92 Es 300 Won't Start - Ideas?

[ChrisStrait]

I have a '92 Lexus ES300 that won't start. I need some advice on what to do next. The starter will turn the engine over and try to fire. I very recently replaced a defective battery with a new battery. A friend helped me to verify there is spark by pulling a spark plug with the spark plug wire attached while trying to start the engine. I believe the engine is getting fuel because I can start to smell gas after several repeated attempts to start the car.

Some background information on the vehicle. The car has high mileage, over 170K miles. The car has been running quite well in spite of its mileage and hasn't had any problems starting. In January of this year the car stopped running all of a sudden while my wife was driving it on her way to work. The car stranded her on the side of the road until it could be towed home where the car has been parked, unable to start ever since then. I checked all the fuses in the main fuse boxes located under the hood near the battery and found them okay.

I appreciate any input, tips, advice or troubleshooting techniques you might suggest.

[zeta]

try checking the starter. does the starter turn and scratch, but not start the engine? or does it just click and stop? it shouldn't be the battery problem, and if the plugs and wires work fine, then i don't think it's that either. my only guess would be the starter itself.

[ChrisStrait]

Thanks for the reply Zeta. The starter does turn but it doesn't make a scratching noise. I have heard the scratching noise of a bad starter on my old Jeep Cherokee but the Lexus starter does turn over and tries to start the engine. No click and just stop either. No strange sounds at all, just the engine trying to turn over but it won't.

[zeta]

well then i guess i'm stumped. i don't have a clue what else it could be.

the plugs and wires are fine, battery's new. not the starter... ignition?

don't think so, since the starter turns over... well i guess i'm stumped.

come on ES guys. gimme a hand on this one. :)

[steviej]

1. your fuel pump may have died or has decreased output. Even though you smell gas, the injectors won't fire if they don't get enough fuel. The gas you smell may be residual in the fuel rail.

or

2. if you are smelling gas then there could be too much fuel. My guess would be that your fuel pressure regulator has crapped out.

or

3. it could be the cold start injector (if you got one) is clogged or not firing.

or

4. Toyota/Lexus has had problems with the tubing from the air box to the throttle body in the past, the tiniest hole will cause the engine to run rough or all out quit and not restart. It could be a crack in the hose or hole. Bottom line is the MAF sensor is getting a bad reading and not allowing the car to start.

or

5. Check all vacumm hoses to see if any has disconnected or cracked or dried up.

Did your wife say the check engine light came on before it died on her. If it did, then the code may be still in memory. Have any and all codes pulled from the ECU. This means the car has to be towed to your service guy. Autozone will read codes for free, but you still have a dead car on your hands. Go right to a service center to get codes read, then the work if needed can be done on one tow.

good luck and let us know what you got.

steviej

[SKperformance]

this may sound odd and i have no idea where it is or price but these odd problems usually end up being the crank position sensor

i guess you have tried looking for loose harness already

[ChrisStrait]

Thanks everyone for your valuable suggestions. It looks like I will probably be taking the car in to the Lexus Service Center for a diagnostic check, unless someone here would happen to know a reliable and affordable repair shop in the Columbus and Central Ohio area.

I will however first check the tubing for any leaks. As for did my wife notice the Check Engine light come on, that's a good question but my wife doesn't remember it coming on.

Skperformance, where would I find the crank position sensor? And is that something I could fix myself or would it take the codes being pulled from the ECU to determine that sensor as the culprit? Also I'm not sure I know what you are referring to when you mention a loose harness. Are you talking about the wiring harness? Sorry I have heard the harness term before but I'm not sure exactly what it is.

Thanks again.

[steviej]

most any sensor when not sending will trip a code. skp has a good suggestion in the crank position sensor. Again, the codes will tell you. As for where it is located, usually behind the crank shaft pulley and can be hard to do. For a horizontally opposed engine (most front wheel drive vehicles) you usually go through the wheel well (tire removed of course). Some engine bays have enough room that you can just do it from underneath. The hard part is the alignment of the new sensor. If it were me, I would say bite the bullet and pay them to do it.

