Car Wont Start!

[swfcdan]

Well i have just gone outside to start the car up and head to work and the bloody thing will not start, im in shock!

Turning the ignition key, the engine is ticking over, but it just wont start, any ideas what it could be?, i know its very difficult to diagnose from the other side of a computer!

im gutted and hope its not something big! i was driving home at about 11pm last night and the car was running fine.

cheers

[Jackal321]

maybe the Battery?

[DJ Wozza]

Any warning lights ?

Is the car (engine)modified in any way ?

[swfcdan]

@ Wozza, the engine and car are completely standard and there doesnt appear to be any warning lights, or not that i noticed anyway.

@Jackal, not sure it could be,but only had a new Battery about 2 years ago and when that was on its way out at start up the engine sounded 'weak', but the engine sounds like it is ticking over normally.

just called the AA and there going to be about 1 1/2 hours! first time ive ever had to use then on the Lex!

EDIT - love the sig Wozza

EDIT EDIT - just had a look at the lights and when turning the engine over there is:

a cluster of 3 lights in bottom left (cant remember what the were),

the Battery light

the engine light in the top right

the oil canister type light in the top central left position

[DJ Wozza]

So the engine is turning over fine at normal speed to start up but not firing ?

erm sounds like a silly question.. have you got petrol in it ?

[swfcdan]

So the engine is turning over fine at normal speed to start up but not firing ?

erm sounds like a silly question.. have you got petrol in it ?

thats right, sounds like its turning over normally but not 'firing' up.

it has 1/2 a tank of petrol in, thats the first thing i checked

i found this pic below, i have essentially the same lights on as the pic, although mine being a manual IS, instead of the automatic. Mine doesn't have CHECK underneath the engine light and mine also has (!) instead of the BRAKE light, seems pretty normal i guess

[Andy-R]

Have you tried rolling it back and forth a couple of feet might be sticky starter motor, have you tried bump starting it aswell :)

[DJ Wozza]

That pic is from an IS300 :winky:

Sorry I can't be of more help mate. If you get the car started and engine check warning light is left,

it can mean anything from O2 sensor in the exhaust, to a faulty coil pack or two etc.

You would need to get the codes read with an OBDII machine to tell you what the fault is.

(the plug in point in on the dash under the steering wheel somewhere)

Hope it's something silly, insignificant, and cost free

[swfcdan]

no worries, thats for your help anyway guys. see what the AA bloke says.

@ andy-r - cant really try bumpstarting as i cant get the car off the bloody drive as its on quite a gradient! need about another 5 men to get it off!

[Andy-R]

Just a quick thought something like this happened to mine when I first got it, have you had a new key programmed recently if so have you tried locking up for 5 mins, when I got mine had to re-do the key and when I did it wouldn't start Lexus told me the remote key and immobiliser where seperate entities and have nothing to do with each other but I left it a few mins and it worked never had a problem since.

[DJ Wozza]

Sound advice :D

Keep us updated Mr. Rich Tea

[swfcdan]

Cheers for all your help guys, AA man has been and its all sorted.

turns out the engine had flooded slightly with petrol but he managed to start it and get rid of bad stuff!

turns out, my mum had moved the car slightly (forwards about 2meters) yesterday so that she could open the garage. He said that was enough to flood the engine. luckily it wasnt so bad that the car wouldnt start.

irony is i was afraid to turn it over too much in case i flooded the engine!

anyway all is well now and thanks again for your replies

[John1986]

i dont understand how did she flood the engine by moving it a few metres

[DJ Wozza]

Very rich mixture if you start the car from cold and move it a few foot,

but I am suprised it didn't start after a few turns. Maybe needs a service ?

[swfcdan]

yeh ive learnt from my mistake now! shall not be doing that again.

Cars in desperate need of a service, should have been done about 3000 miles ago, bad of me i know and im usually on the ball with keeping the car serviced and looked after. ironically i booked the car in on saturday for a service next week so hopefully the car will be back in tip top condition.

[Andy-R]

Glad it was something easy :)

[Scorps01]

Your mums probably not used to driving it and she (like others) put her foot on accelerator whilst turning it over, the Lex should be started after all dash lights go out without any pressure on the gas. :D

[VVProtocolVV]

Shame i read this a bit late, as thats what i was going to say...as it's happened to me once. I started car from cold, drove it for like few meters just so the spokes are out of the calipers way, so i could clean them lol) and the following morning it wouldn't start, was flooded lol. RAC bloke came over with a huge Battery and connected it to car (as i have used up all the power in trying to turn the car over), turned it for a good 7-8 seconds and with a flood of white smoke (no pun intended) and she started...huuraayy!

[spikes]

Shame i read this a bit late, as thats what i was going to say...as it's happened to me once. I started car from cold, drove it for like few meters just so the spokes are out of the calipers way, so i could clean them lol) and the following morning it wouldn't start, was flooded lol. RAC bloke came over with a huge battery and connected it to car (as i have used up all the power in trying to turn the car over), turned it for a good 7-8 seconds and with a flood of white smoke (no pun intended) and she started...huuraayy!

ive known this to happen on other make cars not just lexus

[blsrbjg]

Well i have just gone outside to start the car up and head to work and the bloody thing will not start, im in shock!

Turning the ignition key, the engine is ticking over, but it just wont start, any ideas what it could be?, i know its very difficult to diagnose from the other side of a computer!

im gutted and hope its not something big! i was driving home at about 11pm last night and the car was running fine.

cheers

In the 'olden' days we had to pump the accelerator a few times to get a car to start. When you turn the engine over and put your foot on the accelerator it should start fine.

[dazz32]

I believe in your lexus book(glovebox) it tells you what check points to do if car dont start and tells you what to do if engine has flooded..just a thought but glad all is well and sorted mate. :)