DocT

Around £30 front and £50 rear on eBay. Be aware they are different on each side.

ABS sensor front right, fits Lexus GS 300 400 430 & SC Soarer, r/h, 8954230160 | eBay

ABS Sensor Rev.Transmitter Rear Left 89546-24020 for Lexus Sc Cabrio UZZ40 430 | eBay

I used exactly that kit when I rebuilt the rear brakes on my pre-facelift car so they do fit some SCs. I don't think there's any variation across the years. 🤔

Do a Google search. Reluctor rings are £9.99 on eBay. ABS sensors are about £50.

The trim tape is on the underneath of the spoiler itself.

The liner is held in place by the grey trim clips which are best removed by threading a cable-tie through the slot and pulling hard. Once the liner is removed you'll see where the spoiler is bolted.

Nuts, plastic clips and a little trim tape. You'll need to remove the boot lid liner to get access. It's a bit of a fiddle to get off but is a doddle to refit although you'll need long fingers. 😉

Dental floss can be used to cut through the trim tape once you get to that stage.

On 3/11/2021 at 11:27 AM, Richard Lawn said:

Thanks Bob, ....

Looks like I'm no longer needed! 😁

It will be an MOT fail as the self-levelling is required when HID lights are fitted.

However, it's not necessary to pay Lexus prices as most of the sensors are the same, whether or not the SC is mentioned. You just need to ensure that they are the same orientation (there are clockwise and anti-clockwise ones).

I fitted this one and it's been fine. Good quality and looks identical to the Lexus original.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Headlamp-Level-Height-Adjuster-Sensor-Fits-Lexus-Mazda-Toyota-RVJ356/123188493683?

I'm pretty certain it won't be the reluctor ring, although this can be a problem on the SC430.

The calibration of various sensors can be lost for several reasons (lost power, connection of OBD reader, etc.). However, the fix is easy and free!

1. Park the car on a flat, level surface with the steering straight. 

2. Ensure ignition is OFF. Find the OBDII port under the steering column (it has a captive plastic cover that pulls off).

3. Loop pins 4 & 14 (see attached pic). A paper clip is ideal.

4. Turn ignition on. VSC and CEL lights light. Wait for VSC light to flash rapidly. This has reset the sensors.

5. Turn ignition off. Remove link. Job done.

I have made a reset tool to make the job easy but an OBDII extension lead is also a great help as it removes the need to count backwards while on your back looking up! 

I hope this is helpful. 😊

17 hours ago, olliesgrandad said:

Do it. Don't forget it includes full AA cover for you and a partner plus 2 mots which covers anything required. If you become a Gold Member here you will get discount on all servicing. 

I completely agree. I've had a Lexus warranty on my car for three years now (first year came with the car) and have just renewed it again. It's worth remembering that the warranty is underwritten by Lexus and there's none of the third-party wriggling! I had a new radiator, oil cooler, brake caliper and air-con pipe fitted recently, all of which came to far more than the cost of the warranty.

Re. the included breakdown cover, I had a problem with the 12v Battery recently and called out the AA who arrived within 40 minutes. The AA man told me they give priority to Lexus calls.

If you have a car over 5 years-old and are a Gold Member, Essential Servicing isn't much more than third parties and it includes the Hybrid Health Check and warranty.

I shall sell my car privately in a year's time as it will still have 12-months manufacturer's warranty - which is quite a good selling point! 😉

I suspect the dealer thinks any claim for "slight play" might be refused under the "wear and tear" exclusion on the warranty (para 2.2) as the pump hasn't actually failed..

They're happy to take your money directly, of course. 😉

1) The limits for the renewal of a genuine Lexus warranty are 140,000 miles and 10 years. There are third-party warranties, of course, which may differ.

2) I'm not sure you can take out a Lexus extended warranty without a Lexus service history. If you have this then I'd ask the dealer about taking out a warranty. However, I'm sure they're very aware of the possibility of people doing as you suggest and doubt they'd fall for any fraudulent claims! You wouldn't expect a house insurer to pay out if you took out a policy after your house burnt down. 

3) The warranty lasts for 2 years, unlimited mileage and is then renewable up to the limts in 1) above. It does require the car to be serviced by Lexus during the warranty period, of course.

At £995 for an RX450h I think the 2-year Lexus warranty is a great deal. They picked up a leaking aircon pipe on a recent MOT (cost included in the warranty) and it was fixed within a week without quibble and at no cost to me. The bill to Lexus was £840. Over the last three years I've also had a new front caliper (seized), new steering column (slight clunk), new oil cooler and new radiator (both with slight leaks), all identified by Lexus and sorted without issue.

