Big Pete

TO be honest mine is in great shape now, had an owner that wasn’t overly bothered about fixing stuff but would only go to main dealer and not try to fix stuff himself. Most of the issues I have had are common but once fixed, and old cars so scrap yards generally have a few bits lying around, or parts brand new non Lexus parts like brakes are super cheap. i have the 5 speed version and yes you put it in sport mode and hit the throttle and it takes a while to wind up, then it pauses from 1st to 2nd and then it off like a rocket, the 6 speed is more fluid, both simular 0-62 and I’m sure the original engine had a few more horses, It’s a luxury cruiser so I suppose that’s the way they designed it for the original model. Mine has 140k and starts and drives like new. I think if you buy a car this old and the owner before hasn’t been on the ball yr need to spend a bit to get all fluids etc changed so you know it’s in good nick. Just go buy one they are amazing and like most Lexus, loyal.

a/v switchbox sounds like a plan! I’ll have to look into it, any links for an example?

Perfect, I’ll give it a go!

Forgot to say I’m probably running the same profile as yourselves on 19s so feel would be similar. 245/35 front 285/30 rear

Hi, thanks for the reply! the Beatsonic looked at just now, I think I’ll have to pay out as great option, and you can send video to the main nav unit, sounds amazing. Would be good to add front camera if it allows that to appear on the nav screen, and I can then add a rear camera to the new headunit. Great heads up! The car from the drivers seat had a big bum and long bonnet so would help for sure! ill have to check the fuses again, do you know which fuse is for the windscreen washer motor or is there a separate relay box? Either way the headlight washers are ok, the wipers are ok, the windscreen washers not, no noise from motor. When I got the car the rear silencer was falling off so I got a friend to do a custom stainless setup. I told him I need to hear that V8. He removed the 3rd cat luckily and that goes into a straight pipe with a silencer for the MOT, that silencer can be swopped out for a straight pipe which is how I run it, then like the OEM it goes back into 2 pipes with a small resonator on each and then exit pipes either way. The car sounds fantastic! I added a Blitz induction kit as it’s a big engine so......... Yes I have not dyno tested it but I could if i wanted but not overly bothered. The rims I have are a 30offset on the front and 38offset on the rear and fit easy with no arch mods. I’ve attached a photo. Tbh the front would fit a 10” and the rears an 11.5” easy with only possibly removing arch liners. You must be able to go very wide if you get the best offset I would say if you were able to measure and get custom rims from Work etc. I’ve got 24” on my RX450H and ive lowered that on Tanabe lowering springs and that’s a way better ride that’s stock with fat 55 profile tyres on 19s so i will say I was going to get 22” rims on the SC, but knew I’d have to fit coilovers so didn't bother. The 22” are oversized and would raise the car about 2cm so would need to make that difference up with the coilovers, so the car would have been pretty slammed with big rims sitting under arches which I love but I had to resist as it’s a luxury cruiser so........!

Hi, reply once again much appreciated! 2) I’ll check if not seated if not may have to remove each and check. 3) ok will do and great tip. 4) I actually got that wrong I put the headlights on yesterday and pushed the headlight washer button and they came out and sprayed fine. i pull the wiper pod towards me or hit the button on end of stalk and windscreen wipers operate but no water. 5) ok, is there a diagram for the bumper removal? Probably not that bad once you know what bolts remove, removed the rear on my RX and was fine. 6) ok no worries i think the later one has LEDs in it so I did suspect a fuse swop to allow for the voltage without fast blink and possible error message on VDU, but ECU that sounds expensive! 7) I did ask one company and they said no mod but expected someone to do a remap. Never mind, does STR have a website? Throttle controller plug and play? I’ve noticed off the line with Power mode and gearbox in 4 it takes a while once you have stamped on it for the car to move and it feels like it just bogs down in first, once it’s in 2nd it flies, but gear changing are pretty lethargic. 8)Plug and play from BeatSonic? Really so I can swop the old CD player out and still use the original Harmen Karden amp etc and the wood power cover over it? If so that sounds the way to go for me. Does it require spacer either side of stereo etc to fill in gaps over the double din? More info part number etc please if possible!!! 9) ok, does everyone get their water pump and cambelt kit from Lexus is there a good online Lexus shop or? 10) I’ve put lowering springs from H&R on it as was going to go down the coilover route but wanted to keep the Lexus smooth ride and it’s certainly done that and helped stop a little lean so not too bad. I’ve also put some 20s on it so knew the ride would be a little firmer so. 20x9” in the front on 35 rubber and 20x10.5” in the rear with 30 rubber. ill check that video out! Thanks.

