Anger!

[SC400SunDevil]

Recently, I have been plagued with horrible bad luck. My SC has had more problems in the last month than it has ever had before. Recently, 2 warning lights came on, the taillight one and the radiator one. I am getting a very bad squeking noise when going over speed bumps, the plastic shield is coming off the bottom of my car. The AC decided to stop working and now, the moonroof is not wanting to close! IS everyone else having these problems in the high 80K mile range?? I just want to know if I am cursed or is all these things are common. thanks for listening to me whine.

[rich21]

the only problems i've had was the radiator, alternator, and the power steering pump. that was between 102k and 105k. oh yeah and my heat don't work.now i have 106k and heat still don't work. haven't had heat since 105k.

[AWJ]

An older model car is apt to radiator problems if not caught. Try a fluid top off first. If you are over heating get help from a professional mechanic. Find out wich bulb is out back there and replace it. The squeak is possibly ball joint. Worn bushings are worth replacing. That should handle that. The moonroof on our cars stops in the middle normally during closing. The switch has to be pressed again to close it completely. Just one of those things. Gives you time to get anything out of the way ;) . Or the switch, motor, relay or wiring and or mechanical operation is to blame. Never had a problem with mine.

I think Rich is cursed though. :(

Just kidding man. It think you should take that car in to get the heater fixed though. The power steering pump can go out on these cars and that is a problem - then it leaks on the alternator. Hey it's gotta go somewhere right?

[SC400SunDevil]

on the sunroof: I know that it stops half way, but when it got to the very end, it just stopped, not sure why, but i kept backing it up and going forward then it finally worked. Its not a big problem, screw it, thanks for all the other advise, i'll use it for sure.

[AWJ]

No problem Robert. Maybe something was stuck in the tracks there - couldhave been dirt or something. Or something in the mechanical assy might be lose. It would be worth taking a look, without tearing it apart. If you see nothing, let it go. If it starts happening more and more, you may have to take it apart.

[1995SC4double0]

I got my SC400 with 76,000 miles on it. The A/C wasn't cold when I got it. I thought it just needed to be charged. There was a leaking A/C line that was a major pain to install! The line was about $300 I believe. This line is just a faulty engineering design. I suggest if you need your's replaced or to prevent this, putting "cushioning" tape around the area where the two lines rub together.

As for other problems, I really haven't had any that would define my car as troublesome. Its just been normal wear and tear. My alternator did go out last month. I got one from Napy a lot cheaper than from Toyota ($700!). It has a lifetime warranty. As I was changing the ALT, I noticed the power steering pump leaking. It was just a brittle O ring. If Lexus would have been working on it they would have charged me for a new pump I'm sure.

By the way, I don't believe my car has ever been tuned up. I just got it back from Lexus yesterday and it runs better than it has since I got it. I always thought it was so sluggish for a V8. I thought "Who would have paid $51,000 for this car new?" But it really does run a lot like a bigger V8 now with the new plugs and points.

As much as I love this car, I would sell it to buy a new MR2 spyder. I know there's not much there, but I have always loved MR2's. I test drove a 2003 on Sunday and it is so much fun. It feels a lot like a Boxster. And just think, you could own two of them for the price of a Boxster. As an added bonus, you get Toyota quality and reliability. Whoo hooo!

Ok, I've babbled enough.

[Bandit]

:whistles:

I don't think you would have any points, at least not since manufacturers came out with electronic ignition. :whistles:

The Radiator and Heating problem are probably related.

If your Thermostat is staying open all the time, then the water is not heating enough to provide heat to the heater.

If your Radiator warning light is staying on, then you might consider a complete Flushing. And I don't just mean draining and refilling. There is specialized equipment to drain, pressurize, fill and circulate a flushing fluid that opens all the channels of the radiator back up and then flush clean the radiator before refilling.

There is also the same process for the oil in the engine. Over time and improper oil service, the oil pump and small channels can become clogged and play havok on the sensors.

After a thorough flushing of my radiator, the water temp dropped 80 degrees.

My brother experienced low oil pressure on a truck, had the engine flushed and no more problem.

Some of the Jiffey Lube type places offer this Flushing Service. It may seem costly, but it is less costly than an engine or radiator failure.

Hope this help!