Advice on buying 2008 SC430 vs 2002

[Boomer54]

4 hours ago, Glyn Jennings said:

I have been on holiday but now back and have managed to fit the new throttle controller. I reckon I know why Lexus said it didn’t work when they refitted it as the cable has been so stretched in tight cable ties. The new one is now working OK.  I have to say I am not exactly impressed with the standard of work by the  Lexus mechanic who did the work as in taking the centre console out myself the arm that operates the soft close ashtray door is broken . I can see that it has been glued by them as a repair.  I know it was fine before as I had removed it myself a couple of years ago to wrap the ashtray door. This happens when you try to refix the console back with the ashtray door closed.
Probably something that is going to be very difficult to source on it’s own and people want a lot of money for the whole ashtray assembly. So I am going to have to make a better repair than they did.  

Bearing mind the age and rarity of the SC I don’t think many Lexus mechanics are that clued up on them when it comes to the interior parts. 

I think that last para is a very fair assessment of the situation.

[MemoryDealer]

Good evening everyone!

I finally picked up the car, and what a beautiful drive it was! I just drove it home to keep it safe and had some time to inspect it a bit more thoroughly. I noticed a couple of things: First, the car shakes slightly when idling—not a major issue, but noticeable. However, the most concerning thing is the noise coming from the engine. I’ve attached a short video to this post where you can clearly hear it. I think it might be the belt tensioners. Because of this, I’m not going to drive it until Monday, when I’ll have it inspected to make sure everything is in order, and I’ll feel a bit more confident about it.

Overall, the car is in great shape and drives nicely. The brakes feel strong, and the acceleration is actually quite impressive. Now that I have the car, I can inspect anything you guys are curious about (as long as it doesn’t require mechanical skills)! 😎

 

[Malc1]

Hey and welcome back ……. Was your new car delivered locally to you to pick up ? 
 

the engine noise might be different, shielded whatever with the engine running in the indoor environment 🤔

Hopes your mechanic will be good on this aspect ….. and more 

Well done 

Malc 

[MemoryDealer]

26 minutes ago, Malc1 said:

the engine noise might be different, shielded whatever with the engine running in the indoor environment

Hi Malc1!

I can hear a squealing noise very clearly, my fault for not filming with the bonnet open 😂 I can hear it in the video because I know how it sounds in real life, probably.

 

28 minutes ago, Malc1 said:

Was your new car delivered locally to you to pick up ? 

It was delivered around 50kms away so I had to pick it up. 40 mins trip both on the highway and in intense traffic downtown, enjoyable drive in both conditions. Gear changes are unnoticeable, very smooth transmission and engine. Can’t wait to have it thoroughly inspected to drive it more!

[Bob King]

Congratulations on your purchase 👏🏻👏🏻

The two things you mention….could be the spark plugs or the power pack that goes onto the plugs (very common for them to break down..not all of them just one or two).

  Noise from engine sounds like the fan belt (multi vee belt), get that replaced first and see if the noise goes away .

Jobs to look at ….has the timing belt and water pump been replaced ?

   Guess a full service should uncover any problems .

[MemoryDealer]

2 hours ago, Bob King said:

Jobs to look at ….has the timing belt and water pump been replaced ?

Unfortunately, I have no information on that. Maintenance book reports regular service every 2 years but no details on what has been done. Checked the timing belt and didn’t look cracked or brittle. 
 

Can a mechanic get an idea by just inspecting the timing belt to understand? But yeah, I guess I’ll get it fully serviced asap. I’ll keep you informed!

Thanks as always!

[Bob King]

14 minutes ago, MemoryDealer said:

Unfortunately, I have no information on that. Maintenance book reports regular service every 2 years but no details on what has been done. Checked the timing belt and didn’t look cracked or brittle. 
 

Can a mechanic get an idea by just inspecting the timing belt to understand? But yeah, I guess I’ll get it fully serviced asap. I’ll keep you informed!

Thanks as always!

I would say at least get the timing belt changed, plus the fan belt and get the plugs checked .

[MemoryDealer]

Hi all! Small update.

I brought the car to a local mechanic and had it inspected. The brakes are new, there are no strange noises, and no issues were found, but... the timing belt needs to be replaced. The OEM replacement kit costs around 1,100 Euros here, not including labor. I’ve decided to have the car fully serviced—filters, fluids, timing belt, tensioners, and water pump—all for a total of 2,000 Euros. It's quite steep, but I agreed to it for peace of mind. The only downside is that the belt tensioners aren’t available right now, so I’ll have to wait until the end of next month to get the work done 😢. I’ll have to gather all my patience and avoid driving it with a 16-year-old timing belt—I’m not willing to take the risk.

The car is really a beauty, and no one around here has ever seen one like it. I’ve been getting tons of questions and compliments, which somewhat makes up for the 2k Euros I have to spend before even thinking about driving it 🤣.

[Malc1]

Some peace of mind that there’s no odd engine sounds so that’s good ……. Your patience will be rewarded soon 

Did anyone mention the radiator change as possible preventative maintenance ? 

Malc 

[MemoryDealer]

On 9/17/2024 at 8:16 AM, Malc1 said:

Did anyone mention the radiator change as possible preventative maintenance ? 

Not really, is this a common problem with these cars? Is it expensive? I might get it done as well if it's not too costly.

Now that I'll be keeping the car in the garage until the parts arrive, do you have any advice on how to keep it in good shape while it's unused for a month?

[Malc1]

If it’s the same radiator as the Ls430 then that forum says there’s 3, yes 3 different options of the correct one ……. so take care 🤔

Saves the rad leaking into the gearbox cooler and destroying the  gearbox  …….. 10yr / 100k mile ( 160k kms )  intervals 

BUT a Sc430 owner could confirm this or nay please 

As you’re keeping the car in your garage for a month …… well, I would take her out for short runs each week just to keep everything “ ok “ …… can you do that ?

Others might offer more practical thoughts on that tho’

Malc

[Glyn Jennings]

1 hour ago, Malc1 said:

If it’s the same radiator as the Ls430 then that forum says there’s 3, yes 3 different options of the correct one ……. so take care 🤔

Saves the rad leaking into the gearbox cooler and destroying the  gearbox  …….. 10yr / 100k mile ( 160k kms )  intervals 

BUT a Sc430 owner could confirm this or nay please 

As you’re keeping the car in your garage for a month …… well, I would take her out for short runs each week just to keep everything “ ok “ …… can you do that ?

Others might offer more practical thoughts on that tho’

Malc

Before I purchased mine the seller  took it into Lexus as it was 17 years old with only 7400 miles done.  As a preventive measure they changed the tyres, timing belt, radiator and Battery. Three years on it has been perfect requiring only a new Battery again which was my fault for it getting to flat before charging it. Still only 10,400 miles done currently.