ejs

If a key has a chip in it, and you just get a hardware store copy it will not start the car. You only can use the key to open the doors. The 1993 key does not have a chip in it, so any hardware store or locksmith that has a blank will cut a copy that works. However, I assume you want a key with the buttom that will also automatically open the doors. Make sure that is what you are getting as they may charge you for one without the opener and the dealer price is way more than a simple hardware/locksmith. The hardware store didn't have a blank for me, the locksmith did and charged me $12.

Took the radiator out, real easy like everyone says. Went to a radiator shop who charged me $50 to clean and weld it. I didn't think you could weld aluminium but it is fixed. Put it back in without antifreeze as I wanted to see if I had a head gasket problem. Car runs fine. I did look on the internet and it looks like $175 shipped for radiator if you look around. I didn't need to go that route. I guess I still have the potential for a head gasket blowing out in the future, but so far good to go. Just won't take long trips. That test for the head gasket where the blue fluid turned green put some worry in me the car was shot, will see what happens. Drives like it did before. No signs of head gasket problems other than some white smoke on the right side when it is cold that goes away after a minute as it warms up.

Driving and notice temperature going up, pull over and all the water leaked out of radiator. Testing radiator with that blue chemical fluid you put over radiator cap and it turns green (I guess yellow would have been real bad) which means there is some CO2 leaking in from head gasket. Looking for leak, radiator seemed fine, but I when I pour water in it just pours out. Leak is from very bottom near the drain plugs. I assume there is a crack as won't hold water at all although I can't see the crack. Q: I don't want to replace the head gasket and do a valve job. If I just replace the radiator how much time do I buy? Nothing in oil, no milky color inside oil cap, nothing on dipstick. No white smoke when I run it. Where do you find the cheapest radiators, is this an auto zone item or should I try radiator shops. I have to do this myself as can only drive about 3 miles without overheating and that is just asking to screw it up. I guess I can call Carson Toyota to see what they will ship one for. The last year I noticed some white smoke out of the right exhaust on start up, it goes away after it warms up. Am I wasting my time thinking I should just replace the radiator? If I can get one cheap enough it seems easy enough to do.

It was my transmission mounts,not much rubber left on them. Did a seach on how to repair and after seeing how easy they were to replace, ordered them thru Carson Toyota for $58. Two jacksneeded , take off bolts on cross member, replace mount. The car runs a lot smoother. This is an easy fix that I should have done earlier.

I have a 93 SC 300 and was told that the black paint was the only color without a clear coat. The front section was repainted a year ago, they didn't put in a stretch additive and it has started to peel. My only thought is to put a bra on it rather than repaint at this stage. They had to get the Lexus paint and did not mix it themselves. Everything matched on mine. Don't know if they still do it, but Lexus used to make body shops go thru a special Lexus certiified repair program before they would let their dealers refer people to a faciility for body repair work.

Just noticed that when I put my car in reverse and start backing up there is a clunk, more pronounced when car is cold. There is some play somewhere. Any ideas where to start looking this weekend? Only happens in reverse.

Problem was with radiator cap. The spring load was shot so it wouldn't hold any pressure which was why when I turned it off all the water went right to the overflow reservoir. Too bad I repaced the thermostat and flushed it first.

Just to follow up, when I did a search someone said they replaced the door locki mechanism and it took 2 hours, took me 4. Didn't have the star tool from the outside of the door so bought one. This is really not fun. I would pay someone next time. Lubbed the window channel while I was in there. Used epoxy to glue some of the door panel plastic pieces so my bottom door light and the remote control unit would stay fixed and in place. So where did I go wrong? When door first woud not open from outside, I should have stopped using the window as it may have contributed to breaking the rod. Should have went to the dealer and bought the yellow clip before I took the door panel off and started messing with it, they don't carry these at Autozone and you need the dealer part. Be carefult twisting the rod to get it way up in the corner to snap it in place. If you end up twisting the rod and breaking the U, it cost me $208 for the entire part, and was a real pain to replace. AS to door panel, its easy to get off, I peeled back the plastic splash shield and re-used it. Only other stupid thing I did was close the door when I had the door panel off after I disconnected the door handle from the inside so I couldn't open the door from the inside or outside.

