford it anyway. All I can basically afford is basic oil changes (which I do religiously) and things in needed like tranny mount and fan bracket bearing. I am now awaiting a rack solenoid for the PS.

Well, I think you really are going to have to take a look at some of the ignition components, be it caps, rotors, wires, plugs, coil, etc.

It is just the cost of ownership. A more modern car with COP (Coil-On-Plug) ignition might be less maintenance but still will not get you

away from spending some money on general upkeep.

There are some things you can do as far as diagnostics that don't cost much. You could pull the plugs and run a compression test on each cylinder.

You could examine the plugs to see if a cylinder is not firing correctly. You could "short" out a plug, one-at-a-time to try to isolate a cylinder.

But my "hunch" is on your distributor cap/rotor(s).

Listening/watching the video, I did not hear anything really all that out of the ordinary for a car that old. Sounded pretty good to me, actually.

Then again, its hard to judge from 500 miles away.

Intermittent problems, such as you are having, are difficult to diagnose even for the pros. Again, start looking at ignition components.

[amcdonal86]

In the vedo, was that you reving the eng or the car just doing it on it's own? I have a reason for asking.

I was doing that. It was up to about 2500 rpms. Sounded higher because the cars against that wall.

You never race the engine past 2500 rpm? You sound like billydpowell!!!! :D

[90LS400Lexus]

In the vedo, was that you reving the eng or the car just doing it on it's own? I have a reason for asking.

I was doing that. It was up to about 2500 rpms. Sounded higher because the cars against that wall.

You never race the engine past 2500 rpm? You sound like billydpowell!!!! :D

lol. nope. Never had it above 3000 and that was only on rare occasion. Maybe thats whats wrong with it.

Seems OK now.

[eatingupblacktop]

In the vedo, was that you reving the eng or the car just doing it on it's own? I have a reason for asking.

I was doing that. It was up to about 2500 rpms. Sounded higher because the cars against that wall.

You never race the engine past 2500 rpm? You sound like billydpowell!!!! :D

lol. nope. Never had it above 3000 and that was only on rare occasion. Maybe thats whats wrong with it.

Seems OK now.

I don't think you should get rid of this car. You'd miss all the excitement ... and so would we! ;)

[90LS400Lexus]

I don't think you should get rid of this car. You'd miss all the excitement ... and so would we! ;)

LOL. I know. If everyone here would pitch a little money in for my repairs and maintainence, it would be quite a show. At least everyone would know where their money is going.

Well, honestly, its not its a bad car. I am sure that most 18 year old cars with 225K have many more issues, but these minor annoyances just seem to get to me... especially with other stuff going on. I think its the power steering (which has really been my only complaints with this car for the most part) that has really got my dander up with this car. I am hoping the new solenoid will resolve that problem. I hope. Now if I can just get the moron to sell me the part. It was on ebay and he has been giving me the run around. I emailed, then I called and he said he would test it and if it powered up OK, he would put it on as a buy it now. I called back and he said he forgot and he would check it Wednesday and call me back.... again. Still havent heard from him. Really frustrating. Oh well.

[914lps]

I know where my money is going... Make that went.... To fix a PS leak and replace the Alternator becouse of it.

Do not wash the engine! If you feel you must read up on it first. Geting the top of your engine just a little wet can get expensive.

These are great cars but they have some pain in the &^&* issues. One is getting the engine wet. The ofer is the P/S system an alternator location. The other is the LCD on the AC display.

I have had almost all the pain in the butt what is it know? issues with my 91 Ls. Thank god for this forum.

If your coils and plug wries are orginail I would think of replacing them.

I did mine when I changed the timing belt at about 150,000 miles. I felt the diferance. They were all originail, from when the car was new.

[OmarG]

i redline on the daily... the sound of ripping silk is addictive.

I really think you should change the coils too. They aren't expensive. Also if you drive with bad coils for a while you could F up your cats. Thats what the PO did on my 90 project... which i still haven't finished....

[90LS400Lexus]

i redline on the daily... the sound of ripping silk is addictive.

I really think you should change the coils too. They aren't expensive. Also if you drive with bad coils for a while you could F up your cats. Thats what the PO did on my 90 project... which i still haven't finished....

WOW. I would end up blowing my engine if I redlined it. Tach is messed up anyway, so I dont trust it. It usually points to zero at idle when in gear! ;)

Coils... is this what I need if I were to change... everyone is saying coilS, but this is only one. I am assuming it takes two of these or this is not what I am being told to replace?

http://www.autozone.com/autozone/catalog/p...p;parentId=62-0

[90LS400Lexus]

Well, I got the car out today.... drove 60 miles and the engine ran perfectly. I guess it was a false alarm. I think it was where I didnt let the engine warm up that day and when I shut it off, there was unburned fuel on the plugs. I had a car in the past do this... dont remember what it was. I did go ahead though and put some Chevron w/techron fuel cleaner in the tank.... needed it anyway I am sure.

so for now, all is well, except for the steering. <_<

Thanks for the replies.

[landar]

Well, I got the car out today.... drove 60 miles and the engine ran perfectly. I guess it was a false alarm. I think it was where I didnt let the engine warm up that day and when I shut it off, there was unburned fuel on the plugs. I had a car in the past do this... dont remember what it was. I did go ahead though and put some Chevron w/techron fuel cleaner in the tank.... needed it anyway I am sure.

so for now, all is well, except for the steering. <_<

Thanks for the replies.

So, does this mean that the sale is off and you WONT be taking the sledge to it afterall? Dang. ;)

[90LS400Lexus]

Well, I got the car out today.... drove 60 miles and the engine ran perfectly. I guess it was a false alarm. I think it was where I didnt let the engine warm up that day and when I shut it off, there was unburned fuel on the plugs. I had a car in the past do this... dont remember what it was. I did go ahead though and put some Chevron w/techron fuel cleaner in the tank.... needed it anyway I am sure.

so for now, all is well, except for the steering. <_<

Thanks for the replies.

So, does this mean that the sale is off and you WONT be taking the sledge to it afterall? Dang. ;)

lol. Well that depends if whether or not I can find a reasonably priced used steering rack solenoid. ;)