Neil E

Hi Thomas, I've seen the vid, the head unit looks okay. Have you replaced the radio fuses? I would check/replace the 30A audio fuse in the engine bay and look carefully at the connection to the ML amp in the boot. Try the balance/fader knob on the head unit. If that doesn't produce anything on the head unit display then it points to a connection failure to the amp or an amp issue. I think this explains what you were trying to do but I'm not sure how much of it works on the later versions. https://www.wikihow.com/Override-Lexus-Navigation-Motion-Lock Let me know the amp part number, I may have a free spare. I think it's supposed to be 86280 - 0W070 ?

Your other car must be a DMC DeLorean. 🤣

How exciting, I always wanted a blue one but couldn't find the right one. The SC community is very young at heart and a little wild in spirit but most would need a lot of notice if things are threatening to get 'lively.' Walking sticks and frames would need to be found and polished. Pall Mall might be a stretch but we could fit right in wearing red at the Tower.🤣

Hi Bob, I still haven't got over the shock but of course the decision makes good sense. I haven't seen one better than your SC430. It's the best colour combo and in the best condition any one could hope for. We have of course appointed you chief judge for the next meet whenever this Covid nonsense is finished with. Lucy, hopefully they will get you into LW shortly and we can find out from the Lexusman what the status of the car is. If you don't get this one, he might find you another. Buying cars is usually eventful. I was trying to replace mine with an RCF a few months ago but it has to be the right one, I've given up for now.

Message sent to the Lexusman as he has appeared working on another blue one. If he hasn't sold it, I would expect unclebob's to command a very good price. I've looked all around that car and it's as close to new condition as you could expect to find one of that age and mileage. I just wonder if someone has traded up to it and Rich has done the deal with an existing customer for a quick profit.

Imports are often low mileage but I would stay with a UK spec SC - says the mad person that once had 2 Soarers. The difference in specification between the markets can make it difficult for things like radio and sat-nav. Everyone is welcome, the admins just need to wake up. Yes, it sent a ripple through the SC community but as I said above as a note of caution, I wonder if it was bought for a waiting customer. If I was buying it, I wouldn't even look it over.

It does seem a bit quiet, I think the admins over there have gone to sleep. All I will say is that if it's available and wasn't bought to order for another customer and you like blue with ivory leather, the car that Rich (the Lexusman) has acquired would probably be the best available anywhere. Some of us know the car quite well.

Vinyl wraps done professionally are great for a while but usually deteriorate after a year or two if the car is used frequently. (it's the same with paint) It's not paint protection film. If it's been done well then there shouldn't be any paint cuts underneath. If it's going to be professionally removed, why not ask someone from the company doing the work to take a look at the car to get a quote. Both are low mileage but I would say over-valued.

Hi Thomas, the hacks are good to know but the Navi screen has very little to do with the audio. The audio head unit sends the signal to the amp and the amp sends it to the speakers. Are all of the radio fuses okay and does the Mark Levinson/Harmon Amplifier turn on? You could post a vid of what happens when you turn on the head unit. Maybe we can tell a bit more from that? Does the aerial go up when you switch on the radio and do the balance and fade controls register on the head unit screen?

Is it intermittent for the radio and the CD/tape or does it not work at all?

Hi Thomas, was the audio working when you bought the car? Check the radio fuses, If they are okay, try to establish if the ML amp in the boot has power when the head unit is switched on. To establish if there is a connection from the head unit to the amp, can you adjust the balance and fade levels displayed on the head unit despite the lack of sound?

............It's alive!! Well done mate, I bet you're chuffed after all this time. You Tube is the easiest route to posting a video. That's where I stuck mine. Easy to set up and publish but I was hopeless at making and editing it. That's the tricky bit but real time footage in the IS will be all we need without any professional voice-over or background music. A bit of tuning, tweaking and finishing and then we need a little Lex meet for a proper unveiling.

