Transmission wont go into s mode any help?

[SkantinnaLex]

so i have a lexus is250 2006 and there are no transmission problems or engine problems detected on obd tool it drives smooth ect power works traction control works although i would rather it be like the 350s to where you i can turn it fully off. 

my only issue with it is my standard gear position wont light up when i shift it over to s position i even tried to feel for the little shift difference you get when you shift it over but nothing it stays driving in auto i even tried shifting up and down and still nothing can someone please give me some ideas about what it could be i would greatly appreciate it its about the only thing i cant find on the internet about how to fix on my car 

 

 

[tHomBleached]

What diag tool have you got? Most basic ones will only show central ecu faults and might not show up transmission electrics

[Mr Vlad]

Hi Chnceler. You've managed to post your issue in the Mk3 section. 

Because your car is a 2006 it's a Mk2. You'll get more responce posting there.

I never experienced your issue when I had my is250. Please do post in the Mk2 series 2 part of the forum. 

[ColinBarber]

Moved.

[Linas.P]

It could be just damaged wiring/shifter. There are basically switches in the shifter, which also connects to paddles on the steering wheel and maybe something isn't right with the wiring. 

First thing to try - set the display on the dash to show you gear position, then put it into S-mode and changed the gears and see if that changes. Don't even need to be moving for that, just engine started foot on the brake. Remember you don't actually change gears in S-mode, you only change limiter. Normally when driving it should default to 4th gear (sometimes 5th if you driving very fast), and then you can reduce limit further.

I have never came across the issue where dash itself on IS250 (any mk2 IS) would be broken, also to be fair never came across damaged shifter-assy, such things only happen when somebody breaks them. For example one of the reasons... IS by default shift opposite to what it should be on "true" sequential gearbox, so some folk switches the wiring to reverse that (make it so that + is pull and - is push). So I could speculate somebody messed this mod-up and lost S-Model altogether.

PS - stability control is same on IS250/350, if you just turn TC-off it will comeback. There are some crazy methods to get it fully off, but you need to do it every time you start the car. That said in many years of my ownership of multiple IS250s I have only done it once, just to try. Having open diff and auto car, that let's just face it... isn't very powerful or sporty, I never really found the need to have TC-off. The only reason would be drifting, but it just can't drift with open diff... well I guess any RWD can drift, but IS250 just doesn't do it well to warrant TC-off.