Hep! Everything Died When I Tried To Start!

[lexuscs40094]

ok, everything was just perfect until i tried to go for a ride.

i inserted the key into ignition, turned it, the dash lit up, etc...

and just when i got to the III where the engine is supposed to turn over and start, i hear a 'click' and everything just dies. not one bulp lit up, not in the dash, headlights, tails, not even the one that is in the dash that looks like car with open doors.. nothing works! not even power locks.

i called up my friend and he told me to get out and check the fuses under the hood.

i did, all of them were ok. then, as directed by my friend, i tried to start the car again, unfortunatelly it was all the same => no signs of electricity anywhere, so he told me to pull out the fuse marked "inj" or "ijn" (don't remember). i did, it looked normal, pluged it back in, and a miracle happened. when i turned the key the bulbs in the dash lit up and the engine started. everything went back to the way it used to be, except for the fact that all my radio stations were reset, and my memory seat with tilted steering wheel had to be repositioned again.

the next day i drove the car to and from work, like i always do, and when i wanted to go out, the same problem happened. only this time, when i tired to correct it, I plugged the fuse back into its slot like i did the other night, and the dash lit up. after thati put the key into III position and i heard a 'click' and everything died on me again, this time for good. i tied to pull out every fuse, still nothing. nothing lights up anymore. i mean nothing!!!

please help. i have no idea what can it be, and taking it to a dealer is going to cost me.

i have no fancy after market things installed. it is a base sc400 with kenwood headunit and rockford fostgate speakers.

[JDOwen2]

I had a similar problem a few months ago. Found the battery terminal connections loose. I took them off and cleaned them with a battery post cleaner (wire brush) and haven't had a problem since.

[SKperformance]

^^^^ i agree trying the battery posts first

[Sadistic]

That's the first thing that I thought too. Check for a loose battery terminal. If the battery isn't very secure, it could be shaking due to the engine cranking over, and corrosion could be causing the system to shut down.

[jeremyp]

This is a common problem with the SC's. It is usually the battery terminals either loose or corroded, or sometimes it's the ground cable that's corroded. I just went through this myself and I replaced the battery terminals and cleaned the connections at the grounding point just below the battery. Let us know how you make out.

Jeremy

[psolov]

I had the same problem with mine as well. It was the battery posts. The metal corroded and the plastic was still keeping it in place. Good way to test it if your car is dead is to open the door and to jiggle the battery post, if the car starts beeping because your door is open than you found the problem.

It may be a good idea to replace the posts, you can get it fairly cheap and do it yourself. I had a situation where it lost connection on the highway and I had to coast to the side of the road. I've also seen it take out the alternator after a while.

Another test I've done is to try to boost the car. If the car doesn't boost than there's no connection.

Paul

02 SC430, 95 SC400, 00 RX300

[sightdev]

Good chance it’s the negative post. Apparently the negative post on after market batteries are smaller so the original connector barely touched causing outages. Since the SC heavily depend on battery power to run the car, slight decrease in power can prevent from the engine from starting. I had the same issue on a Nissan mini van when I had to replace the battery on a year old car. Connector couldn’t be tightly enough so I added metal sleeve over the negative post so the connector can be tighten secure. SC has DieHard and the mini van has AC Delco so it must be after market battery design problem.