Car Won't Start!

[xsohaib]

I posted a while back that my car was frozen and would not start. Well, that was in Boston, and now I am in Miami (arrived last night). The car weas driving fine, then at night I went to get dinner but the car started missing, I figured I shall check out some of the mechanics in the nearby neighborhood, so that I could take the car there the next morning. Well, on my way back thje car started missing a lot, and hesitated, then it died on the intersection. I was able to start the car and park it in the gas station about 50 ft (if not less), and then the car died, and refused to start. It cranks over fine, but it just does not start. The car was due to be exported today and I have a flight leaving on Aprl 1. What do you guys think. Bad gas? Distributor Cap, Plugs, Wires? Fuel filter? miles, with timing belt, water pump, cam seals, all belts, new front 3 plugs, and new front 3 plug wires. Thanks

[lexusk8]

Check your IAC (idle air control) valve or motor; one of them is probably going bad and needs to be replaced. Unfortunately, this is a common problem in higher mileage vehicles.

[steviej]

car needs fuel + air + spark to run. The problem is finding which one of the three is missing in your case.

Is sounds very suspicious of a fuel pump that has gone dead.

Where there any codes or a CEL that came up before she shut down? This may help lead you to what crapped out before it died?

steviej

[xsohaib]

Well, there was no check engine light or anything, but the car was towed to the local toyota dealer who after diagnosis told me that the car had a cracked distributor cap, and he was still scratching his head as to how I was able to drive it all the way from Boston to Miami like that. Dealer also noted that the fuel system needed cleaning and that there was carbon buildup on piston (?), after all work (plugs, plug wires, distributor carp, rotor, fuel system cleaning, and oil change at the tune of $524) the car runs as smooth as a Lexus is supposed to run. I could have done this work myself but I neither had the tools nor the will to work outside in the hotel parking lot at 80 degrees. but I dropped the car off at the shipping yard and should be seeing my lexy shortly in the caribbean island! From what I have been told there IS a lexus dealership down there although the entire island has just two lexuses and they too are the SC430's

Thanks

Sohaib

[NeiLtYmE]

out of line i know...

but, how much does it cost to get your car overseas ?

Are you going to be living in the carrebeans ?

i was thinking about Med school there... thats why i ask :)

[AxlxA]

lol, med school in the carribean... sad to admit but i'm thinking about that too

[xsohaib]

That is exactly why I am going to there. I checked with the used car dealers to see how much they would pay me for the car and I got prices between $3000-$3500. and all of them agreed that the car was in excellent condition. I figured that since I have spent all this money on the timing belt, water pump, etc. I know the car would last, plus insteasd of spending $3000-$5000 in the caribbean for a *BLEEP*ty car with 0.6-0.8 liter engine and 3 cylinders, why not spend $1000 from Miami to caribbean, and then sell it after two years. I should be hopefully able to get around $5000 for the Lexus there (minimum) which is more money than I would get here. I hope that made sense. So to answer the question, it costs around $1000 to ship the car down there. I used tropical shipping (www.tropical.com) and if you are considering medical school down there, make sure to choose the one with which you can practice in all 50 states. Graduates from some of the schools down there are not allowed to practice in California and Texas, so make sure about that. Also check out www.valuemd.com

Hope this helps