Trouble Starting

[Haggis]

Hi folks

Over the last couple of weeks I've noticed that my car is getting harder to start first time, I've checked the Battery out and it seems fine. Generally the car will start on the second turn.

Wondered whether anyone else had encountered the same problems.

[jrh10]

Do you have an IS200 or IS300?

My IS300 was playing up for while with the symptons you describe. My local dealer looked it up on the Lexus system and it suggested my engine management system needed to be reprogrammed.

Had this done last week and so far it seems fine.

Jon

[Claire G]

There's been a post on this fairly recently (can't find the thread).

My IS200 has been the same today - seems to happen when it's cold and wet. My other half has suggested it could be somthing to do with the immobiliser? When I bought this up during my last service, the ECU hadn't recorded anything.

I need to get back to the dealer but so little time, so much to do !

[dribble]

I am assuming you are letting the ABS and the TRC lights go out b4 you start the engine?

If not give it a whirl

[Claire G]

Ok, thanks, will do. The car started fine this morning! Seems to be very intermittent

[imi]

Mine used to do that when i first bought it, but gradualy it's fine now, has'nt done it in the the past month, (now that i've mentiond it'l probably start again )..

I am assuming you are letting the ABS and the TRC lights go out b4 you start the engine?

If not give it a whirl

I alwys waited for the ABS n Traction light to go out before starting it, it seems logical for engined to get everything in order before you fire ignition.....

[Haggis]

It's an IS 200, it only seems to happen in the cold and wet - which up here - is pretty much every day at the moment. It's due a service soon so I'll get them to check it out.

Ta

[DTH]

It happens more often than not when you've done a short trip as the previous journey. It happens to me when I need to nip out to the shop late at night. The engine starts fine first time from cold at night but first thing in the morning it takes two or three goes to get it going. Apparantly BMW's are affected in a similar way. Answer = walk to the shops.

[peterb]

I've had the same problem - including the day after the 10,000 service :(

In general, any kind of short trip where the car doesn't get-up to full operating temprature isn't good for a modern, catalysed car.

To take an extreme case, driving out of the garage and then switching off may mean the thing won't start at all next time (see Saturday Telegraph Motoring supplements passim).

[Claire G]

That explains a lot. My hubby had pinched the car for a quick jaunt to the shops....tsk!

[lexicon]

That applies to ANY cat'd car if you run it for a very short time and it doesn't get through it's warm-up cycle - excess fuel can get left in the cylinders and it then won't start again until it has cleared. That's why sometimes the engine will crank for ages before firing.

Many calls to breakdown companies are caused by people moving their cars 10ft and then not being able to start them afterwards - don't do it... it's bad.

That being said, I find my IS is reluctant to start sometimes for no apparent reason.