A Lexus dealer or someone with access to Toyota Techstream should be able to identify any existing fault codes. Presumably it isn't showing a check engine light. Do the revs actually drop on the tachometer or does it just feel like the car is being starved of fuel? If local garages and a dealer has found nothing then I would assume they have looked at all of the usual and obvious issues with fuel and air, MAF sensor, loose fittings and cleaning etc. It seems a rare complaint but there is one similar instance noted in the US that I found and that turned out (in the end) to be the throttle position sensor as suggested above by Steve. I know from the experience of adding a Sprint Booster it's a very good secure plug system so unlikely to come loose. It's not too difficult to access if you're supple (which I'm not) viewing it and the wiring might be easiest with a mirror in the foot-well.

Yep - subscribe to that Once you know the details of the dye you automatically become a member of Bob's Beige Army of course. Good save on the Cat S as that was a very pretty looking car and rare to find. Perhaps that's why it isn't on ebay or Auto Trader.

Yeah agree with everything Bob said. Looks pretty good on the face of it but I would hope to get the newer version for that price. If possible, try a few to see how they compare. £7-8k should buy a face-lift model.

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.

Many owners have had great results with these guys. https://www.liquidleather.co.uk/-c48/dyes-c91/leather-touch-up-kit-65ml-p153 Perfect colour match to the original in my car but as explained above the seat colour changes with age and sunlight etc. If you buy enough to do all of the upholstery, take plenty of time and care in the process and it's possible to get excellent results.

Just had a quick look through the usual channels and there does seem to be an absence of decent SC430 models. @Bob King Bob (aka unclebob) is the man in the know for SC430 models on sale. I'm sure he will be along shortly.

Hi Ian, I give you fair warning, it's the tip of the murky world of modification but as you and Thomas are now part of the inner circle.... follow the instructions on the link below to learn how to control the rear quarter windows. There's a method to do it on a temporary basis and there's a link to a clever switch/relay set up to be able to control it fully and more easily. Going pillar-less may look cool but it must take a degree of support and rigidity away from the roof structure, keep that in mind. I'm not sure why it's not possible to have the rear quarters up with the roof down as a standard feature but I've always thought it might have something to do with the rigidity of the glass at high speed with the roof down. That said, i know of a few owners who have frequently enjoyed the feature and report no issues. https://www.lexusownersclub.co.uk/forum/topic/89554-sc430-rear-quarter-windows-mod/ It's also possible to set it up with a multi-function aftermarket alarm and at extra cost, remote operation of the roof is possible too. Next week you'll be asking how to make it go faster.🤣

Thanks Steve. Ah yes, I'm with you now. I changed the set up on the SC before the rot set in and took the decision to delete the third cat and replace all flanges as it made sense to do it as part of the process. My old Soarer V8 got the treatment from in front of the cats all the way to the back. It was a great shame to lose the silence but it sounded nice. As a very expensive science project, the SC still has 2 cats but everything else from the engine to tails is custom.

With the odd exception, nearly all SC430 drivers are spotty teenagers at heart with a heavy right foot but you would have no trouble slaying me away from the lights. I would be too busy admiring the Celsior. Interested in the dreaded Y section achilles heel comment, is that a vote for completely separate pipes or a larger merge pipe? Most exhaust theory I've read promotes Y merge, X or H pipe for improved flow, scavenging and balance.

The 1UZ was exceptionally quiet. I best buy a new car before Colin puts me off it and I get all nostalgic again.🤣

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 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?

Welcome Lucy, it might be worth starting a new thread. Jack's link is a really good place to start. That's where most of the UK SC expertise is. Because with regular routine maintenance these cars are very reliable if you can find one that has been looked after, it should serve you well. If you find one you like, it might be worth showing it to the community as there's a lot of knowledge on the boards and they may know the car. Apart from regular servicing and the 100k service mentioned earlier, check the airbag recall has been done. Lexus does it for free anyway. It depends on what 'messed with' refers to Thomas. As Jack said, many owned and looked after by enthusiasts might have different alloys and newer up-rated suspension, perhaps a stainless steel replacement exhaust. These can improve the car and should save money on future servicing. A few have audio upgrades to permit modern connectivity. If done properly, I would say they are sensible and worth having. If you mean 'messed with' like mine, I agree entirely 👍 steer well clear 🙂