ThomasD94

17 minutes ago, nicnac said:

Its a beautiful motor in Red. Unfortunately I think Im going to have to settle for Silver /Cream interior , even though they dont look as good. Red seems to be rarer than hens teeth ! . 

Did you look on facebook marketplace, theres a red one from Liverpool on there!

hey everyone,

I am having an issue where my audio is intermittent for the radio, works perfectly well for sat nav voice.
I was wondering if you guys have tried the self diagnosis screen on the SC 430? I have looked at multiple threads from the Prius to the LS about turning the lights on and off 3 times/ pressing the display button on etc. However, I am still struggling to access this screen?

If anyone has any suggestions for my '04 SC430 I would be most grateful!

Thanks in advance, Thomas 🙂

On 11/19/2010 at 2:48 PM, Rich246810 said:

I had a fault where my stereo head didn't seem to work, the process self tests the connection between major switches and your touch screen operation. It showed my head unit as n/conn which I interpreted as no connection, took the full centre consul display out and the fault was with the in car bluetooth kit which uses the stereo heads cabling to iterupt the music being played when a call comes in, but does not stop the CD playing in the background without sound.

If you are experiencing similar problems it may be worth trying?

It shows if there are any faults stored in the ECU

Try the diagnostics menu and see what faults come up... (the following is for UK spec but I think they are very similar) Lets hope nothing!

To access the Diagnostic Menu on the touch screen do the following.

1. Gear selector in park.

2. Handbrake on.

3. Ignition to ACC, (or start the engine if you want to do a speed check etc) wait for navi screen to power up, click "I Agree" (or buy the Vias Ipod or dvd lead and it does it for you)

4. Press and HOLD the OPTION button and AT THE SAME TIME...

5. Turn headlights from off to sidelights five times i.e. off/side/off/side/off.

6. To exit the menu, turn off the ignition, car will then behave as normal.

You will then get a screen displayed, it shows if there are any faults stored in the ECU, you must wait until it populates the empty spaces.

I got this from Club lexus forums from a Lexusthai he shows pictures of all the screens you will see, but I repeat, you must wait until it populates the empty spaces.

I hope this can help others

Rich

Hi Rich,
I did try this on my 2004 SC 430, may I ask where is the Option button that you are referring too?
Thomas 🙂

thanks

This was the previous mess that I cleaned up 🙂

If it helps I took my SC a wee jaunt to my local M&S/Asda retail park and took the scenic route...

On 5/30/2020 at 10:08 PM, Britprius said:

Check also the area around the engine coolant pump for signs of pink encrusted salts. A sign of seal leakage. Check also for play in the pump bearings. 
My Gs450H was diagnosed by the dealers as needing a pump change because of low coolant level while being serviced. They did not top the fluid up but left it low. I topped it up, and it did not loose any fluid in the next 60,000 miles. I have just changed the pump as part of my head to toe service while SORNed. The pump showed no signs of leakage, but did have perceptible bearing play.

John. 

Thanks John, I will give the pump a check. I have now driven the car about 100 miles or so over the past 4/5 days and the coolant level has remained at the full mark. I have wiped down the hoses and surrounding area as there was some pink marks (looks like a previous leakage splashed on parts of the engine bay). I will keep you appraised but touch wood things should be ok. The previous owner did mention the water pump and cam belt were done around the 100k mark, car is around 130k atm so fingers crossed its not the pump as I am putting money into some tyres and O2 sensors, as well as trying to figure out why the audio wont come through for the radio but the sat nav voice comes through ok haha.

Thomas

On 5/30/2020 at 5:12 PM, Neil E said:

It might just be settling low but check all around the radiator for any signs of small cracks or leakage. Unlikely to be a head gasket.  

Thank you, I have now rectified the issue (touch wood) as it seemed to be a leak hose on the underside of the coolant container. It is now holding coolant.

Hey everyone,
Have you seen the NX render of what the second generation NX could look like?
I heard it is going to be based on the TNGA-K platform (shared with the RAV 4). I wonder if it will get UX style head lights?

Hey everyone, I hope you are all well and enjoying this sun!

I made an in-depth tour video on the facelifted RX450h F sport with the 'Takumi' pack if anyone wishes to see the updates and what a high spec 2020 RX looks like?

10 minutes ago, royoftherovers said:

Thomas, we now have Venetian Lady amongst us !

