Neil E

Yes I wish I had approached Beat Sonic before I ordered mine, it would have saved time and effort and homework. I wonder why the FM is poor from the standard unit, it ought to be good? I still need to add a DAB tuner to the Alpine but the SC has excellent FM reception through its old fashioned aerial. I think old age is much in evidence as although I like the convenience of stored music files, I still prefer CDs. Even my old battered ears can tell the difference. If Beat Sonic offered a turntable interface, I would probably have one built into the glove-box. Brendan, the infectious enthusiasm of the ISF membership for their beloved rapid choice of chariot has not helped in my quest to add an LS460/600 to the fleet. If I can stop looking at Grey ISFs with a sunroof and concentrate more on the convenience of soft closing doors (and a rear seat fridge for the Guinness,) I may just get around to ripping a silver LS apart to add some sounds to it.....I mean why would you 'Blat' when one could 'waft' around Wales without disturbing the sheep? Good luck Mark.

Looking forward to seeing this one Mark, will the Kenwood still allow CD/DVD to be played and also provide pre-outs for an amp? Brendan, I found Beat-Sonic very helpful. If you tell them what you want to achieve they will even sometimes make custom interface cables. I converted an SC430 to a double din Alpine unit despite there being no European version of the kit at the time using a US spec MVA 13L. It depends on what you would like to be able to do. The MVA 23L might be worth a look http://www.beatsonicusa.com/beat-sonic-mva-23l.htm

Taking it apart is quite easy, just give yourself plenty of time, keep everything in order, take pictures to refer back to if necessary and take care with the ribbon cables. I like to use a quarter inch drive socket set to remove the screw bolts and then have a good selection of screwdrivers and bits all to hand.

There's plenty on the various SC430 forums about exhausts, a little light reading and you will soon become an expert. Rusty old exhaust bolts can be a problem at times but experienced technicians should be able to cope. Good luck, hope you get it resolved for a reasonable cost and do let us know how you get on.

That sounds like poor advice. Firstly they need to take a proper look at it and clearly explain what needs to be done. Most check engine lights relating to the exhaust are for faulty Lambda sensors but if one of the cats has a hole in it, a reputable exhaust builder should be able to offer a replacement for approx. £300 each, perhaps less. A cat back exhaust system might be anything from £450 to £800 depending on how it's made. One option is to delete the 3rd catalytic converter which improves matters and saves money. So assuming the manifolds are good, worst case... 2 cats, 2 lambda sensors and a cat back exhaust that would make a nice V8 growl, probably no more than £1400 but I would be very surprised if a good repair could not be done for a lot less. MIJ in Walsall or Powerflow should be able to help but there are lots of others who can make up stainless steel exhausts. Just did a quick search in Lancashire and Pipe Werx in Ormskirk have good reviews. If you perform a search for SC430 custom exhausts you will be able to see what some of the owners have done.

Firstly, I must say, it's good to see another F getting the full exhaust treatment. Good on you Luke. I would check the Lambda sensors/cables first as they frequently fail in the process. If the headers are not ceramic coated or heat wrapped, the sensor cables may need extra protection. I recall reading about the issues for the SC430, it was quite common to have to change the sensor extension cable or even replace one of the sensors after installation. After mine were fitted, I had to replace one of the front sensors and in the end did 2, problem solved. I found PPE quite helpful but they seem to prefer email, below were some of their responses to US owners. Quote: Originally Posted by PPEHeaders It is possible that the O2 sensor extensions we get are not sealing as well as the factory connectors. They do have the red silicone wire seals. Putting a small amount of dielectric grease on the terminals can help make a better connection and keep them from corroding. If you need another wiring extension, let me know. Quote: Originally Posted by PPEHeaders The two causes for that code are a bad sensor or a short in the wiring. I can send you a new wiring extension to try out. Email me your address and I will send you one. sales@ppeengineering.com Quote: Originally Posted by PPEHeaders Anyone else with a light on, please email me the code and I will help you figure out the issue. I am not able to be on the forum all the time, so email would be the fastest way to get your problem fixed. sales@ppeengineering.com Good luck, hope it's an easy fix and do let us know what 'really world' difference it makes.

Sounds a bit drastic but I do admire your commitment to resolving the issue.

The HU finish looks very good. I would be interested to learn how they deal with the amplifier and speakers. With regard to the water leak into the boot, my car doesn't suffer leaks at all. If the seal is okay, check that the plastic drip trays on each side are correctly fitted and the drain tubes seen here, are routing properly.

