Neil E

Indeed it wouldn't be wise to become distracted whilst driving.

Crime of the Century. What a great piece of work. I recall doing blind listening tests to some of the tracks on there (including some in cars but not whilst driving) testing cables, amps, CD players....with younger ears of course, when I really could tell the difference.

I haven't visited it for a while but I recall Talk Audio was the place for all car audio matters. I haven't been on LOC very much for some time until recently and had forgotten how good it is. I've followed the Soarer community mostly, those frequently overheat.... the forum threads, not the cars.

Sorry, going off topic a bit but yes I do like technology. With a bit of effort I replaced the head unit with an Alpine and managed to integrate it with the existing controls. The ipad / Iphone can plug into that as well.

Not at all, a list to be proud of. Looking at it has prompted me to dig out some Supertramp.

Yes agreed, it's extremely difficult and costly to create a balance of sound with depth and clarity in the car. ML/Pioneer/Fujitsu10 kit is very good as a factory system, particularly the ML set up in the LS I found but there is a small minority that chase the dream.

Good work. Yes I later read about that seat fix too, never heard of it before, you never stop learning about these cars. Wow did you really need new seals, £310 sounds a lot?

Great taste in music there Steve.

Does your love of high end audio extend to the components in the car?

One of mine. Just a bit of fun

11 OUT is how I see it.

Hi John

We need a little more detail in the description so apologies if you have already checked these or I haven't quite understood the issues.

If it's just the memory function that isn't working for the seats and the steering wheel, perhaps the Battery has been disconnected and the seats and steering column just need resetting on the memory button. If the seats and steering wheel aren't working at all then it may be a blown fuse.

From memory, it's possible to adjust the boot lid slightly with the 2 bolts with rubber covers on either side but first check that the rubber weather seal is fitted correctly. I can't check on my car at the moment as it's being painted but I do know that it is very easy to disturb the rubber seal whilst cleaning and that might be stopping the boot from sitting just flush.

Hi

Yes there are various products that can be attached to provide USB, Bluetooth, Ipod, Iphone, etc connectivity for the SC430.

Vaistech and Grom are two of the most popular 'plug and play' solutions but there are others, It's also possible to replace the radio cassette with an aftermarket double din unit that incorporates a USB digital interface but that would involve a bit more effort. If you are competent with car electrics it shouldn't be too much of a problem whichever route you choose.

Lol, I like it. Good answer. The last mechanic to drive my car said to his mates it was like flying a plane.

It only had its usual dash that day but sometimes I run the OBD software to an Ipad just to see what's

going on.

I think Colin has covered this very well already but if you think logically, the only circuits that are still live when you leave the car are those that provide a constant 12V supply. That's the place to look.

I can tell my RX Battery is beginning to fail. In warm weather it will start after being left for a week or more. In the cold it's sluggish, after 5 days. It will start but the cold cranking is noticeably weaker. When I buy the biggest new Battery I can fit in there, I'm sure it will be a lot better and I would expect it to retain 12V for 3 weeks or more. When I bought it, the dealer said it wouldn't start because it hadn't been used in 2 weeks and sure enough it didn't. He said it's common with Lexus, I agreed and explained it didn't bother me, I would buy a new one if it needed it but its been okay until recently.

It was a similar story with the SC, I've just replaced that one and it's much better but I can't say how long it would last as I try to keep using both cars. I'm satisfied that both cars do not have any electrical faults but I know the Battery will eventually discharge if left long enough. That's been my experience with LS430, GS430, Soarers and IS models to different degrees and none of them had any faults to cause a Battery drain. Some even started after I left the boot open or an interior light on for more than a day.

I agree it's right and reasonable to expect a car to be capable of being left for say a long holiday and start without issue. My experience suggests it does very much depend on the condition and capacity of the Battery.

Sounds good, I wondered what they would look like without the black paint

Mine were curbed quite a bit. Considered a refurb but was always going to go for wider ones so now I have a spare set of the later wheels. I plan to stick some winter tyres on them until the spring but I also have an RX with all season tyres so may just get by this year.

Nice work there Craig, very impressive looking car, great attention to detail and it seems you have been doing your homework.

Are the Focal 6 x 9 drivers a match for impedance and did you disconnect the tweeters or swap them with the originals? I've found ML kit to be quite awkward to work with so if it sounds good then you did very well.

I would be interested to know what you intend to do with the sub as it's a job on my list for the future. the fronts sound okay so I'll probably leave them alone.

Yes, agree with all those points. Sounds like we need Peter to earn us some SC go faster points on the TG test track at Dunsfold.

Thanks for pointing out the fuel filler switch adjacent to the boot release issue, I make that mistake a lot and just blame it on old age or fat fingers.

Jump starting the car shouldn't blow anything unless it was done incorrectly.

Did the body shop remove any part of the centre console?

Does the Nav screen still tilt?

I doubt the workshop could have tested the signal/current to the Nav screen door in 5 minutes. I would say it takes experienced hands 15 minutes to get to the sat nav unit. Unless they are Lexus experts checking the wiring diagram might take a bit longer too.

