Strange Starting Behavior

[ThomsonCharm]

Hey guys,

Just picked up a 1995 Lexus SC400 last night with a bit of an issue starting and I was wondering if anyone has had a similar problem or might know of what the problem could be. As of right now I havent really looked too far into it yet. But I will describe the symptoms.

When you FIRST get into the car after shutting it off or trying to restart it, and you try to turn the car over to get it to start, it will just keep on turning, it wont ever start. So in order to get the car to start I have to pop the hood, take off the lid to the main fuse box on the driver's side and push the "EFI Main" Fuse or Relay *the metallic one*, once you do this you will here a very specific and loud "click" under the engine bay, and inside on the dash the "TRAC" light will come on as well as the check engine light. NOW you can start the car and it will fire up, sometimes the idle will fall below 300 rpm and the car will die and you have to try again, but eventually it will get going and run just fine.

Any ideas?

 

[Zuffen]

By the sound of it you have a faulty EFI opening relay.

Try removing the relay and checking the terminals are all clean.

I would also use amultimeter and check your getting the full voltage when you turn on the ignition.

You could have a high resistence joint somewhere that is not giving you enough voltage to trip the relay.

My real suspicion is dirty terminals that you make work with the tap.