92 LS400 Coincidence? I don't think so but maybe

threepwood · September 8, 2018

My 92 was doing crazy things. I pulled the ECU and replaced it with a junk yard part and it continued to do crazy things. Per suggestions here I bought the capacitors and replaced all the capacitors in BOTH ECUs. In general car started running fine again. But after about 100 miles of driving I got a check engine light, error code 17 - #1 cam position sensor. Checked all wiring and resistance of sensor. All good. Cleared error and it stayed gone for about another 100 miles. Replaced ECU with the junk yard version that i had also replaced all the capacitors in. Same result. Runs fine, after about 100 miles error 17. Clear it and it's gone for another 100 miles. Did NOT have this issue before the ECU went nuts. Took both ECUs out and resoldered every capacitor. Made no difference. I just can not believe the sensor is bad coincidentially after replacing the capacitors - any thoughts? Thanks. PS - car runs fine with the error code. In fact, once when I forgot to clear it after another 50 miles or so it cleared itself (which I did not think was possible?) and then came back again after another 100 miles or so.

sha4000 · September 11, 2018

Things do happen coincidentally sometimes. Why not just purchase a used cam sensor and see what happens.

billydpowell · September 17, 2018

good idea Craig

Moet_lowlyfe · October 15, 2018

have a 98 ls400 with a 1uzfe and just last year i encountered this same problem. On a cold start it ran well until the motor was at operating temperature then would drive like s#*t as if it was mifiring. A few times the vsc light would come on check engine light stayed on. So i took it to my local shop found an air leak on the intake box, changed plugs, did a compression test all cylinders passed. Put it all back together and still did the same thing. I took it to another one of my mechanics who had a better diagnostic computer codes came back and said faulty vvts (variable valve timing solenoid) replaced those as well as removed the valve cover and cleaned the screens. I must say for 400xxx miles there was not any serious sludge. Put it all back together and still same problem. Later i changed timming belt ,tensioner, idler, guides even put new vvt cams in. Problem still continued, my buddy had a ecu that we tested and problem continued to occur. So as of rii now car has been sitting for more than a year

threepwood · October 15, 2018

Sorry this is a late reply but for some reason this post is not sending me email messages that a reply has been posted. Moet_lowlyfe. I had similar problems and I got a second ecu off ebay and it did the same thing so I thought it was not the ECU. Then, one of the staff members here convinced me that the ebay ecu was probably also bad !!! And sure enough, I bought a capacitor kit off ebay, replaced all the capacitors on the ebay one and put it back in m car and all driving issues are gone.!!!! So I bought a second kit and did my ECU. Sure enough, I now have 2 good ECU's and the car runs fine with either one and this #1 cam issue happens with either one. Before anyone asks, no, I'm not looking to sell my second working ecu, it's now part of my spare parts. 🐵 My suggestion, get a kit (only around $15 on ebay) and replace those capacitors !!!!