What mileage is on your SC ?

Yeah haha!! I tell you it is proving hard to get that cream leather clean!! Just over 130k miles!

Hey Gents,
I made a short video of my SC430 if anyone wishes to see my new (to me) SC in more detail? 🙂
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k9f79IWyLmg&t=0s

34 minutes ago, ColinBarber said:

Check if it keeps dropping or whether it has just got to its natural level. My wife's old RX300 always spat out coolant until the level was below minimum - was always that way for the 4 years we had it.

 

Thanks Colin I will give that a try! I have topped it up today to the max, I guess I will find out tomorrow if its leaking or finds a natural point 🙂

2 hours ago, royoftherovers said:

Thomas,if you bought it from a Dealer, then let him fix it at his cost.

It was just bought off a guy on facebook sadly

Hey guys,

1 week into SC ownership and 2 tyres and a sensor later after I got my Lexus SC back today and another lambda sensor is required (bank 2 I believe now). In addition, I have noticed the coolant level has dropped to below 'low'. When I googled it seems to suggest the worst (head gasket). I have filled it with water and stuck my head underneath to try spot any leaks but I couldn't see any obvious signs. Oil is clean and the screw cap for the oil doesn't show any yellow, plus I shown a torch down the oil refill entrance and I can't see any yellow there (or on the dip stick after several pokes and cleans)

Any ideas? or solutions?
I am tempted to buy one of those gasket filler bottles (such as steel seal etc) but I am not sure if that is wise until I have a confirmation?

Thanks in advance, Thomas

Hey everyone,
I hope you are well? I recently got to experience the 2020 RX 450h F sport with the Takumi pack. It is quite different from my RX 300 to say the least! I do like the fact the facelift has a touch screen and apple carplay now! The Takumi pack is the top tier option for the RX and it adds loads of goodies (too many to write down tbh) but the main ones are the ML stereo, heads up display and a host of safety gear. I loved how subtle the ride is on this RX (even for a F Sport) and the red interior is right up my street!

I made a video below if anyone wishes to see the updates that Lexus made?

A wee thank you to Lexus Glasgow too for loaning me this RX 🙂

Interested to know what you guys thought of it?

22 hours ago, ColinBarber said:

Not a fan of the colour, hopefully looks better in the flesh.

I like the way the dealer has tried to make the boot look usable. Reality is, it is tiny.

Oh really? I love the flakes of metallic through the paint tbh 🙂
I like the deep blue on the CT but this blue in my opinion was pretty nice! Yeah I found that funny too! The boot space is not much bigger than the CT 😕

Hey Lexus friends,

I hope you are all well? (& enjoying this good weather)

I made a video on the 'Celestrial Blue' Lexus UX 250h if anyone wishes to see this hybrid SUV? I really like this colour! It is the one and only Lexus I have seen in this colour and I thought I would share with you all to admire its paintwork more than anything else?! Enjoy, Thomas

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OzB-GTWgJAo&t=0s

18 hours ago, Neil E said:

 

Ah, is that an oxygen sensor perhaps? Not uncommon but fairly easy to fix. 

Unlike it's predecessor, there aren't many hidden features that I can think of but there are things to be aware of.

I sense you like gadgets and cool 'stuff' but there is a risk that if you follow too closely you may be led astray and lured into the murky Lexus aftermarket world. The SC430 (Toyota Soarer) should have had far more tech as it succeeded the previous Soarer a car so advanced it was way ahead of it's time. Merge two iconic cars, the LS400 and the Toyota Supra and you get the Toyota Soarer, a cult legend that most petrol-heads overlooked....I digress.

The audio and sat nav are a bit 'old-skool' but the nav discs can be updated and the ML audio quality is actually very, very good if the speakers all work as they should. It's superior in quality to most modern systems but do make sure all of the speakers are working correctly. I'm sure you know all SC430s come fully specified, the later face-lift models have a few more things to 'twiddle' but essentially, it's a very easy car to be comfortable in, everything falls to hand. If you master all of the Sat Nav functions you will automatically become the UK expert. 

There's a glove compartment valet switch to be aware of - that's well hidden and easily forgotten.

The car has more fuse boxes than it has road wheels. 

Some owners opt to add a space saver wheel in the boot instead of the silly tyre-weld solution.....assuming the equally silly run-flat tyres aren't still present.

