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Hi All - New Sc400 Owner Here...


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Hi all -

New to the Lexus community, and thought I'd introduce myself. I'm Andrew, and I just bought a 1994 SC400 with 48K miles. It's in pretty great shape - 1 owner, originally sold and serviced regularly by the local Lexus dealer here in Santa Monica. I love the car, it's a big change from my 1993 Nissan 240SX convertible with 110K on it :-).

I've been doing the research I should have done before I bought the car, and I thought I'd ask you folks a few questions. So far I've noticed some issues that seem endemic to the breed.

1: Headlight condensation on the driver's side - this seems to have been covered here and in the intellexual FAQ. One question is basically - what if I don't do anything? I haven't notice significant dimming of the headlight - is this something that can cause damage or is it more of a cosmetic thing?

2: Dash illumination - I see that many have had issues with the illuminated needles, mine seems to be that the bulb that illuminates the 0-40mph section of the speedo is burned out. Is this an end-user replaceable item without going for a whole new cluster?

3: Clunk in the seat when I sit in it. I'm not a small person, and when I sit down there's a definite shift in the seat - hard to pin down, but it seems like the seat back shifting a little bit. It doesn't seem to happen again until I exit and get back in the car. Anything to worry about?

4: Trunk lifter is weak. It's temperature dependent - in the cool night air the trunk can need to be held open. I see that there are instructions for replacing the lifters - do you recommend factory parts or are there after-market items that will last better?

5: Remote entry problems. The button on the key seems to activate the door locks, but only opens the passenger side. Sometimes I can hear the solenoids clunking over and over, but the lock status doesn't seem to change.

6: Most worrisome, a small but noticeable clunk in the front left wheel under stress, like if the steering is cranked over and I go over a bump. Is this the control arm bushings I've been reading about?

I'm very grateful for any advice that you can offer - looking forward to learning more about this wonderful car.

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Andrew, welcome and re item #1:

my '93 sc400 developed the very common condensate problem some 4 yrs

aft i bought it in late '92.

i elected to drill six very small holes on the bottom part of the lens to allow

the vapors to escape rather than tear into the headlight assembly and go

the re-seal route. the "hole" method was recommended by someone else

on the forum and, as for its efficacy, i would say it reduced the severity of

the problem by 80%. before i drilled the holes, condensate would appear and

remain for months. now i only see it occasionally and it usually disappears aft

a few days, especially if i drive with headlights on for a good while. i only have

the problem on the drivers side headlamp.

Lexie

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had the same problems with my dash lights. i read where if you tap the dash with your hand, above that area where the lights are out, they might come on. i tried it and they did :cheers:

----------------------------------

ditto for me on lights: i got my speedo to relight as well as the a/c display

by giving the dash a few hard pounds on top and front.

L

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Hi,

Point 6 ---- Well, I had the same trouble with my 98 ES. It turned out to be worn Strut Caps. I had Extended warranty on that car and got them replaced for free :) (they are abt 450 Bucks at Lexus, could be cheaper at Local mechs)

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