Sc400 Metallic Buzzing Noise And Ipod Revisited

[Scott Yoo]

Hi everyone,

I'm a newbie to the Forum but I've enjoyed reading it. Last night I went through all 160 pages of the SC forum and read lots of interesting stuff.

Recently I've noticed a metallic buzzing noise in my 1995 SC400. It happens at low speeds, often between 15-35 mph, 2-3K RPM. I thought it was a brake warning thing, but it wasn't. It sounds like loose metal.

Have any of you had this problem? I owned a 1989 Honda Prelude and it developed similar noises. The mechanic told me that it was a loose heat shield in the exhaust system. Is there an easy fix here?

Also...

I've searched through the forum and haven't seen a satisfactory solution to connecting and iPod/mp3 player to the stock stereo. I have the Nakamichi "Premium" 12 disc changer (which sucks-- the tape player hisses more than a Fisher Price toy cassete player and the CD changer doesn't work.)

I've used cassette adaptors-- they sound bad

iTrip and other FM transmitters-- useless in NYC (where I live)

Monster iCruze-- website doesn't list Lexus as a compatible auto manufacturer

Denison Dice-- Won't work with older Lexus models

So, for those of us who have older Lexus-es, are we screwed with the iPod?

Thanks everyone in advance!

[jzz30]

the buzzing could be your exhaust tips or as one of your previous mechanics said a heat shield. but only if the buzz is coming from your exhaust.

[Scott Yoo]

the buzzing could be your exhaust tips or as one of your previous mechanics said a heat shield. but only if the buzz is coming from your exhaust.

Thanks jzz30.

Can I fix the buzz myself if I find that it is the exhaust tips (with a pair of pliers, etc.) or do I have to replace the exhaust tips?

[jzz30]

yea you can bend the clips so that they clam harder on to the muffler

[Scott Yoo]

The buzzing noise ended up coming from a piece of the heat shield that was cracked. My mechanic told me that there is a part of the heat shield (around the engine) that often cracks on mid-90's SC 400s.

In terms of the iPod, I found two solutions:

1) Installed a Clarion aftermarket stereo with an iPod adaptor and an auxillary input. The problem is that you have to create playlists (Clarion1, Clarion 2, etc.) to control the iPod with the head unit. Otherwise, the auxillary input works fine.

2) An under-rated product is the Monster Cable FM transmitter. I stayed away from this because I owned an iTrip FM transmitter, which sucked. But, the Monster is quite powerful and also charges the iPod at the same time.