I would stick with the original as changing the colour would be far harder and more expensive to do properly. Wrapping looks best when it's deliberately dramatic in my opinion. As much as I admire the work they do, detailers can become obsessed with their art and forget that a car is more than skin deep. Would spraying the front bumper and bonnet not restore it to good order? That's usually what the dealers do to make us believe every one of their forecourt beauties has led a sheltered life.

Hi Paul PM sent. The whole system could be replaced to avoid using an interface but keep in mind the ML amp is designed to power the original 8 ohm speakers and a 16 ohm sub-woofer so I would say all of the speakers and the amp need to be replaced. I am aware that some UK owners have successfully replaced the paper cone 8 ohm door bass speaker with a 4 ohm oval driver and report no issues which suggests the ML amp can cope with 4 ohm loads but I couldn't recommend it. In the US they tend to do it correctly and replace the door speakers with 8 ohm drivers. If I was to recommend an aftermarket set up with suggestions, it would be roughly as follows: Double din head unit with phono leads for front, rear and sub outputs. I like Alpine. (Lexus frequently use Fujitsu-Ten/Eclipse/Pioneer and Harmon equipment badged as ML.) 5 channel high power amplifier. I like A/B class amps that usually cost a lot of money but there are some good bargains out there. I use a DLS, in the SC but there are plenty of good quality amps to choose from. Genesis, JL Audio, Audison, etc, etc 3 way component 4 ohm speaker set for the front, carefully chosen to fit the existing positions or allow for expensive fabrication work to fit them. Optional rear mid range speakers for 'rear fill' Sub-woofer chosen to match individual's preference. The standard is an 8" 'free air' mounted behind the rear seats. I have 2 x 10" JL Audio W3 on the back seat some of the time but a single 10" or 12" boxed sub with or without a port should do very nicely but consider where it can go very carefully. For a good speaker set up, again I would look at Alpine as a safe bet but if you are consulting good ICE installers they will have their favourites from budget up to audiophile ranges. A 3 channel amp would suffice if the rear speakers aren't required but any amp is also going to need a separate power supply. I can show you how to do that. So now we begin to see the value of the Beat-Sonic interface that permits the use of the original equipment. Just to provide some idea of cost, I haven't installed the K2 Focal speakers for the front so far but when/if it's done, that would make it a fully aftermarket system. The total cost would then be approx £3500 and that's without any labour.

Hi Paul Unfortunately you can't just 'pop' to Halfords to pick up an Autoleads adaptor kit. The Mark Levinson set up is quite unusual. Most UK car audio shops will shy away from it as there is no 'off the shelf' interface to integrate aftermarket head units with the system. It can be done but it isn't an easy task and if you purchase a new quality double din head unit + the interface it will be quite expensive. Most owners are content with the quality and facilities of the standard set up so there wasn't very much interest in it but I have documented how it can be done on another site. I think some of it might also be on here already too. Anyway here are a few pics. There is a US spec. Beat-Sonic unit (MVA-13L) that can be used (with a little modification for the European model) to connect it. I had to work out the differences between what it did with the US loom and simply apply the equivalent connections to the European loom, it sounds worse than it is but I do have some amateur experience with car hifi. It took me a couple of days to sort out the wiring and the fitting of the Alpine unit into the auto door mechanism as the metal cage needs to be carefully cut to accommodate the head unit. In my opinion it's worth doing but will probably cost more than a secondhand Fujitsu-Ten head unit. If you keep trying the breakers yards, I think one ought to come up for £200 or so. I still have mine but I've kept all of the original car parts so that if the next owner wants to change things back, they can. Perhaps I should join the ISF crew for the 'Blat around Wales' and stop off in Swansea. If you do want to take the aftermarket head unit route, send me a PM and I will find you a contact at Beat-Sonic as I think they would make up a bespoke interface and that would make it much easier to do the conversion.

Wow £2.5k!.... I was wondering if the ISF isn't prone to mechanical failure and most owners have a warranty, how long might it take to sell this car piece by piece? ....a 2UR-GSE powered convertible might have a certain appeal, I suppose.