Hi, Maybe I’ll just have to get Lexus’s aerial, any idea of price and part number? The eBay one for £10 lasted about 15 up and down movements! ok I’ll look for those drains and see, are they behind the panels, the pipes? Away at present so cannot check. thanks

I believe you have to replace the headlights. Not 100% sure but something I was also considering. let me know if you figure it out!

Hi folks, I’m new here so hi to all. I bought end of 2018 a 2002 SC430 with 135,000miles. After going from a new Toyota Aygo many years back to a new Verso S, then eventually we bought a dealer loan car 10th Anniversary Prius, loved it. Eventually the wife wanted an SUV and my local dealer had a Lexus RX450H 2009 model for a very low price available with 112k, we jumped at it so traded the Prius in with 50k, haha. The Toyota / Lexus reliability have been sold to the wife so we’re not bothered about mileage. She then wanted a convertible to use in and off, always wanted one so I could have gone down the MX5 route but I wanted luxury and managed to get an SC for £3k from someone local to me. It needed some TLC. It did have quite a few niggles, so good price. All the speakers were knackered so bought the refirb kit from a company in USA and now works perfectly. The backs of the seats were falling off so reset those, the electric aerial wasn’t working so I bought a new aerial and replaced that, the nav didnt work after 1 week so replaced the dvd unit in the boot off an LS430 and working well now, the boot had lots of rust from water so painted al that with rustproofing, drivers window would work on switch so took apart and fixed switch, I got a custom exhaust fitted as the original was falling off, the rear boot wouldn’t unlatch so had to use the manual pull in the centre box between seats, after lots of WD40 on the boot latch all is good, the stereo power wood cover wasn’t operating but found the cable disconnect. I got a garage near me to give it a full once over and replace all fluids, spark plugs, battery. They also replaced a front calliper, the radiator was also leaking at the top and had to go to lexus as knowone made an aftermarket version apparently, I did try but no good only custom and Lexus was cheaper. Id done some mods along the way also. i got it back and on my way home from the garage it started having P0335 knock sensor issues so it went straight back, my garage had no idea, it would restart and smoke from the engine, Nightmare! Eventually I fixed it by replacing the coil pack last week. Warmer weather, so I need to get the car sorted! So now the car is mostly fixed and working. I’ve still got a few issues if anyone can help? 1)The aerial has eaten another aerial, any way of adding a stumpy type? I may just disconnect the motor and plug the aerial cable into a fixed one and put that in behind in the boot if not. 2)The power mirrors, they work but don’t go in and out all the way 95% of the time, is there a fix? The passenger side only goes up and down not left to right? 3)The boot leaks, the wells either side in the back get pools in them so I have removed the rubber bung so it doesn’t look and just drips out, any idea where it comes from exactly? 4) The windscreen washers and headlight washers have randomly stopped working. No noise from pump, nothing! I checked the fuse in the passenger well that says Washer and is fine, any idea? If there more fuses or a relay box? I suspect there is 2 pumps so would not think both gone as same time. 5)What’s the easiest way to swop out the front sidelights, got some LED ones I want to put in. 6)I’d like to swop out the rear light clusters to the later version, anyone know if a straight swop or a scrap yard etc that got any etc? 7)Does anyone do an ECU and/or gearbox remap for a few more HP without damaging anything? 8)want to keep the stock stereo, what’s the options on getting Bluetooth and reverse camera for some mod-cons. Can you swop out later model headunit that has Bluetooth? 9) Any other preventative maintenance I need to do apart from the usual? Was just going to follow what says to do in the Manual. 10)Any great modification worth doing? Thanks for any advise I get in advance, and sorry no doubt many of these questions been asked before. Take care.