My Ls 400 Is A People Not A Car. Dash Lights Have A Mind

[rljmusic]

This is a weird thing. This happened to the other half as she was ready to leave work. She hits the key and ALL the idiot light on the dash light up like the car is telling her it is ready to die. ALL warning lights not just one and even the check engine light came on. so she calls me and asks me whats up. I am thinkin oops, the serpentine belt has snapped. She opens the hood and checks the belt and it is still there. I then have her check the oil just in case to see if she would do this and she did. I think this car has a spirit or something and demands a lot of attention. I will check to see if something did not come loose. I never heard of an alternator doing weird stuff like this and I was wondering if any fluid that may have got in there would do something like this but NO that is not the case. This car seems to do weird stuff ONLY when she is driving not when I drive. Anyone here experience this type of weirdness with their beloved Lexus? I will check to see if i didn't bump a connector someplace or got some crud on a connector where crud should not be. These high tech sensors have been known to do strange things when they get crud on them. I am thinkin that is what is going on a loose connection or crud. IF not then it is a car with a mind of its own and it is ALIVE!!!

[LSPaul]

Where at in Iowa? Iowa City here...

When one turns the key to start it up and cranks the starter/engine, nearly all of the instrument cluster lights DO light up, briefly. Do all the lights stay on after one lets go of the key after starting, or do they go out, as normal?

Paul

[rljmusic]

We are in Waukon. The oil , coolant, battery and break light is what stuck on. This happened after start up and after putting in reverse. She drove back into the parking spot and shut it off. This happened 2 other times and then it quit. I do know all the lights briefly come on after turning the key. that is usual with most cars. This case was unusual and out of charachter for this car. they did not come on for a few seconds and go out. They lit up and stayed that way.

[Exhaustgases]

It is obvious that the car likes you better, since it acts nice when you drive it.

What year is it?

The clusters are known for the electrolytic capacitors leaking and going bad and causing strange things like you just described.

[rljmusic]

This is a 1990 LS 400. This happened yesterday evening as she was getting ready to drive home from work. 3 times it happened to her. I thought about this and thought about this then this morning she starts the car and it did it again. I go outside and check it out. I shut it down and jiggled the ingnition switch then started it up and lo and behold the lights went out. I am thinking the 25 year old switch has become work to the point that it is in need of replacement. it does feel a bit on the loose side. This makes me feel better and i hope this is all it is. Loose switches can do wierd stuff like this and since it is a well used moving part, I am going to guess the obvious is the culprit. Did I guess right?

[sha4000]

i hope you get it sorted out. So the car is running but all those lights stay on? The wire harness that runs along the trunk has been known to cause issues like you described.

[landar]

Yes, exactly what I was thinking too, sha4000...the trunk wiring issue. Especially since yours is a 1990 and you say it did this after being put in 'reverse', Ray. That is one of the wiring symptoms, I believe.

Have a look at this tutorial -> http://www.lexls.com/tutorials/lighting/bulbout.html

And welcome to the Club, Ray!

[Exhaustgases]

Is that the trunk lid hinge wire deal?

[sha4000]

Yes that's the one.

[rljmusic]

IT WAS NOT IN REVERSE where that comes from is not possible. The ignition switch is loose and thinking it could be the problem as the idiot lights went out after turning off the car. It turns out this is a good indication the alternator is about to take a dump. I noticed that the lights were not on on the dash until after the car had ran a few minutes on the way to the store. So upon our return I decided to do another check. so i start the car and lo and behold the alternator does the sound as if it is pulling and at the same time the lights all come back on on the dash. There happens to be a thread that tells about this problem I just was not able to find it till this writing. I did find repair options too. Parts geek has an alternator under 100 dollars and if you want to go real cheap with just replacing the brushes as I had a power steering leak and that, we know is a death blow to alternator brushes. looks like we may have found the problem not some wires in the trunk.

[landar]

Good to hear that you got it figured out.

[VBdenny]

When the wire in the trunk breaks, the "R" (REVERSE) light comes on when you press the brake pedal. Also cause shifting issues. There are several wires which could (and do) break which could cause weird problems. Really doubt it is the ignition switch unless someone hung a million keys off it.

[rljmusic]

I did some more checkin and it is the alternator fixing to go south. The coolant light, battery light, oil light and brake light all come on and at the same time the alternator did that pulling sound that happens when it is doing the charging bit. BTW a lots of keys are on the ol ladies key ring as is usual with the ladies who have a habit of carrying enough keys to rival a locksmith shop. But I found the alternator may have picked up enough fluid from a recent power steering leak repair. I recall that any fluid getting in or around the alternator can cause huge issues. Some say the fluid can kill the brushes and fluid did get on the alternator. That is the last thing I done to this vehicle. I also found a loose connection on the positive side terminal. Those 2 wires hooked to that treminal so I tightened those up. There is another thread that says the fluid is a killer of alternators and the same thread mentions all those lights that came on are a cause of an alternator going bad. I am wondering if some tuner cleaner could help clean this mess up or maybe the brushes are toast and need to be changed out. There was also an issue of the headlights brightening om acceleration as is another tell tale sign of an alternator issue.

[sha4000]

Glad that you seem to be heading for a solution. They make a spray that will clean the alternator up if you want to try that first. It's sold in any auto parts store. I can't remember the name of it right now but I used it to clean mines up last summer.

[Exhaustgases]

The best way to clean the alternator would be to take it apart. The carbon brushes will kind of soak the oil up and I suppose it is also a conductor too.