They do, it certainly isn't even close to being the worst car in the world but to be fair to top gear, Toyota Lexus did make a few really silly mistakes with the SC.

Run flat tyres made the ride very un-Lexus like.

It's a bit of an odd design

Ugly wheels

Back seats with less room than the Soarer.

Front seats that can squash rear passengers legs.

Also less comfortable front seats than it's predecessor and the GS.

Old fashioned aerial, even on the later models

I have a few other complaints too but I still had to have one and living with it is much better than I thought it would be.

Yes you are correct Neil the strut brace is identical to the one on eBay it was made in the UK by the same people at the same time.

The SC430 can be left alone and used as a cruiser or it can be driven in a 'spirited' manner or it can be tweaked to suit your purpose. It's a lovely well appointed 'sports coupe' to get 2 people from A to B with the roof up or down but I also think it's valid to follow the lead set by it's makers and turn it into something more of a drivers car if that's your inclination. The SC has been a very successful racing car. As explained earlier by Colin the chassis and suspension is based on the GS. The GS430 and twin turbo Aristo were considered thunder-saloons in their day so that's a taste of the heritage.

Battery woes....

A good auto electrician should be able to diagnose the fault if one exists but every Toyota Lexus I've owned (8 so far) has drained its Battery over time. The SC is more vulnerable than most as it has quite a small standard Battery and people often leave them for weeks because they have another car as a daily driver. If I'm going away for 3 weeks or more without the SC I usually lock it up in the garage, disconnect the Battery negative lead and reconnect it when I return, 20 seconds and you're done. It takes a matter of minutes to reset everything. I appreciate that's not a good idea from an insurance/security point of view but if your Battery is completely discharged then your alarm isn't any good either. When I bought the SC in June it had the standard Halfords replacement unit and would discharge within a week. I now have the biggest Exide Battery I could fit in the tray and I know it will last for at least 3 weeks.

If you put a multi-meter across the Battery when everything is turned off you should be able to see if there is any significant voltage drop. If there is no obvious voltage drain by something like an interior light being left on or the alarm being activated without you knowing, then it's probably time for a new Battery.

Yes indeed and in Japan. We do it here too but not on the same scale. I agree the reflectors are annoying so they have been deleted.

You could also try Beat-sonic.

It may be possible to adapt one of the later harnesses and they are very helpful with wiring diagrams and instructions. They also make bespoke harnesses but don't always advertise them.

I have one and noticed a difference. The strut brace will help particularly when the roof is down or if you have wider wheels.

To tighten up the ride but still have some flexibility in controlling the right balance for your needs, fit a set of adjustable coil-overs.

Soarer parts new and used are actually quite easy to obtain but that's a good price for a gearbox.

Try Soarerworld for more help.

hi there,

was driving the soarer today and even time i put the foot down the revs will go and instantly go back up again. it happens even i touch the pedal alittle bit but sometimes the car will cut out and wont start up again for a while. any idea what wrong??

Sounds like it could be a simple fuel ECU fault but I see you're breaking it to use the engine anyway.

Just checked the fuse list to see what else is on the circuit.

Fuse 11 in the kick panel, rated 7.5 amps. (radio, tape, CD, antenna, rear view mirrors)

Fuse 23 (radio #1) under the hood, rated 20 amps (radio, tape, CD, antenna, rear view mirrors)

I remember reading somewhere that the Nak audio system had an optional 100 watt amp, I wonder if that also uses the same #1 fuse. I'm never keen to recommend swapping for a higher rated fuse but both the list and the engine bay diagram show the radio #1 fuse as 20 amp not 15 amp.

In fear I may modify it, I'm not allowed to poke around under the bonnet of my other half's IS so did a quick search on the Lucas website.

The model quoted for the IS200 2.0 GXE10 for 99- is model LRA02190 90A M6 B+

90A so not bad as standard. I vaguely recall swapping the voltage regulator/brush set on one of my old cars for an uprated version for about £15 (takes 10 mins) so if one is available it could indeed be a useful mod for those with amplifiers of a high fuse rating.

Soarers and V8s are blessed with high output units and large Battery trays so charging isn't the issue for me it's the length of 0 gauge to the boot. I've never tried a cap or a split charge system as SPL isn't my thing, anything prolonged around 90dbA starts to damage your ears ......and mine are old.

...Have to say, can't fault the ICE advice on here, who needs 'talk audio?'

Q. Is an uprated alternator available for the IS200?

Took a closer look and a few pictures of the GS today.

The boot/rear parcel shelf is begging for an install, so much easier to attack than the metal sealed boot of a Soarer with its fuel tank behind the back seat.

Swapping the audio controls for a quality head unit looks a daunting prospect but I might just be mad enough to try it later on when the second Soarer install is complete.

A few pics of the Soarers for your amuzement, the latter (green TT) is the work in progress. The blue V8, completed a while back, looks a little tired now but still my favourite. :)

Q. Last pic of the GS, how deep is the space behind the tape player unit?