2001 LX just died

[akk2angel]

Any luck brother? Im on the same boat.

I won't be able to look until Thursday. I will let ya know.

 

[lexi470207]

I won't be able to look until Thursday. I will let ya know.

I got mine running and back on the road.

My 04 Lexus LX 470 with 203K miles would crank strong and start 9 out of 10 times, but then die immediately.

Before finding this thread, here’s what I tried:

1. Replaced the fuel filter in the engine bay thinking it was a fuel supply issue. It looked like it had never been replaced, but unfortunately it did not solve the problem.
2. Checked the MAF sensor with a voltmeter and found no issues there.
3. Checked all the fuses from the engine bay, beside the brake pedal, and below the glove box. No issues found.
4. Check the Timing belt.

I was starting to lose hope and was about to call a tow truck to bring it to the shop. Thank goodness I found this forum, especially your thread. It gave me direction and hope to keep digging.

I followed the checklist posted by LC2001.

1. Check fuel pump if there is flow. I unhook the gas line on the fuel filter were the green plastic thing that lock the fuel line on the fuel filter. Started the engine and plenty of fuel flow.

2. While trying to unbolt the camshaft sensor, I snapped the bolt head off . Make sure you spray some WD-40 beforehand if you attempt this. Luckily, the remaining part of the bolt is still holding the sensor securely, so I left it alone.

3. Then I checked the battery terminals and found an issue on the positive (red) side. It was loose enough to move around, and the two bolts connecting the wiring were also not tight.

When I removed the positive terminal for cleaning and inspection, I noticed a small hole in the metal clamp that connects to the battery post.
I wish I took a picture of the damaged clamp, but out of excitement I threw it away.

I picked up a new terminal from O’Reilly’s for $7.99, tightened everything up, and reinstalled it.

At that point my battery was drained from all the repeated starting attempts, so I hooked up jumper cables from another running vehicle and let it charge for a few minutes.

It finally started.

Hopefully this helps the next person chasing the same issue before throwing more parts at it.

Now up to the next adventure, how to remove a broken camshaft bolt.