Nigel Coleman

My SC430 brakes work just fine (in fact very impressive stopping power) and the brake fluid remains topped up without leaks but the actual foot brake pedal annoyingly travels 3/4 of an inch before starting to work even when the engine is not on? Has anyone any idea how to correct this?

From memory only 72,000 SC430's were produced and sold "worldwide" most of which were sold in the USA. That makes it quite a rare car. But I've seen 2 (plus mine) in Torquay.

The alarm/immobiliser - if set - will drain a certain amount of the battery overnight. As a test you could disable the alarm overnight (lock the passenger door from inside then lock the drivers door with the key) and see if the battery drainage is still the same in the morning.

I did loads of research before buying my NOCO and came to the conclusion that ANY brand of jump start pack 1000 amps or less may not be good enough for a V8 engine as in the SC430. I finally choose the 1250 amp NOCO GBX45 which is a little more costly BUT REALY DOES THE JOB! I'm 100% satisfied with it and would recommend it to anyone.

I also have a NOCO 1250 amp jump start pack which I purchased for my Mercedes CLK 320 which I now hardly drive and is always going flat. I have also used it to help other drivers - IT IS THE MOST IMPRESSIVE PIECE OF KIT I HAVE EVER PURCHASED! It also has the forced mode like the charger. NOCO Boost X GBX45 1250A 12V UltraSafe Portable Lithium Car Jump Starter, Heavy-Duty Battery Booster Power Pack, Powerbank Charger, and Jump Leads for up to 6.5 L Petrol and 4.0 L Diesel Engines : Amazon.co.uk: Automotive I was lucky as it was on offer at £99.99 when I purchased it but after getting and using it I would of happily paid the full price.

MOT's back to 2006 show just tyres required, rusty exhaust (probably sorted) and faulty tyre sensors/warning light (always a problem when changing/uprating alloys and tyres and easily sorted) so worth a gamble - as when buying ANY used car.

And the longer "censored" version - the first 1 minute 20 seconds.

"I like this car" (SC430) .....says T-X and the power of advertising: "Victoria's Secret" (bra/underwear bill board)

I think the function is just boot release/unlock. The struts are standard balanced. Also remember because of the folding roof the boot needs to open/hinge both ways.

Can you please supply a diagram of the location of the rear ones so that I know what to look for. Also part numbers.

Thanks once again Nick for your post. Had the pair fitted today (also paid £50 for fitting) and had a surprise. The left brace was slightly rusted but the right one was completely missing! All the bolts were in place but the brace was missing? Now both new ones are fitted and the car drives great. A 150% improvement.

Looks fine to me after 17 years of use.

Replacement sensor still working correctly. Still remembering NOT to leave the mobile phone in the car.

Stephen, if the lucky lady gets a 2007 facelift model then don't forget from April 2006 the road tax is almost "DOUBLE" 😬

Yes Stephen, after recolouring my leather interior I was seriously considering next taking the plunge and buying a machine polisher and giving the old beauty a medium compound cut and polish to remove 17 years of top-coat scratches and blemishes. Have tried hand compound cutting before but you really need a machine to get good results. Lots of videos to watch on YouTube on how to safely do it which is what I did before doing the interior.

Gloucester to Torquay at the speed limit most of the way got 33mpg. Dare say a longer more relaxed drive will return an even higher mpg. Divide by 2 for short around town trips.

Did leave my mobile phone in the drivers door pocket yesterday lunch time for the first time since replacing the faulty sensor. Yes 3 hours later the alarm went off. Removed the phone and back to normal again. You are right Malcolm, stupid mobile phones will set off the alarm on a working sensor (before with my faulty sensor the alarm was going off all the time even without a mobile in the car) Must be phone message notification vibration or ringing setting it off?

I've seen it mentioned on the forums at between £600 and £700. Lexus main sealer would probably want £1,000? The kits sell on eBay for around £300. The radiator needs to be removed or moved to get at everything. Watched lots of videos on YouTube and it seems a straightforward job for most mechanics (not me thankyou) - Should be half a day job? Needs replacing every 100,000 miles or every 10 years or whichever comes first.

Don't forget - after March 2006 you pay almost "double" Road Tax!

I'm more than pleased with my SC430 from RW. In fact I have found a bonus while going through the paperwork. I thought the cam belt would need doing in the next 18 months as it was replaced back in 2015 at around 97,000 miles but I found an invoice for a cambelt change at 119,000 miles in 2019 which he has confirmed. Some lots more miles or time to go before I need to worry about it again. Still drives great with no warning lights.

The Alarm is still working properly after replacing the sensor.

Wow! one of those was a shocker. As my car is the same age I've just ordered a pair as a precaution and perhaps improvement. I found these people: Genuine Lexus Front Suspension Rear Brace LH 52258-24010 RH 52257-24010 (yam6carparts.co.uk) Great price!

Have not heard it go off when parked for the last 2 days and no phone calls from the neighbours (asked them to ring me) so looks like it's a fix? I don't know if you can get these sensors new from Toyota/Lexus but got mine tested and used from eBay. Try and get one from the lowest mileage car that you can. Mine has done over 80,000 miles less than the original one in my car so in theory it's had less use. Also in location the sensor just sits loose on a metal cradle with some foam padding so I have added some extra foam to prevent movement when going over bumps.

Yes Tim it would be wise to experiment with spraying to master your technique first. I did not want to - our have a garage - to do it that way.

Photo of alarm security sensor (with part number showing) located directly under the heated seats switch. You might have to put the gear shifter in Neutral and remove the wood trim to unplug the cable:-