landar

Move forward with your plans for the new fob. You should have a working spare anyway.

Well, you know the transmitter works, the antenna works and battery is good because the lock side of things works properly. So, either the fob got de-programmed on the unlock features (highly unlikely) or...something in your car is preventing unlock, like the security system. Honestly, my next step would be to pull the car's battery and let it sit overnight. Reset the entire security system. Then try again.

Ok, CR1616 rather than CR2032...my bad. So, does the little LED light on your fob blink at all when you press the button(s)?

My line of thinking is that Lexus engineers went to extreme pains to get the suspension to where it is. I can appreciate why others might want the look but this guy is not going to mess with it. ;)

Joe, there just does not seem to be many modifiers on this board. We are just trying to keep them running, let alone 'slammed'. Sorry. But welcome to the site! ;-) Let us know how your project goes. Would love to see some pics.

Couple of thoughts here Billy. 1) Wondering if the battery is getting weak and working intermittently. Weird things happen when batteries get low. Might be worth throwing a new 2032 in there to see. 2) Maybe the switch for unlock is dirty and in need of cleaning. You would have to take the fob apart (not hard to do) to clean it. 3) Is there an interior lock-out switch or button? I know the trunk has a lock-out but not sure if that would affect the doors. Have you checked to see? (If I recall correctly, the trunk would still release with the fob even if locked inside). 4) do you have a spare fob to try and see if it behaves the same? I know on my 98, sometimes I would need to hold the unlock button for several seconds to get it to unlock, especially the trunk release.

Well it is not "fixed" quite yet. You really need to get both lock cylinders working again especially before winter sets in so that this does not happen a second time.

Joe, I had those symptoms in my 98 after I drained two quarts and refilled the tranny. Only it really drained about three quarts and was then slightly low. The tranny would slip until I got to higher RPMs and was especially bad when cold. I added a quart of T4 fluid to bring it up to the proper level and it quit slipping.

Sounds like the OP had a repair shop do the work and he is taking it back to them for a look.

Even though your door locks are not working, I would think that putting the key in the ignition and turning it would satisfy the alarm. But I am not sure what you did at the time. Did you disconnect the battery to get the alarm to stop? It is not a simple matter to disconnect the security (this by design). If it were, there probably would have been many happy LS thieves out there. ;-) At this point, I would disconnect the battery for at least 24 hours to see if the system will reset. Just let it sit without power. Then reconnect the battery and try to start.

Welcome Oscar! You are going to have to humor me and start from the beginning. So, I suppose you only have a key or two and usually lock the car via the door lock, mechanically? And you have no electronic key fob? Please tell us how you previously went about locking and unlocking the car? ...and how in the world did both locks suddenly become "jammed"?

Joel, If you are skeptical as to where (or how) the water is getting into the trunk, take a garden hose and run water over the top of your trunk lid...preferably when closed ;-) Then check for puddles inside. In this way, you should also be able to see not only how well it seals but also if it is draining properly. Once you have the culprit nailed down, you replace those parts or unclog a drain.

So, your alternator was having a 'cow' ? Thanks for posting the solution.

Welcome Joe. The key is the maintenance. As others have mentioned, these cars run a long time IF properly maintained. Now, as nice as the car may look in the pics, nothing beats a personal inspection before buying. And IF it is in super nice condition, then any number south of $4k is really in the 'noise'. If fact, you need to be very careful here. You could very likely fall in love with this LS and forget the CTS. Then you really save some cabbage. ;-)

What tool?

Yeah, someone had a write-up on replacing the cable but I cannot search for it now. Welcome to the Lex family of aging but fine automobiles!

So, both old and new plugs are NGK? Those are supposed to be good plugs. I have heard of some having problems with Bosch... but NGK Iridiums are fine. You generally do not need to gap new plugs but you should do a quick sanity check to verify that the gap looks approximately correct. You never know if a plug got damaged somewhere along the way.

Are these the old plugs?

So what brand and model number were the old plugs and new plugs?

Are you sure you want to throw in the towel on this one? Your O2 sensors had to be 10x worse than changing the coolant sensor. If you can take a picture of your stubborn bolt and post it, we might be able to help. Take a careful look at this thread and see if it might lend some encouragement for the job -> http://www.clublexus.com/forums/ls400/377171-diy-coolant-temperature-sensor-change-pics.html

If you are getting just a single 'click' when you turn the key and no cranking, then most likely have a bad starter. Could be the starter relay but probably the starter itself. This is a very typical problem with most any car of this age and mileage. The biggest issue is that the LS400, unlike many other cars, has the starter buried under the intake manifold. Therefore, it is difficult to gain access to it (meaning lots of labor). So, the big question is this: are you confident enough to change the starter on your own or would you need a mechanic? It can be done but is a job for someone fairly experienced with mechanical work. If you have an independent mechanic, you could ask for a quote. It will probably be more than $500, so be sitting down when you get the price. ;-)

Welcome Han. By "hard to start", do you mean that when you turn the key, nothing happens? Like no cranking and maybe just a click sound?

Ok, confusion cleared up. Coolant Temp Sensor. Take a look at this thread. A little long but helpful -> http://www.clublexus.com/forums/ls400/377171-diy-coolant-temperature-sensor-change-pics.html As to part numbers, was your 97 built before July 97 or after? Seems to make a difference according to ToyoDIY. Look at the door tag to determine build date.

I am afraid you got me on that ECT "sensor". The ECT is the Electronically Controlled Transmission and is activated by an ECT button near the shifter. It primarily changes the shift points of the transmission for greater acceleration. I can see replacing the thermostat (usually with a timing belt/water pump job), but why do you believe that you need to change this "ECT sensor"? Are you experiencing problems with engine or transmission performance? BTW, I usually go with Toyota/Lexus parts when possible.

Good write-up, Bryan. I am definitely with you on the difficulty issue. I would much rather do the timing belt than starter. There are just so many little, breakable connectors on the manifold. Neither job is a cinch. You must have a lot of perseverance to do either...and not be prone to throwing tools. I would not recommend re-using any critical gasket no matter how it looked. Just me. Also, I would recommend a quick starter 'bump' to test it out before you button it back up. Wouldn't it be a real kicker if you got it all back together, turned the key and....nothing? You have to be careful doing the bump so as not to energize the fuel pump and have fuel spraying everywhere. Key off and in your pocket(;-), battery posts reconnected, manually touch starter solenoid signal to battery +. I used a simple 'alligator' clip test wire to reach the battery.