I think I said it before, the codes will tell all: crank position sensor, fuel pump, fuel pressure regulator, EGR, O2, etc.

on GMs OBD port, you can jump position A to position B with a small wire and the check engine light will flash the numeric codes.

Dodge/Chrysler uses 5 repetative key turns from off to on (not start) and then rest at on. Then the check engine light flashes the numeric codes.

Why can't Toyota/Lexus do something like that?

keep us in the know.

steviej

[SKperformance]

a harness is just a large amount of wires with a plastic coupler or sheath to connect with another set

the sensor sometimes may not give a code as the ecu will not register the engine turning and therefore think that the starter is not engaging for whatever reason so it think nothing out of the ordinary whre is the sensor and how hard to replace i really have no answer for your year and engine ,sorry

the techs at lexus should narrow it down rather easy with a scan tool when they turn it over it will register multiple readinings of positions and sensors for the engine

tell us what they find

[ChrisStrait]

Thanks again for the information.

What about a clogged PCV valve? Someone on another Lexus help board suggested if I had a bad PCV valve the vehicle would stall or not start at all. I can't remember if the PCV valve has ever been replaced in the four or so years since we purchased the car.

[howie]

If the position sensor was bad I don't think you would see spark at the plug. Have you checked to see if the valves are opening and closeing? Could be broken belt.

[SKperformance]

with regard to the spark on turning the engine over

i think he might since it is not a 1mz fe which has spark controlled by the computer not a distibuter

so as it turns the points still contact

[SKperformance]

actually i never noticed you mentioned the belt

a really good idea actually

do you hear a weird noise as you turn over the engine on the left side?

easiest way to make sure is to get a comperssion tester hooked up to the chamber

you can buy one yourself for 10 bucks just to see

real easy to pull a plug out and see if it has any compression at all

truthfully i would start there

once again a really good suggestion ( wish i thought of it,lol)

[howie]

Careful on that last suggestion. If the belt is broken all the valves are closed thus when the piston comes up you will have compression. Also a question for Zeta, why would you think the starter is the problem when he stated the engine turns over?

[zeta]

sorry if i missed it, man. people tend to do that... we're not all perfect.

[ChrisStrait]

I appreciate all of the good suggestions on which everyone has elaborated here.

To skperformance: No, I have never noticed any weird sounds coming from the left side while trying to start the engine.

To skperformance & howie: I haven't checked the belt. I assume you are referring to the timing belt? I also haven't checked yet to see if the valves are opening and closing.

The local Lexus shop charges $88 for a diagnostic test and estimate. My next step will probably be to take it in to see what's wrong. However that may be a while. I just started a new job and it's going to take a few weeks before my paychecks catch up enough to have the extra money. I do promise to post a resolution on what I found or didn't find as soon as possible.

The car belongs to my wife, however we are going through a divorce. So as one can imagine I am not in a big hurry to get it fixed nor to spend a lot of money trying to get it fixed But the car is in good condition and I am getting tired of driving my step-father's '86 Chevy Celebrity

[SKperformance]

umm not sure howie

but why do you think all the valves are closed

if the belt snaps all it will do is prevent the cam from turning with the crank

so the cam lobes will keep the valve suspended in their last position

even if the piston is at tdc( top dead center) position in the cylinder the comperssion tester is fine to run it on

it will register the full -/+ compression

as when you do a normal compression test there is going to be full compression of the chamber wit the valves closing like when a regular engine is running for this test

just wondering to your idea

:)

later

[ChrisStrait]

I got the car running a couple of days ago I replaced the rotor cap and put a new distributor cap on as well; it started right up! The contacts on the rotor were worn down and burnt out. Plus some of the contacts in the distributor cap were corroded.

Thanks to everyone on this board who took the time to opine. One more happy Lexus owner is back on the road.

[SKperformance]

glad to help

even though none of us suggested it though

lol

thanks for updating the problem with a solution though

this becomes very helpful for all

wish everyone could update with there solutions

it would sure save alot of people money on lexus diagnosis $$$$$