Flight Crew Instrument; Flight Crew Multiengine; Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP)
Human-Machine Interface; Situational Awareness
ATC Issue All Types; Deviation - Track / Heading All Types; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Clearance
Air Traffic Control Issued New Clearance; Flight Crew Returned To Clearance
Human Factors; Procedure; Aircraft
We were instructed to change STAR to the GESNR1 arrival and then the RNAV Y Runway 09 at IAH. The last point on the STAR; HOWLN; is also the 1st point on the RNAV approach. I connected the 2 points and reviewed but we noticed as we were approaching HOWLN there was a VECTOR prompt on the FMC. I tried to delete the vector but was unsuccessful. When we hit the point where we should have turned and commenced the approach; the aircraft did not turn. Approach Control broke us off the approach and gave us vectors.We should have told ATC when we couldn't correct the FMC so they could have just given us vectors.
B737-800 pilot reported a track deviation occurred on arrival into IAH following a last minute clearance change that was complicated by the FMC not responding as expected during reprogramming.