Check that all of the rain drains and rubber seals work and the engine should be so smooth that you can barely tell it's running at tick over. With the radio on at a low level even with my non-standard exhaust, I can't hear the engine and I can barely feel it. In standard form you can literally creep up on pedestrians in car parks and country lanes and they are shocked to see a car behind them because it is so quiet. 

The roof goes up or down in 29 seconds and it's surprising how comfortable it is (with the windows up) even in fairly low temperatures as the heating system compensates. The audio also self adjusts when the roof is down. Sadly mine no longer has that particular feature but I'll cope.🙂

One hidden/secret feature that some like is that it is possible to lower the rear windows with the roof up. Not many know how - but it's possible.

 

Hi again,

Thank you for your response, I enjoyed reading it all.

Yeah it is an O2 sensor, I should get the car back on Tuesday as tomorrow is a bank holiday. When the car was on the lift it looks like someone previously has cut out sections of the exhaust and repaired parts. Yeah I am getting normal tyres put on actually as the tread was low and coming from BMWs I dont like the harsh ride on run flats...

1 hour ago, Neil E said:

Hi Thomas, the SC folk do occasionally meet and sometimes with the wider Lexus community.

My idea of an SC adventure usually involves going North to enjoy some decent roads. Have you worked out what all of the buttons do yet?

Not yet, I dropped it off at my local garage as a sensor went (before it arrived to me) so that's getting done this weekend. 🙂
Any hidden features I should look out for? (apart from the sliding panels to reveal sat nav, climate & cup holders?)

4 hours ago, Venetian Lucy said:

Hi!  I have just discovered the Lexus SC 430 (a week ago!) and am hoping to buy one very soon - any tips on where and what I should look out for?  Thanks in advance for your help, Lucy

Hi Lucy, this is the SC 430 I was also considering?
https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/2610604722510693/
The owner is called Martin Clarke and he seems pretty sound!

12 hours ago, Neil E said:

Next time I know I'm heading your way, I'll send a pm to give you chance to get your racing lid ready. The car is in the garage (my workshop not John's) undergoing some minor interior enhancement at present but I occasionally work at 2 locations not far from you so (as soon as it's possible) you can have a go. 

Hi John no problem getting access to my car and pictures, even videos but Phil is like Lexus royalty. There's not enough room left in my car to store the red carpet. No promises but when I have lock-down clearance I'll take a camera and blur the speedo for the onboard piece.🙂

Edit - We should book Thomas for the pics or at least the editing, it's only a short hop from Glasgow to the South Coast in an SC430.

Yeah I am game for that! A wee Lexus SC adventure!

3 hours ago, Venetian Lucy said:

Hi!  I have just discovered the Lexus SC 430 (a week ago!) and am hoping to buy one very soon - any tips on where and what I should look out for?  Thanks in advance for your help, Lucy

Hi Lucy,
I got mine from Facebook and I used a website called 'Shiply' to get it delivered from Stockport to Glasgow. They are few and far between, look for a model that hasn't been messed with and has been looked after. Check the water pump and cambelt have been done around the 100k miles mark. There are a variety of wood and interior colour choices so make sure you have a look to see what is your preference?
I was looking at a Red one with a black leather interior from Liverpool (FB ad) and it had everything done, I just wasn't a fan of the red paint colour.
Thanks, Thomas

16 hours ago, 2ddesign said:

Hi Nice looking car, just run in as these cars can do 200,000 no problem! If you would like to improve your seat look at this site for tips. Bob has put up a good explanation of how to do it. I have the same upholstery colour as you and I followed the steps listed, it looks like they are brand new!

https://forum.lexusownersclub.com/threads/leather-seat-rejuvenation.13611/ 

Jack

Thanks jack, I will defiantely give it a try as the seats need some TLC! 
Thanks, Thomas.

13 minutes ago, The-Acre said:

Lexus cars seem fairly scarce in my part of West Sussex for some reason, apart from the CT and RX, but I see three SC's quite often.  Maybe it's a coast road top down kind of thing!  I'd love to drive one at some point, just to satisfy my curiosity.

Yeah even up here in Glasgow Lexus aren't popular!! I see the NX and RX most in the range, SC and LC are very rare! I still turn my head when I see a UX or ES!