landar

So, in a way, it was the "starter". Just a cable disconnected to the starter. This whole ordeal was rather immobilizing. (sorry) :whistles:

Yep, very good points. Thats how they 'do' ya at some shops. Always nice to have a new voice of sanity on this forum. Welcome, Rob!

You know, I am not sure if he has a '91 (as the title says) or a '95 (as his profile says). If it truly is a '91 then there is no danger of ruining the valves. A '95 is another story.

I do not understand something in the sequence. How did you disconnect the battery cable when the hood was (presumably) locked? Wouldn't you just let the alarm blare while you retrieve the keys from the trunk and then stick them into the ignition to silence the alarm? I would try disconnecting the battery overnight to see if it might reset the alarm immobilizer but I fear you may have tripped some long lasting lockout which requires dealer attention. Now, do not dismiss the starter as being the problem although it does seem highly coincidental. You said you hear one "solid" click. Locate your starter relay and if you can verify that the relay is engaging and sending 12v to the starter solenoid then you do have a bad starter. Stranger coincidences have happened.

It is a tight fit but you sound like you are doing it correctly. I put a wrench on the LH cam bolt and put counter-clockwise tension on the belt which puts slack into the other side (which is the RH cam that you are trying to thread). Then you can slip it onto the cam teeth. It does take some patience and retrying but keep at it and you will get it done.

I would not assume that the clicking is associated with the vibration. Maybe it is but maybe not. Now, I suppose you have thoroughly checked the universal joints on the driveshaft?

I think I have read about this before in another post that I cannot find. Check your sunroof. It may be slightly tilted.

So can you put the switch in the completely stowed (all the way back position) then physically move the mirror to the back position and retry?

It could be your thermostat or your temperature sensor or an intermittent connection to the sensor. Could also be an air pocket in the system. I would start by replacing the thermostat especially if you have not done so in the past 10 years. Coolant should be changed every few years. keep an eye on the temp gauge. If that does not fix it, go after the sensor.

I would probably use an oscilloscope on one of the fuel injector connectors but you may not have one. So, how about using a 'noid' light? Or you could possibly hook up a voltmeter to see what is happening. So, you would instrument a fuel injector connector to determine if the pulsing signal is present or not during starting and when it dies. Since your engine will keep running if you artificially inject some fuel (like using starter fluid), you can keep it running while you monitor the injector pulse signal. Now, a little homework and light reading for you: Here is a video on the noid light -> And another article -> http://easyautodiagnostics.com/tool_review_noidlight/fuel_injector_noidlight_1.php And a link to testing injector pulse in another fashion -> http://www.ehow.com/how_8015143_test-fuel-injector-pulse.html

That is a perhaps a little low but should not prevent it from running. Time to check fuel injector signals. I would suspect the ECU is cutting the signal. I wonder if this smacks of anti-theft like operation? Not sure.

When a clock spring is bad, you may also get an airbag warning light on the dash. Have you seen any indications other than the horn not working?

That is a very fair price with the Toyota dealer. And they used Toyota parts which is what you want. Good info. Thanks!

So...these things? Looks interesting -> http://www.wheelskinscover.com/?Click=24&gclid=CIOs-b_Gz7gCFe4-MgodEnQA7g

Depends upon how professional and original you want the final job to be. If you want it to be stock looking, best to visit a good interior auto restoration shop. They might be able to re-dye the leather or replace entirely. If you are not real particular, you could Do It Yourself with a cover.

It appears to have been your horn "button" in the steering wheel and not the relay since the horn worked with the panic button. Contacts in buttons are notorious for becoming oxidized over time and intermittent without constant use. The horn button typically gets so little use (at least in my case) that simply depressing the button multiple times 'wipes' the contacts and cleans them up somewhat. Could explain why it now works.

Justin, you are at the end of your rope only because you are not listening to all of the suggestions. You MUST, some way or the other, get a pressure gauge on the fuel rail. You are a smart guy and you can figure out how to do that. If you do not want to do that, the next step is to put her on a flatbed and ship it up to me. Sign the title first. Check will be in the mail. ^_^

Well thats good info and you certainly got adventurous removing the rear seat although you did not need to do that to check the relay. I have no doubt that the relay and fuel pump are fine and working. What I want to know is if the ECU is telling the relay to stay energized when you let off the key to the 'run' position. If it is not, then we need to figure out why not. And if the relay is staying energized, then the ECU may not be driving the fuel injectors (cam or crank sensor malfunction?). But first, try to determine if the relay is staying energized in the "run" state.

Probably the reason there is a lack of knowledge base is that there is no one who posts that has had this problem. Now, I do not know what you have tried but before you pull the instrument cluster, have you tried: - lightly pounding on the dash? I know, the dealer cannot be serious but I would at least try it. It *might* reveal some clues. - revisit the fuses again and use an ohmmeter to verify the dash fuse continuity rather than just visual. Sometimes fuses will open up but not look burned.

Herb, Herb....such a rough way to end a nice vacation, huh? ^_^ My first thoughts were to find a new dealer. Beating on the dash suggests a bad connection in a harness or circuit board which is entirely possible. Does the engine start and run normally, just no dash lights? Oh, and welcome to the club of us Lexus fanatics!

Ok, let's review the fuel pump operation for a moment. When you turn the ignition key to the 'Run' position, the fuel pump relay is energized to supply power to the fuel pump. The relay has a set of contacts that get pulled together to supply power to the pump. If that relay is de-energized during the start sequence, the pump will no longer run or supply fuel to the injectors. So, your job is to determine if the relay is staying energized. You cannot necessary "look and listen" to know for sure. It would be best to instrument the relay with a voltmeter on the +12v feed side to the pump and ensure that +12v is being continuously supplied to the pump while starting and running.

'SO I got a rag that had some gas spilled on it... ' Whew, for a minute there, I thought your next step was going to involve a lighter or matches! Well, you are certainly getting more clues and I applaud you for the tests that you did. Pretty clever. I would have to agree that it does now seems to be starving for fuel...but why? The first thing that I would do is to put a fuel pressure gauge on the fuel line somehow. If that is normal then you can go after the injector system. Now however, before you go to the trouble of hooking up a pressure gauge, did you monitor the fuel pump relay as I mentioned in post #21 to see if the relay might drop out when the engine first comes to life? It should be fairly easy to check.

What to expect? Smooth, quiet, luxury ride, that's what. Best vehicle you could have bought for the money. So congrats! You should check into the prior owners service records, if available at the dealer, to see what has been done. At 60k miles there is a fairly substantial service done to replace fluids. Your owners manual should list most maintenance items. A decent battery should last many years(3-6) but they can fail earlier if you get a defective one(warranty should cover replacement). With 71k on the clock, you may be ready for front brake pads if not already done. Then at 90k miles is the epic timing belt change which will cost some coin. But until then, sit back and enjoy the ride. And Welcome!

The system is, at that point, disabled so it will not 'see' anything. The alarm is armed by electrically locking, not manual locking.

I know this may not be the 'fix' you are looking for but...its simple and free and could get you by while you research a more permanent solution. Just lock your drivers side door manually by reaching in and pushing the door lock (not electric button) to the locked position. First, you have to make sure all doors are locked and the easiest way is to push the electric lock for all locks or use the key fob. Then "electrically", either via the key fob or door key, unlock just the drivers door. That disables the AT because the system thinks you are getting in the vehicle. Then just lock the drivers door manually. The AT never 'knows' you really have the car all locked and the alarm will not false trigger.