I have a 2010 SE-L Premier without air suspension. It has active stabilisers instead and they're brilliant, as is the whole car. Air-free SE-Ls do exist but they're quite rare. 😉

Mine is still under Lexus warranty and I think it's definitely worth the small premium over a 3rd party one. 

Good advice, thanks. I'll do as you suggest and report back. 😉

On 11/30/2018 at 4:53 PM, DocT said:

I fitted one of THESE  a couple of years ago. It's a straight swap for the original and a lot cheaper at £47. It's performed perfectly since being fitted and has a 4-year warranty just in case. 😉

A quick update. DON'T buy one of these batteries as it has just failed completely! I contacted the seller requesting replacement under the 4-year warranty and they said because it has a breather hose connected (original and essential) they wouldn't replace it. I explained that the Battery should have the breather attached and that it wouldn't affect the life of the Battery but they are adamant they won't honour the warranty. 😠

It just shows how untrustworthy and dishonest some so called specialists can be and reinforces the benefits of buying a Battery by a recognised manufacturer. I've certainly learnt a lesson.

Techstream will allow you to reprogram the immobiliser element of a second-hand key, check on eBay. The transponder chips on Toyota/Lexus keys aren't locked so S/H keys can be reprogrammed for a different car.

A search on Google will bring up the way to reprogram the remote element e.g. HERE. This is just a procedure of door opening and key insertion. 

You'll need to ensure that any S/H key you buy is from the correct model/age as the electronics do change across the years. Check the marking inside the key.

I've done this a few times on Toyotas and Lexus but it's obviously at your own risk. 😉

I think they're all metric.

On 11/29/2018 at 5:12 PM, Britprius said:

Because of the low millage a cam belt change "if required at 60K" is not due

A cam belt change will never be due on an RX450h as it has a chain drive, unlike the RX400h. 😉

It's worth keeping an eye on the serpentine belt but that's not a huge job to replace.

I fitted one of THESE  a couple of years ago. It's a straight swap for the original and a lot cheaper at £47. It's performed perfectly since being fitted and has a 4-year warranty just in case. 😉

3 minutes ago, steve2006 said:

... another weak point are the exhaust silencer heat shields, the fixing holes rot away allowing it to drop onto the box. Easy fix with a large washer.

Thanks, I'll check those next. 

7 hours ago, bobmc said:

well done! I bet that you have a nice feeling of self-satisfaction - now award yourself that well earned beer/rest/chocolate *delete as appropriate :)

 

Thanks.

Three in one! 

When I had the car up on ramps recently I noticed that the bolts securing the front undertray were in a bad way. Even though the car has a full Lexus history two of the bolts were sheared and one had been replaced by a self-tapper! To rectify this I removed the tray and cleaned the surviving holes. Of the two sheared bolts, one came out with a stud extractor (after careful drilling down the centre) but the other I had to drill out completely and retap. I then replaced all the screws with stainless socket-head screws and repair washers.

Definitely a worthwhile change before things get too bad as it will make any future work much easier (and it looks better). I shall now go over the rest of the underbody fixings just to make sure they are all OK. 

(..... I should have cleaned the panel before I took the photo! )

45 minutes ago, sorcerer said:

There's also a website https://www.howmanyleft.co.uk/ that shows how many cars of a certain make and model are still around.

True, but it's handy to have a complete list you can download and peruse. There are loads of other spreadsheets on the DVLA site I linked to. You can even find cars by postcode. 

One of my previous cars is reduced to 47 in number, I wish I'd never sold it now! 

Here are the figures for all other RX models.

LEXUS    RX 200T F SPORT AUTO        17
LEXUS    RX 200T LUXURY AUTO        46
LEXUS    RX 200T S 2WD AUTO        3
LEXUS    RX 400H LIMITED EDTN CVT    315
LEXUS    RX 400H LTD EDTN EXEC CVT    856
LEXUS    RX 400H SR AUTO            885
LEXUS    RX300 AUTO            314
LEXUS    RX300 LE AUTO            662
LEXUS    RX300 SE AUTO            5482
LEXUS    RX300 SE-L AUTO            2822
LEXUS    RX350 AUTO            12
LEXUS    RX350 LIMITED EDITION A        299
LEXUS    RX350 SE AUTO            557
LEXUS    RX350 SE-L AUTO            359
LEXUS    RX400 H CVT            83
LEXUS    RX400 H SE CVT            5043
LEXUS    RX400 H SE-L CVT        3516

I recently came across a DVLA spreadsheet showing the numbers of individual makes and models registered with them between 1994 and Q3 2017. It makes interesting reading.

The Q3 2017 figures for the RX450 are:

If anyone wants to see the whole list it's HERE.

On 17/01/2018 at 12:17 PM, ChrisM said:

My 2009 SE-L has air suspension.

Most, but not all, do.