Starting An Ls400

Geoff Roberts · February 14, 2011

Hi to all. I have just bought a LS400 from auction. Started and ran fine on the day. Went to pick it up, Battery flat! Used jump leads, ignition turned on, all lights, steering wheel adjusted but then nothing. No solenoid clicking, no turnover....nothing. Is there something I am doing stupiedly wrong ie on automatic bmw's you have to have your foot on the brake etc etc? Sorry for such a stupied question but this is my first!

ManicMark · February 14, 2011

Hi to all. I have just bought a LS400 from auction. Started and ran fine on the day. Went to pick it up, battery flat! Used jump leads, ignition turned on, all lights, steering wheel adjusted but then nothing. No solenoid clicking, no turnover....nothing. Is there something I am doing stupiedly wrong ie on automatic bmw's you have to have your foot on the brake etc etc? Sorry for such a stupied question but this is my first!

Probably a dead cell in the Battery. mine was the same when the Battery died.

ROYT · February 14, 2011

Hi to all. I have just bought a LS400 from auction. Started and ran fine on the day. Went to pick it up, battery flat! Used jump leads, ignition turned on, all lights, steering wheel adjusted but then nothing. No solenoid clicking, no turnover....nothing. Is there something I am doing stupiedly wrong ie on automatic bmw's you have to have your foot on the brake etc etc? Sorry for such a stupied question but this is my first!

Assuming you have not connected it the wrong way round, just put a decent Battery on it!

graham8370 · February 14, 2011

Have you got it in 'Park'

GEN · February 14, 2011

If you do need a new Battery try Lexus - when I got mine they were cheaper than Halfords or the RAC. By the time I had Lexus fit it (I didn't want problems with radio or other electrics and Lexus did charge for fitting it) I was still better off than had I bought it from Halfords!

SteveLS400 · February 15, 2011

Hi to all. I have just bought a LS400 from auction. Started and ran fine on the day. Went to pick it up, battery flat! Used jump leads, ignition turned on, all lights, steering wheel adjusted but then nothing. No solenoid clicking, no turnover....nothing. Is there something I am doing stupiedly wrong ie on automatic bmw's you have to have your foot on the brake etc etc? Sorry for such a stupied question but this is my first!

Welcome. And its not a stupid question.

What year is your car? If its a MKIII - 95 to 97 - make sure that it is fully in park with the selector across to the right. I can replicate your problem if the selector is not fully across to the right. Its also worth noting for future reference that you cannot remove the key if the selector is not fully home.

Also, try starting it in neutral with foot on the brake.

I presume you have already disabled the immobiliser. Again, this could cause your problem.

When you have got it going, by all means have the condition of the Battery checked but if you have have headlights which don't dim when you try to start, its not likely to be a Battery issue thats causing the problem.

Please let us know how you get on.