Did mine today, took 20 minutes, should have taken less. I have the SC 300 but ordered the stiffer SC400 for the spoiler. $48 delivered from the ebay Santa Margarita place. Took 2 days to arrive. They come with the clips and bolts. When I took the back panel off, the large rubber trunk stop that prevents the trunk from opening all the way fell off, the other side didn't have one. My struts had been replaced once before so no lloctite prblem, I needed a 13mm wrench, and oddly the other side needed a 7/16 to unscrew. No problem. First I tried to unclip the bottom piece which was a real pain until I realized I had the same clip on the new ones and then just pried and twisted them off. That cost me a little time as I didn't realize what the clips looked like. Then I looked at the ball and socket they give you (both are in small plastic bag in one of the stut package and when I was looking how it would go into the new strut i put it in so I had to hold the strut up while I screwed it in which added al little time. It it easier if you just screw in the ball and socket, then press on the strut. Then I had the little clip facing towards the outside of the car rather than on the inner side facing the inside of the trunk and they are harder to go on that way so after I hit it with a rubber hamer I realized it wasn't going on easy because I had it backwards so I twisted it around and it slid on and in place without a rubber hammer. Second stut took less than 5 minutes. I used lithium grease on the latch and when I pop the trunk from inside the car the trunk opens as I have no spoiler.

Looks like the thermostat on the SC 300 is a little harder to get to than I thought. Any one done it? No noise from the water pump. Didn't they used to say only use Toyota antifreeze? As I only popped the hood today, I replaced the trunk struts so I could down a cold one with satisfaction.

When I turn my 1993 SC300 off, I have been hearing the radiator surging water, pop the hood and look at the plastic overflow tank and water just surges in. Will go to the top before it cools down. I don't recall this happening before. Normal? , or should I do a radiator flush to avoid excessive heat !Removed! up a head gasket or some similar problem.

Problem is that it hasn't done it again, literally only about once a month so I havent been able to experiment. Where is the solenoid located, might as well see if some R&R will work as I would prefer if this never happens again. The solenoid may be sticky from soda or something getting in there.

Twice in the last month my SC300 will not allow me to shift out of park when the car starts. However if I let it run for a few minutes and it warms up, it will allow me shift out of park. I am assuming when I press down the lock out button it is either out of adjustment or needs replacing. Anyone have a solution before I get stuck somewhere with a car that I can not shift out of park?

Drivers door would not open, common problem and solution is to replace the yellow clip on the door rod actuator. Took off door panel, saw the rod was dangling and knew that because when you roll the window down it would jam against the rod. It was Sunday so I bought the HELP clip packages for domestic cars at Autozone and they were close but would not work. There is no clip for the SC series but if you bring in the clip they will sell you the right one from other models. Put the clip on, twisted the rod to go back up in the right upper corner and the rod broke off at the base. (or rolling down the window I cracked it at the base) Now I have to replace the rod,not just the clip. Looks hard. I am finding out you can not just buy the lock, but must pay $207 for the locking mechanism. Several people posted for help or guidance on doing this, no replies. I know they must have done it so I will ask anyone who has done this for tips and guidance. I have the rod, will take it to Carson Toyota to see if they can just sell me the rod but believe I will get stuck buying the whole mechanism as I am not sure how the rod can screw in. How do I replace the rod actuator/locking mechanism? I stupidly took off the panel and closed the door, should have left it on as the handle comes off from the inside when you take the panel off completely so now I am climbing over the passenger side and have to put the handle back on to pull the wires to open the door.

Took off the other door panel and realized the end to the rod goes way up top. Hard to see if your not looking way up there in the top corner. Doesn't give you much room to work or even to see. Took off the yellow clip so I know what I need. When I searched this subject someone said the part number for the plastic clip that holds the door actuator rod into the outside door handle. Driver's side part #69293-12060 passenger side part #69293-12050. They said they paid $4.77 plus tax from the Toyota dealer ship. Hope that is true. Almost every problem I have had has had other posts that proved helpful.