1994 Lexus LS400: wrong fuel gauge reading

Filed Jun 29, 2017 · Electrical · 159,003 miles · TN

Instrument cluster illumination fails, leaving instruments invisible due to instrument design. At the same time, the fuel gauge stops indicating fuel level. On my particular vehicle, this happens when outside temperature exceeds 75 degrees fahrenheit. In cooler temperatures, the illumination and fuel gauge resume function. Also, occasionally the tachometer and speedometer needles will stick at zero, will resume function when hitting the dash over top of the gauges hard with fist. The speedometer indicator needle has stopped illuminating under all conditions. Car has 159k miles and just purchased 4 days ago. I have read that these are very common and expensive problems with this car. I realize the car is now 23 years old, but there should be an inexpensive solution to these problems, or at least some compensation or co-payment from the manufacturer due to the expense of these repairs. Repair cost would be 30% of what I paid for the car.

Filed Jul 19, 2008 · Electrical · 10,000 miles · CA

1. Time as in its inevitable, cold start, cold conditions. Conditions of 50f and a cold start are nearly guaranteed to exhibit this issue. 2. The instrument cluster gauges, its illumination, the center console & shifter illumination fails every cold start below 70f and can occur below 85f. A cold start in very warm conditions of around 80f will tend to hide the symptoms and or have the symptoms shortly after the car has warmed up. When the instrument cluster does not function, it generally means the shifter and console fail to illuminate at night which makes choosing the correct gear and selecting the correct climate control at night a challenge and safety hazard. During a cold start, the instrument cluster does not function or has limited/selective functionality until it is warmed up and that usually occurs only when the cabin is brought to an inhospitable 80-90f. So until the instrument cluster has been heated up to around 70-80f, the tachometer, speedometer, fuel gauge, engine temperature and odometer are not illuminated and not functioning either. Another way of looking at it is this: the odometer is not registering miles, one does not know how fast they're going and does not know how much fuel is available/left all before the instrument cluster has warmed up. There have been times where the instrument cluster never came on despite driving 25 miles for a total time of 20 minutes and the engine fully warmed up. 3. I have done nothing at this time to correct this error, but it has been suggested by the dealership which does acknowledge this is a widespread issue to replace the instrument cluster at a cost of $1000 for parts and $200 for labor. This is a very widespread issue as evidenced by the number of users who have voiced their concerns regarding this issue online. As a california resident, I can only imagine how much worse this problem can be for those who live in colder states.

Filed Oct 29, 2005 · Electrical · GA

I have a 1994 lexus ls400. When the temperature is below 65f, the entire dashboard lights including the speedometer, gas gauge, and odometer go dark. After 20-30 minutes of driving, they finally come on. This is a serious safety hazard because I am not able to see the speed at which I am going. I understand that this is a very common problem with the ls 400 for this year as well as others. My understanding that to fix this problem requires the instrument cluster to be replaced by lexus at a cost of $1000+. Some other owners have reported that this can be fixed by electronic technicians for about $500.

Filed Jun 19, 2004 · Electrical, Lights · 89,000 miles · OH

I had a 1994 ls400. Every morning, upon a cold start first time, my instrument cluster does not light up immediately. The following instruments are completely dark:- tachometer (needle is moving) speedometer (needle is moving) outside air temperature (dead) fuel level indicator (dead) odometer (dead ie no mileage incrementing) d, 2, l gear position not showing (p, r, n is ok) cruise, power ec indicators not showing usually after 15 minutes of continuous driving, the lights will flicker for a minute and then come on for the rest of the drive. The process is repeatable every day. This is a major safety concern as I have no idea at what speed I am driving at or the amount of gasoline that is in my car. My wife is afraid to dirve the car with this problem as she may be stranded anytime.

Filed Apr 16, 2004 · Electrical · 60,400 miles · CA

I have a '94 lexus ls400 that has intermittent dash light problems. From what I've read on the internet, this is a very common problem. When the weather is cool there are no dash lights making it impossible to read the speedometer, gas gauge, etc. The dealer told me it would cost $2,400. To have this repaired. I believe this is a safety issue and very common to several years and models of lexus. Thanks for any help.

Filed Mar 27, 2004 · Electrical · CA

I have 1994 ls400. The whole dash will not light up when the weather is cold, causing driver not to see any of the warning lights, speed, or fuel level. I believe this leaves the car occupants in a very dangerous situation. The lexus dealer wants an absurb amount of money ($1200) to fix problem, which I believe is a factory design flaw and needs to be recalled.

Filed Mar 1, 2004 · Electrical · 90,000 miles · FL

On cold mornings dash cluster will not light up. After a while when car warms up lights will start to flicker and then work for rest of day. When cluster does not light up nothing is visible on dashboard. Apparently this is common enough that there are two engineers on ebay selling repairs. Look on ebay under lexus cluster repair.partial copy of ad if you own a 1993 or 1994 lexus ls400 you are probably having trouble with your dash lights or soon will have. Lexus is aware of the problem but won't warranty it since these cars are now 10 years old. The lexus dealer will charge you from $1400 to $2000 to repair your instrument cluster lights. Actually, they replace 2 circuit boards located behind the instrument cluster. They then throw your old boards away, they don't repair them. The new boards that you just purchased from lexus have the same built-in design flaw as the originals and are doomed to fail as well. I'm an electronics engineer and I have reverse engineered their boards and have found this design flaw. I have repaired my own as well as many others. I guarantee my work for as long as you own the car.when you first start your 1993 or19 94 ls400 especially on cold mornings, the dash lights won't come on and the fuel gauge shows empty. Then as the car warms up, the lights begin to flicker on and off rapidly and the fuel gauge swings from empty to whatever amount of fuel that you have. After several minutes, they will finally come on and stay on for the rest of the day. The fuel gauge also works. As months go by the problem will only get worse until the lights will refuse to come on at all. The fuel gauge won't work, and you can't see the speedometer or the odometer, not to mention the time and temp lcd above the radio! This is a dangerous malfunction and obviously is not a haphazard event. It is common enough that repair is being offered on ebay. This should warrant an investigation.

Filed Jan 16, 2003 · Electrical · 150,000 miles · TX

The whole dash will not light up when the weather is cold, and cause driver not to see any of the warning lights, speed, or fuel level. This leaves the car occupants in a very dangerous situation. Dealer wants an absurb amount of money ($1200) to fix problem, which I believe is a factory design flaw and needs to be recalled.

Filed Jan 16, 2003 · Lights, Visibility · 79,000 miles · MI

I have a '94 lexus ls400 on which the instrument panel display does not function at low temperatures. It will take up to an hour of driving before the instument panel lights up and the gages become visible. One has to note that this is a neon-lit instrument panel which will be totally dark day or night when the lighting does not work. The user will not be able to see any warning lights, vehicle speed and fuel level. This is a systemic problem with "90 to '94 model years and possibly later ones also ( I personally know of at least 10 cases). Lexus is quoting $1,200 to $1,600 to repair this defect. Based on the price tag, many people will be reluctant to have it repaired and consequently there will be motorists on the road who will not know what speed they are going or whether they will run out of gas. I belive that this is a safety defect that should be corrected by the manufacturer through a recall.