Hi Paul £600 is far too much. I haven't taken the SC430 head unit apart but I've opened up other similar Fujitsu 10 units, IS200, LS430 etc and I doubt there's a fuse you can replace. if the external wiring and the connectors look okay it might be worth asking SVT Services in Edinburgh if they can help. They are able to fix ML amp issues. support@svtservices.co.uk Trying to find us? Check out our Find Us page Or call us on 0131 553 2126

Hi Bob I'm assuming not...(no sound from the speakers) I may be assuming too much but I don't think it has the power to send the remote signal to the amp if it has no display. Hi Paul. The CD changer and the radio form two halves of the unit. I suspect it's a fault with the unit itself or a connection to it. Check the radio fuses first and if they are okay remove the radio unit and check the connections at the back. It's quite easy to do, there are a few good tutorials around. If it all looks good, where you go from there depends on how comfortable you are with testing car electrics and taking the panels apart, etc. Faults with the head unit and the amplifier do occur so there is quite a lot of information on line explaining what can be done. If it can be established that the fuses, connections and the amplifier are all okay, the quick and least expensive solution is likely to be to replace the head unit with a known good one from a breakers but start with the fuses and connections.

Good question, I can't find a fuse for it so you may need to access the climate control panel and look to disable the screen 'open' switch. The panel just pulls out and then there are 3 plugs to disconnect to release it. I haven't needed to take one apart so that's as far as I can help in this direction but personally I would look to find an alternative holder and attach the Tom Tom unit to the black part of the dashboard. A custom/neater version of something like this. http://www.mobilefun.co.uk/spigen-stealth-universal-dashboard-car-holder-p53994.htm?referer=PLA&utm_source=google%2Bproducts&utm_medium=comparison&utm_campaign=google%2Bproducts&currency=1&gclid=CjwKEAjw5M3GBRCTvpK4osqj4X4SJAABRJNCcehUlBUQ1Py3dhOYPmyHU5AOjHFu2RVtA4sFd_OuCBoCJ7Tw_wcB

I can't seem to find the part numbers to verify fitment. Are they the same as IS250 lights and stalks? http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/LEXUS-IS-220-250-2006-2010-REAR-INSIDE-OUTER-LIGHT-LAMP-ASSEMBLY-/262879405520?fits=Car+Make%3ALexus|Model%3AIS&hash=item3d34d565d0:g:HKYAAOSwSlBYuY3H http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2008-LEXUS-IS220-IS250-COMMS-CIM-INDICATOR-WIPER-STALK-UNIT-/371821848444?hash=item56924f277c:g:Bh4AAOSw2xRYXUGh

David I am very tempted. If a grey, blue or red one with a sunroof turned up for say £15k that would probably do me fine but that would just be the start of it and there's the small matter of selling a much 'abused' project SC430.

I can't explain why but the RC just looks better in reality than in any of the marketing pictures, I love it. The blue RCF at the Bluewater meet opened my eyes to them. For me it has to be the V8 but it's beyond my budget for now so will have to make do with an SC.....or maybe an ISF.

Retraced steps via Google maps, 407 miles with the detours and worth every one of them.....I can say I was there to see the record 'magnificent 7' And let's be honest, it's never a chore to sit behind the wheel of a Lexus.

Great to meet everyone and their cars. A couple of pics to demonstrate the scale of the meet. I deliberately stood back to avoid having to blur out so many number plates. So many lovely Fs in one place and no reports of mechanical failure or major problems. I do like the look of the RC but it's becoming harder to resist the lure of the ISF. If this had been a BMW/Audi/Merc meet there would be tales of limp mode and gearbox failure, cracked alloys, electronic issues, burning oil, etc, etc but not a bit of it. How many other high performance cars can deliver the same level of reliability?

Yes we did Bob. You would have liked the IS200. The engine was sweet as was the sound system, I was very impressed. Big thanks go to Dinho for setting up the meet. It was good to meet everyone and their cars......I think I need an F but it was great to see the RC, RX and the Celsior. Wish I had listened to the stereo in the big 400 as I remember it was so good back in the day.

Ah, that's good, didn't realize you were 'sorted.' The car appeared on another forum with a remark that the wheels don't suit the car so remembering your quest, I quickly switched channels. I bet the seller still has the original Soarer wheels and they would be better for that car. Sometimes you get lucky and sometimes not. I once searched for over a year for some Lotus Carlton wheels. Oddly if I traded up to an ISF, the wheels would have to go.

@emjay82 Mark, Set of ISF alloys here on a Soarer. http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/lexus-soarer-sc300-toyota-1jzgte-vvti-drift-turbo-coilovers-/262895692428?hash=item3d35cdea8c:g:yFoAAOSw32lYxppX

Wow so that was the bomb proof 1UZ-FE. I had one around to 230k in a Soarer and a 3UZ to 215K in a GS and not a hint of it.

Well it could be the valve stem seals but I would say that's very rare with these engines. With regular servicing they are ultra reliable. It really needs to go to Lexus or a knowledgeable independent for a proper inspection and diagnosis.